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Dirt Glue.

My heart breaks for him. The door was ajar for a spot round one and then this happens. The football gods can be very cruel.

gone but never forgotten , he was someone my wife looked at as inspirational he gave her hope in the dark days , when she beat breast cancer we watched and followed his fight , even later when she found out after a few months of being breast cancer free to be told she had terminal bowel cancer , we still hoped she like Jim fought a brave and long battle , its good to talk about this , I can't believe its 5 years for Jimmy. He loved the Dee's I feel for his family , his friends , a great man is always missed. we never forget, they say with time its gets easier , it doesn't i can tell you that. RIP mate

Gawn struggles against athletic ruckman like Hickey. Playing Spencer will allow us to throw Gawn deep in the Forward which will allow Hogan to press up. Will cause headaches for the defenders.

Not to be too much of a smart arse but lava is deceptivly fast. Depending on the Volcano it can be up to 60kph. If Trenners is clocking those speeds then it might be time to bring him in.

Jesus.. Demonland at its finest.. One bloke has a positive spin on the game and is lauded a champion. Another poster has a different view on the game and player and looks at it on a different point of view with bit more negative twist and demonland goes into meltdown and wants to hang the bloke. Is it hard for some to accept that not everyone will see things in the same light?

Good, move the game to the MCG.

I wonder if his Melkshake brings all the boys to the yard?

Vince makes a poor HBF. Very good on wing and in mid. Good on HFF no idea why we persist with him at the back.

Watts played 22 games in 2016, came 5th at B&F and had his contract extended for 3 years. I'll take those stats over 2 practice games.

Not for me, although the fact he singled out Watts for a whole paragraph and decided to focus on the negatives in a 50 point win speaks volumes. The best reports are the ones that give us both sides of the story, and I thought Drunkn did that well. Rangie, not so much.

If the Dogs can win a flag with Joel Hamling and Fletcher Roberts as key backs surely we can devise something to get us through until reinforcement are ready to come back!

Have a read of the article. His take on it is that when he was senior coach, he lost sight of the things that made him a good coach - the empathetic, personal side of coaching. Being the senior coach at AFL level is the pinnacle - not everyone is going to be cut out for it and in my view there's no shame in failing, and it doesn't diminish your value at the lower levels of coaching. It sounds to me as if Macca has been able to rediscover the traits that made him a sought-after assistant coach in the first place, which is fantastic for us and him.

Hey guys Just read the HS article about Macca down at the Dees. A little bit of a puff piece but none the less a good read for us long suffering I know Macca has been discussed and praised on the site but quotes like these really excite me for 2017 and the future. “In the really good teams that I have been associated with, the midfield training is often more intense than a game. “And when you have to start yelling at them to stop absolutely pounding each other, seriously, that is when you know you are on your way. “We have to stop training and say, ‘Hey boys, that’s enough, the intensity is there, save it for the weekend’.” Oliver, McCartney admits, is a favourite. “It is rare to find, but some players get faster the closer they get to the ball, and I love that about ‘Clarry’,” he said. I still think 2017 is going to be a bumpy ride, but it's going to be a good ride, starting Rd 1. What the Administration of this club has been able to achieve in 4 - 5 years after Neelds departure is downright amazing. Just spot on recruitment in all areas of the club which has changed the club on and off field for the better. Jackson, Roos, Macca, Mahoney, T VIney, Goody, Taylor etc etc just to name the obvious ones. It also can't be ignored that some of these appointments were from the so called failed administrations and while we all get frustrated it's a good time to reflect and acknowledge the hard work done by all for our club. Sorry I got a little distracted, but this article reaffirms for me that the club is going places. Trust the Process. I am really excited to hear some inside goss on Clarry and our Mids. Thanks again Macca and bring on 2017. Go you bloody Dees

Five years on, today we remember the great Jim Stynes ...

