Jump to content

Featured Replies

  On 14/09/2023 at 08:22, spirit of norm smith said:

I want the Christian Salem from 2021.  Was 2nd best player in the GF team.  
He’s lost his sharp disposal.  Erratic up and under kicks. Appears slow to react. Might be form or confidence or just not being 100% right. 

Seems to be one week on then the following week or two he hits a physical wall or something.

Compromised pre-season no doubt impacting.

Not sure where Hibb is at here either but if he was right to go i'd probably be putting him in ahead of Salo for this one.

Keep in mind about 2/3rds of the team did not show last week.

That surely can't happen two weeks running.

If it does then some big questions will need to be answered as to the why.

Fingers crossed we don't have to go there.

Edited by Demon Dynasty

 
  On 14/09/2023 at 11:19, Pennant St Dee said:

Votes

15 - Christian Petracca, Melbourne
10 - Bayley Fritsch, Melbourne
3 - Clayton Oliver, Melbourne
1 - Christian Salem, Melbourne
1 - Caleb Daniel, Western Bulldogs

Salem. 27 possessions. 22 kicks. 5 handballs. 96% disposal efficiency. Repeat. 96% disposal efficiency. 8 score involvements. 7 marks. 7 tackles. 1 goal as a half back.  I should have rephrased as β€œ I thought he was our 2nd best player behind Trac in the 21GF. β€œ. Yes Fritsch and Clarry also starred. 

  On 14/09/2023 at 08:22, spirit of norm smith said:

I want the Christian Salem from 2021.  Was 2nd best player in the GF team.  
 

He’s lost his sharp disposal.  Erratic up and under kicks. Appears slow to react. Might be form or confidence or just not being 100% right. 

Or….what the article is about. 

 
  On 14/09/2023 at 08:24, John Demonic said:

Yup! Imagine if some numpty bumped this thread (below) to post an interview article with Christian discussing his AFL journey of recovery from that ACL

:laugh:

 

Imagine. 
 

I just posted this article here, because it’s a fresh article about β€œSalem’s Thyroid Concern”, which is obviously an ongoing thing. 

And I continue to be a bit weirded-out by a couple of posters even now still saying β€œyeah but what’s this drop in form all about?”  

As other sensible voices have noted, Salem at β€œsolid AFL level” is not what we’ve come to expect from an β€œelite” player, but he’s still got his place in the side because β€œSolid AFL” Salem is better than what else is on offer. We just have to be patient with him. 


  On 14/09/2023 at 12:05, spirit of norm smith said:

Salem. 27 possessions. 22 kicks. 5 handballs. 96% disposal efficiency. Repeat. 96% disposal efficiency. 8 score involvements. 7 marks. 7 tackles. 1 goal as a half back.  I should have rephrased as β€œ I thought he was our 2nd best player behind Trac in the 21GF. β€œ. Yes Fritsch and Clarry also starred. 

long long time ago

Nobody is questioning his status only his current form

The concern with Salem is the massive gap between his best and worst football. We know how good he can be on his day, and how important he is to the team, but his worst is putrid. 

At present he is in self-preservation mode - safe 20 metre kicks that hurt the team by slowing down the play; half hearted tackles; hospital handpasses to teammates to avoid being hit. He really needs to lift.

  On 14/09/2023 at 20:33, Kent said:

long long time ago

Nobody is questioning his status only his current form

There’s no need to question when an answer has been placed right in front of you. 

Salem’s drop in form is entirely attributed to his thyroid issues, which are ongoing. Whether his current form is good enough to be named in our best 22 is a question I’m sure the selectors grapple with week after week, but clearly in their opinion, any would-be replacements still don’t match him. 

 
  On 15/09/2023 at 01:09, Mel Bourne said:

There’s no need to question when an answer has been placed right in front of you. 

Salem’s drop in form is entirely attributed to his thyroid issues, which are ongoing. Whether his current form is good enough to be named in our best 22 is a question I’m sure the selectors grapple with week after week, but clearly in their opinion, any would-be replacements still don’t match him. 

yep playing injured and out of form stars is the go with this match committee

Selection hasnt been great in my view all year But thats only me>

  On 15/09/2023 at 01:54, Kent said:

yep playing injured and out of form stars is the go with this match committee

Selection hasnt been great in my view all year But thats only me>

Who replaces him?


  On 14/09/2023 at 11:10, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

So, who does he replace in your top two...Petracca or Fritsch? 

(I do agree he was probably third best, though.)

Equal really but 6 goals In a Granny is hard to beat 

  On 15/09/2023 at 01:09, Mel Bourne said:

There’s no need to question when an answer has been placed right in front of you. 

Salem’s drop in form is entirely attributed to his thyroid issues, which are ongoing. Whether his current form is good enough to be named in our best 22 is a question I’m sure the selectors grapple with week after week, but clearly in their opinion, any would-be replacements still don’t match him. 

Is this a medical fact because players are prone to form changes it doesn't mean they are injured?
 

With our riches for half backs if he was suffering the thyroid complaint again this decision to keep playing him is as perplexing as last years myriad decisions of the same style. I thought we had firmly moved on from that. 

The forward move has a lot of logic much more than the post to limit him to handball if more than 20m out. 

