Rating: 5/10

I am grading on the season in isolation, and not on expectations going into the season. Looking at the draw, i believe the first half of it is easier than the second half, and we should really have a couple more wins on the board than we do, so a five is as high as i can give

3-2-1:

3. Mark Jamar. All-Australian form as our premier and lone ruckman.

2. James Frawley. Our best defender.

1. Brad Green. Our most dangerous forward who beats his opponenet more often than not.

Team Highlight:

A 50 point drubbing of a then undefeated Lions team in front of 36,000 at the MCG on a Saturday was my highlight so far.

Team Lowlight:

Round 1 against the Hawks was woeful, but i thoght our performance against a poor travelling team in the West Coast Eagles was as a disappointing day at the footy of have had this year.

Biggest Surprise:

Jordan Gysberts in his 2 games so far has surprised the hell out of me. I wonder by the end of the season who we will rate higher out of Gysberts, Scully and Trengove?

Biggest Disappointment:

Our forwardline, especially post Petterd injury.

Individual Highlight:

Jamie Bennells goal in the wet against the Dogs was the most outstanding bit of play from a Demon this year for me.

Individual Lowlight:

Happened in the preseason with Jurrah going down with a shoulder.

Rating: 6/10

We've let 2 games slip and we've put in 2 shocking performances against teams we're better than (North and WCE), as well as 3 really bad games (Hawthorn, Geelong (excusable), Carlton) But we've still exceeded expectations.

3-2-1:

3. James McDonald. Really, really playing well, and tackling ridiculously hard. Wasn't sure if he was going to be any good this year but has proved me and most others wrong

2. Mark Jamar. Close to All-Australian. Dominates most games now and gives us first use of the ball quite often. And is a great mark.

1. James Frawley. Been beaten once, maybe twice (one of which was when he was ill and shouldn't have played). Will be the cornerstone of our premiership defence.

Team Highlight:

The Brisbane game. They were undefeated, but we didn't just beat them, we smashed them by 50. That was a game where close to everything worked.

A close second would be the Collingwood game, simply because of the way we bounced back from Round 1 against a team that had previously knocked off premiership fancy the Dogs.

Team Lowlight:

The West Coast game. Worse than the Hawthorn game. Really, away from home the Eagles are crap and we should never, ever have lost that game.

Biggest Surprise:

McDonald. Just didn't see his form coming.

Biggest Disappointment:

Sylvia. Promised a lot with his 5 goals against Richmond but has only had 1 decent game since then. Being asked to ruck which isn't easy but his efforts through the middle and across half forward have been woeful for someone with his quality. Hasn't kicked on from 2009 like I hoped.

Individual Highlight:

Scully's fourth quarter against the Dogs. Awesome.

Individual Lowlight:

Jurrah's shoulder injury. Closely followed by Petterd's shoulder injury.

Anthony Hudson gave his report card this morning on SEN.

Gave us a D but found the heart to give Richmond a C+. What a joke. We have won 4 games and should have won 6. We have pushed teams that many believe are Premiership contenders. Hardly seems like a just mark. What have the tigers done to eserve a C? We were the worst of all the clubs bar Adelaide. Don't undertand his thought process. We have been smashed with injury at the start of the year and continue to develop a bunch of kids.

Strange call by Hudson given I've heard him on repeated occasions say how much we've improved this season.

To grade Richmond ahead of us flat out ridiculous.

He gave us a C, and North Melbourne a D. That is the way i heard it.

He gave us a C, and North Melbourne a D. That is the way i heard it.

Oh..Apologies..Maybe I heard North Melbourne but did not hear the North. Was this published in the paper too?

I am still sure he gave Richmond a C+. Still ahead of us. They deserve a Massive F! they have been rubbish. How could they ge given anything less?

He gave us a B.

He gave us a B.

Now I am really confused. In that case I am happy. That is what I thought we deserved. No I am guessing ii heard B as D. H raced through the bottom half ver very quickly. Still though, if Richmond got a C+ the bloke needs a labotomy.

