So far the round has been one of upsets. 

Lets hope the dees game isn't one of them and we actually win going in as favourites for a change. 

14 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

If we lose tomorrow we will be equal on points with Carlton.

That's disgusting. 

2 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

I think Goodwin and the FD are doing a tremendous job and we are clearly improved from last year. 

 

While I think the list has improved, our best footy last year blows anything we've seen this year off the park. So I can't agree we've clearly improved. 

1 hour ago, A F said:

I can't remember, BB, but were you a fan of Howe? You must have been with this attitude.

Not fond of turnovers AF 

Does Jay play off the half back flank ? Maybe thats what he's practicing for 

39 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

That's disgusting. 

Frightening stuff. 

4 hours ago, Redleg said:

What I find surprising is that we have selected players off a one game return from injury, or performance at Casey, over other uninjured players.

I think Wagner, JKH and Hibberd at least have fallen into that category so far.

It would be fair to say that from the above 3 we are one all atm, with Hibberd playing well and JKH not as well.

I have posted before that the FD have a high opinion of JKH and he is clearly being given plenty of opportunity to perform in the team.

It may well be the view of this match committee, that they will play a player they believe is a good player, even though he is not as match fit as others, who they deem not as good, despite better form.

For example, IMO, Billy and Kent are better players than JKH, yet it is JKH in the side. I would guess the FD see JKH as the better player. We can agree to disagree, but in the end, I accept they are in a far better position to assess than me, who just sees games.

 

Discussions over whether the coaches are infallible with selections are a sideshow. It' easy enough to recognise that they're placing a premium on forward pressure, and that they're giving JKH an extended run because they believe in his potential. But this is the part I don't understand. Why they rate him so highly, and training standards surely can't be enough at this stage of the season. He has never shown anything at top-level that indicates he has a long-term future there.

Form and injury may account for poor skills and slow decision-making (although I'd argue this has been consistent throughout his career), but -

He isn't a good enough small forward specialist and wasn't drafted as a one either. He doesn't have explosive outside speed or evasive skills. And he just doesn't have the height or strength to ever become a competitive modern midfielder.

Where are we going with this? Sure, Jetta nailed down a spot in the back-six over time and became a super-reliable defender despite size and speed limitations, but it's rare, took a serious rethink, and even then, we're moving away from the lock-down type down back.

I, of course, like any reasonable individual, also accept that the footballing department are in a better position to assess a player's talent than I am.

But my question is: why do others think that the footy department rate him so highly? And if it's forward intensity or training standards, is this enough for JKH to be a part of the future? If, say, he improved 200% of his current output, would that be enough? (Yes, I know 0 goals x 200 = 0 goals, but for argument's sake, if he threatened to kick one or two a week).

1 hour ago, DemonOX said:

So far the round has been one of upsets. 

Lets hope the dees game isn't one of them and we actually win going in as favourites for a change. 

That will be entirely in our playing groups hands. If we show up and play a full 4 quarters of decent football we should win (should being the operative word).

Do not underestimate the Hawks though, they would've had their pride wounded last week, so we will need to be on our game for the entire 4 quarters.

1 hour ago, Petraccattack said:

If we lose tomorrow we will be equal on points with Carlton.

If we win tomorrow we'll be equal with St Kilda, equal with one of West Coast or Port Adelaide, either equal with the Dogs or just one game behind Richmond, and only one game behind GWS.

The point isn't that a loss means we're as bad as Carlton. It's that this season is ridiculously even.

2 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

The point isn't that a loss means we're as bad as Carlton. It's that this season is ridiculously even.

And still relatively early.

4 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

Selection has favored the future when there's a choice and if players follow team rules they'll be given an extended opportunity.  If not, they're out.

 

Exactly. And this approach started last year - and it is no coincidence similar arguments on Demonland were being had about development/picking for the future versus picking the side that maximizes the likelihood of winning a game now. The two best examples was Garland and Dunn being dropped and OMac and Wagner coming in.

Watching Dunn today reminded me how the game has gone past him (despite his solid game last week). Slow, can't run up the ground and back and no real ability to play the zone. When he was dropped and replaced by Omac many demonlanders bemoaned his continuing non selection. Funny that a highly paid, experienced group of coaches should have taken a different path. And we were a couple of game off the making the finals. Go figure (though those same posters probably think we would have done even better if they had stuck with garlo and Dunn - double go figure).

Mclure reporting O Meara will be a late exclusion

Just now, olisik said:

Mclure reporting O Meara will be a late exclusion

That's a shame, based on his form last week I was hoping he would play... 

