PC2011/12RP It's A Grand Old Flag: Melbourne 2015 and Beyond!

[Grockadoc]

Melbourne Appoint Unknown Coach:

Melbourne has today appointed the previously unknown Lachlan Smith as it's head coach for the upcoming season. Most supporters were confused about the appointment but feel that a fresh face on the coaching landscape could be just what was needed for the ailing club.

When asked about what he plans to bring to the Demons, Smith gave a simple, but powerful response.

"We are a young club who has had a rough few years. I believe we have the talent on the list to push us up the ladder in a few years time, but we need to focus all our energy on improving, not just on the field, but off it as well. This is going to take hard work, dedication and perseverance in order to make it happen, and as such, I expect 110% from every player on the list from the senior players to the rookies. No spot is safe, and if you aren't prepared to buy into improving the club as whole, you will soon find yourself out of the door for someone who will."​

 

[Grockadoc]

2015 Playing List:

1: Jesse Hogan
2: Nathan Jones
3: Christian Salem
4: Jack Watts
5: Jimmy Toumpas
6: Chris Dawes
7: Jack Viney
8: Heritier Lumumba
9: Jack Trengove
10: Angus Brayshaw
11: Max Gawn
12: Dom Tyson
13: Jordie McKenzie
14: Lynden Dunn
15: Billy Stretch
16: Dean Kent
17: Sam Frost
18: Daniel Cross
19: Ben Newton
20: Colin Garland
21: Cam Pedersen
22: Viv Michie
23: Bernie Vince
24: Jay Kennedy-Harris
25: Tom McDonald
26: Christian Petracca
27: Aidan Riley
28: Oscar McDonald
29: Jayden Hunt
30: Alex Neal-Bullen
31: Jack Grimes
36: Jeff Garlett
37: Aaron Vandenberg
38: Jeremy Howe
40: Mark Jamar
41: Mitchell White
42: Jake Spencer
43: James Harmes
44: Rohan Bail
45: Matt Jones
46: Dean Terlich
47: Max King
48: Jack Fitzpatrick​

 

[Grockadoc]

2015 NAB CHALLENGE:

Round 1: Def. By Hawthorn 29 points.
Round 2: Def. Gold Coast 28 Points.
Round 3: Def. by Richmond 23 points.​

 

[Grockadoc]

2015 AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON:

ROUND 1 V Brisbane:

LINEUP:

B: Lumumba, Dunn, T. McDonald
HB: Grimes, Garland, McKenzie
C: Viney, Trengove, Cross
HF: Toumpas, Hogan, Howe
F: Gawn, Watts, Garlett
R: Jamar, Jones, Vince
I: Petracca, Brayshaw, Tyson
Sub: Salem

NEW: Lumumba (Collingwood), Hogan, Petracca, Brayshaw

Coaches Thoughts:

This is a game that we go into feeling very confident. Brisbane, much like us, are in the infant stages of a rebuild after a mass exodus of talented youngsters. We feel we have a solid core of senior players, and have added to our talent and depth. Heritier Lumumba crosses to us from Collingwood, and his kicking skills from the back half should enable us to better transition the ball from defence. Jesse Hogan debuts for the club after being on the lsit for a couple of years, and has finally had a clean run from injuries, and he is a fierce competitor with a great contested grab and a fiery attitude. Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw also find themselves debuting for the club. Both are exciting midfielders in their own right. Petracca is a powerfully built midfielder who has great skills, and just has a natural ability to win a game off of his own boot. He is a great mark for his size, and can swing forward and heavily impact the scoreboard. Brayshaw is a strong framed midfielder like Petracca who is just as, if not more, skilled than his fellow draftee. Brayshaw can impact on the scoreboard, but through the midfield is where he does his best work. In and under the packs, or creating time and space in contested situations, Brayshaw is a talented midfielder and we are delighted to have Christian and Angus at the club.​

 

[Grockadoc]

Round 1 V Brisbane:

Melbourne: 15.9.99
Brisbane: 15.7.97

Disposals: Vince 36, Jones 32, Petracca 29, Cross 25, Tyson 25.
Goals: Watts 5, Gawn, Garlett 2, Vince, Toumpas, Hogan, Howe, Viney, Cross.
Best: Vince, Jones, Petracca, Toumpas, Watts.

