Toast How can this Melbourne side be stopped?

Jul 14, 2005
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Bulldogs in 2017. Are you 4 years old?
Don’t think anyone really expected the Doggies to follow up the flag win the following year.

They had a great run in finals but finished in the bottom half of the top 8. The Dees finished 1st on the ladder in the H&A season and then decimated the finals series.
 
Apr 18, 2005
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Don’t think anyone really expected the Doggies to follow up the flag win the following year.

They had a great run in finals but finished in the bottom half of the top 8. The Dees finished 1st on the ladder in the H&A season and then decimated the finals series.
Don’t be evasive.

They didn’t even make the 8. Nobody is suggesting winning again in 17, but not making the 8 is pretty grim. They’ve also done stuff all since that flag.

Do you know how hard it is to go back to back? In the modern era?
 

markm106

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Back to back is extremely hard. We had a very similar form line last year at this stage. We were 13 wins also. And a draw. I personally don’t think we’re playing as well as
Last year in general. But a win against the odds against Freo could really change things up if we can pull it off.

Second on the ladder and still in with a shot for the flag as it stands. A pretty hard run home from here so we’ll find out in the next few weeks.
 
Jul 14, 2005
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Don’t be evasive.

They didn’t even make the 8. Nobody is suggesting winning again in 17, but not making the 8 is pretty grim. They’ve also done stuff all since that flag.

Do you know how hard it is to go back to back? In the modern era?
Richmond did it, Hawthorn did it twice in their premiership stint - that’s pretty recent history.

If you’re looking purely at ladder position then it’s quite possible the Dees fall a similar number of spots to the Doggies the year after their premiership win - 5th-9th, Dees could go 1st-5th.

The baseline and expectations were a lot higher for Melbourne. The general opinion for the Doggies was they’d jagged one before the list had properly come together and eventually they’d be challenging with a more mature squad - which did happen 5 years later.
 

Slander

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Jan 20, 2005
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Don’t think anyone really expected the Doggies to follow up the flag win the following year.

They had a great run in finals but finished in the bottom half of the top 8. The Dees finished 1st on the ladder in the H&A season and then decimated the finals series.
We snuck into first with a win after the siren. We’re currently second. To call it the biggest drop off in recent memory is your murder boner talking.
 
Apr 18, 2005
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Richmond did it, Hawthorn did it twice in their premiership stint - that’s pretty recent history.

If you’re looking purely at ladder position then it’s quite possible the Dees fall a similar number of spots to the Doggies the year after their premiership win - 5th-9th, Dees could go 1st-5th.

The baseline and expectations were a lot higher for Melbourne. The general opinion for the Doggies was they’d jagged one before the list had properly come together and eventually they’d be challenging with a more mature squad - which did happen 5 years later.
They were absolutely destroyed in their only GF appearance since 2016 and it wasn’t due to travel because they travelled in their flag year just as much, so your argument is beyond defunct. In fact it’s so flawed your only reasoning must be you don’t like Melbourne.
 
Apr 18, 2005
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Richmond did it, Hawthorn did it twice in their premiership stint - that’s pretty recent history.

If you’re looking purely at ladder position then it’s quite possible the Dees fall a similar number of spots to the Doggies the year after their premiership win - 5th-9th, Dees could go 1st-5th.

The baseline and expectations were a lot higher for Melbourne. The general opinion for the Doggies was they’d jagged one before the list had properly come together and eventually they’d be challenging with a more mature squad - which did happen 5 years later.
Richmond and Hawthorn. Two of the most unique teams we’ve seen…
 

Slander

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Richmond and Hawthorn. Two of the most unique teams we’ve seen…
3 sides have gone back to back this century but if Melbourne don’t it’s the biggest drop off in history and the window is shut.

Season 9 Ok GIF by The Office
 
Sep 7, 2005
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Demons will be fine, they have a few things not going their way most notably Gawn not 100% fit at the moment. Their goal from here should be a MCG QF, which would happen if they finished 4th and Geelong 1st. Last year they showed countless times that they can flick the switch when they need to - from 3/4 time at Geelong in round 23 to halfway through the 3rd quarter of the GF.

Their body of work means they should still be favourites this season, and even if they don’t win it, most of their key players are will be in their prime so they’ll be top 4 again next season.
 

Slander

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Its still too early to tell, but there are some signs they suffered from the Richmond 2018 approach. Peaked too early and couldn't maintain the rage to deep September.
10-0 and now 3-5 from their last 8 games.
IIRC Dusty was proppy in that finals series? If we hit the finals with Gawn and Jackson out of form as well as Lever and May banged up, we’ll struggle.
 
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IIRC Dusty was proppy in that finals series? If we hit the finals with Gawn and Jackson out of form as well as Lever and May banged up, we’ll struggle.
Yeh its too early to tell, health with all teams will be critical in such a tight final 8 when it eventuates. Will be a very hard finals series to match tip.
 

catman2006

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Melbourne still the top side they are just looking a little disinterested with footy at the moment.
 

Veer Right

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They are the reigning premiers and sit second on the ladder with 4 rounds remaining.
Write them off at your own peril.

