Maldonboy38

Starting to have a rethink about the state of things this season. It is a very tight season, Port look good but I reckon they will struggle on the MCG during pressure games. We showed the competition how to beat the Pies, and they now look a long way off the premium team in the comp. Basically, every game is up for grabs - apart from WCE games. All very close, very tight, very unpredictable. I reckon the Dees have sharpened up on some of the mid-year yips (handballing, intensity, defensive mistakes) but have yet to fix our kicking inside F50, and all-ground crumbing. Although I love Spargo when he is up and at it, we can only hold 2 active small forwards and Chandler and Kozzie do the defence and pressure stuff better than Spargo. I love the inclusion of Smith. He and Fritsch will cause major headaches if Smith can stay fit. I disagree with the club on both Tomlinson and Jordon. Bot that I can do anything about it, and the club probably (definitely) knows better than me. I maintain that we are a better team with BBB in it, but 2023 is his last. ANB is killing me this year.

Totally agree, Clint. 2 big, 2 athletic, 2 small is a great mix and great balance. It would be really menacing if our current small forwards could kick and crumb.

I see Rivers as our next captain. His growth this year has been off the charts, he is vocal, and his on-ground leadership is on display in big moments. I have to admit to surprise because he had a shocker last year. McVee Chandler JVR. I also see growth in Sparrow and can see him as a 200 gamer, but not enough to see him on this list yet.

Where do I start? Getting the ball is not our problem. It continues steady and stable. We have a good list, and a game plan that stacks up. But from here I can cut and paste the same three errors from across this season: Horrible field kicking, including dumb, blind kicking into F50 that favours the opposition, allows intercept marking, and makes our forwards look inept Over handballing in close leading to blind kicks forward, leading to ... see above. Fumbling. Tonight though, we gave it up in the last quarter in a way I have not often seen during Goodwin's tenure. And now for my rant. ANB is a momentum killing player, whose fumbling at critical times is team destroying. I am sick to the death of it and him. But he won't get dropped because there are 5 ahead of him on tonight's performance. And although we have a great list, we actually don't have good small players who can read the ball off a pack, or who can be first to a ground ball. Guthrie, De Koning and Blicsavs were better at ground level tonight than Chandler, Pickett, ANB and Fritsch.

6. Hibberd 5. Viney 4. Rivers 3. Salem 2. Lever 1. Smith Again, as hard as our main ball winners ran and tried, the field kicking from Brayshaw, Petracca, Sparrow, Hunter and Langdon means I simply cannot give them votes. It is either ineffective, or a long dumb stupid blind kick inside F50 to Stewart, Guthrie and co.

How many times tonight, has our forward entry been a long bomb to Kozzie v Stewart?

Game over. Repeated turnovers at half forward, Cats sprinting away.

3 players running goalward, another player free goal side, ANOTHER famous ANB unpressured fumble = turnover goal. My frustration level is going to make me throw something at our new TV.

I cannot remember a worse team that the current Melbourne team, for giving up goals/opportunities for goals in the last minute of a quarter. I turned to my wife and said, "watch this, mindless turnover coming up followed by shot on goal..." If we could kick, no-one would get anywhere near us. I know it is wet, but our kicking remains our biggest issue.

We are now very much on top. The wet ground and the poor excuse for an AFL standard oval kept Geeling in it. Stop the 3-4 small in close handballs. We don't crumb packs well at all. Bruhn, Close and Miers are a cut above our crumbing players. Salem, Hibberd, Grundy, Smith and Rivers playing well. Please stop kicking it straight to Stewart and Guthrie.

You know you are struggling when you are making Gary Rohan look good.

All allegiances aside, this is truly atrocious game of football. Apart from intercept marking, skills and intensity are absolute rubbish.

Our kicking - again, unpressured horrible errors leading to turnovers. Geelong half backs are slaughtering our half forwards. The last 7 minutes looked better.

It can be a bit hit and miss, but I really like the way GWS play under Kingsley. But is it GWS are better than I thought, or Freo worse? Freo's worst is weak at the contest, poor decision making and sub par skills.

I loved the amount of times the 2 Daicos boys were surprised by being immediately tackled. They are so used to running around free and unhindered, but the Dees boys gave them little space, and it showed how much they struggle when played close. And I have leapt from my seat about 10 times this year, when Kozzie has got both hands on a speccy, only to spill it. I will go berserk when he finally hols onto one!

