Mega Thread General MFC Discussion Part III

[Topkent]

9 months in the top 4 over three seasons, for pretty much zero return is a hell of an accomplishment.

You can actually watch a few of our games from that era on YouTube. We were a fun side to watch when we were on but just no consistency. Our best players would look like stars one week, then do * all the next. Don't think they took training seriously enough.

Plus our backline sucked. Like really really sucked

 

[Bluelegs]

You can actually watch a few of our games from that era on YouTube. We were a fun side to watch when we were on but just no consistency. Our best players would look like stars one week, then do fu** all the next. Don't think they took training seriously enough.

Plus our backline sucked. Like really really sucked

Not to mention having 80's era training facilities when the game was rapidly modernising.

 

[schmuttt]

You can actually watch a few of our games from that era on YouTube. We were a fun side to watch when we were on but just no consistency. Our best players would look like stars one week, then do fu** all the next. Don't think they took training seriously enough.

Plus our backline sucked. Like really really sucked

We were like Adelaide 2015-2017. Aware they finished top and made a GF but the teams had a similar sort of makeup. Very entertaining to watch, great forward 6, hardworking mids but no stars.

 

[Topkent]

We were like Adelaide 2015-2017. Aware they finished top and made a GF but the teams had a similar sort of makeup. Very entertaining to watch, great forward 6, hardworking mids but no stars.

Dunno they had Danger, Sloane, Thompson. Plus a real gun front 6 and then Talia, Hartigan and Lever.
They had a much more balanced side than us.

Our back 6 was genuinely horrific

Carroll, Lamb, Ferguson, Rivers, Nicholson, Bizzell ( who was shorter than Bruce)

Teams could absolutely spank us when our midfield was having a who gives a * day

 

[Jamurp]

Not to mention having 80's era training facilities when the game was rapidly modernising.

Robbo has talked about the situation with our facilities back then and it's no wonder we struggled, apparently Chris Judd visited Junction Oval and once he saw our set up he turned right off coming to us. Robbo did also say that one of the reasons the ex players are such a tight unit now, with the whatspp thread and everything, is because of how rough the club was at the time, and how it's banded them together, amazing to see where we are now.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

In terms of not converting top four time it reminds me of Port under Hinkley a bit. They did similar in 2013/14 (21 weeks) and then 2017/18 (12 weeks) inc weeks in each year on top of the ladder and would look like world beaters at various stages but wouldn’t actually finish there in the end. Telling that in the last two years again when they’ve finished top 2 it hasn’t mattered anyway. Probably would have been the same with us for Daniher, even if we’d finished top 2/4 we’d have fallen apart in finals

 

[PerfectFooty]

We also seemed to be reported on as hard trainers back in our s**t eras, i think back then our training lacked direction and if it had any direction it would change hands through coaches coming and going

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

We also seemed to be reported on as hard trainers back in our sh*t eras, i think back then our training lacked direction and if it had any direction it would change hands through coaches coming and going

Fitting given the farce that was Junction Oval.

Another thing about those Daniher years is that we were pretty decent at the MCG (until finals) and but would get thrashed interstate pretty regularly, or lose to Carlton at Princes Park/Docklands The opposite of the Goody era when we seem to have punched above our weight away from home interstate/at Docklands, weird to not have the same pathological fear of playing away from Melbourne which I’d associate with games on Foxtel

 

[Tulip]

Only other example I can think of Is the bombers

Round 9 2011 they were 3rd
Finished 8th. Elim exit

Round 13 2012 they were 3rd. 10-3
Finished 11th missed finals

Round 17 2013 they were 2nd
Finished 7th. Elim exit

Weren’t they kicked out of the finals in 2013 and Carlton in 9th played (and won lol)

 

[Topkent]

Weren’t they kicked out of the finals in 2013 and Carlton in 9th played (and won lol)

Yeah that checks out

 

[Johnny Karate]

This page is very useful: https://afltables.com/afl/seas/ladders/laddersyby.html

2004: spent 14 rounds inside the top 4, #1 in R18, finished fifth, elimination final loss

2005: 14 weeks inside the top 4 until R15, top 2 until R13, finished seventh, elimination final loss

2006: 8 rounds inside the top 4, 3/4 in R20/21, finished seventh, semi-final loss.

That’s 36 weeks in the top 4 to never finish there in three years in a very open era between two dynasties, during which we were sh*t house

Some genuinely disappointing years there. We just weren’t good enough when the whips were cracking against quality non-Vic opponents away from home. Yet, we would also have these inexplicable losses to s**t sides like Carlton x 2 in 2006, Freo at the G in 2005 and so on which would ultimately cost us top 4. We were capable of some really good footy but didn’t have the consistent top line players or ahead of the curve tactics to carry us to glory.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

I imagine Essendon falling apart in 2012 also had at least a little to do with internal revelations regarding the supplements program over the course of that season (not because of the influence of the supplements but because of the drama), even if it wasn’t all to do with it. Dank was told to stop the injections in May 2012 but didn’t and everything went to s**t behind the scenes.

