Demons season opener v Saints

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

There will literally not be a perfect storm like this again. We are being handed a first round victory on a silver platter here and I won't be the only devastated supporter if we don't win. They're a rabble, they're missing their best players, they've had awful form thus far, and their coach has never coached a game of AFL before.

Port were in exactly the same situation and i have heard Alan Richardson was a huge part in turning them around so quickly, having said that we are so much better than we have been

[beelzebub 23,389]

Not expecting a win ??

I DEMAND a win under these circumstances....no excuses. In fact I expect a shelacking !! ( them that is ) the Ainters are a mess

Sorry Linton Ave...your pain is our gain

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

Not expecting a win ??

I DEMAND a win under these circumstances....no excuses. In fact I expect a shelacking !! ( them that is ) the Ainters are a mess

Sorry Linton Ave...your pain is our gain

I tend to agree, we either win by 40 plus points or we lose, losing would be devastating for our confidence, winning would be fantastic and set us up for a much better year, i truly believe by the end of 2014 we will be good enough to match it with all but the top 4 teams consistently, and have a platform to attack finals footy in 2015.

[deeko 952]

Fully agree youngdee. My disclaimer was in the fine print of my post

[Deez 298]

Streets ahead. If he can play next week and get his match fitness up he is going to more important in the middle than Watts and Michie.

michie is a seasoned mid. He may not have a lot of afl under his belt, but was a very very good vfl player for the thunder.

He is bigger, stronger and he has a few more years under his belt.

This is why i think he is ahead of viney.

I think watts maybe selected ahead of viney mostly because they're such different players, and we have a few guys that can do vineys role.

Watts is an experiment atm.

Don't get me wrong, i love viney, but he is still a second year kid.

[whatwhat say what 23,141]

If Viney plays and plays well against the Hawks I'd be ecstatic to have a player such as he is available.

Even if just for a sub. His first year last year in a terrible side was great.

[titan_uranus 25,059]

There's one certainty around Round 1, I think - in the hours immediately following the game Demonland is going to go off.

[Deez 298]

It has everything to do with it - I said if Viney can get his match fitness up to a point that puts him into contention - he is more important in Rd 1 and beyond than Watts and Michie.

Its been mentioned a couple of times, viney has come off a hip injury.

from what I've seen he has been on a modified program lately as part of his rehab.

Theres just not much chance that viney could possibly prove himself to have a bigger tank than watts or michie at this point.

They have both had full pre seasons.

The aerobic fitness gained from a preseason cannot be made up in 3 weeks.

its just a fact.

viney may get selected but it won't be ahead of a mid that has completed a full pre season.

[Alcho Dee 269]

Don't try and compare Viney with Watts and Michie. They play totally different roles. Watts outside Mid, Michie HFF, Viney in and under mid.

Nate Jones, Dom Tyson are the form players of in and under and at stoppages.

Viney is a long way from them AT THIS STAGE. (Round 1)

Actually they are all midfielders, so they can be compared in that respect, especially as Michie is an Inside midfielder, same as Viney. I don't think he has ever been known as a Half forward...........!

Ideally, we want N Jones, Tyson, Vince, Cross, Michie, Viney, Trengove and Watts all playing, some good talent there and all apart from Viney have have had great pre-seasons so far from all reports. These guys are not competing for positions, if they are fit they play, put Vince, Cross, Trengove, Watts at half forward or half back and rotate them through the middle.

[Guest]

There's one certainty around Round 1, I think - in the hours immediately following the game Demonland is going to go off.

Yep. For better or for worse.

[Deez 298]

Actually they are all midfielders, so they can be compared in that respect, especially as Michie is an Inside midfielder, same as Viney. I don't think he has ever been known as a Half forward...........!

Ideally, we want N Jones, Tyson, Vince, Cross, Michie, Viney, Trengove and Watts all playing, some good talent there and all apart from Viney have have had great pre-seasons so far from all reports. These guys are not competing for positions, if they are fit they play, put Vince, Cross, Trengove, Watts at half forward or half back and rotate them through the middle.

he meant you can't compare watts and viney...

[dee-luded 2,959]

On what basis? He was great against the Cats. A solid hit out against the Hawks and he's ready to go. Lucky we have one decent key forward ready no point holding him back now.

nothing new; as I've said before, he's a kid & I'd go in with the more experienced old heads for the first few games. set the standard, for aggression & physical footy. concentrate on the game plan.

So with Dawes, Pederson, Fitzpatrick & Howe, plus possibly Trenners up forward, I think we can get off to a good start.

after 2 or 3 matches, as the gamestyle settles, we could play another one or two kids in the side, which will already be relatively young & inexperienced.

hogan will have plenty of opportunities to impress over his years.

[What 18,810]

now all we need is a minor knee knock to riewoldt and they're missing almost every one of our regular tormentors, aren't they?

Riewoldt is Tom McDonalds little puppet

Tommy Mac will destroy him again in round 1

[Hannibal 5,814]

Previously we've gone into years with expectations that our kids may drag us up the ladder. Any rise now won't be on the back of kids, which will only improve their development.

We know that Vince, Jones and Cross can bear the brunt. Dom Tyson may have only played 13 games, but with what we've already seen and his pedigree we know we've got an exciting talent on our hands. Like Tyson, Michie now has a third preseason under his belt and has shown enough to suggest he won't be out of place.

So rather than relying on mere hope and early draft picks we have something far more tangible this year. Quick development from kids like JKH will now be part of the cream. Add Viney and Trengove, who can now play supporting roles without pressure and there's cause for genuine excitement.

