Pates

This upcoming match against Geelong is one of the most important games for us this year as it’s a team we are very close to on the ladder and the ramifications for a wins vs loss are huge. We are also very similar in ability, both teams have shown their best and worst although we are yet to get a win over someone else truly in contention other than Adelaide. That round one loss against the Cats must sting, we were a little lucky to be kept in it when they could’ve put us away but they were equally very lucky that Maxy missed a chance to win it for us while we dominated the inside 50s and didn’t make the most of it (seems to be the theme for the year). Bottom line is we owe them for that loss and the Cats are one of those teams that inflicted so much pain on us for so long that I want us to give some back. We can definitely beat them on their own turf and if we do it could be the making of this team. One week at a time, let notch up our first big contenders win for the year

Big third quarter, the boys showed some great play particularly from stoppages but I’m a little annoyed we let them get a couple of cheapies. Lucky to not concede a goal at the end when it was in our forward 50 with 30sec to go. Need the first goal or two to kill the game.

A lot can happen in 7 minutes of game time, must keep the intensity up. Good finish from Spargo. Dees 93 Dogs 55

Two perfect passages of play for two goals. Maybe we can play footy after all.

That goal was perfect.

If they’re paying that then where was Gawns from the second quarter?

Salem perfect tackle, play on. Hibbered tackled, holding the ball.

I’ve only seen the second quarter, but my take is that dogs are getting repeat inside 50s due to poor decisions and kicking. There was a point where it looked like we were breaking the game open but we let them back in and it gave them confidence. The game has had a lot of ebs and flows, we need to make the most of the time we’re on top.

We’re a stupid football side. Basic errors costing us. I don’t like our chances if it ends up being a close one.

We won a free kick in our defence so do you know what would be a good idea, not to kick it to a three on one. But of course we’re Melbourne so.....

That goal should not have happened, three times we should have been out but poor disposal/decisions gave it back to them.

I admit a little bit of MFCSS coming into this week, only because it’s a very similar situation to what we had vs the Saints and the dogs are a better team. We need this win, the players can’t take them lightly (and honestly what have they done to deserve EVER taking a team lightly). Apart from the Saints though we have beaten all that we should have beaten (pre-match thinking). We need to keep that rolling, hopefully Tracca can build on his much improved game from last week. He does tend to play quite well vs the Dogs. I’m quietly looking forward to seeing if JKH can make the most of what has to be his last opportunity.

Even the most pessimistic Melbourne fan would acknowledge the statistical dominance we have in so many areas but equally that is exactly why it’s frustrating we are in the position we’re in right now. IF (and it is a big if) we can start to spot up targets (we actually have a very capable forward line) we can turn this upward very quickly. Every week is a new challenge, this week has to be aimed at building on what we did last week and making the most of our chances. Dumb simple thing to say but the more times we do actually use our forward entries positively, the less pressure our defence will be under.

Umpires interstate are always biased, it's a fact of life that sucks. We dominated them for the first half and were only in front by a nose, that was on us not being able to make the most of our opportunities going inside 50. So many stupid long bombs to outnumbered forwards. We had almost double their inside 50s, no team should lose with that kind of stat. I agree that had we beaten Port we probably would've had the confidence the following week to beat the Saints.

I have a feeling JKH is going to get a recall for Stretch, but big question marks about whether he can translate it into AFL. Tyson seems to be in that state of flux between AFL and VFL. He can still perform at AFL level but others have gone past him on the pecking order. I know Roos rates him quite highly. I also won't be surprised if we rest another for player management after the Darwin trip.

We've got a lot of numbers that are positive for us, I think that's why it's a massive frustration to fans that we aren't higher. The good side to the positive numbers is that the pieces of the puzzle appear to be there, they just need assembling. The question is will it happen in time?

Lever is the only key injury in that list. With such a good run there is no reason why we shouldn't be competing for a guaranteed finals spot.

I want us to bring our A game and smash them into the ground. No mercy.

Slobbo said at the start of the year that we still can't be trusted to get the job done when it counts. Time to change those perceptions. Hit them hard from the start and make the most of our forward entries. Our inaccuracy cost us percentage last week but at least we were getting the shots on goal through hitting targets inside forward 50. More of that and we can't possibly have another horrendous day of kicking for goal. My thoughts on changes are don't be surprised to see Lewis given a week of rest replaced by Vince.

I just watched the first segment of On The Couch with Jonesy replacing Lyon. It was interesting to hear what he said about us and how we were playing, particularly when he mentioned Port. I agreed with everything that he said up until he said at the end of the day Port were the better team on the night. I hope that's not what they really believe. Port were not the better team on the night, we were the better team and we stuff it up. I would've liked to have seen him say more than "we were disappointed with the result", I want them to be &*$# off that they let a game that was in our grasps in every way slip through our fingers. The numbers all look good and we can say all the KPI's look good on paper but until they get translated into wins they mean nothing.

I feel like we'll make it, but not easily. The only thing that'll change that is if we pull out an unlikely victory against the cats. I still honestly feel like we have the capacity to play some great footy and be a real threat, but we just don't seem to bring it when it matters. The tigers were in a similar position last year having serious questions asked about them, they turned it around because they seemed to come closer together as a group and decide near enough wasn't good enough. I hope our players have a similar resolve somewhere inside them.

I mostly agree with with, but he took his eyes off the ball and looked at his opponent for a moment. The players know that if they do that they run the risk of giving away a free kick. He needed to disguise it more.

I definitely feel like he should be dropped, that passage play where he gave away the 50m penalty is not good enough from a leader and it's massive momentum killer. I think should we still make the finals like we all hope he will be a very important player for us, but for there here and now that kind of behaviour must be addressed as simply unacceptable. I would also add that if it was a one time affair then I'd let it slide but in the two years he's been a Demon he's done it more times than I can think of than any other player and it has cost us at times.

I saw that incident in the highlights, I wondered whether it had been called a behind first or they needed to see if hit the post. If they needed proof to overrule it then there was clearly none, there was no clear evidence it hit the post.

Thanks for those highlights Petraccattack, I'm really glad I wasn't able to watch this live. I would've been tearing my hair out. Some of those misses are just ridiculous. But the bit of play that nails my belief that Lewis MUST be dropped started with him not wanting to properly shepherd, then lazily kick the ball in danger, and give up a 50 metre penalty that ends in a goal. Disgusting from a leader and unacceptable. Let's get our kicking boots on for next week.