stevethemanjordan

Strange question. Given its a Hawthorn home game, is out cheer squad likely to be at the city end for this game?

MCC have predicted 85,000. It'll happen. Just let it.

We got nearly 55k in round one. I think you're underestimating the context. It's been 12 years since we've been seen in September and Geelong supporters turn up for finals. My prediction is 85k and I'm hoping it's closer to 90k.

He was, I wasn't.

As he always was, developing nicely.

Never really understood the point of these threads. Frost has killed us at times in the past with his erratic style of play so I'll never be sorry about being voicing my frustration at some of his shocking games. But I will admit that I didn't think he'd be able to come back into the side at this time of the year and contribute more positively than negatively to the side. I like him much better when he makes simple decisions and gives off early. Finals is a new ball-game for players like Frost who don't possess a lot of composure of smarts. I can only hope his form continues and he plays a starring role against Hawkins on Friday week. Well done to date though, Sam.

I'm really not sure why posters are so convinced Gaff is off to North. Polec is about to go there on enormous money so I find it extremely difficult to believe North would pay another bucket-load to a similar outside running player? It really doesn't make any sense to me from a list management pov. Not that it means much, but I happened to bump into Gaff last week playing golf at Camberwell. I had a chat to him and told him I hoped to see him running around in our colours next year, to which he responded; "I've got a bit to think about over the next few weeks." My feeling is that we're still very much in the frame. My brother played school footy with him and has said he's a very honest kid who was a big dees fan growing up as most are aware. His father hasn't been well either which is obviously a massive factor in his decision. Players go home to play at their club of choice sometimes even if it's for less money. Jeremy Howe for instance took less to go to Collingwood over the Gold Coast to play under Buckley who was his favourite player as a kid. I'm still confident.

MCC have already predicted 37,000 for Sunday, and that was the figure yesterday. Clearly we're up and about. Would be a welcome change to see 40,000+ turn up to the G against an interstater with few supporters.

Enormously proud of the group despite my often negative comments. As Jones said, this should take so much pressure off the club's shoulders and we can now play with a freedom that we won't have seen before. I really hope that the MFC faithful will show up in force next weekend and rally behind this club for what it's achieved. I've been guilty of picking and choosing when to go to games due to how flaky we've been as a side. We're playing finals. We're back.

Dom Tyson, how good is he boisssss

No other side in the AFL makes life as hard for itself as the current mfc side. Nothing has changed since last year in regards to leaking the easiest goals in our D50 or certain personnel making the same horrendous mistakes over and over again. We dominate inside 50's in quarter one and look at our efficiency compared to theirs? Zero improvement in this regard and whilst certain elements of our game are very strong, it doesn't make up for our major deficiencies that hold us back from winning what have been the seemingly unlosable. Also, I don't gaf how far ANB runs in game. It is absolutely astounding that he is playing this week after last week's effort. Goodwin's stubbornness is a major chink in his armour.

I'm not sure how one can deduce that. Where's the reference point? All clubs have young key defenders, but every club has a difference in quality, experience and depth in a given line. Oscar is being played. He has had to improve because he was bog ordinary in many games last year. Aside from Lever, he is the most experienced key back playing right now. (Frost is not a key back imo). And therein lies the problem. A problem I've been frustrated about since we let Dunn go. Whilst I think this thread is fairly ridiculous and don't believe Oscar should be dropped, I do share the frustration that we are still so weak defensively. Whether it was Oscar or Frost on the weekend, Tom Hawkins couldn't be contained. That's a problem. Mason Cox couldn't be contained. A problem. Ben Brown couldn't be contained. Problem. The ease at which opposition sides continue to score once the ball is inside 50? A problem. The coaches have refused to put a mature, big bodied key defender into that defensive group to provide relief and trust for our entire defensive unit. And it is absolutely killing us. Every other side in the top 8 has at least one mature bodied key defender to be that rock. To compete and body up against opposition key forwards. To provide aggression and inspire those around him. Maybe Oscar isn't to blame. But the fact we are relying on him to be our pillar is an enormous issue. I'm not sure that can be argued with given the evidence on show.

Oscar, Frost and Smith in the backline doesn't comfort me. And don't get me started on the inclusion of Tyson. If we are to win, absolutely everything must go right.