I am writing them off, current run of form this deep into the season isn't premiership material.

Geelong are the obvious choice but as we know they find nothing when the pressure ramps in finals. If they can turn that around and handle chaos ball football they are the team to beat. History says they won't.

Swans will win their last four and are the team to beat imo.
 
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I am writing them off, current run of form this deep into the season isn't premiership material.

Geelong are the obvious choice but as we know they find nothing when the pressure ramps in finals. If they can turn that around and handle chaos ball football they are the team to beat. History says they won't.

Swans will win their last four and are the team to beat imo.
I agree the Swans look ominous.
Their draw is ridiculously easy and will win the last 4 you would think.
 

deanc

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‘Perception’ what was this ‘perception’ that you bought into? And who was ‘perceiving’ this? Footy analysts who get paid to talk s**t for a living? BF pundits like you?

There is no linear form line to much that can’t be confidently estimated or predicted. Football definitely is not linear.

Of the top 10 contributors in this thread, you’re one of the only non Melbourne supporters. Why the obsession with Melbourne?
My 'perception' is that far too many buy into and react to the disingenuous BS that has sadly become prevalent in nearly all MS media including our AFL presenters and scribes.
While I guess this provides discussion topics for BF and similar forums, the majority is simply a daily production cycle of content creation and with rare exception there is zero accountability. It's one thing to present rumour/innuendo and speculation as 'news' but it's laughable when some journo's defend their 'credibility' when their BS catches up with them..!

Just one recent example; Mark Robinson published an article around this time last year post Carlton sacking David Teague. To ad-lib the article suggested the Blues should go all out to secure the services of Alastair Clarkson or similar and be prepared to pay up to $2M a season..! He also defended this claim in follow-up discussions on SEN and AFL 360.
Fast forward to last week and Robbo produces an article lambasting rumours that Clarkson was seeking $1.6M to coach the Roos..! Headline "Robbo: The $1.6 million blunder waiting to happen - The Clarkson revelations simply can't be true because he is not worth that much money...?" WTF..!!!

Back on topic - I assume this thread was created when the Dees were 10-0 when our babbling talking heads (aka footy analysts/experts) were fawning over how they could they be beaten? Just over a month later the same 'analysts/experts' have back-tracked and changed the narrative - but despite this, in my humble opinion, the Dees remain the team to beat this season...
 
Apr 18, 2005
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My 'perception' is that far too many buy into and react to the disingenuous BS that has sadly become prevalent in nearly all MS media including our AFL presenters and scribes.
While I guess this provides discussion topics for BF and similar forums, the majority is simply a daily production cycle of content creation and with rare exception there is zero accountability. It's one thing to present rumour/innuendo and speculation as 'news' but it's laughable when some journo's defend their 'credibility' when their BS catches up with them..!

Just one recent example; Mark Robinson published an article around this time last year post Carlton sacking David Teague. To ad-lib the article suggested the Blues should go all out to secure the services of Alastair Clarkson or similar and be prepared to pay up to $2M a season..! He also defended this claim in follow-up discussions on SEN and AFL 360.
Fast forward to last week and Robbo produces an article lambasting rumours that Clarkson was seeking $1.6M to coach the Roos..! Headline "Robbo: The $1.6 million blunder waiting to happen - The Clarkson revelations simply can't be true because he is not worth that much money...?" WTF..!!!

Back on topic - I assume this thread was created when the Dees were 10-0 when our babbling talking heads (aka footy analysts/experts) were fawning over how they could they be beaten? Just over a month later the same 'analysts/experts' have back-tracked and changed the narrative - but despite this, in my humble opinion, the Dees remain the team to beat this season...
Couldn’t have worded it better. The football analysis provided by media ‘experts’ is simply carefully disguised back tracking and comments re the obvious to fill in over programmed time slots. Due to the frequency of these shows, it’s hard to keep these clowns honest, they flip and flop like whiting on a hook.

Mark Robinson is roaring drunk. His ticker almost packed it in due to his irresponsible lifestyle. If he can occupy the position he does, the majority of coherent sensible people in here could do that same job.
 

Pistol Night

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Couldn’t have worded it better. The football analysis provided by media ‘experts’ is simply carefully disguised back tracking and comments re the obvious to fill in over programmed time slots. Due to the frequency of these shows, it’s hard to keep these clowns honest, they flip and flop like whiting on a hook.

Mark Robinson is roaring drunk. His ticker almost packed it in due to his irresponsible lifestyle. If he can occupy the position he does, the majority of coherent sensible people in here could do that same job.
Robbo called Essendon irrelevant 3 weeks ago. Last Sunday night he was ready to give the entire playing list and coaches free reach arounds for life
 

nineteen eighty

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No guarantee top 4
Have a tough last month

Freo (away)
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Brisbane (away)

It's not just that they're out of form, it's their record against top 8 teams. The next 4 rounds will tell a story.

We've all been banging on about their dysfunctional forward line. Does anyone have the I50 count from last night. Actually would be great to see I50 count for the full season and goals kicked per game. I think it will make for interesting reading.
 
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