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PREGAME: Rd 16 vs GWS

Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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12 minutes ago, Redleg said:

I cannot see that happening.

Nor do I.

I think we'll win 8 of our last 9 games.

Edited by binman

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    5 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

    That's a pretty sad list of full forwards if you compare with some others.

    Hawthorn: Hudson, Dunstall, Peck, Franklin, Moncrieff (plus Brereton and Matthews) 

    Sydney: Lockett, Hall, Franklin

    Geelong: Hawkins, Wade, Donohoe, Ablett Sr, Brownless

     

    That's a pretty disappointing comment & put down. Only the first 3 Dees mentioned were full forwards plus B Brown. Dillon was an outstanding CHF or flanker & played for Victoria. Robertson was a very good HFF  who kicked 75 goals one year & should have been AA. Parke was the best mark of his era & one year took the most marks in the comp. 

    And a number of the opposition players you mentioned never played at full forward.

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    3 hours ago, picket fence said:

    I see the Ressies are playing at Casey Igloo at 12.05 on Sunday vs GWS. Surely if BBB was not going to play he would be getting another game under his belt there??

    And they will be weakened as a few will need to stay in Alice in case of any late changes. So assume all named as emergencies will stay in Alice.

    7 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

    Not if you watch it on Ch 7

    Not sure it is on 7. When I looked at broadcast guide on AFL site only saw Fox and Kayo as TV. Normally 7 does this game so got no idea really. If it is Fox they might just do it from their home studio like normal of late.


    19 hours ago, KLV said:

    Why the hate for Kel underwood? Really? you’d prefer Brian 1980s brain Taylor?

    I dot see it as hate - she just has an unlistenable grating voice and tries "dod joke" sort of puns.

    18 hours ago, Demon Dynasty said:

    Harmes finished off the game against Geelong strongly.  The SC must surely have at least thought about him as back up to help out Viney & Tracc with extraction/clearance work with Clarry out yet again.  Be surprised if he isn't sub for Spargo.

    Taj has to be close.  Very classy on the outside and starting to get to more contests.  Finishing off his work with some decent passes now while reducing his early season clangers.  The FD would be tracking his progress and tank etc no doubt.  Even if ready on the performance side who does he replace?

    The only way i can see howes getting in is an injury down back somewhere or maybe a winger having a really bad run for 2 to 3 games, or also an injury to one of them.

    Then you might see McVee moved onto a wing with Howes taking over McVee's role.  Howes a lovely decision maker and pretty classy by foot.  Able to hit targets inside 50.  Same with McVee and more often if moved up to a wing.

    Highly unlikely (this season) and obviously we prefer that no one ends up out from injury.

    Howes and Joey are in the middle of their second seasons on the list - yes?    Surely one would hope that they at least got a bit of a look in their second year - Laurie did, and IMO didn't inspire.  They could well get itchy feet.  (yes, I know Michael Tuck payed. several years reserves before debuting for 400+ games, but that was way back and he was a very special pier with an endurable physique - will never be seen again)

    3 hours ago, picket fence said:

    I see the Ressies are playing at Casey Igloo at 12.05 on Sunday vs GWS. Surely if BBB was not going to play he would be getting another game under his belt there??

    Casey igloo may well be warmer than Alice on Sunday.🙄

    2 hours ago, Young Angus said:

    I just don't think he should have been brought in before spending some time in the VFL, wasn't ready, and they got rid of Tomlinson and messed with a back line that was in the team that beat Collingwood...not sure how that tracked but it didn't seem right to me.  Should earn spot back through vfl.

    Horses for courses, but Salo came back with a bang after missing a lot longer.

    Edited by monoccular

    6 hours ago, samcantstandya said:

    80% chance of rain, Brown not a wet weather player so doesn't come in. Harmes is an upgrade on Jordon. Melksham deserves his chance to get to 99 games as a sub. Smith stays in.

    On BOM site now stating only a slight chance of a shower or two and on Wearherzone at 3pm Sunday sun will be out and again maybe a slight shower so it shouldn't be all that bad. Assuming the ground will dry our quick.

     

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    13 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

    That's a pretty disappointing comment & put down. Only the first 3 Dees mentioned were full forwards plus B Brown. Dillon was an outstanding CHF or flanker & played for Victoria. Robertson was a very good HFF  who kicked 75 goals one year & should have been AA. Parke was the best mark of his era & one year took the most marks in the comp. 

    And a number of the opposition players you mentioned never played at full forward.

