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We're one goal down. I just assumed we were 80 points down by some of the posts.

Viney is having a stinker.

To those who can't watch: Turnovers are what is killing us. Eagles didn't make it count though so we've got time to make amends. For us, Oliver, Melksham and ANB have probably been the pick of the players so far. It's not as bad as others are making out, though. We are well and truly in the game.

Haha...good ol Demonland....tearing strips off each other after a practice match! Love it

Nothing creepy about this. At all.

... but instead, the AFL took no steps to sanction the club in any way whatsoever after the final CAS decision found the 34 EFC players and former players guilty of an anti doping rule violation. In fact, the AFL had an immediate plan in place to lighten the club's burden during the period of the players' suspension by allowing it to supplement its list with top up players (with no assistance to other clubs that had lost players who had in the interim transferred from the EFC). Within that plan was its decision that notwithstanding that Essendon's record in 2016 would inevitably be adversely affected by the unavailability of players, most of who would be returning in 2017, this factor would not be taken into account in determining the club's position in the 2016 AFL draft. Hence, a gift of the first pick in that draft and improved position in other rounds in a draft already tainted and skewed by the academy system. Well done AFL. It was the least you could do after all those years and in particular the way your own Tribunal stuffed up the initial hearing into the doping saga.

Im not sure if the author actually expected us to believe that line but I, like you, read that incredulously and laughed out loud. lets see, they injected their players with PED's en masse for a full season. They then had a viral spate of soft tissue injuries that completely gave the game away. They were tipped off ( a move the AFL must regret daily) They then burned the records, denied everything and hired a hit man to shut everyone up. They then tried to run both ASASDA and WADA out of town , shame them as much as possible and just litigate the crap out of everything that moved on the story. Hird who at the VERY least was a part of it if not the instigator, took the heat. But not before it was made clear to us all that really the AFL was to blame and going on air for an hour to say how innocent he was. But no "tanking" is what REALLY bring the game into disrepute. Now we are endlessly bombared with "returning heroes" stories and "Jobes new love"stories and "Poor Hird" stories..like they were all set upon for no reason. This story is THE biggest scandal in the AFL in my lifetime, perhaps in its entire history ...and somehow its all swept away now. The club should have been suspended for a year.

Overall the effort was great tonight, but the execution was poor. There's no denying that. The Eagles made us pay for it and it won them the game. I felt as though we matched them around the ground but we exposed our backline which we simply cannot do. It's not talented enough right now to stand on it's own two feet and our midfield and half forward line need to support it better by eliminating the turnovers. Lots of positives, though. Oliver was super and will only get better. Hunt and Salem are primed for big years, Spencer gave us something, Lewis was a cool head under pressure and Brayshaw is another who is getting better each week. Lots of our better players were down today as well - Tyson had a mare, Benire turned it over and Maxy didn't exert his usual influence. When you factor in that, as well as the turnovers, then a 4 goal loss is a fair reflection. We are a big chance to roll the Saints in a fortnight's time, and if we add a couple of pure small forwards, add Jetta and Hibberd to the mix and make the right selections re: tall forwards then there is no reason why we can't win in Round 1.

99% of supporters give a [censored] about Trengove.

Oliver has easily been the standout. Hogan has kicked two and presented well, while Lewis and Salem have been the other picks of our midfield. Spencer, dare I say it, has been good too and has given more of a contest than Weideman has at this point.

Just [censored] nuke the joint.

Oliver with a lazy 20 touches at the half

So what I'm sensing is you don't like Colin. Am I warm?

I think you are a little biased there, I have been really impressed with his decision making

there's a reason why mafia bosses call themselves 'dons'

I am usually circumspect when it comes to criticism of you but isn't discussing the team and players strengths and weaknesses what this forum is about ? We are not telling "him" anything - we are discussing what most would agree is a valid discussion point. I don't think one poster on this forum would want anything more than for Viney to improve further because I would suggest that he is universally loved on this site for his uncompromising attack on the contest. I hate the phrase "bleeds red and blue" when it is applied to players but Viney comes pretty close.

I didn't realise Demonland is a direct line to the Viney batphone. No one is telling him [censored]. It's a discussion and a valid one. The only one running around telling the players anything is you.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous this story keeps on giving.

Dons accused of asking Gatto for help Aaahahahahahaha holy [censored] "DDispute resolution specialist" Im done????

I know it's only a JLT game but jeez I hope we win this, I love being at a game over here and beating the home side. If Watts has 25+ touches and kicks 4 and we win, I plan on making a real mess of myself.

We saw a team that was down on skill still in the game with 10 minutes to go. We saw a team playing slick footy that was threatening to blow us off the park, but didn't due to our refusal to lie down. We did this with a number of our better players off their best game, and saw where there is plenty of room for improvement.

I love Jayden Hunt. What a ripping goal! Back to 11 points!

Should be a picture of Oliver on the front of that jumper. I like Oliver. Good half by Clayton Oliver. Oliver!

Good ball movement and clever play from Gus ends up with a Hogan mark, and it was good body use to take that mark too. Hogan goes back and....GOALS! Great stuff!

Weid! Love his attack in the high ball. (Even though he didn't mark it)

I really hate the white jumper.