  On 15/09/2023 at 03:21, 58er said:

Is this a medical fact because players are prone to form changes it doesn't mean they are injured?
 

With our riches for half backs if he was suffering the thyroid complaint again this decision to keep playing him is as perplexing as last years myriad decisions of the same style. I thought we had firmly moved on from that. 

The forward move has a lot of logic much more than the post to limit him to handball if more than 20m out. 

β€œThat is all part of it. You just have to embrace it. It is all going good now, and I just have to keep on the medication and keep it under control.”

Hyperthyroidism requires constant vigilance and medication (usually radioactive iodine) to keep it from overwhelming the patient and sending them back to the couch. It’s pretty easy to draw the conclusion that Salo, while currently on top of it, is always going to have to work harder than others on team to keep his base fitness intact. 
 

I see this as different to fielding an β€œinjured” player, as nothing suggests that playing him has a potentially adverse effect on his condition. 

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

  • NON-MFC: Round 09

    Round 9 kicks off out west with the Dockers hosting a Collingwood side resting several stars. Fremantle need to make a statement on their home deck after some disappointing form on the road, while the Magpies will be keen to maintain their Top 2 position. Friday night sees a must-win clash between two sides desperate to stay in touch with the eight. St Kilda have shown glimpses while Carlton are clinging to relevance after a flat start to the season. Saturday’s twilight game at Marvel pits the Bombers against a struggling Sydney outfit. Essendon can’t afford another close match against a lower-ranked side, while the Swans risk sliding down the ladder even further. Up in Darwin, the fourth-placed Suns will look to extend their stay in the top four. The Bulldogs have hit their stride with three big wins on the trot and will be very keen to consolidate on their momentum. The always fiery Showdown looms as pivotal for both clubs. Adelaide are eyeing a spot in the Top 4 with a win, while Port Adelaide’s season could slip away if they drop another game and fall further behind the pack. Sunday begins with a yawn fest between Richmond and West Coast. The Tigers need to bank the points to stay clear of the bottom two, while the Eagles are still chasing their first win of the year. The Giants face one of the league’s toughest road trips as they travel to GMHBA Stadium to face the Cats. With GWS at risk of a third straight loss, Geelong will be eager to consolidate their position inside the eight and start their climb up the ladder. The round wraps up with the top-of-the-table Lions heading to Ninja Stadium to take on the second-last Roos. The Lions should easily take care of the struggling Roos who might be powerless against the best in the comp. Who are you tipping and what are the best results for the Demons?

      • Thanks
    • 103 replies
    Demonland
  • PREVIEW: Hawthorn

    Melbourne and Hawthorn who face off against each other this week have more in common than having once almost merged and about to wear a blue jumper with a red v triangle and an embroidered picture of a bird on the front. They also share the MCG as their main home ground, their supporters are associated with the leafy suburbs of Melbourne and in recent times, James Frawley graced the colours of both teams. Even more recently, both have bounced back from disastrous five game losing streaks to start off a season. Of course, the Hawks turned their bounce into a successful leap from the bottom of the ladder into a finals appearance, making it to the semifinals in 2024 and this year, they’re riding high in third place on the AFL table. The Demons are just three games into their 2025 bounce back, and are yet to climb their way out of the bottom four although they are sitting a game and percentage out of the top eight. However, with the current sportsbet odds of $3.90 to win this week’s encounter, it seems a forlorn hope that their upward progression will continue much longer.

      • Thumb Down
      • Clap
      • Thanks
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • PODCAST: Harvey Langford Interview

    On Wednesday I'll be interviewing the Melbourne Football Club's first pick in the 2024 National Draft and pick number 6 overall Harvey Langford. If you have any questions you want asked let me know. I will release the interview on Wednesday afternoon.

      • Clap
      • Love
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 31 replies
    Demonland
  • REPORT: West Coast

    On a night of counting, Melbourne captain Max Gawn made sure that his contribution counted. He was at his best and superb in the the ruck from the very start of the election night game against the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium, but after watching his dominance of the first quarter and a half of the clash evaporate into nothing as the Eagles booted four goals in the last ten minutes of the opening half, he turned the game on its head, with a ruckman’s masterclass in the second half.  No superlatives would be sufficient to describe the enormity of the skipper’s performance starting with his 47 hit outs, a career-high 35 possessions (22 of them contested), nine clearances, 12 score involvements and, after messing up an attempt or two, finally capping off one of the greatest rucking performances of all time, with a goal of own in the final quarter not long after he delivered a right angled pass into the arms of Daniel Turner who also goaled from a pocket (will we ever know if the pass is what was intended). That was enough to overturn a 12 point deficit after the Eagles scored the first goal of the second half into a 29 point lead at the last break and a winning final quarter (at last) for the Demons who decided not to rest their champion ruckman at the end this time around. 

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

    The Demons return to the MCG to take on the High Flying Hawks on Saturday Afternoon. Hawthorn will be aiming to consolidate a position in the Top 4 whilst the Dees will be looking to take a scalp and make it four wins in a row. Who comes in and who goes out?

      • Thanks
    • 318 replies
    Demonland
  • PODCAST: West Coast

    The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 5th May @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we analyse the Demons 3rd win row for the season against the Eagles.
    Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
    If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 25 replies
    Demonland