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PREGAME: Rd 23 vs Hawthorn

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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16 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Okay at best IMO ... probably had a better VFL season in 2022

That's what I had heard - figured I maybe hadn't been watching close enough this year!!

Ah well, he's been picked for a reason. Will trust there's something behind it - keen to see it, and hopefully bury the Hawks!

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    Happy my boy Laurie is getting a run. Been calling/hoping he gets into the team for a while now. Been ultra consistent at Casey and possesses some much needed polish with disposal.

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    17 minutes ago, david_neitz_is_my_dad said:

    Is Bill Lawry contracted next season? Could be a sink or swim moment for him 

    Contract expires end of next season.

    • Like 1

    Think it's fair to say we won't see Grundy again this year unless injury to Gawn.

    Forward experiment hasn't and won't work but I think for he's sake he'd be silly not to seek further opportunities elsewhere. 

    • Like 11

    4 minutes ago, Ouch! said:

    Sorry, but Dunstan won't be in unless Viney, Clarrie and Sparrow all spontaneously combust.

    Did I suggest otherwise?

    If we can't beat the Hawks without Lewis it will say a lot about our inability to fix our offensive problems. Our defenders should have a field day one on one so it's be very surprising to lose a high scoring game.  Mitchell would know his and will try and deny us the ball, but it's up to the match committee to make sure we are generating 25 to 30 scoring shots this week and kickng 15 to 20 goals.

    Edited by Jjrogan

    14 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

    we are going in pretty small

    But wouldn't that mean 'they' are going in too tall?  It always seems on here that no matter what WE do, the opponent will have the upper hand,. as WE have gone to tall or small, not them... 😀

    • Like 5
    • Thanks 1
     

    Something (not so serious) to look out for on Sunday when the boys run out… before they run through the banner, Bowser will kick a ball and hopefully hit Maxy’s forehead on the banner image. This is because we’ve asked him to. Why? Because we noticed a while ago that he has done this before, Tracc’s milestone banner pic as well as Gussy’s. On both occasions he got them in the face. A couple of weeks ago he kicked the ball aiming for a wind-flap (little openings we cut into the banner to stop it from effectively turning into a sail) and he nailed it!

    That said, I’ve likely put the mozz on him and he’ll shank it and end up concussing one of us. That also said, fair chance it’ll be me. 😁

    Hashtag literally taking one for the team. 🤛

    Edited by WalkingCivilWar

    3 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Think it's fair to say we won't see Grundy again this year unless injury to Gawn.

    Forward experiment hasn't and won't work but I think for he's sake he'd be silly not to seek further opportunities elsewhere. 

    Quite right

    he’s a ruckman and they can’t magically become forwards

    I know I’m a forward 

    for starters forwards are attractive charismatic….

    I digress 

    He doesn’t have the speed to get separation he doesn’t have a leap and the timing needed to play forward 

    neither does Gawn 

    we need ruck back up and a key forward- a fwd who rucks

     

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    10 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Think it's fair to say we won't see Grundy again this year unless injury to Gawn.

    Forward experiment hasn't and won't work but I think for he's sake he'd be silly not to seek further opportunities elsewhere. 

    Bit to play out but could potentially free our salary cap quite a bit and we already allegedly have a bit to play with. If Harmes or Tomlinson move on for further opportunities we may have well in excess of a mill space in the cap next year.

    Would need to get on the ruck merry-go-round for back up while Verrall develops if he were to leave.

    21 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

    we are going in pretty small

     

    6 minutes ago, Engorged Onion said:

    But wouldn't that mean 'they' are going in too tall?  It always seems on here that no matter what WE do, the opponent will have the upper hand,. as WE have gone to tall or small, not them... 😀

    Blanck (22 games), DGB (27 games) are their tall backs.  Koschitzke (46 games) and Ramsden (1 game) are their tall forwards.  Reeves (36 games) is their ruckman, presumably with help from Ramsden - it's hardly land of the giants ...

