Demonised

100% agree. And if any were positive, were they asymptomatic? Or sick?

Could we have a specific 'Concussion Sub' the way the discussion is going right now? Only allowed to be used for that purpose, none other?

If a team goes through a season undefeated, aren't they entitled to add 'Champion'? That is, 'Premiers and Champions'? Has a nice ring to it.

'Reigning premiers Melbourne are undefeated after Round 6.' So much in this sort of sentence that still has me bewildered. Is this what supporters of other teams like Hawthorn, Geelong, have experienced over the years?

The chapter on John Coleman is a cracker. Gives some insight into how good he was.

Caribou are deer, aren't they?

Mr Mojo Risin'

Struggle and win. Struggle and lose. I know which one I prefer.

You have a good point. Our game seems full of grey areas - at least, the way it's organised/officiated these days ...

In this scenario, all the player going for the ball needs to do is to initiate contact with the blocking players and he would receive the free kick? Or am I visualising poorly?

Only 72,000 at the "traditional season opener"? Will there be head shaking over this crowd size, too?

I won't agree until I see him in some other roles.

Makes me think Andy Dufresne was a Demons fan and he tunnelled out just so he could get to the Grand Final.

I only just realised that our 21.14 (140) GF score was our highest all season. A sensational case of peaking at exactly the right time.

He's a doctor, dammit, not a football coach!

Grand Final? It was the Grandest Final.

The Expanse, Amazon Prime. Best SF going around at the minute.

Watching the GF so many times, I'm now appreciating some of the more overlooked moments, like this one attached. It's a little hard to see, but I think that Oliver basically flies along horizontally over the top of fallen and flailing Bulldogs, grabs the ball and handballs it mid-air in a breathtaking display of skill and focus. Amazing ninja level stuff.

I'm looking forward to all these end of year 'Best Sports Moments of 2021' media lists. No. 1 is easy, of course. Forget Olympics, Melbourne Cup, Wimbledon etc. An MFC premiership after 57 years is a monte for the top spot as it's one for the ages. Any list that says otherwise is clearly made by people who don't know what they're talking about 😁

At the start of every season, I always (stupidly) pore over the experts' prognostications with a variety of feelings, mostly dismay that no one thinks we'll be any good and dismay when they pick us to do well because that's a jinx, but with an occasional 'We're better than that!' reaction, knowing deep down that we're not. Not 2022. At the start of next season I'll glance at the experts and have two reactions: outrage, if they don't tip us as outright flag favourites and satisfaction when they do.

I can't believe we're not up to 100 pages on this thread yet ...

Just went. Very quiet, hardly had to wait, kind staff happy to help get a great photo of you with cup. Special.

Likewise.

Apologies in advance for being grumpy, but can we please change the title of this thread to ' Is Melbourne's midfield one of the best of the 21st Century?' or maybe 'Is Melbourne's midfield one of the best of the last thirty years?' because clearly none of us can compare our mids to midfields of seventy, eighty, ninety years ago, which would necessarily be encompassed by the 'of all time' question. Besides, all of the discussion is about midfields of the last few decades, ignoring the rest of football history as if it didn't happen. Historical perspective is important, given the parameters of the thread title, and what could be a worthwhile discourse becomes misleading. It just irks me. Sorry.

Thank goodness for digital/streaming access. I would have worn out a VHS tape by now.