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The first game proved how wrong he was in the most effective way possible. No best backline in the league and our system still choked one of the best teams to death. Hard to argue against that system. he compared us to Richmonds system and claimed we were more a team of individual performers than they were. Which as we all know is utter rubbish. Sometimes journalists get found out knowing sweet [censored] all about a team and this was one of those times. Strange because he has always come across as more knowledgeable than he showed himself to be in this case. The cocky comment also suggested he’s never seen Melbourne play or heard a player interview.

That comment was weird. When he alluded to us being a team of individual performers compared to Richmond who are all about system I immediately thought about every interview last year where each player deflected questions about themselves to praise others and highlight the team and the system we play or as we call it the Melbourne way. He genuinely just pulled that comment out of his [censored]. Not to mention, system shone through with our team still putting the choke on without any backline.

To site Che guevara as an inspiration as an adult human being is a bit embarrassing surely. It’s a 16 year olds version of a hero. You quickly learn more about him and realise he was a psychotic monster and move on with your life dont you. Says plenty about his mental capacity. Between last night and his moustache he is looking desperate. The bulldogs have really shot yo the ladder of unlikeables in the last year or two.

We seemed to play man on man a lot of the game. There was a lot of time when we didn’t have an extra back. We were definitely not going hard into contests. perhaps the goal was more about getting as many k’s into their legs as possible rather than sticking to structurally sound game plans that have proven to be effective last year. Hopefully the caution at the contest was also a preservation thing. the difference in energy levels and intent was very noticeable at the ground. Carlton we’re very up for it and we were going through the motions. They were getting around each other after goals and we were not really. They were very hard at it and we kinda let them have it. The optimist says we are managing ourselves and the pessimist says we drank too much bath water and are headed for a hang over. It felt like we were never in it and almost pinched it at the end which is a good sign. our game is built on our backline and they were all out tonight, lever aside. No team has that depth. without having tv to know what went on with all those fifties I am absolutely at a loss as to what happened with any of them. I can’t remember ever seeing so many in a game and all for one team.

What happened for us to get back in the game? We went from dumbly and nervous to freakish monsters in a breath. did we do anything structurally? Or did we just wrestle the game back from the middle and forward. I haven’t been able to figure out if we did anything watching the replay. It seems like we just stepped it up again. Started winning the contest again etc

What a turn around. Most likely to be fired to coach of the year in 6 months.

Maybe some recency bias but Nathan Jones along with Neville Jetta are my two favourite demons. They’re not the best we’ve ever had but they are as hard and loyal as any we’ve had. Jones probably more so. What they did for the club year after year while I sat there pulling my hair out is nothing short of incredible. To sacrifice a chance of success in your professional career by staying at a club like ours, for whatever reason is something I will always remember. What this generation went through is highlighted well on a podcast where Shane Crawford interviews jack watts. I can’t believe we retained anyone through the neeld era. It was genuinely [censored]. Nathan Jones will be remembered along side any great you care to come up with because he was the bridge to now, the life jacket for fans like myself who contemplated giving up while walking out at 3/4 time through pure frustration watching us lose by about ten goals or more week after week, the guiding light to the next generation, the beating heart. He was everything. Without him Paul Roos and Peter Jackson may not have been able to do what they did, without Nathan Jones on the field who else could lead the way after any of our experience had been gutted. He deserves all of the glory but will not get it. A statue should be made for our training facility. Not a public display but a very private one. One for the players. This is the standard boys and girls. This amount of loyalty and resilience or don’t bother showing up. I was a generation late to see Robbie flower and while not as good a footballer it seems he had every other attribute. An absolute pleasure to watch. Thanks Nathan.

Ben brown is going to have a blinder. He’s been building beautifully and clunked some very strong marks in the prelim. Geelong played harder than port did and we won by more. They at least showed effort and made contests. Port were just watching a game of football happen around them. It was worse than us in 2018. I trust our system over theirs. It has looked anti fragile in the big games time after time. Their midfield could get away from ours if we were a bit off. I don’t think it will if we show up. Regardless of what happens it is a lot of fun to be in a grand final again. Feels like what it felt like walking around the ground before the 2000 grand final. Which was a long time ago. The 2021 version of that exists online but it’s still good.

I’m not sure how the bulldogs have gone past Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon for my hatred toward them, but they have.

Even Luke Darcy can’t believe the umpiring.

Why no x metres back please first?

Overrated

It’s terrifying the enthusiasm with which the bulldogs are given frees that aren’t even considered going the other way. Week after week.

Good teams always give free kicks in red time

Wow.

Good goal against a brief run of enthusiastic umpiring. Look for them to further stamp their name in the game from here

Geelong allowed to run through the mark. I like it.

We need to get someone in front of Hawkins for the rest of the game. See what he can be tempted into.

Suspend him

They look poor. They will also be tired and a week older next week. Neither team looks threatening.

First half yesterday was about where the bulldogs free kicks were given. Kept them in the game along with Essendon inaccuracy and also the one sided adjudication of rules. The bulldogs get frees that the other side don’t get and yesterday’s first half was no different. Two sets of rules for them.

Essendon should bring up the umpiring post game regardless of consequence. The bulldogs are being handed this. Frees in front of goal. Frees going one way and not the other. I hate both teams and don’t have a dog in this fight but I am very over the umpiring handing the dogs opportunity week after week. partly on Essendon for their inability to convert too.

I thought it was aggressive. He walked straight through him while telling him what a shot job he was doing for no reason. Intent was there.

Our game does have a history of champions who are also thugs. The thuggery tends to fade from memory as time goes by.

That’s not how any justice system works. If he’s acting a fool then as an adult he will need to own that.