Maldonboy38

Goal gifted to the Lions from the softest free kick you will ever see. Just horrible.

So many people saying we would lose to the Lions right now. After watching the first half versus Hawks, I cannot see them getting past us too easily. McCluggage is being tagged in the 2nd quarter and their drive has almost dried up.

I hate to even think it, but Mitchell has the young Hawks well drilled and full of life. I can't believe I like watching the Hawks play, but their system and dedication to it is clear for all to see. Love that Newcombe in the midfield, and Frost would be very hard to cover in the forward line. His kicking might become an issue though.

I get as frustrated as anyone over unclean footy, and would love us to monster these struggling teams. But we won! We are the reigning premiers, we are 10-0, and we have a defence and midfield the envy of the competition. I spent too many years moaning through each season - I'm going to enjoy this. I understand people thinking that Lions or Freo could be considered better teams at the moment, but the ladder says we are unbeaten and they aren't so I continue to hold the Dees as the best team at the moment I agree with various comments above re Melksham and Dunstan being required backup, but Dunstan is a momentum killer for mine and I would prefer to see Bedford, Woewodin, Rosman, get a go, especially against lower teams. Toast and coffee being enjoyed immensely this morning.

6. Oliver 5. May 4. Spargo 3. TMac 2. Sparrow 1. Lever

Langdon goes out, Dunstan goes out. Bedford in, Viney in.

I actually rate it as a really good win. North were very, very good - tough at the ball, brutally physical (a bit too much at times) and ripped through us with a short passing game they could not sustain. We stood up, although we were horribly unclean for the first half. Clarry - superstar Well done Tmac, Spargo, May, Sparrow in the 2nd half, Lever in patches. Lots of handball practice this week at training please.

A clean goal!

Our handball has been atrocious tonight. Sub-par, and often under no pressure.

One of the best players the Dees have ever produced. But we can't put him into the Dusty category because his goal kicking is 2nd rate. When he kicks them they are usually blinders, but running through 50 shooting at goal he is simply a poor shot at goal, and his set shots are average at best.

Lots of fumbling, handling errors and dropped marks. Frustrating. TMac, Kozzie and Fritsch looking good. Some unfortunate casual, carefree stuff from Petracca. Oliver is a star. We have also got some terrible free kicks given to to us - that 50m is a disgrace to our game. Please, please, please do NOT play Dunstan again. I would rather see a young kid have a crack and make mistakes than a mature player show us what poor VFL football looks like. Goldy and Xerri doing a really good job nullifying Max. North having a red hot go and finally showing what system they are trying to play.

To-do list: Parkrun - check. Got a good time for an older bloke so smugly bragging about it to family Voting - check. Had a good chat to a local independent candidate who has no chance of winning but is giving it a crack which I admire greatly. Minestrone soup - in the slow cooker Clean out the carport gutters, and desludge the bathroom u-bends - TBC after lunch Then plonk in front of the footy and hopefully: Ben Brown to kick 10, while smiling and enjoying himself. Gawn, Petracca and Oliver to take a back seat while Sparrow and Jackson tear the Roos apart. Pickett and Spargo to cause havoc. Postgame, get onto Demonland and enjoy gloating about being the best team in the league Watch whatever game is in TV, knowing neither of the teams is as good as us. Yes, more gloating.

Gold right there.

It is clear that the Blues don't play four quarters but neither do we. Each week we play 1 poor quarter at least. The difference is the Blues get out in front with great footy, but then collapse and get overrun. We can give up 8 goals in a row, still find a way to reset, and swamp our opposition late with our fitness and grunt. Now I hate the Blues with an incoherent, deep passion so my views on them are always biased, but there is something about them still that makes me hold back from being a believer in their top 4 aspirations, and maybe they will struggle to make 7th or 8th. Their mids are very good but if they lose contested possession count, what is their plan B? Forwards are strong but Dees and Tigers will squeeze so hard defensively that they will look a lot less dangerous. Weitering is a star, love watching him, but he is surrounded by some serious B graders and B- players. Sydney should have won that. They needed to convert those chances in the last quarter. Their inability to kick vital goals when they have locked it into their forward half has been an issue for them for 18 months now, and is unresolved. And that Logan McDonald - wow! Scary good.

As bad as the Swans have looked, and Carlton on a roll, it is only 25 points the difference. It doesn't look likely for a Swans win but Longmire is a very good coach.

I simply hate Carlton. Seeing them playing well makes me want to puke. Swans looking mediocre at best.

Not a huge fan of the inclusion of Melksham, but Goodwin has been consistent in trying to get people to important milestones. The difficulty I have with the selection of Melksham is that it is not like for like. Harmes is great old fashioned footballer - a whole lot more skilful than many give him credit for, he runs all day, is a very good mark and kick, runs both ways, and can tag/stop if the team needs it. Melksham is a creative half forward with a wide awareness and a beautiful kick, but hasn't got the grunt of Harmes.

He is all elbows, knees, angles and awkwardness. There is little smooth or fluent about him to attract people to notice and admire him. These attributes work in his favour as opposition players have to find a way around his marking the ball at its highest point, and his natural body movement putting people off balance. I LOVE his long straight runup, and I am bewildered many other young forwards don't attempt the same. He runs in a straight line towards his target, and kicks it in that line, while being at a slow running pace. Having said all that, he makes our forward 50 effectiveness 30% better just by being there. I rate him very highly and still cannot believe the stupidity of North to treat him the way they did, and then let him go the way they did.

I will never forget the first contest in the 2021 GF -Viney breathing fire absolutely flattens McCrae. I was out of my seat. Brilliant.

Actually, I am getting tired of the lack of love the media and others are giving Jack Viney. He has been super this year. Even against the Eagles, when the game was stuck in a boring holding pattern for 2 quarters I believe it was Viney getting angry and physical around the stoppages that changed the flow of the game. For me it is three things: He is LOVING both footy and the club. He doesn't have to shoulder the weekly pushback of underperforming teammates His kicking has improved out of sight (actually I wish Petracca's kicking would improve as much) He is kicking goals.

OUT: Harmes (inj) Chandler (susp) IN: Bedford, Laurie or Woewodin.

6. Viney 5. Brayshaw 4. Jordon 3. Pickett 2. Petracca 1. Oliver

Quarters 1 and 4 were great to watch. Quarters 3 and 4 were a gut-wrenching plodding. But I will take the 9-0, great percentage and 74 point win.

I can't accept that the final 8 is settled. With Port and the Bulldogs still capable on any given day, Richmond capable of both collapsing AND finding form, a lot of variables remain. And I remain unconvinced about the Blues. It might just be my absolute hatred of anything Carlton, but I see them finishing about 10th.

There is a genuine risk we could lose players like Bedford, Tomlinson, Daw, Laurie etc... if we are not careful. They all look easily AFL standard each week and should be playing somewhere, maybe in a team that is developing or rebuilding. Dunstan and Weideman are curious to me - why they both chose to come/stay at the Dees when they are genuine starters in other teams.