praha

Realistically it's probably more likely we won't make it than will. In 2015 and 2016 we lost games we should have won, and *could have* slipped into finals, but we weren't a finals team. If we miss this year, we are going to reflect on that North game as your standard "Here we go again!" moment. Wins in Perth and Adelaide mean nothing if you can't win when it matters, against teams that don't matter. I know we say it a lot on here but the next 3 weeks is the biggest month in 10 years. This team is at a point now where it should be playing finals, even if it's just one elimination final. It's the next step in our development. We're 4 years into the Roos rebuild. Missing from here would be a huge failure. That would put us a year behind where we should be. And the wheels can fall off very quickly. We've seen that. We NEED to play finals this year, but I fear we've shown it's just not in our destiny.

Playing one finals match is so important for this group. It would be a colossal failure if we don't make it. The variables haven't been in our favour.

We've actually been handed a dream draw to end the season. Because we folded and couldn't get the job done against North, we have a chance to redeem ourselves with three straight games at the MCG, two against teams that never play there, and all three against teams below us. Pies are playing good footy atm, but we still have it easy compared to Bulldogs, Eagles, Bombers, who we are competing against for a spot in the finals. Let's take a look at a difficulty scale based on current ladder position. 1st place = 18 points, 18th place = 1 point. Western Bulldogs: 37 on difficulty scale Essendon: 27 on difficulty scale Eagles: 37 on difficulty scale Melbourne: 16 on difficulty scale Missing finals from here would be a colossal failure. The stars have aligned for this end to the season -- no travelling, all at the MCG, two 7-day breaks -- and we absolutely need to get it done. The aforementioned teams are all facing teams at the top end of the table, who we've faced in the past 2 months. I said earlier this season that the trifecta of Adelaide-Port-GWS needed to result in 2 wins for us to make finals, but that factored in a win against North. We went 1-2 in that trifecta, and with the North loss that puts us 2 wins off the mark of where we need to be to compete for finals. This means 3 wins to finish the season would net us a finals spot. If we net all three wins, we only need one match to go our way out of the games played by the other three. Also need to factor in performance of Port. Sydney beating Geelong essentially locks them in as they have a dream draw home. If Port lose today they are only a game ahead of us, with Collingwood, WB and GC to come. We are still in as good a spot for a final spot as we've been in for a decade. We'd be looking at one of the all-time great breakdowns in the club's history if we don't make it from here. I know the variables have made it tough and it's been a long season, but if we falter in the test of persistence and the marathon, that's going to linger over the club like a bad stain.

ANB is now firmly among the best. His pressure acts are elite and he doesn't go missing like Garlett does, who is either "on" or can't get a kick.

Gonna be the devil's advocate...the leader in any field has 100% buy in. Saying "it's just not possible" is imo a exploitation of an uneducated support base that doesn't appreciate or know the metrics.

Yeah but we best Adelaide. The problem is that we have turned up for a few games that kinda sorta matter but gone missing in game that have mattered. 2010 and 2011 were just that. Last week we faltered bad not just as a team but as a club. IMO Goodwin's response re. Not worrying about past records is indicative of a man that doesn't quite understand the cultural significance of his role. Adelaide have been successful but Melbourne is a foundation club with 4-5 generation supporters. It's a learning curve for him and imo he's struggling now. Finals won't happen this year because this club just isn't ready yet. It makes me so sad...but it's the reality.

On top of that we finish the season with 3 games at the MCG against teams below us, while Bombers travel to GC and also have the Crows next week. A finals spot has been ours to lose all year and we fluffed it epically by losing to North.

What's calling for him to kick more if it's not a critique on his influence?

Today wouldn't have matter if we dealt with North like we were supposed to. Ultimately if we miss it'll be losses like that we look back on, like losing to Carlton last year, Saints twice, and so on and so on. We have found ourselves in touch with the 8 for most of the past 2 seasons yet have faltered badly when it matters. If anyone tries to find "improvement" in a team that finishes mid table two years in a row, I'll neck myself.

This is just petty.

GWS played a run and carry game and trusted their skills to make the cross across field to free up space. Oliver being the first handball in a chain isn't the problem, it's his teammates who try short 15 meter chips down the line, or miss handball targets from 10 meters away. Take Oliver out of the equation and I reckon we are a 3-4 less win side. Your greatly understated his influence.

No point making massive changes, just shuffling deck chairs. We need continuity and more height up forward so Weeds I suspect will come in for Watts, who seems set for a VFL run. Pedo may go otherwise. Brayshaw for Melksham is probably the only straight swap I can think of.

Oliver was very good I thought. Along with Gawn allowed us to compete better around stoppages and keep the deficit down.

And just like that, we're out of the 8. How depressing.

I feel that the team has hit a wall. Perhaps we've overachieved. Anything less than finals would be a failure but that's a given now, so it doesn't matter either way. Maybe it's a mental hurdle...but many a perennial loser in the side.

Spoke too soon. What an awful goal to give up.

We've been very good this quarter. Too late though.

Salem broken fibula imo

Last week woke me up a bit. I got so angry, and I hated how I felt and behaved. What's the point, really? It's an emotional investment that is far too costly. It ruined my weekend. Where does it all lead to? What's the end goal? Wins make for a great feeling but I can cling on for so long. I'm not attending the final 3 games. If they make finals, I'll jump back on.

Watts is pathetic. We need him out of the club. I'm sorry but get these perennial losers out the door. Sick of standing up for this guy.

He's been badly shown up the past two weeks. It's as big a choke as I've seen. Huge lesson for him. Hopefully he's better for it. We've been bullied the past two weeks as a football club and the sad thing is it's cost us our season. I tweaked a nerve watching last week. I think I hit a wall. I'm mentally exhausted and haven't really been interested today. I might be done with AFL after this season.

Jones is a perennial loser and it shows. Bad. Our season is on the line and the response after last week has somehow made me more disappointed than I was after last week. This club unfortunately will struggle to shed this tag. Mentally weak, and just losers. Goodwin is being bullied by Cameron.

1 goal in 15 minutes kicking with a 5-6 goal breeze.

When we kick AGAINST the wind we bomb it long. When we kick WITH the wind we over use and kick short. I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

Did you hear Goodwin at quarter time? "We were too quick kicking into the wind." I find that astonishing. We played like millionaires kicking with a 10 goal breeze. And the Giants smashed us.