Big fella.

For the majority of the year, we've been stronger in that area than most other sides. The Collingwood game and doggies game may be exceptions. We brought Tyson in after the Collingwood debacle and he had a whopping 3 stoppage clearances and 16 touches against Port. He is a 'bit' player. His inclusion will not be the difference.

Yes, I watched their entire game. I'm going off of what we've seen to date. Geelong lost to a fired up Adelaide away from home and are now in jeapody of losing their position in the 8. Do you believe they won't respond? I'm the realist anonymous Melbourne supporter you'll meet. If I think we're a good bet, I'll say so. And I'm simply saying that I can't see us winning this weekend given my reasoning. Which is backed off an entire season of results and trends in our play. We're yet to take a scalp. We're yet to win a prime time game. And we're yet to make a statement. Also, there's a difference between "Can't" lead and "leading to the wrong spots far too often". And if you don't agree, I suggest you watch how often Hogan and McDonald get in the way of each other during games. I admire what Goodwin has done since his takeover. It's nice to know that we're one of the best contested possession sides in the AFL, even 'the' best. But maybe unlike you, I don't get carried away with those positives due to the good work that comes undone so often in games. In short, if those areas of our game are even a little off, we're an extremely vulnerable side because of our inability to stop opposition scores once inside our defensive 50. All the top sides know this. And they've beaten us by outcoaching and outsmarting us.

Weitering could be worth a crack even though he's under contract. Lever will be of most value when playing that true third intercept defender. Oscar and Weitering to mark talls with Lever as intercept. Two key backs and Lever as the intercept specialist.

Whilst beating an injury hit and out of form bulldogs in a single quarter was nice, I simply cannot see us beating Geelong down there for too many reasons. For one, we still make far too many mistakes as a side and Geelong are a team who will punish turnovers from our defensive 50. Frost is my case in point. He is playing, so we're already in trouble in that regard. Aside from the third quarter of last week, we were again extremely inefficient when going inside 50. Whether it's Hogan leading to the wrong spots far too often or our mids and half forwards kicking to the wrong spots and refusing to lower their eyes again, it happened all game aside from the third. Defensively, last week was an improvement. But it's the first game all year whereby opposition weren't scoring at will when the ball was going inside their forward 50. That body of work doesn't bode well for this game. We'll need all those three things to go right as well as having some outstanding indivial efforts for us to get up. We are yet to beat a strong AFL side this year who haven't been hit by injury. In short, I think we still have too many major deficiencies as a side that always seem to be magnified whenever we play top sides. Geelong by 35

Guthrie, Kelly and Duncan are all fleet of foot and are strong power runners. I'm really not sure Tyson will help us given we clearly have no issues at the coal face. Hannan offers variety and is an awkward match up defensively because he can take contested grabs and is quick when the ball is in dispute.

There is a role for him. He's playing it at Casey.

Hard to know what to think after last night. We won, as we should have. We made changes, as we should have. But we're without doubt the biggest enigma within the AFL. Aside from winning it at the contest and trying to play a 'forward half game', do we actually have system when moving the ball forward? Or from a defensive kick out? We're extremely erratic in the way we play.

Goodwin's stubbornness kills me.

Some conflicting reports on his game. I know you love him though so I can't be surprised with your view.

This. Hopefully the nuffs read this.

No, obviously not. He is a young and developing player. However, it's the only line we have that lacks depth, quality and experience. And it's remained that way since Dunn left. Frost, Keilty and Petty are not depth yet as we saw with Petty. Two of them are untried and Frost is a mistake ridden athlete who is the furthest thing from the word 'consistency' one could think of. The fact we don't have a mature body with either experience at AFL level or the level under is a serious oversight by Goodwin and the recruiting team. You look at Weideman VS Oscar McDonald and compare the way in which they've been handled over their careers. One has been made to play out of necessity rather than form. The other one is in his third year and has been dropped again after one poor game due to depth and talent. Weideman was a top end pick. Oscar a pick in the 50's. It doesn't make sense to me. It should be our priority over the off season along with diversifying our midfield mix. You get rid of Frost, Tyson and Bugg over the off season and bring in May, Gaff and a half forward who is quick, skilled and pressures and watch our team transform.