Jump to content

Featured Replies

Just a few notes, James Munro did not look out of place at all. A few hard tackles here and there. I wouldn't be disappointed at all if we considered him for mid year draft, especially with KK and Nietshke on the long term injury list. Mitch Lewis was another who performed well for is from a Casey perspective.

Dom Tyson is an absolute shadow of himself. Im sorry to say but he hasn't improved at all. I always like domma and wanted him to kick on at North, but he's depth for them and if he is not playing in the center circle then he's useless elsewhere. 

 

I was also at the game. 

- Fritsch was probably melbourne's best despite missing some gettable goals. I don't care how depleted we were last season, Goodwin's decision  to play him in the backline was a major reason why I question Goodwin's understanding of the game. 
- Brayshaw was mostly unsighted in the first half so I would've liked to see him influence the game more despite him not playing in the middle.
- Melksham looked good.
- Marty Hore did one really courageous ground ball get that made me immediately want him in the round 1 side. 
-  Lockhart needs to play round 1. He could really become a good player.
-  I'm not really a bedford fan. Missed some easy opportunities. 
- Pickett did some nice things but I haven't really seen much mongrel in him like was advertised. i'm sure he'll come out of his shell but Spargo is the better player at the moment.
- James Jordon tackles a lot harder than I thought he did. Much more than an outside mid.
- Bradtke is probably worse than Brendan Van Sheik.
-  Oscar McDonald is still oscar McDonald regardless how long you lock him in the weights room. He's just reactionary to his opponents in all contests. He needs to back himself more.
-   I was the most pleased with Tom Sparrow. He has a go. His kicking isn't great but he is just a well rounded player that has Brayshaw tendencies. Could have a big year if given opportunity. 

 
13 hours ago, Satyriconhome said:

 

That was Xerri wasn't it. He had a few cheap shots during the game. Must be a nice guy to play dirty in a 'friendly' match.

He kneed someone in the head at one point and Gus had a crack at him.

3 hours ago, Dr.D said:

Fritsch was probably melbourne's best despite missing some gettable goals. I don't care how depleted we were last season, Goodwin's decision  to play him in the backline was a major reason why I question Goodwin's understanding of the game.

I have sent this to Glen Bartlett to instill  you as senior coach before round one, sweet dreams


Nice to wake up after seeing two Dees wins and no injuries.

And we’ve got Friday night footy next week. And it’s sunny......

27 minutes ago, In Harmes Way said:

Nice to wake up after seeing two Dees wins and no injuries.

And we’ve got Friday night footy next week. And it’s sunny......

See, being a Melbourne supporter isn't ALWAYS bad...

4 hours ago, Dr.D said:

I was also at the game. 

- Fritsch was probably melbourne's best despite missing some gettable goals. I don't care how depleted we were last season, Goodwin's decision  to play him in the backline was a major reason why I question Goodwin's understanding of the game. 
- Brayshaw was mostly unsighted in the first half so I would've liked to see him influence the game more despite him not playing in the middle.
- Melksham looked good.
- Marty Hore did one really courageous ground ball get that made me immediately want him in the round 1 side. 
-  Lockhart needs to play round 1. He could really become a good player.
-  I'm not really a bedford fan. Missed some easy opportunities. 
- Pickett did some nice things but I haven't really seen much mongrel in him like was advertised. i'm sure he'll come out of his shell but Spargo is the better player at the moment.
- James Jordon tackles a lot harder than I thought he did. Much more than an outside mid.
- Bradtke is probably worse than Brendan Van Sheik.
-  Oscar McDonald is still oscar McDonald regardless how long you lock him in the weights room. He's just reactionary to his opponents in all contests. He needs to back himself more.
-   I was the most pleased with Tom Sparrow. He has a go. His kicking isn't great but he is just a well rounded player that has Brayshaw tendencies. Could have a big year if given opportunity. 

Arden St, facing the green bit?

