Jump to content

  • IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

    The Demonland Terms of Service, which you have all recently agreed to, strictly prohibit discussions of ongoing legal matters, whether criminal or civil. Please ensure that all discussions on this forum remain focused solely on on-field & football related topics.


Recommended Posts

Posted
1 minute ago, loges said:

Pretty sure the 11 goal defeat wasn't 2018

Round 4 2018  - Sunday 15th April

Hawthorn 18.7 115 def Melbourne 6.12 48.

Posted
4 hours ago, Engorged Onion said:

 

Did you know Brad Green once 'played' with Manchester United?

And Todd Viney beat Boris Becker as a junior tennis player!

  • Like 1
  • Shocked 1
Posted
28 minutes ago, BigFez said:

Gee I miss the training reports.  What the rules around attending training in the hub?  No chance I'm guessing?

Not unless you've got a MQ-9 Reaper parked in the garage.:cool:

  • Haha 1
Posted
4 minutes ago, loges said:

Pretty sure the 11 goal defeat wasn't 2018

image.thumb.png.6607b3d3a38cfe582f622063f430cdfa.png

I can remember it well.  I bet all of my Hawthorn mates because I was sure we'd gone past them.  One of the most depressing games I can remember.  All of this hope dashed by a team that was supposed to be rebuilding.  I suppose you get used to it as a Melbourne supporter.

Posted
4 minutes ago, BigFez said:

Round 4 2018  - Sunday 15th April

Hawthorn 18.7 115 def Melbourne 6.12 48.

beg your pardon for some reason I was thinking Geelong.

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, BigFez said:

image.thumb.png.6607b3d3a38cfe582f622063f430cdfa.png

I can remember it well.  I bet all of my Hawthorn mates because I was sure we'd gone past them.  One of the most depressing games I can remember.  All of this hope dashed by a team that was supposed to be rebuilding.  I suppose you get used to it as a Melbourne supporter.

Same. Was gutted that day and lost a few bets with friends as a result.

The Collingwood game in 2018 was similar, though less offensive on the scoreboard in the end. We were in good form and on a winning streak, but their midfield absolute ripped us apart that day. DeGoey started the game in the midfield and had a massive impact with 12 inside 50s, 10 of those leading to scores. We had a good run later in 2018, but we still got embarrassed by the Pies and it hurt.

I think some supporters may have glorified 2018 a bit over the years. We couldn't beat a top 8 team right until the end of the year and spent most of the year beating up on bottom teams. Had we been more competitive against top teams, we likely would've finished top 2 on the ladder and had an easier run in finals. It was still a good year, but not as good as some tend to remember it.

Edited by Lord Travis
  • Like 6
Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, loges said:

beg your pardon for some reason I was thinking Geelong.

That was the year Geelong beat us three points in round 1 with Max's missed set shot and then by 2 points in round 18 with Thuoy's set shot after the siren.

Weird looking back on some of the scores from that year.  Gees we could score back then.  Have a look at this patch.

image.thumb.png.85f747061c9a4684ee10fbd9f0121afe.png

But anyway I've gone off topic.  Bored waiting for the teams to be announced.

 

Edited by BigFez
  • Like 4
  • Sad 1
Posted
1 minute ago, BigFez said:

Weird looking back on some of the scores from that year.  Gees we could score back then.  Have a look at this patch.

We won 20 quarters in a row and were the most potent team in the league! Seems another lifetime now :(

  • Like 4
  • Sad 1
Posted
3 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Same. Was gutted that day and lost a few bets with friends as a result.

The Collingwood game in 2018 was similar, though less offensive on the scoreboard in the end. We were in good form and on a winning streak, but their midfield absolute ripped us apart that day. DeGoey started the game in the midfield and had a massive impact with 12 inside 50s, 10 of those leading to scores. We had a good run later in 2018, but we still got embarrassed by the Pies and it hurt.

I think some supporters may have glorified 2018 a bit over the years. We couldn't beat a top 8 team right until the end of the year and spent most of the year beating up on bottom teams. Had we been more competitive against top teams, we likely would've finished top 2 on the ladder and had an easier run in finals. It was still a good year, but not as good as some tend to remember it.

I remember that one too, it came just after that streak I just posted.  We were flogging everyone so that loss came out of the blue.  We had no answer for De Goey and even the big muppet Mason Cox kicked 5!  

