titan_uranus

Should have said, if May's injured, I think it will be Joel Smith (assuming he's fit). There aren't any other reasonable options.

2 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Seriously….Oliver sledging an opponent with 3 mins to go in the third quarter by pointing to the scoreboard. Has anyone gone that early before? Made me laugh. 

Absolutely loved Viney’s first half, he was immense. When the game was there to be won he was huge. Out of many highlights that’s my pick. 
 

Well done Demon supporters that got there tonight. You were awesome!

Atkins is a smug [censored], loved seeing Oliver get to him.

Also loved us getting stuck into Selwood after he gave away 50, and Viney getting in Henry's face after he was outmarked by TMac (I think?).

That sort of bullying is what we've copped from Geelong for years. It's arrogant, but it's symbolic to see us give it back to them.

6 - Gawn
5 - Viney
4 - Petracca
3 - Salem
2 - Oliver
1 - Langdon

Plenty of others deserve votes too (Brown, Petty, Lever come to mind).

No change.

Jordon holds his spot as sub. It's hard for Chunk, but Jordon has been in the 23 almost all year and it's just the right thing for Jordon to have that spot.

Unreal.

It's just incredible that this is us doing this.

The plaudits will rightfully come for Gawn (Naitanui can go [censored] a [censored], tonight put to bed any "debate" about who is the competition's best ruckman), Viney, Petracca and Oliver, but this was a 22-player effort.

Langdon's run on the wing was far too much for their wingers. Brown's contested marking was critical, particularly early when the nerves were high (and another quiet two goals). Brayshaw looked composed. Spargo was a threat all night. May went down but Petty stood up. Hibberd played his role.

That third quarter. That rush of goals. Gawn playing like Dustin Martin.

It was just, well, perfect.

And never mind that our opponent happened to be the most arrogant, smug pack of [censored]s. That just tops it all off.

4 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Who kicks Geelong's goals?

I mean, they did score less than us during the H&A season.

In all seriousness, they have three players who average more than a goal a game: Cameron (2.64), Hawkins (2.54) and Rohan (1.60).

We have five: Fritsch (2.32), Brown (1.82), Pickett (1.61), TMac (1.43) and Petracca (1.13).

22 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

This just in from the Geelong Bigfooty board.

Who kicks Melbourne’s goals? Very, very poor forward line for a TOTL team. Yes their defence is stellar but our offence is a cut above AND they have not experienced the 4 Headed Monster.

Who kicks Geelong's goals?

I mean, they did score less than us during the H&A season.

32 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

Less than nine hours to go.

This to fill in eight mins..

I wonder how much the teams have changed.

 

The teams have changed substantially since then. For both, only 12 from that night are playing.

Our team was:

FB: Jetta, O McDonald, Lewis
HB: Salem, Frost, Hibberd
C: vandenBerg, Oliver, Harmes
HF: Melksham, T McDonald, Brayshaw
FF: Hannan, Weideman, Neal-Bullen
F: Gawn, Jones, Petracca
I: Viney, Spargo, Tyson, Fritsch

Their team was:

FB: Kolodjashnij, Henderson, Stewart
HB: Bews, Taylor, Tuohy
C: Blicavs, J Selwood, S Selwood
HF: Menegola, Ablett, Kelly
FF: Parfitt, Hawkins, Henry
F: Abbott, Dangerfield, Duncan
I: Menzel, Murdoch, C Guthrie, O'Connor

Although they'd be at 15 if they could, as they'd be playing Stewart, Parfitt and O'Connor if they were fit.

2 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

I realise it's the pointy end of the season, and we're neck deep in it, and in the drivers seat, and so everyone needs a bit of cheering up ...

Judging by social media posts this week if we somehow beat the Dees there is going to be a whole lot of salt in the air, its unbelievable how much we are hated.

In case Geelong supporters are reading this, let me explain:

Most other supporters dislike your club for two reasons. You have been very successful, which for most clubs makes us envious. But more than anything, as a club, from the coach to the fans, you are supremely arrogant, like no other club I've ever seen. 

Yep, the nerves have arrived.

It's going to be a long 11 hours.

I can't recall my first game but the earliest memory I have is the game where Jeff Farmer took Mark of the Year at the MCG, which Google tells me was Round 22, 1998 vs RIchmond.

The best win I've been to was the 2018 Elimination Final. The anticipation of our first final in 12 years, the roar of the crowd before the bounce, the feeling we were relevant again, the hot start, the Hannan goal, the Selwood free kick that cost them a goal, the win, the roar of the crowd after the win, and then drinking in the bar with MFC fans singing the song for hours afterwards.

Other contenders include:

1. the 2018 Semi Final
2. the 2006 Elimination Final (I was sitting behind St Kilda supporters who were arrogantly mocking us as they built their lead. Then Gehrig tried to step around Carroll...)
3. Round 20, 2016 when we beat Hawthorn for the first time in 10 years
4. Round 7, 2008, the big Fremantle comeback
5. Round 22, 2005, when Robbo kicked a Warne-esque leg break goal to get us into the finals

I honestly can't pick the worst game I've been to (I wasn't at the 186 or 148 point losses). The 104 point loss to Hawthorn in Round 1, 2008 was pretty bad. Round 5, 2009 vs Adelaide was a shocker - Saturday twilight game at the G, no one there, we kicked 1 goal in the first three quarters.

19 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

Kingy talked about Geelong’s physicality. No surprise to many on here, Geelong are one of the best tackling teams and also one of the best at breaking tackles. Viney is going to be absolutely key to us tomorrow night to try and match that. King also said he believes Jake Lever is the most influential player tomorrow night and depending on how he goes, will shape the result.

