Dr. Gonzo

It's absolute garbage, we play Thursday night Collingwood play the Sunday so an extra 3 days rest 🤬 I seriously don't understand how they can get away with this with the EBA? Shouldn't the AFLPA ensure at least a 12 day break over the bye? Even the further 10 day break after the Cats game is offset by the game being in NT including the community work we do prior to that - obviously this is a club organised thing but I'm sure the AFL isn't unhappy with us doing this. I know the fixture would be a nightmare to organise but come on, asking for a proper bye shouldn't be too much.

It would be 4 but Fittas head is blocking the kid behind him 🤣 Call of the day goes to the bloke behind me who kept ragging on Fritsch saying he got all his goals cheap out the back - after I left him know he kicked 6 goals in a GF he went a bit quiet. 2nd call of the day when all the Collingwood supporters were leaving in droves around me with 3 minutes left "Centrelink must have just opened, off they all go" yes I like to think I have the comedic wit of Carlin, Hicks and Chappelle rolled into one 🤣

And when Fritsch kicked that goal which got us in front in the 3rd the sound was electric, from then on the MFC supporters were giving it their all. It was eerily quiet at times for a crowd of 80k and that's because our slow methodical movement took the wind out of their sails.

I thought it was very interesting the way we set up our zone across the middle. We didn't press up to the Pies as they exited our 50 but instead allowed them to just run into us as they tried to move through with handball. This meant they couldn't get the overlap happening and get that quick run out of defense. Would've taken a lot of discipline for our players to sit tight rather than push up to the player with the ball, and it was beautiful to see the Pies come unstuck crashing into our wall again and again. McRae will go to work on this and may need to use short kicking to get through next time as the other option is long kicks into our defense which May, Lever, Rivers and Gawn/Grundy will feed off.

Kossie needs to lift but similar to last week against Saad I feel he was playing a more defensive forward role on Noble who often drives the Pies off half back. Don't forget Kossie is (or was before this weekend) #1 in the comp for tackles inside 50 so he's still doing some things right. Just has to get the mistined speccies out of his game and nail his set shots, if he kicks the 2 regulation ones yesterday I think people are seeing his game a bit differently.

Yeah but what about the replay? It was painful watching the 2nd half against last night with those Muppets commentating (BT probably the best of them which is saying a lot!) I wish there was an option for crowd noise only.

I actually didn't think we started that slowly. Some poor skill errors (notably from Hunter and Brayshaw x2 each) and not taking our opportunities in front of goal while they did meant it was 3 goals to 1 their way but I thought we still had the game on our terms. Just have to nail those chances when we get them.

Who the hell would call Salem soft? Bloke is as hard as a cats head.

That was a 40pt win, we completely took their game apart.

Buddy acclimatised pretty well if you believe the rumours (100 not out)

Same but when I take the kids they want the hot chips etc no matter how many snacks/sandwiches I pack 🤣

Who goes to the footy for the food and drinks? Surely you can find somewhere that sells tepid greasy garbage and flat beers in plastic cups for half the price?

I know, was just making a joke 😉

Mate have you ever been in the MCC? Calling someone a trade unionist is akin to calling them Nazi's 🤣

You can call someone a tncu just make sure you're wearing a collar!

Yeah hundreds over the years

I'll be there too mate M19 screaming my head off and ducking for cover 🤣 last year it was a zoo, I expect this year will be much worse

100%! Our supporters seem loudest when they are bemoaning their own team. I've started calling for free kicks even when I know they're not there just to get the noise levels up and start putting pressure on the umpires. People around me were doing the same in the Freo game especially when we got within a kick or so. The players feed off the energy and noise of the crowd, anyone who doesn't think so is deluded.

Well in my job I deal with a lot of lawyers and doctors and I know plenty of Melbourne supporters. I guess it just depends on which demographics you mix with 😉

Then Viney and Sparrow go berserk.

Being critical of poor umpiring isn't "bashing". AFL umpires are different to country and suburban leagues.

He played with a chip on his shoulder last night, good to see

It was a dour struggle which at no point we looked like losing. We got our defensive structures right again with Tomlinson in to free up Lever. We got our forward half intercept game working again and dominated inside 50s and time in forward half. Just have to clean up that ball use inside 50 and try and switch the play to open up the forward line instead of going down the line to the contest again and again. Salem and Sparrow were very good, Max started clunking some marks and JVR had another good game. Plus Clarry's back next week! All in all I was pretty pleased with the game but maybe that's because I was revelling in schadenfreude at Carlton's misery as much as joy for a Melbourne win.

Was he playing a defensive role on Saad? Because Saad had minimal influence off half back.

I'm in two minds, Joel Smith is probably an upgrade on tmacs current form but can't believe he gets a game ahead of Brown. Smith has had years to prove his worth and been found wanting again and again. A forward line of he and JVR , Weitering will have a field day. Let's hope Fritsch and our small forwards are on fire because they'll need to be.