Opinion Have we clicked?

[pjfairbairn]

Credit where it's due, our injury list is tiny and there are legitimately more than half a dozen guys (Tyson, Baker, Balic, Pedo, Hunt, Frost, Garlett, Bugg, Wagner, Stretch) piling on pressure from underneath.

Every single player knows that if they have a poor game, they're genuinely in contention to be dropped...

The likes of Harmes, Hannan, Fritsch, ANB, Smith, Melk, Salem and Spargo, who would previously have been considered non-locks, are all earning their spot at the minute.

Also our goal kicking...

Casey over the season 112.75 (more goals than points in every game, bar Round 2)

MFC over the season 160.26

 

[1MFC]

Big guys Smith and tmac have given us structure but we've also found outside run from Spargo, Frisch and Hannan.

Go check the side we named against Richmond, the seven changes to that team make us look very different!

 

[Topkent]

I think we have.

Our defensive spacing looks perfect at the moment, we are dictating to the forwards and Lever seems to be a real leader back there with our set up. Far less in the last few weeks are 17 blokes spoiling the same ball. Instead one bloke is peeling off and generally effecting every contest. Even early against adelaide when they kicked 3 I thought shit alot of it was to do with a lucky bounce here and there.

Our midfield is the best in the competition now. We have destroyed teams every week in contested footy but early we werent trusting each other to win the ball out. Now as soon as a melbourne bloke gets hands on it Hannan/Harmes/Gus/ even Oliver are away and running and our ball movement and spread is seamless. Its making everyone look like a brilliant kick because everyone is in space.

Last but not least our forward structure, all of our forwards are capable in the air and on the ground and with Smith and Tmac its allowing Hogan to play the traditional CHF role which means we can attack through the corridor or either flank. We are switching the play and outworking our opponents meaning we can kick it to 1 on 1s inside 50.

Not a single area of the game right now isnt clicking. I have no idea what to do. The last 2 games was Geelong 2007 esque. Just utter dominance all over the ground. I dont care who we have played we have embarassed them all over.

 

[harry000]

So glad the coaching team stuck with Lever, ANB, Melksham and Harmes who were all down on form early in the year and have all worked their way into form.

Harmes is an absolute bull when playing with confidence. Got critisized for trying to dont argue early in the year, but on current form is near impossible to tackle.

Hibberd is back in AA form after a slowish start to the year.

T Macs field kicking is alot better when he is forward of centre and not feeling the heat on every kick.

The unselfish play in forward 50 is beautiful to watch. Always looking if there is someone in a better spot. hogan reminding me of Cam Mooney in 2007 (could have one the Coleman but dished too many off to team mates). Its great seeing him play a team game.

Fritsch field kick is elite and is growing in confidence every week.

Even our lowest rung role players are smart footballers. Love Spargos long forward handballs into space.

VFL side playing great footy as well.

So yes I think we have clicked. Fingers crossed we dont geat ahead of ourselves and take this form into the bye.

 

[emilybrown]

Its all coming together nicely.
Who would have thought that we have players like Garlett, Tyson, Hunt and Frost to name a few that aren’t just getting gifted games because we have no one else on that level. Those four are very good when they’re on and are still not getting games because of who they are. That’s where it all changed for us as a club. We rushed threw a skinny 18 year old Jack watts in because we needed something. We needed some hope. Fast forward to now and we are keep weids out because he isn’t ready but also we don’t desperately need him at this point in time because we can cover him. Players are actually getting to develop the right way and actually have some time to work on their game and gain confidence before playing at afl level. This year the players are gaining confidence but aren’t cocky about it. There’s a complete difference in attitude from last year.
They also have belief in beating anyone but finally understand that having belief does not automatically win a game of football (hawks game). After what us fans have watched during our bad times, I’m not expecting us to win this years grand final but to keep progressing is something I want. Enjoy the ride my fellow Dee fans

 

[Meds]

We're fit and we're strong
Everyone seems to know their role and how we want to play
We're executing the basics exceptionally well (Disposal, tackling, pressure, goal kicking)

Say what you want about strategy, structures, this guy vs that guy. In my view our consistency is down to the three points above. It's been a bit of a luxury to refine this for the last five weeks against bottom 8 sides (+Adelaide who would be challenging with a fit list). The real test will be to see if we can continue to execute and stick to our guns when we're really challenged in games to come.

