AFL Grand Final Grand Final, 2021: Melbourne v Western Bulldogs

[triggering bro]

I agree, we are a few years behind them but they've shown what can be done.

We desperately need to go to the draft, & recruit & develop well. I’m with Ads, you can’t rely on mature recruits to build your core group. Mature recruits should be targeted to fill gaps. We’ve almost done the opposite.

 

[kernelT]

Your bias is showing. Take this to a neutral board & you would get laughed at.

Not sure I’m suggesting we’re a shoe in, but if you’d gone to the main board last year in September and talked up the dees you’d probably have been laughed at too.
Melbourne lost to some very average sides this year, freo were playing for a spot in the 8 and looked like a country side... the comp is still pretty open IMO.

 

[StHalfbackflanker]

Jealous of course, but Melbourne this year, like the doggies in 2016, go to show that you CAN have a year where the whole team somehow plays to the best of their ability and no one gets injured, and all of a sudden you're in a GF.

It's possible. Even for us.

 

[Parkysp]

Listen to Tom McDonald

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Tom Mcdonald

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32

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195cm

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101kg

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16.4

4star

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9.7

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6.7

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5.6

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1.9

4star

MG

261.8

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D

8.0

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5.0

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3.0

2star

M

3.4

3star

T

0.6

1star

MG

135.6

2star

D

13.8

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6.8

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7.0

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4.4

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1.4

4star

on channel 7. "Good players and talent helps but buy in of culture and off season training was the key for improvement".

Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

32

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209cm

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110kg

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14.1

4star

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7.4

3star

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6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

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CL

1.0

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HO

15.6

5star

. "We're close mates and go out for a beer together and enjoy ourselves as much as anything".

We're not that far off if our guys get to that level of buy in together. That and for goodness sake get the level of luck with injuries they've had this year. It's over to our players and coaches to work it all out.

I just don't think the talent gap is as big as some believe and an awful lot is attitude and giving it absolutely everything.

 

[BrutThough]

Indeed. But they had scope to be a contender because they have a bunch of elite players. We arguably had a more even list with a tonne of B graders but lacked creme to make a prelim. Far too much work being asked of Steele. Marshall the only other bloke close to elite on our list. We need to find another 3-4 Steele (even higher) quality to content. Stars take you to the next level not an even group of B graders. Look at Richmond. A team of GOP’s with Dusty, Cotchin, Rance & Riewoldt got them flags.

Thats easier to say now that they've won the flag. But a lot of those players weren't viewed that way prior to rd1. Petrecca and Gawn were complete A graders but there were question marks on the others. Lever and May were being questioned on whether Melbourne spent too much money on their defence. Clayton Oliver was seen as that step below A grade mid because he would avoid kicking and had little scoreboard impact. Salem wasnt close to A grade.

Then you look at their players below that - no one had Jackson or Pickett on their radar, Fritsch was a solid player, no club in the competition wanted to take on McDonald's contract, Ben Brown couldn't get a game for the first half of the year.

Perceptions of players can turn very quickly.

What the perception of our players right now means nothing come rd1 next year. We have talent on our list, we just need to get them out on the field together, and for our players to play at their potential. Then who knows what can happen.

 

[Diehard Saint]

No

Hmm I’m less talking about ladder position and capitulation against ESS, Dogs , Melb , Rich and PA first game.

We know those were bad, but we did have loads of injuries - the biggest for me was 7 weeks without Paddy, but how about looking at how they pulled themselves up out of the mire n the second half of the season, eventually only just missing out on the 8?

 

[Dard Ball Get]

What a ****in sook fest it is in here, chin up champions

 

[Rors]

I think we had the worst draw in the comp, missed our 2 most dynamic mids for most of the year, our two first choice rucks never got going and messiah has barely got going... yet we still only missed finals by a game or two.
Horrendous year, but I can see a healthy list and better draw getting us in the conversation next year.

