If you listened to the mainstream AFL Media heading into the 2026 season, this form from Melbourne would be one of the biggest shocks of the year…
… which is probably why so many people no longer listen to the mainstream AFL Media and end up here, right?
They were a basketcase, remember?
Players didn’t want to be part of the place, remember?
Or maybe…maybe, that just made for a great off-season story?
We heard this team’s culture questioned, and we heard journalists basically taking what one of their colleagues had reported and throwing their own two cents worth into the mix. Before you knew it, the club was in crisis and they were all hovering, waiting to pick the bones of te Demon carcass in 2026.
Yep, that’s what they told you. And that’s where they were wrong.
Up against the reigning premier, the Dees showed their supporters more this week than any reporter thought they possessed. The culture is fine – they played with heart and gave everything we were told they didn’t possess. It was brilliant to see.
The Lions came home hard, as we knew they would, as they honoured two of their greats reaching the 200 and 300 game milestones (Josh Dunkley and Lachie Neale, respectively), and we waited for the Demons to fold under the crushing weight of the Mighty Brisbane team.
Be honest, you expected it, right?
Not many can withstand the power of the Lions with a head of steam, after all.
But the Melbourne Football Club, celebrating one of their own on this day, the late, great Jim Stynes, were up for the fight. In a pulsating last quarter, they outlasted the Lions to pick up a brilliant two-point win, remaining undefeated at their MCG fortress.
So, so, so much to get through in this one… I feel like I am going to be writing for hours. Let’s jump into HB’s Loves and Hates from this one.
This is just the introduction – the remainder of this article is for our members. They support me, and I provide for them. It’s a good deal.
Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. We’re all in on the 2026 AFL season. Player articles, stats, awards, game coverage. Dump the mainstream lip service and dive into articles like this – you will never look back. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I consider it your loss as we get into the grind of the season, and you’re stuck with the stuff that’s frustrated you for years.
