3183 Dee

7 minutes ago, ProDee said:

Not thread worthy. 

Why's that?

 

Boo Hoo

Boo fookin Hoo, you lot.

Now, don't get me wrong - I was there yesterday and very frustrated, especially because Essendon irritate the [censored] out of me with their arrogance and self-righteousness. Yuck. I left frustrated and annoyed that we were beaten in all aspects of the game, especially since I was also at last week's game and saw the pride and spirit that forced the Demons across the line.

What I don't get is all this rushing about with skirts over heads, crying about this being the darkest day in Melbourne's history, how this is it! Tearing memberships up, never coming back to the G, had it with Melbourne etc etc etc.

Now, I've not been following the Dees as long as the vast majority of you - I came to Oz at the end of 2005 and have been a die-hard Demon ever since. That's one year of finals in 10 years of football - surely I'm statistically better placed to call it a day than most people ?. I won't though, because despite the performance yesterday, I firmly believe that we have the nucleus of a great side. However, in the build up, we are always going to have these days, just like we are going to have the Geelong victories and pull Richmond and Collingwood's pants down. Days like Saturday will get fewer and fewer over the next few years.   

I find it laughable that on these forums last weekend, we were bragging about our new young guns and this week, we are hanging them out to dry. Despite some putrid performances yesterday, I saw Jack Watts hit up Hogan with an inch perfect pass from the wing and also get right into the grill of some Bombers players; saw Angus Brayshaw bang one through off one step from outside 50; saw BenKen run all day, saw Clayton Oliver tough at the ball and with clean hands; saw Jeff Garlett run half the pitch to smack the ball right amongst the Bombers fans.

I'm proud to be a Melbourne supporter, proud to be part of the vociferous 30k that lifted the roof of the G last Saturday. The dark days are gone now: we are heading the right way, but we are going to get these sort of inglorious days along the way. Onwards and upwards, I say.

 

 

  

1 hour ago, Undeeterred said:

This administration knows exactly what it is doing and has let the players go that it wants to, whilst making an enormous fuss in the media and ensuring maximum compensation.

They were not reluctant to let any of Sylvia, Frawley, Howe or Clark go, despite what might have been said in the media.

I have to say, though, that most of the players you mention were pushed in the Neeld era.

You really have to narrow the field down to guys like Blease, McKenzie, Jamar etc that were moved on in the last couple of years in particular.

Cross is the only one I've disagreed with, but in a head v heart battle think they were probably right in hindsight.

They were, but went to lengths to keep him at the club.

Great OP - I've always liked Wattsy, mostly for the silk he brings, although I recognise there have been a few games where he has gone missing.

However, there were 4 or 5 moments of absolute class in yesterday's game, 2 of them in the opening minutes, where he sold candy to 3 or so GWS players before dishing off a perfect pass. 

As the OP says, his 4Q lifted the whole team (I have to say, I thought we were done at 3Q time) and the crowd. We talk about the development of players - well, this guy has had it harder than most and is still up and fighting.

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Port Adelaide you mean..

Ugh! I still shudder thinking about that game. Felt sick to the stomach watching Port kick goal after goal, with no resistance, except for JV.

 

Out of interest, I have general admission membership and sit on Level 3 Olympic, right next to the Members. Last year on QB, the first 15 or so rows of this section had been reserved for Pies fans, for some reason, which meant we were well up in the nosebleeds: maybe better to reserve ahead.

2 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

If Ben Gibson isn't a Melbourne supporter then he's being very generous in much of his assessment. Eg, "prestigious squad"???

I saw this too! Re-reading, I think he is referring to the leadership group, as it's mentioned in the previous sentence or two, I think.

43 minutes ago, Outside fifty said:

Was one of the five who went today, and ironically went on the motorbike, although I left the family and the dog behind. Missed most of the early match sims so didn't see Trenners train. From what I saw a pretty light session. Couple of things I noticed. The sheer size of Petracca is impressive, especially across the shoulders. Gawn has become the Heart and the Soul of this group. At the end of the session he was whooping and hollering, "We got a game on this Saturday boys". Revving up the whole group. Took some happy snaps http://imgur.com/a/ac5UL

Thanks for the photos. I sense a growing belief amongst this group of young men.

Wow! Looks great on mobile app - well done ?

The 'Meet Charlie Curnow' profile and video is up on the AFL website and they show little snippets of him playing. Personally just watching the small footage he has a bit of Jesse Hogan about him.. now not saying he will turn out like him but just his body on body work and seem to get up the field a bit.

There is definitely some potential locked away there.

I thought this, too, Dazzle. The mark followed by the push away of the opponent was Hogan-like. I don't know who you'd try to snare with the earlier pick now.

