The Grand Final. The season is dead: long live the season!

[royboy42]

In 1993, when the Swans were in dire trouble, Melbourne sent Ron Barassi to save the club. From that point on, we became competitive and 12 years later, we broke our premiership drought.

20 years later, we returned the favour when Roos took over as coach of Melbourne. Barassi recruited Roos from Fitzroy.

So I'm hoping Melbourne breaks their own drought. Sure, they've won a lot of premierships, but they have not won any for decades. It's time.

Allow me to make two comments.

Barassi's move to Sydney brought us premierships, respect and even the ethos and team we still have.

We owe him everything.

From 1955 to 1964, when I was a youth, Melbourne won 6..SIX.. of the available premierships.

And I saw them all. They toyed with the opposition.

"They've not won any for decades", but they're still fresh in my mind. Seems like yesterday. And I hated them.

But 2016 is even fresher in my mind.

Go Demons, and Ronald Dale, I hope you get a lot of pleasure from the win.

[mcs]

The Dogs are as welcome on here as the Germans were in Stalingrad.

Got that right Ludwig. Carn the Dees - get the job done.

Hopefully the Dogs season ends in the same way as the germans in Stalingrad.... total annihilation. We can only dream!

[i'm-uninformed2]

Do we think Matt Stevic will:

* just gently slip a couple of extra frees the way of the Dogs, and let Libby throw a few ‘handballs’
* go for the ones that matter and both deny the Dees a couple of goals at critical times, and gift the Dogs a couple too right when they are struggling
* go on a full start-to-finish frenzy that sees Dees fans turn into Melbourne construction workers outside his house for the next 20 years.

My bet is the middle one as it’s more his style, but can’t put the latter beyond him.

[longmile]

Bontempelli to be called for chucking the ball in front of the goals in the dying seconds to result in a Dee's win

[Mel_C]

One of the big negatives of the Bulldogs being in the Grand Final is that they keep showing footage from the 2016 GF. It still hurts and I hate seeing or hearing anything to do with it.

[Southern Swan15]

I would not be angry if the free kick count was 30 to 2 melbours way.

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[dejavoodoo44]

One of the big negatives of the Bulldogs being in the Grand Final is that they keep showing footage from the 2016 GF. It still hurts and I hate seeing or hearing anything to do with it.

On last week's Front Bar, they showed a thirty second segment from 2016, that went from a smother by Biggs to a goal by Picken. I was surprised by the number of times that I angrily uttered "ball", in that brief period. God knows what I'd do to my head, if I tried to watch the whole match.

[MattW]

Someone on Twitter said that the bye makes it feel like the season is over, even though they know the GF is still to come. I know what they're saying. Not fond of hanging around all day for the game either.

I think it could be a very good game. It is after all, essentially the top 2 teams of the year, allowing for the Bulldogs late season slump. I know most of us have mixed - or worse - feelings about the Dogs, but I did begrudgingly admire the way they played through the finals series.

So many questions. Will the long break really disadvantage the Dees? Do they have the mental strength required? How will the Dogs start the game? They seem to relish the underdog status. Can they do a "shock and awe" first quarter, like the Hawks did to the Swans in 2014? Or will it be a tight one all the way to the end.

I think it's the Dees to lose and their best should win it. And I'd like them to, without being especially emotionally invested in the result. Not long until all the questions are answered.

Exactly my thoughts.

If Melbourne play near their best they'll win, but they also feel like the most likely team to choke.

[Kafka's Ghost]

One of the big negatives of the Bulldogs being in the Grand Final is that they keep showing footage from the 2016 GF. It still hurts and I hate seeing or hearing anything to do with it.

Spot on, Mel_C, spot on.
Go Demons!!

[Sandridge]

Do we think Matt Stevic will:

* just gently slip a couple of extra frees the way of the Dogs, and let Libby throw a few ‘handballs’
* go for the ones that matter and both deny the Dees a couple of goals at critical times, and gift the Dogs a couple too right when they are struggling
* go on a full start-to-finish frenzy that sees Dees fans turn into Melbourne construction workers outside his house for the next 20 years.

My bet is the middle one as it’s more his style, but can’t put the latter beyond him.

They'll definitely miss some Bulldog throws and you can bank on a couple of "momentum killing" frees against the Dees, too!

Hope I'm wrong. Desperately want to be wrong!

Go Dees!! Put the Poodles to sleep!!

[Roadrunner]

Allow me to make two comments.

Barassi's move to Sydney brought us premierships, respect and even the ethos and team we still have.

We owe him everything.

From 1955 to 1964, when I was a youth, Melbourne won 6..SIX.. of the available premierships.

And I saw them all. They toyed with the opposition.

"They've not won any for decades", but they're still fresh in my mind. Seems like yesterday. And I hated them.

But 2016 is even fresher in my mind.

Go Demons, and Ronald Dale, I hope you get a lot of pleasure from the win.

Ronald Dale made all the difference- he was simply huge for us, as you say.

The Demons domination during the 10 years you speak of: I remember their big forward Bob Johnson- he simply out-marked everybody and was almost unplayable. He also had a few mates! We were pretty ordinary in comparison, but had Skilts and a little guy named McGowan on the ball. Some great games but we lost more than we won!

Go the Dees!

[Blue Sun]

At least the Bulldogs deserve to be in the GF this year, they demolished Port without umpire assistance.

That said, I am worried to see that Matt Stevic is officiating. Got my fingers crossed that it’s not a repeat of the bull@@@@ that was the 2016 GF, but I honestly don’t believe that could ever happen to a Victorian team.

I’ll be barracking aggressively for the Dees! Their supporters deserve to taste success (and Dogs supporters definitely do not).

[Steve]

Genuinely can’t decide what I’d prefer more.

Bulldogs lose by a point with the umpiring going against them, or Bulldogs being down by 10 goals at quarter time and have to endure the next 2 hours shellshocked knowing they’ve lost.

Anything else and I’ll feel disappointed.

[barry]

I take option 2 Steve

[stevoswan]

Just watching the Storm v Panthers final and it's like watching Stevic umpiring us.....try just denied for the Storm, unfairly.....and the commentary, so biased. I don't expect to get any support here though!