Nasher

It could be worse - Bizkit three posts before yours said he’d prefer to bring back Cale Morton!

I can’t wait for this game. To be able to watch a game where a loss doesn’t bring doomsday tidings will be fantastic, and there’s a nice juicy carrot for us if we win. The players will feel the same pressure relief we all do. I’m hoping with the shackles off they may lift further. They may also flop - I hope not, but it would be understandable. Just looking forward to enjoying footy again.

Sings the club song harder than any other player too. Bad luck Essendon.

My two brothers go for Richmond and Collingwood respectively. I texted this stat and said I’d say “may the best team wim”, except I’d prefer Melbourne won, not Richmond.

No change. There’s no way OMac gets rubbed out, it was a textbook tackle. Darling’s head didn’t even hit the ground, or at least didn’t appear to. The fact that such an innocuous tackle seems to have knocked him out is more of a worry for Darling than anything.

I’ve said it previously, but our best starting midfield is presently Gawn, Oliver, Brayshaw and Harmes. Who would have picked that at the start of the year? He’s had a great year. He is where he is because of hard work, without the god given talents others have. Great stuff.

Meh. Still pretty happy that he's a forward now and don't reckon short stints in very specific game situations count, but acknowledge I made a very black and white statement that was bound to turn out wrong. Go Dees.

When was TMac in the back line? If it was during his ruck stint in the second half, it doesn't count.

The possibility of meeting Geelong in an elimination final is f’ing salivating. The opportunity to finally bury them would be very welcome.

Ditto. Whatever though, that’s what Demonland is for!

Who cares what anyone says. We all know a flag is the goal, but we can celebrate milestones on the way, and this one is enormous, especially the way it happened. Enjoy it, Demons.

Was on the brink. Kent goal the trigger.

F***** if I know ?

Sure was!

First game where he’s consistently looked like an aerial threat. I’ve been bullish anyway because he’s shown other attributes like getting involved in linkup play and cleanliness with the ball, and he’s played a marking game in the VFL, but this is the final big tick required. I’m happy now to play the waiting game while he fills out and matures, confident in the view that he will make it as an AFL quality forward.

Hah. I jumped through the roof when Melksham put us back in front (geez WC would be spewing how easily he got off the chain) and nearly burst in to tears when Kent put it through. That was the biggest stress relief feeling I’ve had in many years. I love this club.

Hands up who needed fresh undies after West Coast hit the front?

Too late, already passed out

West Coast went up a gear and we held firm. It’s not exactly what you would call a skilled contest, but literally the only metric or factor I care about in this game is the scoreboard at the end.

He’s got a special skill for getting a serious injury right when he would have been dropped anyway - that happened last year with the shoulder and this year with the hammy. The continual stretch of injuries is a big enough concern on its own.

Definitely an intrigue. It must be apparent to him (and others in his position) that time is running out. Some would be motivated by that and others would put too much pressure on themselves. Let’s see which type Kent is.

I laughed. Then vomited. God I’m nervous!

The back half of this season has been slow burn torture. We win today and we are a game and percentage clear of the teams out of the 8. We lose and it’s another week of waiting and hoping. We are capable of beating both WCE and GWS - but I think that’s only contributing to my stress. It’s almost easier when you know there’s no hope (have I just revealed the core of MFCSS?). We’ve moaned about being flat track bullies, but those mid season pummeling of crud sides is what’s keeping us alive at the moment. Our percentage is pretty much unassailable. Come on Melbourne. Get it done. Please?

Yes, I understand the concern over the pattern of these injuries. It’s a worry and no doubt there’s some common root cause. It’s the second half of your post that I’m talking about - where you’ve arrived at the common root cause without any additional analysis other than the problem statement. It’s an absurd logic jump.

So many experts on here. I’ve seen everything blamed in this thread from Misson to the club Doctor to Hogan himself to the training ground surface to not resting him against Gold Coast - all claimed as if indisputable fact. If I jumped up the ladder of inference in my job the way you lot do I’d have been sacked years ago.