AFL Grand Final Grand Final 2021 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs - Sat, Sept 25 - 5:15pm AWST / 7:15pm AEST

[rocker_oz33]

I can't remember them being so attacking earlier in the year....
They seem to get better ...

 

[cats_09]

 

[BotsMaster]

 

[winty]

That could be looked upon as sexual harrassment in the workplace.

 

[My Tilly]

They could be, and not doubting the quality of their list which is far superior to Richmond’s list of 17-20. But there have been plenty of occasions where something similar has been said about other teams and it doesn’t eventuate - Collingwood of 2010 was going to win another three flags, the young Bulldogs of 2016 would be unstoppable for the next decade etc. Hawthorn did a half rebuild of its 2008 flag team before they started their three peat five years later.

Gawn and May will both be 30+ at the start of next season, they had a dream run with injury all season particularly in comparison with the other top 4 teams including us.

Dees will be deserved favourites going into next season but I’m not handing them the next two flags now…

May will break down sooner than most. He just appears to have one of those bodies but Gawn looks like he could go till he's 34. At 208cm tall, never relied on athletic traits, his game will be strong for quite some time to come.
This gives Jackson a lot of time to develop into the player they hope he will.

Melbourne should go in favorites next year. Bulldogs are going to be right up there as well. Should definitely be a lock for top 4 (finally after all these years).

Be very intriguing to see which teams make significant inroads.
It's certainly the end of us and other teams like Richmond and West Coast who will still be competitive but not a realistic chance at winning a premiership.

 

[cats_09]

May will break down sooner than most. He just appears to have one of those bodies but Gawn looks like he could go till he's 34. At 208cm tall, never relied on athletic traits, his game will be strong for quite some time to come.
This gives Jackson a lot of time to develop into the player they hope he will.

Melbourne should go in favorites next year. Bulldogs are going to be right up there as well. Should definitely be a lock for top 4 (finally after all these years).

Be very intriguing to see which teams make significant inroads.
It's certainly the end of us and other teams like Richmond and West Coast who will still be competitive but not a realistic chance at winning a premiership.

Question on Gawn - he has had 2 ACL injuries early in his career

Obviously those have been repaired, but could he have issues with his knees later in his career due to that?

 

[Vdubs]

They could be, and not doubting the quality of their list which is far superior to Richmond’s list of 17-20. But there have been plenty of occasions where something similar has been said about other teams and it doesn’t eventuate - Collingwood of 2010 was going to win another three flags, the young Bulldogs of 2016 would be unstoppable for the next decade etc. Hawthorn did a half rebuild of its 2008 flag team before they started their three peat five years later.

Gawn and May will both be 30+ at the start of next season, they had a dream run with injury all season particularly in comparison with the other top 4 teams including us.

Dees will be deserved favourites going into next season but I’m not handing them the next two flags now…

Jackson is a superb second ruckman, and possibly in the top 5 in the comp already. What is he? 20?
Petracca and Oliver are almost untaggable. Super strong and fit and quick.
Their defence is laden with marking talent and attack, Salem needs a tagger!They will be deserved flag favourites and in reality, easily the best team this year. They beat us 3x and that is a statement.
To come back in the second halves like they have done against us and the Doggies to obliterate teams is pretty special.
They are not Richmond or Hawthorn- would love to see a team get a 4-play. They have the team to do it, but as we know, everything has to go right.

 

[Vdubs]

May will break down sooner than most. He just appears to have one of those bodies but Gawn looks like he could go till he's 34. At 208cm tall, never relied on athletic traits, his game will be strong for quite some time to come.
This gives Jackson a lot of time to develop into the player they hope he will.

Melbourne should go in favorites next year. Bulldogs are going to be right up there as well. Should definitely be a lock for top 4 (finally after all these years).

Be very intriguing to see which teams make significant inroads.
It's certainly the end of us and other teams like Richmond and West Coast who will still be competitive but not a realistic chance at winning a premiership.

Melbourne
Doggies
Port
Lions
Swans
GWS
Tigers
Bombers
I can't include us in conversations about the 8, on principle, but we are likely to be 8-12 next year.