Yep, Hudson said B.

LOL. So far I've read B, C, and D.....do I have an "A" anyone ???

He gave us a B.

Agree. That is what I heard. I suppose D, C and B sound similar.

Clear as mud!

Could not have said it better myself. Well done Jerry!

I hoped we would rise 4- 5 places on the ladder this year, that might be a bit hard with a very young side who tend to get tired in the second half of the year.

For the remainig games I think we have a good chance against Adelaide, Essendon,Richmond and Port Adelaide. If we could win those four we would finish with 8 wins. I was hoping for 10 this year but down deep inside I thought 8 wins would see us out.

Hope it will be more but i find it hard to believe our forward line can kick a winning score against the other teams.

Anthony Hudson always been a little short when it comes to footy.

LOL. So far I've read B, C, and D.....do I have an "A" anyone ???

i heard A

i did i did i did

Rating: 7/10

Have improved and showed big signs that we will keep improving.

3-2-1:

3. Chip Frawley. Dont know what to say, exept that he has just been fantastic

2. Junior Mac. Has become the bloke that we just love to love.

1. Mark Jamar. Great

Team Highlight:

The Brisbane game. The way we played. Can't remember being so exited watching the lads play.

Team Lowlight:

Hawthorn in round 1. It did not look good for the season ahead.

Biggest Surprise:

Gysberts. So good so soon. Hopfully it keeps up.

Biggest Disappointment:

Not being competetive against North, Eagles and Blues.

Individual Highlight:

Pettards game against Collingwood. Just one tiny thing to make it perfect. But he was still good.

Individual Lowlight:

Not seeing Jurrah on the park.

Rating: 6/10

Shown clear improvement with a LONG way to go.

3-2-1:

3. Junior What a great captain.

2. Russian Lionheart

1. Green All class.

Team Highlight:

Brisbane & come from behind win in Darwin.

Team Lowlight:

Hawthorn, North, WC and Carlton. All very poor performances.

Biggest Surprise:

Gysberts. Smart, switched on.

Biggest Disappointment:

Long term injuries to Jurrah, Petterd, Blease.

Individual Highlight:

Scully's game against the Bulldogs.

Individual Lowlight:

Losing to the Pies. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Anthony Hudson gave us a B (B for Bate, Brad, Brent)

Rating: 6/10

We should really have got to 6 wins by now....this would have seen a rating of between 7-8 for me as I was looking at between 8-10 wins for the year from where we have come, to have had 6 on the board would have been a great achievement. I was going to mark it 6.5 but the games against Nth and WCE have dragged it down to 6. As bad as the shocking performances have been, we will still see some of these but need to reduce the difference between the best and worst......our starts have been terrible (Bris & Port excepted) and this needs to be addressed. It can be a very long day when you are 5 goals down after 20 mins and being a young side I would have excepted the opposite, that we would fall away later in games - not sure what the problem is there but needs to be fixed. Our work at stoppages, clearances, tackling has been a highlight....tackling does need to get back to where it was rounds 2 to 6.

3-2-1:

3. James Frawley - Chip is a joy to watch and IMO should be right up there for an All-Australian spot, can play small and tall, has had games where he has been beaten early but on those rare occasions he just works to get back on top and he does. He will get better too and IMO has everything to become the premier defender in the game - big call but it is all there for him!

2. Mark Jamar - Sandilands is the # 1 Ruck but Jamar HAS to be # 2 and given a spot on the All-Australian bench at this stage. Dominates most games now and gives us first use of the ball quite often not to mention that he really attacks the opposing ruck from the start, a few knees into the midrift and they back right off (hello Nic Nat and Kruezer).

1. Brad Green/James McDonald. Weak to sit on the fence I know!! But I cannot split these two (rather than media types that like to attack our 'senior' leaders they should concentrate on those 'senior' players that dont deliver rather than leaders like these two)...both are terrific leaders, Green has had to be used forward due to so many being injured and is on target to kick 50, if the ball was there more often he could easily kick 60-75...can be used to great effect anywhere on the ground. Junior Mac is just all heart and soul and I would've expected this was his last year, happy to see him continue to lead the way in 2011.

