Jump to content

PREGAME: Rd 11 vs Sydney

Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

48 minutes ago, Dee-tonator said:

Surely it is not too late to issue a statement confirming that he is being rested this week.

He's not being rested, he was dropped.

 
2 hours ago, Fromgotowoewodin said:

If it’s an actual dropping I’m surprised they didn’t swing him forward for AJ but AJ probably gives better service in the ruck

Interesting debate on that one.

TMac hasn't rucked for a few years but as the season goes on I think that could be TMac's niche unless AJ flourishes

    •
    • Like 1

    Peak Demonland playing out here. So many posters lament that the selection committee don't make big calls, yet when they make a big call we get half the site throwing their toys out of the pram.

    •
    • Like 4
    • Thanks 1
     
    1 hour ago, Nasher said:

    I’m stunned that TMac has been dropped, but the arguments that he’s more important or should be selected ahead of May or Lever are a bit over the top. There’s no way that was ever going to happen. Come on people, be realistic.

    I am surprised they’ve backed Turner in over him though. I thought Turner would go forward or out. It’s a huge endorsement of Disco as a defender.

    turner will be put forward, cant have lever may and turner down back and then leaving petty all to himself in the forward line goodwin really loves putting him out to dry.

    •
    • Shocked 2
    33 minutes ago, Nasher said:

    I don’t see any universe where TMac gets picked ahead of May. There is literally no facet of the game where TMac is better than May. May is bigger, faster, tougher, has cleaner disposal and reads the play better than TMac. I say that as a TMac fan and I was legitimately shocked to see him out, but it’s just reality.

    I reckon because May hasn’t been at peak this year, you’ve lost sight of how good a player he is, even at 85%. He’ll never play a game at Casey.

    May's inability to move the ball on quickly in comparison to TMac and even Lever is stark IMV.

    I think these will be tough decisions.


    4 minutes ago, MrFreeze said:

    Unfortunately for TMAC, Turner has nailed down that 3rd tall spot. Lever is a must include, just like McVee he will build form in the 1s.

    TMAC is definitely stiff but you probably can't play 4 tall defenders at once. No other team has the such high quality key back depth, absolute luxury.

    Competiton for spots is really heating up, great work from the fitness team and the playing group.

    Yep, all excellent points.

    As you say Lever is always going to come back you, so a tall probably has to come out given they don't have much height up forward

    I suspect if Goody is asked why Tmac was dropped, which surely he will be, he'll mention management of older players (which he flagged preseason) being a factor, but also match up being a factor.

    And good shout out to the fitness team.

    We were better in the last against the tigers and Eagles, and not as bad as the blowout against the hawks looked. And then great ladt week. And we've had dmfee soft injuries once again.

    •
    • Like 2
    • Clap 1
    10 minutes ago, jaydenh10 said:

    leaving petty all to himself in the forward line

    ??

    AJ, Fritsch, Melksham etc say high.

    •
    • Like 1
    3 minutes ago, bing181 said:

    ??

    AJ, Fritsch, Melksham etc say high.

    tall forwards

    he is the only one

    aj is there to relieve max in the ruck, injure people around the ground, provide great pressure and attack the contest

    take notes jvr and mj please this blokes knows what to do and does it well

    •
    • Like 1
    • Haha 2
     

    Is it a match up thing ? I'm sure Simon spoke to Tom about the reason why.

    I can't see what Tom has done wrong. Yes I know turner has done well & mays there but I'm still surprised.

    But can I say may isn't exactly setting the world on fire.

    Hope fritsch is sub again. It seems to get him going. Don't reward him for doing his job in the final term & play him from the start. Make him realise he needs to do more.

    I see May as nearing the end but our backline is at its best with a fit May and Lever and I suspect that is the thinking behind it. Lever selected means the club is fully satisfied he is ready to go otherwise TMac would be playing. Plus Swans aren’t tall forward of centre so 4 talls would have been cumbersome. On Culley as emergency ahead of others he’s the Oliver replacement when and if Oliver or Petracca need a rest or get injured. He’s a big strong body with suspect disposal, now that sounds familiar. I’m happy with the selections. The concern is Viney, we really don’t need another player to pay who’s retired.

