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POSTGAME: Rd 07 vs Hawthorn

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in Melbourne Demons

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On 4/27/2019 at 12:04 AM, Little Goffy said:

Alright, here we go, here's how it would, could, might, in theory happen -

Hawks aren't actually that good, they haven't beaten anyone impressive. The four days off trick will work and we will come in with a calmer mind and better focused on what needs to be done. Disposal efficiency climbs, workrate at least reaches adequate. Win number 2 goes on the board. We're 2-5 after 7 rounds.

Suns just barely scraped their three wins against highly variable opposition and have had a bit of luck. They were exposed by an Adelaide side that still isn't really hitting great heights of their own. Their confidence will be down after being belted in Perth by an angry Eagles side. We go 3-5, and start to believe.

I wont make any pretences about our chances against the Eagles at this stage. 3-6 after nine rounds and we are still right on the edge of season over. But just maybe we turn up with some fight and at least show we're still a meaningful team - part of the healing, redeption process.

The Giants are still up and down and massively rely on a few stars to make them potent. Simon Goodwin pulls his first ever genius positional move and somehow matches the right players to lock down on Coniglio and Whitfield. Demons finally rediscover their forward connection and just barely come through in a low-margin shootout game for the ages. We are 4-6 and starting to believe.

Round 11, we return to the Northern Territory to hunt Crows, and just like last season this is the game where things really turn. Just like last season, Adelaide wilts under the weight of lost contests and clearances. Not like last season's hammering, but an important win. We are 5-6 and looking like a menace.

Queens Birthday at the MCG. We've begun to get some players back from injury, even if not stars, May, Smith, Vandenberg and Hannan have all been trickling back into the team and giving us a deeper team capable of holding their end up while the stars do their thing. Headlines start reading "Where were these Demons at the start of the year" and players respond with "we will never be caught napping in pre-season again". Incredibly, we are 6-6 at the halfway point of the season.

With Lever coming back after the long break and the team finding a new solidarity and commitment, and the coaches having learnt a valuable lesson in flexibility and tactical initiative, the pieces come together and the Demons are now a team to take seriously for the second half of the season.

Before you know it, we've knock over four quick wins against the unreliable Dockers, tiring Lions and Blues, and ever-stumbling Bulldogs. We are 10-6 and now the ONLY team in the competition that has managed a consistent run of wins.

Suddenly, it is possible to speculate about our chances against in the Eagles, back up in the NT. It is like a whole new reality has dawned in ten weeks.

 

So, there it is, each small delusion builds into the next. Each one only a moderate madness in itself, but when you get to the end you look back and go... naaaah, that is just total, absolute madness.

If it happens, I expect not only to be given an award for my prediction, but to actually be given credit for the whole thing happening and installed as an assistant coach responsible for miracles.

 

 

Delusion number 1, check.

See you all next week, I think I'm going to have a nice lie down!

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    Thought Keilty had a good first game too. 

    Well done young fella. 

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    2 minutes ago, RedButMostlyBlue said:

    Say what you want about Frosty, but he has heart - and he saved our bacon a few times in that final qtr. Really backed himself in.

    Harmes had a ripper! More of that, please!

    Welcome back, Hibbo! Much better!

    Great to see TMac getting involved, he had some nice moments, hopefully he uses that to work himself back into form.

    Love what I'm seeing from Lockhart! The kid has guts and backs himself, does interesting things. That diving mark was FANTASTIC.

    Salem, awesome, smart, balanced stuff out on the wing. Even ANB did some nice things here and there. A lot of second efforts, and that's not something we can say has happened much this year.

    In all, not always pretty, but there was some fire. Some ticker. Ferocity.  

    Also, please no more OMac!

    Lockhart was very good. He laid some good tackles also

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    Listened to the second half in the car. 

    Nearly crashed in that last few minutes. 

    ???

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    Just now, DemonOX said:

    Thank god for Frost. 

    He has had a lot of detractors but he stood up and saved our bacon. 

    That outside of thur not kick to Lochhart was sublime. 

    Lochy's effort to waste 30 seconds, turn and kick to Melksham was the smartest piece of play all day. 

    The umpires decision to call Melksham to play on, after he marked inside 50 and said he was going to have a shot was a disgrace. I think exploiting the 30 second rule goes against the spirit of the game, but it doesn't mean the umpires can choose to disregard it.

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    1 minute ago, DemonOX said:

    Thought Keilty had a good first game too. 

    Well done young fella. 

    Important clearance in the final minutes which resulted in a goal. Solid debut

    Lockhart has unlocked my heart (credit to whoever I stole this from, @Wiseblood maybe)

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    Harmes performance today suggests that more players who bleed for the jumper is what we need. He plays like the supporter he has always been. Draft some more boyhood Demons please Goody!

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    3 minutes ago, The Swimming Dee said:

    Lockhart was very good. He laid some good tackles also

    Absolutely! He looks dangerous whenever he gets near the ball, and when he doesn't have it, he's working for it. Lots to like, big future.

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    Of all games, I work today. 

    I turn up weekly and we play like dogs balls.

    I didn’t even record the game.

    I am now going to get drunk.

    Thankyou.

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    2 minutes ago, deanox said:

    That outside of thur not kick to Lochhart was sublime. 

    Lochy's effort to waste 30 seconds, turn and kick to Melksham was the smartest piece of play all day. 

    The umpires decision to call Melksham to play on, after he marked inside 50 and said he was going to have a shot was a disgrace. I think exploiting the 30 second rule goes against the spirit of the game, but it doesn't mean the umpires can choose to disregard it.

    Melkshams decision to kick it in the corridor was so stupid.

    Luckily a game full of errors and they drop a mark after that so he won't cop it on here.

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    Good to have a win when punching so deal with depth, the commentators crucified two moments from Oscar, but realistically they were not so bad. Umpires were pretty off the whistle, but leads to inconsistencies. But I’d say Frost threw that ball in the last contest, so lucky for us they kept it out. 

     

    Lockhart and Hore can’t kick the football, but make up for it by being incredibly competitive. 

     

    Hopefully Wiedeman kicks 3-4 in VFL and comes straight back in, Keilty ran around like a headless chook

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    Seriously though, that spin from Frost up at half forward was delicious. I kind of wish Lockhart backed himself for the goal, but on balance it was the smarter move. Still, I reckon he would have kicked it.

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