Jump to content


Recommended Posts

Posted
30 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Kick the bloody ball!

He's my favourite player and is blossoming into a star at a rapid rate, but [censored] me dead he needs to learn to take ownership and kick the ball sometimes. On one occasion today the ball came out of a stoppage and he wound up with it on the outside of the pack heading into our 50. He could've either run with it all the way inside 50 and had a shot at goal, or kick the ball into the paddock infant of Jeffy. He instead turned around, handball the ball 5 metres backwards to Viney who literally had an opponent hanging off him and was getting up off the ground from stoppage. Obviously it got turned over and they went straight down the other end to score. It was one of the worst decisions I've ever seen a footy player make. His immediate instinct when he gets it is to handball to someone else, which is fine when you're in a pack and looking to clear it etc. But he still needs to learn he is allowed to kick it when he has 50 metres of free space with a forward leading at him! He'll get there with time... just frustrating to watch at times as he's actually a really good kick and needs to have more confidence in his own abilities.

Today was a train wreck. The fact we only lost by 35 is a miracle. After the first 10 minutes we were absolutely belted and deserved to lose by 70-80 points. We've now got 3 weeks to get our mojo back and start being competitive around the ball and on the scoreboard. We've been mostly poor for nearly two months now, and other than the Port Adelaide win we have limped over the line or lost.

I would suggest Clayton have a look at Jobe Watson a couple of years ago when he used handball very constructively and opened the game up many many times. The coaches should be encouraging him to kick . Wasn't that the reason he was sent back to Casey last year. Do not get me wrong, he could finish up as one of our greats. He is only 19 !!

Viney seems to be just getting the ball in close and going nowhere. You do not score much from wrestling the ball on the ground. When we are running and spreading (like GWS today) we are a really good side right across the board.

Posted
9 minutes ago, praha said:

Today wouldn't have matter if we dealt with North like we were supposed to. Ultimately if we miss it'll be losses like that we look back on, like losing to Carlton last year, Saints twice, and so on and so on. We have found ourselves in touch with the 8 for most of the past 2 seasons yet have faltered badly when it matters. If anyone tries to find "improvement" in a team that finishes mid table two years in a row, I'll neck myself.

Reality is last year we were not ready for finals

We are still developing but should be playing finals, but loses to Nth twice, freo & hawks may impact in our chances playing finals..

 

Posted

Main problem is fairly obvious. We lack players of the highest class. Our on-ballers are good, but not really good. Have we a single player in the most talented 30 - or 40 - in the competition? No. I have hopes for Petracca - but he lacks mongrel and isn't fit enough. We need to make some hard  decisions about players, and forget the obsession with in-and-under scrubbers. We have too many already.

  • Like 2
Posted

The umpiring nearly sent me postal.

We are playing with no confidence at the moment.

We are only good in decent weather-the team, not the supporters that is.

i didn't really expect us to make top four and now I'm hoping we make the 8.

  • Like 1

Posted
1 hour ago, Dee tention said:

Completely out coached 2nd half of the season. Game plan stinks of late and they have been worked out. Haha

Commentators saying the good teams have worked the Giants out pre-match. We obviously hav'nt. 35 points flattering. 12 scoring shots to 27. More like a 12 goal loss...

Games against North and the Giants are potentially scarring to this group. We are dreadful with the wind. A propose we play games at Etihad.

Sheeit imaging our Mob in suburban footy, even the worst z grade team would towel us up given we have no idea how to play on windswept ovals. Too spoon fed ! IMO

Posted

I have a sinking feeling that im gonna be spending a whole lot more time reading the Trade and Draft thread over the next few weeks. Until today i had not bothered, but i cant see a way out of our stinking form. Today was essentially the best team we could have mustered and we were pantsed. Yeah, GWS has a great list and are still one of 2 flag favorites (both come from Sydney ofc), but a lot of that list wasnt even on the park today. GWS full strength and that would have been a much greater loss.  If that was us actually trying then we are in for more pain in the last 3 rounds.

Again.

 

Posted
Just now, Fat Tony said:

It was a costly mistake (again) not starting TMac as a loose man into the wind IMO. 

Goody is still learning. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of us have been calling other clubs pretenders (GUilty as well) but today I saw a genuine flag contender missing 3  top forwards beat a dead set pretender.

I think Im starting to understand why so many canned Jw in the past. Garlett was off today but I've noticed there is no in between with him. When he's off he is really off to the point of one or two touches.Petracca needs to lift for sure.

WE lost this game in the clearances (we were smashed) and also our ineffective disposal. Our ability to handball to a player under even more pressure never ceases to astound me.

