Nasher

From my experience with Richmond, by the third flag they’ll be well jack of us. Give it time.

Easily the best team I’ve seen. My memory of 98 is sketchy but 2000 and 2018 came off the back of late season runs after wobbles during the season. 2021 team has been pro since the first bounce of round 1. Part of me is still waiting for the wheels to fall of, but I think I’m ready to believe they won’t.

Median age and games is a better indication I think. Not sure how to get that until AFL Tables publishes for the round though. In round 11, Brisbane were 25 years / 93 games, and Melbourne were 25 years / 103 games. Our only change were both on the low side of the median so ours would be the same. Both teams look of comparable experience on paper to me.

I think the unwritten/implied first part of the question is “once fully fit”. Whether or not he needs a run or two at Casey to rebuild match fitness is a separate question I think. And yes, definitely comes straight in once fit.

Yeah, there’s wars, famine and a pandemic, so let’s not talk about anything else ever. Might as well close the site down if “there’s worse things happening” is the barrier of entry for a conversation. Pretty much everything we worry about on here is trivial compared to the world’s problems.

I’m another avid match day thread avoider. I’ll post at half time if we’re winning, I’m feeling brave AND I’m bored and have no better way to fill in the long break. I just don’t like bagging Melbourne or its players, and people who do have a severe negative effect on my mood. I support the team and the players, even the s*** ones. It doesn’t mean I can’t tell when they’re playing badly or that I’m not frustrated by it, which is what you get accused of if you try and argue with the ragers who have freaked out because we’re 3 points down half way through the second quarter. There’s no point. I just watch the game.

I don’t think the jury is in yet. I can’t believe that a 23 year old forward has no prospect at rectifying the deficiencies in his game. I guess we will see at selection this week whether Goodwin shares your view that he’s unviable.

I don’t see the point in trading Weid or playing him back. Go all in and back him to become the forward he should be able to become, and persist until the jury is well and truly in.

You know, if you didn’t excessively bag Melbourne players so much to begin with, you wouldn’t have to eat so much humble pie later. Just a thought.

I always laugh when players act bewildered at free kicks that were obviously there (even when it’s MFC players), and that was clearly one. Onya Eric.

Melksham might go out and it would be understandable if he did. I already said in my OP that the main basis of my selection is keeping the structure of the side as stable as possible. The bias against Melksham on here frustrates and me fuels my bias towards him. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. I guess we’ll see.

Roles, is how. I don’t know why people take it so personally when others suggest particularly changes. Being left out for Langdon is no criticism of Sparrow. I thought he was great. Langdon is better and plays in the same part of the field, Melksham doesn’t.

Jordon played Langdon’s wing role and Sparrow played Jordon’s mid/forward role. Unless you’re suggesting Jordon goes out for Langdon, then any selection that has all three of them is indeed a new configuration.

Mate, I got nailed to the cross earlier in the season for suggesting Spargo *might* be in the conversation after a 6 possession game earlier in the year. I wasn’t even saying drop him, just that he should be in the conversation. Possession count is apparently irrelevant. If you see anyone brandishing a hammer, I’d run. Oh but it’s Melksham, so he’s fair game. Sarcasm aside, Chandler was dropped because he was hopeless in that game. His one contribution was spoil a certain Weideman mark 15 out. I thought Melksham seemed to be playing a defensive role and as such possessions might not be the determining factor, but it’s hard to tell on TV. He’s in the conversation though and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was dropped.

Jake Lever leads the way with accepting the umpire’s call. He gave away a free to Hipwood (I think) early in the game and you could him standing on the mark, nodding furiously that he understood, even though he was clearly pissed about it (probably at himself). If I were trying to teach kids the right way to manage frustration, Lever would heavily feature my examples.

Absolutely. Rivers, Petty, Sparrow, Spargo and Jordon were all in that high 20s and 30s range. It’s an incredible hit rate really. They’re the hardest and most important picks to get right I think - I love Jacko and Pickett, but I reckon I could have picked them correctly. There’s no way I would have been able to determine the right flanker to pick. Almost no busts from the last 4 drafts, despite having traded away a lot of our early picks to bring in the likes of May and Lever. Amazing.

In: Langdon Out: Sparrow I don’t want to drop Sparrow but I’m in a state where I don’t want to see any new configurations. What we’re doing works, leave it alone.

Jord_n for me. From couldn’t get a look in to versatile, multi-role player. A great demonstration of perseverance and patience from club and player.

Indeed. It’s a fine art - we’ve seen plenty of MFC teams try those handball chains and do one too many. Can understand why the gentlemen in the MCC who had lost track of how the game works were confused and frustrated. This MFC team kicks when the time is right. It is a thing of beauty.

Gibbo and co in media mustn’t have been able to sleep either, “All the Goals” is already up on the MFC website. Agree with others about the TMac snap goal being incredible, but the one in second quarter where Harmes kicked it down the throat of Fritsch basically in the square was as good corridor footy as you’ll see. Was crucial in the timing of the game too.

I think @faultydethas a photo of it coming off as his avatar.

Jeez mate, get a grip. Who cares about the umpires. They’re the same every week, why let it soil the mood?

Tom McDonald remembered at halftime that 18&21 Tom has a lot more fun than 19&20 Tom. He is just bloody immense. I didn’t see this resurgence of his coming.

Spargo doesn’t waste a kick. He doesn’t do the “traditional” small forward magic, but if he gets the ball, it goes to a teammate every time. I’ve come around.

It would be nice if we could wait a day before we start bagging the usual suspects. They were part of a great win, give them a break just for the night. Please.