Coaches Thoughts:

It feels great to get off of the board after your first game and bank your first 4 points. Credit to the players today, they didn't give up, and felt they were always a chance. We have worked tirelessly on our fitness this preseason to make sure we could keep up with the better sides for longer. That showed today with the boys kicking 6 goals to the Lions 4 in the last quarter to pick up the win. It was fantastic to see Wattsy have a terrific game. He works hard on the track, which not many outside of the club realise, so the criticism he cops is a little unjustified in my opinion. Hopefully this will silence the naysayers for a while, and give them an idea of hat he is capable of. Bernie Vince was terrific. He just does everything well, and is really the driving force in our midfield. He just provides a secondary midfield dynamo alongside Jones that make the opposition wary. However, the biggest positive out of today was Christian Petracca. He just slotted in seamlessly into the midfield and showed already he is going to be a very good midfielder for us for the next decade. His composure for a first year player was outstanding. Angus Brayshaw had a good outing in his first game, collecting 15 disposals, and was a valuable contributor. Unlike Petracca, it seems he might take a little while to get going at this level, but I think this will be sooner rather than later.​

 

[Grockadoc]

ROUND 2 V Carlton:

LINEUP:

B: Lumumba, Dunn, Terlich
HB: Grimes, Garland, Toumpas
C: Viney, Trengove, Cross
HF: Watts, Hogan, Howe
F: Gawn, Dawes, Garlett
R: Jamar, Jones, Vince
I: Petracca, Brayshaw, Tyson
Sub: Salem

IN: Dawes, Terlich
OUT: McKenzie (Omit), T. McDonald (Inj.)

Coaches Thoughts:

A fantastic showing by the boys last week, and this week we come up against the Blues who have been inconsistent in their efforts over the past year or so. Their midfield is their biggest weapon with Judd, Murphy and Gibbs all star players, however, I feel that this is going to be a great test for us, and one the players welcome. We lost Tom McDonald due to a calf strain and Jordie McKenzie was unlucky to be dropped, but we had big Dawesy returning from a suspension he incurred during the NAB Challenge, so someone was going to be unlucky. Dean Terlich gets a run for us, and Toumpas is moved to the half back flank where he can use his pace and skills to help us rebound, and set us up as an attacking rebounding defender. The boys are amped up this week against a side that can play some terrific football, so hopefully we can come to play.​

 

[Grockadoc]

ROUND 2 V Carlton:

Carlton: 15.12.102
Melbourne: 15.7.97

Possessions: Tyson 32, Vince 24, Grimes 23, Brayshaw 22, Dunn 20.
Goals: Gawn 5, Dawes 4, Viney, Petracca, Toumpas, Jones, Vince, Cross.
Best: Tyson, Vince, Gawn, Dunn, Cross.

Coaches Thoughts:

A terrific showing from the boys, despite the loss. As I expected, Carlton's seasoned midfield was a little bit too much for our boys to handle and really set their win up. They also managed to shut out Nathan Jones who had a quiet afternoon. Chris Dawes had a solid outing kicking 4, but it was big Maxie Gawn who was the choice forward for us to go to, utilising him and his height against his undersized opponent. Although Carlton may have kicked inaccurately, I am very happy with the performance of the boys who are pretty upbeat at their showing, and feel that this holds us in good stead for the season ahead, knowing we can match it with some of the better midfields in the competition.​

 

[Grockadoc]

Round 3 V Geelong:

LINEUP:

B: Lumumba, Dunn, T. McDonald
HB: Grimes, Garland, Toumpas
C: Viney, Trengove, Cross
HF: Hogan, Watts Howe
F: Gawn, Dawes, Garlett
R: Jamar, Jones, Vince
I: Petracca, Brayshaw, Tyson
Sub: Salem

In: T. McDonald
Out: D. Terlich

Coaches Thoughts:

One of the biggest challenges anyone can face in the AFL. The Geelong Football Club at Simonds Stadium. To say we have been poor down there would be an understatement. They are just a fantastic football club that has talent everywhere across the field. Their backline is cohesive and impregnable for all but the best forward lines, their midfield is stacked with talent, led by one of the premier mids of the competition in Joel Selwood, and their forward line has been bolstered by the addition of Mitch Clark to partner big Tom Hawkins. This is not a game that we are expected to win, and rightly so. However, a loss I will tolerate. What I will not tolerate, is a lack of effort. We might get intimidated, we might get battered and bruised by a hardened Cat's outfit, but giving up is not an option. I want to see effort. Dean Terlich finds himself out of the side, and Tom McDonald is back in, as we felt his bigger body is going to be needed to combat the Cat's forwards.​

 

[Grockadoc]

Round 3 V Geelong:

Geelong: 22.4.136
Melbourne: 13.8.86

Possessions: Cross 30, Tyson 29, Vince 28, Petracca 23, Viney 22.
Goals: Dawes 6, Garland, Toumpas, Lumumba, Watts, Garland, McDonald, Viney.
Best: Tyson, Cross, Vince, Dawes, Viney.

