Round 5: the other games. Good Friday, mediocre Monday.

[Nico]

Sorry to be a pedantic pain in the arse, but it’s dissent.


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Correct. My big mistake. I have to laugh at myself after making a serious post and I get the very word I was debating wrong.

[dejavoodoo44]

Are we 1000 miles away from winning a flag though?

I don't doubt how far out in front Melbourne are at the current point. But playing devil's advocate - if they have a bad run with injury at the wrong time of the year or whatever misfortune that brings them back to the field, are we not more likely then not to be in that next bunch of contenders? I would argue we are definitely in that mix.

I don't disagree we have some gaps to fill in the list - but starting to get towards that point now where we can look to fill those gaps, rather then as I think it was TB said that buying the big name and then trying to build a side around them that so many other clubs have unsuccessfully used as a way to try and rebuild the list.

And it might not be that we need a 'big name' - it could be that someone like McDonald becomes the beast and the main man up forward (like Max King seems to be at St Kilda), and what we need is that effective 2nd tier player to fill in the gaps (i.e. a very good player not a superstar). Not dissimilar to how a player like George Hewett is making a huge difference to Carlton by filling a key gap with a very good player, but not necessarily elite.

I'm definitely with you. While Melbourne are still playing excellent footy, they have had a very good run with injuries. If that suddenly changes, with any of their key players, like Petracca, Gawn, May going down, along with a random selection of their first team, then they would rapidly become a lot less intimidating opposition.

Alternatively, if we have an injury free run, then with our abundance of skilled players, we should be able to build the teamwork and the confidence, that would run most teams off their feet. So, with a bit of luck, I definitely think a premiership this year is possible.

[barry]

Some years there is an open premiership race where any team out of the top dozen could win it. If it was one of those years, the swans would be right up there. I don't think it's one of those years. The demons, and maybe the lions are way ahead, list wise.

[SwanSand]

I'm definitely with you. While Melbourne are still playing excellent footy, they have had a very good run with injuries. If that suddenly changes, with any of their key players, like Petracca, Gawn, May going down, along with a random selection of their first team, then they would rapidly become a lot less intimidating opposition.

Alternatively, if we have an injury free run, then with our abundance of skilled players, we should be able to build the teamwork and the confidence, that would run most teams off their feet. So, with a bit of luck, I definitely think a premiership this year is possible.

Coaching a team like Melbourne must be so easy. Everyone knows their roles and they all work collectively. But once the slide starts for these teams, it is harder to get back there just like Richmond and Port Adelaide are finding. Once you lose it, it is hard to find it, no matter how good the coach is.

We are not great this year but we are playing at a consistent level. If the opposition gives us space and time, we will carve them but if they don't, we have the skills to grind it. We have missed Papley in the front half (I reckon Buddy plays a tad better when Papley is around - Their synergy is very good) and probably need more consistency from the midfield group - and that should get us in the right end for a premiership challenge.

[Velour&Ruffles]

Nah, that has to be ascent.

[bandwagon]

We are not great this year but we are playing at a consistent level.

Are we really consistent? I think we have been a bit up and down, but maybe that is a result of how the opposition play us. I don't have the knowledge to decide.
We should be 7-2 in four weeks time, but i wouldn't put my house on it. Maybe I'm just a glass-half-empty character.

[Markwebbos]

It’s a long time from May to September.

[dejavoodoo44]

Coaching a team like Melbourne must be so easy. Everyone knows their roles and they all work collectively. But once the slide starts for these teams, it is harder to get back there just like Richmond and Port Adelaide are finding. Once you lose it, it is hard to find it, no matter how good the coach is.

We are not great this year but we are playing at a consistent level. If the opposition gives us space and time, we will carve them but if they don't, we have the skills to grind it. We have missed Papley in the front half (I reckon Buddy plays a tad better when Papley is around - Their synergy is very good) and probably need more consistency from the midfield group - and that should get us in the right end for a premiership challenge.

Yes, Melbourne are doing everything right at the moment, but I think we can match them, if we get a good run with injuries. I like to stress that, because our game might be the most complicated game to play. In that, opposition defenders can attack you from any direction, you can more or less run in any direction, there's a wide range of options that can be taken on any play; all of which demand almost simultaneous attention from players. So to counteract those demands, it's important to develop teamwork.

And having a good run with injuries, is important to developing teamwork. The more each player plays with a similar group of players, the more they develop an intuitive understanding of what their team mates are likely to do. Is player A more likely to apply a shepherd, or run into space to receive a handball? What sort of lead is player B likely to provide? Does player C usually kick it short or long?
If I take a risk, will player D provide me with defensive cover? And so on. So, I tend to think that Melbourne are at the stage, where they're just doing, rather than thinking about doing, and when we're on, we're not far behind.