dpositive

We need have high profile commentators remind the AFLofficials that the head is sacrosanct and penalise the accidental, ugly, contacts that are made by a few players. Mumford was probably the greatest exponent of grinding an opponents head into the turf but Selwood and Hawkins are also masters of the art of accidentally contacting the head. Selwood has also developed the art of leading with his head to get create a non existent free. When like last night Selwood antics are ignored it seems other high contact Is a consequence of similar action or is accidental. Geelong are a older, harder, side they will hit our younger, lighter bodies with every legal, illegal and accidental contact they can, a lot of commentators will applaud this as the epitome of finals footy, by all means the intensity and pressure must be there but it must be within the rules, the head highs, the in the backs, the late push, the holding accompanied with a punch must be fairly recognised. Both sides must play to the same rules. I am not reassured that Geelong are not favoured, but more significantly that Melbourne are disadvantaged.

I would be bloody annoyed if they don't win and would expect some very hard analysis . No not looking at the match. It would have to be a learning experience which taught the team to win the next three. And the team must just give its all and leave nothing n the tank.Win well or lose well.

I've said before we must use this sensitively as a motivation. Communicate transparently with Jones and the squad. Ask them all do you want Jones in the playing team? if yes let them know that he is replacing someone and they must play their backsides off to win the game for Jones and whoever is out. if no let them know they better play their backsides off to win because they will owe it to Jones. Jones can also be part of the decision and if he chooses not to take the field it is because he knows they will play their backsides off and win for him. Can be done in any order . The coaches will know how to handle it. They may even not do that at all but whatever they do they better win.

Me too. We are lucky that we have quite a few really knowledgable observers of the next generation. They don't always agree but it's great to see their dedication and passion. You can disagree but don't denigrate their efforts.

Lets make another positive out of this to send to the players. WE WANT T YOU TO WIN WE DONT CARE AGAINST WHO OR WHERE. WE WANT YOU TO WIN THIS YEAR SO WE CAN ENJOY THE HARD WORK AND EFFORT YOU HAVE ALL CONTRIBUTED We want you to win so we can revel in the joy of having supported your club for many many years. We will not be able to be at the ground or at joint gatherings but our collective wishes are certainly with you. WHEN YOU WIN WE WILL GATHER AS SOON AS WE ARE ABLE TO RECOGNISE AND CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS AND WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE YOUR EFFORTS IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS TO ALLOW US TO JOIN YOU IN CELEBRATING IN A MORE IMMEADIATE FASHION. YOU ARE ON THE CUSP OF A DECADE OF DOMINANCE WE WANT TO BE THERE WITH YOU. GO DEES.

Shocking, horrendous, not great plan Has there been any examination of Fishermans Bend?

Yes I have seen Weid display all those attributes ....in the twos and when he played as an unknown. i also saw Hawkins when he was a kid and played without support of his teammates and umpires coz he played without confidence and was erratic. A fresh start a team MFC would be a good return on our investment

Sorry difficulty with input. was response to deespencer which got duplicated. He raised North Port, which I assumed was he meant Port Melbournes sorry still issues responding

Well if Goschs isn't too close not sure how a greenfield site is. A new multi functionould replace North We need an enclosed space for all weather training etc. increasing members follows from engaging families. Next generation are fertile market

Weid is our future. We have invested in him and need to build his physique to absorb the hits he gets. Perhaps has a bit of the Hawkins about him and has some excellent mentors in TMac and Brown. Now is the time ( at the beginning of our decade of demon dominance) to develop loyalty and commitment to teammates and structures. Respect players desires but ensure they understand the long term visions of the club.Certainly loyalty is a two way concept and needs to be shown and given.

Well its a short term low cost option. It's not worth throwing any large amount of money at. I would like to see an MFC option that addresses the long term requirement for a sustainable stadium entertainment area for the expanding fishermans bend site. This are close to existing CBD has the potential for total infrastructure development including private sector investment. The population demands will be well served by all of the community related facilities that can be included in a well planned and developed sporting ground which will add to the existing stock of world class facilities. This emerging population will also provide a new membership market as they would be attracted to their local Melbourne club representing them in the National competition. The AFL should be encouraged to join this development to supplement and complement their docklands development.

I was out of town at my best mate (Collingwood ) dairy farm. Radio speakers out the front window while we played kick to kick live replay of the action. He played all the Collingwood players while I with 29 on my back played all the Demons. We were both exhausted as I celebrated the goal from the back pocket player (Crompton???) my only ever position on a footy field. Bluey Adams features in my memory of that day as well, sweet, glorious and long lost emotions. I'm looking forward to them returning.