I get the impression it hurt him but hes so professional he's found the positives in it. Personally i feel its more an elevation of viney than anything about jonesy

The reason I asked if you were from SA a while back is because you reverse the order we Victorians expect sides to be named. We start at the top with the defence. Your style is very off-putting and contrary to what we've had for 100+ years. Others won't care and I could name them, but for me it's annoying..

There's really no such thing as one on one defence anymore, its all about zoning, "team" defence etc....the Eagles lost a huge chunk of their backline through injury at the start of the 2015 season and ending up playing off the in GF largely due to the "Weagles Web" (stupid name). Similarly the Bulldogs are very hard to score against without having any big name key backs at all. I don't think having Garland and Frost/Wagner out is really going to be the difference between us beating St Kilda or not, its about how well we defend the transition at Etihad, implement the zone and most importantly consistently hit targets so we don't get killed on the rebound.

Don't we just put Garland on the LTI list?

Maybe they should be reported to workcover? ......on second thoughts that's likely a waste of time.

I feel very uneasy about moving Gawn out of the ruck to accomodate Spencil and moving Hogan out of the forward line to accommodate Gawn. I know this is more simplistic than what you are suggesting but we have an AA ruckman and an emerging gun forward. Spencil is a largely known commodity. Surely plan A should be Gawn rucking and Hogan forward with Spencil (if he plays) having to fit into that structure as effectively as possible?

Melbourne supporters who complain about going to Docklands when we are the away side are the worst. It's literally a few ks from the G and in the CBD. It's not like going out to Waverley in the middle of nowhere in the old days or suburban grounds unfit for humans like Moorabbin or Vic Park

I was hoping Bernie settled at half back mid way through last year and then went a bit crazy after the shin injury. From preseason it seems that wasn't the case and his decision making and kicking seem to have to dropped off drastically - maybe just losing half a step has him always feeling under pressure and going for too much. Salem and Lewis are the 2 who should fill the calm head role. Left footers, smart footballer and they don't panic. Bernie should be our tagger and that should start with Riewoldt. Half back to prolong his career was a good idea but if it isn't working then he'll have to do a role elsewhere.

Fair enough. ? Let me put it this way. Casey owned Port from the opening bounce and we should have gone on to finish the job but we didn't. This was particularly disappointing given the overrepresentation of Melbourne listed players today , particularly those with significant AFL experience. I don't believe we were switched on at all and regrettably I was able to see that first hand. The fact that is took a few of the Casey listed boys to get us back in the game says it all. Early, you raised a good question and provided insight. Plapp was rotating in blocks of 4 today but there was some considerable confusion as could be expected given the number of MFC listed players. Tyson (and Watts) were rested for long periods in the 2nd qtr, and I think Kennedy and Garlett were at some stage rotated. re: Watts - was receiving plenty of instruction and may have been playing it to the letter. If so, he was playing very,much outside which didn't seem to work. Almost bruise free footy. I cant speak so much regarding the third qtr. as I was on the other side of the ground. Goodwin was there and hovered during the breaks. He spent time with Watts so make of that what you will. Regarding my comments on Watts Blood, he is a fine young man and despite him having a pretty ordinary day out (by his standards) still humbly agreed to pose for pics with fans and their kids on the ground. I applaud that. He is a good team man but it doesn't mean he is any different to any other player & therefore should not be treated any differently? He is clearly a talented footballer who is struggling at present. I hope he has the mental strength to get through this period. If he does I believe he will be an even better footballer than what we saw in 2016.Were you there today? Nb: I apologise if I have offended anyone with my take on todays game.

Read post 88, he gave Watts both barrels in it and that was before the game started. He started off from a position of bias and just fired away from there.

