21 minutes ago, mauriesy said:

We've got Jones (256), but as a comparison we are building our real midfield around Brayshaw (50), Viney (95), Petracca (55), Oliver (52),  Salem (62), Harmes (62), Neil-Bullen (51), Fritsch (16) etc.

You work it out.

Those stats should be pinned to the top of every forum on Demonland.

Though you missed out Gawn (91), Hogan (68), Lever (67),  Oscar Mac (54) etc.

1 hour ago, Dr.D said:

like everyone else is saying, i'm over it. it's a failed year. and salt into the wound is having no decent draft picks either due to lever who is out until late into next season. 

You're talking about the 2018 season, yeah? Cause I just checked, we are top 8 with 5 games to go. 

Ironically, you probably expect 100% effort from the boys week in week out, but seemingly give up very easily yourself. Weak as p155 comment 

1 minute ago, Smokey said:

You're talking about the 2018 season, yeah? Cause I just checked, we are top 8 with 5 games to go. 

Ironically, you probably expect 100% effort from the boys week in week out, but seemingly give up very easily yourself. Weak as p155 comment 

Well said Smokey

What amazes me is the number of Demonland posters who said we'd be beaten easily by Geelong, at Geelong, and because we came within an inch of beating them but didn't win, all of a sudden we're dining at the restaurant at the end of the universe.  Of course it hurts our final chances and shows all sort of deficiencies in our game, but only Marvin the Robot would be so depressed.

Pardon me for breathing, which I never do anyway so I don’t know why I bother to say it, oh God, I’m so depressed. Here’s another one of those self-satisfied doors. Life! Don’t talk to me about life..

8 hours ago, MSFebey said:

Who cares, honorable losses are nice but they have a use by date. 2016 had a chance at finals and blew it, failed pathetically last year, heat is already on again. I don’t care for nice stats and they mean jack crap if a side is mentally weak and can’t handle pressure. As Peter Jackson said himself, if we miss finals it’s a failure this year.

There is nothing good about an "honourable loss" there is no such thing. It is just another bloody loss pure and simple. No one but the MFC has honourable losses that is half the problem with this club. 

1 hour ago, Wiseblood said:

Two things.

How is it a failed season when we're still in the eight and the season isn't even finished yet?

And Jake Lever, you would imagine, would be available in the early part of the season, not out until 'late next season', as you suggest.  I would have thought you would know better, you know, being a doctor and all.

It's a failed season because i dont think we will make the 8. i also think  top 4 should have been a target but thats just me.

secondly, its already been reported that lever wont play until mid next season at the earliest. 

12 minutes ago, Dr.D said:

It's a failed season because i dont think we will make the 8. i also think  top 4 should have been a target but thats just me.

So it's a failed season because you 'think' we won't make the eight?  I'd call that twisted logic, at best, right there.  Top 4 with a young side is always an unrealistic target, especially for a side that hasn't played finals in over a decade.  Making finals is the goal, get a taste, then kick on in 2019.  We are still right in the frame to do that and this weekend's result hasn't changed that.  It might make things slightly more difficult, but there is absolutely no reason why we can't make finals from here.

20 minutes ago, old dee said:

There is nothing good about an "honourable loss" there is no such thing. It is just another bloody loss pure and simple. No one but the MFC has honourable losses that is half the problem with this club. 

This forum is always good for a laugh.

2 minutes ago, Rogue said:

This forum is always good for a laugh.

So you think honourable losses are good?

21 minutes ago, old dee said:

There is nothing good about an "honourable loss" there is no such thing. It is just another bloody loss pure and simple. No one but the MFC has honourable losses that is half the problem with this club. 

 I'd be prepared to bet that some supporters of other clubs say  the same thing about their club.   There is such a thing as an honourable loss, though of course an honourable win (or even a dishonourable umpire-assisted one) is better. How about this on the 'goodness' scale:

Win > Honourable loss > typical drubbing we used to have all the time

1 hour ago, Smokey said:

You're talking about the 2018 season, yeah? Cause I just checked, we are top 8 with 5 games to go. 

