Dual premiership player Byron Pickett believes the tackling, hardness and run of this Melbourne side puts it on a par with the powerhouse North Melbourne side of the 1990s : (
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/06/12/1149964468833.html)
They're on fire at the moment, but that's a big call.
For the second successive week, the Eagles wriggled their way from a seemingly impossible position, taking the game from a brave Carlton which had created a 44-point lead midway through the third term.
Against Geelong the previous week, the Eagles blasted back from a 54-point deficit from a similar time in the game to steal the four points.
Sure they have shown great character and resolve to win, but you've got to wonder what they were doing so far behind teams languishing at the bottom of the ladder (Geelong were 4th to bottom at the time and Carlton 2nd to bottom).
At the end of the day though, they'll be handy points. Better to have a dip in form now than in September.
Ladder for the half way point of the season:
West Coast – 10 wins, 1 loss = 40 points (123.01%)
Adelaide – 9 wins, 2 losses = 36 points (160.96%)
Collingwood – 8 wins, 3 losses = 32 points (131.21%)
Sydney – 7 wins, 4 losses = 28 points (124.22%)
Western Bulldogs – 7 wins, 4 losses = 28 points (112.47%)
Melbourne – 7 wins, 4 losses = 28 points (111.50%)
St Kilda – 6 wins, 5 losses = 24 points (113.71%)
Fremantle – 6 wins, 5 losses = 24 points (92.52%)Richmond – 6 wins, 5 losses = 24 points (81.04%)
Port Adelaide – 5 wins, 6 losses = 20 points (92.5%)
Geelong – 4 wins, 7 losses = 16 points (100.00%)
Brisbane – 4 wins, 7 losses = 16 points (93.85%)
Hawthorn – 4 wins, 7 losses = 16 points (78.01%)
Kangaroos – 2 wins, 9 losses = 8 points (76.78%)
Carlton – 2 wins, 9 losses = 8 points (75.46%)
Essendon – 1 win, 10 losses = 4 points (74.88%)