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

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Aug 29, 2008
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I have watched him play about 6 games this year and in every one he has only had 1 or 2 poor kicks in every game. I can't say I have seen anyone do better in 2021.
I've watched basically every game this year since I have nothing else to do in lockdown and he has definitely stuffed up a lot of easy kicks that we roast our players for. And there are others far more damaging off the half back as well. I'd rather the ball in the hands of Hurn, Rich, Cumming, Ridley, Dale, Lloyd, Short, Stewart, Hind, Lukosious, and even Burton from an attacking sense although I agree he needs to tighten up his short kicks and stop those ridiculous around the corner attempts.
 

Portmagpies36

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 5, 2015
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Swap Steven Motlop (I'm assuming he's one of the players you're referring to) for Charlie Spargo last night and you think the Demons suddenly lose? Of course not.

Every premiership side in the history of the game has carried a few average footballers because their top end is so good. Ours isn't. There is no one player in our side who's incapable of being part of the bottom end of a premiership side, but we don't have a Gawn/Oliver/Petracca like midfield to carry them.

1000% correct, their midfield is explosive hard working elite ball users take overhead marks and kick goals at crunch times
 
Mar 1, 2014
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If the SANFL delusions of the 80’s had come to fruition and the VFL went busto, resulting in a national comp headquartered out of SA beginning in 1990, would you be content to reset 120 years of Port Adelaide history to zero?

I just don’t see it.

History is written by the victors.

What has any of that got to do with the way things are? If and buts don't cut it, we live with what we have, a Victorian biased competition that masquerades as an Australian Football League.
 

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Apr 27, 2008
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Not true re zones for VFL clubs post 1986. They still had access to some metro zones and u/19 players up until end of 1992.

Glen Archer was a metro zone player who debuted in 1992. You wont see him in any draft pick history. Same with Wayne Carey who debuted in 1989 and John Longmire who debuted in 1988. Corey Mckernan who debuted in 1993. Mick Martyn debuted in 1988. None of these North champs were drafted and keys to their 1996 and 1999 flags (Longmire did an ACL in 1995 PF and missed 96 flag). All 5 players didn't go thru the draft system, you wont see they were taken at pick X by North but all debuted after 1986 draft.

Kouta didn't go thru the draft system. He was a metro zone player who debuted in 1992.
Weren't Carey and Longmire originally supposed to go to Sydney?

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Correct he is 10 times more composed than Riley Bonner
Composure is the word I used to describe him to a friend I was watching the game with, at the end of the first quarter.
 
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I've watched basically every game this year since I have nothing else to do in lockdown and he has definitely stuffed up a lot of easy kicks that we roast our players for. And there are others far more damaging off the half back as well. I'd rather the ball in the hands of Hurn, Rich, Cumming, Ridley, Dale, Lloyd, Short, Stewart, Hind, Lukosious, and even Burton from an attacking sense although I agree he needs to tighten up his short kicks and stop those ridiculous around the corner attempts.
I cant compete with that. The 6 games I have seen Melbourne play in full this year are all wins, the Rd 11 win v Bulldogs, against Port, the Rd 23 against Geelong and the 3 finals, and the only bad kicks I can remember are a couple in the first half against Geelong in Rd 23 when they were getting spanked. His kicking is those 6 games was outstanding.
 
In the space of 6 years Melbourne traded in or drafted the following players: Hibberd, Lever, Fritsch, Sparrow, May, Spargo, Pickett, Jackson, Brown, Langdon, Petty, Bowey. That's 12 of their premiership winning 23. Some people might considered picks in the 30s late round picks - I don't. I consider anything before Pick 36 to be a shot at a quality player, because it's nominally in the first two rounds of the draft.