Then again they routinely start hot, have a false dawn, and then fall in a heap so maybe it is all coincidence.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Some genuinely disappointing years there. We just weren’t good enough when the whips were cracking against quality non-Vic opponents away from home. Yet, we would also have these inexplicable losses to sh*t sides like Carlton x 2 in 2006, Freo at the G in 2005 and so on which would ultimately cost us top 4. We were capable of some really good footy but didn’t have the consistent top line players or ahead of the curve tactics to carry us to glory.

2006 was a funny one starting 0-3 including two losses to Carlton and Adelaide in ‘home’ games at Docklands and GC because of the Commonwealth games, and then losing to Carlton there again later in the year. Beat the Swans at the SCG but lost to them in Melbourne, finally won a home game at the Gabba as Brisbae started to slide, etc. Real missed opportunity in some ways but unless we finished top 2 we were never a chance that year, which is indicative of how far off we were needing everything to go perfectly. The current system is much more sustainable and resilient - or at least I hope it is.

All the Victorian teams were well off it in those years. I find it interesting that we seemed to have the wood over Geelong there for a little bit (except on the EF) inc at KP and then both clubs went in such opposite directions in 2007. Reminds me a bit of our record v Richmond from 2014-2016 before 2017-2020 when we barely looked like beating them.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Even if we’d gotten Judd in 2007 it wouldn’t have been enough to put us over the top, we probably would have just middled for a decade like Carlton did. Needed someone like him in four years earlier I think.

 

[Johnny Karate]

Dunno they had Danger, Sloane, Thompson. Plus a real gun front 6 and then Talia, Hartigan and Lever.
They had a much more balanced side than us.

Our back 6 was genuinely horrific

Carroll, Lamb, Ferguson, Rivers, Nicholson, Bizzell ( who was shorter than Bruce)

Teams could absolutely spank us when our midfield was having a who gives a fu** day

We were definitely 1-2 top liners short in the backline. Rivers, Bizzell and even Carroll in small doses played decent footy and Doggy Brown and Wrecker Whelan were good smalls. But we really lacked a gorilla tamer - Nicholson, Ferguson and Lamb were all s**t, still mind boggling how many games Nicho played.

Forwards were quite good but the midfield also lacked. Bruce, Johnstone, Ooze (when he played there) and even early McLean were capable of some A grade stuff in there but it would be a season tops. The only consistent performer was Junior McDonald who with the greatest respect was a limited player. It meant that when we met a brilliant midfield like Judd, Kerr, Cousins or Black, Lappin, Voss, Akermanis we were ****ed. Even a side like Sydney that were flint hard but maybe not as God-like could beat us when it mattered.

 

[Bluelegs]

I imagine Essendon falling apart in 2012 also had at least a little to do with internal revelations regarding the supplements program over the course of that season (not because of the influence of the supplements but because of the drama), even if it wasn’t all to do with it. Dank was told to stop the injections in May 2012 but didn’t and everything went to sh*t behind the scenes.

Then again they routinely start hot, have a false dawn, and then fall in a heap so maybe it is all coincidence.

They had a shitload of soft tissue injuries in the back half of 2012. The kind that happen after a team bulks up too much in one off-season.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

They had a shitload of soft tissue injuries in the back half of 2012. The kind that happen after a team bulks up too much in one off-season.

Yep, thanks I meant to mention this as well.

Maybe we were doping 2004 and 2005 as well

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

It actually makes me a bit physically ill to remember the two weeks we spent at #3 in R19/20. What’s the opposite of altitude sickness?

 

[mrmonkey]

I feel like everyone talks about our 2004 capitulation but a very similar thing happened in 2005 which I feel like I’ve somehow never clocked. 9-3 after 12 rounds and then lost 7 consecutive games to go from 2nd to equal 12th. Am I right in thinking that this goes under the radar? That’s an abominable capitulation. Supermercado, thoughts?

No, I will never forget that capitulation it's probably worse than 04. The last four weeks were tough in retrospect Port Adelaide (premiers) away, West Coast (premiers 06) away, Sydney (premiers 05) but losing the Carlton was unforgivable but we probably miss the 4 on percentage regardless. Losing to essendon in the final was embarrassing they were s**t.

That form slump in 05 was also a tough run but would have thought we could have at least been able to scrounge two wins. Our finals essentially began in round 20 against the cats which took us to overcome a 17 year drought at kp. By the time we actually made the actually finals we were cooked.

06 we had two losses against Carlton which goes a bit unnoticed as well imo. Carlton won 3 games for the season and two against the dees. We win just one of those games we finish 4th.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

No, I will never forget that capitulation it's probably worse than 04. The last four weeks were tough in retrospect Port Adelaide (premiers) away, West Coast (premiers 06) away, Sydney (premiers 05) but losing the Carlton was unforgivable but we probably miss the 4 on percentage regardless. Losing to essendon in the final was embarrassing they were sh*t.

