Jump to content

PREGAME: Rd 01 vs Western Bulldogs

Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

I was afraid about Mays body at this age given his history of soft tissue injuries. I hope it is just a 1 week injury but suspect it’ll be more. Pity given our hard start to the year. 

Can see the Dogs definitely going with 4 talls now to try and stretch us. 

    • Like 1
     
    9 minutes ago, brendan said:

    Pressure through the midfield will be an absolute priority this week can’t have clean ball coming into the bulldogs forwards, kozzy could potentially be the most important player for us this week 

    Absolutely need Harmes tagging, with our outs, dominating the midfield is vital

    Edited by adonski

    • Like 2

    Well this is now looming as a big challenge.

    A win in this game, with our outs, will lift the club’s confidence in their ability to bring in depth and still win.

    Winning the clearances will become even more critical than usual, as defensive rebound may not be as strong.

    • Like 4
     
    16 minutes ago, mo64 said:

    I'm in the rather exclusive Bailey Laurie fan club. I thinks he's got some football smarts and is handy around goal. Hope the kid does well, but I think he may be a sub.

    I like Laurie is a great kick for goal

    • Like 3
    2 minutes ago, cantstandyasam said:

    I like Laurie, he is a great kick for goal

    Well in that case, lets hope he gets lots and lots of opportunities to prove you correct. 🤞


    1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

    Old man injury that one. Hibbo and Jones both had heaps of trouble with it. Definitely not worth risking. We can’t win a flag without him so he has to be managed conservatively. Just sucks that we have 3 very hard games to start the season. 

    Agree there’s no point risking May but disagree we can’t win the premiership without him. Yeah he is super important just like Rance was at Richmond and people said they couldn’t win the flag without him but did. 

    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1
    21 minutes ago, Gawndy the Great said:

    Can see the Dogs definitely going with 4 talls now to try and stretch us. 

    i hope they do.

    they have FA small fwds so Gus, Judd, Riv and Bowey will rebound easily all game 

    24 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    Well this is now looming as a big challenge.

    A win in this game, with our outs, will lift the club’s confidence in their ability to bring in depth and still win.

    Winning the clearances will become even more critical than usual, as defensive rebound may not be as strong.

    Oooooft, May being out really disrupts not only the backline but the whole team set up. Max and Grundy are going to have to spend a lot more time down back I feel.

    I was 60/40 that we'd get up and now I think I'm 50/50. Gonna be a tough game.

    Edit: Probably sounded more negative than I intended, still got a great team on the park and you're right, a win will be a big boost in confidence. Look forward to see what the incoming players can do!

    Edited by BoBo

    • Like 2
     

    Like most games, this one will be won in the midfield.  

    • Like 4
    2 minutes ago, grazman said:

    Like most games, this one will be won in the midfield.  

    They have lost Dunkley and Hunter and  despite not having JV this week, we have added Hunter and Grundy , so that won’t hurt our chances in the midfield.

    • Like 2

    39 minutes ago, brendan said:

    Pressure through the midfield will be an absolute priority this week can’t have clean ball coming into the bulldogs forwards, kozzy could potentially be the most important player for us this week 

    Absolutely agree, and it will decide the outcome of this game. We also need to capitalise on our forward entries. Without May the backline is significantly weaker irrespective of who comes in. If we give the Dogs easy entry into their forward half it will be a painful evening.

    All of the focus is on the four players who will miss for us and the bulldogs talls. What about who is is playing, still a lot of star power out there. Combined with our ethos I’m confident of a comfortable win.

    • Like 6
    • Love 1

    Congrats to McDee and Bill!

    I like Lawrie's smarts and think/hope he can add something - I loved that tap forward in the first quarter before he got smashed by a Toig last week. One negative from his taste of AFL, was the number of frees he gave away. I don't think that'll happen this week - he'll adjust and apply pressure. Smart, talented player - just not sure where he fits yet.

    Judd McDee hasn't put a foot wrong and deserves his shot. I love his ball focus in the contest to stop his opponent getting it.

    Not frothing at the mouth just yet at the potential absence of May, but maybe tomorrow.

    • Like 2

    Having May out levels the field as they have Liam Jones in. 

    • Haha 1

    May is a gun and key defensive pillar, but I see Tomlinson and Turner as excellent cover, with Petty taking May's spot, and Bowey doing the kick ins. More worried about Laurie for Fritsch tbh.

    I really am surprised by the four talls, for two years now trying to bomb it into our defensive 50 has been a disaster for every team and not how we were beaten last year. 

    Our defensive transition was looking 🔥 in the preseason, no reason it shouldn't work.

    That said my MFCSS says that Bevo has a sneaky plan and we'll stuff up what should be a sure thing.

    • Like 1

    Have faith, folks!

    Trust our captain:  Breakout player of 2023:  Harrison Petty. I think he’s soon to take over as our number one defender. Don’t show that to (Steven May) ‘Maysy’!  www.foxsports.com.

     

    • Like 9
    • Love 1
    10 minutes ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

    All of the focus is on the four players who will miss for us and the bulldogs talls. What about who is is playing, still a lot of star power out there. Combined with our ethos I’m confident of a comfortable win.

    I’ll share your optimism when I see who we name in place of May. We have some talls that we could bring in, but I’m not convinced we will. If we go with Joel Smith or Tomlinson, I think we at a major disadvantage down back. Lever does not play 1 on 1, and Petty struggles on talls. Agree with others that we will see the rucks drop back, but that carries injury risk for them. 

    2 minutes ago, DEE fence said:

    I really am surprised by the four talls, for two years now trying to bomb it into our defensive 50 has been a disaster for every team and not how we were beaten last year. 