    Edited by Roost it far

    • Like 1

    27 minutes ago, bing181 said:

    Peak Demonland playing out here. So many posters lament that the selection committee don't make big calls, yet when they make a big call we get half the site throwing their toys out of the pram.

    Making a big call only counts if it’s dropping Fritsch.

    •
    • Like 2
    39 minutes ago, bing181 said:

    He's not being rested, he was dropped.

    Wasn't named for Casey this weekend so clearly being rested/managed.

    Edited by dazzledavey36

    • Thanks 1
    35 minutes ago, bing181 said:

    He's not being rested, he was dropped.

    Suggested club statement: "With all defenders fit, this was an ideal opportunity to give a veteran a break".

    Half true, like most PR statements, and a far better way to treat a man who has confounded the critics who claimed he was past it.

    •
    • Like 1
    4 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    @binman thoughts on selection ? I’m so confused

    I know we are not within the clubs four walls but …

    Why is Spargo still in? Underperforming for 7 weeks. Last week he was a liability.

    Tmac has been good all year. I get team balance but bringing Lever back was supposed to allow us to potentially put Turner forward. Very harsh on Tmac.

    Culley an emergency? He was average for Casey last week Howes or Kynan Brown must be closer to selection

    I’m confused ! But again we must trust the brain power of the club insiders

    It's actually one of the least confusing team selections in the last few weeks.

    Lever has to come in, and there's no universe goody doesn’t seleect May if fit.

    The other factor is Lever and May playing together is more than the sum of the parts.

    They've only played together five times this season, and obviously not at all whilst Lever has been out. It will be great to see them wax on Sunday.

    Turner stays in, and they probably want to settle him down back meaning not playing as a forward.

    And With Amartey and Francis out they are lacking height.

    All of which means a tall defender has to come out and Tmac got the short straw.

    Spargo is the new Nibbla.

    The KPIs for his role would prioritise defensive running, pressure and tackles inside 50, assists and score involvements. Yes he's a forward but goals are a bonus.

    Im not saying he's been brilliant (though he's been better than many have suggested) but he has played his role, is presumably meeting his KPIs (hence his selection) and is clearly an important part of our forward line structure and system.

    On Sculley, I reckon he's got something. Tough, reads the ball well, wins his own ball and is a lefty with a neat kick.

    Edited by binman

    • Like 4
    • Thanks 1

    I thought McDonald would have been a much better matchup for McLean who troubled us last time.

    Syd have improved their defensive game by a fair bit. They're the hardest team to move the ball against between the arcs the last 6 weeks and the best ground ball team the last 6 weeks.

    We need our small forwards to be absolutely on song to beat them. Thankfully the Swans can't score for [censored] so even if we get to 80pts we'll probably win.

    •
    • Like 1

    good problem with so many to choose. Good to get May and Lever back in sync.

    unless TMac wanted the rest and is managed I would put Petty into Sub.

    He can play forward or back and could replace Fritta who would be in team if he didnt play with intensity

    5 hours ago, MrFreeze said:

    Unfortunately for TMAC, Turner has nailed down that 3rd tall spot. Lever is a must include, just like McVee he will build form in the 1s.

    TMAC is definitely stiff but you probably can't play 4 tall defenders at once. No other team has the such high quality key back depth, absolute luxury.

    Competiton for spots is really heating up, great work from the fitness team and the playing group.

    Would’ve preferred we omit AJ and shuffle Turner forward.

    5 minutes ago, Radar Detector said:

    Would’ve preferred we omit AJ and shuffle Turner forward.

    And ruck whom?

    •
    • Like 1
    Just now, Radar Detector said:

    Would’ve preferred we omit AJ and shuffle Turner forward.

    Who second rucks?

    I am all for flagellating the FD over selection. But dropping a 32 year old because two future MFC Hall of Famers are there and you want to reward a young man who seems to have found his stride in the backline - is not the imbecilic decision many seem to think it is. This isn’t keeping Oliver in the team last year…

    Drop Spargo/insertnamehere instead? And shuffle the team? Why?

    Can we just win?

    •
    • Like 2

    I think they may be persevering with Sharp simply because of his pace..which means he gets to contests and can be a target..if he'sat the contests that can slow the opposition down even without actually winning the contest. Sure he missed a couple last week but he had made position, and had he slotted them, he's a star, so, if he gets over the yips, he may yet prove to be an asset. Chandler had some lean days before he became a lock..I think they are giving Sharp time because we are not a fast running team..if he comes good that will be a win. Then we'll have three speedsters Kozzie, Windsor and Sharp...I am happy with him, he's flashed in a few times over the season, but hoping for a couple more flashes of brilliance to give him confidence.

    Edited by DeeBlood

    • Like 1
    5 hours ago, burnthefushias said:

    McDonald getting dropped is bizarre, he's arguably in All-Australian form. 2nd in the competition in one percenters, 2nd in spoils and has more contested defensive one on ones than any other player in the comp while winning 80% of them

    Edit: 3rd for one percenters and 3rd for spoils.

    Garbage just Garbage... play him in Spargo's spot.... Surely managed DROPPED??? WTF??

    6 minutes ago, picket fence said:

    Garbage just Garbage... play him in Spargo's spot.... Surely managed ???? SHeeit meanwhile a couple of spuds still get games!! DROPPED??? WTF?? HE HAS BEEN OUR BEST DEFENDER BY FAR! Goodwin No idea!!

    Edited by picket fence

     
    1 hour ago, binman said:

    Yep, all excellent points.

    As you say Lever is always going to come back you, so a tall probably has to come out given they don't have much height up forward

    I suspect if Goody is asked why Tmac was dropped, which surely he will be, he'll mention management of older players (which he flagged preseason) being a factor, but also match up being a factor.

    And good shout out to the fitness team.

    We were better in the last against the tigers and Eagles, and not as bad as the blowout against the hawks looked. And then great ladt week. And we've had dmfee soft injuries once again.

    Optimism is better than pessimism, and that certainly is a glass half full assessment, Binman.

    Our last quarter last week has been our only good last quarter for the year. Lowly Richmond kicked the last 4 goals of the match againgst us, we kicked 1 goal. West Coast had their best quarter of the year, at that time, against us in the last. Only highly unusual accurate kicking (6.0) saved us being outscored by the bottom side. And the Hawks last quarter of 6.5 to our 1.1 WAS as bad as it looked.

    Last week was definitely an exception on the year so far. As was Fritch's competiveness and tackling in his cameo as sub. Was it the result of 'loading' by Brisbane and just a one-off by Bailey? I'm hopeful last week was the unveiling of MFC25 v.2 and it becomes the norm rather than a mirage. A strong 4 quarter performance againgst the Swans will go a long way towards having belief, rather than hope.

    •
    • Like 1

    With TMac's strong form, it's the first time this year we've had an emergency player who would make the starting 22 in most of the other 17 clubs.


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

    Featured Content

    • NON-MFC: Round 13

      Follow all the action from every Round 13 clash excluding the Dees as the 2025 AFL Premiership Season rolls on. With Melbourne playing in the final match of the round on King's Birthday, all eyes turn to the rest of the competition. Who are you tipping to win? And more importantly, which results best serve the Demons’ finals aspirations? Join the discussion and keep track of the matches that could shape the ladder and impact our run to September.