Jordon and Sparrow are both being coached to be inside mids, with Jordon able to play half back and Sparrow able to go forward

I kept swapping ends, the forward pressure was excellent and agressive all day led by Pickett,  Bedford and Spargo

Oscar was stopped by the police on the way home, they said can you identify yourself, he looked in the rear vision mirror and said 'Yes, that's me'

 
8 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Aside from what occurs in terms of the playing side in practice matches, we’re always concerned that there are no injuries and it appears we’ve come out unscathed in that regard. This is where the list was at over this weekend ~

Oskar Baker — played v N Melbourne 
Toby Bedford — played v N Melbourne
Harley Bennell — injured 
Austin Bradtke — played v N Melbourne
1. Angus Brayshaw — played v N Melbourne
Mitch Brown —  played v N Melbourne
Kade Chandler — injured
Kyle Dunkley — injured
2. Bayley Fritsch — played v N Melbourne
3. Max Gawn — injured 

Mitch Hannan — injured 
4. James Harmes — rested
5. Michael Hibberd — rested

Marty Hore — played v N Melbourne
Jayden Hunt —  played v N Melbourne
Luke Jackson — rested
6. Neville Jetta — played in All Star game
7. Nathan Jones — injured/rested 

James Jordan — played v N Melbourne
Kade Kolodjiashnij — injured 
8. Ed Langdon — rested
9. Jake Lever — rested

Jay Lockhart — played v N Melbourne
10. Oscar McDonald —  played v N Melbourne
11. Tom McDonald — rested
12. Steven May — injured 
13. Jake Melksham — played v N Melbourne

Alex Neal-Bullen — rested 
Aaron Nietschke — injured 
14. Clayton Oliver — rested
15. Christian Petracca — rested

Harrison Petty — injured 
Kysaiah Pickett —  played v N Melbourne
Braydon Preuss — injured 
Trent Rivers — played v N Melbourne
16. Christian Salem — rested
Joel Smith — injured
17. Charlie Spargo —  played v N Melbourne
Tom Sparrow — played v N Melbourne
18. Adam Tomlinson — played v N Melbourne
19. Aaron vandenBerg — rested

20. Jack Viney — rested
Corey Wagner  —  played v N Melbourne
Josh Wagner — played v N Melbourne
21. Sam Weideman  — rested 

We saw a return of two “best 22” players in Angus Brayshaw and Bayley Fritsch who missed MS01 leaving only Max Gawn and Steven May from that category still out. With Max due to make a possible return in MS02, that leaves May as our only major injury concern - a far cry from the situation in 2019. I’ve heard conflicting reports on May’s recovery but suggest that he will be one to watch over the coming few weeks. 

Other players that we should be watching on the score of injuries are Dunkley, Petty and Smith. How far away from playing are they?
 

I reckon our 22 is almost a lock (in red above), with only 2 of the 21 listed above "debatable in Spargo and OMac, both of which would suit us well out West. So the competition is really for 1-3 spots in our Round 1 22.

Good spot to be in. 

The set shot goal kicking... would like to think it's an aberration but it happens too often.

A game day poster said there was no wind(mind you I could not tell on the Delhi to Amritsar express).

Would like to think that every kick is analyzed and that players are walked through it again. Especially those considered to have a degree of difficulty of less than 50%.

Not sure what if anything can be done about the kicks from within play but all in all there was probably 5-6 goals missing from that score.

Great to hear that Spargo and the other players had a good game.

Mitch Brown surprises me. Weideman has a real competitor it seems.


7 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Just a few notes, James Munro did not look out of place at all. A few hard tackles here and there. I wouldn't be disappointed at all if we considered him for mid year draft, especially with KK and Nietshke on the long term injury list. Mitch Lewis was another who performed well for is from a Casey perspective.

Dom Tyson is an absolute shadow of himself. Im sorry to say but he hasn't improved at all. I always like domma and wanted him to kick on at North, but he's depth for them and if he is not playing in the center circle then he's useless elsewhere. 

Haven’t watched the replay, but they both looked impressive at boundary level. Good depth, and quite unfortunately, better options than KK and Nietshke. 

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

The set shot goal kicking... would like to think it's an aberration but it happens too often.

A game day poster said there was no wind(mind you I could not tell on the Delhi to Amritsar express).

Would like to think that every kick is analyzed and that players are walked through it again. Especially those considered to have a degree of difficulty of less than 50%.