In Round 23 we won the tackle count 70-61 and tackles inside 50 20-6, won clearances 47 -40, and CPs were even at 140-140. We also took 12 contested marks to their 2. We also had five of the top 6 pressure act rated players in the game.

In Round 4 we won the tackle count 82-74, with tackles inside 50 even at 18-18, won clearances 46-35, had more CPs at 167-148, won contested marks 12-8, and had three of the top five pressure act players.

Don't know if this has been posted on here yet: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/melbourne-demons/afl-finals-2021-melbourne-vs-geelong-preliminary-final-mental-scars-2018-prelim-vs-west-coast-will-schofield-comments-news/news-story/22b7e75c5968ee20a3d0079db4ccd8d8

Will Schofield is a [censored] but the insight into how West Coast treated us with absolute disdain in 2018 is interesting.

I recall Dustin Martin played the 2018 prelim with an injured leg, and was really ineffectual in Richmond's loss.

I see shades of that with the Dogs and Bontempelli.

9 minutes ago, binman said:

In practice yes.

But the medi sub counts as a player. Hence no change

Yes I know, I just think of it practically.

Someone tomorrow will be named as their medi-sub and theoretically that player is the "in" to replace Parfitt, but really it's Guthrie in, Parfitt out, and someone else to medi-sub.

Just now, binman said:

No change to cats line up. Which looks funny because psrfitt is out.

Zach Guthrie was medi sub last week. In the starting line-up tgis week

Their true team is Z Guthrie in, Parfitt out.

It's hard to believe Guthrie is ahead of Narkle, who can't even get on the emergency list, but there you go.

Hard luck for Smith. I think Hibberd is the right call as the closest like-for-like replacement for Smith.

Jones the sub?

Geelong's brought Z Guthrie in for Parfitt. Their emergencies are Higgins, Fort, Simpson and Dahlhaus.

Hibberd in, Smith out.

Emergencies are Jones, Melksham, Jordon and Chandler.

2 hours ago, Jumping Jack Clennett said:

Hey, Titan  ,I don't  know how you can be so absolutely definite the Duryea soccer kick wasn't deliberate.

I reckon the TV footage shows it was undeniably "deliberate" , under the current interpretation of the law.

Did he make an attempt to keep the ball in play?  No....his soccer kick had the best possible result ...out of bounds.

Did he intend to kick it out?(knowing that would be a great result)  It wouldn't matter,   if a Dee had done it....deliberate!!! Somehow the "Scraggers" have the umps in their pocket.  Their ability to be on the right side of 50:50s has won them another Final.( as in the 2016GF).

I don't think you can reasonably say he kicked it. In the heat of that very difficult moment, if what he did is considered a free kick, a defender has almost no viable opportunity to contest that ball.

1 hour ago, stinga said:

I hope hunt is fit.  We'll run over Geelong in the last quarter (They always fade towards the end as the older players struggle).  We need his run more than Hibbo's bulk.

Much as you might expect this to be the case, it isn't true.

Geelong won 14 of 22 fourth quarters in the H&A season. That was one more than us.

They are actually slow starters, only winning 9 first quarters in the H&A season (we won 13).

49ers, Packers, Ravens

3 hours ago, Jumping Jack Clennett said:

I think the most significant decision in the game was the decision NOT to penalise  Duyrea(spelling?) for deliberate when he and Cameron chased the ball in the last few seconds. Would have been a shot for goal from about 45m out.....probably a crucial point.

So the pure free kick count doesn't reflect completely the good fortune a club receives from the umpires.

Also, another point of inconsistency of the umps is when they call play-on after a free or mark.  Sometimes they call "play on" when the player takes half a step off the line, then decides not to play on. Other times they don't call it.

Other possible benefits of umpiring decisions not reflected in the free count are.... how long they give a player before yelling play on, 10metre kicks marked and paid, throws not called, etc.

  The Dogs do well in all these adjudications, and have done so for decades.

That wasn't a free kick for deliberate and I'm glad as [censored] it wasn't paid. You'd have felt the same way if it was us, not the Dogs.

The worst one of the late decisions was to not penalise Dale for holding the ball when he dragged it in and made no attempt to get rid of it. Blatantly HTB. Led to the Bailey Smith goal.

2 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Watching the replay T Mac did very little and he must be under consideration. Logically the replacement is Melksham or for those who are contrarian thinkers perhaps Weid or Mitch Brown (if fit).

Cannot forget that Goodwin dropped Fritsch for our last PF after a win.

Regardless of your views on TMac's form, he's not getting dropped for M Brown or Weideman.

Neither of them have had VFL matches to press a case to replace a player for poor form. Even if you consider that playing TMac is a risk due to perceived poor form, it's a significantly bigger risk to swap him out for a prelim for someone who has either played one game, and that was back in Round 5, or a player who has played 5 games, the last of which was three months ago in Round 13.

If we want the tall, TMac has the spot. If we want a mid, Melksham had the spot in Rounds 21 and 22 and could get that spot back.

Yes, Goodwin dropped Fritsch for Smith in 2018. That was, in my view, a bad call and I doubt he'll be repeating it again with anything as left-field as that.

Rotten luck for Smith.

Really only two options to replace him, Hibberd or Hunt. Jetta hasn't played since Round 10 whilst Daw, Lockhart and Hore haven't played at all this year.

Given Geelong's forward line, Hibberd is really the only option. Have to trust him to go with either Cameron or Rohan.