Because it is at AO, Port should win. If it was at SS Geelong should win. If it was at the MCG, very hard to make a call. Port in better form but if they hit another top 4 team playing at their peak, not sure they can sustain their momentum

Well done Kade, well done MFC. How the MFC has changed. Players used to 'wait until season's end' blah, blah, blah... but now they are lining up to re-sign. We are recent premiers, a destination club, and a genuine contender for the flag in 2023. Good times. These kind of signings are a great indicator of internal cohesion and confidence. Although we can probably fit only 2 small forwards into our 22, Chandler is most likely sitting in 1st place at the moment, with Spargo and Kozzie in such poor form. I also like the fact he often plays well in the last quarter. After the bye, hopefully his fatigue has levelled out, and he has enough recovery energy to kick the goals he was kicking earlier in the season.

We have to respect strong form. On form, no way should Tomlinson or Smith be dropped. They are playing their role too well. Tomlinson is shorter than Petty, a much better kick, but not as mobile. Petty is a much better mark/spoil. So despite form, perhaps we do need Petty to run around with Cameron. Smith's athleticism and attack on the ball looks like a strong variable that other backlines might struggle to cover. And he can take a contested mark. OUT: Spargo IN: Oliver. Bowey really stiff, but who in the backline comes out for him?

Really interesting post match press conference from Goody. He is usually as interesting as cheese grater, but boy was he confident and buoyant about that performance. Loved how he talked about the Dees crowd enjoying the things the team values - all the hard stuff.

6. Viney 5. Salem 4. Tomlinson 3. Rivers 2. Fritsch 1. McVee Sorry Hunter, Petracca and Brayshaw - far too many errors.

After standing in a train for 2 hours all the way home to Bendigo (thanks VLine for your usual scheduling disaster following footy matches) it is good to sit and read the wonderful gloating here on DL. And yes, we deserve to gloat. Feeling very good after that win. Huge crowd, Freeze MND, a reduction in betting advertising, foul coffee, and spent 3 quarters listening to Pies supporters around me (outnumbered by Dees supporters abou 4:1 in my section) whinging and moaning. Dees by far the better team, beat the Pies all over the ground. And even when they got that fast outnumbered play mobilized down the wing, they hit our backline like a concrete slab. Brilliant coaching by making Moore, and 2 x Daicos accountable. The Pies will NOT win the flag if they don't improve their one-on-one contests. Our backline are football gods. Having Salem back to his peak helps. But they annihilated the Pies forwards. Hunter and Brayshaw were kicking it to Collingwood in the 1st 15 minutes. Horrible. After that, that is the cleanest we have been around the ball this year. Our handball spread from stoppages, and handball chains down the ground work when we hit our targets. And by foot we were as good 2021. Viney (wow, just wow) Trac, Sparrow, Brayshaw were brilliant. A really poor showing from Kozzie & Spargo. Chandler not much better but he had a strong last quarter. I lost my voice after Grundy kicked his goal. A funny Pies supporter behind me yelled out "Traitor - please come back!" Our goal kicking... I don't know what to type. I couldn't watch our shots on goal in the 2nd half. I put my head in my hands and let the crowd response tell me the result. Just woeful. The Joel Smith 'experiment' is a lock for mine. Loved his workrate, his 2nd efforts, and his attack on the ball in the air and on the ground. Not a brilliant individual game, but a strong effective team role. Bowey, Petty and Oliver to come back in. If we are refreshed and fit after the bye, the position squeeze is on. What a great day - Go Dees!

Slept in, cereal with fruit and Keffir, a nice home brewed coffee from local (and outstanding) coffee roaster Custom Coffee, into my Dees gear, about to jump in the car with eldest adult daughter who like me, is a mental Dees fan., and head the 'G. At this point, the Pies have played better football so they have to go in as favourites, but will yell my guts out and hope for a strong win.

I thought the Dees struggle with the default long bomb in hope, but the Blues and Bombers are at another level. They both look bereft of system between wing and half-forward.

I'm with you Rab. I will ease my inner turmoil by not cheering for either, and enjoying the errors and fails of both teams. I think as the game progresses, my deep-psyche loathing of all things Essendon will emerge the stronger.

I lived there for 2 years, and couldn't agree more. One-eyed, ill informed, back country, red necked fools who are loud, dumb and hyper annoying.