Gator

I reckon a team has about one, or at the most 2, crunch games per year (not including finals). This is Melbourne's. Sydney have not been beaten in 16 of their last 20 games against the Dees. They massively have the wood over this club. Yes, we won in 2021, but we and they both know that that doesn't change the fact that they have our measure as a football club. It's in their psyche and ours. If Melbourne want to reinstate some authority, demeanor, or aura over the competition, they must win this game on their home ground. Not many will agree with my next comment, but I believe if we can't beat this younger and less experienced side on our home ground then we're not winning the premiership in 2023. It's a must win. It's that important. They'll be smarting from their last game on the 'G, but our imperatives are equally important. Am I confident ? A resounding no. But they must find a way. It's never easy to break a dominance, because they're there until they're not. And they can last a very long time. I sense there's still a slight fragility about this team. The flag notwithstanding. I'll learn a heap by Sunday night. It's as crunch as you get.

My personal favourite from their Board ? "Jackson's idea of contesting for a mark is doing star jumps''

That's the most flattering scoreline I've ever seen. Easily. Some supporters love making excuses, but let's deal with reality. They were a 10 goal better team. Oliver, Petracca and particularly Viney were pathetic. Harmes was worse than Viney. Barely possible. Brayshaw plays like he's wearing concrete boots. Ashcroft made our two ''generational'' mids look like they lacked class. Grundy is one of the smallest talls I've seen. Tom McDonald needs to rediscover form at the lower level. I particularly enjoyed the dropped marks and constant fumbling. A grim reality check.

I haven't been a huge fan, but there's a role for him and I've liked what I've seen at training. I may have been premature in my views. He adds a nice bit of diversity to the forward-line, especially with Pickett spending more time upfield.

In good news Salem and Fritsch completed the whole session. They both moved and trained very well. Viney off to the side with mainly agility and lap running at a good pace. It was a light craft session. Mids/rucks doing centre bounce stoppage work. Inside 50 delivery was extensively practised with defenders v forwards. There's an emphasis on either hitting up one of multiple leading targets OR taking a longer option with a deeper kick where the forward has got themself in good position behind the defender. There was some 3/4 ground match simulation that wasn't too intense or too long. I didn't notice Woewodin, but I might have missed him. May did not train.

No.

Barassi left before I was born, so I won't include players I never saw. From what I've heard it would be hard to go past Stuart Spencer, Barassi, and Mueller from year's gone by. My 5 favourite players: Flower, Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, Viney (experienced the worst of it) My weighting is very much based on premiership players. I never thought I'd see one, so these guys are my favourite. It's a very easy decision for me over non premiership players. But if you saw Robbie you couldn't leave him out. The 5 best Melbourne players I've seen: Flower, Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, May (not in order) It's some feat for a non-premiership player to be included, but if you saw Robbie...

Tom McDonald attended quite a few ballups and I doubt would have won one hitout, which wouldn't have helped. And with so many players rotating through the CBAs our best combination wasn't always in there. For example Hopper attended 25 and Petracca only 15. Oliver 20. Also, Viney was missing. As whatwhat mentioned, post clearance was strong.

I know it's predictive, but from a Melbourne perspective May is underrated. He's the best defender in the league and lost the least percentage 1v1s in 2022. He's not behind Darcy Moore or Stewart. And the ESPN list has him also behind Sicily. He's behind no-one. He didn't include Fritsch because he criticised his perceived selfish behaviour last year. Only one player in the league has scored more goals than Fritsch the last 2 years (Hawkins). He's definitely a top 50 player, as evidenced by his AA40. Interestingly, this morning on SEN Nathan Buckley listed his 5 most impactful players in the game and he had Gawn at 1 and May at 2. Oliver was also in the top 5 along with Darcy Moore and Neale. Even Moore's biased ex-coach had him behind May. There's no way Oliver is behind Cripps as a footballer, but I admit I don't rate Cripps nearly as highly as many. Anyway, it's all just opinion and I recognise my bias.

I love it when supporters talk in absolutes off the back of a massive sample size of one game. And a practice one in February at that. Listening to Ross Lyon on RSN reference the game he lamented how challenging it was with Marshall up against both Grundy and Gawn and how they were giving us momentum around the ball. He gave an exacerbated laugh as he was saying it. And that's the thing. It's won't all be about the rucks kicking goals, or clunking contested marks in the forward 50, it's that the opposition ruckman and midfield get no respite. Every stoppage they're up against an AA quality ruck giving their mids momentum. Not all hitouts will be to advantage, but the opposition isn't hitting them to advantage either.

What gets overlooked with McVee is his toughness. He's physically not huge, but he has a real crack. He has genuine class, very good kicking, he's evasive and he has nice speed, which is at odds with an earlier comment in this thread. There's a lot to like.

And at the intraclub last Friday.

I'm not a fan. $1 at best. 175cm is OK. Papley is only 177cm and Kosi just 171cm, but for me Chandler's tricks at VFL level don't translate to the AFL. He lacks a little pace. And it's that lack of pace that finds him out in the higher grade.

I suspect ''Pickett'' will tell you that all had their moments without being prolific. Jordon and Woewodin struggled in the first half, as did the whole White team. They got more involved in the second half, especially Jordon. I thought Sparrow was relatively quiet overall, while his teammates in Blue - Oliver, Petracca, Viney - won more of it.

They call McVee ''Knuckle''. I don't think it was preceded by another infamous word.

Smith was quiet. He has AFL attributes (speed and evasion), but he hardly touched it today. Adams didn't play.

