titan_uranus

6 - Viney 5 - May 4 - Fritsch 3 - McVee 2 - Salem 1 - Petracca

There are some truly garbage hot takes in this thread, but equally there was some ridiculous overconfidence after beating Carlton in a practice match (say it with me one more time - it was a [censored] practice match). I was there. The humidity was telling. We simply didn't cope. That's understandable, but disappointing. Grundy was good but the key difference was he wasn't being blocked, checked, hit and kneed at every contest. Gawn was. We know this happens when we go in without proper ruck support. This has been happening for 8 years. We were also visibly cooked about 5 minutes into the last. That will partly be because we were a player down plus May appeared to be hobbling, and partly because we struggled with the humidity. But it's also concerning. We pride ourselves on our fitness and specifically running out fourth quarters, but we were gassed too early. Having said all that, three things really stand out to me as areas of significant concern: I never, ever, want to see Spargo, Chandler and Laurie in the same side again. On the understanding that ANB is a walk-up best 22 player, there will never be a situation in which we need all three of these players alongside ANB. Sadly, I do not see anything in Laurie to suggest he's good enough, but IMO Spargo was atrocious tonight - I watched him and he appeared lazy, pointing without manning up and waltzing between contests. I didn't like that we picked him off no practice matches and I think it was a massive mistake. I think we conceded that we stuffed this up by subbing so early in the third, which we don't normally do. The worst bit was that this robbed us of a rotation when Bowey went down. Spargo will probably be suspended but I'd be happy to drop him for Kozzie next week We can't play Schache again. Not after that. That was so, so weak. They ignored him most of the night, allowing McCartin to blanket JVR. Fullarton or Brown have to replace Schache next week. We lost CPs and clearances to a side missing three first-choice midfielders. That is enormously concerning. We do not have a good enough forward line or forward half game to be that bad in the middle, and if a side missing that much midfield power can beat us in the middle, then we are in for a tough time. I loved Howes and Windsor, Viney was incredible, and Oliver was so good for someone with the summer he's had. May was dominant in the air and Salem in the midfield clearly works. I won't write us off after one summer's game in Darwin-like conditions, but enough went wrong tonight to give me a lot more doubt than I want.

Anyone else see that David King now has us in his predicted top 8?

Spargo after no practice matches? Surprised. Means Laurie or Chandler for sub, you’d think.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1500199/injury-report-a-duo-of-demons-available?fbclid=PAAaYAD2Gy7nUtJs0XD06VuXYe5vyn7exEWGLw7kz5o99SX4ahPr6pvl24Ekc_aem_AYmURj24KYArGJyQAQvgFnrL0gS94af2KjW5y6m3uVttCivWIKdlQ8r8mAfX9M-xi5Q Brown and Spargo available. Petty 2 weeks. Hunter 3-4 weeks. McAdam TBC (hamstring, not calf).

Kinda ironic that David King loses it over this, saying it treats the fans like fools, when he simultaneously defends Fox broadcasting games from a studio.

This would be gold if true. Shove it up Jon Ralph who lives off starting “stories” for clicks.

8 weeks for Webster. FFS. That is everything we can’t have in the game. Make him miss two months of footy and he, and others, might finally learn. We would be en-[censored]-raged if that happened to one of our players.

Unless Schache tears the house down in Petty's absence that's the first change. Then you'd imagine McAdam would be coming in for Laurie/Chandler.

It's a practice match. Clearly enough, those who said our season was shot because of last week look pretty silly tonight, as was always going to be the case. Equally, don't take tonight's result and declare "we're back" or "David King's an [censored]". You might be right (on both counts) but it's a practice match and for that reason it just doesn't matter anywhere near as much as the media want it to. Of course, there are clearly important things to come out of the match - ball movement, defensive structure, the additions of Windsor and Billings, the promise we see in Salem and Rivers. Take those, plus the lack of injuries (AFAIK...?!), and get ready for hopefully another season of being ensconced in the top 4.

Not an old man alert (or maybe it is and I’m now an old man). That team sheet graphic is terrible. There’s a great post in the now-closed pre-game thread explaining all the reasons why it’s awful.

In May's most recent game he comprehensively beat the game's current best forward (and IMO in the top 5 of the entire competition). He's clearly in the conversation for best tall defender in the league, along with Weitering, Andrews and Moore, and should be in anyone's top 50. I think the ESPN list is a much better reflection of the league.

You telling people to “show some respect” whilst repeatedly insulting Tomlinson at every opportunity is a bit rich.

Before banning the bump, try handing out seriously big suspensions for bumps which hit the head. Give SPP 6-8 weeks for this and see if he ever does it again. Keep doing it. Bump, hit the head, 6+ weeks. See how that goes before we decide to remove the bump altogether.

Peak Demonland. Fretting over whether we did enough to try to get a higher pick than we had based on the performance of a player in a pre-season scratch match (against a likely bottom 6 with a true injury crisis at that).

Played well in a scratch match? Spare me yet another “DeeSpencer doesn’t like Hunter” post, FFS. Jordon had significant opportunity here, far more than Bedford (who, by the way, is fast becoming the most overrated player in the league), and never did enough to warrant us doing more than we did to keep him.

This is one of the best-written things I’ve read in years.

That doesn’t mean he was right, nor does it mean we’re a failure if we don’t win another premiership.

An honestly ridiculous take which stems from the unfair notion that we should win more than one flag with this list. It’s an unreasonably high benchmark. Any club who wins more than one is incredible. But that doesn’t mean winning only one is a failure. Winning flags is extremely hard and gets harder every year equalisation continues to be an AFL focus. Try asking Brisbane fans how they feel having won 0 from 5 years of contending. The sooner Melbourne fans and the media stop saying a second flag is “the minimum”, the better.

Absolutely shattered. He was a beacon of hope having been draftee in 2014, and one of our most important players both on field and off since then. An absolute tragedy that his career is forced into an early end. We can only hope that he doesn’t suffer any serious long term symptoms and can live his life to the fullest.

If you genuinely respect the contributions of people like binman and WCW, can you shelve the use of words like “apologists” and phrases akin to “I told you so”? The “I told you so” brigade make genuine debate over our 2024 fortunes tiresome - sure, you’ve been more concerned than others over summer. Why do you feel the need to effectively gloat about it? (PS this is by no means a comment on what WCW said to you).

Aren’t there still three more “quarters” to go?

I thought you were backing me up on the whole it’s a practice match thing.

The big quote isn’t even the most insightful thing he said in the podcast. IMO, the best bit was when he spoke about leadership. He said words to the effect of how he, and maybe our other leaders, have seen leadership as requiring them to put the team on their shoulders when under pressure needing to win a game. He said what they have needed to learn to do is to maintain the system, to not deviate. Dyl then said that was a hallmark of Hawthorn under Hodge, who was great at sticking to the Hawks’ method when under pressure. How often do we see Trac or Lever take a risky kick, or Gawn belt it a mile forward from a ruck contest, or Viney try to take all the tacklers on, etc. Collingwood, hate them or not, are exceptional at sticking to their plans whether it’s the first minute or the final minute in a 1-point game. I like that Trac has recognised this.

True, this is even less real. I mean, what are we playing here, seven “quarters”?