POST MATCH DISCUSSION

[Demonland 72,192]

SEPTEMBER ACTION ... OR ANOTHER SORRY EFFORT? by George on the Outer

If you knew at the start of the season, that the Demons were bound for September action, then everyone would have been getting just a little excited.

But when you then found out that:

* we could only manage a lousy pair of wins for the season and

* the September action involved playing the 4th worst team in the competition at 4.40 on a Sunday evening after every other game had finished, and

* the off-field dramas continued to get even worse than 2012

then perhaps even more of us would have booked ski-holidays at the start of the year ( but the snow quality this year was about as good as the Demons!)

Someone has got it in for us. Are we jinxed? Is the curse of the Red Fox real?

It sure feels that way, but until players start performing and putting in the efforts that Norm Smith demanded from his protégés, then we will continue to put in sorry performances like the supporters witnessed again in the final match.

Nine goals straight were recorded by the Dogs in the second quarter, and that was after we had scored the first. Familiar? We the fans have been watching that sort of performance all year. Players thinking that they have done enough in one quarter of football

While some again might be excited by the fact that Jack Watts kicked four goals, it would really be something if he actually got the ball himself. He wont have Aaron Davey to drill it down his throat next year, and blind umpires wont hand out blatantly wrong free kicks to bolster his ego. Seven possessions for the day is simply not good enough!

Col Sylvia has been promising to deliver and continuing to not do so, for ten seasons now. His lack of effort and willingness to do the team things was in sharp contrast to the gutsy performances from Luke Dalhouse, Adam Cooney, Matthew Boyd, Robert Murphy and Daniel Cross. They just keep on giving and Col keeps on promising. And four of those five have been around just as long !

What a sorry state we will see ourselves without Davey next year. His exquisite skills with the ball over many years has been an absolute delight to the Demon fans. And in his final match he gave us plenty of glimpses of those highlights again. It is a true indictment on the rest of the team that the veteran was probably our B.O.G for the day. He gave his all during his career and didnt stop until he could do no more.

We will miss him ... thanks for the memories Flash!

For the Demon fans, the relief that Season 2013 is over was palpable.

What a sad state of affairs, that this once great Club is glad to see the season over!

Another re-build coming, with another 8-10 players to dropped from the list. The Demonland scribes can easily put together a list of players who wont be around next year, and the final number is probably closer to the double digit number. We simply have too many players who are not of AFL standard, and an equal number of lazy, contented spectators.

The Bulldogs lack a lot of things in their side, but G & D isnt one of them. They have given their supporters some hope for 2014, especially with their performances in the latter half of the Season.

The Melbourne supporters in contrast, have got nothing from the players and are pinning their hopes on a new coach, president, board, CEO ...

But can any of them kick a football?

Melbourne4.5.29 6.5.41 9.7.61 13.9.87

Western Bulldogs 4.3.27 13.6.84 14.8.92 16.11.107

Goals

Melbourne Watts 4 Kent 2 Dunn Garland Howe M Jones N Jones Sellar Viney

Western BulldogsDickson 3 Cooney Giansiracusa Hunter 2 Campbell Cross Grant Jones Liberatore Minson Wallis

Best

Melbourne Grimes Garland Trengove Viney Frawley M Jones

Western Bulldogs Liberatore Boyd Cooney Murphy Minson Cross Dickson

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Western Bulldogs Nil

Changes

Melbourne Chris Dawes (calf) replaced by James Sellar

Western Bulldogs Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Western Bulldogs Nil

Umpires Hosking Armstrong Fisher

Official Crowd 22,176 at Etihad Stadium

Goodbye 2013 ... hello future

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

Not a bad note to finish on

[Deemotivated 550]

We lapsed for 20 minutes....

Bring on 2014.

[Young Dee 1,303]

Won 3 of 4 quarters (not bad)

Few things that I took from the match:

Davey: well done - thanks for the memories

Kent: a real keeper and will be big in 2014

Toump: showed something - will take confidence into preseason

Jetta: has put a question mark next to his name (previously crossed out)

Watts: whats going on in his head? - I think he has finally turned a corner

Jones: a loyal servant who I will always respect

Trengove: can't wait to see how a full preseason will impact on him

Thats about it I think.

Enjoy the offseason guys! (let the optimism fester)

Edited September 1, 2013 by Young Dee

[Jaded No More 68,915]

Screw you 2013. Worst. Season. Ever.

Somebody electrocute my brain so the memories are erased and bring on 2014!

[What 18,810]

Jack Vineys goal was sweetttttt

The horror of 2007-2013 is over, finally

Over to you, Roosy

[Young Dee 1,303]

Screw you 2013. Worst. Season. Ever.

Somebody electrocute my brain so the memories are erased and bring on 2014!

Oh but it will make success all the more sweater!

[hardtack 10,537]

Considering the form the Doggies have been in over the past few weeks, considering we lack a real midfield and considering we were virtually without a forward line, we did much better than could have been expected. I think Roos will be very happy with what he has to work with.

Edited September 1, 2013 by hardtack

[beelzebub 23,376]

all over red rover

the year is dead , love love the years ( ahead )

[Demon Jack 6,909]

Enough there to show me that 2014 will show a lot of improvement. Toump, Kent and Viney will all be huge for this club, not to mention Hogan.

[Robot Devil 1,895]

Screw you 2013. Worst. Season. Ever.