That form slump in 05 was also a tough run but would have thought we could have at least been able to scrounge two wins. Our finals essentially began in round 20 against the cats which took us to overcome a 17 year drought at kp. By the time we actually made the actually finals we were cooked.

06 we had two losses against Carlton which goes a bit unnoticed as well imo. Carlton won 3 games for the season and two against the dees. We win just one of those games we finish 4th.

It’s the scale of those six consecutive losses in 2005 which gets to me. 15, 74, 72, 35, 88, 54. It’s a bit like our implosion in 2011 in that it was just belting after belting - except in 2005 we were top 2 before this happened.

This year we didn’t lose consecutive games, and never lost by more than 20 points. To be at the top, lose six in a row AND get flogged almost each time is remarkable. Even weirder in that we managed to pull it back and win three in a row against decent sides, before folding again in finals.

 

[mrmonkey]

It’s the scale of those six consecutive losses in 2005 which gets to me. 15, 74, 72, 35, 88, 54. It’s a bit like our implosion in 2011 in that it was just belting after belting - except in 2005 we were top 2 before this happened.

This year we didn’t lose consecutive games, and never lost by more than 20 points. To be at the top, lose six in a row AND get flogged almost each time is remarkable. Even weirder in that we managed to pull it back and win three in a row against decent sides, before folding again in finals.

That's what I mean how did we not manage to scrounge a few wins in that 7 game period but then did it in the last 3. It was mind boggling also some of those losses, every team was pumping Brisbane in 05, we go up to the gabba and not just lose but get absolutely pumped. The thing was we were only 8 points down at half time and lost by 74. North Melbourne beat Brisbane up at the gabba and the next week we beat North by 6 goals and then a few weeks later we lose to Brisbane by 74 how does that happen? The 88 point loss to the saints was strange to 88 to 176, it's funny 88 wins most games in modern footy, conceding 176 is still atrocious defending. It was just a weird time the old which Melbourne will show up. I actually see current Carlton a bit like that, which Carlton will show up.

This Melbourne side has been phenomenal, as you mentioned at no point did we have back to back losses. Starting the season 9-0 then finished with only 4 losses in between. Remember in 2010 winning 8.5 games was exciting. How things have changed.

 

[Charlie_s123]

I haven’t posted on here since the GF. It’s a bit weird, this place used to be my solace for when we were completely shithouse and when we started going well it was like I didn’t need to vent anymore, I just started enjoying footy a bit more. That being said, I loved reading everyone’s celebrations on the win and look forward to taking part on the forum in a new way next year.
the other thing O wanted to mention was watching the post GF interviews with ANB, Charlie Spargo

9

Charlie Spargo

Age

24

Ht

172cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.7

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

5.3

4star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.6

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

2.0

1star

M

1.0

1star

T

0.0

1star

G

0.0

1star

D

13.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.6

4star

G

1.2

4star

and Brayshaw (and others) Our coaching team have done a great job because the guys have more maturity and selflessness than most people I’ve met in my life. I don’t want to put another curse on us (do not tuink I have that power tbh) but it looks like we have some bright years ahead and I can’t wait to get back to the G with my Dad and uncle and enjoy some good years after all the pain. Thanks to all on here for making the s**t years a bit brighter, congrats to all on the win and looking forward to seeing everyone in the new year to unveil the premiership flag

 

[Deemanding]

I went out and bought a premiers cap earlier today - one of these https://www.theaflstore.com.au/products/21-prem-mens-p1-cap

Didn't think to try it on at the time, assuming it would fit just fine. Got home and put it on, and realised it must've been designed by someone who thought that as Melbourne supporters we must all be Liberal voters in the mould of those mocked in the Betoota Advocate (if you have NFI what I'm talking about, an example being https://www.betootaadvocate.com/adv...ving-an-accountant-decide-our-climate-policy/) and manufactured a cap to suit.

Needless to say I'm hoping I can take it back and exchange for a shirt or something...

 

[Pedantic]

We were definitely 1-2 top liners short in the backline. Rivers, Bizzell and even Carroll in small doses played decent footy and Doggy Brown and Wrecker Whelan were good smalls. But we really lacked a gorilla tamer - Nicholson, Ferguson and Lamb were all sh*t, still mind boggling how many games Nicho played.

I still maintain that Lamb should have been given more of a go, showed at least some potential.

 

[Topkent]

Been watching some of our old games from 2002-6
I can't believe Clin Bartram and Matthew Bate

Matthew Bate

Age

36

Ht

192cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.7

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.0

4star

No current season stats available

D

15.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

6.0

4star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.6

3star

debuted in the same year as Nathan Jones. Both could have played in the 06 finals. Always associated them with tanking years