Jump to content

Featured Replies

Love that we have an AA quality mid in Clarry, and AA quality ruck in Grundy coming into a midfield/clearance group that is already humming. 

We should be able to maintain the momentum for longer, and simply grind teams down with high quality intense contested footy for all four quarters.

Feels like we’re very well positioned as the season turns toward the final straight. 

Clarry to have a monster game…

 

Dunno guys, think we're up against it against the might of Carlton. They've been unbelievable and never lost a game according to the media. 

I also suspect BG went back to do a mini preseason.  Playing poorly at FF allowed him to rest.  Notice each week at Casey his time in the ruck increased?  He missed all of the 22 season. He will be stronger and faster for longer, cherry ripe for finals.

 
13 hours ago, dees189227 said:

I'm more confident with Grundy in the ruck when max is off than van Rooyen. He can stay forward. 

I know max has been smashing it out of the ball park but maybe he can have more of a rest on the bench than forward and let Grundy ruck a bit more

Imagine if Goodwin continues to use van Rooyen as the second ruck and keeps Grundy as a KPF for the whole game. Just to confuse everyone's expectations and so he can say in his post-match media conference, "I told you so".

I don't expect this, of course, and it will be fascinating to see how van Rooyen goes when he can stay forward for the whole game.

13 hours ago, DubDee said:

Hibbo stiff as

hopefully is in for finals

Hibbo being managed I reckon. Will be sub and assure the defense for the last qtr and a half. Where we'll likely be looking to protect a lead...


MCG expecting 70,000 tomorrow night, let's get loud.

5 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I don't expect this, of course, and it will be fascinating to see how van Rooyen goes when he can stay forward for the whole game.

I think this is so important, particularly now that Petty is out. 

A huge part of pett's role was to create a contest and bring the ball to ground. 

But with his ability to find leading lanes, mark on the lead, contested marking skills and ability to take his chances, Petty looked a natural forward. 

Grundy doesn't bring the same natural forward skills, but i'm confident he can do the job creating contests and stopping oppo defenders marring the ball - and all the other donkey working up and down the ground, as well as giving Maxy a chop out in the ruck. Any goals he kicks are a bonus.

But that makes JVR even more important that he would have been with Petty in the team as he is the now the key pure tall forward.

And for him to thrive we don't want him spending all his petrol tickets working up and down the ground, rucking and getting smashed up on the half back in marking contests from the long ball from May.

We need maximum Van Ruin impact close to goals

14 hours ago, brendan said:

Grundy forward just needs to compete and he will be better than max at ground level, max to still ruck 80% Grundy rucks forward 50 so max can play a kick behind play, if game is won some point in last sub max out and Grundy can finish it off 

I would have thought this was the idea all along... obviously not...as here we are.

Quite possibly the idea of Grundy doing a mini apprenticeship was to become a bit more savvy with "positioning"..   now for mine Brodie is quite a good reader if the ball...that tends to be a strength of many rucks.  This is his "force".   He ought use it to either offer an alternative option..  so not crowd the pack and break from his direct opponent...or use that tie to draw that defender out.

Clever ball play doesn't actually mean YOU have the ball... it's about space ( suddenly mind flashed back over 50 years lol ...some might get it) ...  Clever ball play doesn't mean you're going for the ball ( directly ) 

Id like to see Brodie linger around the square.

You'd like to think Milky.. Roo and Grundy could provide quite interesting options.

Divide and conquer....keep out of each others way... and with Kozzie Chandler.. Nibbler and the like waiting to pounce we ought to have the better of them (Carlton )

Our defence just needs to spin repeat the last meeting with them.

I dont underestimate Carlton..   mor do i over rate them. They go better against teams that are well...  simply not us.

Dees by 5 goals

 
11 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

......... it's about space ( suddenly mind flashed back over 50 years lol ...some might get it) .....

It's about time! 🙂

14 hours ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Lordy no thanks 55.

We'd probably end up either well behind or so far behind, we'd be chasing tail for the most part or kissing the game Goodbye by half time.

Has to be Max for the first 3 quarters or so .....then Grundy, but only with the game well in hand imv.