Not sure what if anything can be done about the kicks from within play but all in all there was probably 5-6 goals missing from that score.

Great to hear that Spargo and the other players had a good game.

Mitch Brown surprises me. Weideman has a real competitor it seems.

There was a definite breeze towards the north west pocket which made set shots at the City end (no idea of Arden St's ends names btw) difficult especially from outside 30. At ground level you couldn't feel it too much but the modern balls are so light that any kind of breeze impacts kicks.

The overall score line wasn't flash but I thought a fair bit of it was Bedford with some work to do on set shots and Brown just having a very off day in front of goal.

23 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

From AFL.com

At one stage, after a late Tarrant spoil on Bayley Fritsch – another standout in his first pre-season hitout – Pickett physically remonstrated with the North Melbourne backman.

Love it!

Jeffy Farmer Junior!


Just watched the replay and think in Trent Rivers I may have found a new favourite player for the next decade or so. Booming kick to advantage, solid build and just looks a natural footballer 

1 hour ago, FarNorthernD said:

Just watched the replay and think in Trent Rivers I may have found a new favourite player for the next decade or so. Booming kick to advantage, solid build and just looks a natural footballer 

Agree.

I think North rely on their best players, the issue is that they are senior.  Results need to come now.

It would have been doubly difficult for North fans "death-riding" our season for an early pick. Either we're better than they thought or their future is horrible.

I’ve just watched the 4th quarter again especially for Tom McDonalds excellent comments. Quite insightful they were. He’s a pretty smart bloke! Nice to hear his thoughts on Max as captain and the whole leadership affair.

Edited by Dee Dee

On 2/28/2020 at 3:55 PM, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Do we ignore the Essendon scratch match because it doesn't suit the upbeat narrative?

You’re absolutely right. And we should start referencing Casey games when measuring the success of Melbourne’s senior team...  ??‍♂️


1 hour ago, Fifty-5 said:

I think North rely on their best players, the issue is that they are senior.  Results need to come now.

It would have been doubly difficult for North fans "death-riding" our season for an early pick. Either we're better than they thought or their future is horrible.

They are heavily reliant on Goldstein, Cunnington, Higgins and Brown but most teams rely on their best players. They've drafted very well the last few years and Tarran Thomas (future star), Simpkin and Larkey are very good young players too. They just have a decent sized gap in their list in the mid 20's guys. I've heard a big reason Brad Scott walked away so early was that he wanted to go embark on a proper rebuild around their talented young guys but the powers that be said no.

They will be death riding us all year for sure, but the good part of that trade is at least we have our destiny in our own hands. If we are rubbish then handing over a high pick will be just one of many problems!

1 hour ago, Dee Dee said:

I’ve just watched the 4th quarter again especially for Tom McDonalds excellent comments. Quite insightful they were. He’s a pretty smart bloke! Nice to hear his thoughts on Max as captain and the whole leadership affair.

Also got a chuckle when he mentioned Trac saying he is a leader (as all are leaders now) and wants to get into the leadership meetings!!. I have a very good vibe about this year. They all seem to be on the one page, Trac signing on for another 2 years, less injuries and all seem to be getting on with each other and enjoying the pre season. Trust this continues and I reckon we might just surprise a few people this season.

3 hours ago, Docs Demons said:

Also got a chuckle when he mentioned Trac saying he is a leader (as all are leaders now) and wants to get into the leadership meetings!!. I have a very good vibe about this year. They all seem to be on the one page, Trac signing on for another 2 years, less injuries and all seem to be getting on with each other and enjoying the pre season. Trust this continues and I reckon we might just surprise a few people this season.

wasn't it salem he said said this?

 
1 hour ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

wasn't it salem he said said this?

Yep.

1 hour ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

wasn't it salem he said said this?

Just checked back on the replay: according to McDonald it was Petracca. Makes sense really as Salem is a wee bit more reserved while Petracca has a reputation for being a bit of a card!


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...