As mentioned after the Norf game we are not quite there yet but are on our way. So many players rushed back in after injuries have struggled.

We can play great footy at times but there is a mindset problem as well.

Our lack of pressure and tackling today and last week reveal that we are not committed to playing finals. Our standards are too low and we are happy at times to take our foot off the pedal. GWS tackling showed they want to win.

We kind of just turned up for 6 minutes. We also need more depth to our list so non performers can be dropped and players coming back after injury can build form. Viney is so up and down and Jones may be getting too old which really xposes our midfield.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Posted
6 minutes ago, Demon77 said:

I'm waiting for the " Relax, we got this!"

 

The next poster that says this can the mods please ban for 12 months. 

 

Posted
40 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Kick the bloody ball!

He's my favourite player and is blossoming into a star at a rapid rate, but [censored] me dead he needs to learn to take ownership and kick the ball sometimes. On one occasion today the ball came out of a stoppage and he wound up with it on the outside of the pack heading into our 50. He could've either run with it all the way inside 50 and had a shot at goal, or kick the ball into the paddock infant of Jeffy. He instead turned around, handball the ball 5 metres backwards to Viney who literally had an opponent hanging off him and was getting up off the ground from stoppage. Obviously it got turned over and they went straight down the other end to score. It was one of the worst decisions I've ever seen a footy player make. His immediate instinct when he gets it is to handball to someone else, which is fine when you're in a pack and looking to clear it etc. But he still needs to learn he is allowed to kick it when he has 50 metres of free space with a forward leading at him! He'll get there with time... just frustrating to watch at times as he's actually a really good kick and needs to have more confidence in his own abilities.

Today was a train wreck. The fact we only lost by 35 is a miracle. After the first 10 minutes we were absolutely belted and deserved to lose by 70-80 points. We've now got 3 weeks to get our mojo back and start being competitive around the ball and on the scoreboard. We've been mostly poor for nearly two months now, and other than the Port Adelaide win we have limped over the line or lost.

I was at the game today LT and the incident referred to unfolded in front of me. It wasn't Oliver's fault. Down field there were two on ones in the GWS favour. And this happened time and again today. We often find ourselves with the ball and have no options in front of us. 

Why???

Our 'run and spread' and workrate has collapsed which is why we look slow. We do have speed - but players are not working hard enough - either leaving the contest too late or too early. 

Jessie's absence is huge for us. Even if he's not kicking goals himself, he makes the forward line a lot more functional than it was today. Watts isn't in a great patch of form, but I would hate to be operating as a forward for Melbourne at the moment. 

 

  • Like 2

Posted

Somehow the result was predictable given our results again against out of form clubs. They were plagued with poor form, injuries and overall inertia for a couple of months until they played us with zest and hardness  just like North did last week. 

Posted

I'm just gonna say this. If we are going to be a side that uses handball relentlessly, can we please learn the art of executing a proper handball? Would that be even slightly too much to ask? 

Its getting trite seeing possible attacks snuffed out because of an errant finger flick to someone's shoelaces.

  • Like 2
Posted

Maybe we are tanking...........

 

 

 

*Shrug.

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Everything has gone to crap the last two weeks, is it just me, or did I see some of our players running up and down in the one spot in the last? 

Fair enough if the constant handballing is part of our game plan, but some of our decision making by hand seems like , here you have it,  I can't be bothered with it.

Are our players cooked?

Edited by Demon77

Posted (edited)
 

9thBourne :P

Toyota AFL Premiership Season Ladder

SEASON 
2017                 2017                     2016                     2015                     2014                     2013                     2012                     2011                     2010                     2009                     2008                     2007                     2006                     2005                     2004                     2003                     2002                     2001                     2000                     1999                     1998                     
 ROUND 
All RoundsAll RoundsRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7Round 8Round 9Round 10Round 11Round 12Round 13Round 14Round 15Round 16Round 17Round 18Round 19Round 20Round 21Round 22Round 23
 
