MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM SELECTION - Round 10

[dazzledavey36 55,328]

Baffling selections. Probably the worst of the year.

How the hell Watts and Jones keep their spot ahead of Grimes is completely and utterly disgraceful. Even i would rather a half fit Tyson then Matt Jones.

I reckon Grimes will be absolutely filthy when softcocks like Watts and Howe are continuing being gifted games and putting in half ass efforts while Grimes who busts his ass every week gets bent over.

What a joke.

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

They still have currency. Another year and they are worth J. S.

It's all but sown. Bail, M. Jones Howe Watts Grimes Jamar Fitzy Gawn C U later

Edited June 6, 2015 by Pig Dog

[Grimes is Great 183]

Baffling selections. Probably the worst of the year.

How the hell Watts and Jones keep their spot ahead of Grimes is completely and utterly disgraceful. Even i would rather a half fit Tyson then Matt Jones.

I reckon Grimes will be absolutely filthy when softcocks like Watts and Howe are continuing being gifted games and putting in half ass efforts while Grimes who busts his ass every week gets bent over.

What a joke.

Grimes copped an absolute hammering last week pal and deserves to be at Casey.

[titan_uranus 25,043]

If the decision is to move Howe back and as a result Grimes has been 'squeezed out', that's a bad call IMO. Grimes has been showing improvement, taking the game on instead of instinctively looking backwards or sideways, and his kicking has improved. That's additional to his consistently proper effort levels. Howe has hardly looked like he's cared for the past month.

So if we're dropping Grimes to find a spot for Howe, I don't agree with that.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,297]

Really feel for Grimes, I think he's disposal has improved a lot this year, something he has received little credit for here.

As with others, baffled that Matt Jones can get a game ahead of him.

As for Watts, would just love for him to lay a full blown tackle, not the weak arm tackles he has been doing.

I'm baffled Howe can get a game ahead of him. Is it true he only had two handballs to 3/4 time last week?

[Dr. Gonzo 24,297]

I'm not a big Grimes fan but very tough to drop him when he's finally back in a bit of form, especially if Howe is gonna play in that role in his stead. It's hard to see what Roos is trying to achieve at the moment

Baffled with dropping Spencer after his last two weeks also.

[dazzledavey36 55,328]

Grimes copped an absolute hammering last week pal and deserves to be at Casey.

Rubbish.

[bing181 9,328]

Baffling selections.

Too you, yes.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

So if we're dropping Grimes to find a spot for Howe, I don't agree with that.

My guess is that Roos knows Howe is leaving (like he did with Frawley) and he is only playing him to keep his value up, (although he needs to play well to do this.

[dazzledavey36 55,328]

Too you, yes.

Err no

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

Baffling selections. Probably the worst of the year.

How the hell Watts and Jones keep their spot ahead of Grimes is completely and utterly disgraceful. Even i would rather a half fit Tyson then Matt Jones.

I reckon Grimes will be absolutely filthy when softcocks like Watts and Howe are continuing being gifted games and putting in half ass efforts while Grimes who busts his ass every week gets bent over.

What a joke.

This is all about The Rev and the Big Freeze on Monday DD and nothing to do with us, other than the connection of the Rev having coached us admirably. We are now completely irrellevant in an AFL context other than in our own bath time.

I'm afraid our Football dept has officially lost the plot and if i was to select between a car crash and a competitive effort on Monday i'll be definitely selecting the former.

Jetta, Watts & Bail had 0...i repeat ZERO tackles in a losing (thrashed) side last week. Grimes in our top 10. Spencer not the worst (had 6 tackles....3rd only behind Brayshaw & Vince) and yet we see only one of the former getting dropped and a few of the better players (out of a bad bunch last week) getting punished.

What a moral sapper for the core group of players who generally go "ok" most of the time. There will be nothing standing in the way of the pies and a 100 point plus massacre on Monday.

In fact they could and probably will end up calling this the "Monday Massacre" match after Monday.

I can only think of 2 reasons for the bizarre changes/non-changes this week.

1. Roos has already made his mind up on certain players, regardless of how badly or reasonable they play; OR

2. KEN Roos has gone..........

Edited June 6, 2015 by Rusty Nails

[titan_uranus 25,043]

Jetta, Watts & Bail had 0...i repeat ZERO tackles in a losing (thrashed) side last week. Grimes in our top 10. Spencer not the worst (had 6 tackles....3rd only behind Brayshaw & Vince) and yet we see only one of the former getting dropped and a few of the better players (out of a bad bunch last week) getting punished.

That's the only basis for picking the team? Tackles?

I'm not discounting their value, but there is a little more to picking the players than just counting tackle numbers.

On your basis, you'd have dropped Jetta?

[Adam The God 30,407]

I can understand Watts ahead of Grimes. Howe will play Grimes role which is the frustration for me. Matt Jones does offer pace, a defensive role and some flexibility but that is all.

Playing Howe to keep his trade value up.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

That's the only basis for picking the team? Tackles?

I'm not discounting their value, but there is a little more to picking the players than just counting tackle numbers.

On your basis, you'd have dropped Jetta?

No its not the only basis titan but in yet another capitulation it's a mighty good start.

I'm sure Roos & Co have match ups and "team balance" in mind etc when making their selections but personally I would refuse to play anyone who either refuses or is incapable of laying even 1 tackle in 100 minutes of football.

The basis of any solid team starts and ends in "effort". Talent helps but if you go into a match with players who arent going to give it or give it only when they feel they have to then you can forget about ever building a winning culture, let alone making finals.

