When have you been most optimistic/pessimistic as a Melbourne supporter?

[jhong]

What years was that drought?

I was a Dees supporter for 33 years until I saw a flag. Not as bad as some for sure but just wondering.

1964-87 . And that was just to see us play in the finals .

 

[wingersclub]

Sure, about many things. Just not MFC

Awww yes! Now I can relate

 

[Duke of Windso]

2010 I was definitely optimistic, one of my favourite years to watch. Still remained optimistic throughout 2011 until the 186 game. Weirdly enough we were in the 8 more than half way through the season that year (end of round 14 according to Wikipedia).

 

[ABray10]

Things got worse the following week in 2013, but I'll never forget how shit I felt in both round 1 2012 and round 1 2013.

2012 we were coming off Stynes' tragic passing, we came out against a pretty bloody mediocre Brisbane side and looked way off from the start. I think we led at either QT or HT but were getting comprehensively outplayed, and ended up getting belted. Neeld came out and basically alienated the players in the post match presser and that was the beginning of the end for him.

2013 we were playing a fellow bottom 4 team from the previous year and had a lot of encouragement we'd finally win a ****ing game (We hadn't won in round 1 since 2005 at that stage). Port come out and absolutely smash us, it was the earliest I'd ever left a game (Halfway through the 3rd quarter).

In terms of optimism? The lead up to the GF in 2021. I knew we could potentially shit ourselves in the big one but after beating Geelong comfortably I knew we 'should' win the flag.

As for right now? We've had a rubbish time of it since halfway through 2022, I'm optimistic but have no actual idea how we'll go. The unknown with the King era is at the very least exciting, he has said all the right things but only how we play is what will give supporters confidence (I've got no issue with a bottom 4 finish next year providing I can see what we are trying to do).

I was about to agree with you, I don't care where we finish so long as you can see we are adapting to modern football.

Then I realised a lot will depend on this trade period. If we for some reason decide to trade out our future 1st and we finish bottom 4 next year then I will be fairly confident that we are going to stay there for 5 years afterwards while Tasmania ruin the draft. So cautiously optimistic right now is how I would describe myself.

 

[schmuttt]

I was about to agree with you, I don't care where we finish so long as you can see we are adapting to modern football.

Then I realised a lot will depend on this trade period. If we for some reason decide to trade out our future 1st and we finish bottom 4 next year then I will be fairly confident that we are going to stay there for 5 years afterwards while Tasmania ruin the draft. So cautiously optimistic right now is how I would describe myself.

Oh for sure, if we trade out our future first I'll be furious (Unless its for Humphrey and we get something back). I also don't want us trying to trade up if we end up with 7/8, just take both the picks rather than overpaying for a top 4-5 pick.

 

[Topkent]

Pessimistic was definitely the 148. Remember waking up at a ski hill hungover as ****, was gonna chuck on the replay and see how this Neeld era side would settle in, second season in charge things are different

Nup


Weird thing too but I don't reckon any other supporter base will ever take so much hope from a pre season game as we did from the JKH Collingwood win

 

[PerfectFooty]

Pessimistic was definitely the 148. Remember waking up at a ski hill hungover as ****, was gonna chuck on the replay and see how this Neeld era side would settle in, second season in charge things are different

Nup


Weird thing too but I don't reckon any other supporter base will ever take so much hope from a pre season game as we did from the JKH Collingwood win

I think that was the tiges, but yes i remember getting super hyped from it

 

[Topkent]

I think that was the tiges, but yes i remember getting super hyped from it

Think you might be right

 

[PerfectFooty]

Think you might be right

I do remember getting a Neeld win in nab cup over the pies in 2012 who the year prior played a grand final and had put in a pretty solid lineup in that nab cup game. Remember thinking we were gonna be hot shit after knocking them off

 

[Topkent]

I do remember getting a Neeld win in nab cup over the pies in 2012 who the year prior played a grand final and had put in a pretty solid lineup in that nab cup game. Remember thinking we were gonna be hot shit after knocking them off

Nah I'm thinking the one where JKH snapped a goal to win it basically in the last under the lid. And cheering like it mattered

 

[PerfectFooty]

Nah I'm thinking the one where JKH snapped a goal to win it basically in the last under the lid. And cheering like it mattered

Yeah that was the richmond one, just reminiscing on the 2012 collingwood one

If i remember the Richmond one, i think the only reason JKH got the ball because Rance or Morris, some defender cramped right as they kicked the ball and scrubbed it along the ground

 

[Johnny Karate]

I don’t know if I’ve ever been overly optimistic but sometimes my radar for these things is completely off.