Grundy spending significant time at CBs (aside from coming on as sub late) = handing the momentum / game to the oppo.

The diff between Max & Grundy is chalk and cheese.

Not sure what's changed that has lead Goody to back flip on the Grundy to VFL decision so soon. 

Yes Petty is out but Grundy hardly demanded a call up based on his two matches at Casey.  You have to ask what was the point of all the 'forward craft' learnings nonsense we heard from the FD here.   There was certainly no learnings that i witnessed.

I don't believe that it's correct that we lose momentum when Grundy is in the ruck. 

In R12 vs Carlton Max and Brodie each attended exactly 50% of CBs:

https://dailyfantasyrankings.com.au/resources/afl/cba.php

We didn't lose momentum at any time in this match:

https://www.afl.com.au/afl/matches/4884#timeline

In fact from R6 - R13 inclusive when Max and Brodie shared the ruck almost exactly 50:50 we went 6-2.

I challenge you to produce evidence that we lose momentum when Grundy rucks.

Edited by old55


I personally don't think Gawn and Grundy work well as a ruck/fwd combo.  Gawn is far too good to not be dominating in the middle and neither plays well fwd.

Fair enough to give it another go but Grundy will have impact up fwd to stay in the side and he has not done that to date

2 hours ago, buck_nekkid said:

I also suspect BG went back to do a mini preseason.  Playing poorly at FF allowed him to rest.  Notice each week at Casey his time in the ruck increased?  He missed all of the 22 season. He will be stronger and faster for longer, cherry ripe for finals.

Interesting observations ( thanks re info...t.i.r. etc ) 

Yeah i think ...and it may well just be me.... this year was never going to be, nor intended, as the slam dunk of affairs re Grundy. 

I suspect next year.....another preseason..  more coaching...   might be very illuminating. 

Meanwhile...back to this game.

A lot of Carltons momentum...over season ( of late ) and in-game , has come from them getting some rhythm into their game.

That also worked in their earlier outting against us....'til we changed the music.

Took us a little while ( often does and that irks me ) but once their dance was upended they "worry" the ball..   They aren't overly superb at second effort rebound entries...  they tend to cough it up. Once this starts happening a few times their patterns fall apart. Our game is built upin fwd 50 contesting. Theirs is about "process" to goal.  Interupt that.. Carlton is on toast.

If we beat Carlton we have to go all out to win our last two games and finish 2nd.

We're not getting top spot. Pies wont lose their last 3 games. One win seals it for them and they play bog ordinary Essendon in last game.

I just hope we dont have to win our last game at the SCG Buddy Circus  to avoid finishing 3rd.

I'd take 4th right now and play wobbly Pies in the QF.

3rd place is a steaming pile of camel dung on a baren Gedrosian landscape.

3 minutes ago, Deebauched said:

If we beat Carlton we have to go all out to win our last two games and finish 2nd.

We're not getting top spot. Pies wont lose their last 3 games. One win seals it for them and they play bog ordinary Essendon in last game.

I just hope we dont have to win our last game at the SCG Buddy Circus  to avoid finishing 3rd.

I'd take 4th right now and play wobbly Pies in the QF.

3rd place is a steaming pile of camel dung on a baren Gedrosian landscape.

Incorrect, if Collingwood go 1-2 and Brisbane and MFC go 3-0 then top spot is decided on percentage and Collingwood's will fall, while Brisbane and Melbourne's will rise in that scenario.

Edited by old55


6 minutes ago, old55 said:

Incorrect, if Collingwood go 1-2 and Brisbane and MFC go 3-0 then top spot is decided on percentage and Collingwood's will fall, while Brisbane and Melbourne's will rise in that scenario.

Yes, but thats a big IF. Could very well be over tonight ..

Geelong are ordinary this year even at home they struggle.

The team is nearly perfect.

Injuries aside, it's just missing Fritta (and now Petty).

Fingers crossed the list can stay relatively healthy as we lead into September.

Go Dees!

If Fritsch comes in who goes out: Grundy, Melksham or a mid such as JJ? What about Spargo?

Edited by Roost it far

9 minutes ago, ignition. said:

The team is nearly perfect.

