Pates

I think NSW will be first, they aren’t going to get to Covid Zero and they have been the state to try to keep things open. VIC next, there’ll be a big push by Victorians when they see NSW open up and Danny Boy has been pretty strong on vaccinations being the pathway to freedom. WA last. McGowen indicating he wants COVID zero even after vaccinations have reached their targets is not only laughable but damaging. If they really want that then they won’t be able to have tourists while the rest of the country opens up.

Who was the guy on ABC chuckling at Max saying, “is he gonna miss? He’s gonna miss isn’t he.” Sounded like an absolute dope. The K-Rock is enjoyable because you can very easily see where their allegiances lie. Triple M was interesting because the main commentator didn’t even say he’d kicked it, left it to the female commentator to actually say it. All very enjoyable, all pretty much agreed that i) the Brayshaw insufficient attempt was ridiculous and ii) the 50m was correct. They were all unsure about Max kicking it as well (I was with them on that!).

He did actually look back at the umpire to say WTF. It was so obvious and I was absolutely gobsmacked the umpire missed it. Max was perfectly positioned, exactly where he was meant to be, the cats player with no eyes for the ball completely blocked him. I found it funny that the two pieces of analysis that King put forward in First Crack, one was a blatant free kick to Gawn and the other was a kick that travelled 10m but was given as a kick on goal. EDIT: thought this was the post match thread. So one more time, I love Spargypants!

I don’t think he’s on the level of Duckwood who would flick his head back from a tackle around the waist and he throws himself into contests he knows physically he’s less than a lot of his peers.

Love Spargo, but he has become one of those players that just about every successful team has ever had. Dogs have Caleb Daniel, back in the day WC had Phil Matera, I could go on and on but they are players that other clubs fans get so frustrated with because they are already tiny and they instinctively drop their position at the last second to draw free kicks. He does it, he knows what he’s doing.

A little bizarre of them to pluck that out and make an article but I was screaming at the TV on a number of decisions that were throws/incorrect disposal/HTB. That block on Max Gawn where he was in perfect position to mark the ball but the Cats player blatantly blocked him out of the contest gifted them a goal. The lack of consistency with the deliberate OOB really p***ed me off.

I had a listen to King then, and while I don’t agree with his sentiments I think he was more taking the viewpoint of being positive towards Scott and his tactics rather than not rating Melbourne. It was a strange position though because if you look at the course of the game that majority is played on terms that suit us, it was a period where we lost our heads and Geelong just had everything at the centre bounce work for them (as well as a touch of luck a couple of times). The better teams are then able to manage that game, but the cats sat back on their efforts of 10 minutes and allowed us to get back into it bit by bit. Then I bet you Goody and the team set themselves for that first 3-5 minutes to say let’s try to get a quick 2-3 goals and see how they react. I’ll be honest I’m a bit surprised at how much Geelong collectively [censored] themselves. For a team with so much experience (and plenty of quality) they had no answer.

Lol yeah sorry, not meaning to turn this thread upside down. That guy on the horse looked like he was trying to be Mel Gibson from Braveheart!

EDIT: Never mind I think he's holding his phone, they're still absolute wankers.

If those two finals in Tassie aren’t a packed house (to maximum COVID allowances assuming there are some) then they don’t have a chance of getting a team of their own.

Dogs, love the Bombers not winning a final.

There’s only one team that concerns me: Melbourne. To me last night confirmed what we have been afraid of saying, we are the best team this season. At our best I firmly believe we beat anyone else bringing their best. The cats were blisteringly good for 10min, but our players were also way off making mistakes we simply haven’t done all year. We rectified that and then brought the game back on our terms. So I just want us to bring what we have brought all year to the finals, we do that…well…I don’t think I can bring myself to say the words.

This image of Hawkins showing how he realised how much they stuffed up is just brilliant.

I wish I’d seen this live, I reckon I would’ve started tearing up myself. Love the bloke so much.

Well and not long after Tom Hawkins does the same thing to Oliver (harder) and they pay a deliberate out of bounds. You couldn’t make this stuff up.

What about Harmes/Viney doing a negating job on him. Both can be damaging in the other direction. It’s an inter scenario that has developed for us in that we’re now facing one of the form teams of the comp and they will be riding just as high from their last minute jump into the 4. We could’ve instead be playing a dogs team that have fallen into a heap, but equally dangerous. The Lions can be a bloody good team and can hurt you quickly if concentration drops (which it did for us in that 10min 2nd quarter spell). My concern is that when we started losing the centre clearances we looked completely out of it and the Lions have a really good midfield that can win a lot of the ball.

Surprisingly that’s quite complimentary of our team and not one of them mentioned the 50m penalty. Also very happy that they recognise they’re “dad’s army”. Their fall of the cliff will be quite something I think, they might hang in there next year but they have very little coming through.

I’ve gone to bed to try to sleep but I’m still buzzing, heart is pounding! I felt we could come back but that the deficit would prove to be too much, when we got it under three goals so quickly I suddenly believed and interestingly the cats went into their shells big time. The usual names tried pulling them out but the rest were cooked. We had them mentally.

I find it interesting that Tassie are considered an option. Who would actually willingly want to play there? If Tassie are an option than Alice should be as well. But I reckon Adelaide will be the best option, make Brisbane travel and we play AO quite well. Still in disbelief that we’re in this situation. Firstly that we’re top of the ladder at the end of the H&A season, and secondly that finally having achieved this we don’t get our earned advantage.

I actually thought the 50m was pretty clear cut, it was out by 2.5m when he fisted it 12 rows back and the umpire had called the out of bounds. I’ll admit I didn’t see what it was for at the time but when I rewatched it I felt it was very obvious. The deliberate was just so unfathomable, it was a hack kick forward and any footy person would tell you we’d want it kept in. It was just as bad as the Clarry one given earlier in the night. He has nothing to complain about with the umpires, doesn’t stop him though.

What did he say, he couldn’t possibly have complained about the 50m penalty…

First off, I’m in shock and I couldn’t be prouder. Secondly, I couldn’t watch Max’s kick, I had to wait for my parents reaction. Thirdly, **** you cats, sucked in!!!!! I will say this, I think the cats came into that final quarter thinking already ahead to next week and where they might play it. That is their fault, and I bet you the Goody and Max told the players to fight. So proud, not going to sleep tonight. We are top of the ****ing ladder, I of course want us to win the premiership but this is proof that we are the best team this year!

Yep that really gave me a sour taste, he deserved so much better from the players.

The Hawkins/Cameron double vs May/Petty/Lever looms as the match up that will determine the course of the game. If Lever is able to play his interception role we’re good, if not then I would personally like to see Gawn sent back to his defensive coverage role. I actually prefer him there as opposed to forward, Jackson’s form up forward is much better than Max so I see Max as being the main ruck from defence until wing, Jacko wing/HF/F with Brown/TMac chopping in when needed. On Max, he needs to have his catch mits on tonight, he barely took a contested mark last week.

Agreed, I think any time Melbourne has been up and about the fans have been cautiously optimistic about the form (see 9-0 and still fans being hesitant to actually considering us as a good footy club). The backslapping has been down more to players getting ahead of themselves and not focusing on the job at hand, which we’ve experienced with stupid losses to lesser teams. The difference this year is that the club has been able to refocus and get back on the straight and narrow. Not losing twice in a row in a H&A season is unheard of in my time as a Dees fan. I also feel like there’s a big “jobs not done” feeling, whereas I felt that in 2018 when we won those finals the players felt they’d already accomplish something. They had but it meant there was very little fire against West Coast.