Deeoldfart

A small group of Dees fans, including my family, did exactly the same after a game at the SCG a few years ago. The Swans fans accepted it in good humour, as was intended. The only problem was that the Swans had belted us. I wonder if they would have been so good natured if we had won.

Club said yesterday ‘TBC, based on scans’. Didn’t look too good for this week with him on crutches post-game.

I must admit to being surprised with timing of Bowser’s selection for R.20. While Hibbo’s form had been below par for a few weeks, I thought his experience would see him hold his place for our finals campaign. I’ve now revised that view. Bowser has played like a seasoned player in both of his outings, and it’s hard to see him being dislodged on those performances. An ‘inspired’ and ‘gutsy’ selection IMO.

6. Oliver 5. ANB 4. Petracca 3. Harmes 2. Jackson 1. Brown Fantastic to see some of our lesser lights featuring strongly in the votes. We are building beautifully, I reckon.

Goody just said on 360 that JJ will replace TMac

Yep. 'Paper thin'.

It goes without saying that there is huge incentive for both clubs tonight. I’m hopeful (rather than ‘bullish’) that we might have ‘turned the corner’ back to something approaching our early season form last weekend, whereas the Weagles were ‘limp’ and uncompetitive against C’wood. I expect WC to be fired-up in response to the press they have copped during the week, and we will need to match their intensity from the get-go, to ensure that they don’t get a decent head start while the ball is dry. If we do this, l’m confident of a win, because our game style matches up very well against with their ‘stodgy’ possession based approach. Dees by 3 goals in a tough, low scoring contest, dictated by the predicted weather conditions.

A win tomorrow night will do wonders for our ladder position, and team confidence for the weeks ahead. …………. ps. I had typed another couple of sentences above, but deleted them for fear of jinxing our chances tomorrow and beyond. True story!

Melksham's disposal is elite, and we need to have a look at him for the next couple of weeks. I like his selection on that basis, but he needs to produce now, or he shouldn't be playing finals.!

Agree Pates. The Meks / Ben Brown combination could be decisive at finals time.

A million thanks folks. As an ‘inter-stater’, Demonland is my lifeline to the world of the mighty Demons. I couldn’t live without it!

I know it was always going to happen, but I love that they stuck with Bowser. Looked completely at home in his debut last weekend, and adds a valuable touch of class.

You can hear the thud of boot on jaw contact in this video of the incident:

Loved the article IHW! Thanks for posting. Brings memories flooding back for this old fart, including reference the old Argus newspaper! The final quote from Norm in the article struck a particular chord with me: "But all in all, and looking down the list of Melbourne players, I think I can promise football lovers, that Melbourne will make every team fight hard if they want to down us". To me that quote rings true with today's team, and the 'DNA' that Goodie keeps referring to. But the similarities don't stop there, as the following extract from 'The Grand Old Flag' Lynda Carroll's outstanding history of the MFC shows: "The first ten rounds of 1955 were enthralling, ones for Melbourne. StKilda, Geelong, Footscray, North Melbourne, Essendon, Hawthorn, South Melbourne, Carlton, Richmond and Fitzroy all capitulated to the Demons. This run of consecutive wins established a new club record. There were always replacements on hand for anyone who was injured, and the challenge from young players kept senior members of the side on their toes. Unfortunately, the first defeat of 1955 came at the hands of the old enemy - Collingwood. ........ in Round 11. Melbourne's innaccurate kicking for goal during the season finally cost the team a match. ............. The same price would be paid again over the next month, with narrow losses to both Geelong and Footscray being directly attributable to the inability of the forwards to convert their opportunities fully. ............................................................................ Despite the problems of inaccuracy Melbourne was on top of the ladder, racing towards the top of the tree in 1955. I won't indulge myself any further here, but suffice to say, to this point in the season, there are some notable similarities between 1955 and 2021. If I may l add one further point however. In the second quarter of the 1955 GF, the Dees kicked 1.7. to keep Collingwood in the game. At 3/4 time the margin was just 7 points. However, in the end Dees superior fitness saw them run out winners by 28 points. Just something to ponder for chronic sufferers of MFCSS. Lets hope that we can all revel in the glory of #13 in September 2021, to complete the circle, and commit Norm's 'curse' to history,

Thanks Guys, for organizing the very timely interview with Perty, and as always, for your very insightful and balanced analyses. Go Dees!

“Love the game, not the odds”………….. Love the game, not the violence (?) An unworthy act from you Jack. Sends completely the wrong message to kids, and the parents of aspiring young footballers.

Sorry …….. moved to correct thread.

Well, if that was a corner, we just turned it! Sure the Suns were innocuous, but we didn’t allow ourselves to be dragged down to their level. Pressure in all parts of the ground was elite, and that’s the foundation of our game plan. Lots to like, lots to build on, as we move towards the pointy end. Looking forward to a nice Shiraz.

6. Oliver 5. Petracca 4. Lever 3. ANB 2. Jackson 1. Gawn Isn’t it nice when it’s hard to fit a dozen players into top 6?

Oh dear. Johnny Lord was a great player for us, and a gentleman of the highest order. His passing puts a lot of things into perspective. RIP Johnny.

Today we find out something about the DNA that Goody keeps mentioning in his pressers. How hard are we prepared to work to protect the gains already made this season? Are we prepared to sacrifice individual accolades for the good of the team? Do we have it in us, to fight our way out of a form slump (like champion teams do)? Are we serious contenders? Critical game with enormous consequences for our season.

My understanding is that contract ‘pay-outs’ are included in the soft cap. If this is the case, how on earth can Hawthorn ‘afford’ to pay out Clarko for next year (big dollars presumably) while paying Mitchell as coach, and the rest of the support team. I guess my understanding is incorrect.

Thrilled for Bowie. From the bits I’ve seen of the VFL he looks like a beauty! I don’t understand the faith being shown in Harmes.

Fantastic podcast again last night folks. Loved the positivity, even after the loss. Keep up the great work!

I remember the feeling of utter devastation at not making the finals in 1965, while the rest of my ‘one-eyed’ Essendon family revelled in it, and took great pleasure in telling me all about it when the Dons went on to win the Flag that year. I also remember obtaining ‘revenge’ for the taunts from my little sister, by locking her in our backyard dunny, and not releasing her until she could recite our 1964 Premiership team word perfect. We laugh about it today, but I don’t recall her laughing at the time. The last 58 years have taught me the hard way how to deal responsibly with jibes about the Dees. I’ve well and truly learned my lesson, and it’s time for the ‘curse’ to be lifted.