We didn't get off to a great start against the Dockers, but they probably let us a little bit off the hook early with their kicking. We stuck in there and stuck in there, and once we found common ground, we pegged them back. Once we got in front, we went on with it.
The come-from-behind wins create belief, in the end, and you know that if you can just compete and get enough of the footy, you're still a chance to win games.
Early on, the stoppages looked ominous, but then we closed them down and we really squeezed the outer side of the stoppages, which restricted their fast movement, and we won more.
We beat them at the centre bounce, we beat them in the ball-ups and matched them at the boundary throw-ins. It was a good outcome for the first use off the ball going into the forward line.
The stoppages are something we need to get better in. The transition from the midfielders has been our strength, but we're still working on making sure we squeeze the opposition around the stoppages.
In the last month, we've gone a step forward around the clearances. The players have known their roles and are getting there early, which has been the key, and the past four weeks have been great.
As far as taking winning momentum into the break is concerned, it's important to keep winning, and to win three in a row would be great.
It would be good to have that winning feeling for the bye weekend, where you can get away and catch up with your family. It would be great to go into that with a win - it would be just what the doctor ordered.
The captain probably won't play on Monday, he'll see how he goes but the key is, if "Bucks" has another week off, he'll get an extra week up his sleeve as well.
Jimmy Clement is probably about 50-50 to play, but Heath Shaw should be right. We're mindful about the week off coming up, and you don't want to rush anyone back because you'll just break them down.
Ryan Lonie is also ready to go this week and he should be playing. We'll probably give him a run at Williamstown to see how he pulls up, but that's definitely a plus for us. He's battled osteitis pubis, and it will be great to get his experience back in the side in the second half of the year.
You cannot consider Melbourne's ladder position when looking at their form. Their best team on paper is a top-four side, no doubt. In the last month, they could have won every game.
On the weekend, they blew Adelaide away in the second quarter. Their form has been outstanding in the last month, so they're up and going and it's going to be a tough contest.
We've just got to make sure we get off to a good start.
It's Mick's 550th game coached this weekend, and he's just a legend of the game. He's an astute coach, and I've worked under a few coaches and he's the best I've seen.
He's got a good handle on the game, and he knows how to introduce new ideas and when to do it, and he's got a great craft of implementing those new innovations.
He loves his footy, and loves his family … footy is the second string to his bow, and he's as good as a coach can get.
I couldn't have been given a better opportunity to work underneath him. If you want to learn football, Mick is the guy you should ask about it.
