Leaderboard

Thanks for the training reports Saty. Thought I'd get in before the shilt storm.

We led in 9 last quarters in 2014 coming off an horrendous base. We learnt to defend, but became stagnant and didn't master two-way running, so it's unsurprising to me the wheels fell off in the second half of the year. Some supporters want to focus on the second half of last year, as though it's the true litmus test, whereas the first half is far more revealing. Far too much is being read into the Essendon game, which is a timely reminder to the players as to what happens when you stop working hard and lose the collective team focus. To highlight how much of a 24 hour society we've become, the Dogs are presently the flavour of the week after a 10 goal win over Collingwood. The previous week they were comprehensively outclassed by Melbourne for almost 3 quarters. The same Melbourne that is now derided after the Essendon game. Melbourne got out to a 52 point lead in the second quarter, such was their dominance. The only players of note that played for Footscray against Collingwood, but missed against Melbourne were Macrae, Murphy and Dalhaus. They were also missing Wallis, who was dropped more than once in 2014 and Picken, who's a solid foot soldier. Boyd didn't play, but right now a cardboard cutout offers as much. The Dees lost focus in the last 45 minutes and paid the price, but once again, the footy they showed in that first half was a revelation that shouldn't be summarily dismissed. The total ratings points for that match are 1,700 to 1,000 which highlights Melbourne's overall dominance. Preseason is about practising, learning, fine tuning and confirming your best 22. NAB's 2 and 3 couldn't have come at a better time for this group and they'll learn lots about what works and what doesn't. Melbourne will occupy the lower reaches of the ladder in 2015, but when one analyses the mix of experience and youth, together with some of the talent within the ranks, an 8 game winning season is well within reach and should be considered the pass mark.

No shows Petracca and Trengove, everybody else out there at some stage. ANB did some of the session in the bright orange 'don't tackle' vest, looked happy to be out there, about another week or two, hoping to get a run with Casey for Rd 1, was moving freely, really appreciative of the care the fitness and medical staff have shown in his rehab. Casey praccy game may be worth going to watch with Vince, Kent, Brayshaw, JKH, Riley, McKenzie, Fitzpatrick, Vandenberg and King all playing. Looks like Spencer, Stretch, Pedersen, Terlich, White and Hunt won't be playing. Howie won't play either but he did the full session, and covered 11km, pulled up really well, hoping to be "super sub" next week, his words. Most of the drills today stoppage work or ball movement, did drills in four quarters, like a game, last drill involved about 30 players crammed into the 50 and one team trying to get it out. One highlight of a full length drill was Spencer getting a handball in close in the 50, selling some candy and hammering it into the goal, got a cheer. Some of it got quite willing, Chunk Jones ended up with a pair of crotchless skins. Will be putting some pics on Twitter. Again any questions feel free.

Look, I'm sympathetic with the recent frustration at TDI's antics, but you are kind of inviting it with posts like this.

Just caught up on this. Derm was full of trash as usual. Ralphy finding reality hard. Of course you have to give up something to get someone, that's how it works. You improve by being on the winning side of those deals. I think that was the point David King was trying to make. The Salem/Tyson trade, Frawley for Brayshaw, Clark for Lumumba (considering an injured Clark), Ben Newton for nothing, Garlett for next to nothing are deals that we should come on the right side of. Jason Dunstall probably made the best point about the glaring gap in our list that is line breaking. If our best players stay fit we better be able to match it at the contest and I'm hoping the backline holds up and the forwards can get open if/when given a chance. Genuine line breakers are a huge weakness that Lumumba can only help so much. Vince is one who can run the lines as well. Anyway, the other line breakers are Garlett, Kent and JKH from half forward who need to get up the field. Watts as well if he can ever consistently find the speed he must have somewhere in there! Without confidence and creativity we will struggle. If we find it we have enough talent and experience to compete and win. The challenge for Roosy is to step away from his standard plan of composure and defending and embrace a desire to be absolutely fired up. We can be as composed as we like when sharing the ball and not panic, but we need to be absolutely pumped for the contest. Time for the MFC players to throw caution to the wind for a while and play like demons!

Just listened to Gil on 3aw. He is already apologising for the players. Said he believed the players did not know what they were given. Preparing the wet tram tickets already. I have never heard a worse performance by the chief of a sport organisation. Neil Mitchell said to him that is no excuse! Just past it off. P iss poor. This guy is a disaster, the AFL is in danger with this guy at the helm.

Credit where credit is due. We emailed the Club about our disappointment with the whole experience back on Labour Day. Today the kids received a package with a hand written letter from Nathan Jones apologising that they didn't get any autographs or photos with the players. Included were beanies, badges and Nathan's autograph. I can tell you right now, when the 2 of them get home from school, they will be die-hard demons again in a second. Fair effort for the captain of our club to do this, could have quite easily got a junior player onto it. Well done MFC and Nathan Jones in particular, turned a negative into a huge positive for 2 kids.

