Why are the Demons still so piss weak in 2018?

[Rocket Science]

I'd humbly suggest knocking over the two wobbliest sides in the 2018 finals pales somewhat next to our 2016 feats; a then-rampant Eagles away, a hardened Hawks outfit at the G, a primed GWS away and then the biggie.

[comrade]

I'd humbly suggest knocking over the two wobbliest sides in the 2018 finals pales somewhat next to our 2016 feats; a then-rampant Eagles away, a hardened Hawks outfit at the G, a primed GWS away and then the biggie.

Yep, this is like the watered down Diet-Diet-Coke version of our flag run.

[G-Mo77]

I'd humbly suggest knocking over the two wobbliest sides in the 2018 finals pales somewhat next to our 2016 feats; a then-rampant Eagles away, a hardened Hawks outfit at the G, a primed GWS away and then the biggie.

Still the excuses were there. We only beat the Eagles because of the week off before the finals, can't remember what the excuses were for Rounds 2 and 3, probably Ward getting concussed and we did only win the Grand Final because of free kicks. HAHA

Melbourne have beaten who is front of them. Knocked off Geelong who had it over them, I think the Hawks had a pretty strong record against in recent times as well, they're still there and a good chance this week. If they win this week it'll be because of West Coasts injury list.

[whythelongface]

Yeah I got sick of hearing the excuse why my team was winning in the 2016 finals.

Time to suck it up and give credit's where it's due, even if they get beat in Perth they've moved further into finals than anyone thought they would.

Yep agree. They are traveling very well and will provide West Coast with a stern test.

They are certainly ahead of us (at least for this year).

[Twodogs]

So in your opinion if both Melbourne and Richmond can’t win the premiership cause they are not good enough who does?

Collingwood.

Yeah I got sick of hearing the excuse why my team was winning in the 2016 finals.

Time to suck it up and give credit's where it's due, even if they get beat in Perth they've moved further into finals than anyone thought they would.

I wouldn't say anyone thought they wouldn't win their first two finals. A lot of the press had them winning the premiership from the elimination final because, you know, that's what teams do now. They scrape into the finals and then they win the flag. After all thats what we did in the eyes of the press.

Personally I'm getting sick of that characterisation because it downplays our acheivment and overestimates what Melbourne have done so far.

[The bulldog tragician]

Collingwood.



I wouldn't say anyone thought they wouldn't win their first two finals. A lot of the press had them winning the premiership from the elimination final because, you know, that's what teams do now. They scrape into the finals and then they win the flag. After all thats what we did in the eyes of the press.

Personally I'm getting sick of that characterisation because it downplays our acheivment and overestimates what Melbourne have done so far.

Melbourne were favourites in both finals which was very different to the scenarios of our first two weeks.

[Sedat]

They're certainly not pissweak but Melbourne's finals campaign has been a touch overrated by the media. They smashed an inept Geelong but kept then in the game for far too long and they were very lucky for large parts against a profligate (and inferior) Hawthorn.

[Topdog]

If Gunston kicks that goal the Hawks win IMO.

Having said that, Melbourne would have lost that game earlier in the year regardless. They have improved and are getting better at closing out games

[jeemak]

This is an interesting article by Wilson - well the start of it is anyway.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/...21-p50587.html

I wonder what the AFL response would have been to this crisis if it didn't pin the hopes of the entire competition on the revenue gained by having 18 teams in the competition, alongside it being one of North Melbourne, St Kilda or ourselves in the parlous position Melbourne was in at the time.

Actually, I don't wonder. The AFEL would have found a way to make things work without us.

This club's fans are so bloody arrogant about their rise to a preliminary final. They're privileged twats who will never know how close oblivion could ever be because someone, somewhere, will always step in to bail them out like Demetriou did all of those years ago.

[jeemak]

Well this is clearly my hobby horse for the day. Rob Sitch, who I actually like, gets going well and then starts talking about rotten luck for the Demons.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/...21-p505be.html

That said, no one has had darker days than Melbourne. No one has had crueller luck. For a decade or more, the game took the best that the president, the board, the coaching panel, the players and the support staff could offer and allowed them only to make up the numbers.

Every plague and pestilence was visited upon our club: poaching expansion teams; debt; tragedy; Sunday games; 1.10pm starts; Etihad; naviculars; and the AFL doing their best Claude Rains impersonation with us as the usual suspects. You name it, we copped it.

Give me a spell.

What he fails to call out is just how pathetically Melbourne managed its playing talent, particularly through the draft process. He also fails to mention their toxic culture of tanking and the shambolic way in which the club was managed over the course of the journey from the executive down. Luck had nothing to do with their terrible situation, beyond the tragic death of Jim Stynes.

Melbourne's first and second round picks:

2008 (16th) - Jack Watts 1, Sam Blease 17 (Priority) and James Strauss 19

2009 (16th) - Tom Scully 1, Jack Trengove 2, Jordan Gysberts 11 and Luke Tapscott 18. Max Gawn landed at 34 as a 3rd round selection showing just how long rucks can take to develop

2010 (12th) - Lucas Cook 11 and Jeremy Howe 33

2011 (13th) - Rory Taggert 36

2012 (16th) - Jimmy Toumpas 4 and Jack Viney 26

2013 (17th) - Christian Salem 9

It's actually a real shame that a man of his intelligence is either so entitled or on this topic ignorant, that he can't bring himself around to the fact that Melbourne dished up the crap it did to its supporters because of its own shortcomings and not because of external factors.

[azabob]

That is some terrible drafting or development of young talent.

[EasternWest]

Only the best premiership contenders fly to Perth and smash the Eagles in a final.

[Sedat]

This is as bad a finals performance as you can get. Kamikaze, panic, no composure whatsoever.

[jeemak]

Worst finals half since 1960........

[comrade]

Roosy going to take credit for this?