The best part is we don't even need to mention Salem. In Trengove's and Watts' draft years most of our hope and preseason discussions were about them. We're a far cry from that these days.

If we get off to a good start I see 8-10 games as quite achievable. I'll not be upset if it doesn't happen, but it's a distinct possibility. I don't really want to compare the times, because it's now past history and most other clubs have since got better, but you can't tell me that our list now isn't miles ahead of those Bailey teams that won 8.5 wins two years running, even though the Suns were a guaranteed 2 wins in those years.

[Ron Burgundy 8,585]

BH, I absolutely agree with this.

That said, you seem to be gently recalibrating your views/narrative on Watts.

He'll turn out to be a very important player for us, something you appeared unwilling to acknowledge as recently as last year.

The Roos effect is an amazing thing.

[rjay 25,222]

Port were in exactly the same situation and i have heard Alan Richardson was a huge part in turning them around so quickly, having said that we are so much better than we have been

No...Port came into last season with some very good pre season form under it's belt and had the nucleus of a very good team (a bit like us). St Kilda are way off Port, their pre season form has been poor and they are still reliant on ageing stars. The only light they have is injured and out for at least the first half of the season.

As for Alan Richardson, he has only coached one game of AFL for Ports first loss last season. He was rated by some as an assistant but as we all know the Jury is out on whether he can hold down the senior post, Neeld and Watters anyone.

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

No...Port came into last season with some very good pre season form under it's belt and had the nucleus of a very good team (a bit like us). St Kilda are way off Port, their pre season form has been poor and they are still reliant on ageing stars. The only light they have is injured and out for at least the first half of the season.

As for Alan Richardson, he has only coached one game of AFL for Ports first loss last season. He was rated by some as an assistant but as we all know the Jury is out on whether he can hold down the senior post, Neeld and Watters anyone.

That's true, Neeld was an extremely highly rated assistant so you never know until they are on their own

[hardtack 10,740]

If we get off to a good start I see 8-10 games as quite achievable. I'll not be upset if it doesn't happen, but it's a distinct possibility. I don't really want to compare the times, because it's now past history and most other clubs have since got better, but you can't tell me that our list now isn't miles ahead of those Bailey teams that won 8.5 wins two years running, even though the Suns were a guaranteed 2 wins in those years.

Agreed, but maybe I'm still shell-shocked from preceding seasons, when we beat Collingwood (2012) and Port (2013), only to be absolutely hammered by them in the season proper... the Port loss stung most as the two games were played just weeks apart.

Yes, we're a very different side this year, but I still believe that confidence plays a big part in this game and I am a little concerned over how our season might start if we suffer at the hands of Hawthorn this week... having said that, I do however think that this is the MFCSS genome driving these thoughts, as at the same time I believe a bad loss will leave us floundering, I believe that St Kilda have a chance owing to the fact they were thumped by GWS.

Edited March 3, 2014 by hardtack

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

I reckon we will beat them by 35 points, i reckon we will be too good out of the middle, which is strange to say, without Steven, Dal Santo, Hayes, Wellar, their depth will be tested, Mcdonald and Chippa should be able to do the job on rewoldt and i reckon Hogan, Dawes and Fitzy will be too much for their defence, reckon Vince, Toumpas and Watts will love the space an inexperienced midfield will give them and drop a few down the forwards throats.

[Mallee Bull 97]

I've just confirmed a bet with a filth supporting mate that if the Dees win he'll wear a Dees jumper to the Queens birthday match (I attend with 3 filth supporting mates each year). If the Saints win however, it's the other way around. We have to win this!

[bing181 9,349]

That's true, Neeld was an extremely highly rated assistant so you never know until they are on their own

Richardson was a highly rated assistant for a lot longer than Neeld was a highly rated assistant. And at more clubs.

Don't think he'll be falling over in the same way, but hell of a job ahead of him I would have thought.

[Hannibal 5,814]

Agreed, but maybe I'm still shell-shocked from preceding seasons, when we beat Collingwood (2012) and Port (2013), only to be absolutely hammered by them in the season proper... the Port loss stung most as the two games were played just weeks apart.

Yes, we're a very different side this year, but I still believe that confidence plays a big part in this game and I am a little concerned over how our season might start if we suffer at the hands of Hawthorn this week... having said that, I do however think that this is the MFCSS genome driving these thoughts, as at the same time I believe a bad loss will leave us floundering, I believe that St Kilda have a chance owing to the fact they were thumped by GWS.

I think there's enough evidence to suggest this isn't a false dawn.

There are 10 players delisted from the team that beat Port last year plus they had their A grade midfield missing. It was almost Casey playing their seconds. From memory Sellar kicked 5 goals. I wouldn't read anything into that game.

These are very different circumstances. Besides, we now gain possessions.

[Hannibal 5,814]

you seem to be gently recalibrating your views/narrative on Watts.

He'll turn out to be a very important player for us, something you appeared unwilling to acknowledge as recently as last year.

I'm not sure what you mean. I think I've been pretty consistent with where I stand to Watts.

[Bring-Back-Powell 15,099]

Maybe round 1 last year against Port? (.....but we're better this year!)

For the entire summer we were favourites to beat Port.

But come the 2013 NAB Cup when we lost to St Kilda and Gold Coast while Port beat Sydney and West Coast, the odds obviously stacked in Port's favour.

[McQueen 17,867]

Considering all of their 'outs', I'm sure Saints supporters will be thinking "thank Christ we've only got Melbourne."