29 minutes ago, binman said:

Of course it doesn't. I never said it did I said it was a huge factor.

By the by, even though the crows are probably the fittest side in the AFL and way way fitter than us it was also a huge factor in that game.

The pies dominated big chunks of that game as evidenced by their huge inide 50 differential. The crows, whi i thinkmwill win the flag, were definitely not at their optimal running power.

But you say it's a huge factor when it suits you realise? Which is why it's so silly and inconsistent.

We've spiked off shorter breaks just as we've dipped. We've spiked off byes just as we've dipped.

I don't know what 'huge' factor equates to percentage-wise in your eyes.

To think that that Collingwood's inside 50 dominance for periods of that match is down to 'mainly' fitness on Adelaide's part is simply wrong. I say 'mainly' because you're saying 'huge'. And there can only be one 'huge' factor if there are other factors also involved I'd have thought?

You've already decided it's fitness. So you look for the patterns within games and use that as evidence for the fitness argument.

Collingwood's dominance in inside 50 came from several factors. To say one is bigger than another is ridiculous. An opinion. But a ridiculous one.

I mean the fitness argument is complex enough in itself and there are another long list of factors that can affect 'fitness' as I've discussed before.

14 minutes ago, Howard_Grimes said:

But you say it's a huge factor when it suits you realise? Which is why it's so silly and inconsistent.

We've spiked off shorter breaks just as we've dipped. We've spiked off byes just as we've dipped.

I don't know what 'huge' factor equates to percentage-wise in your eyes.

To think that that Collingwood's inside 50 dominance for periods of that match is down to 'mainly' fitness on Adelaide's part is simply wrong. I say 'mainly' because you're saying 'huge'. And there can only be one 'huge' factor if there are other factors also involved I'd have thought?

You've already decided it's fitness. So you look for the patterns within games and use that as evidence for the fitness argument.

Collingwood's dominance in inside 50 came from several factors. To say one is bigger than another is ridiculous. An opinion. But a ridiculous one.

I mean the fitness argument is complex enough in itself and there are another long list of factors that can affect 'fitness' as I've discussed before.

Blah, blah l blah 'Howard'.

I'm putting you on ignore now because I find your straw man debating style, juvenile attempts to bait me and relentless negativity about the club exceedingly tedious. I mean, seriously who can be bothered.

No doubt you'll pop a laughing emoji to this post to indicate how little you are bothered by me putting you on ignore, but you and I both know it will annoy you given the degree to which I trigger you.

So see you 'Howard', perhaps when you next appear under a new name in the middle of a run of losses to revel in the club travelling poorly.

Fair enough Binners, let's call it.

No more baiting.

3 hours ago, binman said:

Not as wild as getting banned mutilple times from a football fan forum and feeling compelled to create new profiles, when we're struggling of course, to continue to spew negativity about the club.

Censorship is not an argument considering the world we live in Binners.

5 hours ago, binman said:

I can't believe it's even a debate.

Undeniably a huge factor in the game, particularly given we were coming off all the emotion of the previous week and we have a number of young players desperate for the season to end, not to mention nominally our best defender who looks totally cooked

The impact was most evident in terms of the impact on their ability to spread and get back on turnover and our inability to spead, cover their spread and get back on turnover (meaning our all team defence was woeful, the key reason gunston had do many clear leading lanes).

Scanning this thread I wish I could say I'm surprised how negative so many posters are about our performance.

Most such posts are from people who deride us a woeful bottom 4 team - so a bottom 4 team against team, who were 1.40 to win, comimg of a 9 day break against a team and for whom a win locked in a finals spot and percentage gives them an outside top 4 chance.

And people are up in arms about performance - that's some serious cognitive dissonance right there.

I was actually really impressed with the way they fought the game out.

I think it’d be hard to argue it wasn’t a factor . It’s logical given we were the weaker team with a considerably less break . In any event , they were 4-6 goals up for nearly all the match . I suspect ( and can’t be certain) that even with an equal break, they would have comfortably beaten us. On many levels they were the more skilled, fitter side.

3 minutes ago, FabDemon said:

I think it’d be hard to argue it wasn’t a factor . It’s logical given we were the weaker team with a considerably less break . In any event , they were 4-6 goals up for nearly all the match . I suspect ( and can’t be certain) that even with an equal break, they would have comfortably beaten us. On many levels they were the more skilled, fitter side.