Coaches Thoughts:

AS expected, Geelong proved to be too strong for our inexperienced side. Credit to our boys, who managed to kick a respectable 86 points for the match, but it was the Cats midfield and forward line that really did the damage to us today. Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel, Mitch Duncan and Corey Enright all registered 30+ disposals, whilst Tom Hawkins, Mitch Clark and Rhys Stanley combined for 13 goals, as our inexperienced and undersized defenders were found out, especially under quick ball movement from the Cats, who blitzed us with a second quarter frenzy, which they booted 10 goals, compared to our 1, which really cemented the win for them. Most of our boys gave it there all. Crossy, Bernie, Dawesy, Jack Viney and Christian Petracca were our best today, but Jeff Garlett was terrible, only registering 3 possessions for the game. This is his second poor game in a row.​

 

[bone2468]

Great Read

 

[Grockadoc]

Round 4: BYE​

 

[Grockadoc]

ROUND 5 V Hawthorn:

LINEUP:

B: Lumumba, Dunn, T. McDonald
HB: Grimes, Garland, Toumpas
C: Viney, Trengove, Cross
HF: Hogan, Watts Howe
F: Gawn, Dawes, Kennedy-Harris
R: Jamar, Jones, Vince
I: Petracca, Brayshaw, Tyson
Sub: Salem

IN: Kennedy-Harris
OUT: Garlett

Coaches Thoughts:

After a fairly strong showing against Geelong, besides the second quarter, we face one of the best teams of the modern era in Hawthorn. The Hawks currently sit on top of the ladder after 4 rounds, undefeated and look primed to win their third straight flag. Our boys are pumped up this week to challenge themselves against the best this competition has to offer, and, whilst we have no expectations of a win, again, effort is key for us. That effort is the reason why Jay Kennedy-Harris comes in to replace Jeff Garlett. In the last 2 games, Jeff has been subpar in his endeavour during the match. As a player with as much AFL experience as Jeff has, he needs to be setting an example for the younger players in our squad and as such, he has been omitted as a statement to the squad that it doesn't matter if you are a senior player, or a younger player. If you aren't prepared to work, you don't play.​

 

[Grockadoc]

Round 5 V Hawthorn:

Hawthorn: 24.6.150
Melbourne: 15.5.95

Possessions: Cross 28, Petracca 28, Tyson 26, Jones 24, Brayshaw 21.
Goals: Dawes 5, Cross 3, Gawn, Trengove 2, Vince, Watts, Brayshaw.
Best: Cross, Jamar, Petracca, Dunn, Tyson.

Coaches Thoughts:

A fairly strong showing from the boys against a superior opposition. We matched them well for 2 and a half quarters, but ultimately, their pressure made us crumble in the third quarter in which they piled on 11 goals to our 2. They are a magnificent team to watch, though and our boys learnt about effort and dedication, as well as playing for the team from Hawthorn today, so this loss was a positive one. For us to score almost 100 points against their backline, that is a fantastic result for us, and one that shows that we can play some good football, it's just consistency across quarters that lets us down at the moment, which is to be expected for such a young side.​

 

[Grockadoc]

Game crashed, so I'm just going to sim the rest of the season from now.

 

[Grockadoc]

2015 SEASON:

13th Position
6 Wins (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, Adelaide, St. Kilda)
16 Losses
92.00 %

STAT LEADERS:

Possessions: N. Jones (525)
Goals: J. Watts (75)
Marks: M. Jamar (103)
Tackles: T. McDonald (124)
Clearances: J. Viney (93)
Hard Ball Gets: J. Grimes (103)
Hitouts: M. Jamar (614)

AWARDS:

NAB Rising Star Nomination:

Dom Tyson (Round 11): 36 possessions, 5 marks, 5 tackles, 2 Clearances, 5 inside 50's.

NAB Rising Star:

Christian Petracca: 484 possessions, 82 marks, 61 tackles, 98 Inside 50's, 43 Rebound 50's, 8 goals.