Featured Content

  • GAMEDAY: Essendon

    It’s Game Day, and the Demons are staring down the barrel of an 0-5 start for the first time since 2012 as they take on Essendon at Adelaide Oval for Gather Round. In that forgettable season, Melbourne finally broke their drought by toppling the Bombers. Can lightning strike twice? Will the Dees turn their nightmare start around and breathe life back into 2025?

      • Like
    • 16 replies
    Demonland
  • PREVIEW: Essendon

    As the focus of the AFL moves exclusively to South Australia for Gather Round, the question is raised as to what are we going to get from the  Melbourne Football Club this weekend? Will it be a repeat of the slop fest of the last three weeks that have seen the team score a measly 174 points and concede 310 or will a return to the City of Churches and the scene where they performed at their best in 2024 act as a wakeup call and bring them out of their early season reverie?  Or will the sleepy Dees treat their fans to a reenactment of their lazy effort from the first Gather Round of two years ago when they allowed the Bombers to trample all over them on a soggy and wet Adelaide Oval? The two examples from above tell us how fickle form can be in football. Last year, a committed group of players turned up in Adelaide with a businesslike mindset. They had a plan, went in confidently and hard for the football and kicked winning scores against both home teams in a difficult environment for visitors. And they repeated that sort of effort later in the season when they played Essendon at the MCG.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • PREGAME: Essendon

    Facing the very real and daunting prospect of starting the season with five straight losses, the Demons head to South Australia for the annual Gather Round, where they’ll take on the Bombers in search of their first win of the year. Who comes in, and who comes out?

      • Thanks
    • 489 replies
    Demonland
  • NON-MFC: Round 05

    Gather Round is here, kicking off with a Thursday night blockbuster as Adelaide faces Geelong. The Crows will be out for redemption after a controversial loss last week. Saturday starts with the Magpies taking on the Swans. Collingwood will be eager to cement their spot in the top eight, while Sydney is hot on their heels. In the Barossa Valley, two rising sides go head-to-head in a fascinating battle to prove they're the real deal. Later, Carlton and West Coast face off at Adelaide Oval, both desperate to notch their first win of the season. The action then shifts to Norwood, where the undefeated Lions will aim to keep their streak alive against the Bulldogs. Sunday’s games begin in the Barossa with Richmond up against Fremantle. In Norwood, the Saints will be looking to take a scalp when they come up against the Giants. The round concludes with a fiery rematch of last year's semi-final, as the Hawks seek revenge for their narrow loss to Port Adelaide. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

      • Thanks
    • 188 replies
    Demonland
  • CASEY: Geelong

    There was a time in the second quarter of the game at the Cattery on Friday afternoon when the Casey Demons threatened to take the game apart against the Cats. The Demons had been well on top early but were struggling to convert their ascendancy over the ground until Tom Fullarton’s burst of three goals in the space of eight minutes on the way to a five goal haul and his best game for the club since arriving from Brisbane at the end of 2023. He was leading, marking and otherwise giving his opponents a merry dance as Casey grabbed a three goal lead in the blink of an eye. Fullarton has now kicked ten goals in Casey’s three matches and, with Melbourne’s forward conversion woes, he is definitely in with a chance to get his first game with the club in next week’s Gather Round in Adelaide. Despite the tall forward’s efforts - he finished with 19 disposals and eight marks and had four hit outs as back up to Will Verrall in the second half - it wasn’t enough as Geelong reigned in the lead through persistent attacks and eventually clawed their way to the lead early in the last and held it till they achieved the end aim of victory.

      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • REPORT: Geelong

    I was disappointed to hear Goody say at his post match presser after the team’s 39 point defeat against Geelong that "we're getting high quality entry, just poor execution" because Melbourne’s problems extend far beyond that after its 0 - 4 start to the 2025 football season. There are clearly problems with poor execution, some of which were evident well before the current season and were in play when the Demons met the Cats in early May last year and beat them in a near top-of-the-table clash that saw both sides sitting comfortably in the top four after round eight. Since that game, the Demons’ performances have been positively Third World with only five wins in 19 games with a no longer majestic midfield and a dysfunctional forward line that has become too easy for opposing coaches to counter. This is an area of their game that is currently being played out as if they were all completely panic-stricken.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland