The Demons still haven't impressed this season

Convinced yet?

Im looking forward to a rematch now the Dees are out of first gear ?

it appears you don't know how to use 'respectively'.

Oh I always do, the financial hurdles to surmount to get to the ski slopes in this country means you're almost guaranteed not to encounter any North Melbourne supporters. I always feel ill at ease with those small fingered emaciated larrikins around.

Spot on - the AFL website did a poll monday asking who was best team so far this year. Despite being 3rd Melbourne wasnt one of the 4 options! It shouldnt shock anyone Melbourne are primed for a top 4 spot but here we are....

Why do Hawthorn sell home games to Launceston? And North sell them to Hobart? Money and exposure.

Chaps,there's no use hanging your hat on beating North, everyone else has been doing it for few years.

Poppycock my lords. Melbourne are still false alarmists. Your grand era ended when Richmond became a co-tenant at the M.C.G. I admit that the Grand Old Team bested the mighty Northerners, yet it was the kick up the backside that we needed. We have gone on to be beat both Hawthorn and the Giants. We also gave Richmond a run for their money. North Melbourne will make the eight while the Fuchsias will once again be found wanting. You better book your ski trips my lords.

Fear not old boys, as 2018 is the year of the Grand Old Team. I have postponed my sojourn to Aspen, as the mighty Fuchsias will be holding the cup aloft, come the last Saturday in September. After we vanquished those ghastly barbarians from Arden Street I recall Sir Oliver Duckswallop purporting, over a sherry or two, "that we had exorcised the North phantom and we will now charge forth and claim the premiership." The chaps at the Melbourne club have organised a soiree, so we can watch the contest in the comfort of grand smoking room. I trust you will be in attendance old chums. Tally ho and keep your upper lips stiff old boys.

Whinge much? The What About Me mentality is dragging Melbourne down. The reason that people say this is because Melbourne has not beaten anyone of substance and are generally inconsistent (although this year they have consistently beaten the sides that lack substance). Until they string a few together against genuine contenders they will always be viewed with skepticism ... and rightly so!'

I don't know about 'Carlton's second tier team', but I've been a bit surprised to see so many confidently state that they're locked into the finals on the strength of beating up on bottom four teams in miserable games. It took them quite some time to get going against Gold Coast and the margin only blew out once the Suns blew up. I think they'll wind up fighting with Collingwood, Hawthorn and GWS for the last couple of spots in the eight, assuming West Coast, Richmond, Adelaide, Sydney, Port all continue their early season form and Geelong improve on last week's showing.

#Darren M What you'll find is that the reason this narrative emerges is that many of the observers perhaps are really hoping that Melbourne IS turning the corner and will be a contender. For me - I'd love a Melb v Geel GF sometime in the next year or two (basically 2020 will be 160 years since Melb v Geel first met on Sat Sep 1 back in 1860). btw - North have been getting 'pumped' up (as better than expected) - but, we've only beating 'undermanned' sides in Syd, Hawks and GWS. Of course - some clubs have won even when undermanned (Adelaide and Syd and West Coast) - - so, a win is a win.

That is the issue that we have with the NT, we end up playing SA teams or Queensland teams which probably have a larger following due to proximity. "But why a team with top 4 aspirations sell a ‘home’ game?" I don't see what top 4 aspirations have to do with it. Hawthorn sold games to Tasmania, GWS sold games to Canberra, Port Adelaide sold 'away' games to China. Bulldogs sold games to Ballarat (at least they had aspirations when they signed the deal).

Just a quick note: I don't recall anyone calling Carlton, St. Kilda or North Melbourne 'premiership contenders'. I think Essendon got called this in round 1, but that was because they beat Adelaide. Even then, I did not and still do not agree with that statement at all. When they beat Geelong, no one said that they were a contender. If anything, people were questioning Geelong as a contender, and why it took Essendon so long to click as a team. I can think of two reasons why Melbourne isn't considered a contender yet: 1. As many have pointed out, their last four rounds have been stupidly soft. I'm sorry, but beating Essendon, Gold Coast, St Kilda and Carlton doesn't exactly strike fear into other teams, and it certainly doesn't make you a contender. 2. The reason people are having doubts is because we have seen Melbourne have good wins, but then disappoint the following week. For example, last year they won against Adelaide by 41 but then lost to North by 14. They also won against Port by 23 and then to North again by 4. We don't trust them yet. If you do beat Adelaide, I will sit up and take notice. Until then though, I'm not convinced.

