Jump to content

  • IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

    Posting unsubstantiated rumours on this website is strictly forbidden.

    Demonland has made the difficult decision to not permit this platform to be used to discuss & debate the off-field issues relating to the Melbourne Football Club including matters currently being litigated between the Club & former Board members, board elections, the issue of illicit drugs in footy, the culture at the club & the personal issues & allegations against some of our players & officials ...

    We do not take these issues & this decision lightly & of course we believe that these serious matters affecting the club we love & are so passionate about are worthy of discussion & debate & I wish we could provide a place where these matters can be discussed in a civil & respectful manner.

    However these discussions unfortunately invariably devolve into areas that may be defamatory, libelous, spread unsubstantiated rumours & can effect the mental health of those involved. Even discussion & debate of known facts or media reports can lead to finger pointing, blame & personal attacks.

    The repercussion is that these discussions can open this website, it’s owners & it’s users to legal action & may result in this website being forced to shutdown.

    Our moderating team are all volunteers & cannot moderate the forum 24/7 & as a consequence problematic content that contravenes our rules & standards may go unnoticed for some time before it can be removed.

    We reserve the right to delete posts that offend against our above policy & indeed, to ban posters who are repeat offenders or who breach our code of conduct.

    WE HAVE BUILT A FANTASTIC ONLINE COMMUNITY AT DEMONLAND OVER THE PAST 23 YEARS & WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THE CLUB WE LOVE & ARE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT.

    Thank you for your continued support & understanding. Go Dees.


THE GAME IS NOT THE SAME by Whispering Jack


Demonland

Recommended Posts

The doyen of Australian cricket commentators Alan McGilvray often had difficulty coming to terms with the changes in the game as it adapted to the realities of commercialism in the era of colour television. He even wrote a book entitled, "The Game is Not the Same" in the wake of the Packer World Series Cricket circus.

I was thinking of him as I made my way to watch Melbourne footballers training this morning on Australia Day, 2015 at Gosch's Paddock. The pre season is already into its third month, having begun in November last year. The NAB Challenge matches are a month away and the premiership season starts in a little over two month's time.

In McGilvray's era, the footballers would have been more than a month away from gathering to prepare for the year ahead with the obligatory first up lap or two of the Tan. There would have been a Test Match in session over in Adelaide with players wearing whites and baggy caps instead of the pastel coloured gear they wore at last night's T20 semi-final between the Perth Scorchers and the Melbourne Stars (I can sense Alan turning in his grave). No tennis across the road at Flinders Park; the Open was played at Kooyong and at a different time of the year. As for soccer, you couldn't get two men and a dog to the Showgrounds in mid winter to watch that; never mind tens of thousands for the Asian Cup.

Footy training began in earnest late in the Sheffield Shield cricket season with balls flying around the MCG and players avoiding injury by staying away from the cordoned off pitch in the centre of the ground. And you might have heard some of the names of your team's recruits from newspaper despatches but you would rarely put a face to those names unless you turned up in late March to a practice match somewhere in the bush or at the G if it wasn't required by the cricketers.

Today, the game is not the same.

We know almost everything there is to know about the team thanks to an exponentially expanded media in this electronic age. We've seen you tube action of our favourite players at training, of the new recruits from other clubs and of the fresh faced youngsters. Not only that but we know how fast they can cover 20 metres from a standing start, how they can leap tall buildings in a single bound and the names of their pet cats and dogs. We've read every report from every training session to date, every drill and every movement at training's been covered including those eleven days on camp at Maroochydore, so what brings us to Gosch's Paddock so early on this Australia Day morning to watch them go around?

I suppose it's because for all of the marvels and wizardry of the electronic age, the film, the videos and the graphics, the game is not the same when you view it that way and it's still better to witness sport (be it practice or the real thing) in person even when it's raining where you feel more a part of the action and you can better gauge the people and the personalities who you come to watch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Demonland Forums  

  • Match Previews, Reports & Articles  

    CENTIMETRES by Whispering Jack

    Our game is one where the result is often decided by centimetres; the touch of a fingernail, a split-second decision made by a player or official, the angle of vision or the random movement of an oblong ball in flight or in its bounce and trajectory. There is one habit that Melbourne seems to have developed of late in its games against Carlton which is that the Demons keep finding themselves on the wrong end of the stick in terms of the fine line in close games at times when centimetres mak

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons

    PREGAME: Rd 10 vs West Coast Eagles

    The Demons have a 10 day break before they head on the road to Perth to take on the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium on Sunday. Who comes in and who goes out?

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 68

    PODCAST: Rd 09 vs Carlton

    The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Sunday, 12th May @ 8:30pm. Join George, Binman & I as we analyse the Demons loss at the MCG against the Blues in the Round 09. You questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human. Listen & Chat LIVE:

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 17

    VOTES: Rd 09 vs Carlton

    Last week Captain Max Gawn consolidated his lead over reigning champion Christian Petracca in the Demonland Player of the Year Award. Steven May, Jake Lever, Jack Viney & Clayton Oliver make up the Top 5. Your votes for the loss against the Blues. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 38

    POSTGAME: Rd 09 vs Carlton

    The Demons were blown out of the water in the first quarter and clawed their way back into the contest but it was a case of too little too late as they lost another close one to Carlton losing by 1 point at the MCG.  

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 455

    GAMEDAY: Rd 09 vs Carlton

    It's Game Day and the Demons are once again headlining another blockbuster at the MCG to kick off the round of footy. The Dees take on the Blues and have the opportunity to win their third game on the trot to solidify a spot in the Top 4 in addition to handing the Blues their third consecutive defeat to bundle them out of the Top 8.

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 959

    MELBOURNE BUSINESS by The Oracle

    In days of old, this week’s Thursday night AFL match up between the Demons and the Blues would be framed on the basis of the need to redress the fact that Carlton “stole” last year’s semi final away from Melbourne and with it, their hopes for the premiership.  A hot gospelling coach might point out to his charges that they were the better team on the night in all facets and that poor kicking for goal and a couple of lapses at the death cost them what was rightfully theirs. Moreover, now was

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Match Previews 1

    UNDER THE PUMP by KC from Casey

    The Casey Demons have been left languishing near the bottom of the VFL table after suffering a 32-point defeat at the hands of stand alone club Williamstown at Casey Fields on Sunday. The Demons suffered a major setback before the game even started when AFL listed players Ben Brown, Marty Hore and Josh Schache were withdrawn from the selected side. Only Schache was confirmed as an injury replacement, the other two held over as possible injury replacements for Melbourne’s Thursday night fixt

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Casey Articles

    THE MEANING OF FOOTY by Whispering Jack

    Throughout history various philosophers have grappled with the meaning of life. Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and a multitude of authors of diverse religious texts all tried. As society became more complex, the question became attached to specific endeavours in life even including sporting pursuits where such questions arose among our game’s commentariat as, “what is the meaning of football”? Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin must be tired of dealing with such a dilemma but,

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Match Reports 1
  • Tell a friend

    Love Demonland? Tell a friend!
×
×
  • Create New...