  • Angry 1
Posted
6 minutes ago, BigFez said:

Weird looking back on some of the scores from that year.  Gees we could score back then.  Have a look at this patch.

A whopping % of 236.4 in those 4 games BF...yep I’m bored also.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Posted
11 minutes ago, BigFez said:

That was the year Geelong beat us three points in round 1 with Max's missed set shot and then by 2 points in round 18 with Thuoy's set shot after the siren.

Weird looking back on some of the scores from that year.  Gees we could score back then.  Have a look at this patch.

image.thumb.png.85f747061c9a4684ee10fbd9f0121afe.png

But anyway I've gone off topic.  Bored waiting for the teams to be announced.

 

Yes, I was at the first Geelong game and then in Thailand at a sports bar when they beat us after the siren. I think it p'd me off too much. Knew we'd smash them in the finals, should have beaten them 3 times that year.

  • Like 1
Posted
34 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Saty and his scooter are stuck in Echuca.

Where's Echuca, anything outside of Inner Melbourne, I'm lost

Been told some watched them train at Manly, but were kept at a distance

Assume Gold Coast will be the same

I noticed they went indoors for 'craft' this week, assume to practice some set ups away from eyes

Goody used to take them to a private school oval or the like for these type of sessions, when we used to have footy in Melb, if anyone can remember that

  • Like 1
Posted
1 hour ago, Grimes Times said:

worked against GCS

Yes and no. If we had gone into that game with Tom as the one key forward and he went down we would have had no key forwards!

Posted
19 hours ago, Biffen said:

Perfect Half forward or Pocket in his decline.

He has been a battering ram and a finisher for more than a decade.

We now need a sharp shooter.

He's too slow for that role. They'll run off him.

  • Like 2
Posted
6 minutes ago, A F said:

He's too slow for that role. They'll run off him.

Doesn't leave him too many positions then. 

Posted
17 hours ago, Rusty Nails said:

Yep and then 3 grabs to Hawkins on a flank not long after....not paid.

One of the most biased games of umpiring i've witnessed.

Couldn't agree more re: the commentary team Rjay.  How the hell Chanel 7 ever got the coverage back is beyond me.  Certainly don't deserve it and never earned it at any point in the last 20 years or so.

They have no idea, offer no added value and very rarely cover any nuances of the game or players.

The inane platitudes and focus of Bruce on mostly the stars (in his eyes) drives me up the wall.  Zero criticism at any stage of any officials and their decision making.  Anything controversial (throws, obvious pushes in the back gone uncalled and holding the ball getting a free run tonight vs tight interpretation last week for example) mostly never gets a mention.

In future i am going to turn those idiots off and just watch the game in blissful silence.

Money and they probably pitched the idea of live sport being free to the masses, instead of pay per view. It's never about merit in these things, it's always about money. 

16 hours ago, Caligula's cohort said:

IN: Jones, Tomlinson and Smith in I reckon. 

OUT: Tmac, Jetta and Melksham. 

May to play forward, Smith to play on Gunston down back, Lever and Omac minding M.Lewis and O'Brien. 

Jonesy to replace Melk in the forward line. 

We need Tomlinson in, as the Hawks have 2 gut runners in Smith and Scully, and he can relieve Gawny in the Ruck. 

Oofa doof. That's a dangerous idea. Gunston way too clever for Smith. And they may well play Smith down back in place of Jetta, but I wouldn't be playing May forward. The backs need continuity together, not the shuffle of the deck chairs every week.

  • Like 1
Posted
47 minutes ago, BigFez said:

That was the year Geelong beat us three points in round 1 with Max's missed set shot and then by 2 points in round 18 with Thuoy's set shot after the siren.

Weird looking back on some of the scores from that year.  Gees we could score back then.  Have a look at this patch.

image.thumb.png.85f747061c9a4684ee10fbd9f0121afe.png

But anyway I've gone off topic.  Bored waiting for the teams to be announced.

 

Lever dominated that Crows game.   He looked amazing.

Then did his ACL next game and hasnt been the same since.

  • Sad 1
Posted
17 hours ago, Caligula's cohort said:

May to play forward

We've gone from last in the league for points conceded from defensive half turnovers last year to 4th this year. May is a big part of that. Can't see this happening unless it's a late in-game change as a desperation tactic.

