Opinion Have we clicked?

[Gysberts2Bate]

I can’t see us losing another game this season

 

[Creepen]

Port would be 4th or 5th but they have had a bye. Definitely not a walk over in Adelaide.

Nobody knows how good the pies really are either.

I agree mate, never said it was gonna be easy. But they’ve click, and when Gus kicked that goal after the siren and the way the boys got around him. It was wonderful. I’m a believer

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

When we flatten the Magpies and Port everyone will take notice, but in reality neither side is the real deal. Port the biggest one way runners around

 

[Sprout]

There’s a tiny part of the most chest beating Melbourne supporter that is hesitant to blow the lid off. That said, this looks the mot sustainable brand of football we’ve played in a long time. Certainly since 2006. The skeptics are pointing to the opposition we’ve played but it’s the manner in which we’ve disposed of them that is different to what we’ve seen up until now.

I’m picking Melbourne this weekend against a pretty decent opponent without a hint of reservation. I can’t remember the last time that happened.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

There’s a tiny part of the most chest beating Melbourne supporter that is hesitant to blow the lid off. That said, this looks the mot sustainable brand of football we’ve played in a long time. Certainly since 2006. The skeptics are pointing to the opposition we’ve played but it’s the manner in which we’ve disposed of them that is different to what we’ve seen up until now.

I’m picking Melbourne this weekend against a pretty decent opponent without a hint of reservation. I can’t remember the last time that happened.

The Dogs are shite, but I do agree. I reckon we’ll hammer Port in a few weeks. If we do a number on the Magpies while they’re up and about and then win at Adelaide Oval on a Friday night the lid will blow right off

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

When we flatten the Magpies and Port everyone will take notice, but in reality neither side is the real deal. Port the biggest one way runners around

The Dogs are shite, but I do agree. I reckon we’ll hammer Port in a few weeks. If we do a number on the Magpies while they’re up and about and then win at Adelaide Oval on a Friday night the lid will blow right off

in case anyone is unclear my lid is already blown. I almost crave a loss at this stage

 

[stretcharmstrong]

in case anyone is unclear my lid is already blown. I almost crave a loss at this stage

Yeah, you’re on a path to self destruction

 

[harry000]

in case anyone is unclear my lid is already blown. I almost crave a loss at this stage

I upgraded my membership. I apologise in advance if we lose this weekend.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Yeah, you’re on a path to self destruction

Ever since we started playing well I’ve channeled all of my emotional energy into footy. It’s oddly liberating, but precarious

 

[harry000]

Ever since we started playing well I’ve channeled all of my emotional energy into footy. It’s oddly liberating, but precarious

Joining the cheer squad when you get back to Aus?

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Joining the cheer squad when you get back to Aus?

Don't know if I can afford to go to games Gotta save up for that GF ticket

 

[mrmonkey]

Not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that we don't get to test ourselves against Richmond again this season.

I think the problem Adelaide had last year was they pumped Richmond in round 6 well before Richmond truly clicked and didn't face them again until the grand final. Had Adelaide got Richmond at the g say round 20 they might have been able to adjust to Richmond's pressure in the gf. I would like to see this team test themselves against Richmond before finals. At least we get a look at Sydney and west coast late in the season.

The flip side is we do what Richmond did to Adelaide and Richmond wouldn't know what to expect against the dees come finals time. Of course this is providing we meet Richmond in the finals.

I don't want to sound like I'm getting ahead of myself but I'm confident we are making finals.

 

[LeverPuller]

Not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that we don't get to test ourselves against Richmond again this season.

I think the problem Adelaide had last year was they pumped Richmond in round 6 well before Richmond truly clicked and didn't face them again until the grand final. Had Adelaide got Richmond at the g say round 20 they might have been able to adjust to Richmond's pressure in the gf. I would like to see this team test themselves against Richmond before finals. At least we get a look at Sydney and west coast late in the season.

The flip side is we do what Richmond did to Adelaide and Richmond wouldn't know what to expect against the dees come finals time. Of course this is providing we meet Richmond in the finals.

I don't want to sound like I'm getting ahead of myself but I'm confident we are making finals.

West Coast will be the real rev-up.

 

[Cannon82]

Me to.
I don't like that I think we are good.

Incorrect. We're bad, but a lot of other clubs are worse.

 

[Cannon82]

I think this is the main thing. After the first few rounds, it was all I wanted Goodwin to change, and he did. We just needed to drop about 35m backwards from where we were setting up that crazy zone. I mean OMac was pretty much standing on fwd 50 at the start of the season, it was silly. We now have a sweeper pretty much, who is always a kick from the next lot of defenders/players.

