Pates

Although most of us agree that we caved to Adelaide we still came to the party with 2 first round picks for Lever when it was a forgone conclusion he was gone. We’ve got this trade period and then if things done work he has another year with us to try for a premiership ?.

Whatever happens we are in the box seat as he’s contracted to us. I personally don’t want him to go, while he frustrates at times he’s got incredible upside and will be a star of the competition. The question of whether we can fit him in the team can be addressed by merely watching the Prelim again, we were murdered in the air (like most areas). IF we are to entertain a trade then Adelaide have set the starting bid, minimum two first round picks plus a sweetener (maybe we send back a 4th rounder or a player). But I want Jesse to stay.

Lewis had a mare today, about as bad a first half as he could’ve played. He wasn’t alone. On the other hand Lewis was HUGE in the West Coast rnd 22 game, and the first and second final. Where does that leave him? I think he gets another year but gets told his place is far from certain, he will have to deserve it like everyone else. Leadership group shouldn’t be a certainty either.

Viney on Ablett?

If we do keep her in it’ll have to be a preggers pic of her! ? As for who makes the banner, good luck Demonland on deciding that!

Haha how far has this thread come from the start of the year me asking why I hadn’t heard much about him over pre-season! He’s definitely not the forgotten man now! What a way to have a break out game and announce yourself!

Looking back one of the things I love the most (apart from simply winning) is the unlike the last time we didn’t take our chances against them the players didn’t drop their heads one bit. They backed themselves, they backed each other, they supported one another, and didn’t give Geelong a chance to breathe. We literally suffocated them and gave them nothing. We should’ve won by more but I couldn’t care less!

Watched it in a pub in London with my brother and a small bunch of other Dees fans. I’m still trying to decide if it was all a dream. I didn’t get many chances to sing the song after before I moved here, and I can’t remember the last win I have witnessed live. But singing the song with a group of Dees faithful, and my brother after winning our first final in 12 years.....it actually felt a little surreal. You can’t wipe the smile off my face!

Sweet vengeance!!!!

He was the first trade for a long time to make an immediate and permanent impact on the team. He came to us as a bit of a party guy, but nuckled down and became a leader. One of my favourites, I’m gutted for him that he’s missed out on playing finals with us. Best of luck Bernie, I hope you know you’ll always have a home at the Dees.

He’s still got a long way to go in his development but he’s playing with great confidence, he’s attacking ball with desperation and that set shot today shows he’s got good kicking in him. I think a lot of it is between the ears with Sam but the last two weeks have been brilliant.

I was the one that started this thread at he beginning of the season so I’m naturally curious about his development. I think we always knew he wasn’t going to be like Hogan making an immediate impact but there have been moments where he shows his potential. I actually didn’t realise he took 4 contested marks on the weekend, that’s a very good returnsnd he could’ve had more (there were a few he got a good piece of and just fumbled at the end). As a high draft pick people are always going to be impatient, but fact of the matter is that we’re in a luxurious position where we can allow him to naturally develop without pressure as opposed to how we’ve treated almost every other high draft pick in the past.

Actually quite entertaining reading some of the comments ?. I tried to find one that I made to see what I said, I’m pretty sure I was underwhelmed and annoyed we gave up a second round pick for him. Pretty good value looking at it now!

I remember we all raised our eyebrows when he was placed in the forward line, I was surprised and honestly didn’t think it was going to be successful. I don’t think it’s possible to be more wrong, he is our most important forward in that he rarely wastes it. I think there was one moment where he could’ve gone for goal himself but was on his wrong foot so he chose to centre it and the eagles rebounded. That was one of he few moments where I said, “c’mon Melks! Be selfish, finish the job yourself!” We’ve done some great trades in recent times, he’s up there with the best.

Not a great finisher.....

He did what was asked of him for the most part, still needs work on settling his nerves in front of goal. But attacked the contest well, clunked a couple and probably should've clunked a couple more. But there were good signs.

