AFL Grand Final Grand Final 2021 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs - Sat, Sept 25 - 5:15pm AWST / 7:15pm AEST

[And_ROOS]

Just the dees still don't rate dogs or lions

Those will be the 2 teams that make GFs against the Dees and sometimes upsets happen.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Only 16 goals to 1 since then.

Scary. Dogs really dropped off.

 

[winty]

LOL

 

[Overhang]

I’ve got no doubt the round 23 comeback win built up a level of confidence in the Dees to do what they’ve done this finals series, that half of footy really setup the flag.

 

[thecatattack]

About to post the same thing. They remind me of Cats 07

Amazing team but not close to Cats 07 imo

 

[Baggins15]

From 15 mins into the third quarter was an absurd turnaround. Never seen anything like it.

Almost have to feel a bit for Doggies supporters who watched that. As unbelievable as Melbourne were, conceding 16 goals in 50-odd minutes of footy is utterly turgid. The nature of the loss could psychologically scar their playing group for a few years to come I feel.

 

[catscratchfever]

Was Norm ever in any doubt?

 

[thecatattack]

Was Norm ever in any doubt?

no

 

[standupand]

The missus asked me for a tip before the game and I said Demons by 80. Looked at the score midway through the 3rd and thought I may have been a bit off the mark.

 

[MacStradbroke]

All those Selwood knockers criticising him for lowering his colours to Petracca, hope you were all watching tonight. No shame in being beaten by him, absolute star.

 

[BotsMaster]

Dogs have been the benchmark all year?

 

[Baudolino]

As I said in the first quarter, I think we may be seeing the beginning of a Melbourne Dynasty for the next five years

Totally agree.

Watch the media once again act like dynasties are a rare occurrence and that Melbourne are a "once in a generation" team when it happens though. Despite there being a Brisbane dynasty, a Geelong dynasty, a Hawthorn dynasty, and a Richmond dynasty within the space of 20 years. So "rare". Lol.

 

[SkittleCats]

Melbourne don't play the same "controlled chaos" style of swarming the ball forward as Richmond did. Totally disagree with the idea that their style of play is similar.

Except that's exactly what Melbourne do. The only real difference is that Melbourne is a lot cleaner coming off half back than Richmond ever were. Which helps set up most of their attack. But their basic game is still chaos ball.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

From 15 mins into the third quarter was an absurd turnaround. Never seen anything like it.

Their midfield just got on top and put their foot down and the dogs had no answer. With 6-6-6 if you can get a run on its hard to stop. Our forward line could do something similar with the right delivery but our midfield isnt what theirs is.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Except that's exactly what Melbourne do. The only real difference is that Melbourne is a lot cleaner coming off half back than Richmond ever were. Which helps set up most of their attack. But their basic game is still chaos ball.

Agree 100 %.

 

[cats_09]

16.5.101 to 3.1.19 in the second half.

This makes it even more impressive

 

[Play it Sam]

They were rebuilding for a long time and went through multiple successive rebuilds before getting it right. It's paid off in the end, but you wouldn't want to be in the wilderness for as long as they were. What everyone should take note of is the success post-Roos appointment. That's where they started building from. Shows that when you put the right people in the right places you can turn things around.

Post Watts, Trengove, Toumpas, Scully, etc. they started doing better out of the draft - Salem, Petracca, Brayshaw, Neale-Bullen, Oliver, Fritsch, Spargo... As much as they blew 2008-2012 at the draft, they really cleaned up 2013-2017, and that's where they built much of their core group.

Correct. I listened to their top guru on radio say as much....the turnaround started with the recruitment of Petracca.
Can remember many a game in the old days at KP with their supporters resigned to yet another thrashing.
Bottoming out almost buys a premiership, so they can have it. Petracca drafted at 2 in 2014.
I don't want that method for us.

 

[Baggins15]

2016 was a golden opportunity lost. Not sure we would have beaten the Dogs but that was a year where we could have won it

2019 and 2020 were far, far bigger missed opportunities. We didn't really get as close to it in 2016 as some seem to think - Sydney utterly destroyed us in the Prelim and we barely scraped in against a cooked Hawthorn outfit two weeks earlier. On the other hand, we had Richmond on toast at half time in 2019 and 2020, but shot ourselves in the foot with inaccurate kicking (plus that Dusty goal just before HT in 2020 which gave them a little sniff).

 

[cats_09]

 

[Sttew]

Amazing team but not close to Cats 07 imo

Yeah. Just being gracious

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

fu**. It is terrifying how quickly Melbourne can score. 74 points and Bulldogs were up mid-way through the third. We did 119 points but we dominated from the start. Melbourne came from several goals behind and racked that up in a quarter in a half... insane.

It’s a completely different game to 07-11. We did it without 6-6-6 it’s much easier to score quickly these days. I have a feeling they may review that rule in the off-season.
Kudos to the Dee’s, Played a brilliant season and timed their run to perfection. Came alive in the finals like Tigers in 17.
Definitely puts our prelim loss into perspective.

 

[The_Todd07]

Wonder if Ben Brown

50

Ben Brown

Age

32

Ht

200cm

Wt

100kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.7

3star

K

7.7

3star

HB

3.0

3star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.2

3star

G

2.2

5star

D

7.9

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

1.6

1star

M

3.7

4star

T

0.9

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

1.2

4star

is going to send North a thank you note after turfing him

 

[BotsMaster]

Was Norm ever in any doubt?

It certainly changed hands throughout the game. Early on I'd say it was with Salem, then Bont and finally Petracca.

 

[catscratchfever]

That boofhead Ben Brown

50

Ben Brown

Age

32

Ht

200cm

Wt

100kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.7

3star

K

7.7

3star

HB

3.0

3star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.2

3star

G

2.2

5star

D

7.9

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

1.6

1star

M

3.7

4star

T

0.9

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

1.2

4star

is now a premiership player. We live in strange times

 

[David the Cat]

Amazing team but not close to Cats 07 imo

Not far away mate...they need to win it again though. A class outfit this demon side.....