Dockett 32

You might be on the money.

Are we finally getting better at this? Suggested a couple of weeks back that the way the cards had fallen, that a number of players could be playing for their careers over the next three weeks. Might this discoslure turn out a good thing? Garlett, JKH and Pederson marked their own papers last week. Maybe not totally unsurprising. We have two more home and away games. Are we finally drilling down into what players we have that can handle the next level? Might know a bit more tomorrow.

The general expectation , not only of Demons supporters, but the football world at large ,was for us to play finals. If we don’t , we haven’t met expectations. Its not that hard. The good news is we can and should still get there.

Be nice if the players did something in one of the next two for Goody. He’s been supportive and covering for them all year. I don’t know how he held it together after the StKilda game.

Kent and second rounder for Gaff probably gets it done, probably even already done, but personally not over excited at the propospect of this.

That seems to be a point of difference between us and a couple of other clubs. Sydney and Hawthorn make these type of difficult calls on trades in relation to list management. Emotion is not a factor ( Don’t always get it right mind you) Hawthorn :- Lewis, Mitchell, Hodge Swans Mitchell The point is they run a club and have no compunction calling the shots. We on the other hand are going to be left with Lewis and Jones on our list next year and still squirm about James McDonald. I realise Lewis and Bernie suited us at the time ,but they can also become a bit of a sea brake. Personally I would think Bernie Vince now has very little chance of survival. If it were true that we offered a very high draft pick for Hannebery that would surely have to come from a trade of a previously highly thought of youngster who hasn’t quite met expectations. I can’t think of any other way. .

I thought Tyson was ok too. Gets no love but stood up in a tough match which was more than a number of senior ‘ supposed’ role models could do. Younger players filling our best is a positive I guess but we have a few that surely have to be tapped on the shoulder.

Disappointing. Very disappointing.

Roos didn’t play today.

Tomorrow’s game arguably of similar importance as the last round last year. We get three weeks to see who on the list can do it at the business end of the season. Moment of truth for the club and our list.

His record against the Swans is ok.

He’ll play. Jimmy Stynes played with 6 broken ribs and a broken ankle. Give him a jab. He’ll be fine.

A good thread but just a bit premature. A few blokes could be playing for their careers at Melbourne over the next three games. Completely in their own hands. IMO a positive really. Acid and microscope on over the next few weeks. If we do ok, no need to move too many deck chairs.

Lets hope we finally announce ourselves as a serious football side, by winning a couple and making the eight. Ordinary year if we don't.

Hmmmm . Just hope he permanently conquers his issues.

Pleased for him.

We have had plenty of opportunity to have that covered off, but amazingly we still keep being given opportunity after opportunity. There simply are no excuses anymore, either we start taking a couple them, which we should and look at progress, or face and deal with the fact that we have gone no where.

As well as the Dangerfield stunt, these tactics must also have been cleared with the umpires in attendance at training earlier in the week. Sharp practice in the first instance , dangerous in the second . Doesn’t surprise me in the least ,that the umpires weren’t prepared to deal with either with any degree of intelligence or sense and simply get out of the bl..day way. Sad that umpiring probably impacted the result and that the bald headed buffoon umpire, just couldn’t really understand what the game is really about. Whilst I thought the physical side to our game was pretty good , would have loved to have had Viney.

I suppose we have to but shouldn’t have too if you know what I mean. I just keep thinking of Vince Lombardi !

My concern is that we have come out on the wrong side on all of our close ones. Not just on occasion and the pattern is disturbing. The players and coach can talk the talk but sooner or later you must walk the walk.

We just crumbled in the last quarter as we have done previously in the close ones. There simply are no excuses. Such action feeds on itself it seems and when we get in these positions some of our players just struggle with the pressure. Petracca and OMac have now joined the panic club and l haven’t seen Hogan step up once in any of these games either. They were not alone and when the time came for calmness, leadership and observance of appropriate behaviours for these circumstances there was ‘ no appearance your worship’. We rolled and allowed ourselves to fall at the last hurdle. I don’t understand the coaches comments that the players are sick and tired of such losses and don’t buy it. Their fate was in their hands. They just had to do what you have too, to win. They didn’t. Can you imagine the great Hawthorn sides of the past losing from the position we were in? We constantly see a wonderful kid called Oliver along with Tom Mac being the true leaders of the joint trying to show the way. Instead of getting in behind them we panicked or in some cases just didn’t get involved. Ok ,a few more weeks for these blokes. If we don’t make the eight, the supposed hurt over last year will be shown as just croc of rubbish and we may need to cut the cancer out. I hope it’s not the latter but it’s looking like it.

Yep. If we get 14 wins that should see us in, but doing it the hard way. The loss against Collingwood ( and lack of leadership in such a crunch game) together with our efforts in the close ones have made our current position so unecessarily cut throat and perilous. Not much room for error now.

Agree and if you move him on,strategy would be to improve the the list as a result. Not sure how we can do that with our trade picks, nor do I think he would have much trade value. He’s got a few weeks to show something.

Im pretty sure it would ,but not for me although I get where you’re coming from. We just saw Stretch and Frost plays decent games after having to wait along time for their opportunity. We’ve also seen Tyson and Bugg produce for us over time. Proposed action would the heart out of our young group and we owe Carlton zero. Maybe a couple on our list to the Suns might work. They need leadership , experience and direction.

Agree. Was a good win and keeps us in it but also gives the three recent losses perspective in terms of our fate. We won’t be considered to have improved unless we take a couple of decent scalps to make it. So still the question remains are we any good or just flat trackers?