Pos Club C P W L D F A % Form Next Pts
1 ADELAdelaide Crows No Change 18 13 4 1 2011 1467 137.1 WWWWD PORT 54
2 GWSGWS Giants Up 19 12 5 2 1836 1592 115.3 DLLWW WB 52
3 GEELGeelong Cats Down 19 12 6 1 1881 1634 115.1 WWLWL RICH 50
4 RICHRichmond No Change 18 12 6 0 1556 1408 110.5 WLWWW HAW 48
5 PORTPort Adelaide No Change 18 11 7 0 1793 1371 130.8 LWWLW ADEL 44
6 SYDSydney Swans No Change 19 11 8 0 1729 1475 117.2 WWWLW FRE 44
7 ESSEssendon Up 19 10 9 0 1858 1732 107.3 WWWLW ADEL 40
8 WCEWest Coast Eagles No Change 18 10 8 0 1609 1520 105.9 WLWLW STK 40
9 MELBMelbourne Down 19 10 9 0 1752 1672 104.8 WLWLL STK 40
10 WBWestern Bulldogs Down 18 10 8 0 1528 1524 100.3 LLWWW BL 40
11 STKSt Kilda No Change 18 9 9 0 1542 1595 96.7 WWLLL WCE 36
12 HAWHawthorn No Change 18 8 9 1 1515 1706 88.8 WDLWW RICH 34
13 COLLCollingwood No Change 18 7 10 1 1604 1655 96.9 LLWWD NMFC 30
14 FREFremantle No Change 18 7 11 0 1335 1688 79.1 LWLLL GCFC 28
15 GCFCGold Coast Suns No Change 18 6 12 0 1528 1854 82.4 WLLLL FRE 24
16 NMFCNorth Melbourne No Change 18 5 13 0 1629 1831 89 LLLLW COLL 20
17 CARLCarlton No Change 19 5 14 0 1377 1730 79.6 LLLLL WCE 20
18 BLBrisbane Lions No Change 18 4 14 0 1476 2105 70.1 WLLWL WB 16
Edited by ding
Posted

What pizzes me off is that players get the ball and hand pass INTO the congestion, rather than away from it.  can't tell you how many times they did this today.  they were bullied and rushed.  They didn't support each other inside or outside the contest.

3 lucky goals and the Giants got their tails up.  We just jogged.They kicked another 5 and we were done.

we have been figured out.  If you get the ball over the wave coming off our hb line at the bounce, we are outnumbered and turned around.  If means our defensive structures are pressured and we cough up goals.

can we learn to stick a tackle, please??

  • Like 2

Posted
13 minutes ago, Demon77 said:

Everything has gone to crap the last two weeks, is it just me, or did I see some of our players running up and down in the one spot in the last? 

Fair enough if the constant handballing is part of our game plan, but some of our decision making by hand seems like , here you have it,  I can't be bothered with it.

Are our players cooked?

Yes and yes, sadly

Posted
2 minutes ago, buck_nekkid said:

What pizzes me off is that players get the ball and hand pass INTO the congestion, rather than away from it.  can't tell you how many times they did this today.  they were bullied and rushed.  They didn't support each other inside or outside the contest.

3 lucky goals and the Giants got their tails up.  We just jogged.They kicked another 5 and we were done.

we have been figured out.  If you get the ball over the wave coming off our hb line at the bounce, we are outnumbered and turned around.  If means our defensive structures are pressured and we cough up goals.

can we learn to stick a tackle, please??

3 of the arsiest goals I've seen in about 5 minutes .

When the Scully goal happened I knew it wasn't our day.

99 times out of 100 that never happens.

Then the umps started plucking.

  • Like 7

Posted
17 minutes ago, ding said:

Maybe we are tanking...........

 

 

 

*Shrug.

Must be! We really just didnt want to finish 4th and play Adelaide in Adelaide..good thinking Ding!

  • Like 1
Posted

The other factor to remember is that we are still overall just about the youngest team - average age - games played and goals scored.

As Roos pointed out after our fade-out last year, the team is still mostly composed of boys and very young men. They look nackered, example, Hunt, Petracca, and too many have just come back from serious injury: Gawn, Jones, Viney, Watts, Salem, Smith, Hogan etc etc

There is a time for every season, ours has yet to come...

  • Like 1
Posted

Bulldogs and Essendon found a way to get the job done, something we couldn't do last week. One friggen goal and we would've got it done last week, we're behind he 8 ball now and it's all our doing. 

  • Like 1
Posted

Just got home from Manuka.  Bitterly cold, bitterly disappointed!

We were 'flat' today .......... young team / back end of a very tough season perhaps?

Lack of intensity around the contest, lack of spread, lack of pressure on the oppo ball carrier.  We played like the Melbourne of a couple of years ago.  Far too much circular 'self preservation' handball leading to inevitable turnovers, indiscriminate kicking into the forward 50 (often because of no viable options presenting), a multitude of elimentary skill errors and opportunities missed, slow and indecisive ball movement.

Contenders or pretenders?  Based on today's effort, definitely the latter.

