Opinion It's Dee Day!

[BETON5]

14 days to go lads until we face Port on the MCG. After what i call a below par pre season whats every one's expectations against port. Will we be able to field our best side or will there be a surprise or 2 with selection. With Dawes injured and Clark still recovering can both play with limited preperation. Trennors and Blease we desperately need up and running will the club take a punt on either of them for the opener.
The presssure is defferently on know and if we fail to beat Port which we are expected to win ...i question myself whether we can recover even though it is round 1.
Lets see come Easter Sunday who wants to stand up and give there heart and sole for this proud club and start to show the rest of the footy world that we are not easybeats anymore!

 

[Tulip]

Think we'll lose for the same reasons as last year. Stay in it for a half, and then see unanswered majors fly in. Don't expect Clark or Trengove to play, but think Kent, Viney and Toumpas will all debut. One as sub.

 

[CowboyFromHell]

Think we'll lose for the same reasons as last year. Stay in it for a half, and then see unanswered majors fly in. Don't expect Clark or Trengove to play, but think Kent, Viney and Toumpas will all debut. One as sub.

I'm with you on this one. While I can see the positives in amongst the losses from the pre-season, I have a bad feeling about Round 1. Being able to once again play at home and have the chance to win is all well and good, but Poort are well and truly up and about and they have basically a whole list to choose from outside of possibly someone like Robbie Gray, while we have a number of players racing the clock to be fit enough to play.

Not writing us off but I'm not as confident as I hoped I would be either.

 

[Higgs Boson]

Yeah we'll lose

It would just be so... Melbourne

 

[fushy]

I am expecting a win, it's at the gee so that's what will change it

 

[Blackas87]

Reckon we can win, don't think all of viney, Toumpas and Kent will debut in the same game and none of them will debut as a sub

 

[Topkent]

As a Melbourne supporter it's impossible for us to expect a win regardless of the opposition , we should beat port at the g , would I bet on it ? heck no

 

[LeverPuller]

MFCSS setting in early.

The worst part is I have it too

 

[stretcharmstrong]

We should definitely win. But we probably won't.

I have a bad feeling it'll go like this: Dawes won't get up or will have some other niggle rear its head between now and then. Blease and McDonald won't be recovered. And they won't want to risk Clark and Trengove under done. We'll come out firing and look the goods for anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes, before kicking one goal to six in the following 40 odd minutes and not being able to make up the difference thereafter. I am feeling decidedly negative after yesterday.

Viney, Kent and Terlich to debut.

 

[CowboyFromHell]

We should definitely win. But we probably won't.

I have a bad feeling it'll go like this: Dawes won't get up or will have some other niggle rear its head between now and then. Blease and McDonald won't be recovered. And they won't want to risk Clark and Trengove under done. We'll come out firing and look the goods for anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes, before kicking one goal to six in the following 40 odd minutes and not being able to make up the difference thereafter. I am feeling decidedly negative after yesterday.

Viney, Kent and Terlich to debut.

That's probably the worst case scenario above, and not out of the question either considering the last few years.

However I have a feeling that they have been extra cautious with Dawes, McDonald and Viney. No point risking them before they are ready or before the real stuff begins. I'm confident those 3 will be right come Round 1, as will Frawley.

We could have as many as 7 players making their Melbourne debut in Round 1 - Viney, Toumpas, Kent, Terlich, Byrnes, Rodan and Pedersen. Not convinced all 7 will play but it's on the cards. Possibly even Gillies if, for some reason, McDonald doesn't get up.

Not confident but I'll be there for the first bounce and be as nervous as all hell!!

 

[stretcharmstrong]

Yeah, I'll be watching from up here, wringing my hands, blood pressure rising...

I reckon Viney, Kent, Terlich, Rodan, Byrnes are all very likely. Pederson too if Clark doesn't play. I'm not sure on Toumpas, he hasn't shown a great deal (which is fine, btw), and we have heard Neeld say they would not be throwing the young guys in the deep end. I think he'll earn a debut after half a dozen games with Casey.

 

[CowboyFromHell]

Yeah, I'll be watching from up here, wringing my hands, blood pressure rising...

I reckon Viney, Kent, Terlich, Rodan, Byrnes are all very likely. Pederson too if Clark doesn't play. I'm not sure on Toumpas, he hasn't shown a great deal (which is fine, btw), and we have heard Neeld say they would not be throwing the young guys in the deep end. I think he'll earn a debut after half a dozen games with Casey.

It's interesting you note that about Toumpas as he was named in the best players in the HUN today. Means little I know but shows how far apart the media and fans of the club can view games of football.

 

[stretcharmstrong]

Yeah, I notices that he was also listed in the best by the age. I often wonder where these journos get their info. I guess one thing we've learned from the whole Caro affair is that you really can't take seriosuly anything written by the footy media. Or, more probably, I don't know WTF I'm talking about

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

I expect nothing.

I prepare for everything.

As for MFCSS, as you know, my own struggles with this ailment are legend.

you can't take seriously anything written in the mainstream media.

EFT

 

[PureFooty]

Why we're favorites is beyond me, I'll be quite surprised if we beat Port.

 

[Marlowe]

I'm staying optimistic, at least until we actually lose a game, I won't believe we're ever going to lose to Port at the 'G.

 

[MAXIMUM GRUNDAGE]

Blease is a few weeks away.
I'm quietly confident of a win here.

Toumpas and Viney should play. Kent could miss out.

As for the season, I feel we should play Davey as the sub every week, unleash him for a quarter and a bit. He's still got some talent, but fades out of matches quickly.

 

[Black Dynamite]

Blease is a few weeks away.
I'm quietly confident of a win here.

Toumpas and Viney should play. Kent could miss out.

As for the season, I feel we should play Davey as the sub every week, unleash him for a quarter and a bit. He's still got some talent, but fades out of matches quickly.

As much as I would love to agree re. Davey I am struggling to recall him giving us much over the past two seasons and as such I think I would prefer to look forward and play Kent.
Certainly wont be sacrificing anything player wise and will be getting valuable experience into a potential 10 year player.
Can see where you are trying to go though.

 

[Tulip]

Blease is a few weeks away.
I'm quietly confident of a win here.

Toumpas and Viney should play. Kent could miss out.

As for the season, I feel we should play Davey as the sub every week, unleash him for a quarter and a bit. He's still got some talent, but fades out of matches quickly.

Isn't that why we took Rodan?

 

[Sprout]

Over the course of the pre-season, my feelings about this game have been downgraded from confident to hopeful. Certainly we are yet to play a full strength side together so there are alot of unknowns that remain. it is rumoured that Clark is playing VFL this weekend to get some game time. Throw him into the forward mix and you never know, but at this stage I would think Port will have too many answers for our third world midfield.

It will surely be a better performance than Round 1 last year. There are claims that lessons have been learnt from that day. We shall see if that's the case.

 

[MAXIMUM GRUNDAGE]

Isn't that why we took Rodan?

He'll likely be the one to put on the red vest for Davey.

 

[Headless]

Thirteen days to go!

 

[Bluelegs]

This wait is going to kill me. NAB cup has been bad enough. Hopefully some of the injured players get a run in the vfl this week.

 

[CTHORANGE]

I am expecting a win, it's at the gee so that's what will change it

I'm also expecting to win, we are around the same level as Port, maybe just below, but at the MCG we should win. If we can't beat Port at home then I don't see how we can get the 7-9 wins for the season that many are predicting.

 

[00Stinger]

I'm optimistic. Not a great per-season, but at least we haven't been pumped for a change.