Preview Round 5 - Melbourne Demons v Brisbane Lions (Thursday, 11 April 2024 @ 7:30pm)

[Sproj]

Apparently Oliver might not play due to a finger injury.

Finger injury or ‘finger injury’?

If not Robertson then Tunstill should get a full game too.

I liked what I saw from Tunstill last week albeit a very small sample size and with the caveat of being against a well beaten Norths. I would love to see him start over say Rayner.

Bringing Rayner on as a fresh player at around half time would be interesting to see.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

I don’t know if Oscar has it in him to play mean and nasty.

This match up worries me .
All I see is Gawn running in to attack the ball and Oscar trying to react to him, which is so not good with Melb. midfield.
We need Oscar to focus on the ball at the centre and attack it like it's his ball , do what he has to do to get in first not second .
If not ,I hate to say it , could get ugly , with that midfield.

 

[MSB ROYS]

My memories of this game last year = being 4 goals down after about 6 minutes, going into the half time break with a 1pt lead, going into the last quarter around 20pts up, Jake Melksham kicking 2 last quarter goals including the one to put them up with seconds remaining. Petracca and Pickett destroyed us. Think Gunston kicked 3. Was shattered after the game went straight home didn’t even stop in at the Royal Richmond.

Let's hope you have many drinks at the Royal after the game this Thursday!

 

[mpal6]

After all the talk in pre-season about how our season only starts in September, here's a chance for the players to feel the september heat as it has arrived early. Melbourne with a 3-1, followed by Geelong and GWS who are running at 4-0.

Time for players and coaches to prove their worth and show if we really deserved all that high praise during pre-season.

 

[M Malice]

I can see this game panning out anything from a big Demons win to a narrow Lions win, we need to bring the heat for all 4 quarters or we will get smashed.

 

[3KZ is Football]

I can see this game panning out anything from a big Demons win to a narrow Lions win, we need to bring the heat for all 4 quarters or we will get smashed.

Let’s hope Fagan isn’t playing the whale song and burning the relaxing aromatic oils at half time this week. His ability to put a team to sleep or not keep them on their toes is becoming legendary. Can’t afford the Traditional In-game Nap Time this week. #TINT

 

[3KZ is Football]

Finger injury or ‘finger injury’?


I liked what I saw from Tunstill last week albeit a very small sample size and with the caveat of being against a well beaten Norths. I would love to see him start over say Rayner.

Bringing Rayner on as a fresh player at around half time would be interesting to see.

If you like to watch a player get 3 disposals in a half.

 

[M Malice]

Let’s hope Fagan isn’t playing the whale song and burning the relaxing aromatic oils at half time this week. His ability to put a team to sleep or not keep them on their toes is becoming legendary. Can’t afford the Traditional In-game Nap Time this week. #TINT

I am almost of the polar opposite opinion to you re Chris Fagan 3KZ which is fine, IMO he has well and truly earnt our support.

We seem to forget that this team was an ounce of luck and a couple of minutes away from winning a flag last season with Fagan as the coach.

 

[Gadzorks]

I am almost of the polar opposite opinion to you re Chris Fagan 3KZ which is fine, IMO he has well and truly earnt our support.

We seem to forget that this team was an ounce of luck and a couple of minutes away from winning a flag last season with Fagan as the coach.

I agree with you, but also agree that fagan isn't good at getting the team out of the blocks after some of the breaks.

Last week that first ten after half time was ordinary.

Hopefully he works on those speeches and gets them running out hot every time..

 

[FFB1]

I agree with you, but also agree that fagan isn't good at getting the team out of the blocks after some of the breaks.

Last week that first ten after half time was ordinary.

Hopefully he works on those speeches and gets them running out hot every time..

Third quarters this year:

R1 - Carlton kick first 6 goals, first at the 2 min mark. Joe kicks our only goal of the 3rd at the 24 min mark.
R2 - Freo pepper away kicking 1.4 before Joe kicks our only goal in the 3rd at the 15min mark, Freo kicking the next 3.
R4 - Collingwood kick the first 2, first of those at the 2 min mark. Joe kicks our only goal of the 3rd at the 14 min mark.
R5 - North kick first 2, first of those at the almost 3 minute mark. Larkey misses what he should have kicked at the 4 minute mark. Joe kicks our only 2 goals of the quarter at the 12 min and 18 min marks.

There’s a distinct pattern going on.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Third quarters this year:

R1 - Carlton kick first 6 goals, first at the 2 min mark. Joe kicks our only goal of the 3rd at the 24 min mark.
R2 - Freo pepper away kicking 1.4 before Joe kicks our only goal in the 3rd at the 15min mark, Freo kicking the next 3.
R4 - Collingwood kick the first 2, first of those at the 2 min mark. Joe kicks our only goal of the 3rd at the 14 min mark.
R5 - North kick first 2, first of those at the almost 3 minute mark. Larkey misses what he should have kicked at the 4 minute mark. Joe kicks our only 2 goals of the quarter at the 12 min and 18 min marks.