Finally got through this thread and had difficulty responding but all now appears ok. The half time interview with Danger I stated to my friend that he looked absolutely exhausted. I said they are old we are doing nothing wrong just that 10 minutes of brilliance aided by the umpiring.. His grey face and sweat brow reminded me of me after a hard Squash game when I have given everything. They are old I said and we should run over them. Didn't really expect the win but also said this will really be the test. This result is a changing of the guard and if you have been following my post the last two years justifies my optimism that this is the beginning of a decade of dominance. Just can't wait for the flag, if we are unable to attend we will still celebrate for months until the next one which we will attend. In the mean time as Trac said we will be able to wear ouclours with a renewed pride and confidence. This is a team on the cusp of greatness. GO DEES

This was probably the highlight for me. The unbridled joy of the celebration of the players was fuelled not just for personal adulation but with recognition of the joint journey that the whole club has taken. This expression of the win can indeed be the foundation for the decade of dominance I have been outlining for most of the last few years. Trac also stated the jobs not done yet. We need to make sure we control our reactions to enjoy this moment but to make sure we consolidate to

I reckon Dan does not want to lose another grand final. He was very visibly annoyed not to be able to lift restrictions. Anger was obvious when he referred to the idiots who had let s all down. Agree with all your comments

Me too J. Do we need to speak to club membership to arrang this?

Eddie made I believe the most salient point, "it's up to you guys, the ones watching this the ones sitting on the couch" Never has this been so simply put. We must all learn about the richness of difference and value and celebrate it not denigrate and ignore it. i also enjoyed Christians contribution, it comes from living and working with Kosi and Tony. It will provide him with a deeper understanding. We can all do better we must all do better

Good points BM i have surmised since the beginning that the PM jumped to our early to have a trillion dollar debt approved to address Covid. The same PM and his party demonised an opposition that proposed 300 m debt when interest rates were low. I don't believe he thought the health issue would drag out this little long, part of the shambles of his own governments making. Deaths in federally regulated nursing homes, backing the UQvaccine above others, distributing through GP's rather than through state public health services. Perhaps the huge debt was intended to fund election winning targeted Rorts, sports and car parks were the model. The competence of this government has been on display in every portfolio, but there has been a reliance on the last "miracle" reoccurring as voters are blinded by lies, misinformation and denigration of the opposition. By remaining out of the spotlight and being cooperative and not controversial Labor has chosen to allow Coalition to lose rather than try to win. If vaccinations continue to be bungled and people see their state systems working, Qland highlighting the effectiveness of community systems, Vic having best results in regional ares where public systems work have actives better results than distributing through GP's. its difficult and complex, situations which the coalition has shown previously they have difficulty with.

I see this as a test and example of our coaching team. It has been shown that this team can beat any other team if they come out with a determined, focused approach, structures and tactics can be adjusted to increase pressure and maximise our skill sets. Are We timing our run for and through the finals season? Are we looking at this game as the beginning of the finals season?.Arewe peaking or tapering? I hope we can witness the beginning of our surge to the flag, but won't be devastated if the coach assures us the players performed as demanded.

I've been saying for yea s MFC needs to invite umpires to our club to tell us what we are doing wrong. we are positioning ourselves badly or executing technique badly. perhaps we should also emphasise that we execute and position to ensure the ball is kept moving and that scoring is increased.

I got the last plane out of Peru to Bolivia to Chile to Australia when Covid began to spread and those countries locked down two years ago. Their lock downs ncluded troops n the street but the populations were overwhelmed by density, poor health facilities and poor economies. We returned to Melbourne airport where we were given a foolscap sheet and told to self isolate. Our border control people still patting themselves on the back for stopping the boats were self absorbed and not concerned about scientific projections. i began and have since repeated ad nauseum that we needed to recognise a health problem by recognising the operations of Fairfield Infectous diseases hospital which was closed down by Jeff Kennet as part of his magnificent economic reforms. We needed to have a purpose built quarantine facility, we needed to reinvest in tracking tracing and treating, and we needed to develop a vaccine. Of course with the closure of Fairfield, many of our specialist scientists were recruited by private organisations or went overseas.Two years we have had to resolve these issues. While there is some fault that can be directed to State governments for their inconsistent and uncoordinated actions the Federal government must be held responsible for this total shambles. The shambles in aged care which resulted in so many deaths, the delays in obtaining vaccines, the stupidities of the economic actions without focusing on health performance and the still hopeless handling of incoming people is all directly the responsibility of this government. I despair that the opposition which while offering positive suggestions which were later adopted was, as a powerless entity, ridiculed by a variety of the press, reviled by many, duped into supporting many of the kneejerk reactions this government adopted. We still have no border control (quarantine facilities), no vaccine production, inadequate internal coordinated tracking and tracing and our treating facilities are While not overwhelmed within a whisker due to lack of coordinated direction from the federal government. Because Morrison demanded a trillion dollar debt to pay for Covid actions he never intended to undertake, he has not, State governments realised the intention to use this slush fund was likely to be another car park shambles stepped into take those funds. There has been little effort to actually address the health issue. There I have now exposed demonlanders to the arguments I have been boring anyone I met with for the last two years. I guess lockdown has got to me and i cant vent on my soapbox to friends so sorry about that. i do enjoy the variety of opinions pressed within this site and congratulate you all for retaining interest. it will be an enjoyable day when we can again focus on our footy teams fortunes given that we are approaching the dawn of a new era of success GO DEES