Absolutely they would have beaten us. They would have beaten us even if the breaks had been reversed.

I reckon the hawks are a chance to win the flag. Like last season they have timed their high performance to be peaking at the business end of the season.

They're fit fast and In the fourth season of Mitchell's tenure and the game plan he implemented is now instinctively understood by players and they have the right sort of players to implement it.

3 hours ago, Howard_Grimes said:

But you say it's a huge factor when it suits you realise? Which is why it's so silly and inconsistent.

We've spiked off shorter breaks just as we've dipped. We've spiked off byes just as we've dipped.

I don't know what 'huge' factor equates to percentage-wise in your eyes.

To think that that Collingwood's inside 50 dominance for periods of that match is down to 'mainly' fitness on Adelaide's part is simply wrong. I say 'mainly' because you're saying 'huge'. And there can only be one 'huge' factor if there are other factors also involved I'd have thought?

You've already decided it's fitness. So you look for the patterns within games and use that as evidence for the fitness argument.

Collingwood's dominance in inside 50 came from several factors. To say one is bigger than another is ridiculous. An opinion. But a ridiculous one.

I mean the fitness argument is complex enough in itself and there are another long list of factors that can affect 'fitness' as I've discussed before.

Once again, Can Howard be a guest speaker? 🤩

8 hours ago, Wells 11 said:

it’s not about being to handle them it’s about the advantage of 9 days v 6.

Glad I'm not the only one. Called this out on the game day and the pregame thread that we were really up against it. The AFL needs to balance the Thursday night fixtures much better next year.

Who should be in our leadership group for next year? Is it time for a changing of the guard?

Not about the game but would love to hear your thoughts !

Feel like we have gone with same/similar groups for years now....can we fast track developing some new leaders from within?

Edited August 17Aug 17 by NeveroddoreveN

All in all a disappointing day. Yes some late goals helped the scoreline but unfortunately we were never in it. Ive been to 12 games live this year and that was the first one I feel we didn't give a whimper. Even the 10 goal flogging from Gold Coast earlier in the year we were around the mark for half the game. This game, we didn't show anything until late in the last. The distinct chasm is skills was clear throughout the day. We just kept dropping marks all day, kicks and handballs missed targets (which unfortunately is nothing new) Was also probably the quietest ive heard the Dees faithful at the G. Hard to tell when we kicked a goal as it was silent out there. I cannot fathom how poor our skills continue to be, opposition teams make the forward lead to the space or hit them on the chest at full tilt on the wing, but when I see a Melbourne player leading to a position, the kick comes in, they have to stop for slow and the defender spoils or marks over the top of them. It infuriates me that this has not been rectified or seemingly worked on.

I found the idea to have Milky as the sub very strange. He's been the only forward providing some potency this year. I understand the need to manage minutes as I heard was the reason for the sub, but surely do that in game or sub him off. But he needed to start, he's so creative and has good skills. Also it's a very one dimensional player to have as Sub. If he needs a rest, or is really sore, manage him out and let's look at Kentfield, but geez he'll have 7 months starting from Saturday. Seemed crazy to me. If they dont sign him on again for next year, id be very disappointed.

Im very curious about some of your thoughts for movements over this post season. Here's some to get the pot cooking

May looked slow and was soundly beaten by a good opponent. May is still very good 1v1 but cant keep up with a leading forward. Would be good for a Nth Melb or the like for a year or so to help they're defence.

Petracca seems very frustrated and his skills are horrendous. He went at 38% kicking efficiency this week. I for one, hope he stays but needs to work on his craft as a teammate. He's playing selfish footy, only worrying about getting the kick but not who or where the kick is going, maybe he's trying too hard.

Sharp was a step behind all day and looked out of his league on Saturday.

Judd McVee-unfortunately I think he'll leave. Have loved his rise last year, but has stagnated this year and is a shadow of his form last season.

Tom Sparrow - Love Sparrow, but has not kept his early trajectory. Looked like a gun big bodied mid, but not sure he's got that in him. Let's hope a new coach can solidify his role and get him back to some good footy.

