Hardest team to play against

[tonatopia 278]

Let's make an assumption that 2012, was just a season of preparation for 2013.

We quickly learned that we were a long way from the hardest team to play against. So neeld, knowing that everything was on the line, made bold decisions, with the help of viney, to make this club the hardest team to play against. He knows that 2013 is the year it must be done, so it is.

It was a pity to lose moloney, but in saying that, we will have the hardest young midfield in the land.

Grimes, jones, trengove, tapscott, viney, wines, mckenzie, magner and Sylvia.

We have the toughest full forward in Clark and the hardest full back in frawley.

Howe is a freak.

We have tough honest centers halts in Dawes and McDonald and nuggetty small crumbers in Nicholson and rodan.

This is the core nucleus of hard nuts.

Add the absolute class of watts, blease and davey, and we have a structure of the hardest team to play against.

We must be aiming finals for 2013!

No more excuses.

Edited November 15, 2012 by tonatopia

[Bitter but optimistic 21,580]

Love the positive post. No more "bruise free footy"! Kick arse Dees!

[dtrinh 71]

I think you're jumping the gun there abit. yeah sure we've brought in some bigger bodies and hopefully able to play some more consistent football but not sure if we're going to show THAT much improvement that we're going to shake up the top 8.

You've listed a midfield which except for jones and to some degree grimes has shown something, trengove had a down year, magnet started strong but declined, sylvia showed patches as he always does, mckenzie played well as a tagger but still is just an average B-grade midfielder and add in unproven talents in viney and maybe wines. How are we going to shake up finals if we're still missing a star and coming from a 4 win season which apart from essendon came from the bottom two teams?

I'm just hoping we show a bit more development and win a few more games! I like the way the club is going but one year is definetly not enough time to change where we came from originally under Bailey

[Goodvibes 3,596]

I'll know we're in business when our full forward is so well known throughout the AFL world that even his own supporters will start to spell his name correctly.

[dee-luded 2,958]

Let's make an assumption that 2012, was just a season of preparation for 2013.

We quickly learned that we were a long way from the hardest team to play against. So neeld, knowing that everything was on the line, made bold decisions, with the help of viney, to make this club the hardest team to play against. He knows that 2013 is the year it must be done, so it is.

It was a pity to lose moloney, but in saying that, we will have the hardest young midfield in the land.

Grimes, jones, trengove, tapscott, viney, wines, mckenzie, magner and Sylvia.

We have the toughest full forward in Clark and the hardest full back in frawley.

Howe is a freak.

We have tough honest centers halts in Dawes and McDonald and nuggetty small crumbers in Nicholson and rodan.

This is the core nucleus of hard nuts.

Add the absolute class of watts, blease and davey, and we have a structure of the hardest team to play against.

We must be aiming finals for 2013!

No more excuses.

I agree we are accumulating more of an contested type list with mature bodied imports. I like the fact we are going down the head down at the ball, arse up way of footy, & less of the run away to where the ball may be heading, type footy. Say hello cale.

When we ingrain a hard game style, back into the red & blue colours, they may take the Jumper some time to get back the muscle memory of yore, Then we can start to get more class on the list.

But its got to be difficult to recruit class kids into a clubs list, where the culture is used to running away from contests, instead of headlong into them.

I welcome the hard list changes & call on all red & blue blooded Demons who would like to see some spirited fight emanating from our Demon jumpers, to get onboard when the line is drawn, and stand behind our boys & the club when they dare to fight.

It's easier to go hard & make mistakes & learn, than to never try & constantly lose.

[rolly 149]

We now have byrnes, davey, frawley, jamar, jones, macdonald, rodan and sylvia all over 100games

Dunn and clark are in the 90's

Watts, trengove and grimes all 50+

the light at the end of the rebuild tunnel is in sight...still think 2015 is about as early as we can be pushing for top 4 but could sneak into the top 8 before then with the right draw, bit of luck with injury and catching a few opponents off guard

[P-man 13,309]

OP needs more Rory muf***in Taggert.

[Nice&Neitz 5]

Let's make an assumption that 2012, was just a season of preparation for 2013.

We quickly learned that we were a long way from the hardest team to play against. So neeld, knowing that everything was on the line, made bold decisions, with the help of viney, to make this club the hardest team to play against. He knows that 2013 is the year it must be done, so it is.

It was a pity to lose moloney, but in saying that, we will have the hardest young midfield in the land.

Grimes, jones, trengove, tapscott, viney, wines, mckenzie, magner and Sylvia.

We have the toughest full forward in Clark and the hardest full back in frawley.

Howe is a freak.

We have tough honest centers halts in Dawes and McDonald and nuggetty small crumbers in Nicholson and rodan.

This is the core nucleus of hard nuts.

Add the absolute class of watts, blease and davey, and we have a structure of the hardest team to play against.

We must be aiming finals for 2013!

No more excuses.

Whilst I love the positivity and there are examples of teams seemingly desperate the previous season and the playing finals, I think we need, to quote Neeld, get on the reality bus.....

We have axed a number of players and brought a number of players in... Both established, young and talented and fringe players at other clubs...I think as a supporter lets be happy with competitive performances, winning games, and playing hard footy that is attackng...that's where I think the reality is....and where we should be looking....

If we make finals, the that's incredible...but I am looking for those characteristics Neeld wanted when he took over....that would be a realistic expectation, given the players that have been exposed to Neeld and for those that come in from clubs with that mantra..

