Vipercrunch

It wasn’t that bad. They were disappointed it did t go to one of their own (Cox or Mihocek) and we’re expressing their displeasure at the voters rather Clarry I thought.

Oliver, Brayshaw, Jordan - Easily our best I'm rapt with the continued improvement of Jordan.

I thought it would be fun to have a predictions only thread. There are so many threads full of the discussion about where we are at now and where we are heading, so I don't think we need another thread that contains that stuff. I would like this to simply be predictions, no back and forth or analysis. Firstly, our W/L after round 19 (18 games played). Round 19 is when we had our last loss in 2021 and breaks up the run home approximately in half. Then an end of season W/L (22 games). And then a finals prediction, with or without detail. Round 19 - 12W-6L - I'm fully expecting to continue to struggle, so I think we go 2-3 over the next 5 games. Round 22 - 15W-7L - We'll start to come good, but its a tough draw so we'll go 3-1. Finals - Premiership - Finish 5th after H/A. Solid but not outstanding win against a team like Collingwood who have scrapped into the finals. Much stronger win against Sydney or Carlton in week 2, who have had great seasons to finsih top 4 but don't have anything left come September. Big win over the prentenders Geelong in the prelim who get found out again. And then a big win the grand final against Brisbane who finally go well in September but are really no match for Melbourne. Have at it.

Oliver, Brayshaw and Jordan very good yesterday. Oiver and Brayshaw, well, we all know how good they are, but Jordan has really stepped it up and is now a very good player. I'm sure many here are commited to doom and gloom, and are currently kicking the can down the road while almost tripping over their bottom lips. That's your choice. I actually have very few concerns about where we're at. Given key players missing (May and TMac to a lesser extent), injuries during the game and the quality of Collingwood this year compared to last, I actually think were better yesterday than last year. There's every chance we go 2-3 or 3-2 over the next 5 games (and won't Demonland be a happy place 😂😂😂), but I am still very confident that we will still be the team to beat in September. Burgess may have left, but we are still preparing ourselves exactly the same way. It of course doens't guarantee success, but it gives us the very best chance.

Our crowds are UP from pre-covid crowds. One of only two teams to have increased (which the author mentions in the third last paragraph of https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-crowds-slump-to-lowest-levels-in-26-years-excluding-covid-seasons-20220523-p5anq3.html). Crowd numbers is a league wide issue which is affecting MFC far less than 16 other clubs. And winning a premiership doesn't magically produce instant supporters. It takes more than 6 months from a premiership to see significant upturn in raw supporter numbers. I also wonder if there is a big difference in the mindset and arousal levels at the mid-year mark of supporters supporting a teams that most consider a lock for top 2 to those supporting teams hoping for a finals position.

I'm more surprised that all of these sort of incidents (and even rumours of events) aren't thoroughly investigated by the AFL as good governance. Surely as soon as an whisper of off field event comes to light, shouldn't the AFL be on the phone to clubs to find out whats gone on? This announcement of an investigtion seems to be nothing than pandering to the media.

I think we are a club now that wants to make statements in September, not mid-June. As long as we make no compromises to that long term goal, then sure, a win would be nice. As dissappointing the May event is, and as annoying it is to be under the media spotlight for all the wrong reasons at the moment, at the end it is nothing but fugazi.

Good to see we are owning it all rather than blaming playing with a dog or a rogue frisbee.

The measure of how this incident has affected, or defines us as a club can't be looked at by just the outcome of the game on Monday. We have to have a bigger perspectie than that. The next 4 months will give a greater perspective, but even then, when it comes to questions of culture, even that is too short a view.

MFCSS is proving more contagious and difficult to shake than the flu going around Victoria at the moment.

To keep a culture strong, you have to be impartial when it comes to addressing slip ups. The personalities and short-term affects can't come into it or the whole thing erodes away. Yes, it sucks not having May this week, and who knows, it might cost us a win, but from a long term perspective, it it the right call without a doubt.