The police! May as well have reported it to the janitor! Leading Essendon connections/supporters: Current EFC Club Chairman: Ex Federal ALP Minister Current EFC Club Director: Ex Chief Commissioner of Police, Victoria Victorian Premier Victorian Governor Past No 1 ticket holder: Ex Federal Liberal Treasurer/Deputy Prime Minister I don't have much confidence the Police finding concrete evidence to support Wallis or Elliot's worksafe claims. But they may well find sufficient evidence to support Tanner's complaint of 'inappropriate demands and threats'. The little guys don't usually win when faced with the might of the big end of town.

Just had a little shoulder scan at Aami park and popped in for a coffee next door and I see Dion, Hibb, Jeffy, Nev and Shannon Byrnes. Coming from the bush it's a wonderful surprise. Too shy to speak to the players but had a quick chat with Shannon who said Frosty will be playing tomorrow in the intra club and should be fine come Rd 1

I remember at the time thinking there was something dodgy about him suddenly shutting up shop. And something improper too. He met with someone or some influential supporter. Im sure i read it in the paper. Edit Found it http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/meet-the-millionaire-who-struck-bombers-peace-deal/news-story/b30ff3ac4ea996beb233ddd652d3268f Sounds like some mick gatto style dispute resolution might have been involved too

If anyone actually read the article on afl.com.au today, it said that Jeffy will play in a practice match next week and will be available for round 1. It also said Kent is racing the clock to be fit. Meaning he's a chance. Although Mission last week said that he'd be available this week so he must be close. Club website said Hibberd missing is just precautionary due to his long layoff and it is just him being stepped on rather than anything structural I think Wagner, AVB, Frost and JKH will be our only unavailable players come rd 1

I just saw Trengove come onto the field

Why on earth was he not given a run tonight?

That is really becoming tiresome.

We are playing poorly and only 8 points behind at half time against a very good side at their fortress out west, pretty positive I'd say.

Spencer should play ahead of Weid round 1.

One thing that stands out, and I think someone else mentioned it, is that we're a little too tall in the forward line. It doesn't matter too much tonight, but we can't go in to Round 1 with Hogan, Watts, Weideman and Spencer there. Saints will kill us on the rebound.

It never is. Setting up well for the most part, a few mistakes have let them in.

I worry about our key defenders without Frost. McCartin, Membrey, Bruce and Riewoldt are licking their lips.

I see this is not just a practice match for the MFC. It's also a practice match for the MFCSS.

I'll take frost over OMac. Where the hell has he been all preseason

Oliver is such a gun, could become our best mid this year which would be massive

Should I mention Tom McDonald's first kick for the game, which was under no pressure? Should I?

Crikey Chris! Newspapers exist to sell, well newspapers, and advertising of course. TV news media exist to get high ratings and steer viewers into the next program. Ethics? Truth? Bah humbug!!

I don't know about that bitters. I'm generally pretty reserved when refreshed, the most extreme thing I did after a win over here was throw my own faeces at some Dockers members cars as they left the ground.

You are quite vulgar on Demonland Ethan - one can only wonder how magnificently boorish and obnoxious you will be as a drunken supporter of the winning side.

Damon Johnson, associate editor at the sun was on MMM this morning and made a very telling comment. I think it was Eddie who made a comment along the lines of 'you guys have been behind the players throughout this' and Damon responded with ' I don't think we have been biased in our reporting, it was simply a case that Essendon had a story to tell and we told it, The AFL also had a story to tell and through Caro at The Age and they told that one'. Of course they all went on to bad Caro, about the only Journo who has seen this for what it is form day one. Excuse if I am being stupid but I always thought the job of a journo was to report on news, and in doing so present all aspects of the news and then let the reader decide, yet here is a senior editor of the Herald Sun openly saying they did not do that and they consciously chose to report one side a story!

The club needs to be deregistered to allow a Tassie team into the competition.

We had the best run with injuries last year that I can ever remember.

So the latest "bombshell" from Slobbo is that Wallis and Elliott are suing the club. Their evidence includes how the club ripped off the medicare system. It's amazing how in some cases how clear transgressions like the allged abusing of the Medicare rebate for the thousands of injections just simply get ignored. If Worksafe came to my workplace I would be heading to the slammer had I done the same thing as the EFC. Why do authorities look away?

The overuse and reliance on spin is one of the main reasons people are turning off the major political parties and flocking to straight-shooters such as Trump and Hanson. They're sick of the cliches and rehearsed lines and want plain-speaking politicians who mean what they say. I've worked on both sides of the news fence (journalist and spin doctor) for 20+ years and like Fifty-5 reckon the club has handled it well. Only thing I would have done differently would have been, as Binman said, to come clean in week 1. The alternatives would never have cut the mustard. You can't pretend he's injured when he's in full training. You can't pretend you're giving fringe players a shot when you're selecting close to a full-strength side, and you can't pretend you're trying new things when it's clear the only new thing you're trying is not playing Watts. That would have been farcical. The media commentary has been pretty subdued all things considered. Had we tried to cover it up, and then been exposed, then we would have had a full-blown PR crisis on our hands and endless speculation and articles. So far, the only place that's happened has been on here, which is to be expected.