Ironically, you probably expect 100% effort from the boys week in week out, but seemingly give up very easily yourself. Weak as p155 comment 

Yep, I wouldn’t worry about DrD. Can’t please the doctor....said he would go to the Bulldogs game and wouldn’t be happy if we won because a win doesn’t help us. Go figure!!

1 hour ago, Smokey said:

You're talking about the 2018 season, yeah? Cause I just checked, we are top 8 with 5 games to go. 

Ironically, you probably expect 100% effort from the boys week in week out, but seemingly give up very easily yourself. Weak as p155 comment 

 You're a goose. I actually analyse the fixture. I look at the teams we have to come, and I think we will win 2 more games. And why would I expect 100% effort when we haven't given 100% in our games this year aka. the saints game and the pies game. Do yourself a favour and do the ladder predictor and tell me where you have us finishing. 

7 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Yep, I wouldn’t worry about DrD. Can’t please the doctor....said he would go to the Bulldogs game and wouldn’t be happy if we won because a win doesn’t help us. Go figure!!

Did a win help us? Last time I checked I don't think we're closer to the finals according to the ladder predictor...I budgeted for a win against the dogs. Still have us finishing 12th!  We haven't beaten a top 8 team all season and now people think we're going to beat adelaide in adelaide, west coast, sydney and gws to make finals. that would be some turn around!

51 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

So it's a failed season because you 'think' we won't make the eight?  I'd call that twisted logic, at best, right there.  Top 4 with a young side is always an unrealistic target, especially for a side that hasn't played finals in over a decade.  Making finals is the goal, get a taste, then kick on in 2019.  We are still right in the frame to do that and this weekend's result hasn't changed that.  It might make things slightly more difficult, but there is absolutely no reason why we can't make finals from here.

Really? pretty sure the hawks won a granny in 08 being young. Also, we're not that young according to the average ages of the starting 22. pretty sure we're middle of the road. Making the finals is a weak goal...we haven't won a flag since 64..and that should be our goal. We really should have been on top of the ladder if had of won the 2 geelong games, the stkilda game and the port game that the umpires stole from us. That's where we should be if players were a bit smarter with their footy IQ. 

No way known that was an honourable loss.
It was another of a long line of embarrassing capitulations.

11 minutes ago, Dr.D said:

 You're a goose. I actually analyse the fixture. I look at the teams we have to come, and I think we will win 2 more games. And why would I expect 100% effort when we haven't given 100% in our games this year aka. the saints game and the pies game. Do yourself a favour and do the ladder predictor and tell me where you have us finishing. 

I couldn't care less about your predictor or anyones for that matter.

I will wait until the end of the season and see where we finish.

Good luck with your analysis...I hope it's as good as your posts.

19 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

No way known that was an honourable loss.
It was another of a long line of embarrassing capitulations.

Yes it has to be looked at from the the other side. We were 29 points up....

F$&@ honourable losses

1 minute ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Yes it has to be looked at from the the other side. We were 29 points up....

F$&@ honourable losses

To be fair SWYL, Goodwin pretty much said the same thing after the game.

32 minutes ago, small but forward said:

To be fair SWYL, Goodwin pretty much said the same thing after the game.

Good. I haven’t heard any post match. 

That’s the way it must be viewed. 

We lost the game. It was not honourable

3 hours ago, mauriesy said:

You build a potential side around a tough, skillful and experienced midfield. You can have stars and/or talent on every other line, but the midfield is the engine room that makes you go places. It's been the case with every premiership side, such as Brisbane in the early 2000s, Hawthorn, Sydney and Geelong.

Collingwood's midfield comprises players like (games played in brackets) Pendlebury (268), Sidebottom (202), Treloar (135), Adams (111). Geelong has Selwood (266), Selwood (161), Ablett (314), Dangerfield (218), Duncan (174), even Guthrie (135). Richmond has Cotchin (214), Martin (194), Edwards (224), Houli (180), Caddy (132).

