IRW

Just now, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I think Geelong are streets ahead of Brisbane.

They are to going win by heaps...even more than the amount they would have beaten the Dees

2 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Its an embarrassment by channel 7.

Richo: We should look at moving the bye to the week before the grand final to allow concussed players to not miss out

BT: C’mon Richo, we already have enough byes, and you want to introduce another one!

Richo: No BT, I’m looking at moving the bye from pre finals to pre grand final.

BT : Disagree Richo. We have enough byes!

Has BT an early onset of something??

I missed that one because I was typing about BT and how bad he is.

That was " special " 

My count goes to six shockers 

I suspect Daisy has been told to be kind to him and not say too much

My plan is just to count the stupid things BT says.

So far it's at about 5.

His special genius has told us that IF th Lions win then Fagan will be first coach over 60 years of age to get a team into the G/F

15 minutes in he just couldn't wait until it was a reality to share that relevant fact with us

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On 9/15/2022 at 2:33 PM, Billy said:

And get paid a truckload of money, I’m pretty sure most of them move on a lot quicker than we do 

Yeah but the good ones want to prove how good they are and move on to prove it

19 minutes ago, bing181 said:

On the back of no break and a long, intense 2021, we were cooked before the season even started, which only got worse as it wore on.

If you accept that  and I dont because the shorter break happens to finalists,  runners up and Premiers every year , while anyway we claimed to be the fittest group in the league,it seems like a common sense argument for playing a greater spread of the playing list so as to keep the group fresh.

So the answer seems to lie in the Football dept.

In particular Goodwin and Selwyn.

22 hours ago, YesitwasaWin4theAges said:

We basically played with No key Forwards. ( BBB was non existent)

He was much more existent than Weideman...and still people are trying to find him a role.

That could be the reason they lost...no hard edge to selection .

Does anyone have any idea what the coach means when he gives his no answer answers about lossses in press conferences?. Like them or not good coaches tend to have "character" and somehow that transfers to the team.

What is Melbourne's  team character?

Just asking

I saw Hirdy today down Toorak Road.

He sometimes  has a word or at least a quick chat in the park .

Today he was head down and shutting out the ambient visual noise that follows him.

Still looks like a Greek God, though the hair aint wot it used to be imo

So determined/ driven to succeed you can see why he was a champion but in conversation / chat about general  "stuff" it's an attitude that leads itself to superficial and banal cliches.

Actually he might be a good coach ,but then you could have said the same about Buckley

7 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Much has been made of our lack of pressure.  This paints a different picture.

We ran into a red hot Sydney and then a red hot Brisbane. 

For some reason we eased up in the second quarter vs Brsibane, gave them some momentum and that last 10 seconds goal, thanks to a Viney lapse, gave them a look in and kept them in touch on the scoreboard.

Collingwood and Freo would have wilted in comparison.

So we aren't doing as badly on the pressure stakes as the media makes out.

Collingwood would have wilted?

Too many David King numbers and not enough watching from the stands in that theory.

The Pies were gone by several goals against Sydney in the home and away..watching them one would be excused for thinking it was nail bitingly close.

Not a side for wilting..this year at least.

You'd have to absolutely smash then and cut Pendlebury's head off,smash the Yanks glasses and nobble DeGoey to be sure,no matter what the numbers suggest 

1 hour ago, jane02 said:

I begrudgingly sat on the computer yesterday afternoon to get my husband into the ballot should the Pies get through this weekend. I was very envious as I wish it was me getting tickets for the Dees 😞

I can’t stand the thought of Brisbane going all the way and seeing Zorko hold up the cup would be unbearable. I can’t stand Geelong. They are deluded if they think they are everyone’s second favourite team. Collingwood ~ just no ( Howe, Ginnivan and Cox) so I guess I am hoping the Swans get it done.

 

You're pretty  safe regarding Zorko unless the Dee's folding when the pressure was applied has given the Lions supercharged  inspiration.But even if they beat the Cats they may as well not turn up to play Pies or Swans 

26 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

It seems both Jobe and Tim Watson are anti Hird's return to the club. 