What worries me is that we’ve had to keep having to play catch up due to our appalling drafting for the last 15 years. We’ve traded to fill the void of our horrific drafting & development…

Check this out - Richmond have won 3 flags in the last 5 seasons & yet, have picks 7, 15, 26 & 28 in this years draft…. then will also get the greatest player for the last 6 years back from injury next year as well, plus have compo pick for Chol coming in as well, and a pick for CCJ, with Tarrant slotting in nicely at Full Back… They’ll be back again for sure with a far easier fixture

What do we have? Picks 9, 46 & 64… Sure we get Gresh & Paton back. Marshall fit, but Ryder won’t play a whole season, Billings should be better but he’s no superstar like our supporters seem to hope he is.

Im the most realistic supporter out there. I get that we will improve, but to make it deep into the finals, we need 3-5 guys that are All-Australian quality & we just don’t have them yet, and apart from Steele (my boy ), I don’t see anyone else even close at this stage

 

[George]

What a fu**in sook fest it is in here, chin up champions

What did you expect when you've got the leader of the cabbage patch kids in gringo2011 steering the ship?

 

[George]

What a fu**in sook fest it is in here, chin up champions

By the way, it's impossible to ask them of that. No chin brigade, just face and neck.

 

[BrutThough]

The difference with Steele and Membrey and I make this distinction is we got them v early in their careers. Especially Membrey. Also I think our biggest strength has been precisely that getting guys lacking opportunity. It’s become our trading niche. It’s the other guys, more established players who I think mess with the dynamic.

The only two who I think would fall into that category would be Hill and Crouch.

I dont look at players like Howard or Jones and think they aren't invested because they haven't been around for long. Howard, at times, comes across as the most passionate person in the room. He seems to be 100% invested all the time. And hearing Jones talk about what wearing #3 means to him given his brother was named after Burke is pretty cool as well.

I agree we need to stop trading in player after player. But overall, we seem to have done well at trading in types who seem to have bought into the drought breaking vision and genuinely wanting to change the culture/direction of the club for the better.

 

[lewdogs]

What worries me is that we’ve had to keep having to play catch up due to our appalling drafting for the last 15 years. We’ve traded to fill the void of our horrific drafting & development…

Check this out - Richmond have won 3 flags in the last 5 seasons & yet, have picks 7, 15, 26 & 28 in this years draft…. then will also get the greatest player for the last 6 years back from injury next year as well, plus have compo pick for Chol coming in as well, and a pick for CCJ, with Tarrant slotting in nicely at Full Back… They’ll be back again for sure with a far easier fixture

What do we have? Picks 9, 46 & 64… Sure we get Gresh & Paton back. Marshall fit, but Ryder won’t play a whole season, Billings should be better but he’s no superstar like our supporters seem to hope he is.

Im the most realistic supporter out there. I get that we will improve, but to make it deep into the finals, we need 3-5 guys that are All-Australian quality & we just don’t have them yet, and apart from Steele (my boy ), I don’t see anyone else even close

We have the opportunity to draft a couple of NGA guys that are highly rated so hopefully it's our best draft for a while.

 

[Rors]

What a fu**in sook fest it is in here, chin up champions

What is there to be happy about?!

The ****er that picked McCartin just won a flag with Petracca

 

[George]

We have the opportunity to draft a couple of NGA guys that are highly rated so hopefully it's our best draft for a while.

Yep heard the NGA crop we've got coming through are very talented

 

[lewdogs]

Yep heard the NGA crop we've got coming through are very talented

Got a very good feeling about this draft.

 

[Rors]

Yep heard the NGA crop we've got coming through are very talented

Windy is a ripper

 

[Parkysp]

Now watching May and Lever on channel 7.

Doogs and Wilkie should look at each other and say how do we get to that level? What do we need to do? I'd be hoping they'd be calling Enright tomorrow morning and set out the plan.

