The heart beats true

Really great performance. Our experience and fitness clearly show out late in quarters. It’ll be a good side that challenges us this year.

Been much stronger around the ball this quarter.

This team makes me love footy. They are super talented, and so good at executing the plan.

Banno’s pace is ridiculous.

Kate Hore is a natural leader.

And, when you called me magnanimous by instant reaction was ‘I’m big boned, and have a glandular problem!’, but then I googled it. 🤣

I sat with some really nice, passionate Melbourne supporters on Thursday night and it gave me good perspective on what football offers us beyond wins and losses. The young Demons fans in front of me wanted it so bad I really felt for them. I walked from the G to Southern Cross after the game because I was so disappointed, but when walking I was thinking about all the stuff I’m grateful for because of the MFC. Demonland is definitely one of them. This year I realised that football always hurts. It hurt when we were terrible, it hurt when we couldn’t get it together, and now it hurts because we are so close. It’s easy to forget on here when emotions run hot, but we all love and want the same thing.

Paxy is a big out, but I loved the last half last week. We looked so dynamic. Excited to see if we can keep that form going.

I’m fairly sure they aren’t allowed to attend the club for a prescribed amount of time as part of the protocol’s. Anyone know if this is correct?

This is very, very interesting.

That, and the behind the goals vision show this really clearly for what it is. Maynard was trying to physically impose himself on the game. To set an example. He stuffed it up terribly, and in my opinion if he gets less than 4 weeks he should consider himself very lucky. If Sam Collins did that to Pendlebury he’d get 6-8 weeks.

Tracc’s new interview on the MFC app sure does make it sound like this is more than a 12 day break for Gus. I can’t believe the media narrative around this incident. Angus is the son in law of a former player who committed suicide from CTE. If this isn’t the case that makes people stop and think then I give up. I’ve never seen this incident happen before. There isn’t another comparable ‘smothering attempt that caused concussion’ from the last 20 years of football, or anything even remotely close to this - that’s over 3800 games of football. I don’t wonder why that is. I know why. It’s because it was incredibly dangerous. Players legitimately trying to smother the ball jump as high as they can, meaning their trajectory is straight up. There’s 30 examples of that a game.

Let’s just see what happens Friday night. We don’t give up, even if we don’t execute we always give amazing effort. I wouldn’t write this team off.

And thus ends my least favourite weekend of football for the year.

Harris Andrews ain’t Steven May. He’s more of an interceptor. He’s been absolutely killed one on one tonight.

Duursma has struggled to be clean in this game and it’s killing his team.

I thought your response wasn’t very kind. I know you and I don’t always see eye to eye, but you add heaps to this community, particularly with your knowledge of junior footballers. I like it when different people engage on here, and making fun of someone trying to start a new conversation seemed counterproductive. 👍

He’s a gun. He’s absolutely massive too. He’s only going to keep getting better.

That wasn’t a football action. Maynard wanted to make a physical statement early, just like he did against Langdon last year. He stuffed it up, and he will be dealt accordingly. He never once watches the ball. If a Melbourne player did that I’d be so disappointed in them, just like I am with JVR’s action this week.

Even the cheer squad has a sign that reads ‘I’m definitely not an AFL employee’.

If I have to read one more post where people imply they know more because they once played football I’ll vomit. Just because I drew a map when I was 8 doesn’t make me a master cartographer. Making comparisons is embarrassing, and honestly, a little sad.

Jason Bennett is an interesting caller, because he calls the game. It’s just a shame he gets partnered with Darcy.

Don’t tell my nephews that. Lucky to get a Christmas card. 🤣

I suspect this finals season has been the tipping point for a lot of people and their relationship with AFL broadcasting. I love going to the footy, but I can’t stand it on the TV. For me Thursday nights TV was the pinnacle. Angus Brayshaw lay motionless in the middle of the MCG for an off the ball incident that will control the AFL media landscape for the next 2 weeks - but the broadcaster was showing us De Goey limping because he rolled his ankle. Their pandering isn’t helping anyone, and least of all the game. If Kayo had the option to just watch the game with crowd noise I’m guessing 80% of the audience would watch it.

I find is fascinating how aware our players are of the expected scores. We know they are shown the numbers mid game. Post game Tracc often speaks about it, and did last night again. The reasoning is simple - it highlights we are doing a lot right and solidifies good intention and behaviours. I do have some concerns over the psychological impact of it too though. It reinforces how difficult our system is, and how hard we have to work comparatively. It must be super deflating. I have concerns about our ability to back up again with the same system next year. We need some luck with injuries, and some fresh ideas forward of the ball - because it’s our Achilles heel, and it has been for 5 years.