Skuit

The take-home message - we're ahead of where we were at at the same stage in 1998 & 2000. My favourite seasons. Started our run a little earlier this year though - but not too early a la our fizzle-outs in the mid-naughties.

?

In the next six weeks we have matches against the three top teams, the 'in-form' team of the comp, and the last of our bogey teams. Bring that mother [censored] [censored] on mother [censored].

Port at the G' before our top of the table clash with GWS

Win off a six-day break. Win a tough interstate road-trip. Win with some key players out. Win against the umps and a vociferous home-crowd. All that stuff. But one thing not mentioned so much - win at Domain, and on its dimensions. We weren't able to play our usual game - and it was telling. Yet we still found a way to win. Anyone, anywhere.

Easier said when it's still your Saturday night!

Did Hannan pull up okay from whatever was ailing him early? Where's Joel Smith at with his injury? Is Maynard ready?

Can we have both? And may as well put the 'can we have both' taco one in as well.

I know we won seven in a row at the back of 2000 up until the grand final, with the preceding loss the one-pointer vs. North. Edit: Just had a look - would have been 11 straight otherwise. And worth noting we were 6-7 prior to that run. 98' was seven-in-a-row at the back end up to the prelim also (with some ridiculous average winning margin). Edit #2: Thought I'd finish the job. Six in the middle of 2006 (which accounts for our last five as well). Can't imagine there's been an eight in my lifetime.

Jones Viney Hogan Watts Garlett Salem Brayshaw Vanders We could be missing nearly half of our projected first-18 from the start of the season and still we might go in as favourites v, last year's grand-finalists. #becausepedo

Last minute flights to Amsterdam for 30Euro Pates. I'll give you a hug. But my voice is pretty hoarse for another Grand Old Flag recital. http://www.lastminute.com/flights/?COBRANDED=LMNUK_ADWORDHYBRIDCOUK&acntb=flight&gclid=CMGkorWP19QCFY4y0wodwMkLhg&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMftn7aP19QCFViWdwodtuwD8w

Jack Viney.

Some random points to remember for the gameday thread masochists threatening to microwave their memberships should we happen to be trailing at half-time. Melbourne have the highest low score this year - 75 v Richmond when we ran out of puff due to injury. West Coast have recorded the equal least second-half quarters won (9) when they run out of puff due to age Contrast with Melbourne with second-most - 17 (and a game in hand). We still have by far the lowest losing margin of 12 points. Always in it.

Or an entire Victorian sporting club. Count-down clock on the MFC website a case-in-point.

Enjoying the marvelous summer day here while the folks back in Melbourne suffer . . . (ahem).

Dustin's beauty routine for milky white skin?

What I wouldn't give to be 12 again. And be running a national sporting competition. Maybe they could introduce sticks for the players. And put them on horseback.

Brian Taylor has found his true calling.

Anyone who leaves will know that they will eventually have to face up to Viney and Jones. No thanks, I think I'll stay.

For some reason I can never get the rookie regulations fixed in my head, but I think cat-B's can come and go as they please . . .?

I was going to comment along similar lines as to the 'aberration' but was worried it may have been perception shaped by fact. My feeling though was the team put in a mighty effort to beat Adelaide, whereas on the weekend vs. the Dogs we were just a serious team going about business as usual. Dom's goal stood out. I've been commenting on a perceived lack of penetration in his kicking perhaps due to his pere-season knee troubles, but that one well and truly put it to bed. What was certainly noticeable was their lack of effort to get back and defend when we had the break. I would be ropeable as a Dog's supporter. Found out, and then simply gave up.

Think you may have gone a little earnest on this WJ.

Max made an interesting comment during his Demonland podcast cameo regarding the possibility of a Spencer/Gawn combo that I wasn't able to entirely decipher at the time with full confidence. Said it was something the coaches were still looking at (and Maxy was getting along to watch how the comp's best forward-rucks operated) - a rough misquote; 'If it happened, I'd obviously be more the forward-ruck'. Couldn't work out if he meant he would be designated that specific role while Spencer went in number one in the middle, or if the 'the' was in reference to the role generally - 'the' forward-ruck type.

So so far it seems my rev-up has had the desired effect. I should apply for the assistant Tony Robbins' role to stevethemanj with the wonders he's worked in turning around Omac's career . . .

Anyone else feel we had a certain extra maturity on the weekend? It's probably because we did. Total games per team: Melbourne 2050 d. Western 1877 I'm aware of how easily altered the figure can be by the inclusion of a single Jordan Lewis for example, but it's become a fairly reliable predictor of our results as the season has settled in. Melbourne 2028 d. Collingwood 1658 Melbourne 1984 d. Gold Coast 1446 North Melb 2296 d. Melbourne 1895 Melbourne 1873 d. Adelaide 2186 Hawthorn 2959 d. Melbourne 1860 Melbourne 1921 d. Essendon 1864 Richmond 1750 d. Melbourne 1611 Fremantle 1876 d. Melbourne 1588. We had 1492 games of experience vs. Geelong's 2279 so have added over 550 since round 3. But West Coast went in with 2760 games vs. Geelong (2422) last week, so our only real hope is if Jones, Watts and Hibberd come up, and Garland and Trengove come in to replace Oscar and Hunt . . .