Have I ever told you the story of the scorpion and the frog ?

Someone you wouldn't like.

There were 4 x 20 minutes quarters between teams Blue and White. It was controlled by AFL umpires. The first two quarters comprised of the probables in Blue versus the possibles in White. Blue included: Gawn, Grundy, Petracca, Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Sparrow, May, Lever, Petty, Rivers, McVee, Langdon, Neal-Bullen, Pickett, Spargo, Brown, McDonald, Bowey, Chandler White: Farris-White, Verrall, Schache, Hunter, Jordon, Hibberd, Dunstan, Harmes, Howes, Jefferson, Laurie, Sestan, Deakyn Smith, Tomlinson, Turner x 2, Woewodin, van Rooyen, Trent Burgoyne, plus 2-3 other Casey top-ups. As you’d expect Blue dominated. At half-time they’d kicked 15 goals to one. At half-time quite a few in Blue swapped to White, including Oliver, Brayshaw, Gawn and the first choice defenders – May, Petty, Lever, Rivers, McVee and Bowey. Harmes, Tomlinson and a few others went from White to Blue. The ‘new’ White got away in the third quarter, while Blue almost pinched it in the last. Final scores for the last two quarters were 41 to 40 White’s way. Ben Brown kicked 3 goals in the first on his way to 5. He’s moving and marking very well. McDonald kicked 3 and was also good. Grundy kicked 2 and handed an easy third to Pickett. Grundy was busy and had a good game, including a nice contested mark for one of his goals. He really gets involved around the stoppages. He seemed a little sore in his leg in the third quarter but he stayed on and completed all 4 quarters, so I’m assuming it’s minor. Spargo was very good and kicked 3 goals. Chandler did well and kicked 2. I wonder if McVee has been earmarked for Salem’s position. He looked very comfortable in the back 6. Both Langdon and Hunter got plenty of it. van Rooyen had a quiet day not helped by Blue’s dominance in the first two quarters. He led well in the second and did take one good contested mark, but also dropped an easy chest mark in the last. He ended the day goalless after missing a very gettable 30 metre shot in the second. Schache was quiet early but kicked 2 goals in the second half and became a target. Viney spent some time on ball but played mainly forward in the first half. He hit the scoreboard and actually played very well from a HFF. Rivers played mainly defence but also started in the centre square a few times, as did Brayshaw. So it looks like they’re going to mix it up. In the first half the preferred centre square setup was Oliver, Petracca, and Sparrow. Jefferson kicked the only goal for White in the first half and ended with 2. He took one excellent contested mark i50 (goal), but also dropped a couple he should have taken. He looks a player. Gawn looked a little rusty but was OK. I would have given Grundy the honours, but they both won their share of hitouts against each other in the second half. They were on the same team in the first half. Gawn spent time forward but was ineffective. For me the three best players were Oliver, Petracca, and Viney, but Spargo, Langdon, Brayshaw, Bowey, Rivers, Grundy, Brown and McDonald all did well. Petracca and Oliver can both extricate themselves from very tight positions. Some of their midfield craft was superb. Both fast, big and powerful. Oliver took a nice contested mark and was completely unhindered by his thumb. It was great to see Petracca mark forty metres out in the last, dead in front, and kick truly. He was also very happy (“Let’s go boys !!!”). This was the most involved I’ve seen Sestan. He took a couple of very strong marks and got quite a lot of it. He also kicked truly from 51 metres out. He’s one of those players with a low centre of gravity. Shortish legs and a long torso in the Daicos and Jesaulenko mould. Quick ball movement was the order of the day. There was a strong wind, so conditions were challenging, but there were also some excellent pieces of play. Lots of turnovers too, as is the hallmark of the modern game. I’m sure van Rooyen will get games and he’s had a great preseason, but he may just be behind Brown and McDonald for round one. Verrall competed well in the ruck. He’s raw but didn’t look out of place. Howes was very busy and mainly used it well. Even though Hunter played the first two quarters for White I’m sure he’s in the best team. Neale-Bullen also played well early. He was playing on a wing. Dunstan pulled a hamstring. Unlike Gawn, who jogged off with his, Dunstan was in pain as he gingerly limped off. Fritsch was a no show but may have been inside. Moniz-Wakefield and Melksham were there but didn’t participate and nor did Joel Smith.

If someone starts a training thread I'll add a few thoughts.

Grundy was good. Kicked 2 and gifted a goal to Pickett that he could easily have put next to his name.

There 4 x 20 minute quarters today with AFL umpires. Dunstan hamstring. No Fritsch.

I was there at Dallas Brooks Hall in 1996 and the amount of people locked out with no merger signs was incredible. They never got to vote. The emotion in the room is something I'll never forget. It was overwhelmingly anti merger. The vote was close - 4,679 to 4,229 - and this would have been challenged in the courts if needed. The process was a sham, including Billy Guest getting employees who didn't even support Melbourne to sign up and vote pro merger. A dark period that thankfully we're well past. But I don't thank Hawthorn supporters one bit.

Over 30 metres May would still be faster than 90% of the list. He should easily have 2025 covered if the mind is willing. At the end of 2025 he'll be 7 months younger than Tom Hawkins is now.

Hunter is a far better wingman. Hunter is a better outside link player with better delivery inside 50. It's not close. I suspect Jordon is a far better inside midfielder, because that's not Hunter's go. Jordon has done well to showcase abilities that probably don't best suit his skillset. With Petracca, Oliver and Viney earmarked to play less ''inside'' minutes Jordon and Sparrow should get opportunities that better suit their attributes.