    I agree - it was poorly worded. I certainly wasn't trying to be critical of those players in any way. What I was trying to say, but obviously poorly, was that the club was a perennial failure in the period 1965 through to 2018 so that any forward struggled to get the opportunity to kick goals.

    And I agree that Greg Parke was the best mark of his era. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him play.  

     
    21 minutes ago, Docs Demons said:

    Not sure it is on 7. When I looked at broadcast guide on AFL site only saw Fox and Kayo as TV. Normally 7 does this game so got no idea really. If it is Fox they might just do it from their home studio like normal of late.

    This is definitely  a channel 7 game for Victorian viewers:

    Hawthorn V Carlton - Foxtel, 1:10pm

    Melbourne V GWS - Ch 7, 3:20pm

    West Coast V St Kilda - Foxtel, 4:40pm

    I suspect Kelli Underwood, Dermie and Co will be hosting on Fox Footy in a studio reviewing the afternoon's games during each break.

    Hopefully that clarifies.

     

    • Thanks 1

    In 2021, we had the eye of the tiger.  We were desperate. Hungry.  We had the defensive wall.  Opposition were like flies landing in the Lever-May web.  
     

    Now in 2023 seemingly we are drinking our own bath water again. Will it just happen ? No.  It’s not a panic call. But we have a very very good team of very very good players. We are in the premiership zone competing against a hungry pack - Magpies, Lions, Power all looking likely. Where’s the excitement factor coming from ? 

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    1 hour ago, binman said:

    Not sure how long you have been following the dees, but we have a very different definition of what could be considered a disappointing team.

    I have been following the dees for aprox 45 years but started going to games regularly in 1978 (by myself back then - no one i knew barracked for the dees).

    That year we won the wooden spoon. Fun times. 

    We had a stellar year in 1979 and really started our march up the ladder, ending the season in 11th. Not bad until you consider there were only 12 teams. And that time Fitzroy thrashed us by a still record margin was such a gas. 

    But boy o boy, was 1980 awesome. We were marching up the ladder! Jumped up to 9th (in a 12-team competition)!

    Oh, oh - 1981 wasn't much fun. Yet another wooden spoon. 

    So bad were we that we came within a bees whisker of merging with the Hawks and the oldest sporting club in the world almost ceasing to exist. 

    186.

    The Neeld years.

    Et cetera; et cetera; et cetera.

    Hopefully, you get my drift. 

    In all seriousness, we are currently 4th on the ladder with an ok injury list and a soft run home.

    We are currently equal third favorite to win the flag (but will enter the finals as favorite IMHO).

    We are $1.40 to make the top 4 (by way of contrast the Cats are next best at $6 to make the top 4 and the Saints, who are only four points behind us, are $7 to make the top 4). For context, we are 1.40 to win Sunday and Winx ran around at that price.  

    A serious question - do you rate the Pies?

    Well, a reminder, we beat them, the favorites for the flag, just two games ago! Can't have your cake and eat it too - if we are a disappointing side, the Pies must be pretenders not contenders. 

    But really, in what universe could this current dees team, premiers in 2021 and finished second on the ladder at the end of the 2022 H&A season (and yes, we went out in straight sets in the finals), be considered a disappointing team?

    Not in my universe i can assure you. 

    Well thats a trip down memory lane. I've barracked for the dees for the last 55 odd years and have lived through all those dissapointments year on year. My mate from Kindergarten barracked for the Dees and we still go along to the G most games, we're both 62, have lovely families and long suffering wives.

    We were at the game for the record loss to Fitzroy. When we were around 16 we would go to a few games then when our season was done for the year we'd go off to the races. My mate says thats the only good thing barracking for Melbourne gave us was a love for the races.

    I think the day of the Grand Final loss to the Hawks was the worst. I ended up so drunk and being kicked off a tram in the city into the arms of police and shouting "leave me alone! I barrack for Melbourne" They let me walk it off.

    2021 was extroadinary. I never thought I'd live to see it. I had smug Hawks and Tigers supporter in-laws and just thought there was too much against the smaller clubs for them to ever see success. 2016 gave us hope when the Dogs won. But what a year.

    I'm only mucking around. Playing devils advocate against peoples hope. I like taking a position and being proven wrong. I don't give us much hope this year. Happy to be wrong. As for Collingwood, they were terribly undermanned against us. Replace that Finn McGuiness or whoever he is that replaced Ginnivan and we probably lose. But it was a good win. I was very happy.