 

  • Like 3
  • Love 1
Posted
9 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Agreed.  Master tactician.  Master coach.  Nearly always out coaches our box.

I'm just not sure this Hawks team can execute his tactics.

Look, I agree that Clarkson is easily the greatest coach of the modern era, but in the case where his team isn't capable of being able to execute his plan consistently, it would mean he hasn't been that masterful. If you know your team's not up to it to play the style you're promoting, it's idiocy IMO to continue with it.

Does Clarkson have another plan? Because the thing about his game style is that's it's very similar similar to Guardiola's at Man City in the EPL. It's about stretching the opposition's defensive formation by moving the ball quickly around the neutral or defensive zone and then exploiting the gaps in the zone with pace and precision. But it doesn't work in soccer either if the players aren't capable of consistently hitting targets either.

Guardiola's sides often have unlimited money to spend on the best players, but when their better players have been injured, they've really relied on fast attackers and blistering counter attack, but Clarkson's side, as you and others have noted, doesn't have the leg-speed to exploit this either, so for mine, I'm not really sure what Clarkson is aiming to do with his current team and the system they play. It's too easy to combat against and without weapons in any of the playing thirds, Hawthorn's current team will struggle over the course of a full season.

  • Like 2
Posted
1 hour ago, Lord Travis said:

Same. Was gutted that day and lost a few bets with friends as a result.

The Collingwood game in 2018 was similar, though less offensive on the scoreboard in the end. We were in good form and on a winning streak, but their midfield absolute ripped us apart that day. DeGoey started the game in the midfield and had a massive impact with 12 inside 50s, 10 of those leading to scores. We had a good run later in 2018, but we still got embarrassed by the Pies and it hurt.

I think some supporters may have glorified 2018 a bit over the years. We couldn't beat a top 8 team right until the end of the year and spent most of the year beating up on bottom teams. Had we been more competitive against top teams, we likely would've finished top 2 on the ladder and had an easier run in finals. It was still a good year, but not as good as some tend to remember it.

I don't think many have glorified that year. I think most people on Demonland remind others when they're putting us down, that we did actually make a prelim and so it was not a failed year. 

And despite us not being able to beat a top 8 team until a depleted West Coast in Round 22 and GWS in Round 23, we still managed to beat Geelong and Hawthorn under enormous pressure in sudden death games to packed MCGs. 

It was a very good year of progress and for mine nobody is glorifying it, just pointing out that we made a [censored] prelim.

  • Like 3
Posted
41 minutes ago, binman said:

Doesn't leave him too many positions then. 

It doesn't. I think Jones is midfield depth this year. I wouldn't have kept him on the list personally, but he may prove to be good cover in the back stretch of the season.

Posted (edited)
18 minutes ago, A F said:

Look, I agree that Clarkson is easily the greatest coach of the modern era, but in the case where his team isn't capable of being able to execute his plan consistently, it would mean he hasn't been that masterful. If you know your team's not up to it to play the style you're promoting, it's idiocy IMO to continue with it.

He is still experimenting but whatever plan he comes up with he has a limited/aging/injury prone list and I reckon he knows it.  I think he is coming to terms with his team's inability to change game plans at the drop of a hat. 

He spent big with top draft picks to get Mitchell and O'Meara but both have been dogged by serious injuries and they may never be as good as they once were.  He had one first round pick in recent years, used it on Burton (?) and traded him against his will for Wingard.  This all says he is trying to take a shortcut to the next flag.  

Not sure that patience nor player development are his strong suits at this stage of his career so the next few years will be interesting for them.  Maybe Lewis was right and he should hand over the reins to S. Mitchell.

Anyway, I reckon we will win.