We will just dead cat bounce for decades as we have done for almost a decade now.

Edited June 6, 2015 by Rusty Nails

[DubDee 26,117]

Playing Howe to keep his trade value up.

His value is plumetting the way he is playing. Would be better to 'rest' him

[DubDee 26,117]

Grimes is so stiff. Done everything asked of him.

Don't think m jones is in competition with him for a spot so if seems Howe was picked instead of grimes. I would have gone for grimes. Howe has been pathetic in 4-5 games this year

Spencer is the other one screwed over, finally gets some confidence and gets dropped. Maybe they want gawns height against Grundy?

[Earl Hood 6,101]

I can understand Watts ahead of Grimes. Howe will play Grimes role which is the frustration for me. Matt Jones does offer pace, a defensive role and some flexibility but that is all.

Some of us talked about passengers after last weeks game. You can't win carrying passengers yet we go in again with Watts and Howe. Let's hope they can rack up more than their normal 5 or 6 disposals along with their pressure acts where they jog around waiting to be second in to a contest. Both are lacking confidence or interest, not sure which at the moment.

[robbiefrom13 892]

The criteria used by the match committee apparently are not those of some of Demonland's armchair selectors. Query it, why not - it's a forum; but bag it out - why? - it's supposedly a supporters' forum. Or are you calling for the sacking of the coach and the match committee?

What I'd like to know is what are the criteria guiding team selection. That would inform us of the markers to watch for, to evaluate progress. Apparently it's not down to just tackling and grunt. What IS Roos doing with our team? - what is the way forward, in his opinion?

His comments recently about Jack Watts were either deceptive or they were truthful; and Watts' continuing selection suggests Roos meant what he said, at least on that occasion. So he wants an intelligent team. Ok - and what is Matt Jones bringing? Or Howe? It would be nice to come onto Demonland and learn more about what's going on, rather than just having to wade through personal prejudices that clearly are out of step with the coach's views and those of the match committee.

[Earl Hood 6,101]

Some of us talked about passengers after last weeks game. You can't win carrying passengers yet we go in again with Watts and Howe. Let's hope they can rack up more than their normal 5 or 6 disposals along with their pressure acts where they jog around waiting to be second in to a contest. Both are lacking confidence or interest, not sure which at the moment.

And Fitzpatrick? Where is the matchup for him on the Pies forward line? We have been training him as a backman but if there is no match up then he goes forward? Setting the kid up for failure?

[Je Roos Salem 661]

Work out who stays for 2016?

But it's still early in 2015, not sure if that should be the mindset at the moment

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

The criteria used by the match committee apparently are not those of some of Demonland's armchair selectors. Query it, why not - it's a forum; but bag it out - why? - it's supposedly a supporters' forum. Or are you calling for the sacking of the coach and the match committee?

What I'd like to know is what are the criteria guiding team selection. That would inform us of the markers to watch for, to evaluate progress. Apparently it's not down to just tackling and grunt. What IS Roos doing with our team? - what is the way forward, in his opinion?

His comments recently about Jack Watts were either deceptive or they were truthful; and Watts' continuing selection suggests Roos meant what he said, at least on that occasion. So he wants an intelligent team. Ok - and what is Matt Jones bringing? Or Howe? It would be nice to come onto Demonland and learn more about what's going on, rather than just having to wade through personal prejudices that clearly are out of step with the coach's views and those of the match committee.

Robbie the only access we have to coaches is after the match and occasionally on the demon website. They are never going to relay their true feelings/thoughts/strategies overall or player specific to their fans or in public..ever.

We can only go on what we see on the park each week as apparently, according to the coaches anyway, you play how you train.

When you consistently see the same players either unwilling or selectively choosing when to commit to a contest OR incapable of impacting contests then you can only presume that unless they prove otherwise, they are not capable of playing AFL football.

As to why they continue to be selected week after week this is mostly a reflection of the quality of our list. But as paid up members of the club we are entitled to be sceptical when the team continues to lose....week after week after week.

When they start winning more than 1 game every now and then and can string 3 to 4 wins together against quality opposition then I'll believe we are finally getting somewhere.

Until then the coach, the FD and the football club as a whole are no doubt trying their hardest but we are still losing and losing badly just as we've done for the last 8 years.

When they prove me wrong and we make finals I will shut up and just watch.

[Je Roos Salem 661]

Baffled with dropping Spencer after his last two weeks also.

Exactly. Hasn't he provided what Roos was looking for? Now randomly Gawn comes in- just seems like blind experimentation, as much as I wanna see Gawn play

[Adam The God 30,407]

His value is plumetting the way he is playing. Would be better to 'rest' him

He played like this all of 2014. It didn't seem to deter GWS from offering us pick 7. The rest of the competition still haven't woken up and it seems they won't. That suits us.

[DemonOX 8,800]

Grimes is so stiff.

That's concerning, how do u know that???

Edited June 6, 2015 by DemonOX

[pitmaster 3,578]

All these people bagging the selection of Watts clearly cannot read or listen. Roos has said repeatedly - and you might recall this term - that he has exceptional "football intelligence".

Clearly Roos sees the goal assists and the excellent below the knees polish that many others miss.

Or you could just go back to when Watts was dropped and note Roos' comments about how you don't miss something until it's gone.

So get over yourselves. I wonder how many of those pursuing the false "Watts or Grimes" option are those who have bagged Grimes' disposal in the past?

I guess in defence of Howe, he has an attribute that almost no-one else has.

AND FINALLY, none of us know the role every player is given on any particular day. Maybe a little less certainty in the opinions around here would be fitting.