RedBlueandTrue

I think this may be a result of collingwood taking advantage of their position to get some heavy training in, doesn't make it any less enjoyable!

It wouldn't feel great if Brisbane were to get the mantle with losses at the G given a certain result that occurred during September last year

By all reports we as a club do a lot of work on goalkicking and kicking skills in general, more so than the average. Teams go through bad goalkicking patches and always have. A balancing act because putting more of a focus on it can invite further pressure and have a negative effect. If we can keep generating chances it will eventually turn.

6. Viney 5. Salem 4. May 3. Tomlinson 2. McVee 1. Rivers

Absolutely! See also the essendon win, hawthorn draw, loss to the bulldogs (stats were ok but we were really lacking connection), even the wins against West Coast and Adelaide at the end people were not very comfortable with. We played a lot of footy similar to last night in 2021.

Obviously a scrappy game, but a great step forward in a lot of ways. We switched the play quite often and created some good opportunities. Defence looked really good, sad about bowey, our smaller types are really finding their groove. Fantastic to see Lever and May having a big influence. Hunter is a gun. He may not be a pacy silkmeister, but he processes situations quicker than any other player and consistently turns what should be 50/50s to our advantage. Up there with highest footy iq in the afl. Trac has gone to another level of consistency. Best in the comp this year? Certainly very close. I'd usually have Clarry above him but wow, Trac is having a GREAT season. Hopefully spurs Claz to go super saiyen. All I want is a tied brownlow from them in a premiership year, just a simple wish. Feeling very positive this morning about our chances, we just need to keep building on our connection. Wish Petty hadn't got injured just as he was starting to hit his straps, had he of kept going from strength to strength we may have had another 2 wins in our pocket. Extended break now, boys will probably get some time off and recalibrate before the big one. First time in a while we won't go in as favourites? If defence keeps continues to build we're a big chance! Go Dees

MCG Specialist. Big part of why we're finally looking menacing on the G. Melbourne Chandler Ground.

That game against gc was incredible. 18 of his 34 contested and at 79% - absolutely cleaned up the back half of the ground on a very greasy day. Lost form as he tired but should have come back in when we were clearly struggling defensively at ground level. Wonderful player.

That's all a bit much for me. I will respond to first one though. As I said before, improved fitness helps ALL facets of the game - it's certainly not binary in that it only helps either spread OR contest as your logic seems to imply? Weird one. Anyway have a good one go dees!

Yeah well I wish I could be bothered going back, all I remember is that I have been supremely confidant of a big win exactly 3 times this season - and made sure all my mates tipped dees for them. Brisbane, Freo, Brisbane. Extremely anecdotal and not of much use to others but it's enough for me!

Sure, and with increased fitness you get more numbers to the contest and increase the likelihood of winning the clearance. The reality is that high metres gained is an indicator of good performance in a match. With increased fitness comes increased performance. Increased performance = higher metres gained. If you don't think that increased fitness is a massive factor in increased performance then you won't think its the reason for metres gained either, so we go in circles a bit. There's been 3 times this year when BEFORE a game there have been predictions that we have deloaded and will destroy the opposition. First Brisbane game, the freo game and the second Brisbane game. It's been like clockwork! Is it coincidence and all a bit magic? I don't think so but I can only analyse based on the facts in front of me - maybe it is!

I thought predictions prior to this game were that we had de loaded and were always going to be fresh for that game, we went in confident for this reason?

Yes it does because you get more metres gained as a team when you hit an effective kick 50 and mark it and then kick it another 50 = 100 rather than kicking it 50 to a turnover. On an individual level of course it doesn't matter but it does for the team total.

Surely metres gained would trend upwards strongly with increased fitness? With increased spread from contest, kick down field hits a target instead of turnover or handball therefore further metres gained from the next possession. Also improved fitness isn't just about running, it's about all facets of the game - more contests won - better quality of possession - better avenue to goal - more metres gained. I would've thought it was clearly a good indicator of fitness.

Not much else to say other than I completely agree and continue to shake my head when 'forward connection' is brought up as the reason we've lost games! I feel like I'm living in a parallel universe where 2021 Melbourne scored 140 points in every game. Every time we play, everyone is subconsciously judging us against our prelim slaughtering and 1 and a half quarters of perfect football in the granny. It's all fugazi! Tune up our contest work behind the ball and we're in it up to our eyeballs.

Rose tinted unfortunately mate, when we beat Essendon last year half our cheersquad booed their players off, it was disgusting

While the guys that came in generally did ok and had some really nice moments, I think the team defence was way down. In particular, ANB and Pickett were massive outs in this regard. Can also throw in that ANB is also arguably our most important link up player forward of the ball as well as being ranked elite for score launches and ground ball gets - on paper the guy is one of the best in the league at what he does. While our system and depth are strong, losing the players who are best at maintaining the structure and creating pressure is always going to hurt. While Hawthorn did very well to hurt us on the switch and cut into the middle, I think that with our better system players out there, their aggressiveness would've invited more turnovers and it would've been a more comfortable game. The fact that we can have the outs that we had and still do enough to bank the points is awesome. I really think that while we didn't lose any of our "key players" (although I think the club would rate ANB in the same category of importance as the superstars) we were still greatly impacted and our ability to constrict and suffocate the opposition was heavily reduced - although was clearly good enough to get the job done! I think the game will be great for the club from a learning perspective and was great to get another game into Bedford and Dunstan. While Bedford's pressure output was way down on what we usually get from Kozzie in the role, he still worked hard and kicked some vital goals. I think his pressure output would shoot up with regular experience although am not sure how he will get it. Saints may be more trouble although I think Hawks style was perfectly placed to pick us off while we were down. Hopefully no more covid outs and the boys that missed don't have it too bad, go dees!

Keen!

Hey friends, did your tickets come through to everyone's phones as you ordered? Still waiting on mobile delivery

Love it. Dees in the first round? Never in doubt

Petracca goal in the third, it was just so perfect and instantly felt like an all time Melbourne moment, then as sparrow kicked his I couldn't believe it was really happening and then my favourite player who's number I got on my back before he'd played a game ran in and did it again. My eyes were stinging and it felt like a dream seeing these wonderful people we've ridden all the bumps with creating history and etching themselves in folklore before our eyes! After 2 or 3 goals in the fourth I called my sister to say "I think we're gonna do it" and she was already sobbing... Will never forget how that third quarter made us all feel

I think there's appeal in going to Carlton with the opportunity to be part of turning the club around. Had we lost the flag I almost think we may have been a more attractive option, as he could've been part of the special team to break the drought. He gets to try and forge his own path of success at Carlton, whereas he's walking into a ready made superstar team with us. I don't think the pull of the reigning premiers tag is as strong as believed. Would love to have him though! It's so lovely to be able to watch all the run arounds of trade week this year as teams fight to grab their 'missing piece[s]'. We don't have any! Any one who comes in is cream on top or depth!

In the 3 hours of sleep I managed last night, I dreamt that the Bulldogs reeled our 50 point lead into 2 goals before Dogga kicked an almighty settler and we ran away with it. My heart rate is steadily rising now. I want to it to be over but want to enjoy it. Glad to know there's so many of us feeling all over the place at the moment!

Yeah has to be either blatant of most blatant throws or right in the umps face or they aren't called.

I see Clarry as having next to no chance of winning. He just doesn't pole well. The fact we rate the Brownlow as the highest honour is stupid. Highest honour should be coach and/or player voted. Petracca is a better chance in my eyes. I'll be very happy with a Clarry Norm Smith!