 

[mrmonkey]

Its all coming together nicely.
Who would have thought that we have players like Garlett, Tyson, Hunt and Frost to name a few that aren’t just getting gifted games because we have no one else on that level. Those four are very good when they’re on and are still not getting games because of who they are. That’s where it all changed for us as a club. We rushed threw a skinny 18 year old Jack watts in because we needed something. We needed some hope. Fast forward to now and we are keep weids out because he isn’t ready but also we don’t desperately need him at this point in time because we can cover him. Players are actually getting to develop the right way and actually have some time to work on their game and gain confidence before playing at afl level. This year the players are gaining confidence but aren’t cocky about it. There’s a complete difference in attitude from last year.
They also have belief in beating anyone but finally understand that having belief does not automatically win a game of football (hawks game). After what us fans have watched during our bad times, I’m not expecting us to win this years grand final but to keep progressing is something I want. Enjoy the ride my fellow Dee fans

There's a lot of skepticism about the dees because of false dawns and our round 23 disaster. Even though not making finals last year is more complicated than losing to Collingwood. A lot of skeptics say if we couldn't make finals previously with all those high draft picks why should we make finals with this current lot. They forget that our previous rebuild was done in a completely different way to our current rebuild. We decided to push for youth and we pushed out McDonald which then caused bruce to leave exposing players like morton gysbert blease and watts. Sure our development wasn't great and these players came into a bad system but does anyone believe that those players could have made it at other clubs? Our current rebuild we have not only drafted the right players we have actually looked at bringing in good experience players. First Vince and then lewis. If people want to say they're unconvinced of Melbourne because of failings for over a decade that's up to them, but you just can't compare.

 

[Proper Gander]

I think we have.

Our defensive spacing looks perfect at the moment, we are dictating to the forwards and Lever seems to be a real leader back there with our set up. Far less in the last few weeks are 17 blokes spoiling the same ball. Instead one bloke is peeling off and generally effecting every contest. Even early against adelaide when they kicked 3 I thought shit alot of it was to do with a lucky bounce here and there.

Our midfield is the best in the competition now. We have destroyed teams every week in contested footy but early we werent trusting each other to win the ball out. Now as soon as a melbourne bloke gets hands on it Hannan/Harmes/Gus/ even Oliver are away and running and our ball movement and spread is seamless. Its making everyone look like a brilliant kick because everyone is in space.

Last but not least our forward structure, all of our forwards are capable in the air and on the ground and with Smith and Tmac its allowing Hogan to play the traditional CHF role which means we can attack through the corridor or either flank. We are switching the play and outworking our opponents meaning we can kick it to 1 on 1s inside 50.

Not a single area of the game right now isnt clicking. I have no idea what to do. The last 2 games was Geelong 2007 esque. Just utter dominance all over the ground. I dont care who we have played we have embarassed them all over.

I get nervous when you get positive.

 

[Creepen]

I’m gonna spit some stats out off the top of my head that I heard on SEN today with Andy Maher, David king and Glenn luff from champion data, so forgive me if im a little off on the numbers


Jake melksham is the number 1 player for contested possessions in the forward half of the ground in the league

Viney played the least amount of time on the weekend vs the crows and got 35 possessions, 20 contested in 72 mins

Max Gawn player rating is in the top 5 of the league

The demons are plus 19.2 contested possessions overall this year. Second best of all time to 2006 eagles

There won 18 quarters in a row. Second best of all time to 2007 Geelong who recorded 21

Now I’m looking at the app;
7-3, highest percentage in the league, 5 in a row first time since 06 and the next six as follows:

Dogs (14th) Etihad
Pies (8th) MCG
Port (9th) AO
Saints (16th) MCG
Freo (13th) TIO
Dogs (14th) MCG

If we’re legit, which I believe we are, we win all those. Going into the last 5 agaisnt some good teams leading into finals with a record of 13-3 after round 17.

Good chance of top 4 finish. Good chance of home finals. Good chance at a flag

 

[LeverPuller]

I’m gonna spit some stats out off the top of my head that I heard on SEN today with Andy Maher, David king and Glenn luff from champion data, so forgive me if im a little off on the numbers


Jake melksham is the number 1 player for contested possessions in the forward half of the ground in the league

Viney played the least amount of time on the weekend vs the crows and got 35 possessions, 20 contested in 72 mins

Max Gawn player rating is in the top 5 of the league

The demons are plus 19.2 contested possessions overall this year. Second best of all time to 2006 eagles

There won 18 quarters in a row. Second best of all time to 2007 Geelong who recorded 21

Now I’m looking at the app;
7-3, highest percentage in the league, 5 in a row first time since 06 and the next six as follows:

Dogs (14th) Etihad
Pies (8th) MCG
Port (9th) AO
Saints (16th) MCG
Freo (13th) TIO
Dogs (14th) MCG

If we’re legit, which I believe we are, we win all those. Going into the last 5 agaisnt some good teams leading into finals with a record of 13-3 after round 17.

