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All I want to see is bloody goal kicking practice. Doing a drill Practicing low sharp stab passes. Look good although all of Hunts have missed the spot so far. Jeez Hibbo is a built unit. J Smith a very good size now. Doing a match simulation from the wing. Maxy smashing it forward and players running on clearing and going for goal. First one went in. Good start. Yeh now some goal kicking practice Tracs hardly missed. As for JKH and Nibbler both better play in the back line. Weids technique is a thing of beauty. Harmseys in a special vein of form at the moment. Everything he’s touching turns to gold. Hasn’t missed a shot. Nev and JKH the last 2 on the field. Thats a wrap.

Lovely morning for a hit out. It was again short and sweet. Jack Viney in runners, except for a little ball work, was mainly watching. Michael Hibberd had a short running test at the start, he then joined the main group. He looked unhampered. Aaron vandenBerg was not on the field. Jordan Lewis wearing kenty’s number 16 and Jake Melksham (I think) wearing Bernie‘s number 23. 24 players on the field including Jack. After warm ups they split into two groups, backs and forwards/mids. The backs had 9 players in the group, including Joel Smith, Jayden Hunt and Bailey Fritsch. After kicking drills along the boundary line then bringing the ball inside they gathered for an extended chat led by the coach Chaplin. The mids/forwards did some short drills, with the mids from a ball up, linking to half forwards who would link with full forwards. They ended with lots of goal kicking. Jay Kennedy-Harris training with mids/forwards and was last to leave the track. In the words of Brendan McCartney, “attack the ball”. Go Dees. from Kev Martin

Just welcomed a new Demon member to the world at just the right time that I can get to the game this Friday!!! Was due last Friday, arrived this morning, our 3rd child (2 girls, now a boy). Im taking this as an omen ???

I'm pretty sure he didn't train this time last week either. Probably getting the those tank tracks greased.

Down from Sydney. First time at training in 100 years. Flashbacks to ‘87. Surprisingly small amount of people here. Good news is Hibbo was just separated from the main group and did a couple of run throughs and is now back in the main group. Yee Haa!! Roll on Friday. Go Dees

Still don't underestimate the hawks.

Everyday scenes from the Whateley household: Gerry. Did you pay the power bills??? We just got a disconnection notice! Hmmm ... this could be an indication that we'll be without electricity. An uncertain future for the warmth and comfort of the Whateley premises. We'll keeping checking in and see how that pans out. Gerry, the school called today and said Delilah steals lunch money from the other kids. Hmmmmm ... the counterpoint to this is that the other kids are probably stealing Delilah's lunch money. One might press the notion that it all evens out .... in the long run. Dad, Marius keeps hitting me! Hmmmm ... scenes of disharmony in the Whateley household! Let's watch in the coming days and weeks to see what unfolds. Gerry. You big hunk of a man. Get the champagne while I slip into something more comfortable. Hmmmm ... interesting. Let's get some talkback from the kids about this proposal. Gerry, I'm leaving you. Hmmmm ... shocking news for the Whateley marriage. A bombshell revelation today. I'm serious. I want a trial separation. One's response can only be: We'll be right back after this break.

Oscar signs on until end of 2020 http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-09-13/oscar-signs-on-until-end-of-2020

Thanks to the good folk at Carlton Draft, Lord Nev has finally been recognised as back pocket royalty.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-phone-call-that-rocked-aaron-vandenberg-s-world-20180913-p503ki.html

FFS I absolutely hate these posts suggesting that no O'Meara means that we will be in for an easy time: they will replace him with someone else, and we must just focus on beating all who they put up against us. This is really dangerous and I hope that none of our playing group think this way

A very moving story. What an incredible character to deal with rehab, studies, losing his father, keeping the family business running. A very resilient young man. It was really good to have Jessie around to support him, to know what he was going through. Vandemon has done an amazing job for us since coming returning from nearly two years out of the game. He only had a few weeks at Casey and came into the seniors raring to go and hasn't blinked. Adds so much to our team by playing his role and the pressure he applies.

I believe Omac is the best full back of this century, and probably of all time. (If we keep saying it enough, it becomes true. I've seen it work at other clubs.)

HASSA!!! One of my all time favourite players. His pic used to take pride of place on top of the Telly back in the day! great to hear him taking an interest in the new look Dees!

Was feeling pretty nervous since the teams came out but a caller to SEN from Thailand of all places calmed me down a tad a short time ago. Said we were the kid that’s been bullied non-stop growing up and now we are a muscly 18 year old and it’s vengeance time. Finished off by saying Hawthorn will have their neck snapped tomorrow night. Let’s hope he’s right, although he sounded like he had guzzled several Singhas.