Easy win for an outclassed team on a Sunny day On a beautifully hot Sunday afternoon at an immaculate looking Casey Fields, the new Demons with a strong team outmatched a good opponent in Port Melbourne for a 17-8-108 to 10-4-64 win in the first VFL practice match for 2017. The boys started out very strong, with a good mark and goal in the pocket to Jack Watts, a snap around the corner from one of the Casey boys, as well as 5 more to be 7-1-42 to 0 at quarter time. Maybe due to the fact it was a preseason game and looking like an easy finish, Casey seemed to ease up around the contest and allowed a Port Melbourne midfield stacked with ex AFL and state league players to send the ball inside 50 and kick some good goals, as well as some sloppy errors in defence. An injury scare for Dean Kent after a nice smother in the forward pocket saw him leave the ground with shoulder soreness, but came back on before half time with some strapping to the elbow. After a longer then usual half time due to the heat, Port again came out strong in the 3rd quarter and for the most part won the contested ball from stoppages, but the Demons still kept fighting and thanks to a couple of late goals Casey where in front 12-4-77 to 10-3-63 coming into the final break. The boys finished the game strongly, maybe due to superior fitness but definitely due to better skills, the boys managed to get away in the last quarter. 2 very strong overhead marks to Keilty, one which turned into a goal 50m out dead in front, strong forward pressure from Garlett, Kent, Johnstone, a very strong tackle by our boy Tim 'Bull' Smith and good work from the midfielders allowed the game to be easily won. It wasn't all good news however, with less then 10 minutes to go Col Garland fell to the ground on the far side wing after a big contest, clutching at his left knee and screaming in agony that could be heard from across the ground, saw the game stop and he being stretched off to the worried murmurs of the supporters. They believe he hasn't done any crucial ligaments, however they estimate a 8-10 week recovery for the veteran. A decent hit out overall, with a lot of room for improvement. Could have won by 100 points if they turned it on in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. For the players (note every player seemed to play at minimum 3 quarters of game time, and no one being rested after half time) Watts: Good hitout. Seemed to slow up for the 2nd and 3rd quarter but was strong at the start and finish, took some good marks and kicked/set up a number of goals. Round 1 inclusion. Tyson: Played in the midfield all game, seemed a little below par to his normal game but that's expected when coming off injury, did well. Trengrove: The former captain did his job, I didn't think he was spectacular but had a very good hitout and did good work when pushing forward. Kent: In the best for sure. Round 1 lock I would say. J Smith: Was terrific running off the half back line. Looked unstoppable in the air and ran through to go inside 50 multiple times. If I was a team selector I would play him round 1 for sure. Pederson: In the best on ground as well. Took a massive mark on the forward 50, had some time in the ruck, played very strong, wouldn't dismiss for a round 1 spot. Jetta: Did okay, made a few sloppy errors but did well to stop the Port forwards from doing too much damage, maybe not playing round 1. Garland: Did well all game, a number of marks and spoils before his injury, hope he pulls through. Hulett: First time I've seen him play as defender and he just looked lost. Over ran the ball, misread the flight, didn't really have any good impact. McKenna: Had a surprisingly strong game. Lots of defending marks and good defensive pressure for a small backmen, really liked what I saw. With some more development he may turn into a great defender. Kennedy: Same as usual, was good around stoppages, did well. Garlett: Jeffy did what Jeffy does. Round 1. Hannan: Played a fair bit on the ball, where he did well. Flew a couple of times up forward but only held 1 I think, but a good start from the former Footscray forward. Johnstone: Not a lot of game time and played up the ground a little, didn't get a lot of the ball but did well whenever he did. Looking forward to watching him develop. T Smith: Typical Bull game. Took a couple of good grabs up forward, kicked/set up goals, and at one stage he tackled someone inside the forward 50 that made the ground shake. Did however miss a couple of goals uncharacteristically. Keilty: Struggled to get on the ground at times due to 10 on the bench and shorter quarters, but had a very good final term. Didn't get to be in his preferred position as a defender but the mark he took when he lead from the top of the square and leaped in the air and took the ball at its highest point in the middle of multiple defenders had me jumping from my seat. Filipovic: Did alright in the ruck against a very tall Port Melbourne ruckman, but the pace of the game got to him. He will learn but did well I thought. White/Maynard: Either didn't play or I just didn't notice their involvement. Casey Listed: Standouts for me were Hutchins in defence, Gent in the middle was very powerful, Ferreira did well as did Bailey and Baker in the forward pocket.

