Demon17

2 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

Were we into Curnow? His drink driving escapades sealed the deal on our No [censored] Policy implementation. Imagine if he turned into a Yarran or Jurrah right now. We're in a decent and conservative position now with Weeds development and did not need to take a massive 'culture' risk on a player with where we were at the time. I've been guilty of hindsight on this one in the past, but i'll trust the FD.

A friend knew Parrish well and was rapt his team, the Bombers,  took Parish, and couldn't understand how he slipped past Melbourne, depressing me no end.

Turned out OK, so as above, need to trust someone I guess. In the Oliver case  a brilliant outcome.

1 hour ago, McQueen said:

The way the ball is bombed into our forward line I’m surprised that Goodwin didn’t go with a couple of smalls weeks ago.

It’s just a band aid solution to our real issues of inefficient inside 50’s in my opinion but I hope it works. Need our big forwards clunking and converting.

And those delivering from outside 50 to hit targets and lower eyes.  Like jack Watts used, and not like Jack Viney Nathan Jones do  now.

1 minute ago, Frustrated Demon said:

It will be Game, Set & Match. Thank you linesman and thank you ball boys. Game over

Champion Data have us finishing 6th after 15 rounds. So that must include a win against Freo.

But then again they nominated Petracca as an elite player in rankings at start of season, alomng with Lever (correct) Hunt (?) and TMac (tick)

And nominated Gawn and Oliver as " above average" !

1 hour ago, grey wolf said:

Missed the saints game busy selling vinyl records but from reading this thread it seems we need a change to our game style in these next two games because we need to win them to restore some confidence or the last six games could crush us.

a lot of talk about the back six but if the opposition are running forward without any real pressure we are going to struggle so we have to quicken up both the forward and mid sixes.

forwards... for next two games TMac back and only two talls Hogan and Weed (or Frost or  TSmith ) and add both Spargo and Jeffy To Melksham and Fritsch

mids... Max and Jack are givens and I would with Oliver and Stretch on the wings and the other two inside the circle are difficult because none are quick but lets put Bernie in there in a run with role (if Fyffe is out then on Neale) and the last gig is Gus

back six...Nev OMac Hibbo and. Jones TMac Lewis

Bench... Harmes Salem

Team is ...

Jetta OMac Hibbo

Jones Tmac Lewis

Oliver Brayshaw Stretch

Melksham Weed Spargo

Garlett Hogan Fritsch

Gawn Viney Vince 

I/c.. Harmes Salem JSmith ANB

IN Garlett Stretch Vince Spargo

OUT Petty Petracca Hannan Tyson

I like it. Good effort.

 When on fire - break glass (or in Demons case, TMac going back, Hogan forward, Garlett crumbing.

But does goody have the class to admit the change is needed?

Find out Thursday

5 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

If true, this lack of communication is disheartening

Absolutely true.

58 minutes ago, billyblanks29 said:

Thought Petracca played better this week. Gawn was excellent. Clarity down on usual.

Re: Petracca.  You must be in a parallel universe, or I am. 

4 minutes ago, martin said:

I would like to think that things would improve at the selection table but have lost all confidence. Would love to know what Goodwin said to Frost  as to the reasons Petty was selected ahead of him.Also, rretty sure Simon can't look Stretch in the face and continue to tell him he's missed out and strings outstanding games at Casey. Hope one the Adelaide teams pick him up and he becomes an established senior player.No star yet but he has more pace than most in our team and has never really been given a decent crack.

My impeccable sources tell my Tyson has had no conversations or feedback from the FD as to a) why dropped,  and b) why re-selected.

Either way, something smells and this approach could apply to others also.

I was dismayed to see him lining up on the wing today. Have they learnt nothing!

14 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

Mitch Hannan getting selected 5 weeks in a row after inept performances is puzzling

Petracca very lucky

Hannan's selection and position this week was the most puzzling and showed in the game. Flying in packs,  etc. 2 disposals to 1/2 time.

Both will be at Casey next week or the club is not serious. 