All Australian:

Tom McDonald (LBP)​

 

[Grockadoc]

2015 TRADE WEEK:

C. Pedersen to St. Kilda for S. Gilbert.
D. Cross to Brisbane for J. Adcock.
M. Jones, A Neal-Bullen, Pick 127 to Brisbane for picks 20, 57.
J. Hunt, D. Kent to Western Bulldogs for Pick 18.
J. Fitzpatrick to Western Bulldogs for W. Minson, Picks 61, 71.
M. Gawn to Essendon for Pick 16.
R. Bail to Essendon for P. Chapman.
V. Michie to Western Bulldogs for M. Boyd.

FINAL DRAFT PICKS:

5, 16, 18, 20, 15, 42, 57, 59, 61, 71, 76, 93, 110.

Coaches Thoughts:

I felt that this year our backline was young, and inexperienced, and our depth down there wasn't wuite what it needed to be to take this club forward. That's why we targeted some older, more experienced players in Sam Gilbert and Jed Adcock. Although losing Crossy to Brisbane is going to be a big loss for our midfield, we brought in Matthew Boyd as a ready made replacement for him to slot straight in. This draft we feel is going to be a bumper one, so we tried to get as many picks inside the top 30 as possible. As a result we traded Gawny to the Bombers who offered up their first round draft pick. This was an offer we had to consider for a couple of days before accepting it, as we felt Gawny was a very good player for us, and we will be sad to see him go. As a replacement, we again loaded up with some more senior experience, bringing in Will Minson. For added experience we traded in Paul Chapman who we feel is going to give us another dimension in our midfield and half forward line. Many of these might be seen as short term inclusions, but we feel that the added experience not just on the field, but the leadership they provide off the field will go a long way to making us a better club, not just now, but in the future as well.​

 

[bone2468]

Damn watts decided to pull his socks up big time!

 

[Grockadoc]

Damn watts decided to pull his socks up big time!

He had to. Chris Dawes copped a few suspensions and injuries.

 

[Grockadoc]

2015 NATIONAL DRAFT:

Pick 5:

Name: Dustin Hampshire
Age: 19
Position: Ruckman/Forward
Height: 200
Weight: 95
Overall: 76
Peak: 93

Reason for selection: Purely and simply, we felt Dustin was too good to pass up, and the best available player at his pick. With the loss of Max Gawn, we were in desperate need for another ruckman to become backup for Mark Jamar. At 19, Dustin already has another year's development on some of the other draftees which should hold him in good stead for this year, as he is a ready made ruckman who could be available to play during the early parts of the season. The fact that Dustin is a superb ruckman, but also a handy forward adds an extra dimension to his game, and with his frame, he looks like a promising player for us who could be another goalkicking option for us in the forward line, whilst providing some relief for Mark Jamar through the ruck. Dustin is an aggressive player, and loves the rough stuff. He thrives on being a physical presence, and someone that inspires those around him. He also has great endurance for someone of his size which should see him become a permanent fixture in the side before too long.

Pick 16:

Name: Trey Coom
Age: 18
Position: Tall Defender
Height: 193
Weight: 96
Overall: 70
Peak: 90

Reason for selection: Trey is one of the better tall defenders in this draft, and many ahd him going inside the top 10. However, as more and more clubs decided against taking him, and he slid, we jumped at the opportunity to draft him at our pick 16. Despite not being an athletically gifted player, Trey is an absolute monster defender, who uses his massive frame to full advantage. He is elite in spoiling in a contested situation, but can sometimes get exposed on the lead from some of the quicker forwards. He is a competitive player who hates to be beaten. This pick was more of a best available selection rather than a needs based pick.

Pick 18:

Name: Matthew Drinnan
Age: 17
Position: Inside Midfielder
Height: 187
Weight: 87
Overall: 71
Peak: 92

Reason for selection: Another slider in the draft that we were all too happy to pounce on. A bull of an inside midfielder, Matthew is a very strong player. At 87 kilograms, he is a heavy midfielder that really knows how to use it to outmanoeuvre opposition onballers when contesting a loose ball. He is a very aggressive player, and loves to throw his weight around, crashing the mauls around the balls in an effort to get at the ball. Despite his tough persona, however, he is a skilful player. Being only 17 as well, means he has a lot more development left in him, so he could potentially be one of the better inside midfielders in the AFL when he hits his peak.

