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It would be the start of the greatest thread on demonland ever. The Jack Viney made me retire thread.

I wondered why it was a 2.15 presser. Who chose the time? Then I thought - just out of interest - I'd visit 2.15....it says.... Song of Solomon 2:15 Book 2 Verse 15. - "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom." I read this as Watts is the fox and Viney is in full blossom. For shall you take a fox out, the Vineyard will respond.

I don't know why anyone would have a problem with what he did. So what if he showboated? Big deal. If I were these two 'tossers' I'd be more focused on spending time analysing the dog act that Rance committed and how bad it looks during a time where we are trying to eliminate coward punches like that from society. When compared to that, what Bugg did means nothing.

I have diplomatic immunity.

Good old Titus had this to say, in his own inimitable way: "........ Rance will now miss two weeks but a better punishment would be making him play the next two games. That’s how bad Richmond are."

Can Tom Bugg call a presser just to troll the [censored] out of Richmond?

Exactly. He could have just posted a tweet, or had the members of his cult drop a pamphlet in people's letterboxes.

Still can't get over how much Carey and the other commentators tried to justify his actions. It was really poor.

Well what a night it was, fabulous start with the four horseman with the flame, lighting the cauldron, the Last Post hauntingly beautiful, both teams running through the banner together. A tough hard contest by both sides but with Our Boys dominating every stat except tackles (broke even), we kicked away with brilliant play they dragged us back with some help from the umps, however, when ever we were challenged we were able to rally through great team work and individual efforts. I found it exhilarating and to be up in the stands surrounded by all those happy excited faces that I have become so familiar with over the years and to hear them all celebrating every effort and every goal right up until the end and then the joy of singing our 'Song" over and over again until the team finally went down the race. Getting out of the car park was a nightmare but good opportunity to listen to the commentators praising our team for a change. When we finally got home we watched the last quarter then went off to bed with a great inner glow. Go you mighty Demons!!!!

Hmmmm Petracca or Matt Jones.... Let me think about that for a minute.....

I imagine it will be an apology. He always seemed a fair sort of a player from what I saw of him. It's easy to do something stupid that you sincerely regret later. It will be interesting.

For not only saving this club from turmoil but bringing back the fun and enjoyment in what its actually like to support a real AFL club now. They preached patience that it was going to take time but the rewards would be there Not only did we just smash out all time membership record we are now starting to put on a consistent performance each week. It is exciting and i have self belief that we are finally set for the next couple of years with some success. These two will be forever indebted to the Melbourne Football club for the mountain of hardwork thats been put in and we are now starting to hopefully see the rewards. I should also note the development team led Brendan McCartney. To see players like Gawn and Viney borderline elite is something this side hasn't had since probably the Lyon Flower days.. Its a good time to be a Melbourne supporter.

I dunno man, I've made many mistakes, but I've never punched a bloke in the back of the head.

It takes a man of character to do what he did and face the media today. Respect that, he also related it to a massive issue in society the coward punch and took responsibility. It is totally against the way he plays the game, he was the only defender that stopped us kicking 25 to 30 goals goals on Sunday. People that bag him on here need to look at their own perfect life with no mistakes, he made one copped his whack both on the field and off. Respect to him

And the Lord sayeth, Zedekiah thou hast wronged thy brother, but thou art a stout fellow and I can see that thou was simply frustrated. So, three plagues down to two with an early sacrifice. And Buggeth the Accursed ran in unnoticed and did shoveth and taunteth Zedekiah whilst he was paying penance. And there was wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Absolute dribble from the media. One minute Luke Darcy and Wayne Carey are letting Rance off because he is frustrated, then the media are giving Bugg a spray for just showing a bit of niggle and aggression. We've been missing that for the past 5 years so as a Melbourne member I'm stoked to see a big of aggression from the guys.

I think you'll find he did that during a Qualifying Final against Carlton. We won that game. And they can criticise Bugg all they like, but it's wasted breath. What he did means nothing and doesn't even need to be analysed.

I did. To be fair though if I was in the vicinity of Viney throwing my mate around I'd pretend I was on the phone.

I am struggling to see the downside with Bugg. There is a bit of mongrel in him. Now that is something we have not had for a long time. Mongrels help win flags.

Unsociable football. Love it. Stick it up 'em, Demons. The media are having to re-frame their opinions. They prefer to stick up for the perceived "better" team. By their conventional thinking, MFC, the weaker team, are in the wrong because one of our players showed a bit of ****. That's how Rance can be simply "frustrated". That's how Luke Hodge can nearly paralyse a bloke by shoving him into the goal post, but no probs, no harm done. He's a champion, you see. I look forward to seeing more of the media wet themselves trying to work out what they should be saying and writing about the rising Demons. Meanwhile, on ya, ya little Bugg[er] ! PS. Last one of those we had was a guy called Alistair Clarkson.

Yep Browny was very, very supportive of Bugg last night, even though apparently the two had a nasty onfield run-in at some point in the last few years. The jist of it was that for the best part of a decade we, as a club, have bent over and taken it. We've been soft, we've been weak. We're now standing up for ourselves (and then some, with Bugg) and he wants to see more of it. For that matter, so do I. Let Bugg be the most hated pest in the League if that's how he enjoys playing. Judging by Sunday night, it gets under the opposition's skin and if it takes their mind out of the game for even a second then it's doing the trick!

If you watch the replay of all the goals it's apparent that Salem was crucial to 5 of them. He is a very important part of our side. His disposal is elite and he runs hard forward and is kicking goals from the half backline.

discussed elsewhere - I have no problem with the showboating - I have a problem with the Reiwoldt incident.

