THE LEAN AND HUNGRY LOOK

[Hells Gates 505]

Can't get too ahead of ourselves, but it was definately an encouraging night. Was just hoping to see a few youngsters show a gilmpse so the win was a sweet bonus.

I'll pretty much be repeating everyone if I post my thoughts so I'll add a few things I took away:

I like Nicho as a player but I think he'll struggle to hold a spot this year.

Jack Watts is one of my favourite players but jeez he was frustrating tonight. Anyone else notice his half hearted leads where he sticks his arms out and makes no real effort to get space? I want the Jack Watts I saw against Richmond last year who was killing himself to get the ball and throwing himself at the packs. Obviously needs confidence but might have to find it in the 2's.

Hope Gysberts gets a full game next week because although he looks off the pace, tonight wasn't enough to judge him on.

Davis impressed me, Magner was fantastic and Howe is a joy to watch.

Bring this back next week Demons!

Good point re nicho. Endeavor is there but turns it over most of the time.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

Mark Neeld is the recruit of the century. I've had a fair bit to drink, but I reckon we could be top 4 this year.

[jumbo returns 6,598]

I'm afraid that Jack Watts is not mentally right - I hope that that he doesn't end up like that Richmond (now a Crow) guy who was forever living in that space that he got picked up before Franklin.

[Lord Travis 10,298]

Great game to watch tonight. Pressure ws good from both sides for a Nab cup match. Both sides had a few missing, but god it feels good to beat Collingwood!

Just on Nicho; He is fit, fast, but runs himself into trouble and has poor disposal. I love his endeavor, but I don't think he'll make it as a player.

Magner on the other hand... Round 1 lock him in!

[olgreydingo 51]

Dont wanna get too excited, but things looked good tonight!!

but then again

as big kKev used to say,

I'm Excited!!

[Hells Gates 505]

Mark Neeld is the recruit of the century. I've had a fair bit to drink, but I reckon we could be top 4 this year.

Classic post. Good on you Ron!! Cheers to ya!

[Sir Why You Little 35,188]

Go Demons a victory against the Filth & no injuries.

To all who sent $$$ to the club last year to bolster the Footy Dept. here is the start of our journey.

INTENSITY for a Full game.

DEMONS.

[Sir Why You Little 35,188]

Mark Neeld is the recruit of the century. I've had a fair bit to drink, but I reckon we could be top 4 this year.

Im drunk too & i agree!!!

[Hells Gates 505]

I'm afraid that Jack Watts is not mentally right - I hope that that he doesn't end up like that Richmond (now a Crow) guy who was forever living in that space that he got picked up before Franklin.

I was thinking the exact same thing today about that chap. I hope not!

Jack looks tired from a full on pre season, probably had to double everyone else's workload. But I hope he doesn't turn out to be that player you mention!!!!!!!!!

[RalphiusMaximus 5,994]

Just a random thought from left field. Could Watts have been tasked with taking the fullback out of the play to allow the medium forwards to work? Carey on MMM was talking about how he would lead up to the wing and then just hang there rather than pushing to the contest. I saw in the highlights package at least one occasion when he ran his man out of the pack rather than try to mark the ball. It'd be an intereting form of foxing.

[Sir Why You Little 35,188]

Jack Watts will fire. Don't worry kids.

He is learning a new structure.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Not the greatest game ever.... but by gee positives everywhere, and only a handful of negatives...

Everyone here has raved about Jones, Magner, Couch, Petterd, Stef etc etc... And had a go at Watts and Bennell, fairly (both shouldn't play round 1), and Macdonald... who I thought did everything right except execute. Apart from that, there were a lot of players who weren't at their peak, who you know will get there, like Nicho and Bail... players you can put an amount of trust in.

Biggest thing though, and I reckon just about everyone will agree, we had some sort of gameplan. Keeping any side to that total, let alone the pies (albeit not trying and missing most players at the end when we won it) is tremendous. Defensively we're a presence, we have the players, led ably by Garland and Chip... and with that in mind, and a massively diverse forward line, there's cause for genuine optimism...

Mostly... I just loved that we were looking for targets. We're not a hghly skilled team, but we're building in this regard. You could see the confidence build, and players start backing themselves.

It's only NAB cup, but I feel like that'll rope in a number of supporters who might have been entirely ho hum about this year up til now.

[DemonDave 1,078]

Sylvia is a Rolls Royce. When hes on song, things happen for us.

And I think Jones is improving every year, he really led well from the front tonight.

Cant wait for Troy Davis to get a few more games like that under his belt, he looks a very good prospect. The half dozen

games I saw him play last year for Casey he was largely anonymous, after tonights effort I can now see why they drafted him.

Think there are a few players that might have expected to have a spot in Round 1 now having to play catchup to reclaim their guernsey

Rivers (Sellar)

McKenzie/Nicholson (Magner)

Bail (Bate)

Dunn/Watts (Petterd/Howe)

If we can get back from injury/rest the likes of Trengove,Grimes,Moloney, Clark, Rivers, Bartram, Jurrah etc then we may start to have

a bit of depth.

The likes of Jamie Bennell, who continues to underwhelm, are also in danger of facing extended spells out at windswept Cranbourne.

[Vanilla Gorilla 204]

For all the optimism displayed on this forum, I think we all have to take a good step back and realise that this is only NAB cup. Tonights game was NO indication that we will make finals this year, or even win more games. What it DID indicate was Neeld's new coaching mantra of endeavour and toughness toward the footy. It seems like the players as a collective have adopted this approach well - and this is by far the most pleasing thing for me as a Melbourne supporter. Hopefully this year will be all about one word...EFFORT!

