Oppo Camp Steven May (We have messed with his head) 🚭💨

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I was watching the club Bnf Lifestream and was taken aback by Steven May’s drunken slurry of words formed after his 5th place achievement. Much like Ed Langdon previous comments on Collingwood as a “one trick pony”, May exclaimed that “Melbourne is so much better than Collingwood” and that we “should have smoked them”. Considering how Langdon comments ended, we can expect a big game for queens birthday.



Jakey Melksham got it right
I think it's official if it weren't already, May is a flog.
 
If a list is fitter than other lists, then that is one aspect that makes it better.

I'd say on talent Melbourne may have the best list, despite a weak forward line, other than that there is no standout. All teams have weaknesses, there are no super teams atm. We have some of the highest quality experienced players, we have a talented and well drilled squad going back many years - defence and pressure had been a strength for a long while.

By line: our defence is possibly number 1. Our midfield is right up with the best. Our forward line is underrated with excellent smalls, two strong talls and some good backup. Our rucks are decent alone, but are good when combined given many teams do not have two quality rucks.
 
If a list is fitter than other lists, then that is one aspect that makes it better.

I'd say on talent Melbourne may have the best list, despite a weak forward line, other than that there is no standout. All teams have weaknesses, there are no super teams atm. We have some of the highest quality experienced players, we have a talented and well drilled squad going back many years - defence and pressure had been a strength for a long while.

By line: our defence is possibly number 1. Our midfield is right up with the best. Our forward line is underrated with excellent smalls, two strong talls and some good backup. Our rucks are decent alone, but are good when combined given many teams do not have two quality rucks.
id put Melbourne, port and ourselves in one bracket below GWS and Brisbane who I think are more talented and balanced overall.
 

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We beat Carlton 3 times in the 1970 season, once by 12 goals and then led them by 7 goals at half time in the gf. We lost by 10 points but no Collingwood player ever besmirched their victory.

We have had many narrow losses in grand finals that were decided on a bad bounce or non decision. No bitter recriminations from our players.

The whole comp can suck it up and pull on their big boy pants.

Melbourne sounds like a really rancid collection of salty , bitter losers. Their vicious reaction to Maynard's bump was exposed for the disgusting hypocrisy it was when a week later one of their favourite sons carried out 3 acts which would have had the football world howling had they been perpetrated by a Collingwood player. The media is just as twisted in their approach to such incidents.

If you wear black and white you will be a source for endless expressions of outrage and disgust in some sections whereas Picketts sins were literally not mentioned other than to be justified and explained away by the club who defamed Maynard and put his family through the mill for days on end.

To be fair, some still do bang on about the Harmes out-of-bounds in 1979 and the Rocca goal in 2002
 
We finished 17th two seasons ago with much the same list? And it wasn’t exactly a young list - and even then many of the young players getting games back then have since left (Poulter, Ruscoe, Wilson, Bianco)

I know many like to think we had a better list than 17th - and that may be so - but it wasn’t exactly 1st either. Richmond and Suns both lost their coach this season and didn’t finish 17th.

And considering the changes - N.Daicos is a superstar in the making, Mitchell has been a brilliant pickup, Bobby Hill has been an upgrade on Ginnivan, Markov has been an upgrade on Ruscoe / Noble, McStay has struggled to get on the park and Frampton has been a handy tall utility.

I just think that Fly & co are that good that they could and would have won a Premiership with any of the top 10 teams this season. But Fly & co are ours, so we win the Premiership.

I think this is the current narrative but its misguided. We were in a GF in 2018, PF 2019, Semi Finals in 2020, then had a poor year in 2021. One down year does not make it an average list and you do not finish in those positions consistently without a top 6 list.
 
By your own flawed rationale above, the team with the “best list” underperforming compared to Coll in 2023, is not the best list.
So you need another analysis to prove our list is a LONG way, from the best.

You don’t think a team’s coaching panel makes any difference?
 
I think this is the current narrative but its misguided. We were in a GF in 2018, PF 2019, Semi Finals in 2020, then had a poor year in 2021. One down year does not make it an average list and you do not finish in those positions consistently without a top 6 list.

You might say that now …

… but many weren’t back in 2021 when we’d traded out Treloar, Stephenson and others in the off season …

… and when many of the fans were calling for an EGM and to burn the club to the ground it wasn’t because they thought we had one of the best lists.
 
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How many of the other 17 lists do you think Fly & co would have won a Premiership with?

Not every team has the leadership we do, the clutch players that we have. I do agree the coaching staff are probably our greatest assets (behind Naicos!!), but what you are saying is super harsh on our players. Their ability to embrace the coaching and implement what they want is clearly outstanding. Not many lists could do that.
 
You might say that now …

… but many weren’t back in 2021 when we’d traded out Treloar, Stephenson and others in the off season …

… and when many of the fans were calling for an EGM and to burn the club to the ground it wasn’t because they thought we had one of the best lists.
Demons also finished 17th two years before a flag, so that means they don't have a top list?

It's impossible to say how many clubs McRae could win a flag with. It may only be one. I think you're overrating the effect of coaching, and particularly only the head coach. McRae came into an excellent situation and has made the most of it.

We have the strongest defence and that is the base of Premiership contention. Lions are lacking in this area so to Port. Melbourne is up there with us, though their forward line is weaker. Stronger ruck and probably midfield. To me, they're the only top team to underperform, now two years running, so it may be I'm overrating them.
 