Somebody electrocute my brain so the memories are erased and bring on 2014!

http://31.media.tumblr.com/ac0219734cfc2fd5ea87b4a76dee3be1/tumblr_mgl5zlYsTD1qg9pkfo1_400.gif

Edited September 1, 2013 by Robot Devil

[Nasher 33,616]

I've forgotten 2013 already.

[Jonesbag 487]

Ump #26 should never umpire an AFL game again, back to under 10s non comp you pleb

[Bitter but optimistic 22,239]

Screw you 2013. Worst. Season. Ever.

Somebody electrocute my brain so the memories are erased and bring on 2014!

Just swap brains with Stuie.

[Guest]

Proud of the effort. Must fun I've had at a game in ages. Electric atmosphere, the demon army didn't stop

[Young Dee 1,303]

I've forgotten 2013 already.

2013 will always be remembered as the year that Essendon got served (not the year where Melbourne won 2 games)

[Bang Bang Bang 5,826]

Well actually I switched off the telecast at half-time (had seen enough) - to the boys credit they didn't roll over for a change and I came crawling back midway through the third quarter.

Would like to see Kent rotate through the midfield in 2014.. plenty to like with him. Toumpas ball-use again stood out today, a full-pre season and he should make further improvements. I personally would use him off half-back in a Goddard-type role for now.

You can put a line through Sellar and Tapscott (IMO).. Jetta on the other hand I still see a bit to like. A tough call for the new coach.

Look forward to us dominating the next few months again now. Expect many houses to crumble around the Casey area once pre season kicks off.

[Wormburner 674]

Proud of the effort. Must fun I've had at a game in ages. Electric atmosphere, the demon army didn't stop

Agree, they were awesome today!

[Pates 9,660]

3/4 of it was good to watch, just that one quarter was pure and utter poo.

I was glad to see Davey play well in his final match in red and blue, shame he couldn't get a goal but he was one of our better players. It looked like some players wanted to be out there and others didn't, those who did should be proud of the fight they showed. I thought Jetta showed a bit as well and might've earned himself another crack at it, under a different coach he might just turn it around. Sellar did a sterling job coming in for Dawes at the last minute. Highlight was Jack Vineys goal, followed by Howes last minute MOTY nomination.

2013 done, I really hope we've finished our time down the bottom, bring on 2014!

[DeeSpencer 25,709]

Won 3 of 4 quarters (not bad)

Few things that I took from the match:

Davey: well done - thanks for the memories

Kent: a real keeper and will be big in 2014

Toump: showed something - will take confidence into preseason

Jetta: has put a question mark next to his name (previously crossed out)

Watts: whats going on in his head? - I think he has finally turned a corner

Jones: a loyal servant who I will always respect

Trengove: can't wait to see how a full preseason will impact on him

Thats about it I think.

Enjoy the offseason guys! (let the optimism fester)

I'd always thought it wise to not make rash decisions based on the last game of the year. That applies to regular season or teams who get smashed in finals then go for exactly what they lacked in that final only to undo a bunch of good work.

Jetta for mine has obvious talent. He's physical, he's not slow, he can really tackle but at the end of the day it's the big boy league the AFL and he doesn't have size, speed or fitness and that will mean wherever he is always limited. I'd be moving him on.

Same goes for Sellar who today looked like he actually has the size and strength to be the second ruckman and whilst he can never take a strong pack or leading mark that he'd be more than handy. But too many times he has had chances and done nothing and once again he

Anyway our recent seasons have been marred with abysmal last round performances - Adelaide oval when we choked against Port, against the Tiges at the MCG when we completely gave up and so on. At least today we gave a bit of fight in the last half.

And I agree there will be some lessons learnt from today. Dean Kent is really starting to find some speed out in space and you'd think any coach would be happy to have a guy with his skill set on the list. Toumpas got a taste for the required work rate for AFL today by Daniel Cross. He also showed he can do what Cross never could with a deliciously weighted ball to Dunn to set up a goal. Tom McDonald got more experience kicking on the tight Etihad confines and that's a good thing. His kicking has gone up a lot but has heaps more to do. He also did reasonably well at full back which is certainly not his strength. Campell for him is a much more dangerous opponent that Jones who he'd run all over at CHB.

And either Watts got some confidence or Watts got his trade value up. Either will do me.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

performance was fairly indicative of the last couple of years - held up well for large periods but were absolutely monstered for one period

13 goals from 37 inside 50s is a great result (league average is bout 3.8 per), now imagine Clark, Dawes, Hogan and Fitzy in that equation if we can manage to get it in there more next year. Toumpas, Viney and Trengove to go up a notch, another elite draft pick, hopefully snag one or two others through trade, we might be OK under Roos

[Pates 9,660]

Proud of the effort. Must fun I've had at a game in ages. Electric atmosphere, the demon army didn't stop

I meant to mention that today showed what the Demon Army could be in the right situation. Got a few jumping around like the pommy inspiration and more importantly had people having fun and getting into it.

[Cards13 9,117]

... It's over.

[dazzledavey36 54,938]

Clark Dawes and Fitzpatrick would have made a hell alot difference in their small backline. Just saying

Mat Jones, Viney, Toumpas, Kent, Terlich and even Dom Barry will all have a full solid summer under there belt. Plus another elite mid and a good trade for a decent midfielder and things arent looking as bad.

Btw Mitch Clark will start Pre Season injury free!!

[beelzebub 23,376]

... It's over.

?

Its only just begun !!