    I don't think Collingwood will win it either by the way, I think Port and Brizzy will finish top two and get through to the GF. As a betting man I'd give you 50-1 (which I won't, I'm a punter not a bookie) for us to win 8 of our last 9 games. I'll take a position and say we'll win 5 of our last 9 games. Happy to have a bet on closest to the pin.

    Hope you win. Go Dees.

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    20 hours ago, KLV said:

    Why the hate for Kel underwood? Really? you’d prefer Brian 1980s brain Taylor?

    Her game day commentary is truly awful. 

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    INS - Harmes, Bowey, Brown
    OUTS - Hibberd (inj), Jordon (omitted), van Rooyen (omitted), Spargo (Round 15 sub)

    58 minutes ago, binman said:

    Nor do I.

    I think we'll win 8 of our last 9 games.

    Well some real optimism.

    Hope you are right.


    Feels like the best chance of having a couple of functioning key fowards play together is with Brown + JVR, but we like to complicate things

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    1 minute ago, Demonland said:

    INS - Harmes, Bowey, Brown
    OUTS - Hibberd (inj), Jordon (omitted), van Rooyen (omitted), Spargo (Round 15 sub)

     

    Let’s go BBB!

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    Happy BBrown is back. Not happy JVR dropped. Would like to see them play together and ditch Smith.

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    Again we play Spargo as sub, following a poor performance at Casey.

    He is a one position player who failed to have any impact when sub against Cats.

    Is cool under pressure and can set up a goal, but I thought the sub should be a versatile player who can have an immediate impact. I don’t Charlie as that but obviously FD do.

    I would have given Melk his 99th game for the Dees as sub, following his 4 goals for Casey last week.

    Edited by Redleg

    9 minutes ago, Phil C said:

    Her game day commentary is truly awful. 

    Honestly all the channel 7 callers are awful. Darcy and BT by far the worst.

    Only one I think is OK is Hamish Mclachlan. He's more natural and doesn't force things like all the others.

    Side note does anyone else find that Alister Nicholson sounds so much like Jordan Lewis.

    Fox footy callers are so much better. Whately and Hudson are pros

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    30 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

    This is definitely  a channel 7 game for Victorian viewers:

    Hawthorn V Carlton - Foxtel, 1:10pm

    Melbourne V GWS - Ch 7, 3:20pm

    West Coast V St Kilda - Foxtel, 4:40pm

    I suspect Kelli Underwood, Dermie and Co will be hosting on Fox Footy in a studio reviewing the afternoon's games during each break.

    Hopefully that clarifies.

     

    Cheers. No channel 7 in Qld but will watch on fox.

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    1 minute ago, Young Blood said:

    Honestly all the channel 7 callers are awful. Darcy and BT by far the worst.

    Only one I think is OK is Hamish Mclachlan. He's more natural and doesn't force things like all the others.

    Side note does anyone else find that Alister Nicholson sounds so much like Jordan Lewis.

    Fox footy callers are so much better. Whately and Hudson are pros

    Most are terrible. Dwayne, Derm etc. Whately is head and shoulders above them all I reckon. 

    • Like 1

    Happy BBB is in.

    The resting forward-ruck in Gawn/Grundy (which quite frankly isn't working) or Joel Smith has cost JVR a spot in the side.

    Why isn't Tomlinson in the side to take one of Riccardi or Hogan while May takes the other, and allowing Lever to do his thing on a lesser opponent?

    Where will Petty be playing?

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    5 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    Again we play Spargo as sub, following a poor performance at Casey.

    He is a one position player who failed to have any impact when sub against Cats.

    Is cool under pressure and can set up a goal, but I thought the sub should be a versatile player who can have an immediate impact. I don’t Charlie as that but obviously FD do.

    I would have given Melk his 99th game for the Dees as sub, following his 4 goals for Casey last week.

    Melksham could still be sub.

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    4 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    Again we play Spargo as sub, following a poor performance at Casey.

    He is a one position player who failed to have any impact when sub against Cats.

    Is cool under pressure and can set up a goal, but I thought the sub should be a versatile player who can have an immediate impact. I don’t Charlie as that but obviously FD do.

    I would have given Melk his 99th game for the Dees as sub, following his 4 goals for Casey last week.

    Agree to a certain extent. I think we have versatility on the field that allows us to shuffle players depending on whose subbed out. Gus, Harmes, Sparrow, Smith to name just a few can be swung to different positions to allow Spargo to come on as high HF role.


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