I'va Worn Smith

I can only remember when Stephen King decided to have a leg swipe in a ruck contest against Jeff White. Result? Jeff White has metal plates put in his face. Tom Hawkins throws an errant elbow and breaks Maysie's eye socket. Last year, Hawkins again pushes Maysie in the back and his hammy goes. ......And now this with Clarrie. Where is the duty of care? ....

TMac so important. He may not kick goals always, but he bodies opponents, makes space and attracts one of their best backs. Last year, Fritta and BBB benefited from TMac's presence alone. When the opposition knows they have our current midfield relatively covered, they do not perceive our forward line, as a stand alone unit, to be much of a threat. We need to understand this and our leaders have to rise to the challenge.

It may be also worth remembering the return game last year, when we beat Adelaide by 41 points MELBOURNE 104 def ADELAIDE 63 3. P.Seedsman (ADE) 2. B.Keays (ADE) 1. B.Fritsch (MEL) Beggars belief really.

One of the most appalling displays of umpiring I have ever seen and I've been around for a while. The AFL have tried to make the umps some sort of footy celebrities for TV purposes, but their feel for the game and judgement is just so bad. In fact, it currently is a blight on the game. This win tonight is bigger for us than the score would suggest. We had to beat incredible odds, which were solely down to atrocious umpiring, on Adelaide's turf and we did it with grit and determination. That's the Demon spirit, which nobody can deny. Not even the umpires. Go you mighty Demons.

Now that is certainly true, but I'm also not going to be helter skelter.

I'm a lover, not a fighter.

I found out our problem

The only other burning question, which remains,is that we have lost 3 weeks in a row, after being in front at half time. We have then fallen away. I would hope that if things were reversed in that regard, we would have also had a crack and fight back in the 2nd half. But would we win????? Hopefully, we geared up for this year, knowing that as the reigning premiers, we would be hunted in 2022. Why have we not been able to rise to that challenge?

We had a fairly easy draw to start with. Given the long and arduous season, aspiring teams try to time their run. As a football club, we are experiencing this now. When the serious stuff happens, you need your team to step up another level. Right now, we don't seem capable of the required elevation. Geez, I hope I am wrong.

It worked for us last year, because we maintained out systems. When we lost, it was close. The Adelaide game, it could be argued, was stolen from us. Of course, as the reigning premier, we have become the hunted, but that is no excuse for not setting up, so our forwards get separation, making sure crumbers are at the feet of our talls in the forward line, and not letting our opposition get multiple, uncontested possessions, running the ball out of our forward line. Over 4 quarters of footy, I would have thought that is Footy 101.

BBB had a crack, with little help and no crumbing forward at his feet. Jackson, given his obvious natural call and talent, is more a worry for me. He needs now to influence a game, when his senior talls go down or are playing hurt. In my view, he did not do enough, when it mattered.

Agreed. And if you rely on so-called 'loading', then you run the potential of destroying the confidence of these young men. I would much rather go hard and win, than manage the 'load' and risk an exponential drop in confidence, which then sees the season drop away at a remarkable rate. Blink, and the season is gone.

I've always hoped Kozzie would light it up one of these days. Maybe mark of the year and consecutive goals of the year. But, if we are going to bomb it into our forward line, why isn't Kozzie at the feet of the tall guys. The amount of time Collingwood ran it out of their backline to players who were free continually, was so frustrating. Fritsch is ok, if we dominate in the middle, but he does not have the ability to change a game himself. I thought BBB had a real crack, but not many to support him. Today was Neale's day. A life member of the MFC. When are we going to honour the man, on this day, which he so much deserves. I am a 55 year member of the club and like many, I have seen much lower times, but we need to stand up in this current day and age and say, last year's flag was just the beginning. It seems that the players are actually saying, we've done enough. Not good enough. For a reigning premier, I am embarrassed...... again..... tonight.

You are perhaps right, under current circumstances, but I suspect you meant hallow.

My worry for a while is that we don't have a functioning forward line at the moment. One or more of its members can no longer exert real influence on the game. Obviously, after last year's GF, we are now the hunted. We have to rise to this obvious and subsequential challenge.. I'm not panicking just yet, but I am worried. Fritta and BBB have to do better, not just in terms of kicking goals, but ensuring the ball is locked in our forward line for as long as possible.

1. The great Norm Smith 2. Simon Goodwin. 3. Neale Daniher. 4. John Northey. Got the best out of an average squad. 5. Bob Skilton. Coached in a time when there was only a final 4 and missed by a whisker. Apologies to Roosy and Dean Bailey (RIP)

Depleted but won

Happy Easter Everybody

Keep in mind the Bummers are now zip and 3. We were not great tonight, but we won convincingly in the end. Our opposition really needed to win. It was not all that long ago we would have turned this one up. Let's just soak it up and realise we are a bloody good side, with much more to come in 2022.

I said to a Melbourne mate of mine, 2 weeks ago. I love TMac for his perseverance and willingness to change things up, but like all of us he's getting older. But imagine this, given our current backline woes. TMac is on the bench, is the swing man, either forward or back - as we need him, but Weid now has to stay. Great win tonight Dees. Wasn't pretty, but we won comfortably in the end. It was not all that long ago, we would have got overrun and lost this one. Not tonight though. We are the Demons of old, but also Brand New. Go Demons!!!!

Maybe Sam Kerr can sort out the anomalies in the fixture. Sign her up now!!!!

And we need to remember, due to COVID, this had to be a ticketed event, albeit free tickets. As a result, unlike the days when supporters could just walk into the premiers home base for a celebration, our event was phenomenal given current circumstances.

How many tears can a 55 year Dees supporter cry? Not through sadness, but unbridled joy. Neale Daniher is a marvel and will always be in Melbourne's heart of hearts. Every heart beats true, but none stronger and longer than Neale Daniher. Always Melbourne Neale.https://twitter.com/melbournefc/status/1467354480521801730

We raised this on our flagstaff at our bowls club last Saturday. It makes it all the more real for me and I love it.

Exactly what I thought. Then, maybe I was deeluded. A great get in my view.