Good chance of top 4 finish. Good chance of home finals. Good chance at a flag

Jesus I didn't realize our run was that soft

 

[schmuttt]

Jesus I didn't realize our run was that soft

Port and Collingwood aren't to be sneezed at, and we have the Crows at AO/Eagles at Optus/Swans at MCG in our last 6.

 

[saj_21]

Not taking anything for granted but with our current form, I’m confident we can beat any side at any ground.

 

[stretcharmstrong]

I’m gonna spit some stats out off the top of my head that I heard on SEN today with Andy Maher, David king and Glenn luff from champion data, so forgive me if im a little off on the numbers


Jake melksham is the number 1 player for contested possessions in the forward half of the ground in the league

Viney played the least amount of time on the weekend vs the crows and got 35 possessions, 20 contested in 72 mins

Max Gawn player rating is in the top 5 of the league

The demons are plus 19.2 contested possessions overall this year. Second best of all time to 2006 eagles

There won 18 quarters in a row. Second best of all time to 2007 Geelong who recorded 21

Now I’m looking at the app;
7-3, highest percentage in the league, 5 in a row first time since 06 and the next six as follows:

Dogs (14th) Etihad
Pies (8th) MCG
Port (9th) AO
Saints (16th) MCG
Freo (13th) TIO
Dogs (14th) MCG

If we’re legit, which I believe we are, we win all those. Going into the last 5 agaisnt some good teams leading into finals with a record of 13-3 after round 17.

Good chance of top 4 finish. Good chance of home finals. Good chance at a flag

****ing hell. Ooooooooohhhhhhh ****ing hell. What the **** is happening?

 

[Topkent]

I get nervous when you get positive.

Me to.
I don't like that I think we are good.

 

[Sando22]

Me to.
I don't like that I think we are good.

It is a strange feeling to be so confident about how we're travelling. I like it but it is somewhat uncomfortable.
With expectation comes pressure but I think we've moved past those lapses which is great.
Is important to to remember that only 7 weeks ago we were thumped by Hawthorn but in saying that, nearly EVERY club has a stinker or two each year so hopefully that was our aberration.

 

[harry000]

I’m gonna spit some stats out off the top of my head that I heard on SEN today with Andy Maher, David king and Glenn luff from champion data, so forgive me if im a little off on the numbers


Jake melksham is the number 1 player for contested possessions in the forward half of the ground in the league

Viney played the least amount of time on the weekend vs the crows and got 35 possessions, 20 contested in 72 mins

Max Gawn player rating is in the top 5 of the league

The demons are plus 19.2 contested possessions overall this year. Second best of all time to 2006 eagles

There won 18 quarters in a row. Second best of all time to 2007 Geelong who recorded 21

Now I’m looking at the app;
7-3, highest percentage in the league, 5 in a row first time since 06 and the next six as follows:

Dogs (14th) Etihad
Pies (8th) MCG
Port (9th) AO
Saints (16th) MCG
Freo (13th) TIO
Dogs (14th) MCG

If we’re legit, which I believe we are, we win all those. Going into the last 5 agaisnt some good teams leading into finals with a record of 13-3 after round 17.

Good chance of top 4 finish. Good chance of home finals. Good chance at a flag

Port would be 4th or 5th but they have had a bye. Definitely not a walk over in Adelaide.

Nobody knows how good the pies really are either.

 

[jhong]

Hold your nerve every one . Still some twists and turns left in this season .

 

[Topkent]

It is a strange feeling to be so confident about how we're travelling. I like it but it is somewhat uncomfortable.
With expectation comes pressure but I think we've moved past those lapses which is great.
Is important to to remember that only 7 weeks ago we were thumped by Hawthorn but in saying that, nearly EVERY club has a stinker or two each year so hopefully that was our aberration.

The thing is though when we weren't travelling well early we were winning contested footy and getting large inside 50s. I posted early in the year our scoring percentage and the way we conceded was either meaning we needed to radically change or we were going to explode. We exploded but the signs were there early.

 

[Proper Gander]

The thing is though when we weren't travelling well early we were winning contested footy and getting large inside 50s. I posted early in the year our scoring percentage and the way we conceded was either meaning we needed to radically change or we were going to explode. We exploded but the signs were there early.

Yes I did observe your efforts in predicting that we will either continue to suck or get better

People should really be paying for your powers as a mystic

 

[Sando22]

The thing is though when we weren't travelling well early we were winning contested footy and getting large inside 50s. I posted early in the year our scoring percentage and the way we conceded was either meaning we needed to radically change or we were going to explode. We exploded but the signs were there early.

