Probably. I'm all for respecting your opponent on the day, but as a supporter what I think means nothing to the results. I'm not going to get torn up over being optimistic and neither should you. It makes things more fun.
Gold Coast is Gold Coast. Win.
Sydney couldn't win a clearance to save themselves. We dominate teams out of the centre. Win.
West Coast will be missing Kennedy by all reports and are a soft contested side. We dominate contested ball. Win.
GWS is a massive test but it's at our home ground and they'll likely have 3rd sewn up. We'll be playing for top 4 and redemption after last year. Win.
Bradbury didn't fall over, which is what we'd be doing if we were to lose all our games.
Win 1 v Gold Coast and find 1 more somewhere (Sydney next week…equivalent to keeping out skates on the ice), and we're in barring some ridiculous set of mathematical permutations. That's the Bradbury route in my mind.
If we want to win a flag this year, the Sydney win was the perfect result for us.
If we just want to Bradbury our way to an extra footy game this year, well then bad luck.
Everything, literally everything Geelong did in that last q last time turned to gold against us and they won by a bee's d.
A few things have gone wrong this time against Richmond and it's been enough. We were so bleeding close it's not funny.
This performance from Richmond in the last quarter should be compulsory viewing for every Melbourne player. Goodwin should sit his list down and get them to watch how Richmond has quelled the Geelong fightback so expertly.
I've increasingly come to think this about injuries: It's not like we have to field 21 vs 22. As long as our depth is good and our intent is there, our selected 22 can beat any other selected 22. Collingwood proves this.
Still wish we could select Lever, Viney, Melksham and Hibberd though.