The only way the AFL Tribunal can let them off is to find they are not satisfied to their comfortable satisfaction that there is enough evidence that they took TB4. I suspect that such a finding would trigger a WADA appeal to the Court of Arbitration in Sport, thereby prolonging the saga for several months and creating more uncertainty for the players and the competition. Either way, I doubt that it will be over at 2pm next Tuesday.

Did they find a bloated fossil that could have belonged to that rare parasite, fatus phillus ?

There have been many discussions about whether sinking Gazillions into Western Sydney, primarily rugby country was/is a good idea...I think Titus O'Reily has nailed it.. Scientists discover AFL club in Western Sydney Scientists from the University of Western Sydney (UWS) have discovered a previously unknown AFL team living in Western Sydney. Professor Rachael Jenkins, Head of Anthropology at UWS, said it was amazing that the team had gone this long without being discovered. “This is an extraordinary find. They seem keen to engage with us and have offered us footballs that they have written their names on as a sign of friendship.” “They wear mainly orange and talk a lot about Giants, which seem to figure heavily in their foundation myths. “They’ve been keen to barter for items such as food, water and mature bodies in return for priority picks.” The research team has warned locals to keep away from the team, to avoid spreading infections. “Outside their own group, they’ve had almost no contact with other people,” said Professor Jenkins. Locals have reacted with surprise to the news but say there have been unsubstantiated reports in the past of a something being there. “We always took any reports with a grain of salt,” said local resident Gary Strenski. “Once a bunch of Collingwood supporters turned up in the neighbourhood but we just called the police. Perhaps they could have been looking for them,” Hospital records also show a man named ‘Israel Folau,’ once turned up at the local hospital making strange claims about living with a tribe of AFL footballers. The research team said they are still unsure how the team came to be in Western Sydney. “It makes almost no sense at all. AFL teams usually stick to southern parts of Australia or the occasional capital city. Western Sydney is a pretty hostile environment for them,” said Professor Jenkins.

You can upgrade for LTI at any time. The deadline was for Nominated Rookies. Why upgrade him before he plays for Casey when there is a risk he might get injured?

why the [censored] wouldn't we upgrade Vanders to put him in for Round 1?! He has been better than most of our senior listed midfielders/forwards.

The brain is a wonderful thing. I go to the footy every week with belief that we can win - if all our players are on fire and the opposition is 5% off its game. I would not go to the footy if I did not believe that this week will be the week we turn it around and win. That's the dreamer in me If I was asked every week do I realistically expect us to win - nearly every week the answer would be no - that's the logical nutbean I have the belief every year we can make the finals - if we have great improvement like Port Adelaide had - the other fancied teams have form slumps and injuries. - dreamer nutbean If I was asked if I realistically thought we will make the finals this year - the answer is a definite no. Logical nutbean It's great being a gemini and having split personalities.

nice to see differences of opinion without ego and posters getting personal.

We should have won 6-7 last season Doing that this season...ho-hum 8-9 is a pass. Nothing less for mine

Just honouring your request.IDIOT

they can't get off because they were duped they can be found guilty and get a penalty reduction if "duped", but they are still guilty if this is the case the club is in trouble.....and presumably later could be issued INs......or the afl negotiate a club penalty (afl preferred method)

I hope if they are cleared WADA takes them to CAS, wins then bans the club as well.

We have had a different opinion on this for the best part of two years bb.What is right and what actually happens are quite often worlds apart.

We discovered them last year. At least we're ahead of the scientists!

Appreciate this explanation. Totally agree with your conclusions except I think Gil does get it. Yes, he is acting like the boss of his schoolyard gang as he is protecting his backyard and his job. He knows which side his bread is buttered on. By looking after one of his most powerful constituents he is looking after himself. The AFL and the clubs are mutually dependent on one another. In behavioural terms, it is difficult to go from being a mate (to AFL Presidents and their clubs) to taking a hard line decision that will end that comfortable relationship. However, as you say, this is different from the normal run of in-house issues. ASADA and WADA provide that difference. One way or another this is going to change the paradigm and challenge the way in which the AFL and clubs deal with issues of a drug related nature.

Gil I'm sad to say comes from the same management school as our very own Cam Schwab. All style and absolutely no substance.

'aint that mad cow disease a b!tch!

funny, bub how they picked the day before april fools day to announce decision surely they could have waited another day or maybe that's the day set aside for sentencing?

Girls,girls,girls. Ignore thee hype,we will finish 8th. Case closed,move on and enjoy the year.

I want us to score more than 100 points in a game.

Settle!

As things stand, if you looked at all our games now and determined a favourite in each one we would go in favourites in two of those games. Yet people say that 8/9 wins would be a par??? I don't understand that thinking.

Has everybody erased our last 10 games from their memory? We were arguably the worst side in the comp during that period, St.Kilda actually won a game and had a similar % to us during that time. 8 of those games were just embarrassing. Anything more than 4 wins is a bonus but the real key again will be %. We have to eliminate the shockers like the St.Kilda, Brisbane and GWS x2 games and compete against the best sides longer. We are certain to be a bottom 4 team possibly bottom 2 team depending on how the Bulldogs, Magpies and Blues go. Let's try and win an actual game first as it has been a very long time before we start thinking about 9 or 10 wins.