We've got Jones (256), but as a comparison we are building our real midfield around Brayshaw (50), Viney (95), Petracca (55), Oliver (52),  Salem (62), Harmes (62), Neil-Bullen (51), Fritsch (16) etc.

You work it out.

These games played stats highlight our present condition, but are also a reason for huge optimism.  It's hard to be patient when we've been down as long as we have but we have reason to be genuinely optimistic. They are not "excuses", just reality.

Calling the side "mentally weak", highlighting deficiencies in individual players, saying someone "should never play again", asking for the coach to be sacked and handing in our memberships will never overcome that current lack of experience. They are just poor analyses, and mentally weak in themselves.

I agree with Judd. It's a good summation of where we are and where we are going. I'm look forward to the next two years with great anticipation, regardless of whether we make the 8 this year (which I think we still can).

Good summation, some on here seem to think that because we have 54 years of disappointment it is up to players of only a few years experience to fix it immediately.

7 hours ago, ArtificialWisdom said:

In 6 weeks we will look back at the Geelong as the turning point. Remains to be seen of that's a good our bad turning point.  We could fall as low as 11th/12th very quickly if things don't go our way in the next few weeks. Yet with the possible exception of WC in Perth, we a capable of winning any or all of the games in the run home

Yep interesting few weeks ahead.   Hope there is not a let down this week  which is very possible.   simply must win.  Cannot see us beating West coast over there (but we did last year)     Sydney at MCG..  very worrying but possible.   Giants coming good as well.   IF ONLY..............  if   only      but  we did not   

4 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

Two things.

How is it a failed season when we're still in the eight and the season isn't even finished yet?

And Jake Lever, you would imagine, would be available in the early part of the season, not out until 'late next season', as you suggest.  I would have thought you would know better, you know, being a doctor and all.

Doctors are generally pretty dump Wiseblood. Possibly have higher than average IQs - but even that has been discredited as a formula for predicting intelligence. You are the one who should know better Wiseblood . . . fancy coming to 'Land for sensible and wise insight! 

Making the finals this year is not a major concern to me, we are not going to get the silverware. We must try and get ourselves a first round pick by doing so we might have to give up Hogan. Gaff would be a bonus but if we don't it is not end of the world. When the other red head comes on in Baker and the possibility of Hunt,J.Smith becoming mids/whatever next year we will have an awesome midfield. I would expect Petty to step up. Weids rucking/forward could come of age. I would keep Pedo but I would get rid of Vince, Lewis ,Tyson, JKH ,Dion, Flip or King  and offer Nat a transfer (Hawks and Wood loves aged Demons).  On Dermie's B comments in the Herald Sun re us being a bunch of nice guys, he is correct. C.Sylvia laughing after the 186 pt smashing by the Cats still haunts me.

12 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

I actually think we have failed for some different reasons, reasons that are quite the opposite.  Last year we lost games against the lesser sides and upset a few of the top ones.  This year it's changed, but I think that shows we are on the right track if that makes sense.  As we mature and continue to gain experience then we can knock off the sides above us more regularly.  Outside of the Saints, which was a blip on the radar, we have handled everyone else with ease.  I think that's a sign of improvement.

We just need to continue to build our experience and maturity so those sides above us that we struggle with quickly become the sides below us.

That's right, and this is why Sloane was important for us, as he's a top-liner in that 27Yr bracket.   Too late now, didn't happen.

But we do need to recruit a mature hardened top player in his prime, around 27Yrs.  Preferably one who plays on-ball.

 

...  Gaff does not give me the sense that he can fill this leadership void.

5 hours ago, bing181 said:

Those stats should be pinned to the top of every forum on Demonland.

Though you missed out Gawn (91), Hogan (68), Lever (67),  Oscar Mac (54) etc.

He was quoting our midfield soldiers.  The ball distributors.  Not the other positions.