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As we get ready to see in the New Year let's hope we can realise the promise that was shown in 2018 and bring home the big one. ...but more importantly here's wishing a happy and healthy New Year to you all. Cheers, Rjay

Happy New to all, particularly the guys who run the site. You do a fine job, even if the odd post gets silently deleted!! 2019 New Season. We Can win it, i don’t want to hear about 2020 or 21 We can win number 13 in 2019 if things go our way and the team is seriously hungry Have a great and safe night Demons

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS - 2018 by Whispering Jack Melbourne atoned for the heartbreak of its frustrating finish to the 2017 season by, at long last, making the finals and then disposed of two highly credentialed and experienced teams in Geelong and Hawthorn before it capitulated meekly to eventual premier West Coast in the Preliminary Final in Perth. The club’s progression has been forward and upward since it finished 2013 with two wins and appointed Paul Roos as coach. The number has increased to four, seven, 10, 12, and now 14 games. The Demons made the finals for the first time in a dozen years and are now tracking for their first premiership in five and a half decades. In the women’s game, the club’s second season of AFLW competition was dogged throughout by inaccuracy in front of goal causing it to again just miss out on grand final honours finishing third after losing 4.7.31 to 5.3.33 to rivals and eventual premiers, the Western Bulldogs in the final round. The Demons were well led by Daisy Pearce and had a star player in Karen Paxman. They will miss their skipper Pearce, who will be out of the forthcoming season on maternity leave - a first for the womens competition. The Demons started their men’s campaign with a win in their section of the novelty AFLX competition, then won their two JLT Community Series games against North Melbourne in Hobart and St Kilda at Casey Fields, the latter in unconvincing fashion after building a big lead early. The opening round AFL match against Geelong resulted in a disappointing loss after a missed shot from Max Gawn in the final thirty seconds ceded a 3 point loss. The club won its next two matches, again unconvincingly although their round 3 win against North Melbourne broke a long run of defeats going back over more than a decade. A poor game against Hawthorn and a final term collapse on Anzac Day Eve against the Tigers had Melbourne down with a 2 - 3 record. The revival began against Essendon and continued over the ensuing weeks as the Demons stretched their winning run to six games culminating with big wins against Carlton and Adelaide at Alice Springs and a solid victory over the Bulldogs. At the halfway mark of the season they were challenging for a top four spot on 8 wins and 3 defeats. The improvement had come from the return of injured pair Tom McDonald and Angus Brayshaw, the dominance of Max Gawn in the ruck and the strong form of Clayton Oliver and the young midfield. Jesse Hogan was consistently in the goals. Jake Lever who had taken a while to get his bearings but was solid during the six game winning spree sustained an ACL injury in round 11 and it took a while for the defence to recover from his loss, regroup and consolidate. In the interim, the experimentation in this area was partly the reason for a poor month that saw a three-game losing streak including a disappointing loss to lowly St. Kilda. Earlier defeats to Collingwood on Queens Birthday and away to Port Adelaide might have been expected but the loss to the Saints hit hard and possibly cost the team the coveted double chance. Melbourne might have lost its star recruit, Lever, in midseason but the club did unearth two young players in Bailey Fritsch and Charlie Spargo who were both drafted in the 30s and established themselves as regulars for much of the year although they understandably ran out of steam a little at the end of the season. The Demons regrouped after the slump. The back line steadied when Sam Frost returned to help the improving Oscar McDonald in a key defensive role but, after returning to the winning list against the Dockers in Darwin and the Bulldogs at the MCG, they suffered some disappointing losses involving an after-the-siren goal to Zach Tuohy in the return game against Geelong and a home upset against Sydney after some shocking inaccuracy in the first quarter and a half kept the Swans in the game. The injuries were mounting and the loss of Hogan at that point in time appeared devastating to a team that had yet to record a win against a top eight side. All that changed dramatically over the next four games starting with the Eagles in Perth and followed with a big win over the Giants that saw Melbourne finish in fifth place with a percentage of 131%. Then followed the emotion of a return to finals football and sound victories against seasoned playoff teams in Geelong and Hawthorn in front of crowds that gave majority support to the perennial underdog buoyed by the return from injury of co-skipper Jack Viney and the emergence at last of young key forward Sam Weideman who more than amply filled Hogan’s shoes. Not for the first time in the modern history of the club, the wall was hit out west. The Demons looked spent in the early moments of their preliminary final in Perth against West Coast and much like last year’s lapse at the final hurdle against Collingwood, this one game is likely to inhabit the players’ collective memory over the summer and into the new season. Many players excelled and grew in 2018 and the depth of the club revealed itself when injuries struck. Max Gawn won the ‘Bluey’ Truscott’ medal and led an emerging midfield including the co-skippers Nathan Jones and Viney, a resurgent Angus Brayshaw (3rd in the Brownlow), Christian Petracca and Christian Salem and the incredibly improved James Harmes who stepped up several levels in the course of a season. The forward line was the best in the competition as many avenues were opened up to goals, breaking down only in that last final. The disappointment of that performance will surely act as a spur for even further improvement in 2019. That improvement is expected to come from a defence bolstered by the recruitment of former Gold Coast skipper Steven May and the expected return of Jake Lever in the first month or so of the season. They join some solid performers in defence including Michael Hibberd and the indefatigable Neville Jetta - a star both on and off the field. The Demons also picked up a handy defender from the Suns in Kade Kolodjashnij and a big ruck back up for All-Australian ruckman Gawn in Braydon Preuss. The club drafted a bevy of youngsters who will all take time to develop at Casey. Melbourne farewelled Jesse Hogan, Dom Tyson and Dean Kent to other clubs via trades and Tom Bugg found a new home through the draft. Former club champion Bernie Vince retired late in the season after a meritorious 100 game career at his second club. Vince will not be entirely lost to the Demons as he has returned to the club in a part-time leadership and ambassadorial role for 2019. The loss that will hurt deeply is that of retiring CEO Peter Jackson who has overseen the six year progression from a team that won only two games in 2013 to become a preliminary finalist in 2018. Gary Pert has stepped into the breach to finish the task of leading the club to the promised land and a premiership.

