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There is an article in The Mercury but I can't get behind the pay wall. A snippet says: "AFTER 10 years and 141 games at AFL club Melbourne, one of North Hobarts favourite sons, Colin Garland, could make his return for the Demons in the TSL against Lauderdale at North Hobart Oval on Saturday". My favourite Col moment was when he played forward and kicked a few goals which gave us a win against Ess and then jumped into Neeld's arms with joy when the siren went. 2012 was it? My favourite but poignant comment from him was when Frawley won a premiership medal and Col was asked what he thought. Col's response was something like 'it wouldn't mean much if it wasn't with Melbourne.' That says it all about the type of person he is. Sadly another player who gave his all but perhaps was too scarred from our abysmal years to make the transition when Roos joined. Glad the club gave him the chance to try coaching before leaving entirely. Wish him well and glad his local side is also a Demon outfit!

"You're really good at footy, Jesse". "You're really good at footy too, Tom".

I am really glad I found Demonland (thanks Browney!). It is really opening my eyes to footy and is a really insightful read. You guys do an ace job. (Also, embarrassingly, caused me to sign up as a member for the first time in the 31 years I've been barracking.)

They're different. Happy to have both.

As this article explains - Colin Garland has headed back to Tas for personal reasons. I don't really care for the AFLW competition, nor have I met Colin Garland, but jeez, something in me feels rather rather sad about him leaving the football club- even though everything is always transitory. Always seemed like a lovely bloke and really insightful. Hope all goes well for him in the future, whatever that may look like.

In my opinion spread is not going to be helped by one outside midfielder, sure someone like Gaff who can run those outside lines is handy, but spread happens from good skill execution in space, off a turnover/intercept possession or as seen on some of our kick outs. Gone are the days of needing a genuine outside mid and it is more necessary to have players execute with the footy well when we are on the break. When we are able to hit targets, we move the ball as quick as any other team and it’s not footspeed that this movement is dependent on. This is not to say that an outside mid is not a weapon, but players with good decision in congestion become outside players as they are able to judge when team mates will win the footy and then spread. Our biggest issue is the over commitment to the contest, which we are finally starting to correct and has lead to better ball movement over the last couple of weeks. By moving the ball better, it will highlight our lack of need for a genuine outside mid as our game style is more relient on using our half backs as deliverers of the footy, and then having overlap from the mids. But don’t get me wrong, Gaff would be a handy addition and an upgrade on someone like Harmes, but I also think his lack of versatility would not be in his favour in our team.

4 Dees in Cornes teamof the week Hibberd Gawn Oliver Hogan Well done lads.

Is that the same ladder predictor that our club used before round 23 last year which prompted them to tell us about finals tickets?? In which case I think it would be better left down :-((((

It was mentioned On the Couch that we are the number 1 in the competition for winning the contested ball - and that is without Viney. This means that possibly Salem will play more outside as a distributor when he comes back. Clarrie, Viney and Gus on the inside, augmented by Trac, Hoges and TMac makes a powerful unit and Melksham along with the newbies Spargo and Fritsch who are good ball users will be the beneficiaries of this dominance. Could be a special time ahead.

I`m loving the retro clash jumper. And we just happen to be 3-0 when wearing it!

Someone on Bigfooty posted this if your interested. https://predictor.squiggle.com.au/

Anyone remember young Hoges tossing Rance around like the little [censored] he is?

He got my blood pressure up, that's for sure.

If Salem is fit he comes in, probably for ANB, who has had low disposals and high turnovers, despite his pressure acts. I would rest Vince for a game and save him the travel as well, on the back of a 6 day turnaround and a heavy recent load. That makes a spot for Viney if he is to come straight in. Garlett is the interesting one, with poor recent form, but 5 match winning goals last time at the Gabba. To be honest, I would save Viney the travel and play him the next week at the G against the Blues and just do the two changes above, Salem and Jeffy for ANB and Vince. BTW any talk of dropping Spargo is mad, he is a revelation. Has not made a mistake. We need to get as many games into him, Bayley and Weid as possible. PS. A big hello to the Oscar haters of last year, he has been nothing short of sensational and is becoming one of our most important players.