Team Highlight:

Firstly, as individuals added to the 'team' - the introductions of Scully, Trengove, McKenzie, Gysberts are IMO the MOST exciting highlights for this season.

The Brisbane game. I love a Saturday night game - I love it more when we smash an undefeated opponent by 50 - the most commanding performance from the side for a few years and showed that we do have plenty to look forward to when it starts to click. A double edged sword would be the Dogs game, a Friday night, sitting with mum (it took this game for her to sit with me!) who is currently fighting cancer and a terrific performance from a young side on a shocker of a night weather wise.....still hurts we let that one slip but again IMO plenty of positive for the future out of that game.

Team Lowlight:

The West Coast game. Had we come into this game without a win on the board I would've expected to win this one....obviously the players had the same mindset which was very disappointing. Surely no one can be ahead of themselves? It seemed like it this day.

Biggest Surprise:

Our form - should have beaten the likes of Dogs and Pies - would've had us more advanced than I would have thought

Biggest Disappointment:

Our form - dropping games to WCE and Nth

OUR FIRST QUARTERS!!! Cmon Bails...FIRE EM UP!!

Individual Highlight:

Scully's fourth quarter against the Dogs.....it really is hard to go past this, but again the introductions of all of Skull, JT, Jordie Mc and Gysberts

Individual Lowlight:

The individuals in the forward line that we badly need to return - Rick P, Jurrah, a fit Wonna...Matty Bate..copped it terribly from the outer against the blues...unwarranted IMO as he didnt do a pre-season and struggled early this year, the dogs game he started to make an impact again and then injured again...

Jerry,,, you could call this the Snow Report, & do it following every Q/B game at the split Rnd/Bye.

The mid-season report card for Melbourne according to the AFL: http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/96400/default.aspx

Awarded us a B.

I particularly liked this bit: "Brad Miller has re-emerged from the football wilderness to start to assert his authority in the forward line."

Who writes this crap?

The mid-season report card for Melbourne according to the AFL: http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/96400/default.aspx

Awarded us a B.

I particularly liked this bit: "Brad Miller has re-emerged from the football wilderness to start to assert his authority in the forward line."

Who writes this crap?

The part about Dunn only kicking one goal in the Collingwood match after kicking 8 in the VFL was also a joke given that he had a specific tagging role for the game and did it well.

I particularly liked this bit: "Brad Miller has re-emerged from the football wilderness to start to assert his authority in the forward line."

Who writes this crap?

Presumably a specialist football journalist.

As opposed to an armchair expert?

Could not have said it better myself. Well done Jerry!

I hoped we would rise 4- 5 places on the ladder this year, that might be a bit hard with a very young side who tend to get tired in the second half of the year.

For the remainig games I think we have a good chance against Adelaide, Essendon,Richmond and Port Adelaide. If we could win those four we would finish with 8 wins. I was hoping for 10 this year but down deep inside I thought 8 wins would see us out.

Hope it will be more but i find it hard to believe our forward line can kick a winning score against the other teams.

I think we might make 10 (or 9 and a half anyway) which is a huge improvement, and we should add two and a half to that on the collingwood games and the bulldogs ( thank you umpire uniforms). 12 games would have us in the 8 with nearly the youngest list in the comp.

Be very excited Demon fans. This is a huge achievement, and given the flawed draft for the next three years will put us miles ahead of the competition by 2012. When J Stynes talks of a dynasty he isn't kidding. It will be a reality. We will be the Geelong of the next ten years.

Presumably a specialist football journalist.

As opposed to an armchair expert?

So you agree that Miller is beginning to assert his authority in the forward line?

Going missing for large periods of the last three weeks is hardly 'asserting authority'. But if that's what you think then fine.

And given that Mark Robinson would be classified as a so-called 'specialist football journalist', that's doesn't exactly speak wonders about these people's ability to analyse AFL.