Please don't tell people to settle down. Following a footy team should be fun - at least some of the time. Given the 10 years of utter garbage we've witnessed I think we're allowed to get a little carried away when our young talented core give us a little hope.

Rumblings more than confirmed inside word. We don't leak too much anymore

Yep now we just need the umps to be ridiculously in our favour too.

the ol' Gutnick Paddock!

The old way of playing the second ruck was from the bench. With interchange rules the bench became a mid field resting zone and there was not much room in the rotations for a ruckman on the bench. With decreased interchange perhaps there is now room for Spencer to be a bench ruckman. Gawn to the forward line while Spencer rucks and then Spencer to the bench while Gawn rucks. One also has to be realistic about what we are trying to achieve with Spencer. Is it just nullifying the other ruck and allowing others who could have played the spot (Watts) to be more damaging. The problem is that there is no real position anymore of "resting" in the forward pocket for a ruckman .... perhaps we could re-invent it

From being cautious about our chances for round 1, I now think its likely to be a blowout for one side or the other. Very tight matches or seemingly unlikely blowouts are typical of Round one. Melbourne over 15.5 points is 2.88 and will probably be $3 by game start. I will be betting. Melbourne have set themselves for 1st round better than I can ever remember. But my non demon relatives on the weekend likened my passion as a disability that I often forget I have. I cant immune myself for a big disappointment if we fail badly on Saturday. But dont take my tips as I have Spencer playing hard and well. I also hope Brayshaw can break my suspicion that he is turning into Jack Grimes.

I have more time to waste than most

I feel like parking and trains are the only thing ok about Etihad... there are about 6 different parking structures walking distance from the ground and southern cross is setup better than the stations near G. The rest your spot on. I feel souless is the best description. You just dont get that same feeling as you do walking into the MCG That said come hell or highwater I'm going on Saturday! And every other game we play at Etihad.

Good attitude.

When we start playing like the bulldogs I might jump on the Macca the Mini Messiah bandwagon.

it seems we are being punished for something by the afl. problem is i can't see what the something is.

It's kind of irksome missing a vital sponsor. Aside from the money it adds to the general perception we are second rate and no one cares. We have to start winning emphatically and playing with spirit to get that loser monkey off our back. I'm sure those two disgraceful performances at the end of last season have hurt us in this regard. Difficult for potential sponsors to associate with us given the image we present on the field. I hope something comes up soon.

Thanks for taking the time to make the match reports guys. Much appreciated.

I don't give a rats about his form at Casey, Watts is a LOCK for round 1 I'll put good money onit!

Reading this and your previous post about him, I doubt you'd have Watts on the list. Are you sure that you haven't got your anti Jack Watts glasses on and perhaps your preconceived opinion of Trengove? Going on your summary, I'm surprised we won, we did didn't we?

Its all cool, We have Pedersen and Keilty.

Riewoldt is playing up the ground as part of their succession plan. Believe me if he was 22 yo he would be playing where he was when he was that age...key position forward. Same as what Hogan will be doing for us now. Richardson would think Christmas had come early if we matched Hogan up on Riewoldt...

Bad news for a heart and soul player. Make a speedy recovery Col.

Well I re-signed my mum up on the day of the melbourne/carlton pre season game at Casey which was 3 weeks ago. I filled out the form and the girl said she couldn't process payment but wrote down my credit card details on the form. So far 3 weeks later money hasn't been taken from my account so it obviously hasn't been processed. I emailed the membership department on friday as I work before and after office hours and got no response. So at some satge 1 more will be added to the total. Just hope they haven't lost my form.

And don't forget before Footscray he was at Geelong as an assistant developing players like Johnston, Ablett, Scarlett, before they won their series of Premierships.

He has been one our best and most consistent players for three years. Truth be told, I am completely baffled by his omission. I haven't worried about a small forward cutting us up for years.

Found out this afternoon that we're having a girl. Due date is the first week of finals but will sign her up by Monday!