Brayshaw may be more all rounded but i don't think he has the highs of Petracca

Apparently BT to his credit apologised on Talking Footy for his on air comments. It’s the ones who came out firing in the cold light of day after having a chance to properly review the tape that should be apologising. Are their eyes painted on? How did they not see Carlisle’s second action? Why did they need the goal post footage? I genuinely don’t understand. My eyes are shithouse and I saw him strike the throat when it happened live.

The way he come out firing during his 1st season it was plain to see Brayshaw was going to be a gun. Hit a few road bumps over the next couple years mainly due to his raw courage and is now starting to find the rhythm again. Petracca just needs to improve the tank and find more ball.

The umps make it up as they go, their understanding of the rules and game is average at best

Can anyone explain why Weideman wasn't given a free for front on contact in the first qtr when the Saint player ran straight through him? He did hit the ball with his fist but made no attempt to mark the ball. I thought this was an automatic 'front on' free? I have seen much lesser incidents paid....

Just delete him and block the number, you don't need dumb people dragging you down.

It’s like comparing Hogan and TMac. Both have different strenghts, but compliment each other.

A couple of questions for avid training and Casey watchers. How are Baker and Balic progressing? Are these potentially what we need here?

You mean the guy who was slow and had poor foot skills before he missed two years of football with a foot injury?

Where’s your weekly “ will destroy us topic?” It has worked the last two weeks.

And we never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Hopefully we break that habit. A win puts us in the 8 with Carlton to come.

They complement each other. Much like Selwood and Dangerfield. And Cotchin and Martin. In the years to come, that is.

What has always impressed me about Brayshaw is his intensity and work ethic.

Throw Jones and Tyson and that's batting pretty deep.

Weak supporters don’t cough up for memberships for 35+ years and donate money to the club and travel to most interstate games from my own pocket as well as all Victorian games. I call it as I see it, some don’t like it, on this occasion I got it wrong as I assumed the umpire didn’t see it front on and from the footage I saw it looked like the chest, as did some commentators. I also give credit where’s its due. Not many on here even apologise for being wrong, but I always do. I’m still going to say that Hogan went to ground easily, the force didn’t appear strong and Hogan is a big boy, it is what it is, all I care about is winning the next two games.

3 talls doesn't usually work and can leave sides top heavy, but in Tmac and Hoges we have 2 very mobile and multi dimensional forwards who are a fair headache for oppositions to match up on

Ah ok, thanks. That explains the Jack Steele $2000 fine I guess. He perhaps should've punched Maxy in the face, apparently there's no charge for something like that....

People would have thought that T Mac would be underdone but he has shown this is not the case.

No not the same unit. I know Dr. David Bolzonello from Alphington sports medicine clinic joined the MFC this year. The crew at Alphington have been working with elite athletes/olympians for the 25 years I have been going. He takes no [censored] and will not be forced into anything. IMHO he was the one that said Viney/Tmac would not play for 6-8 weeks!

To think that the Brayshaw thread three weeks ago was screaming for him to be traded at fire-sale prices... We're a fickle bunch.

I start very few threads, in fact i think this is probably only my 2nd or 3rd in my time on DL. But i am really excited about a new innovation on afl.com called stats pro. Well to be precise excited about the video element where you can watch the edited video of every players involvements for each game from the start of 2017. The involvements match the stats collected on afl stats pro, so spoils, one percenters, score involvements, frees against, kicks, marks, clangers etc. You can watch every involvement or just highlights. But you can also select specific involvements (which are often part of clusters of involvements). Unfortunately it is only for telstra mobile customers who have live pass but i wanted to flag it those who have live pass. It is brilliant and a fascinating way to analyse how individual players perform. Genuinely new way to absorb the game and will definetley allow viewrs to assess players more objectively. Ive watched the video for about 8 of the players from the bombers game. Addictive. One player that was interesting was tyson. His game was much better than i haf thought it was. Got caught a couple of times and a couple of clangers but jeez he was involved in alot of good clearances and scoring chains. Weideman was another whise game was better than i had thought (albeit still not fantastic). He looks quite a natural ruck man. Has anyone used this yet?

