Toast Round 13 = Melbourne 71-72 Collingwood

[MagpieExcalibur]

The good:

• The win, the 4 points.
• The occassion. We’re a classy participant.
• All round team effort. Difficult to single out individual contributors. Everybody called Darcy, Billy, Jeremy, Steele, Scott, Isaac, Ned and Beau were solid. Even those called Will played useful cameos.
• The taste of John Ralph’s delicious salty tears
• Hayes is coming along OK, he’ll be better for the run. But he shows why the coaches don’t load up on inexperienced players if they can avoid it.

The Bad:

- The commentary was especially awful.

The ugly:

- Steven May is a tool of the highest order. Compare his reaction to Gawn with our team’s reaction to Crispy after he missed the set shot at the end of the Geelong game. That’s why our team are winners and Melbourne are not.

Pendles bursting away leading to the Beau monster goal was amazing you would never suspect he's 37 on current form genuine freak

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

What did he say?

In the interview post slide he said “hopefully it’s a close one. Collingwood by 7 goals”

 

[No SPIN]

I just don’t agree at all. Cox has been front and centre for innumerable games where opposition defenders get on top aerially. His 5-7 minutes of chopping out in the ruck would have done nothing

For every example you offer there is one where the opposite is true against Melb.
An in form Cox makes us better against Melb’s marking power.

 

[Horaceg]

What did he say?

He said it was going to be close, then backed it up with Collingwood by 7 goals

 

[JoinDate]

Mmmmm, how delicious are all these tears.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

No way their defense dominates as comfortably, we become more competitive down the line and in the Ruck against Gawn and tire him accordingly. Allows DC to spend more time back if needed.
Their marking power was a standout today - which rarely happens when Cox plays.

Can’t believe I’m agreeing with you

Cox should have played. If for no other reason, his record against Melbourne on this day is quite good

 

[sr36]

Did the Cox ( in form) debate end tonight or has it resurfaced?
I think the later - against Melb at least.

Great ...

 

[lones37]

Great win, our best for the season IMO, given the opposition and how well they played, make no mistake this was their GF and they played like it. Conditions were very tough and suited them more than us, and they had territory and momentum most of the day on their terms, and they still couldn't beat us. We also had players down including Nick who was heavily tagged, players fumbling and making poor decisions, but out efficiency to score when it mattered was the difference, the McStay goal was a huge moment and our best ball movement of the day.

We can now start to manage the team, we still have 4 players out of our best side to come back in, JDG is the wild card, we need to get him right for when it counts, as we will need him. I think Mitchell will also be back after the bye, replacing Sully who has also been very good all season. We still have upside, Houston will only get better with every game, he hasn't hit his straps yet, as will Ed Allan with every game he plays whilst he remains in the team. I think all of us are taking 11 - 2, especially after Opening Round.

 

[Mick F]

Media starting with the "can we handle the burden of being top this early?". I don't know, maybe check two years ago where we had the same record at the same stage.

Last 8 times we have topped the ladder, we went ‘all the way’ twice.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

A push in the back when your opponent is in mid air has always been a free kick, especially if you push him under the flight of the ball and deny a mark he was going to take.

The since abolished hands in the back rule only applied to players with their feet on the ground…. and the right to protect your space was denied.

 

[gouki88]

For every example you offer there is one where the opposite is true against Melb.
An in form Cox makes us better against Melb’s marking power.

When was he last in form?

 

[domus]

Burn the tapes.













…except for the bits with Dunstall crying, sucked in campaigner

No way-I'll relish reliving every minute!

 

[ZEV]

Ir's time for the KB game to be between Melb and Ess. It's going to be weird when Neale passes that this game is a tribute to the great man but only the team he coached is represented.

The AFL need to re-fixture BF12 to be Ess v Melb and hopefully Neale is still with us in 12 months.

Neale daniher is the most inspiring person going around

 

[Vicky Park]

Melbourne planned well for us, and executed well, but I don’t think it was a blueprint on how to beat us.

We were down today, maybe because we had one eye on the bye and were just enough ‘off’ our game to be vulnerable.

It’s also the kind of game to have before a break - so we have time to shake off whatever it was - lethargy? - have a good rest (sorry) and recharge for the run home.

Losses like this also don’t hurt our mindset - we know we can play poorly and still win.

Melbourne often troubles us and they were really fired up. Their tall defenders had a day out, and our forwards struggled. Happens sometimes.

 

[domus]

When was he last in form?

Last week he took nine marks and kicked 3 in the VFL. He kciked a 50m bomb in the wet against the Dees on Saturday night too ( Or whenever it was). But I think he had a fair go at it and failed to cement his place in the seniors. He'll have to work hard to get another chance.

 

[domus]

Melbourne planned well for us, and executed well, but I don’t think it was a blueprint on how to beat us.

We were down today, maybe because we had one eye on the bye and were just enough ‘off’ our game to be vulnerable.

It’s also the kind of game to have before a break - so we have time to shake off whatever it was - lethargy? - have a good rest (sorry) and recharge for the run home.

Losses like this also don’t hurt our mindset - we know we can play poorly and still win.

Melbourne often troubles us and they were really fired up. Their tall defenders had a day out, and our forwards struggled. Happens sometimes.

Yet our winning record against them is fantastic during the past 6 or 7 seasons.

 

[gouki88]

Last week he took nine marks and kicked 3 in the VFL. He kciked a 50m bomb in the wet against the Dees on Saturday night too ( Or whenever it was). But I think he had a fair go at it and failed to cement his place in the seniors. He'll have to work hard to get another chance.

I’m sure his good VFL form has translated to good AFL form then

 

[magpies42]

It’s tough playing a grand final every week, teams come to play us. As other posters have already pointed out, my sense is our boys were just trying to get to the bye.

They stood up in key moments once again. That’s all you can ask for.

 

[domus]

I still can't believe how well, Howe, Sidey and Pendles are playing! It's literally the gift that keeps giving. The feeling I had in that tense last quarter every time they got their hands on the ball was pure relief. It felt as if the ball was temporarily in a safe haven.

 

[pablo disco bar]

I don't know if it was the gins and beers

But I wasn't that worried

A little frustrated yes


We got out of gaol

Sullivan and Allan need a spell

Hayes not ready

 

[live fast pieyoung]

I dont understand why we never really tried to take the game on all day. Felt like we never fired a shot, just gave them some cagey clips around the ears

 

[domus]

I’m sure his good VFL form has translated to good AFL form then

It has in the past. Seriously, the bloke has played over 130 games and kicked around 120 goals so throw him a crumb. He did play a key role in the 2023 final series. You can believe others are preferable to him now, but don't mock him.

 

[BigVic]

Happy Dan is back and unscathed

 

[3rdMan]

It was a scrappy round overall. Second worst for goal accuracy and lowest scoring round since 1989 (think that's what I just saw on Fox).

 

[Do_Beta_Rapport]

Snuck over the line….

We are banking wins and top 4 beckons.

If it’s to be ‘our year’, we need a fit and firing JDG. Let’s not forget the 2023 GF, Dunkley went to JDG. We are missing that dynamic mid in our mix, teams are wearing Naics like a cheap suit.