If we can somehow regain our confidence, flair and dare we might still make it, but not in the impactful way I was thinking mid season.  Yep, I'm 'flat' as well!

  • Like 2

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Demonland Forums  

  • Match Previews, Reports & Articles  

    TRAINING: Friday 22nd November 2024

    Demonland Trackwatchers were out in force on a scorching morning out at Gosch's Paddock for the final session before the whole squad reunites for the Preseason Training Camp. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS It’s going to be a scorcher today but I’m in the shade at Gosch’s Paddock ready to bring you some observations from the final session before the Preseason Training Camp next week.  Salem, Fritsch & Campbell are already on the track. Still no number on Campbell’s

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 3

    UP IN LIGHTS by Whispering Jack

    Those who watched the 2024 Marsh AFL National Championships closely this year would not be particularly surprised that Melbourne selected Victoria Country pair Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay on the first night of the AFL National Draft. The two left-footed midfielders are as different as chalk and cheese but they had similar impacts in their Coates Talent League teams and in the National Championships in 2024. Their interstate side was edged out at the very end of the tournament for tea

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Special Features

    TRAINING: Wednesday 20th November 2024

    It’s a beautiful cool morning down at Gosch’s Paddock and I’ve arrived early to bring you my observations from today’s session. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Reigning Keith Bluey Truscott champion Jack Viney is the first one out on the track.  Jack’s wearing the red version of the new training guernsey which is the only version available for sale at the Demon Shop. TRAINING: Viney, Clarry, Lever, TMac, Rivers, Petty, McVee, Bowey, JVR, Hore, Tom Campbell (in tr

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    TRAINING: Monday 18th November 2024

    Demonland Trackwatchers ventured down to Gosch's Paddock for the final week of training for the 1st to 4th Years until they are joined by the rest of the senior squad for Preseason Training Camp in Mansfield next week. WAYNE RUSSELL'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS No Ollie, Chin, Riv today, but Rick & Spargs turned up and McDonald was there in casual attire. Seston, and Howes did a lot of boundary running, and Tom Campbell continued his work with individual trainer in non-MFC

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    2024 Player Reviews: #11 Max Gawn

    Champion ruckman and brilliant leader, Max Gawn earned his seventh All-Australian team blazer and constantly held the team up on his shoulders in what was truly a difficult season for the Demons. Date of Birth: 30 December 1991 Height: 209cm Games MFC 2024: 21 Career Total: 224 Goals MFC 2024: 11 Career Total: 109 Brownlow Medal Votes: 13 Melbourne Football Club: 2nd Best & Fairest: 405 votes

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 12

    2024 Player Reviews: #36 Kysaiah Pickett

    The Demons’ aggressive small forward who kicks goals and defends the Demons’ ball in the forward arc. When he’s on song, he’s unstoppable but he did blot his copybook with a three week suspension in the final round. Date of Birth: 2 June 2001 Height: 171cm Games MFC 2024: 21 Career Total: 106 Goals MFC 2024: 36 Career Total: 161 Brownlow Medal Votes: 3 Melbourne Football Club: 4th Best & Fairest: 369 votes

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 5

    TRAINING: Friday 15th November 2024

    Demonland Trackwatchers took advantage of the beautiful sunshine to head down to Gosch's Paddock and witness the return of Clayton Oliver to club for his first session in the lead up to the 2025 season. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Clarry in the house!! Training: JVR, McVee, Windsor, Tholstrup, Woey, Brown, Petty, Adams, Chandler, Turner, Bowey, Seston, Kentfield, Laurie, Sparrow, Viney, Rivers, Jefferson, Hore, Howes, Verrall, AMW, Clarry Tom Campbell is here

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    2024 Player Reviews: #7 Jack Viney

    The tough on baller won his second Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy in a narrow battle with skipper Max Gawn and Alex Neal-Bullen and battled on manfully in the face of a number of injury niggles. Date of Birth: 13 April 1994 Height: 178cm Games MFC 2024: 23 Career Total: 219 Goals MFC 2024: 10 Career Total: 66 Brownlow Medal Votes: 8

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 3

    TRAINING: Wednesday 13th November 2024

    A couple of Demonland Trackwatchers braved the rain and headed down to Gosch's paddock to bring you their observations from the second day of Preseason training for the 1st to 4th Year players. DITCHA'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I attended some of the training today. Richo spoke to me and said not to believe what is in the media, as we will good this year. Jefferson and Kentfield looked big and strong.  Petty was doing all the training. Adams looked like he was in rehab.  KE

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports
  • Tell a friend

    Love Demonland? Tell a friend!

×
×
  • Create New...