There’s a distinct pattern going on.

On the bright side, the pattern is a good one for Joe in particular!

 

[FFB1]

On the bright side, the pattern is a good one for Joe in particular!

And betting accounts if you chuck $100 on our opposition kicking the first goal of the 3rd quarter

Amazing that Joe is the ONLY player to have kicked a goal in the 3rd quarter in our first 4 games (5 goals). Our other forwards are MIA.

 

[mpal6]

There is little point hoping Rayner can step up in the midfield this Thursday. The last time we played Melbourne in Rd.18, 2023, Rayner had a paltry 8 disposals, managing only 3 in the first half. That game he attended 4 centre bounces and managed 0 clearances for the game. He also failed to hold a mark.

This sort of clutch, big occasion game in Melbourne is precisely the sort of game that Rayner goes missing in.

After his sub-standard performance against North Melbourne (attended 9 Centre Bounces and had a ZERO clearance game / 4 contested possessions from his game total of 14 disposals / managed a single tackle, which came in the last quarter) he really should be ‘managed’ this week and Lyons should come in. At least we know Lyons will get first hands on the ball and tackle hard. He is a midfielder who CAN support Neale.

We should also drop Gardiner and include Robertson. He should get a tagging role in the middle. Fagan’s Three Tall Forward strategy is a crock. The fact that he stubbornly clings to it simply demonstrates one of his flaws as a coach.

Agree on Rayner but I'd persist with Gardiner.

I've mellowed my expectations around Rayner these days. But half the battle is not even him, it's the coaching and player development built for him which is questionable. If you've kept him in a bit of a no-man's land around midfield, forward, 3rd tall and even defense last year - I don't know if he'll ever be able to focus on 1 at the end of it all.

If we are serious about wanting him in the midfield permanently, I believe the place to do it will be 2s. I don't agree with this "he has nothing to learn by playing 2s". He needs to be hungry for the first possession and then bursting through traffic with his big frame, he needs to go in and under repeatedly and rack up 25+ disposals for starters. This is never happening in 1s where Neale takes the Lion's share. And without letting him do this consistently and maturing him into a capable midfield player, we are just setting him up for failure with all bit part roles as a relief mid. I won't be surprised one bit if he doesn't know where to run and whom to mark when the ball breaks from center considering how sporadic he's being used in there.

 

[KissKiss]

My memories of this game last year = being 4 goals down after about 6 minutes, going into the half time break with a 1pt lead, going into the last quarter around 20pts up, Jake Melksham kicking 2 last quarter goals including the one to put them up with seconds remaining. Petracca and Pickett destroyed us. Think Gunston kicked 3. Was shattered after the game went straight home didn’t even stop in at the Royal Richmond.

Must have been feeling totally miserable to skip such a prestigious venue

 

[3KZ is Football]

I am almost of the polar opposite opinion to you re Chris Fagan 3KZ which is fine, IMO he has well and truly earnt our support.

We seem to forget that this team was an ounce of luck and a couple of minutes away from winning a flag last season with Fagan as the coach.

Or conversely, a decent game plan and aggressive mindset away from winning a Premiership.

Brownie and Buckley summed it up last week on FOX when they said Brisbane was a classic example of Talent over System and both agreed that this was a coaching issue. I’ve seen Fagan get out-coached on too many occasions to give him a mulligan because he ‘nearly’ won a flag. Sorry.

 

[twhowler]

if they end up without pickett and oliver would be handy. Anyone seen anything more on Oliver? Dees board seems to think he could barely handball on the weekend and when he did it before the Adelaide game melbourne said he would have it scanned 'every week' so it must have been a bad dislocation.

Huge for our season given who we face after this. Dees with a couple out and back to back away games in adelaide not a terrible time to get them.

IF we somehow win you could see life breathed in to the season - would give us confidence to knock off the cats and go 3-3.

The thing i am looking for here is mindset. We were very much the hunted in the second half of last year - struggling to put away teams who were really setting themselves for big games against us, constantly being favourites.

Can we become the hunters against Melbourne? Clear underdogs at our bogey venue, season struggling. If we embrace that mantra we would be manic on pressure all night and set ourselves to nullify their clear weapons - Dizzy with a forward tag on May. Oscar to just try to reduce Gawn's impact. Should we send Berry to Petracca? Killed us last time. Maybe Dunkley starts with a soft tag?