Injuries aside, it's just missing Fritta (and now Petty).

Fingers crossed the list can stay relatively healthy as we lead into September.

Go Dees!

yep,  Jordan better play out of skin otherwise he'll be out for Fritsch.

Spargo already omitted, Petty no longer in the frame this year.

No other slots available bar injury.

29 minutes ago, Deebauched said:

Yes, but thats a big IF. Could very well be over tonight ..

Geelong are ordinary this year even at home they struggle.

If the Pies drop tonight they have the Lions at the one interstate ground the can play ok at. 


12 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

If Fritsch comes in who goes out: Grundy, Melksham or a mid such as JJ? What about Spargo?

Definitely JJ. Last week was his best game to date, aside from that he's been average at best.

Fritsch is an instant in who consistently kicks 2+ goals a game. Can go be placed at CHF (where Smith currently is who can go back or forward). Sub spot can be with Hibberd or JJ depending on the opposition.

Edited by ignition.

48 minutes ago, old55 said:

Incorrect, if Collingwood go 1-2 and Brisbane and MFC go 3-0 then top spot is decided on percentage and Collingwood's will fall, while Brisbane and Melbourne's will rise in that scenario.

Just to clarify, our percentage will only go up if our winning margins are such that our percentage in each game is higher than where we started.

7 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Just to clarify, our percentage will only go up if our winning margins are such that our percentage in each game is higher than where we started.

Just to clarify that, I don't think it needs to be in "each" game. For the final percentage to be higher than current, the totals of the margins for the remaining games, expressed as a percentage in the usual manner, has to be higher than the current percentage.

 

A massive game against Carlton this Saturday night. The crowd will be huge!

I dare say this is probably the BIGGEST game against Carlton since the finals in 2000! Back when Brad Green was kicking goals from all angles and announced himself as a star player for Melbourne.

It will be interesting to see how Clayton Oliver and Brodie Grundy go both returning to the senior side. I assume both will be fired up to make an impact.

However, I am still very curious to see how our forward line will function against the Blues after sadly losing Harry Petty to injury.

I would of liked to see Tom McDonald get another chance in the forward line. But I guess he needs match practice at VFL level with Casey first. The other issue is that he is so slow and he has the turning circle of a cargo ship. Anyway, the ball is in his court to try and get (probably) his last chance to break back into the senior side of the Demons. It's all up to you Tommy!

Hopefully we don't underestimate Carlton. They are definitely on a roll and we need to be prepared for that and anything they might throw at us.

 

Edited by Supreme_Demon


Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.

Featured Content

  • 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. Unfortunately, performances like these went against the grain of what Melbourne has been producing from virtually midway through 2024 and extending right through to the present day. This is a game between two clubs who have faltered over the past couple of years because their disposal efficiency is appalling. Neither of them can hit the side of a barn door but history tells us that every once in a while such teams have their lucky days or come up against an opponent in even worse shape and hence, one of them will come up trumps in this match.

      • 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
    • 240 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
    • 16 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
  • NON-MFC: Round 04

    Round 4 kicks off with a blockbuster on Thursday night as traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton clash at the MCG, with the Magpies looking to assert themselves as early-season contenders and the Blues seeking their first win of the season. Saturday opens with Gold Coast hosting Adelaide, a key test for the Suns as they aim to back up their big win last week, while the Crows will be looking to keep their perfect record intact. Reigning wooden spooners Richmond have the daunting task of facing reigning premiers Brisbane at the ‘G and the Lions will be eager to reaffirm their premiership credentials after a patchy start. Saturday night sees North Melbourne take on Sydney at Marvel Stadium, with the Swans looking to build on their first win of the season last week against a rebuilding Roos outfit. Sunday’s action begins with GWS hosting West Coast at ENGIE Stadium, a game that could get ugly very early for the visitors. Port Adelaide vs St Kilda at Adelaide Oval looms as a interesting clash, with both clubs form being very hard to read. The round wraps up with Fremantle taking on the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium in what could be a fierce contest between two sides with top-eight ambitions. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

      • Thanks
    • 273 replies
    Demonland