4 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

Well, the Doggies just upset the Cats.

Everyones ladder prediction just went up in flames.

Shut down this thread.  Clearly irrelevant.

On 6/25/2018 at 11:17 AM, timbo said:

Awesome WCE away Week 1 with them getting a 5 goal umpire assisted head start

 

No way will pies end 4th with their difficult draw without treloar

Spargo must play. He has shown composure and we need his decision making and small forward role.

14 minutes ago, picket fence said:

But true!

I was at the 88gf. No one fired a shot exvept jim stynes.  It was a cheap shot and did not define stretchs career. 

8 minutes ago, Richard Tionary said:

Yeah true I didn't really think about that, just put 2 and 2 together. Thought Smith had an impact against Port without the disposals though. 6 tackles and is a real physical presence. 

Love the handle BTW.  Took a few minutes but I got it in the end.

Clever!

3 minutes ago, Richard Tionary said:

McDonald is out ?

Weideman to replace him

Says who?

28 minutes ago, Clintosaurus said:

I had us ending up third at 15-7. Seventh was also 15-7. Our percentage if it holds up is almost worth an extra win. 

Anywhere from 9th to 6th. But I used the points predictor with some confidence based on when we win , we win big (9 goals plus.

Thus the prediction of 119% could be low and I think 125% will be closer giving some insurance at the end.

Sunday will tell if the team is still on that track regarding crushing the poorer opposition.

Just now, Sir Why You Little said:

Yes i know all that. 

But WE The MFC cannot beat them when it’s our turn to front up. 

I don’t give a Jatz Cracker about what other teams do. 

This is a long term problem the MFC has had for decades. 

We do not handle high pressure. 

I could go on, but i am busy eating breakfast ? 

So west coast in Perth last year was an optical illusion, as was Crows in Adelaide?

As was QB last year?

I only mention these as you use the words "...Long term..."

This is incorrect on the evidence.

Inconsistent though is probably what we both agree on. 

3 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

More interesting is that we have the highest av winning margin - and the highest average losing margin ( c.f to teams down to 14th spot on the ladder). Thus I expect/hope  real floggings and % builders in the next 3 weeks, buying the staff this time to fix it.

Huge potential  at least for 2019 onward  if the downside can be sorted

19 hours ago, The Chazz said:

The only "decent" team that Collingwood have beaten is us.  They have also struggled to solidly defeat poor sides.

With Treloar out for the rest of the year, it will be interesting to see how they go.  The $7 on offer for them to miss the 8 (via Sportsbet) is certainly appealing.  

People forget the Pies were absolutely taken to the cleaners by the Cats only a few weeks ago  No goals in a half or something close to it.

9 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

Huge round coming up.  That will be said every week for the next 9 weeks.

Take care of business vs the Saints and we'll be just 1 game behind the loser of Richmond vs Sydney.  If Adelaide roll West Coast at home we will be one game behind them too.  And the Pies might be in strife without their best player Treloar possibly out for the rest of the season.

So much doom and gloom on here when we are well and truly in the frame for not just finals but the top 4.

 

Agree on the negativity comment. I think posters are missing the pies extremely difficult draw. I think they are the team at risk the most.

3 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

No point dropping Trac.  We need our best talent on the park over the next three weeks vs three average teams.

Must win all 3 or its goodbye finals.

 

And its the teams, and Trac's, chance to re-build  any loss in confidence since 2 losses through absolutely hammering poor opposition. 

2 goals wins, and in Trac's case , average contributions, won't cut it  from either % build or Trac's later 2018 contributions.

1 hour ago, hells bells said:

There are some tough games certainly but the only two that I’d put down as highly likely to be a loss are Geelong in Geelong and WCE in Perth.

4 should definitely be wins: Saints, Freo, Dogs and Suns.  

The Crows look shot we will start favorites in that game.  That’s 5 wins = 13 wins.

That leaves:

Sydney at MCG

GWS at MCG

I think by the last round the Giants will be out of contention and will have put the cue in the rack.  We “should” win hat one. 

