Jump to content

Featured Replies

 

I'm thinking we would've seen the club drop a video of announcing a club debut for Tom (can't spell Tom wrong surely) by now if he has been selected. Or maybe later.

Edited by Dee Zephyr

21 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

I'm thinking we would've seen the club drop a video of announcing a club debut for Tom (can't spell Tom wrong surely) by now if he has been selected. Or maybe later.

Do club's make a fuss about players who have played for another club in the AFL?  Or only for a kid getting his first game in the big time?  In any case, why give that info to the opposition given our  current ruck situation.

 
12 minutes ago, sue said:

Do club's make a fuss about players who have played for another club in the AFL?  Or only for a kid getting his first game in the big time?  In any case, why give that info to the opposition given our  current ruck situation.

Club made a video when Billings was told he would be playing Opening round. McAdam the same. And the squad gets finalized in a few hours anyway, keep Freo guessing for a few hours? No point

Edited by Dee Zephyr

24 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Club made a video when Billings was told he would be playing Opening round. McAdam the same. And the squad gets finalized in a few hours anyway, keep Freo guessing for a few hours? No point

Thanks, but keeping oppo guessing can make sense even for a few hours because they have to finalise their team at the same time as we do. 


Would prefer Tomlinson to Fullerton as another option to hassle, run with an harass Jackson/Darcy. Most likely again teaming with Petty and JVR. 
Otherwise Laurie to cover Woey as sub, and no change.

Go Demons! 

5 hours ago, PaulRB said:


Otherwise Laurie to cover Woey as sub, and no change.

Go Demons! 

I think you have nailed it.

Billings in for Woey, Bill, Tomlinson and Tom emergencies. We may never find out if Fullarton is up for it and Woey copped a bad corkey with Casey.

 
17 hours ago, layzie said:

If Fullerton plays this week I'll build you a church.

You’ve saved bricks layz 😂


17 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Well this pretty much explains it. 

 

Yes - it was pretty unequivocal wasn’t it? Whack! 

Losing the hitouts wasn’t the problem. It was not competing when the ball hit the ground that was the problem. 
Gawn does two things better than any other ruck, he wins his own clearances (he averages 5 a game!), and he takes marks (averages over 5 a game). Those are his elite stats that we cannot replace even if we “win” the hitout stat. 

Fullarton would therefore have not helped as he neither wins hitouts, clearances nor is a particularly strong contested mark. 
I hazard a guess that we recruited him as a backup for a tall forward rather than as a ruck backup. 
It has to be a real priority in 2025 to have at least one ready to go ruck on our list outside of a 33 year old Gawn. 

3 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Losing the hitouts wasn’t the problem. It was not competing when the ball hit the ground that was the problem. 
Gawn does two things better than any other ruck, he wins his own clearances (he averages 5 a game!), and he takes marks (averages over 5 a game). Those are his elite stats that we cannot replace even if we “win” the hitout stat. 

Fullarton would therefore have not helped as he neither wins hitouts, clearances nor is a particularly strong contested mark. 
I hazard a guess that we recruited him as a backup for a tall forward rather than as a ruck backup. 
It has to be a real priority in 2025 to have at least one ready to go ruck on our list outside of a 33 year old Gawn. 

I'm baffled as to the recruitment of a back up key fwd over a back up ruck. Verall is very raw and we gave Grundy up very easily

48 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Well this pretty much explains it. 

 

It’s pathetic and amateurish as Grundy was brought in to replace Jackson! Yet now he’s saying this! What’s occurred around our rucks and mid set ups is pathetic! Could have made Grundy work! 


40 minutes ago, 3183 Dee said:

Yes - it was pretty unequivocal wasn’t it? Whack! 

Am I imagining this, or less than a fortnight ago, did Goodwin say in a press conference that Fullarton was very close to a game? 

43 minutes ago, 3183 Dee said:

Yes - it was pretty unequivocal wasn’t it? Whack! 

A whack alright..

29 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Losing the hitouts wasn’t the problem. It was not competing when the ball hit the ground that was the problem. 
Gawn does two things better than any other ruck, he wins his own clearances (he averages 5 a game!), and he takes marks (averages over 5 a game). Those are his elite stats that we cannot replace even if we “win” the hitout stat. 

Fullarton would therefore have not helped as he neither wins hitouts, clearances nor is a particularly strong contested mark. 
I hazard a guess that we recruited him as a backup for a tall forward rather than as a ruck backup. 
It has to be a real priority in 2025 to have at least one ready to go ruck on our list outside of a 33 year old Gawn. 

Recruited specifically as a back up ruck.

 

I just don’t see the point in picking up guys like Fullerton and Schache, if they’re not going to play. I get that list spots need to be filled, but surely you would look at proven performers coming to the end of their careers, who could be on call to jump in if needed and, in the meantime, teach the young kids at Casey.
 

To me, it seems that Schache and Fullarton are not likely to make the first team, so why persist with them? I would rather have a Brayden Preuss type, who at least shows a little appetite for the contest.

3 minutes ago, 3183 Dee said:

I just don’t see the point in picking up guys like Fullerton and Schache, if they’re not going to play. I get that list spots need to be filled, but surely you would look at proven performers coming to the end of their careers, who could be on call to jump in if needed and, in the meantime, teach the young kids at Casey.
 

To me, it seems that Schache and Fullarton are not likely to make the first team, so why persist with them? I would rather have a Brayden Preuss type, who at least shows a little appetite for the contest.

There's a bloke in the vfl called Brayden crossley. Absolute unit in the ruck. Makes fullarton look silly


7 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Recruited specifically as a back up ruck.

 

I understand that this was what Twomey thought, and maybe that is what we thought to, but clearly we were sold a player who is not a ruckman or who needs a LOT of work in order to become one.

He's played 19 games and he's 24 already. Not really sure that we thought he would be anything other than a complete break glass in case of emergency option this season.

What I don't get is why we got him, and also kept Schache. 

 

17 minutes ago, kozzyisalegend said:

There's a bloke in the vfl called Brayden crossley. Absolute unit in the ruck. Makes fullarton look silly

Get him in we could use him at Casey as well as when Max isn’t available. I remember last year posting that we need to trawl all state leagues for a ready to go ruckman and we picked up Tom, go figger.!!

11 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

I understand that this was what Twomey thought, and maybe that is what we thought to, but clearly we were sold a player who is not a ruckman or who needs a LOT of work in order to become one.

He's played 19 games and he's 24 already. Not really sure that we thought he would be anything other than a complete break glass in case of emergency option this season.

What I don't get is why we got him, and also kept Schache. 

 

I think this comes down to due diligence.

I do agree with you and have been strong on this, even at Brisbane he barely played as a starting ruckman and when he was thrown in there he really wasn't all that good at all playing in that position. 

I watched the VFL round 2 game against Footscray earlier this year and Fullarton was rucking against a first year rookie in Lachlan Smith from the western Bulldogs who was picked up late in the draft last year. This Smith kid bullied Fullarton in the ruck and easily got a hold of him when it came to ruck duels. 

Going back on the due diligence part, bit like everyone else, I am very confused by this list management decisions of late and have been highly critical of Tim Lamb.

I'm sure they had watched him play last year in the VFL, but even they would have seen he played more of a key forward and observed his ruckwork wasn't up to scratch.

We clearly needed a back up mature ruckman during last year's draft and trade and one of the names I raised was 203cm Brynn Teakle who had just been delisted by Port. He's a genuine pure ruckman and I think he would have been perfect just to have there for moments like the Gawn injury.

The frustration in all that was he got picked up again by North in this year's mid season draft a few picks after we selected Kentfield and has already played 6 games for them this year as a ready made mature back up ruckman.

 
31 minutes ago, 3183 Dee said:

I just don’t see the point in picking up guys like Fullerton and Schache, if they’re not going to play. I get that list spots need to be filled, but surely you would look at proven performers coming to the end of their careers, who could be on call to jump in if needed and, in the meantime, teach the young kids at Casey.
 

To me, it seems that Schache and Fullarton are not likely to make the first team, so why persist with them? I would rather have a Brayden Preuss type, who at least shows a little appetite for the contest.

Consider who the trades are  , schache, Fullerton, billing’s, Hunter, macadam , who’s getting a game?? What’s walked Grundy, Harmes, Jordan … I know which ones I’d rather have ..  last 2 years trades equals amateur & disaster 

3 minutes ago, Demonsone said:

Consider who the trades are  , schache, Fullerton, billing’s, Hunter, macadam , who’s getting a game?? What’s walked Grundy, Harmes, Jordan … I know which ones I’d rather have ..  last 2 years trades equals amateur & disaster 

Add bedford to the list of players we let go for a pack of twisties


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

  • PREGAME: Fremantle

    The Demons return home to the MCG in search of their first win for the 2025 Premiership season when they take on the Fremantle Dockers on Saturday afternoon. Who comes in and who goes out?

    • 15 replies
    Demonland
  • VOTES: Essendon

    Max Gawn leads the Demonland Player of the Year ahead of Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Kade Chandler and Jake Bowey. Your votes please. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

      • Thanks
    • 14 replies
    Demonland
  • POSTGAME: Essendon

    Despite a spirited third quarter surge, the Demons have slumped to their worst start to a season since 2012, remaining winless and second last on the ladder after a 39-point defeat to Essendon at Adelaide Oval in Gather Round.

      • Vomit
      • Thanks
    • 145 replies
    Demonland
  • GAMEDAY: Essendon

    It’s Game Day, and the Demons are staring down the barrel of an 0-5 start for the first time since 2012 as they take on Essendon at Adelaide Oval for Gather Round. In that forgettable season, Melbourne finally broke their drought by toppling the Bombers. Can lightning strike twice? Will the Dees turn their nightmare start around and breathe life back into 2025?

      • Like
    • 723 replies
    Demonland
  • 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.

      • 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
    • 489 replies
    Demonland