How the hell Essendon can still be part of Anzac Day is disgusting the AFL really have no class or respect

Just saw the photo of jobe and co with their sashes made up of poppies for anzac day. Nearly threw up

I very much doubt if said recruiter could disappear without a trace.

Arbitrary figures. Also, the inconvenient fact remains that we only won 4 last year, so 6 year would be an improvement. Hard to argue against. You can't set up a fictional "we should have won 6-7, so need to improve on that". If we'd won 6-7, we would have been better than we were. Which we clearly weren't. As to 8, we managed to win around that in the Bailey years, but they were for the most part "easy" wins against "easy" sides and/or in "easy" situations - but when the pressure came on, we collapsed like a house of cards, and it was clear that we had no real future as things stood. For there to be an improvement, there needs to be an improvement .... in more matches for longer, greater consistency and an improvement in our "worse" as much as our "best", fewer really poor performances even for a quarter, more forward entries and more of those converted into scores for an overall higher percentage, some of the younger players stepping up, an ability to win more clearances on a regular basis, an ability to limit any blowout opposition scores, etc. etc. Get some of that going in the right direction and the wins will sort themselves out.

John Ralph is a tool That is all

I expect to win 8-9 ....if we're to be deemed as having improved.

I totally agree that Gil understands where his place in all of this is, its just thatt whilst he pays attention to who's buttering the bread he fails to understand that should the AFL not be seen to be doing right by the Code ( Wadas ) that they , Wada , will come after all and sundry and then Gil will look like the real Dil he is.

John "wreck it" Ralph (he looks like that dude from the game) didn't get his facts right and failed to mention this all occurred when the AFL skewed the system to benefit both GWS and the Suns and the major clubs) Usually I cant stand David King but at least he was prepared to look at what is happening at the club. The club has acknowledged the sins of the past but it is time to move on. Roos is absolutely right to put the past behind us, we simply cant change and any amount of crying over who we failed to pick etc is just useless.

don't use the orange ones jazza, he makes them up from some old vietnam army surplus supplies the rest he sources from someone in fiskville , so probably ok

he's the commensurate polo bloke though

yes i heard, od. agree, complete apologist and bumbling fool. but what did you expect

Bold statement... Why would you advocate such an action? Roos is a generational coach. Goodwin is untried. I want to squeeze all I can out of Paul Roos and if Goodwin knows what is good for him - he will do the same. Simply having a rule that 'if we don't win twice as many games as last year - we should remove Roos' is grandstanding and if you were the one in position to make that decision - I don't think you would make it.

We won't be 0-8. It just won't happen. We aren't that bad of a side. I think 8 wins is a realistic expectation, and I think we can pull off the odd upset (like Adelaide last year) this season as well.

I'm aiming for 7-8 wins. In the first 8 rounds.

I think the loss to Essendon has dampened a lot of peoples expectations and thats probably a good thing. We are now definitely flying under the radar. For me I wasn't so upset by the loss, Essendons seconds were going full tilt at us and we really should have won. We gave ourselves a lot of chances but really mucked up our F50 entries. JKH and Kent added to Garlett and a bit more practice and we can improve a lot on that effort. The new recruits add genuine depth to what admittedly was a weak list with Harry, Garlett, Vanders , Frost and Newton all bringing something better than what we had last year. The worst part of the Essendon loss was that I think we were beaten a lot in the stoppages again. Our midfield is still bottom four. Our ruck stocks aren't great either. We desperately need Bernie back in the team. If we can break even in the midfield we will win quite a few games and should get out of the bottom four but the midfield is the key and I think most Demonlanders will agree ours is still rated low.

It's going to be good time when as a Demons supporter we can genuinely look forward to winning maybe 50% of matches we play. It's been so long now and it seems so far away. Pretty pathetic really.

Chortle, chortle... http://insidesauce.com/essendon-consider-ben-cousins-as-top-up-player-after-explosive-burst-through-congested-perth-arcade/

8 wins and i'll be stoked, anymore and i'll vote for Abott

Beating Adelaide on Adelaide is a possibility as we did last year and one would think out team has improved on last year, round 4 against Richmond on Friday night could be interesting.

#petjacka has got to be the greatest hashtag ever

I work with Hal's mother and she is a force to be reckoned with. It didn't surprise me when I heard he was the mystery player. She hasn't told anyone, it was supposed to be kept confidential. But she is after justice and she will get it one way or another in my opinion. She was appalled by the way the club communicated with the parents and how her son was off loaded after his rookie contract was up. He had worked through numerous injuries only to be unloaded when it suited the club. She was less than impressed by James H. But that is to be expected I think as a mum. But she is no fool and has not been impressed by the way the Club has handled their players and the issue. In her view her son has been injected with an unknown cocktail of supplements or whatever they were and then unloaded by the club with no support system in place. You are on your own son. Any wonder Mum might be mad?