Toast How can this Melbourne side be stopped?

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I agree. It's such an even comp, if your even 5% off you get run over. You just have to look at West Coast's list, which won a Premiership 3 seasons ago and how far off they are now. But, the good thing about that is that most teams aren't that far away from challenging. Both Carlton and Freo have come with a rush this year and Melbourne will bounce back pretty quickly too.

You obviously know the Dees list better than me so was interested in the 5 outs from the game you mention. Langdon, McDonald, Salem are pretty obvious. Harmes is another? Who would you say is the 5th? Chandler?

I know not every team is going to have full availability, but some of the blokes who played on Saturday didn't look that much chop. Guys like Spargo, Bowey, Hunt, Petty and Sparrow looked ordinary, which means as the other players return from injury these guys will get pushed out - the gap in talent is huge. The footy Gods have taken some of Melbourne's very good players.

Jake Melksham had 5 possessions all day, and Ben Brown woke up having nightmares Brennan Cox was in his room. Not sure either of these guys are long term solutions. Weiderman just looks disinterested every time I see him play.

I suppose the concern around May going off was that Level wasn't able to have any effect covering for him. I don't think a 'May or bust' plan is the best way forward.

I honestly didn't know 9 players were playing sick. I'd be interested to know who they are. Rivers (who I like) looked a bit off, and if Melksham and Brown were 2 more that might explain a bit. Have you got a link to an article I can read?

Cheers, have a good one against Sydney and we'll do our best to keep Brisbane off your tail.
Like I said the issue wasn’t May getting injured, because we’ve won comfortably without him before (inc twice against Geelong last year while they whinged about Stewart being out of the prelim). But it was the straw that broke the camel’s back with Salem, Hibberd and to an extent Langdon out of the backline. We still held it together pretty well only giving up one goal before Petty went down. But the obliteration after HT really happened in the midfield anyway.

No article, have just heard this from the club physio (indirectly). Take it with a grain of salt. Goodwin has only publicly said that Trac was sick.

Melksham, Dunstan, Weideman, Bedford and Hunt will get pushed out as others come back. All are undoubtedly extremely ordinary illness or not.

But I have no idea who was sick other than Trac. Wouldn’t surprise if Brown was, but basically half the team looked rubbish, it was our worst performance since R9, 2020.

Spargo had to play as a winger which he is too short to do (was 14th in the comp for goal assists as a forward flanker), and Bowey and Hunt clearly can’t play in a backline that’s missing May, Salem and Hibberd to an extent (although Hunt might have overtaken him, experience counts). Petty played half the game injured as the #1 KPD. Sparrow admittedly isn’t ready for the midfield minutes required of him with Trac playing like shit and Oliver getting tagged.

Regardless we got absolutely pounded and Freo looked awesome in the second half, would have been extremely enjoyable to watch if it wasn’t happening to us.
 
Did the ball they used in the prelim we won, know the prelim final record of the club being represented by the blokes kicking it that night and behave accordingly?
Weren’t Brisbane 4-0 in prelims before 2020? Idk about Fitzroy/Bears, guess the Bears lost in 1996.
 

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Like I said the issue wasn’t May getting injured, because we’ve won comfortably without him before (inc twice against Geelong last year while they whinged about Stewart being out of the prelim). But it was the straw that broke the camel’s back with Salem, Hibberd and to an extent Langdon out of the backline. We still held it together pretty well only giving up one goal before Petty went down. But the obliteration after HT really happened in the midfield anyway.

No article, have just heard this from the club physio (indirectly). Take it with a grain of salt. Goodwin has only publicly said that Trac was sick.

Melksham, Dunstan, Weideman, Bedford and Hunt will get pushed out as others come back. All are undoubtedly extremely ordinary illness or not.

But I have no idea who was sick other than Trac. Wouldn’t surprise if Brown was, but basically half the team looked rubbish, it was our worst performance since R9, 2020.

Spargo had to play as a winger which he is too short to do (was 14th in the comp for goal assists as a forward flanker), and Bowey and Hunt clearly can’t play in a backline that’s missing May, Salem and Hibberd to an extent (although Hunt might have overtaken him, experience counts). Petty played half the game injured as the #1 KPD. Sparrow admittedly isn’t ready for the midfield minutes required of him with Trac playing like shit and Oliver getting tagged.

Regardless we got absolutely pounded and Freo looked awesome in the second half, would have been extremely enjoyable to watch if it wasn’t happening to us.
Thanks.

From what I can glean from the game and the responses the loss of Langdon was significant. I suppose Goodwin could have swung Brayshaw onto the wing, but he was pretty busy in the back 6, so it would have been robbing Peter to pay Paul. There doesn't seem to be anyone really who could have come in either.

Sounds like a wing is on the menu in the offseason, or should be at least. Dees don't have a first-rounder this year, so they'd need to trade back in to get access to a good outside mid. Might be tricky, but I don't think they'll die wondering.
 
Thanks.

From what I can glean from the game and the responses the loss of Langdon was significant. I suppose Goodwin could have swung Brayshaw onto the wing, but he was pretty busy in the back 6, so it would have been robbing Peter to pay Paul. There doesn't seem to be anyone really who could have come in either.

Sounds like a wing is on the menu in the offseason, or should be at least. Dees don't have a first-rounder this year, so they'd need to trade back in to get access to a good outside mid. Might be tricky, but I don't think they'll die wondering.
Maybe. We beat Brisbane without Langdon last year but I suppose having both of our first choice wingers out of action was a big loss.
 
I suppose the concern around May going off was that Level wasn't able to have any effect covering for him.
We'd usually have the campaigner in my avatar swing back to defence, but he's a campaigner so he didn't play.
 
Thanks.

From what I can glean from the game and the responses the loss of Langdon was significant. I suppose Goodwin could have swung Brayshaw onto the wing, but he was pretty busy in the back 6, so it would have been robbing Peter to pay Paul. There doesn't seem to be anyone really who could have come in either.

Sounds like a wing is on the menu in the offseason, or should be at least. Dees don't have a first-rounder this year, so they'd need to trade back in to get access to a good outside mid. Might be tricky, but I don't think they'll die wondering.
Word going around the other week was that we're interested in Karl Amon, so think the FD are of a similar mindset.
 

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Forward line would be a worry for Melbourne right now

Hard to say if its the forwardline or the delivery. Five points down Gawn tries to pinpoint a pass going forward and butchers it, Swans go up the other end and kick a goal. Brisbane will beat us next week and 10-3 is still a decent platform going into the bye but geez our form is a concern.
 
Tonight just confirming what we all said after the Freo game. They’re seriously lacking in all parts of the ground. Gawn, May, Oliver and Petracca are stars. Drops off a cliff after that.

They need more quality in the midfield and a power key forward. May also needs more support.
 

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