Jobe spoke against it when Rutten was exited:  "Former Essendon captain Jobe Watson has urged the crisis-riddled Bombers to avoid the temptation of chasing a quick-fix saviour, saying the possible return of James Hird to the coaching role would not work".

Tim has said "Essendon do not need a saviour" and "I think for a lot of people it would drag back all those things that happened during that period of time that he was there as coach,” Watson said.  “I’d be more than surprised if he ended being the coach of the Essendon Football Club, but I’m happy for him to be part of the process and for him to have the courage to put his hand up and even go through it".

Looks like Watson snr is the leader/spokesperson of the anti-Hird for coach camp. 

Robbo the cheerleader for Hird.

Of all people Jobe and Tim would know exactly what went on during the drug saga and would have good reason to strongly speak against Hird as coach.

Cornes was closer to the mark , and the SA border,when he said that Hird surely can't get the job because relative to the other contenders he just hasn't done the work in the game over the last ten years.

Not a big deal in his eyes, just that Hird isn't qualified for the job.

And when Robbo is your main man you know  it's nothing more than teenage emotion without a shred of sense

23 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

State Government media release (see above in this thread) states it will still be the second Monday in June. Just a name change - nothing more.

Surely His Royal Highness will be there to present the bog medal

26 minutes ago, Smokey said:

Gee whiz you're good at twisting words, aren't you? 

You said every team that wins a flag gets tested the following year, and that we failed miserably. I pointed out we finished second. How on earth am I being precious? You're worked up about me pointing out simple facts, maybe you should stop being so precious? 

I tell you what ..when the seasons over and they print the ladder for the 2020 season have a look at where MFC is placed and get back to me.

It will be 5th.

The test they failed was they could beat the 18th team but ,Lions aside,they pretty much failed to defend their Premiership reputation against the contenders 

And even the Lions at the G in a final sorted them out.Have Brisbane ever won a final in Melbourne before?

I don't know or particularly care but you should stop being precious and accept a disappointing season

I will acknowledge " fail" is a harsh label but then " failed to defend a reputation/ Premiership " represents  a different judgement. 

1 hour ago, CYB said:

So the theory that an easy run into finals series is not preferred over a harder fixture is BS? 

we can sure the Cats want an easy game against the Lions and are hoping that the other team in the G/F has survived  a running,  repeat effort   collision mayhem of a contest

15 minutes ago, Smokey said:

They didn’t fail the test during the home and away, we finished 2nd. We had a very poor finals series. 

I said they never looked like a Dynasty in the making,I didn't say they weren't any good. 

Stop being precious...they failed the test thrown at them by the better sides. 

They didn't finish second they finished 5th!

I am not a fan of Goodwin but I will bet he's not saying that's OK we came second!

Sad sacks

Pies vs Swans should be a little better than excellent and outside of Melbourne will moderate the fan noise.

BT is my biggest fear.

The winner against the Cats is the inevitable favourite I reckon and  if it's the Pies they won't die wondering.

Anyone who actually enjoys elite sport would enjoy them winning that game.

It would be like watching Gabelich running down to goal past the Northern Stand in fast forward and the Dee's not being in danger of defeat 

5 hours ago, Smokey said:

I think people tend to forget our physically taxing it must be having every team throw the kitchen sink at us week in week out, and with all of the tops teams doing so in the run home to finals. Our pressure rating was down this year because every team understood they had to bring manic pressure to beat us. That’s hard to match every week. It Doesn’t quite excuse slipping so far down in that stat, but it provides some context. 

That and we’d score a hell of a lot more with a second key forward. 
 

Watch us make the GF next year. Mark my words and quote me in 12 months time. 

Fair crack..they have never looked like a Dynasty in the making to me but they weren't far off getting to a Prelim anyway.

However every Premiership team gets the kitchen sink and exploratory game plans thrown at them the following year.

They failed that test comprehensively.

It now depends if they are Footscray or Richmond 

37 minutes ago, gs77 said:

My worry with this is the Cargo Cult Science issue. There's no point duplicating a program outputs if the inputs have changed - player conditioning, injuries, schedule, etc. I hope the 2021 program wasn't being followed blindly, but rather the methodology for its construction was being followed, allowing for evidence-based evolution. The talk earlier in the year that we were being flogged even harder on the training track and that we'd be even fitter than 2021 worried me. We looked knackered as this year wore on. Sparking out of the blocks, getting leads mid-game, and being steadily reeled in and overrun. Week after week with few exceptions.

