Kev

Still remain the hunted, as we are the real thing, though the bookies have the Dogs the favourite in our next game and others would believe the Lions are better than us. Crows would love to knock us over, I expect some fire from them. Time to execute our game plan with some dominance, in preparation for teams that will challenge our best footy. I want to see goal accuracy, effort, some strut, skills, high disposal efficiency and for them to change gears into the top one. Enough of getting through not playing the best footy. I expect we will still be building, and our best will be next week. Our game hasn't been bad, not too many mistakes, we give an effort for the 4 quarters, we have ability to vary our styles to beat the opponents and our pressure game is elite. MFC is a strong and balanced team that has consistency, confidence and joy, but time to get our act together and play some great footy. Gawn to show some excellent ruck craft and field marking. May to kick a barrel from the kick in and to control the structure of our defence. The backline to keep on keeping on, to continue to block attacks and slingshot the ball through the corridors. Jackson to get 2 or 3 goals and dominate around the stoppages. Pettraca to star. Oliver can't be stopped. Langdon has been so consistent as has Salem. We will win the clearances this week. We have such a flexible forward line that must worry the opposition. If one avenue or style is blocked we can go to another and another, and another. Hoping that is also our capacity with the general play. Step it up to our A grade game. Go Dees.

Could be. Heard on the Gawn/Brayshaw podcast that they are having two nights in Adelaide.

The selections are ruthless. BBB competing in the wet and adjusting to a new team was difficult for him. Would have given him longer in the team. I guess he will get his chance again. Given that he is the most experienced, as well as new to the club. Perhaps, he will take the omission in his stride and when he gets his chance again, will grab it! Great for Weids to get a run at it. Jackson does make a difference, doesn't need an extended rest, so someone then had to make room. Bad luck we can't find a place for all our talls. Chandler will keep at it, knows he is on the periphery, as does a few, therefore new additions to the line-up need to perform. Hoping Melky can perform, if he doesn't, should be cut again. As that is the precedent that seems to be set. Might have got the message, play better, with more effort or whatever they expect, or you're cut. Tough team to break into and then keep their place. Jetts as the med sub

I am, if the ball is stopped, give a free against whoever had the ball and caused that to happen (within reason). Clears the congestion and reduces stoppages, also reduces the amount of time on, therefore, will stop them changing time of quarters to 18 instead of 20 minutes and so help the broadcaster's.

I have no problem with giving the player in a tackle plenty of time to dispose of it legally. The power players need some advantages that their body shape instils. It is great when some can stand up in tackles and sometimes go again, or do amazing disposals when under that pressure. Give them the time equivalence of 15 steps, before having to get rid of or bounce it from the time they get it. Still can't bounce when tackled.

Advocating for a free kick against the ball getter, when the ball is knocked out in a tackle, I think, will slow the game down and give time for the defensive team to restructure behind the play. When the ball comes free, it sets up for more contests and a chance for either side to release the ball into spaces. I would rather see frees for, when the ball gets buried under the pack. If you are tackled and can't clear the ball, then the good tackle gets rewarded, prior or not. Can't throw the ball, but can release it (momentum taken into account). Onus remains with the ball carrier to clear the ball. Once cleared, the tackler can't pull it back in, free against. If the tackler pins the ball to the ball getter than a free kick is awarded after some opportunity is given to release the ball. The whole reason is to keep the ball moving, once it is locked in a free is preferred over a ball up. Reward tackles with prior opportunity, a free (if illegally disposed of). Tackles with no prior and the ball come out, no free, not out and a free. Ball can be disposed of by dropping ball, but not throwing it. Team tackles should be rewarded if after a small period of time the ball is not cleared from the immediate area as well. All to encourage fast ball movement and no scrums forming. Love the game when it is loose ball gets. DON'T let the umpires reduce those opportunities after tackles. Causing a loose ball is a reward in itself. The better running teams or individuals will shine. The bad is when the ball is stopped, the game is slowed and a ball up occurs. Addit: Has to be a legal tackles with no contact to the head or back whatsoever. Cannot lie on top of the player. If brought down onto the ball getter, then you have to attempt to roll off or roll player. No stacks on the mill or holding a ball winner away from going again.

Great backline again, the blues couldn't get going because of the structures. We really nullified them around the ground. The coaches have them playing roles so well. We are hard to beat. Thought Rivers played a good game, same with Hunty and Jordon. Some of their tackling left us wanting, though we returned the favour. Tom and Fritta got us the lead and our run and ability to defend, kept it. Unsure about our pack marking and the idea we are playing unselfish. Seemed to be getting in each other's way. Oliver, Langdon, Lever, Salem are hard to keep quiet. Good game by Spargo, like how he continues to pop up. Tracc, and Gawn doing enough, though I want more. Harmes is at his best playing the tagging role. Hibbs is a smart player. I am looking forward to us playing some goods teams now. Hoping we can change levels, I think we can. We are playing above the oppositions level, but not on our own terms. Would love to see us take the Dogs apart. Till then, we have Crows. They are coming off the WA road trip. We won't be at the G, and they have plenty to prove. Good win dees.