        • Thanks
      • 43 replies
      Demonland

    • PREVIEW: Collingwood

      Having convincingly defeated last year’s premier and decisively outplayed the runner-up with 8.2 in the final quarter, nothing epitomized the Melbourne Football Club’s performance more than its 1.12 final half, particularly the eight consecutive behinds in the last term, against a struggling St Kilda team in the midst of a dismal losing streak. Just when stability and consistency were anticipated within the Demon ranks, they delivered a quintessential performance marked by instability and ill-conceived decisions, with the most striking aspect being their inaccuracy in kicking for goal, which suggested a lack of preparation (instead of sleeping in their hotel in Alice, were they having a night on the turps) rather than a well-rested team. Let’s face it - this kicking disease that makes them look like raw amateurs is becoming a millstone around the team’s neck.

        • Thanks
      • 1 reply
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Sydney

      The Casey Demons were always expected to emerge victorious in their matchup against the lowly-ranked Sydney Swans at picturesque Tramway Oval, situated in the shadows of the SCG in Moore Park. They dominated the proceedings in the opening two and a half quarters of the game but had little to show for it. This was primarily due to their own sloppy errors in a low-standard game that produced a number of crowded mauls reminiscent of the rugby game popular in old Sydney Town. However, when the Swans tired, as teams often do when they turn games into ugly defensive contests, Casey lifted the standard of its own play and … it was off to the races. Not to nearby Randwick but to a different race with an objective of piling on goal after goal on the way to a mammoth victory. At the 25-minute mark of the third quarter, the Demons held a slender 14-point lead over the Swans, who are ahead on the ladder of only the previous week's opposition, the ailing Bullants. Forty minutes later, they had more than fully compensated for the sloppiness of their earlier play with a decisive 94-point victory, that culminated in a rousing finish which yielded thirteen unanswered goals. Kicks hit their targets, the ball found itself going through the middle and every player made a contribution.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 1 reply
      Demonland

    • REPORT: St. Kilda

      Hands up if you thought, like me, at half-time in yesterday’s game at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs that Melbourne’s disposal around the ground and, in particular, its kicking inaccuracy in front of the goals couldn’t get any worse. Well, it did. And what’s even more damning for the Melbourne Football Club is that the game against St Kilda and its resurgence from the bottomless pit of its miserable start to the season wasn’t just lost through poor conversion for goal but rather in the 15 minutes when the entire team went into a slumber and was mugged by the out-of-form Saints. Their six goals two behinds (one goal less than the Demons managed for the whole game) weaved a path of destruction from which they were unable to recover. Ross Lyon’s astute use of pressure to contain the situation once they had asserted their grip on the game, and Melbourne’s self-destructive wastefulness, assured that outcome. The old adage about the insanity of repeatedly doing something and expecting a different result, was out there. Two years ago, the score line in Melbourne’s loss to the Giants at this same ground was 5 goals 15 behinds - a ratio of one goal per four scoring shots - was perfectly replicated with yesterday’s 7 goals 21 behinds. 
      This has been going on for a while and opens up a number of questions. I’ll put forward a few that come to mind from this performance. The obvious first question is whether the club can find a suitable coach to instruct players on proper kicking techniques or is this a skill that can no longer be developed at this stage of the development of our playing group? Another concern is the team's ability to counter an opponent's dominance during a run on as exemplified by the Saints in the first quarter. Did the Demons underestimate their opponents, considering St Kilda's goals during this period were scored by relatively unknown forwards? Furthermore, given the modest attendance of 6,721 at TIO Traeger Park and the team's poor past performances at this venue, is it prudent to prioritize financial gain over potentially sacrificing valuable premiership points by relinquishing home ground advantage, notwithstanding the cultural significance of the team's connection to the Red Centre? 

        • Thanks
      • 4 replies
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Collingwood

      After a disappointing loss in Alice Springs the Demons return to the MCG to take on the Magpies in the annual King's Birthday Big Freeze for MND game. Who comes in and who goes out?

        • Thanks
      • 286 replies
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: St. Kilda

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 2nd June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we have a chat with former Demon ruckman Jeff White about his YouTube channel First Use where he dissects ruck setups and contests. We'll then discuss the Dees disappointing loss to the Saints in Alice Springs.
      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
      • 47 replies
      Demonland
    View All