Edited by Lucifer's Hero
  • Like 1

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: Monday 17th February 2025

    Demonland Trackwatchers were on hand at Monday morning's preseason training at Gosch's Paddock to bring you their brief observations of the session. HARVEY WALLBANGER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Gentle flush session at Gosch's this morning. Absent: May, Pickett (All Stars) McVee, McAdam. Rehabbing: Great to see Kentfield back (much slimmer), walking with Tholstrup, TMac (suspect just a management thing), Viney (still being cautious with that rib cartilage?), Melksham (

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    MATCH SIM: Friday 14th February 2025

    A couple of Demonland Trackwatchers made their way out to Casey Field's for the Melbourne Football Club's Family Series day to bring you their observations on the Match Simulation. HARVEY WALLBANGER'S MATCH SIMULATION OBSERVATIONS Absent: May, Pickett (All Stars), McVee, Windor, Kentfield, Mentha Present but not playing: Petracca, Viney, Spargo, Tholstrup, Melksham Starting Blue 18 (+ just 2 interchange): B: Petty, TMac, Lever, Howes, Bowey Salem M: Gawn, Oliver, La

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    TRAINING: Wednesday 12th February 2025

    Demonland Trackwatchers braved the scorching morning heat to bring you the following observations of Wednesday's preseason training session from Gosch's Paddock. HARVEY WALLBANGER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Absent: Salem, Windsor (word is a foot rash going around), Viney, Bowey and Kentfield Train ons: Roy George, no Culley today. Firstly the bad news - McVee went down late, which does look like a bad hammy - towards the end of match sim, as he kicked the ball. Had to

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    MATCH SIM: Friday 7th February 2025

    Demonland Trackwatcher Gator ventured down the freeway to bring you his observations from Friday morning's Match Simulation out at Casey Fields. Rehab: Jake Lever and Charlie Spargo running laps.  Lever was running short distances at a fast click as well as having kick to kick with a trainer. He seems unimpeded. Christian Petracca, Kade Chandler, Shane McAdam and Tom Fullarton doing non-contact kicking and handball drills on the adjacent oval.  All moving freely at pace.  I didn’

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 2

    TRAINING: Wednesday 5th February 2025

    Demonland Trackwatchers were out in force as the Demons returned to Gosch's Paddock for preseason training on Wednesday morning. GHOSTWRITER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Kozzie a no show. Tommy Sparrow was here last week in civvies and wearing sunnies. He didn’t train. Today he’s training but he’s wearing goggles so he’s likely got an eye injury. There’s a drill where Selwyn literally lies on top of Tracc, a trainer dribbles the ball towards them and Tracc has to g

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports

    THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS: 2024

    Whichever way you look at it, the Melbourne Football Club’s 2024 season can only be characterized as the year of its fall from grace. Whispering Jack looks back at the season from hell that was. After its 2021 benchmark premiership triumph, the men’s team still managed top four finishes in the next two seasons but straight sets finals losses consigned them to sixth place in both years. The big fall came in 2024 with a collapse into the bottom six and a 14th placing. At Casey, the 2022 VFL p

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Special Features

    MATCH SIM: Friday 31st January 2025

    Veteran Demonland Trackwatcher Picket Fence ventured down to Casey Fields to bring you his observations from Friday's Match Simulation. Greetings Demonlanders, beautiful Day at training and the boys were hard at it, here is my report. NO SHOWS: Luker Kentfield (recovering from pneumonia in WA), also not sure I noticed Melky (Hamstring) or Will Verrall?? MODIFIED DUTIES (No Contact): Sparrow, McVee (foot), Tracc (ribs), Chandler, (AC Joint), Fullarton Noticeable events (I’ll s

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 2

    TRAINING: Wednesday 29th January 2025

    A number of Demonland Trackwatchers swooped on Gosch's Paddock to bring you their observations from this morning's Preseason Training Session. DEMON JACK'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Beautiful morning at Gosch's Paddock. Very healthy crowd so far.  REHAB: Fullerton, Spargo, Tholstrup, McVee Viney running laps. EDIT: JV looks to be back with the main group. Trac, Sparrow, Chandler and Verrell also training away from the main group. Currently kicking to each other ins

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports 1

    TRAINING: Wednesday 22nd January 2025

    Demonland Trackwatchers were out in force for training at Gosch's Paddock on Wednesday morning for the MFC's School Holidays Open Training Session. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS REHAB: TMac, Chandler, McVee, Tholstrup, Brown, Spargo Brown might have passed his fitness test as he’s back out with the main group.  Sparrow not present. Kozzy not present either.  Mini Rehab group has broken off from the match sim (contact) group: Max, Trac, Lever, Fullarton

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Training Reports
  • Tell a friend

    Love Demonland? Tell a friend!

×
×
  • Create New...