beelzebub

I seriously am wondering what some think AFL footy is about. It's actually a highly competitive, COMBATIVE, phyical game played withfurious intent. What it is NOT , is a Sunday afternoon Social with Tea and Scones. There's nothing wrong with having a Devonshire with your 'bestie' from anothr club .What you do out of hours is fine...couldn't give a rats but come time you don the Jumper and cross that line and you're playing for the club then it has to be a no holds barred full on encounter . You're not out there to make friends.. Do that in your own bloody time please. I can only wonder what the likes of Grinter, Biffin, Ditterich, Whelan would have made of that !! ( to only mention a few) Ol' Ronald Dale would be livid I should think... A very fair player....but by golly he wouldn't have stood for that rubbish...as he was indoctrinated that your "Melbourne First" as you ought to be.

Ive attended/watched footy since a lil tacker of 5. First games in 1965.. This just for context. Teams under Smithy were hard at it . You didn't get a guernsey if you even looked like a shirker. The respect you gave the jumper and the preparedness to do the TEAM thing was just a given. Through the decades we've had out fair share of hard nuts. We've had our champions and a lot of hard-workers . Not all so talented but very few grifters. Success ...not so much. Even in the dourest of days the effort was honest. But if one of ours was felled... look out. FF to now...yeah ....not so much Back when we were DEMONS .. NO ONE....and i mean NO ONE would have shook Maynard's hand... the best he would have received would have been a non-idle reminder !! These other teams don't go away these days thinking we're a tad soft. Sadly they KNOW it.

You're right.... we're not quite at that but on course. Currently we're pitiful/lamentable/non-threatening None of this is in any shape or form.... enjoyable.

Thankyou for showing it as abundantly clear. Notice a number of things. He makes no attempt to turn body away from collision... he does protect his own head though... he pushes the bulk of his frame directly into Brayshaw. He lifts his knee also. Anyone thinking this was just a "football" act is kidding themselves.

Going to be a very interesting gauge of both

It could be about ANYONE wearing that jumper....

Gus coaching now ?? This isnt just about Gus... it's about the jumper....about what as a team you're prepared to take. Apparently we indentify as marshmallows...fuschias....happy campers.....all smiles and backslaps....woohoo. Strangely another club....and coincidentally the same one , took offence ( rightly so ) to "all duck and no dinner" and let it's uttererer know all a out it. The only thing more sickening than Gus getting maliciously flattened.. was anyone being nicey nicey to the filth before tge game, in full view of many thousands of Melbourne Supporters. What you do down the pub at the cafe is up to whomever. If youre wearing that jumper believe me there's an expectation to honour it and your team mates. No one's respecting our jumper .

Victim... [censored]... a known loose canon and serial pest. Thats his bloody job at the filth....ask any honest wobbly !!

As they say.... not the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog. Not seeing much fight...and no MONGREL in the dog. Might as well be sponsored by Western Star :(

Which in an of itself is just another opinion. Many dont share yours.... in my opinion. Spot the indifference ?

I dont see it so much as applauding Collingwood as much as suggesting they obviously perceived his return as questionable when we didnt. 2 aspects of all of this are just so terribly wrong. 1) It wasn't Tracs call... 2) The Mfc medicos made the wrong call. They can dress it up however they like but they should have erred on the side of caution. This is just a monumental stuff up and it's not being held to sufficient accountability

Now I'm no particular fan of the Purple one. I do however try to read and listen broadly as it's more often, to me about what is said than predetermining any voracity due to who says it. Think this has merit..

Aparently... yes ;)

Nah... this lot won't fly the flag..... white one maybe.

Definitely giving us some curry. Not buttering us up or papadaming over the cracks .....

Embarassing really. Not Demons...... fuschias :(

Grundy saved our [censored] in Max's absence...not a minor thing. Pies just dacked us.... theyll have much more talent back . Whilst any game might be winnable just at the moment theyre just as likely losable. We've shown a greater proficiency at losing. We're not playing a skilled or discernable style. We're bash crashing around like a drunk in a bottle shop. Bit by bit opponent's coaches are getting better at disecting our 'game' . We don't appear nearly as adept towards them. We're not firing on all cylinders and im not impressed by the mechanic. But yes ,it is not the end.... footy is a funny game but any considering a rise up the ladder simply because WE might ( big MIGHT ) improve must also realise it relies on others worsening.

We play them again....

🤔🤔 anything ??

In appreciating where we really sit in amongst all of this I offer up a simple exercise. It's something all clubs will do. Pretend you're an opponent . In preparing to play us you WILL conduct a Strength /Weaknesses analysis. I'm not going to pre-empt anyone's results... do your own. But be matter of fact honest in your appraisals. What did you find ?? Sobering ??

There's sadly very little hardness left. We'll get ragdolled more and more here on in. Good pickup re Hibberd etc.. very much the truth of the matter unfortunately :(

You're far from alone.

Im sure we don't. I suspected the KB game might give a window to where we are...and did. Our next outting will be a real litmus. We may well not be as bad as we seem.... or then again we might just be. RoCo's overview requires a hell of a lot of ducks to line up. My general assessment just ackowledges what we can generally and fairly ajudicate. Forward line: Undersized, undermanned,underwhelming. Looks totally disorganised. Midfield. Not gelling. Overuses the ball, not clever in clearances ( when we get them ) Max playing well... but seriously....to whose advantage ?? 🤷🤷 Midfield a shadow of our Granny winning ability. Backline. Struggling without Lever. May not at top of his game...looks injured and frustrated.... but tries. Coaching.....all over the shop ... Not looking sharp or effective.. Lost the plot ? Lost the players ?? Team cohesion.. Has been much better. Team effort... bog average of late. Injuries... mounting....and cruelling Talent in reserve.... unknown or not setting world on fire. Our pressure is way off the boil. Scoreboard... can't hit it... Prognosis... not looking that flash. Needs... a bloody miracle and a few rockets. Finals ... yeah...nahh Convince me otherwide.... am open minded ...to reason ;) Cheers Go Dees.... yep...need to get going !!

Their next game is against the Pies... ironic in a fashion. Will be quite telling.