Pick 20:

Name: Brandon Brinkmann
Age: 17
Position: Outside Midfielder
Height: 184
Weight: 87
Overall: 70
Peak: 90

Reason for selection: A smooth moving, silky outside player who is able to win his own ball, Brandon is another midfielder we feel will develop into a solid contributor at AFL level. At 17, like Matthew Drinnan, Brandon has a lot of development left in him and already has a terrific fitness base which should hold him in good stead for his AFL career. He is a speedy wingman type who can drift forward and kick a goa and also has nice footskills and tackling tenacity. Another talented midfielder to join our already bursting midfield depth.

Pick 25:

Name: Jorge Burer
Age: 19
Position: Inside Midfielder
Height: 185
Weight: 84
Overall: 72
Peak: 88

Reason for selection: Potentially one of the steals of the draft, Jorge Burer is an inside midfielder beats with a difference. He is a terrific mark for his size, and one of the best marking players in the draft, outside of key position players. Burer has it all. Strength, speed, skill, vertical leap and X factor and could be a very damaging player for us over the next decade. Burer has been likened to Fremantle Gun Nat Fyfe, and if he turns out half as good as Fyfe, we have a very special player on our hands.

Pick 42:

Name: Kaden Sexton
Age: 17
Position: Tall Defender
Height: 192
Weight: 96
Overall: 67
Peak: 87

Reason for selection: Kaden is a young, 17 year old developing Key Defender who is going to be a project player for us over the next few years. He is a strong player both in the air, and on the lead, and has terrific footkills for a man of his size which should help us better transition the ball from defence, particularly at kickouts. Kaden is still very raw as a prospect though and will take some time to develop the necessary fitness base to play at AFL level, and particularly on the more athletically gifted forwards, however he looks to have a bright future ahead if he can tap into his raw potential.

Pick 57:

Name: Tanner Smith
Age: 20
Position: Tall Defender
Height: 196
Weight: 90
Overall: 75
Peak: 85

Reason for selection: A mature age recruit delisted by Fremantle, Tanner is a terrific defender, and is elite in his ability to spoil the ball both in a contested situation and on the lead. Our key defender stocks are shaky after the first two or three, so Tanner presented an opportunity to again increase our depth in that regard, and allow the likes of Trey Coom and Kaden Sexton a chance to develop in the VFL without having to be thrown to the wolves in case of injury. This is a purely depth related pick.

Pick 59:

Name: Derrick Holland
Age: 18
Position: Tall Forward
Height: 193
Weight: 95
Overall: 63
Peak: 83

Reason for selection: Derrick presented an interesting proposition for us. Having played most of his career as a key forward, we feel he has attributes that could translate to a successful move either into the midfield or into defence as a utility type player. He is still a terribly raw player and is a 4+ year project type, but he is a player who we believe we can mould into a variety of roles so he can cover us at either end of the ground.​

 

[Grockadoc]

PRESEASON DRAFT:

Selections passed

ROOKIE DRAFT:

Sebastian Lugg (Midfielder)
Kyler Hume (Tall Forward)
Ruben Strange (Small Defender)
Joshua Baker (Midfielder)​

 

[Grockadoc]

2015 Playing List:

1: Jesse Hogan
2: Nathan Jones
3: Christian Salem
4: Jack Watts
5: Jimmy Toumpas
6: Chris Dawes
7: Jack Viney
8: Heritier Lumumba
9: Jack Trengove
10: Angus Brayshaw
11: Jed Acock
12: Dom Tyson
13: Jordie McKenzie
14: Lynden Dunn
15: Billy Stretch
16: Matthew Boyd
17: Sam Frost
18: Dustin Hampshire
19: Ben Newton
20: Colin Garland
21: Paul Chapman
22: Sam Gilbert
23: Bernie Vince
24: Jay Kennedy-Harris
25: Tom McDonald
26: Christian Petracca
27: Aidan Riley
28: Oscar McDonald
29: Jorge Burer
30: Will Minson
31: Jack Grimes
32: Matthew Drinnan
33: Brandon Brinkamn
34: Trey Coom
35: Kaden Sexton
36: Jeff Garlett
37: Tanner Smith
38: Jeremy Howe
39: Derrick Holland
40: Mark Jamar
41: Sebastian Lugg (r)
42: Jake Spencer
43: Joshua Baker (r)
44: Kyler Hume (r)
45: Ruben Strange (r)
46: Dean Terlich​

 

[Grockadoc]

SEASON 2016:

HOME AND AWAY SEASON:

Position: 6th
Wins: 13
Losses: 9
108.87%​

 

[Grockadoc]

2016 ELIMINATION FINAL:

Melbourne: 14.12.96
Carlton: 12.11.83

Possessions: Petracca 30, Jones 26, Boyd 26, Gilbert 22, Viney 22.
Goals: Watts 4, Hampshire 3, Tyson, Chapman, Grimes, Toumpas, Petracca, Dawes, Viney.
Best: Hampshire, Petracca, Watts, Adcock, Gilbert.

