Pates

We need to up our pressure, they’re down on rotations on the bench. We need to stretch them physically.

True and they also did get an armchair ride against us in the 3rd quarter vs us. At least 4 clear HTB decisions (two against Dusty) that were not paid that cost us goals and momentum.

Tigers is a surprise, most teams that are near the top are generally there because of hostile crowd noises. The tiger army is as hostile as you can get.

If we make the finals from here than anyone that doesn't think we deserve to be there is a moron. Toughest run home of anybody. Much like the two Adelaide games I feel like the players having been eyeballing this one from a distance.

I feel like the club has finally got to a point where the betting odds are no longer a "thing". It used to be the mo,net we were favourites it'd be spoken about in the media and discussed with the players and no matter how much they wanted to say "oh we don't take any notice of that" it definitely seemed to play at least a small part in their mindset. The players would be dead set idiots to think we're in the box seat for this game. It's going to be tough, the Swans know what finals footy is and I'm expecting them to bring that sort of challenge.

The changes are very interesting, I feel like Hunt will take up Smiths place in the line up and be given a bit of license to do what he did so well last year (though I also hope they’ve told him to lower the eyes). Vince’s place in the team might be creatively covered through rotations while Pederson could provide a marking option on the HFF. I also think that getting Pedders in is about giving Max less rucking duties to give him an easy week on the park. I can picture Max spending a little more time forward. Whenever Pederson is rucking our onballers are going to have to work extra hard to win it, though having Pederson in the ruck last year did prove to be beneficial at times where he’d be more mobile than the traditional ruckmen. Of course these are just my thoughts, I could be completely wrong (probably will be). Very interesting week coming up.

No Melksham is a bugger, having him miss vs GC wasn’t ever really going to trouble us but against Sydney he’s a big out. Hopefully Gawn is fine to go, our track record of naming players and then actually playing is pretty sound. I swear Sydney seem to have this knack of getting us when we’re at our weakest. Assuming Gawn is right to go I picture one change, Hunt for Smith. Would love to see Hunt regain some confidence, he was a massive fan favourite last year! EDIT: if Gawn is a late out then Pedersen gets his shot.

That 4th 6 day break in a row with travel to WC royally screwed us. The boys had nothing left and I honestly believe it was the beginning of the end for us last year. Given the way they manufacture the fixture to give other teams armchair rides, to give us such a BS draw was a disgrace. This year should be different, we're missing some key players but the ones that are available are showing good form. I'm feeling good about this week.

So 2010 was our last win against the Swans, that is creeping back into the “embarrassing records” category. Time to knock that off, they’ve inflicted as much pain as anyone else over our dark years. It’s time to give some back.

I honestly feel like WC’s season could spiral out of control, playing Port away next, then they face us (massive game), and Lions away they have been showing some fight lately.

One week at a time and focus on ourselves, the rest will sort themselves out. Adelaide away was an important win (and probably underrated by many) but is it the “big win” to give us the confidence to push forward? Sydney can be that win for me, we haven’t had a happy hunting with them for quite a while and last year were given a ridiculously hard run before facing them last year. They haven’t faced us in prime nick for a long time. If we can knock them off then I place no limits on how far we can go. The players should have every reason to feel confident but we need to be the ones to bring manic pressure from the start.

Salem has just been going about his business quietly but his distribution from the back line, especially with Hibberd missing, has been critical to us. Defensively maybe needs to improve but offensively he’s been fantastic. Hogan stepped up in Melkshams absence as both a distributor and finisher.

I’m now leaning towards them getting Hunt into the team. I know he hasn’t played much footy since returning but I feel like his form drop was a confidence and application thing. His numbers over the weekend were good. If we can get his run off half back back into the side that could be a bit of x-factor.

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.

So just finally watched the first quarter, I have to say I’m a little surprised at what I saw. We were good but (and I hate saying this) GC just looked absolutely woeful, particularly when were were going forward. They had zero defensive pressure in the middle and in their defence which really allowed us to do as we please. We could’ve scored another two or three goals but actually missed some getable chances. They were an absolute rabble. But interestingly I thought their first 10 minutes was much better pressure than us. At the end 10 minute mark I couldn’t work out how we’d managed to get a 51 point margin at quarter time. They need to take the Roos approach to what he did with us, build from the back. Force other teams to work their asses off to score. Roos’s first year you could see what he was doing building a solid defensive mindset before releasing the shackles with Goodwin. Anyway back to us, I think the players coasted this game at times. Which is fine especially as we still got the percentage booster we were after. Now there has to be a strong focus on bringing finals like pressure for Sydney. Finals start this weekend.

It’s an interesting one that because Subi really was a massive advantage for Freo and WC due to the unusual dimensions. Making it more like the G takes that side of things away, of course you still have the hostile crowd. We were hopeless at footy park vs Adelaide and Port but seem to like Adelaide Oval so far. Hopefully same thing can happen with Perth stadium.

Has TMac got some kicking yips or something, there was a time this year he barely missed from a set shot but he’s missed some fairly standard shots on goal in the last few weeks. Hope he gets his mojo back soon.

Yeah pretty much my thoughts as well because if you get a rolling maul or stoggages going 3min of game time can account for 5min clock time. Would be interesting to see the impact being a man down on the field for say 10min would have. I watch enough EPL to know that 10v11 can flip a game on its head, with our wide expanses covering that space a players leaves in the zone could be catastrophic for a team. Perhaps one of the reasons why the AFL is so reluctant to go this way.

Not gonna happen. OMac is in the team, he’s not going anywhere. Wagner for Smith Melks for Vanders/JKH (either one unlucky)

Despite missing last week Melksham is still topping score assists. Can’t imagine the last time that happened if he maintains it for the year.

Red Card? No. I think the way Rugby Union does it is right. Sin bins with varying levels of severity and maybe perhaps a red card that removes them from the game. Question is do you simply leave him unavailable for the rest of the game or you make the team on the field a man down as well? Perhaps sin bin takes then man off the field AND leaves the team a man down but only for say 5-10min? Is it game time or clock time? Lots to consider but I think it should be introduced, Freo were down a man through an oppositions thuggish act. Only the day THEY were the only ones penalises.

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.

How did Bugg play over the weekend? Would be ironic if I’m the same week Gaff gets a huge suspension for an off the ball punch that Bugg returns against Sydney! Really hope Melksham is good to go, our distribution into the forward 50 suffers without him.

Hopefully there’ll be some upsets just to throw things up as well. But I think that’s a simple likely scenario. Its tough to call, I can see us winning all three and I can see us losing all three, it’s so tight.