Petty tackled with similar attack and the ball came out of his grasp, learned from Lever (immediately tackled, ball in the hands above the head, meant prior). The commentators, "how did he dispose of that", as if it was a free against Petty. No one is in the same place when it comes to adjudication.

I heard, a top 4 finish guarantees a grandfinal berth, or something along that train of thought.

Every week WCW. Hoping there is no niggle from them. Enjoy the game.

My message to the team would be run, run, run. That swarm has beaten others, and we do it all over the field. We aren't doing stupid things when we have the ball, so don't start today. Do the basics well and take your opportunities. Hoping for a stylish high skilled game with a lot of effort and 1 percenters. I still want them to be angry and not to ease up on a middle of the table team. Need our accuracy and centre clearances to improve. We must have confidence, which helps in game planning and the ability to implement the things they work on during the week, plus having a smile at their workplace, I expect continued improvement. Agree about getting jumped early and coughing up junk time goals. Don't allow it. Go Dees Addit: Who is the med sub? Melky's the sub. Great to have experience around the players and if called on. How is the weather?

Wow, Melky out, playing a role but not quite enough impact, though I thought he was improving over the weeks. Could be the med sub. Great for Chandler to get a chance, would like to see him hit the scoreboard early and get the confidence going. Jackson out will cause a disruption, hope we can adjust. I assume Gawn will take the majority of the game on the ball. C'mon Dees get the clearances, hold our marks, have crumbers and kick goals with greater accuracy. Go Dees!

Is there a wind advantage to the Cats?

They are giving Geelong a talk up after beating up on the Tiges. Hope they don't get consistency and the saints come waltzing in.

We are getting a good draw! Perhaps the AFL are kind of apologising for last years horrible draw for us. Still more draws to come and favourable could change to bad.

The Sunday games are also underwhelming, Sunday, June 13 North Melbourne v Greater Western Sydney, Blundstone Arena, 3.20pm AEST Sunday, June 20 Hawthorn v Essendon, MCG, 3.20pm AEST All stand alone games, although, Hawks v Bombs could be close, but full of errors. I guess it is lucky the round starts on Thursday.

C'mon, pull back from those veiled and open threats. You are both fiesty individuals. "Walk away", it will be better for yourselves, the resultant mental stress and for what the song, "you will never walk alone" is meant to reflect. It is also uncomfortable and a little embarrassing for the browsers to witness. Conflict doesn't have to arise because we have differences. Make some peace within, share that with the community. I hope you are both OK. @Sir Why You Little @Craig Hutchinson

Will the song be natural voice of the crowd or will it be led by sound through the loud speaker system? The open sparse areas of the G's seating, may not resonate a strong sound. @Craig Hutchinson Gee, the thread took a quick fall to the gutter. Be friendly, everyone has a right to an opposite opinion.

Opened this topic and didn't expect that a song, sung by the faithful, would be the straw that breaks the curse. I think the curse has broken already, fifty five years, all the 5's later The MCG missed us. We played last season without touching the hallowed turf. It missed us, and has now given us back the sense of it being a fortress for us. The curse has lifted or at least lifting. We will know, either this or the next year. Time for a dominant decade. That is if you believe in the warm fuzzy's.

We were flat against North 2 weeks ago. We will be up, since this is a danger game and we just got through against the Swans, after playing their style. Assume we will come out and play our brand of win the contest, force it to the fwd arc, get repeat entries and not let it out until we score. We will outmark the Blues and so minimise their ability to get going.

More than likely.

Agree, big issue in the marking contest! Also seems to have his arms straight above his head and not extended out in front of eyes, so as to make it a more difficult to spoil. Hope they have worked with him and he surprises us with his craft. I think he knows he needs to clunk them, he told me so early on in his career at a training session.

Sam is an unselfish player and his score assist may be pretty good. The difference would be goal assist and involvement from outside the 50m arc. Where Jackson could excel.

My original post said to bring him back after the bye. Manage the young man playing against those big bodies. Give him lots of time to refresh, hang out at home and allow the other talls a run at it. It is a bit of a risk to have him out for that extended period, but I believe he will be better for it come the second half of our year. The discussion also touched on what to do when he comes back in. Do we play with an imbalance in the line up? I thought yes, experiment. Set him up as a midfielder. With Max and Jackson following the ball then it is so easy for Max to drop off fwd or back and know the stoppages are covered. What a headache for the opposition. Some thought the imbalance of too many talls would be detrimental, especially when we play in the wet and the big boys start losing their footings and going to ground when contesting.

The post got out of hand when I suggested we give him some days at home during the injury period. I still think they should encourage him to go home to catch up with families and friends. Good player management is required so as to keep them happy and to know that the MFC have their backs.