Star of the 80s

Might have explained Viney’s lack of run in the last quarter. He seemed to be grimacing as he walked off the ground.

A lot of discussion about Jack Viney missing the team song but what about Brown not being in the middle of the team circle. It was Brown’s first win at the Dees and he should have been showered with Gatorade. Who is responsible for this ongoing mess... do we need to introduce a roll call? It is Goody’s fault? Surely this must be sorted out if we are going to play finals!

Muscle weights more than fat so Trac must be 120kgs now

6. May 5. Petracca 4. Langdon 3. Lever 2. Salem 1. Rivers Good games from Wagner and Hibbo (until injured).

6. May 5. Viney 4. Lever 3. Salem 2. Weideman 1. Langdon

6. Oliver 5. Langdon 4. Petracca 3. Brayshaw 2. Vandenberg 1. Preuss

6. Petracca 5. Oliver 4. Brayshaw 3. Lever 2. Jackson 1. Langdon

6. Oliver 5. May 4. Viney 3. Salem 2. Jackson 1. Weideman Great last quarter by Brayshaw.

6 - Hibberd 5 - May 4 - Lever 3 - Lockhart 2 - Viney 1 - Petracca

6 - Viney 5 - May 4 - Oliver 3 - Melksham 2 - Lockhart 1 - Lever

6. Petracca 5. Gawn 4. Oliver 3. Viney 2. Weideman 1. Langdon

6. Gawn 5. Viney 4. Langdon 3. Hibberd 2. Salem 1. Hannan

6. Hibberd 5. Petracca 4. Hannan 3. Fritsch 2. Salem 1. Gawn

6. Gawn 5. Brayshaw 4. Hibberd 3. Viney 2. Tomlinson 1. Oliver

My observations: Good: We won and beat Carlton again! 1st Quarter was like watching MFC of 2018. Tracs game- without him we would have lost. In the 1st Qtr, we lowered our eyes and found team mates in the forward line (i.e. we finally had the connection that was missing during 2019). Rivers debut and Bennell getting through the game. Bad: Show boating in the 2nd Qtr, which killed our momentum. Lack of pressure and lack of run and energy after half way through the 2nd Qtr. Inability to take a mark in the forward line in the 2nd half, we kept breaking down at the half forward line. Lack of forward line speed and crumbing ability. Other: Smith is not a backman and should be playing in the forward line. Oscar would have been better than Joel Smith today. With the exception of Rivers and Salem we had little run out of the backline. In the last Qtr, we played very conservatively and tried to save the game rather than win it. We missed the run of Kozzie, Bedford and Lockhart. Jones had no influence on the game and Harmes is being played out of position.

6 - Petracca 5 - Oliver 4 - Gawn 3 - Rivers 2 - Hunt 1 - Langdon

Dear Melbourne Football Club, Thanks for your email. I will always support this club through the good and bad times! My late father, Kevin Raymond Hardeman who passed away on 3rd December 2018 and was a financial paid up member of the MFC since 1972 (except 1979!) and we, as a family attended every MFC game up until 1987. In 1973, I remember sitting in the Northern Stand with my Grandmother (Gary Hardeman’s Aunty), my Dad, Mother, Brother and Sister (my youngest brother wasn’t born at the time) with Robert Flower’s parents and talking to them while watching Robbie play his first game for the MFC! I was still taking my Dad to the footy in 2018 and sitting in the top deck of the Southern Stand in the AFL members...sometimes on our own!! My Dad saw his last MFC game and win against the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium! It was a fitting last game for Dad (who had Dementia and was living in a nursing home at the time!). My Dad had grown up a Footscray supporter and saw many of Melbourne’s premierships in the 1950’s. My father was a good footballer in his own right and played U18s for Yarraville Football Club and told me he had played football on the MCG and his opponent that day was EJ Whitten who was playing for Braybrook. It was the season before EJ started playing for Footscray. Dad also coached North Footscray Football Club and was a life member of the Umpires Association in the Footscray District League (FDL) which is now defunct. My Dad was the strongest, nicest and honest man I ever knew. He was and is still a legend!! Our greatest MFC moment was at Whitten Oval in the last game of 1987 when we beat Footscray to make the finals for the first time since 1964! I remember hugging my Dad as the final siren rang and dancing on the terraces...what a game! What a team! What a season! We where also there at the Preliminary final at Waverley and watched as the Hawks broke our hearts!! We went to our Grand Final losses in 1988 and 2000 (another great year...loved ‘The Wiz’!!). My poor Dad was too ill to go the finals in 2018 but my brother, my niece and myself where at the MCG to see us beat the Cats and the Hawks (I was responsible for starting the Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne chant after the game!). I flew to Perth for the 2018 Prem final and sat behind Daniel Cross (Daniel lived with my Dad’s brother Peter Hardeman and my Aunty when Daniel first started playing at the Bulldogs) and the club doctor on the plane over...the loss still hurts as does the 186 point loss at Geelong (Dad, my son and I sat though the reserves as they got beaten by 30 goals and then the seniors by 186 points...I am still recovering from that defeat!!) My Dad also knew Dudley...and I remember Dudley selling peanuts at the footy at the G in the 1970s and 1980s... Anyway... I love this club with all of my heart and soul! Stay strong and take care. Go Dees!!!