It will be a battle getting the same number of forward 50s this week. And we just have to make the most of them. It was encouraging v north we lowered our eyes a lot more, but easy to do against north. I noticed Lohman really searching for options - i think that is his instinct and great sign. Fletcher passed to Daniher in the first quarter and just took 5m off his kick meaning Daniher took a mark because his opponent could not get to the ball to spoil. SUCH A SMALL SIMPLE THING BUT WHY DON'T WE DO IT MORE? To me it just stood out so much because we always kick as long as we can and Daniher or Hipwood's opponent can body them or get a good jump at it. Basically the only time they get marks they are contested. Even if they were Carey and Ablett this is not a good path to a high score.

They are both bloody tall, Hippy is 204cm and yes i know not a strong body but he is out in front and jumps with arms in the air that's hard to stop. He might take it, he might double grab it and still have time, he might get a panicked defender who arm chops. I think this in part about them getting on their bike a lot more and leading, but we just seem to lack the basic ability to kick to advantage to two such tall blokes.

 

[mpal6]

Need to start showing up in the list below to be any chance of winning in next 3 weeks.

Flying high: Magpies ramp up heat in pressure cooker

Collingwood records the highest ranked pressure game for the season against Hawthorn

www.afl.com.au

 

[Dalions]

Third quarters this year:

R1 - Carlton kick first 6 goals, first at the 2 min mark. Joe kicks our only goal of the 3rd at the 24 min mark.
R2 - Freo pepper away kicking 1.4 before Joe kicks our only goal in the 3rd at the 15min mark, Freo kicking the next 3.
R4 - Collingwood kick the first 2, first of those at the 2 min mark. Joe kicks our only goal of the 3rd at the 14 min mark.
R5 - North kick first 2, first of those at the almost 3 minute mark. Larkey misses what he should have kicked at the 4 minute mark. Joe kicks our only 2 goals of the quarter at the 12 min and 18 min marks.

There’s a distinct pattern going on.

Most consistent thing there, Joe!

 

[3KZ is Football]

Agree on Rayner but I'd persist with Gardiner.

I've mellowed my expectations around Rayner these days. But half the battle is not even him, it's the coaching and player development built for him which is questionable. If you've kept him in a bit of a no-man's land around midfield, forward, 3rd tall and even defense last year - I don't know if he'll ever be able to focus on 1 at the end of it all.

If we are serious about wanting him in the midfield permanently, I believe the place to do it will be 2s. I don't agree with this "he has nothing to learn by playing 2s". He needs to be hungry for the first possession and then bursting through traffic with his big frame, he needs to go in and under repeatedly and rack up 25+ disposals for starters. This is never happening in 1s where Neale takes the Lion's share. And without letting him do this consistently and maturing him into a capable midfield player, we are just setting him up for failure with all bit part roles as a relief mid. I won't be surprised one bit if he doesn't know where to run and whom to mark when the ball breaks from center considering how sporadic he's being used in there.

Great post.

 

[dlanod]

Ironic about our Q3 efforts and lamenting Fagan failing the players coming out of half time given Q3 was one of our best last year from memory, and Q4 was the problematic one.

16 rounds into 2023:

1st Quarters: 11-1-4
2nd Quarters: 10-1-5
3rd Quarters: 11-1-4
4th Quarters: 8-0-8

 

[3KZ is Football]

After all the talk in pre-season about how our season only starts in September, here's a chance for the players to feel the september heat as it has arrived early. Melbourne with a 3-1, followed by Geelong and GWS who are running at 4-0.

Time for players and coaches to prove their worth and show if we really deserved all that high praise during pre-season.

I hope we do.

 

[twhowler]

Melbourne appealing Pickett ban. Reckon it's 50/50. If it is regarded as low impact he gets a fine.

 

[Paul Mac]

What about the chances of Ryan Lester

35

Ryan Lester

Age

32

Ht

192cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.9

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

170.4

3star

D

10.3

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

4.5

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.5

2star

MG

140.7

3star

D

12.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.6

3star

taking Fritsch at the start of the game

 

[Nathan Barley]

What about the chances of Ryan Lester taking Fritsch at the start of the game

I think Starce will get him again. Especially if Kozzy misses. Melbourne have been playing a tall forwardline

Either way it'll be up to the midfield to slow down their space and reduce opportunities for Fritsch to run into space. Especially all the cheap ones he gets out the back

 

[Paul Mac]

I think Starce will get him again. Especially if Kozzy misses. Melbourne have been playing a tall forwardline

Either way it'll be up to the midfield to slow down their space and reduce opportunities for Fritsch to run into space. Especially all the cheap ones he gets out the back

Or the cheap ones where he is 4 deep in the pack and the then push in the back for it to somehow land in his lap with no free kick given