DEE fence

This is an excellent tactic of Goodwin about respecting the opposition, gives them nothing to feed off and makes us hard to hate. Honestly I feel like we are the All Blacks of the AFL.

How does a % north of 160 hurt us?, madness I think you need to watch r23 and the finals another few times to reacquaint yourself with this team.

6 Gus 5 Langdon 4 Oliver 3, May 2, Viney 1, Spargo Very Sorry Tmac and Tracc (marked down because he's been burning teammates inside 50) Petty Picket BBB Sparrow ANB Hunt Winners on everyline, have changed my mind 6 plus times, spargs got 6th just because his defensive pressure was huge.

This was not just a win, this was a phenomenal win. This is what happens when you poke the bear, Saints brought huge heat, time and again the Saints had us outnumbered 3:1 and the Demon player concerned (everyone did it) ran from contest to contest pressuring every single Saint in the chain. This was like a boxer throwing repeat 8 punch combinations, takes massive fitness. We CRUSHED them in the contest, respect to the Saints for not dropping their heads and making a game of it, but it was clear over the course of the game that there is daylight between us. Hardest ever votes. Ryder is a great ruckman, but his fitness while OK doesn't match the elite Gawn. Shout out to Spargo in the 1st, thought he was dead when he got nailed by two Saints, he got the handball away and shook it off. Spargo is an elite player. My mum was at the footy today (without her sons), thanks to the Dee's supporters that kept her company, she probably talked their ears off. Will have alot more to say, this game was the best this season of any match for so many reasons.

I dropped mine...

God forbid Demonland becomes as precious as the journalists like Caro. Yes he is a nong and a goose, but he cares about footy and his job is to bounce off Gerard doing the straightman routine. I agree his near death experience has had an effect on him. And 360 is a dozen times more watchable than the footy show ever was, or the nest of vipers that is Footy Classified and whatever that crud is with Tom Browne. Flip past Zero Hanger and Mongrel Punt for more analysis. Watchlist was funny today, King didn't want a part of it saying Melbourne is gettable. By the way super happy Dicko has replaced that snake Tom on First Crack. Commentators I enjoy listening too - Montagna, Dunstall, Pearce, Lyon, Dicko, Buckley

Is a good point about age profile. Just worried he is not the train crash we were hoping for.

Would love Hawks to have a red wedding, but Mitchell has learnt from Voss's mistakes, his leg chain though is ruck structure, McEvoy and Lynch not the answer. I still think Hawks are going to join Brisbane and Freo as principal threats. Saints to dependant on Paddy who is just too banged up for a full season, I think he is a great ruck though. Have done a table of where i think the coaches are at for a laugh. Dogs are done, defensive weaknesses. Collingwood needs someone other than Howe and Grundy also diminishing returns. Yze was just about anointed to a senior role listening to Goodwin the other day, if we get one more season from him we are lucky. Hardwick my longshot to slide. Some good names in the has beens just timexed. PS your hatred of cats is now benchmarked! Next Gen: Goodwin/Longmuir/Mitchell/McRae/Yze Perrenial: Clarkson/Horse/Scott/Beveridge/Fagan Reserve Judgement: Nicks/Voss/Ratten/Noble On way out: Hinkley/Cameron/Simpson/Dew/Hardwick/Rutten/Dew

Thanks you've given me something to watch, which show?

Bump, watching Mitchell this year, sadly (I hate the Hawks the way Jaded hates Geelong) must disagree. Mitchell going great guns I think Hawks slide will be short and I think Mitchell is really showing some skills. Check out the latest F2F not just spin demonstrayed some insight and nouse. If they can get ruck right top 4 next year 2023.

Our 2021 draw last year was great, at the end of it we could say we had a tough draw, had to travel, and beat the 'good' sides, not Essendon's soft last 6 matches (or 5/6 they got the dogs in their slump). I am more worried about our lack of 4 term pressure from other sides, we expect to run over them in 3rd quarters, the Saints/Freo and Brisbane matches cant come quickly enough, super tough 4 weeks coming up to r11. my pass mark is 2/3 of those. Because the only way we will get beaten is sustained pressure, good run, and accurate kicking. Every other tactic is a gimmick that doesn't last against our supreme fitness and contest.

I used to think he was not quick but then i saw this. From 2021 - all these speeds would get you a gig as a striker in the top half of the premier league - Salem is a smart runner, picks his moments and uses his speed to create time for those great kicks, is an extremely smooth mover with efficient running technique, could just about balance a cup on his head. He is I agree a vicious tackler. I noticed that Goodwin said they have a plan for Salem when he gets tagged, so obviously other coaches have noticed what a key play maker he is. I think the game has evolved, just as we have full ground defense with our small forwards chief role to shut down space, Salem is not a defender, he is a QB/play maker starting offensive runs. I don't think we move him, I think Tracc needs to lower his eyes a bit with his kicks into fwd 50, he has slipped a bit from the end of last year when he had improved across the season. Taking Salem away would be a massive mistake. Telstra tracker Jayden Hunt 35.24km/h Kysaiah Pickett 34.56 Alex Neal-Bullen 33.95 Ed Langdon 33.91 Christian Salem 33.80

Rewatched game, I was wrong about Melksham, had some nice touches.