Salem - Has his best gone past him, or is he not getting enough help from up the field

Im still hopelessly optimistic for next year, Lever to have a good pre season and return to his best and be the general for the youth in the back 6, with Howes, Disco, Bowie, Riv and throw Petty back there again with Salem

Like the look of Culley on the wing with Langers. Gawn in the middle with Windsor, Oliver, Langford(maybe the year after)

Forward line of Milky, Fritch, Roo, Viney(defensive pressure forward) Chandler, Kozzie. Id love to get someone in to help her like a Mitch Lewis or the like, but unfortunately we hardly have anything worth coming to for a prospective player.

Not a massive fan of Eddie McGuire as a Collingwood person, but as a football brain he's a very smart man. He's said multiple times we should be taking over Waverley from the Hawks when they move into their new premises for the medium term until Caulfield is up and running. Its AFL standard, closer than Casey and ready built to go, his other thoughts is to cut ties with Casey and align with Port Melbourne VFL. They have a brand new training facility.

14 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

@Demonland

So the “State of play” at end of 2025

@No Coach - interim

@No President - interim

@No CEO - awaiting September

@No home base - still waiting waiting … will it ever happen in our lifetime

—-—————————-

Club has been dismantled from the 2021 premiership:

Burgess departing to the Crows

Restaurant drama and reported players punch up

Finals 2022 & 2023 … Two x straight set finals departures

Board room dramas

Key Players retiring, leaving or injured (Hibbo, LJ, Gus, ANB, Ben Brown, JJ, Bedford, Harmesy)

Gus’ sad concussion retirement

Trac on field injury and subsequent off field dramas and trade dramas

Clarry off field issues and trade dramas

Missed finals 2024 and 2025

Did I miss anything … ?

100% agree with this. But thinking back to August 2024, we've come a ways to resurrecting this club.

Clear out the board which by all accounts was toxic- ✅ Not ideal to have none of them with feet under the desk as yet

Get rid of Goody ✅ I couldn't see him leading us to another flag

Sign up Kozzie for a long term deal ✅

Keep key players that if they all left I believe would have totally derailed the club this season (Trac, Viney, Oliver)✅

We were never in this contest but when we did bring some intensity after half time and dominated play it was our forward craft that let us down. That and the fact that Fritter and Kozzie both had shockers and both spilled markable balls directed to the hot spot in front of goal in the early stages of that quarter.

Turner drilled a sharp 45 metre kick into the hot spot but the only player there to mark it was from the other mob. Several other kicks into the prime scoring region were either intercepted or simply kicked to contests.

We need to find some natural, instinctive forwards who can create separation from their opponents. It's clear players are trying to create chances in front of goal but our forwards are either out of positioned or unable to find separation.

Or at least a specialist forward coach with a Gunstan like feel for the game.

11 hours ago, Nietaphart said:

Once again, Can Howard be a guest speaker? 🤩

More than once on this website have I been accused of being a pedant, but even I don't have enough tolerance to sit through Howard parsing the difference between 'mainly' and 'huge'.

On 17/08/2025 at 09:23, buck_nekkid said:

Rivers provided real run through the midfield in the last -

Why on earth is he not playing a full game in the middle?

@binman My mate calls me a tragic Optimist like yourself, but outside of verbally manifesting my pure hatred for the pies and belief Gawn might fire up the boys to put a nail in their 2025 top 4 hopes.

Once I step back I look it with my head, I can’t see it happening.

CAN YOU! Make an analytical case for how we could beat the Filth?

Do we need May to announce his retirement and come out Alastair Lynch styles? 😏

Just now, Doug Reemer said:

Why on earth is he not playing a full game in the middle?

@binman My mate calls me a tragic Optimist like yourself, but outside of verbally manifesting my pure hatred for the pies and belief Gawn might fire up the boys to put a nail in their 2025 top 4 hopes.

Once I step back I look it with my head, I can’t see it happening.

CAN YOU! Make an analytical case for how we could beat the Filth?

Do we need May to announce his retirement and come out Alastair Lynch styles? 😏

Keeping in mind out of 42 games this year only 3 bottom 9 teams have beaten top 9 teams. I believe we might have 1 or 2 of those wins? Lions & Freo. (Unless it only counts the ladder position at the time of the game.

We're LIVE in 5 mins

Demonland Podcast LIVE @ 8:00PM

Open Stream in New Window Call on Microsoft Teams

Thanks for another quality episode guys! I greatly admire your dedication and persistence during these tough times, and like you, I look forward to our beloved Dees turning the corner in 2026. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!