Yeah fair call.
The addition of Tmac back into the side is a massive plus also as they'd have trained/planned all pre season around a gameplan that had him playing the role he currently is.

 

[Djcjdees]

Our defensive spacing looks perfect at the moment,

I think this is the main thing. After the first few rounds, it was all I wanted Goodwin to change, and he did. We just needed to drop about 35m backwards from where we were setting up that crazy zone. I mean OMac was pretty much standing on fwd 50 at the start of the season, it was silly. We now have a sweeper pretty much, who is always a kick from the next lot of defenders/players.

It really was all that was needed to stop the easy goals opposition sides were scoring against us. Now they really have to craft their goals. Admittedly, we've come up against some ordinary sides, but are there really that many excellent sides this year? Seems to me like there's the Weagles who are legitimately good, the tigers who I don't even reckon are travelling that well. I mean who have they beaten? They got us, sure, but we weren't really rolling yet and I thought they really only got us pretty late but fair enough. They were pantsed by Adelaide and well beaten by Weagles. Just got over North and pretty much just got over the Saints. They are hardly travelling excellently. Then there's the rest I think.

So we've been able to tweak that defensive set up and at least against the sides we have played, it has been really difficult for sides to score against us. We're conceding less than 80 points a game over the season and 64 over the last 5 weeks. We've only conceded 100+ twice, once against the premiers, and once against Hawthorn where we can all agree that we just had a shocker.

I think the defence is having a way easier time though, because of our midfield. It's gotta be top 2 or 3 in the league, and simply, the ball isn't getting inside our defensive 50. We're only conceding 47 inside 50s a game on average. That is best in the league (it's about 1 less than second - Hawks and tigers, but then 3 less than the next best - Port, and it goes from there. Another way of looking at it, is that we go foward on average 14 times per game more than the oppo. That is huge. The defence simply has had less to do because we are keeping the ball from getting there. And I reckon that is largely to do with our midfield.

 

[Topkent]

Yes I did observe your efforts in predicting that we will either continue to suck or get better

People should really be paying for your powers as a mystic

Haha it was a little 6 and half.
TBH I wasn't expecting the explosion when I said it because Melbourne does implosions not explosions.

 

[Topkent]

I think this is the main thing. After the first few rounds, it was all I wanted Goodwin to change, and he did. We just needed to drop about 35m backwards from where we were setting up that crazy zone. I mean OMac was pretty much standing on fwd 50 at the start of the season, it was silly. We now have a sweeper pretty much, who is always a kick from the next lot of defenders/players.

It really was all that was needed to stop the easy goals opposition sides were scoring against us. Now they really have to craft their goals. Admittedly, we've come up against some ordinary sides, but are there really that many excellent sides this year? Seems to me like there's the Weagles who are legitimately good, the tigers who I don't even reckon are travelling that well. I mean who have they beaten? They got us, sure, but we weren't really rolling yet and I thought they really only got us pretty late but fair enough. They were pantsed by Adelaide and well beaten by Weagles. Just got over North and pretty much just got over the Saints. They are hardly travelling excellently. Then there's the rest I think.

So we've been able to tweak that defensive set up and at least against the sides we have played, it has been really difficult for sides to score against us. We're conceding less than 80 points a game over the season and 64 over the last 5 weeks. We've only conceded 100+ twice, once against the premiers, and once against Hawthorn where we can all agree that we just had a shocker.

I think the defence is having a way easier time though, because of our midfield. It's gotta be top 2 or 3 in the league, and simply, the ball isn't getting inside our defensive 50. We're only conceding 47 inside 50s a game on average. That is best in the league (it's about 1 less than second - Hawks and tigers, but then 3 less than the next best - Port, and it goes from there. Another way of looking at it, is that we go foward on average 14 times per game more than the oppo. That is huge. The defence simply has had less to do because we are keeping the ball from getting there. And I reckon that is largely to do with our midfield.

Good post mate

 

[Proper Gander]

Haha it was a little 6 and half.
TBH I wasn't expecting the explosion when I said it because Melbourne does implosions not explosions.

God it felt like it could go either way - it wasn't long ago when we were dwelling on the who did or didn't get asked to remove themselves from the coaching box scandal...

 

[Topkent]

God it felt like it could go either way - it wasn't long ago when we were dwelling on the who did or didn't get asked to remove themselves from the coaching box scandal...

Yup there were times at round 5 when Viney and McCartney left the box when i was thinking here we go. The clubs gonna fall apart end up bottom 4 and rebuild somehow again.