Melbourne are better than you think!

[mjp]

Watched them play for the last two weeks...

With Bruce and Davey coming off half-back, they have some quality run and carry, good decision making and good skills through the middle...

Jones and McDonald work SUPER hard through the midfield.

Miller is going well and playing like a poor man's Riewoldt...he works super hard, leads up, leads up, leads up again and is not scared to commit to the contest.

We need to be VERY careful next weekend - they are certainly NOT a rabble, and whilst they are down on talent they are very disciplined and seem to have a fair amount of spirit! Looking past the D's to Geelong would be a bad mistake.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

Watched them play for the last two weeks...

With Bruce and Davey coming off half-back, they have some quality run and carry, good decision making and good skills through the middle...

Jones and McDonald work SUPER hard through the midfield.

Miller is going well and playing like a poor man's Riewoldt...he works super hard, leads up, leads up, leads up again and is not scared to commit to the contest.

We need to be VERY careful next weekend - they are certainly NOT a rabble, and whilst they are down on talent they are very disciplined and seem to have a fair amount of spirit! Looking past the D's to Geelong would be a bad mistake.

Good call... we mustn't get ahead of ourselves...

[LostDoggy]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

If we play at our best, Melbourne won't get close.

[Scraggers]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

Agreed MJP ...

Just watched their game against the Eagles ... they moved the ball quickly and had a number of options through the centre corridor (particularly Cale Morton with 34 disposals). Their backs matched up well with West Coast's forwards, and for a large slice of the game they really controlled the game.

What is working in our favour is the 6 day turn around for Melbourne after the trip West and the injuries to Rivers and Frawley, two of their better ball users.

Still, it is definitely not going to be a walk over

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

I agree with the basic premise that if we're complacent we could easily lose to Melbourne. They are a fair bit better than what most people probably realise.

In the last two weeks that Mike talks about though, their scoring shots have been 36 v 18, and 30 v 17. Although we both have a 6 day break this week, it should hurt them a lot more coming off the late afternoon game in Perth than it will us, coming off the early afternoon game in Adelaide. We really shouldn't lose.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

I have to agree. Some of the WC 'home' frees yesterday were terrible. Melbourne give there all.

[Mofra]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

What is working in our favour is the 6 day turn around for Melbourne after the trip West and the injuries to Rivers and Frawley, two of their better ball users.

The injuries will really hurt them, especially considering their baby defence. I think Bailey has the right idea of playing an entire young defensive outfit together, as it will pay dividends in seasons to come as they work out each other's game, when to go man on man, when to zone, when to leave their opponent & go third man up etc.

I would be very disappointed to lose, even if they did just get alot closer to WCE at Subi than we did.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

Melbourne over the last year and a bit that play week in week out trying to win. A side that does that is always one to be be mindful of. Though we should get over them it is a funny game football.

[ledge]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

This is the reason Bailey isnt being critisized, he is building a good team dont be fooled.
You can see it slowly taking shape.
Wallace on the other hand has had 5 years and still nothing.

[1eyedog]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

No their not. Not really. West Coast have multiple personality disorder this season so I don't look into their 8 point win too critically. As you say the Dees are having a red hot go but that's about it. They lack skill, class (other than Davey and Bruce maybe) and lack experience. Their younger players will drop off as the season unfolds and while they have enough cattle to remain competitive they should be nothing more than cannon fodder for the top 4 teams.

[Cyberdoggie]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

I think they will win twice as many games as they did last year.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

I think they will win twice as many games as they did last year.

Can they afford to do that though?

4 wins or less will result in them receiving a priority pick for the second season in a row, which would mean that the priority pick being would be the very first pick overall, giving them selections 1 & 2 (assuming they won the wooden spoon).

Very handy before GC17 come in & cause mayhem with drafting.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

Can they afford to do that though?

4 wins or less will result in them receiving a priority pick for the second season in a row, which would mean that the priority pick being would be the very first pick overall, giving them selections 1 & 2 (assuming they won the wooden spoon).

Very handy before GC17 come in & cause mayhem with drafting.

This is why the reverse order drafting rule + all the priority rubbish is so ridiculous though, because it puts clubs in an awkward position every year of having to question whether or not they should be winning!

If that doesn't compromise the integrity of a competition I don't know what does.. if Melbourne is on 4 wins come the last 5 weeks of the season, their last 5 games will be absolutely and utterly a farce, tantamount to match-fixing in essence, as there is no way in hell they'll win those games, and you know what: with the system the way it is, who can blame them?

This was always going to happen -- a team will start to come good just before their time, and start to get close in a few games, but jeapordise their chance at a couple of young guns. What does the club do? Melbourne are damned if they do, damned if they don't. It's absolutely ridiculous.

The AFL can stick their heads in the sand as they like to, but the fact that the tanking debate comes up EVERY SINGLE YEAR tells me that something obviously stinks with the drafting system as it stands.

[ledge]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

And sides who try, dare i say Richmond who end up 9th each year get bugger all.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Melbourne are better than you think!

And sides who try, dare i say Richmond who end up 9th each year get bugger all.

I would love to be one of the teams playing Melbourne in the last few weeks -- stuff like this can end up determining the make-up and order of the final 8 and final 4, and with the competition so even that percentage can determine your final placing, it's just a joke. As if the draw wasn't uneven enough...