 

[Down at K Park]

Question on Gawn - he has had 2 ACL injuries early in his career

Obviously those have been repaired, but could he have issues with his knees later in his career due to that?

Potentially. But if he has gone this long since injuring them, he’ll probably be fine now. Unless he gets arthritis or something. Probably won’t be an issue for him till after he’s retired.

 

[Tony Barber]

What a great GF.
We would have been belted by both teams.

We don't have anyone like Bont or Petracca.
Petracca went to beast mode. Bont tried, but he was on his own.

 

[Vdubs]

What a great GF.
We would have been belted by both teams.

We don't have anyone like Bont or Petracca.
Petracca went to beast mode. Bont tried, but he was on his own.

Every time he got the ball he penetrated it forward, or made perfect passes, and his handballing very effective.
Easily my favourite player in the comp now- yes, he has made it, living up to his insane natural talent.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

What a great GF.
We would have been belted by both teams.

We don't have anyone like Bont or Petracca.
Petracca went to beast mode. Bont tried, but he was on his own.

Or Gawn, or Oliver, or Salem, or Daniel, or Jackson... could go on.

 

[Tony Barber]

Or Gawn, or Oliver, or Salem, or Daniel, or Jackson... could go on.

Nah, we can match those. With the exception of Gawn if he's on.
We don't have anyone anywhere near the other two. Or dusty.

''I'll get this done" type players.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Nah, we can match those. With the exception of Gawn if he's on.
We don't have anyone anywhere near the other two. Or dusty.

''I'll get this done" type players.

Completely agree, I was more pointing to those who work hard both ways, like Oliver who competes in tight defensively super hard, but also is great at spread and run and that link up play.
We have very few of those types of players in the right age bracket.
But I also agree that we have nobody in the middle whose one of those "on my shoulders" types.

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

This Melbourne side plays the most attractive footy I've seen since our glory years. It's beautiful to watch when they're up and running.

 

[Tony Barber]

One of life's great pleasures. I can't see tweets.

 

[cats_09]

One of life's great pleasures. I can't see tweets.
View attachment 1246523

Because whoever tweeted them has deleted them

 

[Play it Sam]

Because whoever tweeted them has deleted them

I'm not on twitter and have appreciated your postings throughout the season-
let's face it, the news always appears in the twittersphere first.
So thanks from a tech dinosaur.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Incredible game to witness live, Doggies brave but the Dees were unstoppable in the last 1/4 and a bit.
Dees just move it with speed and precision into a well structured F50.
Talk of a dynasty is warranted but they can’t rest on their laurels as everyone will go to school on them and will improve.

Interesting coaching move from Bevo - played Bailey Smith

6

Bailey Smith

Age

23

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

as a defensive HF on Salem - didn’t work and you rob your team of a running gun - imagine if Scott did that

 

[My Tilly]

Melbourne
Doggies
Port
Lions
Swans
GWS
Tigers
Bombers
I can't include us in conversations about the 8, on principle, but we are likely to be 8-12 next year.

Sydney! I forget them. No doubt at all they will rise and become a premiership contender. May not be next year as they are still a bit too young but their core group is an embarrassment of riches.

 

[GeelongFTW]

Nah, we can match those. With the exception of Gawn if he's on.
We don't have anyone anywhere near the other two. Or dusty.

''I'll get this done" type players.

Well we do or perhaps more like we did. They're just not capable of it anymore.

 

[PhatBoy]

The overwhelming thing I felt watching last night, on the back of the prelim and also round 23, was ‘how on earth do you beat these guys if they’re on?’

The only thing I could think of was just to bash them. Play boring, ultra defensive football, and just try and smash them. Because you sure as hell can’t out skill them.

 

[gaz love x]

Does anyone remember those weird posts before our prelim asking who was going to kick Melbourne's goals?

 

[Catsace]

So 2007, 163 was not our best for the season?
Seems unbelievable to me, but CBF looking it up.

Rd 6 222-65 against Tiggers that set off our run!

 

[witsend]

Or Gawn, or Oliver, or Salem, or Daniel, or Jackson... could go on.

Tom Stewart says hi….


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