For example before we played them in Round 6, 2004 I had dreamt that Carlton beat us and felt nauseated at the thought of losing to that rabble right up until the first bounce. 7 Cam Bruce sausage rolls later and we’d beaten them by 100.

The other side of this was thinking about a particular opposition and venue were we’d often shit the bed and thinking “surely we’ll give them a run for their money today.” Then 186 happened.

 

[Jamurp]

Pessimistic was definitely the 148. Remember waking up at a ski hill hungover as ****, was gonna chuck on the replay and see how this Neeld era side would settle in, second season in charge things are different

Nup


Weird thing too but I don't reckon any other supporter base will ever take so much hope from a pre season game as we did from the JKH Collingwood win

I was at 21st during 148 and checked the scores and was just baffled, looked like a glitch. You knew we were proper grim when you got the sympathy comments from oppo fans.

 

[Bluelegs]

Pessimistic was definitely the 148. Remember waking up at a ski hill hungover as ****, was gonna chuck on the replay and see how this Neeld era side would settle in, second season in charge things are different

Nup


Weird thing too but I don't reckon any other supporter base will ever take so much hope from a pre season game as we did from the JKH Collingwood win

To think that was the game that actually started the Jackson/Roos era.

 

[Topkent]

To think that was the game that actually started the Jackson/Roos era.

With the way the pre season is run now, I don't reckon any team will ever enjoy a pre season game as much as we enjoyed that.

 

[Bluelegs]

With the way the pre season is run now, I don't reckon any team will ever enjoy a pre season game as much as we enjoyed that.

I was actually talking about 148 in the sense that it triggered Schwab to finally be sacked and the club went hat in hand to the AFL who brought PJ in to clean everything out.

 

[PerfectFooty]

I actually also remember being really hyped when we beat the doggies in preseason 2017 at the whitten oval. Because they were the reining premiers and had put a decent line up out, while we on the other hand were wheeling out Lewis for the first time since he came over

 

[Bluelegs]

I actually also remember being really hyped when we beat the doggies in preseason 2017 at the whitten oval. Because they were the reining premiers and had put a decent line up out, while we on the other hand were wheeling out Lewis for the first time since he came over

Beating Saints in round 1 that year was awesome. They'd bullied us since the '06 elimination final.

 

[Proper Gander]

Beating Saints in round 1 that year was awesome. They'd bullied us since the '06 elimination final.

Paul Roos commentating that one was hilarious.

Supporters are always moaning that the commentary favours the other team, and it’s usually crap. But this one was definitely the exception.

Roos went on endlessly about Melbourne, its players, the clever set up, the wonders of Bernie Vince, the genius of bringing in Lewis.

Best of all was his three or four identical mumbling rambles about the clever forward craft of Jessie Hogan: “He moves forwards and backwards but also has side-to-side movement”!

Mad Skillz!

 

[Young Redleg]

In terms of feeling optimistic, I have a lot of nostalgia for our win over GWS in the final round of 2015 ([PLAYERCARD]Daniel Cross[/PLAYERCARD]' farewell game). Despite some heavy thumpings I was confident throughout 2015 that we were finally heading in the right direction and this performance vindicated that. I think what made this game so special is that it had been ages since we'd finished a home and away season with a win and it was just so refreshing going out on a high note. It was also our first win at Marvel Stadium for 8 or 9 years. I left the game thinking that we were in for a fun couple of years. It was as if everything we'd been trying to do under Roos was finally coming together.

In terms of feeling pessimistic, a lot of people have mentioned our 148 point thumping to Essendon in 2013 but the game that sticks out to me is our 10 goal loss to Gold Coast 5 weeks later. That was ****ing grim. Gold Coast were a team full of kids at that point and were yet to record a win at the MCG and we were still scared shitless by them. We literally had less than 40 tackles that game. Mark Neeld topped it off in his press conference saying that we couldn't handle Gold Coast's toughness. I think that was the peak of our rock bottom era.

 

[Supermercado]

In terms of feeling pessimistic, a lot of people have mentioned our 148 point thumping to Essendon in 2013 but the game that sticks out to me is our 10 goal loss to Gold Coast 5 weeks later. That was ****ing grim. Gold Coast were a team full of kids at that point and were yet to record a win at the MCG and we were still scared shitless by them. We literally had less than 40 tackles that game. Mark Neeld topped it off in his press conference saying that we couldn't handle Gold Coast's toughness. I think that was the peak of our rock bottom era.

I agree on the Gold Coast 2013 game (featuring white flag waving) as the low point. Garbage on-field, nobody in the stands, ex-players potting us in the media, and some of the all-time great MFC Facebook comments. Including the thoughts of John Fidge, and when people who played for Melbourne in the early 80s are hanging shit on you it's time to panic.