For me, the best thing to come out of this trade period was the canny-ness of the FD and recruiters, who have quietly played a great game of cards, with a bit of bluff here and there, to put us in a better position than we were 3 weeks ago. That's all you can ask - it's up to the coaches to turn it into on-field success.

We need to acknowledge the elephant in the room - Chip has been great.

Yep - good on him, could very well snag the Norm Smith.

Wrapped for pedo! Him and Hogan were definitely working well together before he went down with injury.

Definitely - they'd found some rhythm up front before Peds got injured.

What it says on the tin:

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2015-09-11/jamars-time-at-melbourne-comes-to-an-end

Apologies if mentioned elsewhere, but according to AFL site, Brayshaw and Harmes will be rested this week, to give them a breather. Roos wants players to start playing and getting angry, he believes that they feel too sorry for themselves.

Pretty much sums up what most on here have been saying, which is why I think possibly Garland, Howe, Dunn(?), Grimes (?) as the old guard, may be moved on. Not sure about contract status of Grimes and Dunn, but you get my drift.

I'm proud of our club and its indigenous players, past and present.

A few things:

I wonder if Mackenzie will get a contract at Casey next year? According to Justin Plapp's reports, Jordie tears it up almost every week in the VFL, but it seems as though his first team days are through. Might they offer him a contract to help bring the young Melbourne lads on? He's a grafter, great work ethic and puts his balls on the line, if nothing else.

I'd say you definitely re-contract Crossy. I think he's been one of our best free agency/trade gets - essential role model for the young fellas.

Is Pedersen's contract up this year? He's really blossomed under Roos and was proving a great foil for Hogan and Garlett - we've missed him since his injury and I never thought I would say that.

So much for owing st Kilda one. How about worrying about getting our team going rather then talking smack about the opposition to the media during the week

I know - I realise that there are media obligations, but maybe just let the coaches do them. I'm sick of these ramp-ups and then a performance which is exactly the opposite. Then the obligatory photo of the team looking dejected as they go back down the race. I don't understand why this team cannot take momentum and inspiration from a game like Geelong and build the rest of the season on it. It's like [censored] Groundhog Day!

These posts make me sick. 8 years at the bottom and we are still behind? Seriously??

Yes - because after the first year or so, we got rid of the likes of Bruce and MacDonald. Even if they only had a year or two left, they would still have been around to mentor the young guys.

Then we tanked for a year or two to get the top draft picks, which the hierarchy believed would be the making of our club.

Then we appointed two kids as captains and expected them to create a new culture under Neeld.

All this, whilst the new expansion clubs - GWS especially - have had an obscene amount of trade and cap concessions. At the same time, the off-field administration had been run by an apparently self-serving dummkopf, a number one draft pick has [censored] off to the AFL's pet project and we have been rogered with a $ half a mill fine for the aforementioned tanking.

I don't know what the answer is, but I can't fathom how we can tear Geelong a new one at their place and then not have the momentum or will to hand a hiding to the Bombers and avenge the previous Saints defeat.

If supporters don't believe that underperforming senior players with questionable skill-level, fitness and general intent when playing isn't a significant contributing factor in performances like today, last week and many other weeks this year, you need to wake up a bit. Seriously.

Club's don't continue to display these kinds of insipid and skill-less games for years upon years without there being some seriously deeply rooted problems with some senior figures at that club.

Correct. This is why the Doggies and St Kilda have bounced back after a couple of years of bottoming out - they still have a nucleus of experienced players who have played finals footy.

We are starting from a point way back from these clubs - effectively the same as GWS and GC but without the massive concessions.

IMO the only option is to bring in players like Daniel Cross, who I think has been our best pick up overall, to nurture our potentially great young guns in the right way to go about their footy.

A win is a must today, if we are to maintain that we have improved. Sure, our footy is a little better but the results speak for themselves. We should be confident of beating the bottom placed team on our home turf - no questions. If we are to improve, we need to stop the jitters and get the job done.

As an aside, I see M Robinson is named for Brisbane. Hopefully Jack Viney will ask him whether he thinks we're still bruise-free.

Come on you Demons!

Nibbler (don't ask me why this nickname) will be our next rising star nomination based on his improvement from game 1 v St.Kilda to game 2 v Geelong. He will be outstanding in about 3 weeks time.

Say 'Neal-Bullen' five times really quickly.

A bit misty eyed to be honest. Just told my 5 year old, one eyed Demon that days like this must never be forgotten. They say the darkest hour is right before the dawn....

Be very fookin surprised.

I have just tuned in and seen the result. I am very, very fookin surprised.

Be very fookin surprised.