O'Meara and Stratton as outs are huge, the more so given their replacements are VFL-grade players (which isn't to say we don't carry some fringe players, because we do, it's more that their outs aren't being covered by strong replacements). This is how Geelong wanted to play us last week. In fact, I think it's how most teams will want to play us. Create scoring chains from our forward 50 turnovers and cut us up on the rebound. It's what happened in Round 4. Inside 50s were 54-53, but we lost by 11 goals. We got enough ball inside 50 but they waltzed it back out, belted through what little "zone" we had, and found space out the back. We're a much stronger side in all facets of the game than we were back then, of course, but if we mess up our inside 50s, miss easy shots at goal and give the ball back to them from turnovers, that's how they will work their way in front.

Looks like they needed a bigger goal square.

This is a game we should win even if O'Meara was playing. For me it's telling that none of their 3 "ins" would get a game in our 22.

Boys out on the track - minus the Casey group who will be training tonight. Hunt, J.Smith & JKH all with the main group this morning.

I actually think Stratton is a bigger loss for them. He controls their backline. But no Jaeger is a big plus for us. The boys need to know that wounded animals fight back hard and remember the weak Pies side that kept us out of the finals last year. They still need to bring their best game to win this.

When I was 7 years old, Jim Stynes came to my school, handballed a footy to me and said we'd win the flag. He was wrong (we got thumped by the Hawks in the GF), but a new Dee was born anyhow. The funny thing is that prior to Jimmy's sales pitch, I was a Hawks supporter. Sometimes I wonder what could have been, had I supported such a successful team... The answer is that I would have turned out boring. Us Demons have character. We're the Malteser you find behind the couch (everyone else eats those, right?), they've got soul. We've got soul.

Hassan Mann was there.Interviewed by 7 & 9 so should be on the news tonite.Overheard comments like they are a young team who are bonding now and will do for the next ten years..And Hoges ain’t gonna leave a successful team!When training finished he went over and talked to a few players.Hibbo looked fine.

So, what was it like at Gosch's Paddock in 1918? And was Saty there?

As already stated, the media loves a fairytale. Do we really need more Hawthorn stuff after more than a decade of dominance. They've had their time in the sun. It's our time to shine. Soak it up. It's better than reading about what a basket case we are.

For those of you who listen to the Demonland Podcast you might be familiar with the bet I had with my brother in law and my nephews. At the start of the year (pre-Round 1) we made a bet that whoever finished higher would have the pleasure of eating a family dinner whilst the loser wore the winners guernseys. I wasn't confident when I made the bet. I knew we would improve but Geelong are Geelong and with the exception of 2015 they had finished in the Top 4 for the better part of a decade. I also had the 2 narrow losses to hear all about throughout the year and boy did I cop it. Not only did I have to hear the Cats song blasted through my phone but those losses were 2 8 point games in our bet. A win in either of those games would have given me victory a lot earlier. Listeners of the podcast would know how nervous I was of winning this bet particularly in the last few rounds when the Cats had an easy run home and we had the draw from hell. Well the result is history now as we all know the Dees did not let us down. Victory was mine but now we faced them in the Elimination Final and even though they would shortly be delivering on the bet it would all be for naught if I had to eat dinner with them in Melbourne gear whilst they gloated about their victory in the Finals. If the roles were reversed and I lost the bet but won the final I would have happily (sort of) eaten in a Cats jumper whilst I talked smack about their team. Anyway, that was a moot point because yesterday they delivered on the bet and I couldn't have been happier. I got to eat and gloat and watch them squirm in red and blue. Shoutout to my sister in law who was not part of the bet but wore the red and blue well.

As per last week I'm just happy and relaxed with the fact that we are playing finals, a win is a bonus.

Based purely on his playing record he would appear to be a definite delist. BUT Nev seems to have taken him under his wing hoping that, like Nev himself, a failed small forward can become a top small defender. It sounds as if he is a work in progress in the role, so if there is no pressing need for list places, given our draft numbers, and if the footy department genuinely feel that he could have a resurrection like the once delisted Nev had, then will probably be retained in some capacity.

Dr Cool remains in the house! From the article: Dr Cool has developed into an integral part of Melbourne’s side, and a mainstay in the team’s backline. Dr Cool made his AFL debut in round 22, 2015 against Fremantle at Subiaco, which also happened to be Nathan Jones’ 200th AFL game. The 22-year-old Dr Cool has played the past 40 matches in a row for Melbourne and his form in recent weeks has been another reason for the team’s rise. One of his most staunch fans, Demonland's binman, had this to say: Well done Omac. You have been driving the haters mad with your excellence, calmness, decision making and ability to beat the best forwards in the game, week in week out. So much so that the haters are now as rare as a humble Hawks fan. But beware young man. They are still lurking, waiting for a single error so they can make silly calls like 'lets bring May in' or 'you should be allowed to further develop in the twos now that Frosty has surpassed you'.

Do we think he's a Seinfeld fan?

Have been to several Casey games over the past 2 years and given his form in the 2nd half of the year since being shifted to defence, he's a retain for me on a 1 year extension. We've got Balic & Vince already retired with Pedersen likely to follow suit. Filipovic & King are in the delist basket ahead of Dion, plus throw in Bugg who will likely seek opportunities elsewhere and Garlett who may get traded out, I see value in an extra year for Dion. Lets not forget we're coming into this draft late. Keep for me, with a huge 2019 required.