7 minutes ago, olisik said:

Mclure reporting O Meara will be a late exclusion

 

6 minutes ago, Abe said:

That's a shame, based on his form last week I was hoping he would play... 

It is disappointing.  He is utterly useless these days.

1 hour ago, Petraccattack said:

 

It is disappointing.  He is utterly useless these days.

Doesn't move very well at all, his speed and sidestep seem almost completely gone 

can't see him getting anywhere near his potential pre injury 

Fire up Dees and get the job done!

9 hours ago, DEMON DAVID said:

NO WAY.. Think Hogan will be in to play on Frawley.. ( you remember that turncoat) and Wagner will also be in after a great game at Casey last weekend

Do you really think they selected Hogan so he can play on Frawley?

I have now heard everything.

34 minutes ago, Abe said:

Doesn't move very well at all, his speed and sidestep seem almost completely gone 

can't see him getting anywhere near his potential pre injury 

Let's hope this is true, since they effectively traded this year's second pick (was it last year's first rounder as well) and Jordan Lewis for him as well?

I'm wondering if in time Hawthorn's call to move on Lewis and Mitchell will look as bad as retiring Robertson and Junior Mac before their time.

6 hours ago, DemonOX said:

So far the round has been one of upsets. 

Lets hope the dees game isn't one of them and we actually win going in as favourites for a change. 

Similar to my other post, this time last year, if you had said that Melbourne would be favorites against the Hawks you would have been sent to the looney bin.  Like you say, let's just hope we have sufficiently turned the corner to honour the expectations upon us and clinically put away the Hawks like they have done to us so often in recent years gone by.

13 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

I'm wondering if in time Hawthorn's call to move on Lewis and Mitchell will look as bad as retiring Robertson and Junior Mac before their time.

I see this accusation often. Its my belief Junior was done and was far too slow to continue but the process of his exit was flawed.

15 minutes ago, Franky_31 said:

I see this accusation often. Its my belief Junior was done and was far too slow to continue but the process of his exit was flawed.

Robbo was finished by the end too. Loved him but was past his prime.

26 minutes ago, Franky_31 said:

I see this accusation often. Its my belief Junior was done and was far too slow to continue but the process of his exit was flawed.

The flawed exit part I agree with, but Junior still played some pretty handy footy at the Giants in his first year there and provided some vital on/off feild leadership which the MFC was certainly short of at the time.

10 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

If we win tomorrow we'll be equal with St Kilda, equal with one of West Coast or Port Adelaide, either equal with the Dogs or just one game behind Richmond, and only one game behind GWS.

The point isn't that a loss means we're as bad as Carlton. It's that this season is ridiculously even.

And, if we'd had just a tad less poor game-day luck (losing a ruck at the start of two matches so far this year is a pretty serious hit), and managed to snatch just one of the matches we had dominated in, then we'd be playing for fourth spot tomorrow (third, if that better luck was against the Cats). A far better reflection of where we sit. But such is the nature of this season.

I would love nothing more than for Lewis to put in a blinder tomorrow and rub it in how bad a decision it was for them to push him out. All indications are that he probably will,every game he's played he's been fantastic. He's also unbeaten as a Demon! 

19 hours ago, ProDee said:

Interesting observations.  It hadn't occurred to me that Goodwin is knowingly jeopardizing a victory with his selections.  I just assume he knows his list and game-plan better than me and he knows who's best equipped to play the role he requires.  That said, getting games into players who are the future of a footy club often comes at some cost.  But it's not like the Pedersens of this world are usually the difference.

But if you're right he's a courageous first year coach who is doing the right thing by the club and in essence the right thing by himself longterm.

Depends who he is replacing and the role he is playing Pro.  Made a significant difference and impact last week. His comparative around the ground (non-rucking) stats were off the charts for someone playing a large part of game time in the ruck. No doubt he didn't get many to advantage but they were the best comparative stats all year vs anyone who has played the main ruck role for a large part of the game, including Watts, Spencil and Big Maxy.

If ever people don't understand why a player is not selected we only need to read this: "It's all about tough love...He holds us to account," Salem says of Goodwin....It's one thing asking for something and not rewarding or punishing, but he's really set on his standards and we all love that about him...If we're not doing the team thing, or what he wants at that time, it comes down to selection."  http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/christian-salem-at-the-heart-of-demons-rebuild--brick-by-brick-20170506-gvzm6m.html

Therein lies a culture the likes of which we haven't seen at our club for a very long time - Goodwin 'walks the talk.'