So what you're saying is- and still the point I'm making is "Sure Melbourne won, but.... " Sure Melbourne won against Brisbane but.... Brisbane are on the bottom. Sure Melbourne won against North, but.... North wasn't that "good" then, and they played in bad conditions a few weeks earlier, and they had a big win, and they had someone out, and they played at the MCG and.... Sure Melbourne won against Essendon, but... Essendon is now down the bottom of the table (they were still "good" when we played them by the way") and they had a day less because of ANZAC Day, and they were missing players and... Sure Melbourne won against St Kilda, but... St Kilda only lost because they couldn't kick straight and they are a bottom team and.... Sure Melbourne won against Gold Coast, but... Gold Coast has had to travel everywhere, so were tired and they were a bottom team, and they weren't used to playing at the Gabba and .... Sure Melbourne won against Carlton, but... it was Carlton. Next week if we win it will be Sure Melbourne won against Adelaide, but.... Adelaide had so many injuries.... Can't you all just let us celebrate a big victory without qualification.

This is the exact point I'm making. "Can you keep it up against stiffer opposition" doesn't get asked of the Carltons, Essendons, St Kildas or North Melbournes.... they have one win and suddenly they're premiership contenders. The lovely stats I provided show that our wins were more than just falling over the line or scraping by, they were decisive victories. Once again, 1/3 of the way into the season and one team has won by 100 points this year. Richmond haven't done it, West Coast haven't done it. Adelaide haven't done it. Or have they only played teams that were stiffer opposition? So far this year, we had 1 bad game against Hawthorn (currently out of the 8) and a bad quarter against Richmond (there was only 11 points in it, right up til 3 qtr time). We came within one goal of making finals last year. Yeah, we lost it when we shouldn't have, but so did Geelong this week. So did Hawthorn. As I said, even if we beat Adelaide, most commentators and keyboard warriors will remain unconvinced. That I don't mind, it's the lack of respect - particularly in comments here on theroar - that I get annoyed by.

Let me just say, apart from 1 horrendous game against Hawthorn we have had 8 solid weeks. Round 1: We should have beaten Geelong, Geelong were at full strength and we were missing Tmac and Jack. Round 2: We played a very hungry and actually quite good side in Brisbane in Brisbane. People may think the Lions aren’t competitive, but they are the best 1-8 team I have seen, which was proved when they smashed Hawthorn on the weekend. We were put under the pump but rallied and came back to record a very good win. This actually showed great character by our leaders to steady the ship. Round 3: We pumped North Melbourne by 37 points, who are in the top 8, they pushed Richmond all the way last week and should have won. But the media easily forgets this game that we won, instead just wants to say they weren’t as good then, well hello, it’s still the same side they have now. How easily forgotten this game was. Round 4: Was just a horrendous game all around apart from the first 20mins. Hawthorn brought us back down to earth, but this game may have been bad, but it was our teams turning point. Showed that effort was actually needed and the team had a reality check. Round 5: Anzac Day Eve, this is another game the media just looks at the final score, they have got to remember, we were right with Richmond up to the final quarter, only 19 points down at 3 quarter time in a huge match. Our young players showed they were ready for the big stage, we just ran out of legs in the final term. Now Rounds 6-9: We beat the teams we should have beaten, and pumped the Suns and the Blues. We can only beat who is in front of us, and in recent years, 20 point win would have been our norm and be happy with it. But this year when we got in front, we pushed on and were ruthless and buried them. This week we play Adelaide, and let me guess, if we win it will be all about Adelaide’s injury list, not about us. But we lose and the media will be all over us again.

The win over North was a good win for the Dees - monkey off the back and all that - although that was 2 weeks after the Cairns cyclone match - both the Suns and North won the week after it (round 2) - but the impact was felt (as per the Jono Brown theory) the 2nd week after and North certainly tired against the Dees that dday after having finished off superbly to demolish the Saints on Good Friday. So - the Dees did what they ought to. But - this is it - even the last 4 weeks v Ess, StK, Suns and Carl - they got a couple of those sides at very low ebbs - and the Dees have done what they ought to. What they have done is get Tommy McDonald back, and in form, and Viney back now too. So - the cards are starting to fall their way - and confidence and team play are building. Certainly a 'watch this space' - but now first class upgrade just yet!!

But why a team with top 4 aspirations sell a 'home' game? They go to Alice Springs where most of the crowd will be supporting the Crows! It will feel like a Crows home game.

couldn't agree more old chap. like my father used to say to Henry Bolte back in the day, who cares if the opposition is rubbish, victory still tastes as sweet as ever I personally think though we should steer clear of this line of conversation otherwise people might recall our famous streak in the 1950's was achieved solely against those decaying edifices of Windy Hill and Carringbush Best of luck old son, and be confident for the future - as long as climate change still facilitates an Australian snow season there will always be range rovers, skis, and cashed up vapid twits with a need to follow an exclusive sporting club simply for the socialising and not give a toss about the football, so long as you don't have to associate with the hoi polloi and get access to the members reserve - and I feel very strongly that the Fuchsias shall continue to exist to fulfil this ever growing need in upper class Melburnian society. Yours in semi-retirement Lord D