I suspect it may be as simple as that..flogging a fit horse to make it go faster doesn't work and probably means the horse loses interest or sense of reward.

The other issue is whether Selwyn has the insight to know whether " playin' through injury " is always the best course.

That was not only Trac in the last week of their season.

8 minutes ago, layzie said:

Come on mate that's Hollywood hogwash.

That's a reasonable response but I think the hogwash is the hysteria of the responses on here 

What we saw was par for the course, not some AFL vendetta and I don't neccesarily agree he should have been acquitted 

Players have  got off when finals are in play for  far more than a contested and  uncontrolled scuffle 

I have no comment on Hodge nor the AFL in general. 

The charge wasn't eye gouging ...it  was made before ...you claim the fix was in.

If the charge was gouging it may have been a different result..

.

6 minutes ago, Maldonboy38 said:

I have no idea who you are IRW, but that is one of the oddest posts I have ever seen on Demonland (and considering the wide field of "odd posts" that is quite a claim!). But I feel a Monty Python quote coming on, from the Holy Grail: "what a strange person". 

I will explain it to you then

Pendlebury's opinion is likely informed by his understanding of what actually happens on the AFL ground.

It is probably moderated by players generally wanting other players to get a finals game unless they are a thug  like Toby Greene.

It seems relatively  common that  Oliver falls over to milk frees outside of pack contests.

He's not soft  just a lousy actor.

And the charge wasn't eye gouging so the decision doesn't relate to that.

You don't have to like it but is it too hard for you to understand .

Your response wasn't odd   merely typically prejudiced and childish

22 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Pendlebury needs to butt the Fuuuurg out !!!

!

Perhaps because he's actually played AFL pal..and also  knows Clarrie is given to falling over and not being as tough in the clinches as he is in the contested packs 

Besides which he wasn't actually gouged in the eye.

On 9/10/2022 at 8:54 PM, everythingsablur said:

Saw this coming after the Sydney loss so I've been mentally prepared the whole week. Still gutted.

It's been said a hundred times but it all comes down to one word - fitness.

As frustrating as the game plan is to watch, if they execute it with elite fitness and mental buy-in then we would have won every game including this one. This is what Goody is counting on.

The problem is firmly with Selwyn Griffith. Despite him following in Burgess' footsteps, I've heard he has absolutely smashed them this year and it shows. He is also clearly missing the mental fitness edge too. Hopefully he learns from this and fast.

Bring on 23!

 

I think that's true .. they said early days he was running them " harder " aka over training them  it sports medicine 101 which is actually  little troubling .

But lack of plan B and game flexibilitu and was a greater problem .

6 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Watching all the coverage with the family. My youngest asked if the Queens Birthday traditional match will be switched over to a “Kings Birthday” match.  

my response “Yes I think so”.  

If we continue to have the traditional Monday holiday, to respect the current schedule and in a way start a new tradition. Maybe Charles III could be in attendance.  

Why would he want to come to the footy ffs?

Maybe we'll be a Republic

Much more better

1 hour ago, rpfc said:

Yeah, they’re already here.

You didn't notice that I refered to exceptions?....Gus Trac Max May and Vines..only May is an import ,which is what I was addressing.

We need another big bodied mid ready to go,  a marking KPF,a  second ruck and a small forward...with AFL experience,not from the draft .

We might need a new fitness guru from somewhere else as well.One that doesn't think more is better

2 hours ago, layzie said:

They won a flag together, if they now want to split and go elsewhere then they can pack their bags, put their shoes on and walk out. We will move forward and find people that want to be here.

Hardly anyone great seems to want to be here ( with a few obvious exceptions) We are hardly Pies, Cats, Tigers or Hawks  and North probably looks good now  since theyve got a coach.

7 minutes ago, BDA said:

Kossie can’t leave. He has unfinished business.

he has to take a speccie in demons colours before he goes

At this rate that means unrestricted free agent