This is not the Fab Five, If i might humbly propose we call our midfield the 'Hunters & Collectors' (eight contested ball winners, get it?), on our way to the Holy Grail, (Although somedays I think I am going to be as old as the 'Grail Knight' in the Indiana Jones film by the time we salute..) Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw, Hogan, Salem, Petracca, Jones and Tyson

Not sure we need to compare the two and be happy that we have both of them. If you are judging and comparing them on this past game you must remember that Trac was in a hospital bed for the good part of a week and barely had time on the track.

I’m not sure if this has anything to do with it but as we get to most games early we notice Trac during the warm-up miss a lot of shots at goal. Most of his practice consists of bad angle and snap shots. One of the Fox Footy shows last night made a mention that Breust has the same pre-game routine. 30 metres out and directly in front when practising his goal kicking, keeping it simple.

This article is about the AFL trying to control where players go: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/womens-afl/aflws-two-newest-clubs-and-league-on-a-war-path-over-afls-list-management-approach-described-as-dictatorship/news-story/db55f5c6edcd4ab2c4b3c952fd13db06 Re some Melbourne players - Geelong has a 'strong desire' to lure Mel Hickey and Lily Mithen. The Cats are starting to play 'dirty' re Mithen: "It’s understood the Cats have told her she can play VFLW for Geelong this season only if she agrees to join the AFLW team for the 2019 season". A tough call for a 20 year old to make. Lily is fairly smart and not being seduced by it at this stage: "{She} will reportedly join Darebin in the interim before making a call on her future once all the building blocks are in place regarding salary caps and payment structures". I heard an interview with Kate Sheehan where she said Melbourne is the club most AFLW players aspire to as it has the best culture just as @Macca has said in the op. Hope we can keep our core players together as they are just beginning to be a really cohesive unit.

I personally don't want to compare Petracc an Gus as l love both of them playing for us. They are going to be super players and help build a great culture and hopefully lead to a to a premiership . Need to sign up Gus sooner rather than later. How fortunate we are to have both of them.

Fritsch. Early days but that left boot is, so far, a thing of beauty. Seems to make good decisions and obviously good above his head too Salem. Can kick, makes good decisions Spargo. Yeah right O, right O he will never look like Isaac Smith gracefully running down the wing but has anyone seen him waste a possession yet? Small sample group like Fritsch but always seems to put it to the favour of the receiving player. We want the ball in Charlie’s hands.

I have question marks over Gus' disposal (particularly by foot over short distances). I don't remember him hitting a target by foot in the first half. In the second he kept it simple and less fancy and was a lot more effective. He was brilliant in fact.

Just a side note; I am thrilled that our first 2 draft picks in the 2017 draft are playing already and playing well. Taylor is one of our most important signings in the past 10 years

Probably trying to make up for the fumbles, missed targets and mistakes he made during the game.

Just watched the replay of the first half after watching the second half yesterday. Two things - I really loved the way we regularly switched play rather than dumping it long down the wing. Gee, we looked dangerous every time we did this. second - I counted about 85 throws from the Saints, not one of them was picked up. I swear the umpires must have felt sorry for them. Gees it was frustrating.

Early forecast is 22 and sunny, no reason not to run with the tall forward line again and see if we can't stretch the suns defence, in particular if May doesn't get up

Petracca has to work on his set shots. He is at a putrid 1.6 for the year.

now you are talking .... I would pay extra for crowd noise only not to mention the ability to access different camera angles. The hyped up commentary is really jarring ... to me at least