    It was our Achilles heel in finals last year, with Reid and Hipwood getting hold of us in those games.

    1 hour ago, Demon Disciple said:

    Where’s the poster who always says “relax, we’ve got this”, I need his words of wisdom at the moment.

     

    image.gif.2bc74c30ff34e31323a0627435de9463.gif

    Not sure if me (have said it a few times), but relax, we got this. By around 20 points.

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Bill Laurie’s inclusion makes Chandler and Jordon less likely to play. A bit mystifying me thinks. But my form as a selector isn’t good.

    • Like 3

    Line up the cheese boards folks, selection is going to be a long discussion……. Or not, as the case may be.

    With the announcement of Mcvee and Laurie to debut and the certain outs of Viney, Fristch and Salem there is not  lot of wriggle room for selection.

    I think May will be named in the side and given right through to the warmup to prove good. If he makes the game, it will be pretty much the side that played and comfortably beat the Tiges.

    B: Lever, May, McVee

    HB: Rivers, Petty, Bowey

    C: Langdon, Oliver, Hunter

    HF: ANB, TMac, Spargo

    F: Pickett: Brown: Grundy

    Fol: Gawn, Petracca, Brayshaw

    I: Sparrow, Laurie, Chandler, Harmes

    Sub: Schache/Hibberd

    I like the back 6 as named and if May does not get up for the game I would look at Tomlinson to replace him. I lean that way instead of Disco just on the basis of experience. I know he looks to be out of form but slotting him in in this game might just boost his confidence. If Turner gets the run then I will not have a problem with that either. Coaches and selectors would have a better idea than me.

    Brayshaw into the middle in place of Viney in the rotations. We know what he brings to the table in the middle, as a defender and on a wing. His flexibility and ability are an incredible asset to have in the team.

    Forwards are always going to be an interesting selection discussion at the moment. I would start them the way I have named them with Grundy up forward with Brown and TMac. Might just give the doggies something to think about.

    Midfield rotations are Petracca, Oliver, Brayshaw, Sparrow, Harmes, Pickett, ANB and Rivers with Landon and Hunter 100% on the wings.

    Sub is difficult but I think it will be between Schache and Hibberd to try and cover the possible tall doggie timber.

    • Like 5
    38 minutes ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

    Stupid question….

    Looking at the teams for tomorrow nights clash, where is the sub named?

    The sub will come from one of the four emergencies and will be named one hour prior to the match commencing.

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
     

    Big fan of some new blood within the team, both lads provide some zip, Lauries skills and decision making are spargo esc, it's definitely clear the club are really keen to make sure the kicking inside 50 isn't an issue this season. 

    • Like 10
    13 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

    Bill Laurie’s inclusion makes Chandler and Jordon less likely to play. A bit mystifying me thinks. But my form as a selector isn’t good.

    Chandler is so far ahead of Laurie in form it should be a laydown Misere!!

    • Like 5

    Guest
    This topic is now closed to further replies.
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • NON-MFC: Round 15

      As the Demons head into their Bye Round, it's time to turn our attention to the other matches being played. Which teams are you tipping this week? And which results would be most favourable for the Demons if we can manage to turn our season around? Follow all the non-Melbourne games here and join the conversation as the ladder continues to take shape.

        • Like
      • 238 replies
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Port Adelaide

      Of course, it’s not the backline, you might argue and you would probably be right. It’s the boot studder (do they still have them?), the midfield, the recruiting staff, the forward line, the kicking coach, the Board, the interchange bench, the supporters, the folk at Casey, the head coach and the club psychologist  It’s all of them and all of us for having expectations that were sufficiently high to have believed three weeks ago that a restoration of the Melbourne team to a position where we might still be in contention for a finals berth when the time for the midseason bye arrived. Now let’s look at what happened over the period of time since Melbourne overwhelmed the Sydney Swans at the MCG in late May when it kicked 8.2 to 5.3 in the final quarter (and that was after scoring 3.8 to two straight goals in the second term). 

        • Clap
        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 3 replies
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Essendon

      Casey’s unbeaten run was extended for at least another fortnight after the Demons overran a persistent Essendon line up by 29 points at ETU Stadium in Port Melbourne last night. After conceding the first goal of the evening, Casey went on a scoring spree from about ten minutes in, with five unanswered majors with its fleet of midsized runners headed by the much improved Paddy Cross who kicked two in quick succession and livewire Ricky Mentha who also kicked an early goal. Leading the charge was recruit of the year, Riley Bonner while Bailey Laurie continued his impressive vein of form. With Tom Campbell missing from the lineup, Will Verrall stepped up to the plate demonstrating his improvement under the veteran ruckman’s tutelage. The Demons were looking comfortable for much of the second quarter and held a 25-point lead until the Bombers struck back with two goals in the shadows of half time. On the other side of the main break their revival continued with first three goals of the half. Harry Sharp, who had been quiet scrambled in the Demons’ first score of the third term to bring the margin back to a single point at the 17 minute mark and the game became an arm-wrestle for the remainder of the quarter and into the final moments of the last.

        • Clap
      • 0 replies
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Gold Coast

      The Demons have the Bye next week but then are on the road once again when they come up against the Gold Coast Suns on the Gold Coast in what could be a last ditch effort to salvage their season. Who comes in and who comes out?

        • Thanks
      • 113 replies
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Port Adelaide

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 16th June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees disappointing loss to the Power.
      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.
      Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

        • Thanks
      • 32 replies
      Demonland

    • POSTGAME: Port Adelaide

      The Demons simply did not take their opportunities when they presented themselves and ultimately when down by 25 points effectively ending their finals chances. Goal kicking practice during the Bye?

        • Haha
        • Thanks
      • 252 replies
      Demonland
    View All