Great summary and explanation. I wonder how many will accept it... It just surprises me firstly how few supporters aren't aware this goes on as it it talked about often in interviews with staff and players. Not the nitty gritty of it all (the IP) but in more genral terms suchs as "heavy training blocks" etc. And secondly, it surprises me the so many supporters are resistent to it being a contributing factor to our form this year. Last year we went 4W-1D-4L (plus our bye) in rounds 10 to 19. Why is it hard to accept that we are doing something similar this year and have some level of confidence that come the last part of this seasons H&A and then finals we will really start to hit our straps from a fitness persepctive? Yes, there are other things we need to get right, but of course we are preparing fitness wise the same way.

Couldn’t this simply be a case of many Melbourne supporters are waiting for September while supporters from most other clubs are playing for September? Perhaps this will prove to be misguided arrogance, but let’s see how many tickets aren’t sold in September.

Perhaps heavier than usual training loads ramping up in the 4 weeks leading up to the bye is the ideal time to do it so the bye weekend can be used as the recovery week? We can then do another load up block rounds 15-19 and be cherry ripe for the finals?

The forward half is definetely our area with the greatest room for improvement, both with method and personel. We have 10 games to tinker with things to get them as good as can be for the finals.

Why on earth would anyone think they need to declare anything of the sort in mid June?!?!?

Loading causes the players to fatigue quicker and fatigue causes skill errors and the loss of ability to cover the ground which drastically affects our defensive structure and our ability to score on the turnover.

As per the graphs above though, it's not just one load up then taper. It works so much better if there can be several cycles. I'm just a hack runner, but I do use training programs and the longer ones all have multiple load then taper cycles that slowly build you up to race day.

Either side of our wins against the Dogs and the Lions were losses to Adelaide and Collingwood though which are very hard to explain.

Perhaps because of our shortened preseason this time round and because we started 10-0, the fitness staff are squeezing in an extra 4-5 week loading block in? The conjecture is fun, but hopefully one day we get to read all about what's actually going on in 5 time premiership coach, Simon Goodwins memoirs.

They were both very strange games indeed. It might be pure fantasy, but how good would it be if Goodwin was playing funny buggers all along and despite saying we always treat the oppisition with respect, he was actually toying with them all in preparation for another onslaught in September? We can only dream lol

I noticed in the Freo game we were moving the ball far quicker than normal. It stuck out like a sore thumb. It also wasn't working and I was yelling at the telly to slow it down. I'd love to know the reason for it though. Coaches instruction or individuals trying to play champagne football and score heavily? Arrogance? Deliberately not showing our hand to contenders? Who knows but it was a huge difference and it seems to have come unstruck.

Players and coaches from teams that lock in finals early have openly talked about heavy training periods done in season for many, many years. Sometimes they directly call it "loading", other times they call it "heavy training blocks". It's definitely no secret. It is a luxury that teams that bank wins early have and is why teams that have some poor performancess in the middle stages of the year come out and smash teams in finals that have had to fight all the way just to make finals. Flirting with form comes with risk, as does the increased risk of injury, but if you are in it to win the major prize, not just make up the numbers in September, it is well worth the risk.

I facepalmed that too, although an eye-roll would have been more suited to such an childish offering.

Our foward half is definetely frustrating to watch at the moment so I hope the coaching group is looking at something fresh up there. And Petty did show plenty of promise up there a few years ago. However, unlike with Salem's absence in the backline being covered quite well, I am not sure we can cover Petty not being in the backline. May is our absolute key, and with Lever seemingly out of form, Petty imho is now our number two big backman. And I don't trust Tomlinson. Maybe it's time for Turner? Perhaps adding Majak to the lineup will allow LJ or Gawn to play as key forwards? Anyway, it's good to see some others here who are brave enough to post ideas about what we can change to try and imrpove. The resistence to new ideas from many here cracks me up. The competetion is way to good to stop exploring new ideas of where we can improve.