Massive test this week in terms of our maturity. Going in on the back of a big win, overwhelming favourites and big expectations. Clarko and the Hawks will be sitting back licking their lips ready to ambush us. Boys need to go in with the same intensity and pressure as last week. Make statements from the first bounce

I can’t describe the depth of my loathing for the Hawthorn football club. Growing as a kid through the 80’s and early 90’s (born in 78) it seemed like half of my mates barracked for the Hawks and bar a period of maybe 5 years, they have absolutely owned us. Since the 1987 prelim. I have detested them. Countless beltings of the team and 31 years of their arrogant supporters giving it to us. I want nothing more than to knock them off this weekend. I want a changing of the guard moment. I want them hurt. I want them to fear the Melbourne Football Club.

love and acknowledgement of the blokes who aren't playing...

Personally i cant hold that against them. When we win a GF im gonna be the person who everybody goes out of their way to avoid. I will go to work wearing MFC gear every day, walking around with my chin up in the air like Toby Green, and talk up my teams' premiership every single [censored] opportunity i get. Im over 50 and have never seen a premiership so i will make the absolute most of it. Humility ,grace and modesty can wait for the 3rd cup in a row.

Because their success has had no humility with it, no grace and no modesty.

premierships since I was born HFC 12 MFC 0

I thought we hated the Hawks because we have beaten them about five times in 50 years.

Watching the 1987PF & 1988GF from the stands is my main reason And then having to watch on as Ridley tried to merge us just fuelled it further

I cant' see how anyone can argue that tagging over someone elses 'street art' with this rubbish is classified at okay.

Be honest re Johnstone (and the same applies for King & Filipovic as well) - if he wasn't on our list already, there is nobody on the planet who would be advocating that he be recruited based on his performances over the past two years. If he is not good enough to be drafted in November, why would you offer him a new contract? Time to cut our losses and give someone else a go.

Never been the victim of mindless vandals destroying your property? Tagging is a blight on society perpetrated by inarticulate lowlifes that are incapable of owning or appreciating property or art. Street art has a place tagging is a disgrace.

Yep, just for the fact that Bugg was in and now he isn't, is a massive improvement. Plus the form of Gus, Harmes and Salem has vastly improved since that game. We are a totally different team.

I grew up tagging, I now do street murals in legal places for a hobby. Based on his "raise hell" letters, I'd be willing to bet the guy that did this mural did the same thing when he was a kid. It's the usual progression into this style of art form. If we make the grand final I'll do a Demonland wall!

Hawks fans are forgetting they had one of the easiest draws to finish off the season. Let’s look at who they played from round 15 onwards: Giants - L Bulldogs - W Lions - L Carl - W Freo - W Ess - W (4 pts) Cats - W (fell over the line) St.Kilda - W (4 pts) Sydney - W (SCG where Swans have been bad all year) Their record against top 8 teams are 5-4 but those wins came against Us, Pies in rnd 1 when they were no good. Geelong twice, and Sydney at the SCG. I think their top 4 finish has really flattered them. They lost to Brisbane twice, and 8 of their last ten wins came against teams in the bottom 8 with the only two wins being Sydney and Geelong. Obviously none of this history matters when it reaches 7:50pm on Friday night, but it’s why I’m confident in tipping the Dees to an 8 goal win. Hearing Lewis speak on 360 last night, you can tell the Hawks won’t be taken lightly at all. Also the team wasn’t overly impressed with the Geelong win with lots of areas for improvement identified.

Every single news article is about us. Hawks flying under the radar. They didn't finish top 4 without reason. I'm nervous about this build up. The gloating Hawks supporters will be unbearable if we lose this.

I can't explain how excited I am about this. I don't think I've felt as good about our footy team as I do now. Even in 2000 - that was a great ride, but it was against the odds and we were never going to beat the unstoppable Bummers in that year. This year, we've navigated just about every hurdle we needed to (can't beat top 8 sides being the biggest), we're in form at the right time, we play a style of footy that is built for finals, and we're every bit as good as any of the teams we're going to come up against. It's the polar opposite of how I felt in the run of games prior to the West Coast game, where the leadup to every game felt like a complete grind. Just waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the team to clear that final hurdle to prove they are as capable as we all hoped. Finally they got there with the West Coast win. The game's obviously not won yet though and by Friday afternoon I won't even be able to pretend to work anymore and I'll be on the brink of a good spew - standard fare for all of us this week I suppose. I'll be bitterly disappointed if we can't get it done, but we also have to understand that by this stage of the comp, every team will be as determined as we are, and there can only be one winner in every game. I believe we will anyway, we are good enough. Go Melbourne.

Loved his call on Hannan’s goal!

Good stuff. Selwood would flop over if he walked past it.