Straight Sets Simon

How good is Ben Brown.

Technically it was only a 39 point win once you subtract the 44 point lead Geelong had in round 23.

Not counting chickens just yet, but it’s still wild to me that it’s been 57 years since our last premiership and Norm Smith was 57 years old when he died.

That was the perfect game, pure and simple.

Let’s start with the negatives…

Jones in for Jordon.

Excellent first half. Gawn robbed of a free kick before Smith kicked that goal. Lost a bit of composure in the forward 50 at the end, need to be taking out chances. That Fritsch miss was a bad one. Clearances and conversion still the key.

I laughed out loud at this.

My only two concerns are clearances and conversion.

I don’t remember being this nervous in 2018.

I wonder how much anxiety supporters are feeling is because Melbourne haven’t played for a week, we seem to have forgotten just how good we were against Brisbane.

Misleading AFL headlines annoy me more than they should.

We could win the flag and people will still say “but they let Geelong get 44 points up in round 23.”

This.

Totally agree, even if we did beat West Coast in the prelim, Collingwood would have destroyed us in the Grand Final and that’s not something I want to experience.

The build up to this prelim has felt completely different to 2018 I’m terms of how we got there and the expectation to now win.

I’m nervous but how much better is watching your team in a prelim instead of missing the finals. That’s what I keep reminding myself anyway.

Okay.

Is he? He’s obviously a good coach but he’s had a decade of a very good list (obviously he’s part of the reason for this) but I just don’t see him being a tactical genius.

The umpires must have a tough time umpiring Geelong versus Bulldogs games when they can’t favour both teams.

Coleman denied a blatant free kick for too high then pinged for one on Hannan that simply wasn’t there.

I thought it was an undercut at first.

What a talent.

Any direction. Running one way then back the other doesn’t cancel itself out.

Duryea ran about 50 metres without bouncing then and the umpire was reluctant to pay the free kick.