Hibberd - traded for Pick 29
Lever - traded for Pick 10 (2017) and 19 (2018)
Fritsch - selected with Pick 31 which was received in the Watts trade
Sparrow - selected with Pick 28
May - traded for Jesse Hogan who was Pick 2 in the 2012 mini draft
Spargo - Pick 29
Pickett - Pick 12, nominally pick 10, part of the North Melbourne/Fremantle trade
Jackson - Pick 3
Brown - traded for Pick 33 and a swap of fourth round picks (26 to 28 is meaningless)
Langdon - traded for Pick 22 and a future second round selection
Petty - Pick 37, part of the Lever trade (he just falls outside the criteria)
Bowey - Pick 21

For mine, the difference between winning a flag and not winning one isn't just about what you do with your first round picks, because if you've got a decent recruiting department they will take care of themselves. No, it's what you do with your second round picks that makes and breaks a club's aspirations for a flag, because it's at that point that clubs will diverge on who they want to take with those picks.

Melbourne isn't a fairy tale. It's a s**t club exploiting its shitness to build a list around the players it received as a reward for being s**t - Salem, Petracca, Oliver and Brayshaw. At least we don't have to suffer through any scripted bullshit anymore - the next longest drought is Fremantle and no one gives a * about them.
 

DazzaTys

Club Legend
Aug 17, 2014
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Watching a replay from the 15 min of the 3rd qtr. couple of things, that dees midfield is scary. You think elite players like Bradshaw and Salem don’t need to even run through there. Petracca and Oliver are just going into their prime, they’ve got a gun ruckman coming through and their ball use is incredible. Rozee, Butter and SPP need to spend bulk time in the middle next year. Drew was serviceable in games but he also needs to have an impact. 15 touches a game as a midfielder is just isn’t adequate. And also, hit the f$$ken gym.
 

klem22

Premiership Player
Apr 22, 2008
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Watching a replay from the 15 min of the 3rd qtr. couple of things, that dees midfield is scary. You think elite players like Bradshaw and Salem don’t need to even run through there. Petracca and Oliver are just going into their prime, they’ve got a gun ruckman coming through and their ball use is incredible. Rozee, Butter and SPP need to spend bulk time in the middle next year. Drew was serviceable in games but he also needs to have an impact. 15 touches a game as a midfielder is just isn’t adequate. And also, hit the f$$ken gym.
Melbournes mid field and game style is enough to assign hinkley to the dustbin of history imo.
 
First minor premier to win the flag since the Hawks in 2013.

Might allow the AFL to repeat the bye after the PF. If WB won there would have been calls immediately after the game, to scrap it.

Bulldogs just couldnt keep up in the end. Physically a well rested side / better rested side, should win. Its the mental side of having had 2 weeks off over 5 weeks that is the potential disadvantage.
 

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First minor premier to win the flag since the Hawks in 2013.

Might allow the AFL to repeat the bye after the PF. If WB won there would have been calls immediately after the game, to scrap it.

Bulldogs just couldnt keep up in the end. Physically a well rested side / better rested side, should win. Its the mental side of having had 2 weeks off over 5 weeks that is the potential disadvantage.

It's all BS and has no impact on the game. They're professional athletes and are capable of playing football games week after week. Equally they also don't forget how to play football because they don't play for a couple of weeks. It's all nonsense that commentators talk about to make themselves sound smarter and more insightful than they are.
 
Apr 27, 2008
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Janus was like full of praise for Watts, not full of praise for trading Watts out and using the pick for Fritsch.

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PAFC04

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Mar 20, 2008
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Man I still can't believe that turnaround. 100 points in a quarter and a bit. One of the worst grand final performances ever.

Congrats to the Demons, they deserved that.

Footy is a game that can be over in a matter of minutes. The Bulldogs played well enough to get back from a 26 point deficit. But come 3rd Qtr, Demons get a reality check, then its back to 1st QTR mode mindset.... within 5 mins the Demons are in a winnable position deflating any chance of the bullies responding.

It would be like watching your racing opponent very quickly disappear into the distance leaving you to slow down to walking pace gasping for air realizing to yourself that I thought I could win it....

Footy is a C U Next Tuesday of game....
 

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