In Harmes Way

It’s strange opening a game day thread on a Friday! Dees fancied to win by the bookies, I hope they’re right. Last chance to get to a game unless you’re @Clintosaurus - get along if you can, it might marginally improve our chances for Friday night games next year!

Yeah - let's get Malthouse. Could be a director of coaches?

Carey did all his best work in the off season.

Mind boggling to think that, when he was part of the 1961 team to lose the Preliminary final to Footscray, he missed what would have been his 8th grand final in a row. Vale Bluey. Condolences to the family.

Do you reckon Gil would give GWS a priority pick if Coniglio leaves?

Easy to potshot Gus here, but if you look closely at the vision as the ball is in dispute, there's 5 Dees players vs 3 Pies players contesting the ball. At that point, Gus is moving away from Pendlebury in anticipation of the ball coming out to our advantage. We should be potting others that lost the ball, and who let the ball get to Sidebottom before we have a go at Gus.

I can't be certain from this angle, but I'm pretty sure this is the horse I backed in last year's Melbourne Cup.

Are the doggies tanking as well?

Don’t have a problem with old though jumbo!

Gees there’s some grumpy old bastards out today. Dark, wet and cold.

The demon looks awesome @Demonland I'd vote to leave it there permanently

I'd like to arrive at our destination of a premiership at some point It feels like our journey involves circling above the airport in a holding pattern for 50 years.

They should play it after Hells Bells....

You're better than this Smokey, just walk past if you don't like it (or ignore, which I found worked wonders with Matsuo).

I'd have expected the message to sound like: We've averaged 91 points against since the break, we'll be working hard on defensive running in the midfield to stem the bleeding We don't have a forward line that can kick 90 points - we'll be going back to a 2014 Roosy approach where we embed defence first. Especially in the wet. We will win this game by limiting opposition scoring opportunities. Speaking of the wet, we saw again last week after half time that we're still too cute with a slippery ball and over possess, as we have been since I started as coach. We saw first hand from a good wet weather team how to play in those conditions and we'll be drilling the players to implement the same this week. Our quality of disposal on a turnover isn't great - we're not going to go flat out at every opportunity because we've seen that we just give the ball back far too often. I'm frustrated, and I know our supporters are frustrated. We were good for half a game last week. Yes - there's something to work with, but you don't win games of footy being good for a half. I understand why our supporters might question our leadership/captaincy when we are consistently beaten week in week out and our leaders are not demonstrably leading (eg laying tackles).

You can get locked up for that. Someone had to go there...

In Harmes Way - Wet and Cold

I'll just mark up last week's review from the AFL on the Dees v Tigers. Where and when: MCG, Saturday August 10, 1.45pm AEST What it means for Melbourne: With the pressure increasing on both Simon Goodwin and Melbourne's playing list, a top-eight scalp would open the valve somewhat. It would also be only the Demons' third win in their past 12 games. What it means for Collingwood: The Pies' percentage took a battering since the two sides met back on Queen's Birthday but improved on the back of a strong result against the Suns. Saturday could be a chance to boost it further. The stat: Final term fade-outs have been a big issue for the Dees recently. Over its past five matches, Melbourne has conceded an average of 26.4 points in the final quarter, while managing an average of just 13.4 itself. The match-up: Max Gawn v Brodie Grundy The stats for the two ruckmen are extremely close again in 2019, with Grundy shading Gawn averaging 41.5 hitouts to 39.3 across 2019. Grundy also gets the better of Gawn for disposals (contested and uncontested), although Gawn is stronger on intercept marks and overall metres gained. Melbourne, as a team across 2019, have incurred an average 4 more turnovers a game and 5 more clangers than the Pies. Collingwood, with their high possession game, coupled with Melbourne being ranked 14th in the league for tackles, should win fairly easily. Pies by 42.

Oscar can't currently keep up with the leading forwards, so I'm not sure why we'd play him in the forward line, except to "bring the ball to ground" which isn't working out so well for us. I'd like to see the club make a statement of one (or more) of the several players that didn't lay a tackle all game. I can't fathom that.

More probable you went to bed drunk

I thought it would go to the Saints - perhaps we'll get pick 4 on this basis?

You've overestimated me, Jaded.

We do only have one problem- #PoorCultureNoDepthToomanyInjuriesNoGameplanMentallySoftUnfitPoorlydrilledScaredtotakeashotBadlycoachedOverhandballingSlowTurnovermerchants I think that about covers it

I'm in the "I couldn't give a Fxxx anymore" phase.