    • Like 1

    That may well be the end of Gawndy.

    If we win the flag this year no one will care. If we don't win it, there will be so much said and written about how much time we put into Gawndy when it didn't work.

    That's all for another time.

    For now, I think the Tomlinson-Smith-Grundy shuffle is the right call. I think dropping Jordon was the right call (although is he really the best option for sub?). But I'm not at all sure Laurie is the right call for that spot. Hope he proves me flatly wrong.

    • Like 7

    Ramsden comes in for the Hawks

    HFC web page 86 kgs and 203 cm 

    his highlights are 28 dreamteam pts against bulldogs 

    I hope I don’t regret saying this but hawks are blooding this player at least and the loss of Mitch Lewis is also a plus

     

    • Like 1

    47 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

    we are going in pretty small

    10 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

    Speak for yourself.

    Close enough to posts of the year.

    • Like 1
    • Haha 1
    1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Hibbo isn't named emergency.

    Smith will go forward, Tommo down back and Laurie as a midfield/forward.

    Jordon will be sub

     

    1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Hibbo isn't named emergency.

    Smith will go forward, Tommo down back and Laurie as a midfield/forward.

    Jordon will be sub

    Dazzle can u get a gig on an AFL List as an ASTUTE behind the scenes tactician, your analysis and insights are ALWAYS on the money! Thanks 😎

    Good team selections. A bit to watch on replay with Laurie and Tomlinson. I tend to get lost in the emotion of the game when it is live and like to go back and watch the replay to see how players went. 
     

    Any chance we might see May go forward if we have a good cushion in the last quarter?

    Just now, CHF said:

    Good team selections. A bit to watch on replay with Laurie and Tomlinson. I tend to get lost in the emotion of the game when it is live and like to go back and watch the replay to see how players went. 
     

    Any chance we might see May go forward if we have a good cushion in the last quarter?

    May be

    This selection says a lot of things about The Grundy Experiment, the Future of Grundy, the Spargo Situation, the Laurie Opportunity, and the Tomlinson Conundrum. 

    Also, some on here are playing 4th dimensional chess when it comes to player roles. Selection Integrity demands that there be consistent roles across the teams that player compete for - Speed Forwards as Stafford calls them - however, each of those player have different strengths and conceptualise the role according to their capabilities.

    It doesn’t mean they don’t play the same ‘role’ and it certainly doesn’t mean they can’t lose their spot to a similar if not direct replacement player.

    • Like 1
    • Shocked 1

    34 minutes ago, dino rover said:

    Quite right

    he’s a ruckman and they can’t magically become forwards

    I know I’m a forward 

    for starters forwards are attractive charismatic….

    I digress 

    He doesn’t have the speed to get separation he doesn’t have a leap and the timing needed to play forward 

    neither does Gawn 

    we need ruck back up and a key forward- a fwd who rucks

     

    Which is why we should have pursued Hayden McLean instead of Grundy.

    • Like 1
    8 minutes ago, picket fence said:

     

    Dazzle can u get a gig on an AFL List as an ASTUTE behind the scenes tactician, your analysis and insights are ALWAYS on the money! Thanks 😎

    So much so you quoted it twice! 😁

    #GetaRoomAlready

    7 minutes ago, mo64 said:

    Which is why we should have pursued Hayden McLean instead of Grundy.

    If Max went down for for longer than 3 weeks we would have been stuffed without Grundy.

    Pity forward scenario’s haven’t worked out.

    was Hayden McLean actually available?

     

    Didn’t see the Laurie selection but I’m all for it. Give him a go and see what happens rather than die wondering.

    • Like 1
    14 minutes ago, mo64 said:

    Which is why we should have pursued Hayden McLean instead of Grundy.

    This is an argument for another thread but I would argue that Max needed to lay down his truth on the FD - if you want to make me a forward, I won’t want to do it nor be able to. Then we could have pursued a different strategy along the lines of McLean.

    • Like 2

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