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Only demons supporters would lament the fact their new sponsor produced blended whisky rather than single malt. Hilarious.

Who said we've got no spirit !?

We didn’t get Lever so we could play TMac in defence. His leading, marking in front (which none of our players seem to be able to do) and kicking for goal is very good. He plays forward.

Good news - the MCC has revised its estimate and is now predicting 85,000, up from 82,000 yesterday. So it looks like my OP has had the desired effect and this thread has been a huge success. For the record, last year's game (85,657) was the largest home-and-away crowd we've drawn since 1964 (86,664), and the largest ever for a Melbourne-Richmond game. Would be great to top those and set some new records on Tuesday. After all the years in the wilderness when we were irrelevant to the competition and never played in a game of consequence, it's so good to be front and square again on the big stage. Hope we turn it on and produce our best, most exciting footy.

Superseded only by the nightmare of Harmes in the ruck.

On the field.

Oh spare me.. you look at that photo and immediately make the observation that Max is just strolling around? What happens if Lever was put under immense pressure from s handball or kick and had little time to react? Could have been around a stoppage area? Sold into in trouble? Demonland at it's best.

Full forward, chopping out in ruck, swinging back only if needed.

Jordan on the track with hand heavily bandage, looked to be acting as assistant coach. Sam Frost in the rehab group. Neville Jetta tested and seemed to have passed fitness. Tom Mcdonald expects to be training with the main group next week. Plenty of tackling practice, disposal and being very aggressive when under pressure was empathised . Demands by the coaching staff to run hard when ball turns over during 7 on 7 game stimulations. Plenty of running for the group that played against Hawthorn. Lots of marking drills for our talls. Jesse Hogan, Nathen Jones, Max Gawn all look ready to win against Richmond. Brendan McCartney very optimistic about knocking off Richmond. A hard at it training session for the players.

Is there anything about the club the media hasn't covered this week...?

Melbourne - Getting rid of gamblers and introducing alcoholics???

Hilarious non-story from SEN about Tom McDonald including this gem: "According to SEN news breaker Sam McClure, the 25-year-old’s rehab is going according to plan..." Wow. That's breaking news?

Players who draw the short straw for the mandatory pressers are on a hiding to nothing. Get panned for saying too much, get panned for not saying enough, or my favourite: get panned for saying anything it all. It’s like some fans expect hin to just stand there in front of the media in stony silence and not answer any of the questions. Just DO something, Gawn! Don’t crack jokes, kick that goal! Even though it’s Wednesday morning and you’re in a makeshift press room somewhere instead of on the MCG and the game was 3 days ago, DO something!

Oh FFS.

Just saw that Johnnie Walker is now an official partner. After last Sunday, perfect timing....

Frawley is a $%#@carter.

Was thinking the same DC... wonder if each team will get a brand. Ruski and Smirnoff self select for GWS and perhaps Port Ellen for Port (does sound like a great drop ... 35 year old malt from the Isle of Islay and a price to match.) Of course it's great that we didn't get Tanqueray !!

Could easily add Ricky Petterd and Frosty Miller. And talking of history, yes we do have a very rich history with the Tigers. So this annual game could be the Checker Hughes Cup. Particularly as the game was conceived to honour his distinguished war service and his role at both clubs: A star midfielder for Richmond in three successive Grand Finals, including the 1920-21 triumphs Hughes coached the Tigers into the finals in each of his six seasons, for five Grand Finals and one flag He then took Melbourne to September seven times, culminating in six Grand Finals for four premierships and the first draw (against Essendon). And, re named us from Fuschias to the Demons we are today. To read more of his life and the ANZAC Eve dedication see this article. It is a long read but really worth it. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-04-24/frank-checker-hughes-war-hero-and-giant-of-two-clubs A photo from the article: Demon Royalty, right there. 20 plus Demon Premierships between them. Oh, those were the days... If our team on Tuesday can harness a fraction of the competitiveness and courage of those guys, we will win.

Better than Josh Walker.

Single Malt at least MFC!!

At Etihad vs Ess

Ok I feel bad that I said I wasn’t going and after reading some of the comments on here, so [censored] it I’m going now

Seeing as White is not a Melbourne listed player that's going to be difficult to achieve 'Deemania'...

Man for Man and strength for strength we match up well against the Tigers. We also have the potential to rebound after last week's poor display. Unfortunately the absence of Tom and Jack V will make the difference in this game. We simply are not as good as the Tigers without them. I hate honourable losses. Hate them because they concede we are not a true match of our opposition. l fear that is most likely how many of us will feel on Tuesday night UNLESS one or 2 or 3 of our forward guns can light up the sky. Trac, Gus, Jesse, Bayley (if selected) or even Jeffy. Just mentioning the string if players capable of turning a game gives us genuine hope we are capable of winning it. It ain't over until it's over. I will trundle off to the G like very many other Dee fans, hopeful that we can show those bastards we are now a different and stronger Melbourne, not the one of recent years passed. We've got talent all over the ground let's really hope the players are primed to deliver all they've got. Goody is a very green coach on a steep learning curve. I hope he has opened his mind to some of the wiser heads around him to play players where they play best. Really looking forward to this challenge of players and coach.

