Adam The God

Nash, when are you getting a new avatar? Waiting for a Grand Final appearance or will an image do from this weekend's win over Hawthorn?

I still do a bit of coaching and we're clearly not everyone's favourite team. A few magpie fans I know can't stand us and think we'll go to water this weekend. I hope they're bloody wrong.

During a discussion ON THE COUCH this evening, it was interesting to hear Roos proffer and then promote the idea of playing Jesse at CHB. I got the feeling that this is what he'd try if he were still coaching. Garry brought up Jesse's lack of forward half pressure and how the forward set up had improved since Jesse's injury. This is undeniable IMO. But the others interjected and rightly said our Jesse-less forwardline also coincided with us playing 6-6-6, so it wasn't as simple as Garry suggested. However, I'd say at least playing Jesse at CHB would ensure more combativeness from him and the need for a pressure game. His lack of tackling is really an issue for us IMO. And after playing a few games down back, he could then take this back to the forwardline with him. Although, I'm still not convinced you can take a 40+ gun forward out of your forwardline... On the fence as usual, A F.

Understand that mate and I'm sorry if you're in that category (this is directed at bandwagoners of which there are clearly plenty), but as someone who gives up 4 hours of his weekend every weekend and have done through some very dark times, it pisses me off to think I could miss out on a grand final ticket one day, because some muppet bandwagoner comes along for his or her first footy match for the year.

Haha, this is a ridiculous post. Viney, Brayshaw, Oliver, Tyson, Petracca. Not to mention guys like Harmes and Salem. All been drafted or recruited in the past 5 or so years. We've built a powerhouse midfield over the past couple of years and are clearly looking to add to it further, by pursuing the likes of Gaff.

They're expecting 90,000 again. We got reserved seats in the MCC on Level 4. But I reckon I'll go early to get a Level 1 seat. I still think regular H&A attendees should get preference to finals seating, instead of all the bandwagoners...

Spargo should stay. While, even though VDB was ordinary with ball, his tackling pressure will be enough to keep him in the side (and I like PD's assignment of running him through Smith). I've said it a few times but if we can kick straighter and bring the same pressure that we did last week, we'll win. My fear and feeling is we won't be able to. Our poor kicking has plagued us all year.

I'd certainly be looking at zippy pressure forwards who can roll through the midfield in time. Intrigued, @dazzledavey36 by that tweet. I wonder what level of player we can consistently attract now. Clearly, Lever is a wonderful get. But if we could get someone else of his calibre and in his rough age bracket, we'd probably have the best list under 25 in the league (if we don't already). The thing about GWS is that their list is aging and their best players are almost in their prime. Players like Cameron and Shiel will be 26 next year, so if they don't win a flag in the next two years, I reckon they'll lose those guys to Melbourne-based clubs and their window will close. It'll be fascinating to see how season 2019 unfolds. I'm bloody excited for it. I want that double chance, because I don't think we'll get past Hawthorn this week. I know we're not out of it, but I just don't see it. I hope we can delay these list conversations seriously for at least another week.

That's because most of them used to be Melbourne supporters and jumped ship when it got too hard in the 70s and 80s.

Hype-central here, but well deserved. If he can shut down Mitchell and win his own ball like he has been, there's a massive chance we shut down Hawthorn's midfield and make them play counterattack on us. Pretty hard to do in a final. Given our likely clearance dominance, we'd win the game if we kick straight.

Go back and watch the replay. I'd argue he was in our top 10 players and set the tone in every quarter for our tackling.

Having just re-watched the game again I reckon ANB played his best game for Melbourne in a final. Great effort. Just shows that if we keep it simple, work hard and play within our limitations anything is possible. How good is our development coaching? Bloody brilliant. Just about every player in the 22 is a better player than they were in the first half of the season.

Just watched the replay again. Fritsch's game wasn't bad, so I'll take that back, but he certainly showed he was overawed at times, with a few fumbles that were costly. 1st Quarter: * Drops an contested mark and puts everyone under pressure at 4.52 to go in the first quarter. * Slips over with 2.40 to go in the first quarter. Lays a tackle but doesn't impede. Fortunately, ANB is covering. * By the end of the first quarter, he's taken a nice intercept mark and shown poise to open up the game with a neat kick into the corridor. 2nd Quarter: * nice neat kick to start the second quarter. * another effective handball. * at 13.52 to go, ball watches instead of intercept marking, causing Lewis to hold on to Kelly. Free-kick, Geelong get their first goal and momentum. Should have been away with it. * a get out kick on his right that works for McDonald. Decent effort. * 3.07 to go and he let's Kelly mark and run off him, which leads to the free-kick to Menzel that becomes a poster to Geelong after Menegola takes the advantage. * does well with a handball in the final minute. 3rd Quarter: * fumbles at 18.25, puts Gawn under pressure, who kicks it out on the full. This leads to the Hawkins goal. * at 9.42 remaining he punches back towards two Geelong defenders who would have goaled. Fortunately, Frost is rightly awarded a free-kick for being pushed in the back. 4th Quarter: * a nice handball out of trouble. * fumbles but gets lucky when Kelly gets him high. And an example of how misleading that 100% DE stat is, his next kick goes to a contest and Geelong bring it back. Yet they've called that an effective disposal. * a short careful kick to VDB that VDB then turns over and the commentators claim the play is too slow. It leads to Tuohy's goal. * makes up for the last slow play with his next kick that opens up the game in the corridor. * panics and gets lucky. Is tackled and drops it but not called holding the ball. One thing I did get from re-watching this was just how good ANB was. He was everywhere. His tackling and chasing set the tone in every quarter.