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Not every team has the leadership we do,

Agreed

the clutch players that we have.

For real? Prior to Fly coming on board we were the team that gave away red time goals, lost close games, and lost Grand Finals.

If we’re clutch now (and I think we are) it’s because Fly has created that.

I do agree the coaching staff are probably our greatest assets (behind Naicos!!), …

Naicos will be a great player but way underselling Fly and co there IMO.

… but what you are saying is super harsh on our players.

I love our players, I truly do.

I reckon our players are awesome.

But know in those moments when I reckon our players are the best in the comp that (1) I know it’s Fly and Co who have managed to wring the very best out of them, and (2) I’m wearing my black and white glasses.

Their ability to embrace the coaching and implement what they want is clearly outstanding. Not many lists could do that.

Despite Fly having a very different coaching style to what Buckley had, the players have embraced it. I think Fly has a style that any player can embrace - as we’ve seen with Markov as an example
 
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We finished 17th two seasons ago with much the same list? And it wasn’t exactly a young list - and even then many of the young players getting games back then have since left (Poulter, Ruscoe, Wilson, Bianco)

I know many like to think we had a better list than 17th - and that may be so - but it wasn’t exactly 1st either. Richmond and Suns both lost their coach this season and didn’t finish 17th.

And considering the changes - N.Daicos is a superstar in the making, Mitchell has been a brilliant pickup, Bobby Hill has been an upgrade on Ginnivan, Markov has been an upgrade on Ruscoe / Noble, McStay has struggled to get on the park and Frampton has been a handy tall utility.

I just think that Fly & co are that good that they could and would have won a Premiership with any of the top 10 teams this season. But Fly & co are ours, so we win the Premiership.
What do you by “may be”? You admit yourself we have largely the same list and that’s gone on to win a premiership.

Clearly we had a better list then 17th there’s no “may be” about it.
 
How many of the other 17 lists do you think Fly & co would have won a Premiership with?
Again you are digressing.
Clearly I now understand that your comment “our list is a long way off the best” was naive hyperbole, given your inability to prove same despite my numerous requests for you to do so.

Which is fine.
 
Our fitness coach is clearly doing a good job, we’re able to run out final quarters. And injuries are low.

And we’re able to get ahead in games, and hold onto leads.

And our coaches are clearly getting the best out of our playing list - heck, Frampton and Markov are Premiership players!!

I reckon we have the best coaching group in the comp by far, don’t you?

Now if we had the best coaching group in the comp by far AND one of the best lists in the comp, we wouldn’t be winning the GF by only 4 points. Or a prelim by only 1 point. Or a QF by only 7 points. Or defeating Port by only 2 points. Or defeating 10th placed Adelaide by a combined total of only 3 points across 2 games.
I think you're underrating our list.
Best defenders in the comp.
Best wings in the comp.
Very good mids - not the best but the deepest.
Very good small forwards - probably second best group behind Brissy.t
Competitive tall forwards.
 
You know if I played for a team that lost four finals in a row at home,including two against interstate sides,I think I would keep my mouth shut.But obviously some people just can’t help themselves,can they?

As for Melbourne,well you could argue that they are over rated too.They won the flag in a pandemic year,when teams were playing all around the country,then won the grand final against a side that was totally clapped out after four finals in a row,and basically just gave up halfway through the third quarter.I think their performances in the finals in the last two years is probably a better indicator of where they’re at as a team.
 
You might say that now …

… but many weren’t back in 2021 when we’d traded out Treloar, Stephenson and others in the off season …

… and when many of the fans were calling for an EGM and to burn the club to the ground it wasn’t because they thought we had one of the best lists.
What ever the fans thought of our list back then, most agreed the people in charge weren’t getting the best out of it.
 
This will be happening right across the competition.

* Adelaide lost two games to us this year by a combined 3 points. They win those and they play a home elimination final.
F^ck Adelaide we're premiers
* Port lost to us by 2 points during the season. They win that and they would have had a home qualifying final against Brisbane instead of the other way around.
F^ck Port we're premiers
* GWS missed out on making the Granny by losing to us by a point.
F^ck GWS we're premiers
* Despite beating us on King’s Birthday, Melbourne lost a QF to us by 7 points after losing one of their best players to an act of common assault that they think Maynard should have gotten jail time for.
F^ck Melbourne we're premiers
* Brisbane lost a Grand Final to us by 4 points
F^ck Brisbane we're premiers
Our practice of being able to seal games to win by small margins with a list that’s a long way from the best in the comp, means that we leave our opposition rueing about what could have been.
End of rant who gives a flying f^ck we're PREMIERS!!!!!
 
Again you are digressing.
Clearly I now understand that your comment “our list is a long way off the best” was naive hyperbole, given your inability to prove same despite my numerous requests for you to do so.

Which is fine.

You don’t seem to understand my point?

Fact: we scraped through 3 finals to win the Premiership.

You seem to think that’s because we’ve got a great list. And if you want to think that then that’s totally cool.

But I respectfully disagree, I reckon it’s because we have the best coaching panel - by a long way.

We can’t both be right - because if we did have the best list AND the best coaching panel, we wouldn’t be winning our finals by 7 points, 1 point, and 4 points. We wouldn’t be beating the SA teams by 1 or 2 points. We’d be blowing the opposition off the park. And we’re not.
 

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