So he will do a Kent Kingsley and kick 10...

If I had the option of going to the game I’d go in a heartbeat. You Melbournians are a bunch of whinging spoilt brats, this game isn’t about you or your feelings or how hard you think you’re done by because we were outplayed last weekend. By all means stay at home and sip your turmeric chai activated almond milk latte while eating gluten-free lentil pasta with charcoal enriched kale crumbed organic tofu. It’s an honour the team gets to play Anzac Eve, go and support them. Case closed.

So you are going to play T Mac at Casey DV8? That is the only way he will be in the same side as the Weid. He has done nothing yet to suggest he is anything more than an average VFL KPF.

Can anyone identify the boundary umpire throwing the ball to the Gawn?

Weideman had 1 more possession and 1 less goal than Pedersen against Werribee. He's a better ruck too. I think Weid just shades Pedersen due to his ruck work.

Leaders do not need to be called to action. If they do, they werent leaders to begin with.

Gee this is an uplifting thread! And uplifting week on Demonland.

So we could still have another 4 bad games and still be improving year on year!

He was a great forward, for a very long time. He was a better CHB but needed for goal production.

The success of Richmond isn't the quality of individual players, they had stars like Rance, Martin, Cotchin and Riewoldt for years and were still rubbish. The difference is they play so well as a team, the star power of the likes of Martin is just the icing.

I saw some footage earlier on Fox on the "weekend low down" which has Nick Dal Santo, Ben Dixon among others and one thing they highlighted was the "laziness" that was displayed by some of the players in the middle of the ground. Essentially, as a collective we weren't putting enough pressure on the ball carrier or at shutting down the next "chip kick" option which allowed them to progressively move the ball forward with ease. Another interesting point was that since how we are such a mediocre pressure side at the moment, there's not enough pressure on the opposition ball carrier which means they don't "sky it" as much to allow players like Jake Lever to take intercept marks. In other words, if no one is pressuring, the opposition is entering attack with no pressure and can easily execute a good option which makes our defenders more vulnerable.

Balic was training on Tuesday and seemed to be moving freely.

Missing a 20m shot at goals means you are a [censored] kick for goals from 20 metres out. It doesn't mean you lack leadership qualities. If Max had missed a rove and snap on the siren would he be trashed as a leader? Leadership equals effort and drive from the front. He hauled his arse down the field to be in the right position after rucking all day. He was also reportedly out alone practicing his set-shots from the failed range during training this week. That is leadership - not some extraordinary natural skill-set.

Josh Mahoney said tonight to KB, Doc and Dermie on SEN that TMac would be playing next weekend - " AFL or VFL".

'Illusionary' is the word you were looking for picket

Anyone who can go but chooses not to is doing a great disservice to the club. If we want these blockbusters and to be treated like we matter by the AFL then it is on the supporters to actually turn up and support. We need to get over 80k, preferably over 85k again.

Should start kicking goals from 20m out directly in front as a leader. Just saying.

Anything's possible in this cockamamie world. Here's something just as conceivable, probable and even likely. They flubbed it, as they have flubbed nearly every challenge in recent times. (Go further back in time if you want.) This is the team that is "burning" after their finish to 2017. They can't sleep at night! They'll run through brick walls, these guys! Even go on a boot camp to prove their single minded will to win! Currently ranked no. 1 at Champion data at "flubbing it" and "putting the cue in the rack" categories and last in "grit & determination". Bouncing back against RFC is the absolute minimum these guys have to show.

Maynard, Frost and Jetta in the rehab group initially. Jetta later joined the craft groups but seemed to be limiting his running. Didn't look in any discomfort and was working with the backs later in the session. Weid, King and Flipper doing some drills together early whilst Gawn was in the main group but joined all in full training later. Interesting that Weid was in this group whilst Pedo was with the main group. Doesn't seem as though Pedo is seen as a replacement/second ruck. No sign of Viney or Vanders. Tommy Mac was running slow laps (in runners) for the first bit of the session and then did some work in football boots but nothing like full pace. He did a lot of goal kicking practice and was very good. He was kicking with both left and right and not favouring any foot. Who knows if they were playing ducks and drakes in the "open" session but if he is as close as suggested I would have expected him to be in the main group or at least doing some high intensity stuff. Joel Smith didn't do the whole session and finished with the rehab boys at the end but didn't look to be in any discomfort. I'd think it was a management issue. Hunt also didn't do the full session and was practicing torps from about 60 out and also long drop punts to the boundary from defence. Didn't look in any discomfort either and was kicking the ball a mile. Tyson did the full session. Was at the northern end as well and Melksham and Bugg seemed to be having a competition at shots at goal. Melk took the chocolates but you wouldn't feel confident with either having a shot. There were lots of different groups doing things so it was difficult to see everything. It wasn't a hard session, just a bit of short sharp intensity work and craft work. Questions welcome.