[Bobby McKenzie 2,209]

For all the optimism displayed on this forum, I think we all have to take a good step back and realise that this is only NAB cup. Tonights game was NO indication that we will make finals this year, or even win more games. What it DID indicate was Neeld's new coaching mantra of endeavour and toughness toward the footy. It seems like the players as a collective have adopted this approach well - and this is by far the most pleasing thing for me as a Melbourne supporter. Hopefully this year will be all about one word...EFFORT!

Absolutely agree. No bollocks here! I'm confident Green and Davey will fire this year which will make a huge difference. Not at all worried about Watts, he's too good to be ruled out of the equation. Great also to see Jonesy playing so well.

Edited March 3, 2012 by Bobby McKenzie

[BIG JIM 508]

Went tonight and had a ball this side is not the melbourne of old and this side will win a flag im very sure this team is the next power house of the AFL i can finally see a strong game plan and we beat collingwood at there own game plan and they have been training this plan for years. A very good effort tonight i can see geelong 2006-7 in that team we could really be a top 6 side if we put efforts like this in everyweek. We have been waiting for this side to shine and here it comes. A win at that ground bailey could not do in 4 years. I think collingwood fans would be thinking i wish we had neeld and not buckley. NAB cup yes but we look like a new side and if we keep playing like this we will have no problem getting a star mid coming to us.

[BIG JIM 508]

For all the optimism displayed on this forum, I think we all have to take a good step back and realise that this is only NAB cup. Tonights game was NO indication that we will make finals this year, or even win more games. What it DID indicate was Neeld's new coaching mantra of endeavour and toughness toward the footy. It seems like the players as a collective have adopted this approach well - and this is by far the most pleasing thing for me as a Melbourne supporter. Hopefully this year will be all about one word...EFFORT!

Please dont be sad and say its just the NAB cup we won at a ground we never win at and we beat collingwood the best team at there own game. Be happy melbourne fans we won and played like men.

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Was in my local it was very quite ....then all of a sudden I was surrounded by filth fans.....we were up by a couple and they were saying oh yeah Melbourne, ha go dees, its just NAB cup, who cares....then when they got 3 goals in a row, it was all... go pies, ha ha Melbourne. Then we came back and they said very little, mumbled something about who,s in and who,s out....then.. toward the end of the game, as another demon goal went sliding through, there was this classic shot of Buckley in the coaches box with a look on his face I can only describe as the same look as the old guys, in the film, on the deck of the Titanic as the water came rushing in, cause they never believed it could sink!..... I turned round straight away to my new found pie mates and the look on their faces.......

[Guest djdemons]

I made a bet with my mate who is a Pies supporter that James Magner will be in the starting 22 in round 1. If I win he's gonna buy me a Melbourne Membership and if I loose I buy him a pies membership......Im feeling really confident Im gonna be a Dees member real soon.

[WhateverItTakes 17]

Hopefully you'll be a Dees member no matter what the outcome of the bet is!

[mrtwister 650]

Geez I hate Etihad. Never again.

What about next week?

[Biffen 12,450]

Just a random thought from left field. Could Watts have been tasked with taking the fullback out of the play to allow the medium forwards to work? Carey on MMM was talking about how he would lead up to the wing and then just hang there rather than pushing to the contest. I saw in the highlights package at least one occasion when he ran his man out of the pack rather than try to mark the ball. It'd be an intereting form of foxing.

That's how I saw it .Players deliberately kicked over him and he drew Reid? up the ground .Jack Watts will get plenty of the footy in the year .Look out!!! NAB or not ,we showed an ability to flood in defence and kick quickly and directly in attack .Players out in both teams -we were better drilled .The scoreboard flattered the filth .On a dryer night ,or with straighter kicking for goal ,it would have been a good old thumping.

[Whispering_Jack 28,096]

The last kick of every quarter was a shot at goal.

Q1 - The Russian misses after the siren from about 30.

Q2 - Maxwell goals after the siren from about the same distance.

Q3 - Shaw scores a supergoal from 51 on the siren - awarded after a minute's deliberation.

Q4 - Ball goals from 35 after the siren.

Net result: Collingwood scores 21 points after the siren. We score 1.

Where I'm going with this? Er ... not sure really.

[Elwood 3184 1,268]

Of the newer players:

* Magner is a real find and will play in R1. Instantly forms part of the midfield rotation.

* Davis was very solid. Looks a year away but has skill, poise and gets to the ball

* Couch got better as the other players got tired/slower. Need more convincing

* Tom Mac only got a few minutes - why?

* Seller - bigger and better than Matt Warnock. Not sure yet why Adelaide delisted him. Looks like a fairly ready made gorilla-minder

* I thought Jack Fitz contested really well around the ball and showed a good motor to get away and win possession

You left out Josh Tynan who did a few nice things early but was then subbed off I think.

[old dee 23,122]

For all the optimism displayed on this forum, I think we all have to take a good step back and realise that this is only NAB cup. Tonights game was NO indication that we will make finals this year, or even win more games. What it DID indicate was Neeld's new coaching mantra of endeavour and toughness toward the footy. It seems like the players as a collective have adopted this approach well - and this is by far the most pleasing thing for me as a Melbourne supporter. Hopefully this year will be all about one word...EFFORT!

You are correct with your sober words "bollacks"

But it is always good to beat the Pies mate whenever it happens.

Enjoy the next few days they have not been around much the last 5 years.

A win is a win is a win.