Provided we play well we should get 14 wins with a strong percentage.  That will get us in the 8. Hopefully 5th or 6th to get us a home final 1st week.

Bingo.

13 hours ago, Mickey said:

Just did a ladder predictor. I had us finishing 8th, after beating GWS and Adelaide. On autotip, we finished 6th.

After the next two weeks, Collingwood don't have a great draw either. 

The AFL site says a new ladder predictor is to be relaesd by end of this month (June)

I agree on Pies. I think they are the team in real danger of missing 8. I have them on 11 firm wins and every other match  a tough one. If they make it they will fully deserve. Personally, I was pleased North got up.

I think Dees will make it, but my nightmare is meeting Hawks in first final.  North helped to keep them out by their win against the Dogs.

4 hours ago, Adzman said:

Beating those 3 sides isn't going to prove much other than holding firm in the 8.

We are the new flat track bullies, we beat up on the poor teams but can't get the job done against good competition.

I'm sorry to say it but this side cannot win a flag this season. Unlike the dogs of 16, and tigers of 17 we have not been able to win games against good opposition. Until we can do that, we are just flat track bullies. 

Flat track bullies is a cheap and lazy cliche by media and posters on here..  The evidence in 2017 was that This team by and large beat Adelaide in Adelaide last year and eagles in Perth . Not much has changed team wise except for Hogan being available and Gawn in better form since then in terms of team membership and mindset and the team has arguably improved.

Last night is being hailed as the great Friday night game of the year and Melbourne lost no respect  ( so says Gerard Whately)

had the Cats beaten in Rd 1 and flogged last year's Grand finalist only a few weeks ago.

The game is more complex than a slogan.

4 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

I thought it best to start a central thread to discuss finals 2018, as a lot of this discussion is being lost in weekly game day/post match threads.

The last two matches have put a significant dent in our campaign for finals. The Collingwood game was a write-off, but the Port game last night was a definite opportunity missed. We absolutely dominated that game and Port stole an undeserved victory. I'm absolutely f*cking fuming we lost, but what's done is done and we now have to look forward.

We currently sit 5th on the ladder with a ledger of 8-5. We're lumped in with a number of teams fighting for a spot. Usually 12-13 wins is all that's required to make finals. This year however a higher number of teams have racked up wins than usual, and 14 wins will be required to guarantee a finals place. Barring an insane run of form, top 4 is now gone. What we do have in our favour at present is our percentage relative to competing teams around the mark.

Our run home presents some challenges now. We play Saints, Freo, Dogs and Suns. That's 4 wins we should bank. That takes us to 12 wins, meaning to hold a spot in the 8 and play finals we'll need to win 2 more matches. The other matches are:
Geelong in Geelong
Sydney at the MCG
Eagles in Perth
GWS at the MCG

So the question is, which of these 2 matches are we going to win? 
Personally I think we'll account for GWS at the MCG, but I struggle to see us winning any of the others based on form. Obviously a lot can change over this time, but what are everyones thoughts? Will we still make finals? How much have we improved? Have we actually improved? How do you you our season playing out?

Note: This thread is not intended to be a b*tch session, it's to have genuine discussion on the remainder of our season as we strive to play finals for the first time in over a decade.

FWIT I thought I would add that after last night, and the Inside 50's, I am confident the forward issues can be fixed and we have huge upcoming % builders for next 3 weeks.  I think this will be important also as well as point obviously.

3 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Almost. I think it's the most important game since round 23 last year.

I suspect Tyson coming in might mean Harmes and Petracca play less midfield and more forward in place of Spargo. I think that's an improvement. Pedersen was so ineffective last week I can understand why T Smith has come in. Not introducing an additional tall backman seems risky, but might also give Joel Smith more confidence as the Match Committee is, in effect, telling him that they trust him. 

The Joel Smith idea is the only reason I can see for the selection/defence structure.  Westoff was fantastic last week and I suspect will win it for them tonight, as one tall too many.

Tyson is a good inclusion if he plays inside.