It really was all that was needed to stop the easy goals opposition sides were scoring against us. Now they really have to craft their goals. Admittedly, we've come up against some ordinary sides, but are there really that many excellent sides this year? Seems to me like there's the Weagles who are legitimately good, the tigers who I don't even reckon are travelling that well. I mean who have they beaten? They got us, sure, but we weren't really rolling yet and I thought they really only got us pretty late but fair enough. They were pantsed by Adelaide and well beaten by Weagles. Just got over North and pretty much just got over the Saints. They are hardly travelling excellently. Then there's the rest I think.

So we've been able to tweak that defensive set up and at least against the sides we have played, it has been really difficult for sides to score against us. We're conceding less than 80 points a game over the season and 64 over the last 5 weeks. We've only conceded 100+ twice, once against the premiers, and once against Hawthorn where we can all agree that we just had a shocker.

I think the defence is having a way easier time though, because of our midfield. It's gotta be top 2 or 3 in the league, and simply, the ball isn't getting inside our defensive 50. We're only conceding 47 inside 50s a game on average. That is best in the league (it's about 1 less than second - Hawks and tigers, but then 3 less than the next best - Port, and it goes from there. Another way of looking at it, is that we go foward on average 14 times per game more than the oppo. That is huge. The defence simply has had less to do because we are keeping the ball from getting there. And I reckon that is largely to do with our midfield.

Go you one better - the midfield has improved in protecting the back line, but the forward line is now working their guts out and putting pressure on the opposition defenders far more than we used to. About 75% of our forward entries resulted in one of the opposition flankers strolling out of the 50 unopposed - now the front 6 are pressuring like mad. Curious to see how well we maintain it, but there are a lot fewer easy possessions being won against us.

If this is Goodwin's final form and the side continues to play like this, can see why he was adamant in offing Watts (and why Garlett is out of the side at the moment). Occasional flash in the pan efforts are not acceptable.

I think we'll finish 9th.

 

[LeverPuller]

I think we'll finish 9th.

I will hunt you down.

 

[Crimson Azure]

I will (Jayden) hunt you down.

So you’ll have a break out season then go missing, never to recapture Cannon82

 

[The Plowking]

I reckon you've definately clicked.
Its been a long time in the making though....

Tigers, WC and Dee's look like the only realistic teams imo.

 

[mrmonkey]

Went down to training and took some footage

 

[stEdy]

Last 2 years says it's more important to be clicking at the tail end of the season, so it sounds weird but I think we need a few losses through the middle of the year to keep us grounded

 

[Johnny Karate]

Something has definitely clicked. In the 8 quarters between quarter time against Hawthorn and quarter time against Essendon we scored 10.18.78 to 32.17.209. In the second quarter of the game against Essendon at Etihad it was 3.4 a piece. In our 18 quarters won since we have out scored the opposition 97.52.634 to 40.44.284 with a whopping percentage of 223.2 - I doubt many other clubs no matter the opposition could match that form.

Before round 6 in 22 of 27 games with Goodwin as coach the opposition was able to get on 4 goals or more unanswered runs in games. In rounds 6-10 we’ve barely allowed the opposition 2 goals in a row.

This all may amount to nothing, injuries could take hold or our form could slide in the midst of a long season. However, you’d have to be a mouth breather to ignore our form in the here and now. Another heartening sign should be that dickhead Craig Hutchison calling us flat track bullies - he’s like Nostradamus in reverse.

 

[Oscarman]

Having the defensive anchor and a proper forward structure make a huge difference, and yet they are such simple concepts. It's amazing how sheep like coaches are chasing the latest trend instead of setting their own. Players coming off the back of the square for example. Now everyone does it.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Would actually love to be playing WC, Sydney, or Richmond this week (Richmond at the ‘G, others away). A win would be huge for our confidence.

 

[sylvieMFC]

There’s a tiny part of the most chest beating Melbourne supporter that is hesitant to blow the lid off. That said, this looks the mot sustainable brand of football we’ve played in a long time. Certainly since 2006. The skeptics are pointing to the opposition we’ve played but it’s the manner in which we’ve disposed of them that is different to what we’ve seen up until now.

I’m picking Melbourne this weekend against a pretty decent opponent without a hint of reservation. I can’t remember the last time that happened.

Yeah, a danger game for us. Keeping the faith, but my lid is still firmly on.

 

[Crimson Azure]

A week later and whilst a little down still put the dogs away.

I’m terrified of the burgeoning hope I have. What’s the opposite of shame?