Just wanted to say that the cliche, 'the hunter becoming the hunted', implies a level of complacency not relevant to Melbourne. We remain the apex predator, not far off an orca playing penguin tennis with it's tail. We hunt everyone, part of the coaching greatness is for such a good team there is a level of humility and hunger and respect for opposition. Watching yesterday in the middle of the second term, there was a moment where we started putting body pressure on the Hawks, our bumps hurt, you could tell that we went into kill mode and the Hawks were not up for it. Literally a 'poke the bear' moment. Loved the game yesterday, part of me always wants an easy kill, as others said, please just roll over and die, but the way we just find a way is so exciting, fair play to the hawks but there was no happy feet ending. Also by the by, I wanted to hate Mitchell as a coach, as a player I thought he was super dirty for the deliberate corkies, he ran around for years dishing out. But, he is well spoken funny and genuine with his post game comments in a way that I find quite engaging, and I'm not just reacting to the praise he gave us. He might actually be an ok coach. I thought we saw the end of Melksham yesterday, just doesn't have the defensive pressure. I don't get how he hasn't adapted his game more. Yes he is a beautiful kick (hated that set shot) but that is not what he needs to bring. Love all the respect Max is getting on here, totally deserved, has been improving since r3, I still think there is a Max tax from the umps in ruck contests, he gets policed harder than anyone. What is going on with paying marks, May was jibbed and watching other games it seems there is a lot less grace for controlling the ball. Ablett's famous GF mark would be ruled unrealistic attempt nowadays. Shout to Viney and Lever, coming back from COVID played uncompromising (if slightly rusty footy) but they were playing with Pharlap sized hearts. I think we need Petty/Salem to beat Brisbane. They are looking dangerous on the counter and our centre clearances will give them too much of a sniff. We remain the hunter!

Max is a quadruple threat and plays with the weight of expectation, welcomes it and delivers under the greatest scrutiny. As a Ruck - preeminent, wears the hits and cheap shots, is a very fair player. As a Defender - saves us time and again with contested marks under the fiercest pressure. As a Forward - Decided to become Neitz with his 50m goals, not above a snap. 2021 r23+PF will live in my memory for ever. As a Rover - Ridiculous running capacity, not afraid to chase even when he knows there is no chance he just goes. And then there are the extras: Leadership in spades makes others better, best sort of leader (Loved reading everyone's comments). Humble, always looking to improve has gone and developed his goal kicking after 10+ years in the game. But this has been seen by everyone, Mitchell I think was cribbing from Clarksons notes (remember that game when Max smashed the Hawks, so in answer( like others) yes the whole comp sees Max as the greatest at this time.

Buddy has found a good batch of Voltarin (my favorite drug).

Going to rewatch re Hunt.

Gawn Oliver Petracca Viney Brayshaw Brown

Hawks fans are busy reminiscing about Hodge’s debut, they have given up on grasping at straws already. Brayshaw can also be a mid not worried there.

I still think McEvoy out for the Hawks hurts them more than our outs. Our wet weather footy was pretty good last year, could live with a smaller runner, ground is not going to be heavy it is the G after all, give Bedford a go.

Sounds fair. But this hand slapping with crowd afterwards has to stop.

Dwayne Beams and Sidebottom were amongst some of his selections in the 2010 premiership side.

Am in Cyprus with my son (long story is 11y.o.) always fighting for attention with Liverpool and minecraft, but can honestly say he can recite the team and wears his new premiership jumper with pride (non stop for the week since I got here). Anyway he was asking, 'Daddy how did we get so good?' So we went through the recruiting and I was showing him draft photos vs current day. His response upon seeing Oliver/Jackson/Weiderman etc. 'Wow we really terraformed them', made me smile and wanted to say thanks to JT and the development team. As I have said elsewhere we are witnessing coaching greatness, and to describe Melbourne's transformation - 'Terraformed' seems the perfect adjective for such a fundamental transition in the club.

I love his pressure and his work rate was strong, he never stopped trying, and didn’t drop his head, but I wasn’t voting for him because hie was a shadow of his recent self with decision making and DE. I wasn’t arguing shocker, my point is his disposal was off his new normal standard. Be clear on this I love ANB.

He got heaps of the pill, but what he did with it was 50% de at best