Coaches Thoughts:

Wow. What a fantastic season so far from the boys. We built last year around fitness work so we could run games out better in the future and it looks like 12 months on it has held us in good stead. I didn't think we would make finals this year, but I challenged the boys to try and see how far they could push themselves this year, and credit to the players, they responded to most of the obstacles they faced. Many teams in our position would have been happy to just make finals, however, our boys are hungry and determined to show the footballing world that the dark days of this club are over, and they wanted to win. I felt we had played the better football in the first half, and felt that the boys deserved to be up, but a few little errors cost us and the Blues held a slim 4 point lead at the main break. The boys fired up in the change rooms however, and came out breathing fire in the third quarter, kicking 7 goals to 3, and managed to put a reasonable buffer on the Blues, and ultimately, a spurt that helped win us the game. Dustin Hampshire has had a fantastic debut season, and he just keeps getting better and better as the weeks go by. Jack Watts has certainly silenced his critics the past couple of seasons and looks to be a bonafide star of the AFL.​

 

[Grockadoc]

2016 SEMI FINAL:

West Coast: 10.12.72
Melbourne: 17.9.111

Possessions: Jones 38, Tyson 32, Petracca 29, Grimes 24, Burer 23.
Goals: Chapman 4, Hogan 3, Burer 2, Jones, Boyd, Howe, Dawes, Watts, Toumpas, Grimes, Viney.
Best: Jones, Chapman, Hogan, Gilbert, Petracca.

Coaches Thoughts:

This is the best football game we have played in my time at the club. Easily. After playing to a draw in the first quarter, our boys came out firing in the second and third quarters and really cemented a win, kicking 5.4 in the second to the Eagles 0.2, and kicked 5.1 to 2.4 in the third to kick 10.5 to 2.6 in the middle periods of the game to put this contest to bed. Nathan Jones just continues to be a presence for us through the midfield, and consistently wins the ball for us. His grunt work in the clinches is invaluable. Jorge Burer has been a fantastic addition to the side in 2016, and as a marking player with a lot of X-Factor, he wins his own ball and can kick goals, as evidenced today. Paul Chapman has been our recruit of the year so far. He has been fantastic for us both on the field and off of it, as a mentor to the younger brigade and as an example of someone who not only has talent, but who works tremendously hard to get the best out of himself. The supporters are elated, as are we at the current run of form we are having, but we are not getting ahead of ourselves. We come up against the minor premiers Essendon in the Preliminary Final.​

 

[Grockadoc]

2016 PRELIMINARY FINAL:

Essendon: 16.6.102
Melbourne: 23.3.141

Possessions: Jones 34, Grimes 27, Viney 24, Burer 23, Dunn 23.
Goals: Watts 5, Hampshire, Hogan 4, Boyd 2, Jamar, Jones, Dawes, Howe, Tyson, Grimes, Viney, Toumpas.
Best: Jones, Jamar, Dunn, Grimes, Watts.

Coaches Thoughts:

Well, what can you say about a performance like that other than that it exceeded almost everyone else's expectations, including my own? We played the best football I had seen at my time last week, and this was even better against an opposition who had only lost 1 game in the home and away season, coincidentally, it came against us as well. I think the fact that we had beaten the Bombers during the season had shown our boys that they were up to the challenge of beating Essendon, and the self belief that this gave the players throughout the week was immeasurable. Every player on the list felt like we were in with a shot and I think this just goes to show how much of a better football side we are now, compared to years gone by. Again, we just see a collective effort from the side, with a few of the senior boys standing out, but the youngsters again still pulling their weight and some even beating their more seasoned direct opponents. 18 goals to 12 after the first quarter just goes to show how much pressure our boys put on. We must now not get distracted from the grand final next week against the Suns who have had a terrific season as well. All focus must be directed at them and the game, and not the distractions around the game.​