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

I'm with you OP - lack of hardness, lack of experience, no forward structure, Neeld has gone and addressed all these things

[Guest NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

It was a pity to lose moloney, but in saying that, we will have the hardest young midfield in the land.

No we won't, nowhere near it for the time being. I think the personnel changes have been tremendous and I expect improvement but finals is unrealistic after what was effectively a one win season.

Even the Vineys and Wineses of this world will take a few years to acclimatize to AFL footy. Don't expect miracles from 18yo's.

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,622]

We must be aiming finals for 2013!

Too unrealistic.

Finals means 14 wins.

We can't and won't win 14 games.

8-9 is a more realistic goal.

[tonatopia 278]

Too unrealistic.

Finals means 14 wins.

We can't and won't win 14 games.

8-9 is a more realistic goal.

Thats the attitude!

Defeated before we have even started. Your mentality needs to be delisted.

We should be aiming to be the hardest team to play against. That is our mantra.

This WILL enable us to enter the final 8.

Excuses makers just make us weaker, ffs, even before the first bounce. What hope have we got when many of our supporters are soft as fruche.

Supporters, time to harden up and not accept anything but a full conviction to win games of footy.

Excuses makers should be tied up and horse fcuked.

[Sir Why You Little 35,320]

Of course we should be aiming for finals. Tanking thoughts are a thing of the past thankfully.

But it is entirely up to the players. How far are they prepared to push themselves?

[DemonWA 3,637]

nice OP.

Although we havent picekd wines yet!

[GolfBoyPro 43]

I just put a $100 on Dees to win 2013 Premiership at Deesbet at 1500:1

[old55 21,853]

Thats the attitude!

Defeated before we have even started. Your mentality needs to be delisted.

We should be aiming to be the hardest team to play against. That is our mantra.

This WILL enable us to enter the final 8.

Excuses makers just make us weaker, ffs, even before the first bounce. What hope have we got when many of our supporters are soft as fruche.

Supporters, time to harden up and not accept anything but a full conviction to win games of footy.

Excuses makers should be tied up and horse fcuked.

You're the weak one - we should be aiming for the flag - in fact 5 flags in a row - time to harden up.

[DemonWA 3,637]

I just put a $100 on Dees to win 2013 Premiership at Deesbet at 1500:1

jesus!

[Guest NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Thats the attitude!

Defeated before we have even started. Your mentality needs to be delisted.

We should be aiming to be the hardest team to play against. That is our mantra.

This WILL enable us to enter the final 8.

Excuses makers just make us weaker, ffs, even before the first bounce. What hope have we got when many of our supporters are soft as fruche.

Supporters, time to harden up and not accept anything but a full conviction to win games of footy.

Excuses makers should be tied up and horse fcuked.

You have us going from the worst to the best midfield in the competition in a single pre-season, then have the temerity to go ahead and call anyone who doubts such ridiculousness an "excuse maker?

How dumb.

The last line of your post is offensive on a supporter forum and you should be taken to task on it by the moderators.

[tonatopia 278]

West coast, bottom to top in 1 year.

Adelaide, bottom to top in 1 year.

I stand by my statement that we now have a side without deficiencies. We are fit, we are tough, we have enough experience, we have a defensive game plan and the ability to turn on offensive flare.

Some supporters are downright limp. They almost sound like deadbeats with their pessimistic attitude.

The mind is an amazing thing, every player on our list can play footy, or else they wouldn't be there.

1500:1 for the premiership is a fantastic bet.

Everyone talks about culture change, have people ever thought that some supports must adopt a change of culture and start believing that our club can win games. It is not to hard to do.

And I withdraw the statement that excuse makers should be strung up and horsefukced.

[furious d 447]

I just want us to finish above Richmond and North and I'll be happy. My brothers barrack for those two clubs and I was sure we'd have their measure a couple of years ago and spruiked accordingly, only to have it bite me on the arse last season. It'd be nice to round them both up next year.

[Harrisonrules 273]

I find it unbelievable to hear the fantasy drivell we get on this forum.

2010 ....5 wins

2011......4 wins (2 wins over GC)

2012......4 wins (3wins over GC and GWC)

We have been diabolical

Clark and Dawes are the only players that can seriously be hoped to impact on our output.

Neeld has turned the club philosophy 180 degree around. From young hopefuls, to experienced bodied 'has beens' or 'could ave beens'. We have a top class VFL team. Even players like Dunne MacDonald have never been able to establish themselves at this level. We might improve to 6, 7 or even 8 wins, (GC GWC Port, Bulldogs? Richmond - without McMahon). Within a few years most of these good VFL players will be going and we will be rebuilding once again. Like Miller going to Richmond we'll soon find out that filling holes is basically futile.

Forget the five year strategy, we are back on the 10 year plan, even if in the mean time we don't fall as low as we are now.

[bing181 8,357]

I find it unbelievable to hear the fantasy drivell we get on this forum.... Neeld has turned the club philosophy 180 degree around. From young hopefuls, to experienced bodied 'has beens' or 'could ave beens'. We have a top class VFL team. ....Forget the five year strategy, we are back on the 10 year plan, even if in the mean time we don't fall as low as we are now.

Bad day at the office?

[tonatopia 278]

Northey 86-87. bottom to top.

[tonatopia 278]

Daniher 99-2000, bottom to top

[tonatopia 278]

Neeld 12-13, bottom to top.