 

[Murraj1966]

People telling me I should be happy for Melbourne instead all I can think about is how useless we are tonight.

It really drives it home when we look a mile off competing and I'm watching every club tick off their droughts in the last 22 years I've been a member.

 

[Munga]

People telling me I should be happy for Melbourne instead all I can think about is how useless we are tonight.

It really drives it home when we look a mile off competing and I'm watching every club tick off their droughts in the last 22 years I've been a member.

I don't see the hunger in too many of our guys. Too many just coasting. Only when they have a bad patch and receive a rocket from fans and media do they kick into gear for a week or two, then back to coasting.

 

[SaintersUnite]

I can’t wait for the McCartin v Petracca arguments now


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[kernelT]

What worries me is that we’ve had to keep having to play catch up due to our appalling drafting for the last 15 years. We’ve traded to fill the void of our horrific drafting & development…

Check this out - Richmond have won 3 flags in the last 5 seasons & yet, have picks 7, 15, 26 & 28 in this years draft…. then will also get the greatest player for the last 6 years back from injury next year as well, plus have compo pick for Chol coming in as well, and a pick for CCJ, with Tarrant slotting in nicely at Full Back… They’ll be back again for sure with a far easier fixture

What do we have? Picks 9, 46 & 64… Sure we get Gresh & Paton back. Marshall fit, but Ryder won’t play a whole season, Billings should be better but he’s no superstar like our supporters seem to hope he is.

Im the most realistic supporter out there. I get that we will improve, but to make it deep into the finals, we need 3-5 guys that are All-Australian quality & we just don’t have them yet, and apart from Steele (my boy ), I don’t see anyone else even close

It worries me too don't worry, I'm just not sure there's a single path to the holy place, I'm not even OTT bullish about our chances next year, I just think you need a lot of things going right - talent, full buy in & cohesion, game plan, injury luck, decent draw… we would be lucky to have one or two of those elements this year. 'Talent' isn't everything if you look at west coast, Nic Nat, Kennedy, McGovern, shuey, kelly, gaff, sheed, etc same goes for geelong.
Absolutely we need to keep adding talent and hope that we jag an elite talent in the process, but I do think we've got a decent side when fully fit.
Gresham, Jones & Marshall play 25 games and King explodes like he's projecting and then I see a lot more wins next year, what come of that depends on a lot of other factors.
We clearly have a few holes to fill but so did melbourne a year ago and the dogs still do for next year too.

Really good to see you posting again mate btw

 

[St Significant]

Nah mate, you're gonna have to live with the pity party. Two catastrophic decisions which torpedoed our rebuild. I hope people ask Trout, Finnis and Richo about this every day for the rest of their lives.

Can't believe the doggies just rolled over - well actually that's what they've done every time they met us in finals so I can well believe it.

and you can put Ameet into that basket as well. How infuriating is it to see Richo frothing Petracca now & Ameet with the Bont. We had them at our fingertips & we set our rebuild back 10 years. Anyway so happy for the Dees fans. I know their pain so well!

 

[George]

Hey guys, just a little reminder to keep your voices down when you enter this thread for the rest of the night, gringo2011 has had too many warm milo's and has dozed off - Admittedly it was past his bedtime and I apologise for keeping him up so late, should've got his mummy to tuck him in earlier. It's not a school night but still 11pm is way too late.

Thanks again guys. And remember - shh!!

 

[austinnn]

Is Simon Goodwin the greatest coach of all time?

Took over a club that had been a laughing stock for years. Broke a 57 year drought! Is this the greatest coaching achievement of all time?

www.bigfooty.com

Is Simon Goodwin

Simon Goodwin

Age

47

Ht

185cm

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86kg

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Def

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Last 5

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20.9

5star

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12.1

4star

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8.8

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4.0

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2.5

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.4

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7.2

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2.2

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3.0

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2.2

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the greatest coach of all time?

V O M I T

 

[NarklesHelmet]

Thanks Trout.