If he gets his shot, which I feel like he will, he should be instructed to run all day. He can't just be a roaming stay at home forward, he needs to be mobile and try to run his defender into the ground. Hard work and application has seemed to be his biggest fault in the past, we can't afford laziness at this time.

These last two rounds Hogan has to stand up and be counted, right now he's the epitome of a Melbourne player. A rock star vs lower teams, goes to water against the good teams.

I suspect it was something the airport/airline assisted in setting up. If I’m on that plan the last thing I want is a media scrum at the other end. This way the passengers get out at their destination without that madness.

From an article on the club’s website: “Bugg was sent away from the club for 10 days in the immediate aftermath of the incident with Mills, time he used to contact the young Swan to express his remorse for his actions and to reassess what he wanted to stand for as a footballer. Upon returning, Melbourne's fitness staff put the forward through a punishing regime while he was ineligible to play between rounds 16 to 21. Training would finish and the rest of the players would be laughing and carrying on, relaxing on the sidelines. And there would be Bugg, often the only one out on Gosch's Paddock, as the coaching and equipment staff were packing up, looking down at his watch to make sure he was meeting the times that had been set for him during gut-busting running sessions. To his credit, Bugg didn't complain. He didn't drop his bottom lip, didn't blame anyone else other than himself. Bugg just got on with it and, after playing the final two games of the season back in the VFL once his ban had finished, set himself to have "the best pre-season of his career". The 24-year-old beat out usual time trial king Tom McDonald in the club's 2km time trial post-Christmas, and he was often regarded as a standout – based on his work ethic on the training track – over summer.” http://m.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-04-05/bugg-resets-to-earn-trust-and-respect

Agreed, I thought the way Goodwin played the Bugg incident was spot on but Simpson on the other hand is seemingly trying to excuse and praise him. Its like the way people carried on after Houli’s hit last year. The character of the man doesn’t change the act, it should be condemned and Simpson putting him in his votes is a slap in the face of Freo and Brayshaw.

If that happened (has it ever happened in any professional sport?) the AFL tribunal wouldn’t play any part. But most (if not all) one punch hits that cause death are as much to do with the person landing on concrete as it is the hit itself. Brayshaw wasn’t knocked out, he got hit on a soft part of the face. Half an inch lower and it’s quite possible he’d be playing this week. Again not defending Gaff but there’s always luck involved when it comes to any injury.

So I feel like they shouldn’t put weeks on it, I think they should simply say he won’t play again this year. Brayshaw’s season is done, Gaff shouldn’t have a chance to play in a grand final. If they do want to put a figure of weeks make it 7, and it potentially runs him out for games next year. But should he play again this year he will be given a lot of heat. Ironically probably the same sort of heat they gave Adam Goodes (still can’t work out why that went so far). I’m not defending Gaff but I’m sure doctors and Ambo’s could say severity punches can depend so much on where the person is hit. I very much doubt Gaff picked a spot on his face thinking “this is going to cause maximum damage” I see it more as a wild swing not really aiming at anything. Bugg’s hit could’ve been just as bad last year but Mills only (I say only in comparative recovery terms) ended up with concussion. For that reason the teeth and jaw being so badly damaged shouldn’t weigh as much into it as I think people think. It’s as bad as Bugg’s hit, Brayshaw’s gone for the year, given the timing of it so should Gaff.

Also how would Gus feel about playing side by side with the bloke who broke his little brothers jaws and flattened a bunch of his front teeth? I have a feeling each of the Brayshaws will have him in their sights next time they see him. They seems quite a tight bunch of brothers. I’m predicting 6 weeks. He was looking directly at him, it’s not an accident and young Brayshaw is gone for the year and in the hospital. I feel for Mrs Brayshaw, she’s just dealt with Gus’s concussion issues and now she sees this. Plus she’s got another son in the army!

Oops so he was! Point is I always heard when his contract was coming up that he would leave Perth but it never happened.