This is an elite level of sport where all players and teams have similar skills and physical ability. A difference in the performance of these elite athletes is confidence. When the umpires are so inconsistent and do not pay free kicks consistently confidence will be affected. If you know you can throw the ball and not be penalised you will. If you know you can duck your head and/or run into a player and get a free kick you will. If you can hit an opponent in the head and not be penalised you will, if you can jump into an opponents back and not give away a free you will. This confidence has a cumulative effect which increases confidence in the other skilled and legal aspects of the game. We must somehow show our players that they must have confidence in the skills they have and despite being hit in the head or back or knees and thus not completing the task successfully they are still able to kick a set shot without interference easily. Then we need to speak to the umpires and find out why they are so reluctant to afford us the same protections and considerations that they offer our opponents. It would be interesting to know if there is some analysis of free kicks, what where and who gives and receives. Pickett seems to give away free kicks when tackling but rarely gets them. Jackson seems to draw free kicks without giving them. The umpires seem quick to pay frees against us but slow to pay them for us. Thereluctance to blow the whistle and interrupt our offence was even taken to extremes when Jackson took a mark but there was no whistle,. His poor disposal was ineffectual and may have affected his game from that point. Will I won't I what will happen , what are the options. These elite athletes are on a phscological knife edge. Umpires performance will dictate their reactions. There is a necessary study required of confidence. How it affects things and how it is affected. I reckon we need to do more about this. Or perhaps I just need to drink less, or more.

I've said for years our game is affected by umpiring. Again in this game our opponents had the confidence to attack the ball with their head down and they receive high tackle free kick. Our players get no protection and become hesitant in both tackling and in attacking the ball. The only stats we lost, by large margins, were tackles and fee kicks. We must ask the umpires to come to our training and help us refine our techniques. We are obviously doing something wrong in our positioning or actions.. It has been noticeable that against the top teams there is less discrepancy in free kicks and possibly less free kick counts. Perhaps this is because we are in front or more intense. Would like to see some analysis of wins and losses with free kick analysis and umpire involved. But really need to address set shot kicking as a priority.

Not sure which polish strategy will help.Lech Walesa and the dock strikers did bring down the previous regime, forming impenetrable lines at the docklands despite powerful opposition. The polish pope also intstigated reforms and labour workforce statements around fairness and equitable treatment. While both were remarkably successful perhaps you are referring to some sports ground tactics which I am not aware of. Does Melksham have some polish heritage?

This team had a bye (rest) just a few weeks ago i have advocatedresting some each week especially the younger bodies, but now, close to the business end when the team should be gelling and learning how to play with each other instinctively, is not the time. Jackson played and plays at peak capacity every game, he is young, he had less influence this week as if tired but just needs to keep playing. He is a genuine star in the making and the future of our ten year dominance. Trac and Oliver are also elite and will be a key part of the next dynasty. You can see a definite core of each age, role and experience demographicto provide for a ten year program. What is still needed is the winning ideology. We lost last week because this team is still not experienced in winning, they do not know how to gauge their opponents and their own capacity at all times. The coach is included in this.They are all learning. They will learn most when they hold the cup up this year. They must do this or the opportunity may evaporate. Come out next week with the desire to win and atone for this weeks misjudgement and it will be ok. Come out nervous and trying to avoid losing it may all be delayed. This is a significant time in this clubs life. Now is the time to build the pressure, intensity and desire. The looks on the faces indicated this may well have happened. The next game will tell us a lot. GO DEES.