How nice it is to be hated and not pitied.

I'm so over this flimsy 'rating' + critiquing of players like they are tradeable swapcards. Either you support the guys on the ground or you don't. The defenders aren't sitting in a bar in front of a flat-screen; they make instant decisions for better or worse to break the lines or improve the team position. they don't have the luxury of being internet scribes assessing options from a distance. Lynden Dunn has been a warrior and a true demon for many years now. I get sick of this whittling-down that is so prevalent here. As if the players could ever come to the standards of the footballer/typists who lord over them.

love him, couldn't understand why he wasn't in the side from the first game.

I bet the coaching staff love him. He makes the softer types walk taller. Keep it up Tommy, love your work. Feed it to the Saints this week.

I think we are turning the ball over far more than last year but I am not unduly fazed by that. With great adventure comes more risk. Last year we were chipping backwards defensively across the ground then stopping and then chipping back the other way and stopping. Very little hard run and spread down the field - this meant low inside 50 counts and low scores. A more attacking mindset comes with the caveat that you the risk of turnover is greater and we are seeing that. But I am a great supporter of continuing the mindset as we have such competitive beasts playing that whilst we may get burned by some turnovers ( which we are ) we are also winning back our fair share of ball as well.

Nope.

Outmarked and outmuscled by Jack Watts Rag dolled by Jack Viney, pushed around by Bernie Vince Took a dive, gave a way the 50 metres and a goal Alex Rance can do as many press conferences as he likes he will never live it down

Johnno Brown from OTC loved it!

Agree, two tossers, But I'm loving that they feel the need to talk about this. We, the MCF, are newsworthy for a whole lot of reasons now and people talking about us in any light means they are noticing us. Whatever their agendas, I dont care. We're no longer irrelevant and people are very afraid of what me might become in the next few years. Talk us up, knock us, whatever, because you cant now ignore us......

Apparently Rance's actions were justified given how frustrating his night (and year) had been, By that logic under Neeld the whole demon line up would have been justified to knock out whoever they pleased.

Everything around this accurate. They are both tossers, they're right about Bugg's actions and yet he is exactly the kind of player we need.

Lumumba has been fantastic. Ferocious intensity, run and dare and attack. I'm happy to sacrifice the odd error or holding the ball for what he provides. Compare him to a grimes or garland? He may seem a bit reckless but a Big part of the attacking game plan is based on risk taking.

Lets just worry about the Saints and then focus on the following week. We are improving at a rate not expected by any outsiders but the fast moving Saints at Etihad is another hurdle which we must get over if we are serious.

PJ said at the 2015 AGM "Finals are the aim for 2016" We are on track for that so far We supporters must demand the Football Dept do the job that the CEO has put in place... Last night all goes back to PJ..He is the man who put all this in place. Finals are a reality not a dream IF the team keeps playing with the same intensity and belief in each other. All i have wanted over the last 10 years is to watch my Demons play like they did last night. FOR EACH OTHER. The Tigers were on last night. They gave it everything. We just did it better...

Peter Jackson has brought high standards across the whole organisation. It is becoming a destination club not just for players but assistant coaches and adminstrators. Sponsorship will follow and everything will reinforce on field success. He will go down as one of the off field greats of the MFC.

If people are talking about the Bugg then he must be doing something right.

I love that Jono Brown loved it, even though Bugg once "knocked his block off," - I'd love to see the incident he's referring to. The media v the fan reactions this week have been mind boggling. I've read and watched it all as I do after a win. On Facebook and Big Footy the mutual fans condemning Rance, every name under the sun thrown at him, and barely a single Watts joke amongst it. The media however have done everything they can to play it down with the exception of a few. What's going on here? In the match day thread on Big Footy I was genuinely surprised by the love for Bugg from the mutual fan, they agreed he was a [censored], and most of them loved it. I know Melbourne beating Richmond was working in his favour, but it was fun to read. My my thoughts on Bugg, if that goal was kicked in that manner against us I would lose my [censored] completely. But he's one of us and I wasn't a massive fan until Sunday night, I loved it all. Keep it up. Plus side is if he does cross the line, skill wise he's replaceable for a week or two. PS. Chase harder Houli.

What Rance did was really poor and he copped a fair punishment. Some here seem to get off on hating people, can we let it go?

He hasn't been able to sleep, God has been shaming him for his cowards punch, he wants to apologise and ask all our forgiveness. he will never do it again. Well, not until he gets a chance when an opponent isn't looking at least.

He ensured the quarter time brawl really got serious so it's a tick for me.

lloyd, Barrett....meh

Lets not forget this guy is only 20 years young. He is getting better with each game. IMO he will be a champion.

Loved Lamumbas run all game and the too far call by umpire was wrong as he took 12 steps after a bounce , in the mallee to see Hunt run at Vickory full pace and front him into the ground was astonishing . Bugg Hunt Harmes Kennedy all have the balls we have been lacking . Viney is in another league and Vandenberg is another . I reckon Oliver and Trac are hard at it also . The future . Tough demons

If we want to make finals, we beat teams like the Saints. That simple.

Here's an interesting little stat for us. Jack Watts is currently equal ninth in the league goalkicking. That puts him level with Ben Brown, Jack Darling and Nick Reiwoldt and only one behind Jack Reiwoldt. Still well behind Tom Lynch, but I think it's worth noting.

Deservedly gets a good wrap for his kicking skills but his hands are just as good. The vision and execution of some of those handballs he pulls off are ridiculously impressive (like Oliver). I hope he gets a good run in the middle at some stage.