Yep. I mean Hunt.

You weren't watching properly in 2012-2013 then. We had guys like Dean Terlich and Matt Jones finishing high in our BnF. I'm not ANB's biggest fan but this is hyperbole. We've had a lot worse players than him.

I'll go back and rewatch a second time, because I counted at least 5 times he fumbled and put team mates under pressure. But here probably highlights why the DE stat is the most misleading stat in the game.

I think that's a really poor coaching move. You don't blood a young player in a final for the sake of it, who has been horribly out of form. Too much risk of mentally scarring a player when they fail in a final, having come in with no form.

Spargo corrals and tackles well in our forward 50 too. Those that want Jeffy to come in haven't watched Jeff properly. In big games he wilts. In Goodwin teams he's not appropriate because he's too soft at the contest. And some saying JKH should come in, are you serious? The bloke can't handle the heat in the regular season. He would crap himself in a final. And he certainly doesn't bring any more pace than Charlie.

My recollection of our 2016 win was that Stratton missed that game too.

Fritsch's game, much like his past month or so, was error-riddled again. I'm sure he was at one point, but I can't remember him being clean with the footy on Friday. Seems overawed by playing in the back half to me, but without Lever, he is needed to intercept and kick. Let's hope he remains calmer this week. And no change for me. Bring the same pressure and kick straighter and we comfortably account for the scum.

Hudson has really lost it. He's an absolute pill these days. Even managed to make a little snow joke during the commentary that we heard when listening back to the game. What a smarmy little fuckstick.

And this is the beauty of Harmes' rise. It enables Viney to play see ball, get ball and Harmes to tag Mitchell. Our midfield should murder them. I'm worried about their cleverness around the ground though and being outcoached by arguably the greatest coach of all time. But there's no doubt this Hawthorn side is the weakest top 8 Hawthorn side under Clarkson, so they are certainly gettable. I'll be fascinated to see how our press works.

Definitely bottom 6 as we're in the business of playing footy and that's the bit he's not great at. But as you say, a very valuable bottom 6 player with the intensity and hardness he brings.

Here's the thing about VDB. He's probably the worst handballer of all time. Seriously, so bad. He's not a great kick either. But his tackling in a tight congested game makes him worth it. He did give away two goals though from turnovers. However, his tackling has the capacity to lift him out of our bottom 6.

Bring tonight's pressure game and convert a bit better and we should account for Hawthorn. Anything less than that though and we're in trouble. But on tonight's performance we were brilliant. Weideman, Harmes and Max were the standouts for me. Quite incredible to think Weed could stand up in a final like that and Harmes is a truly dominant mid now. He is matching it with Clarry and Gus. When you add Viney's tackle pressure, our midfield really could rip any other midfield in the comp in two. I want to see more composure inside 50 next week, but generally, they made us proud on the big stage. We go again. And how was that MFC crowd!? Incredible. At least 65-70,000 were Melbourne. At least. We keep this up and we'll walk in 50,000 members next year. It shows that if we can have some sustained success (and I mean flags), our dormant supporter base has the capacity to reach at least 65,000 members. And if you win flags, you get the kids jumping on board and 70,000+ becomes very attainable in the next 5-10 years. The most exciting aspect about tonight was ticking off the mental barrier of winning a final. We saw what impact that had on Richmond for years. Well, we've ticked that off now. The other thing this victory tonight does is really announce us to the footy world and stamp us as contenders over the next 3-5 years. We play a brand that stacks up in finals and will only get better as our younger players develop. This finals experience too will hopefully hold them in really good stead for next year, whatever the outcome from here on is in 2018. And if I'm an opposition player, I'm wondering how do I get to Melbourne to play with these guys. Andrew Gaff, Dylan Shiel. These types. Lever saw it. Lewis saw it. Nights like tonight I'm front of 91,767 put us in that destination club conversation even further. Well done, PJ! And well done MFC.