Hunt is a conundrum. He does have genuine AFL attributes. He's like a cricketer who needs to hone his game and remove the errors. It's a coaching and development challenge, but I like what Hunt offers and can see him still being an important part of the team. There's no reason he still can't improve.

Scum

Latest is he's bruised but will play week 1. Has me worried though looking down the line and seeing Mack coming at you. Two weeks running he's taken heavy hits there. Well done again on tipping fun Macca. Good to get back on the podium.

Of course Smith battled manfully, carrying a foot injury so as not to weaken the team further, maybe that helped Pedo run rings

Hunt is highly regarded by Goodwin and co. - how do I know this? (Considering this isn’t coming from a board member I ‘know’ nor talking to staff at training...) Because they played him against Sydney after being out for an extended period. They rushed him in because he’s a point of difference or just better than similar players we have. He will earn his games this year that’s for sure. The wing/HBF will have some pretty handy players fighting for spots; Lewis, Jones, Stretch, Fritsch, KK, Salem, and Smith with Hore and Wagner behind those above. Some will have to find a place elsewhere or stay at Casey.

Great you guys got the winners today, well done! See... my spell is doing you guys wonders!! Happy New Year too all!!

There’s one yellow and blue umbrella and everything else in that photo is red and blue. Tunnel vision. Happy new year to all ‘landers. Lets hope it’s the year of the Dees.

Happy new year to everyone and happy premiership 2019 to all!

Next year is the year we break a 55 year drought. It will be unbelievable.

Australian Group & Listed Races Best Bet Strike Rate 73: 26 - 10 - 10

For unknown reasons, players that do an ACL at less than 18 are a very high chance of redoing the same ACL (almost 40%). Maybe the fact they are still growing makes it weak. The second ACL injury repair is usually a lot stronger. So here’s hoping it is like Max who also did his first one at 17 and second at 20.

Spoken like a boomer entirely lacking in self-awareness. Bravo.

I can’t recall off the top of my head being more invested in a player recently, than I was with Jesse. Then seeing him play for Casey that first year, I got really excited at what he might bring to the Dees. I wrote on DL that he was the closest I had seen to a young Carey. Well that is now history for me and the Dees. It is a lesson to me even at my age, not to invest too heavily in individual players, but rather the team as a whole. Good luck JH at the Dockers, though not against us. I have a pretty strong feeling that he won’t achieve the status in football that I thought he would back in his Casey days, but it is up to him and tbh, I don’t really care anymore. Go Dees and merry Xmas DL’s.

Cheers @Macca I wouldn't have won without your generous weekly notifications. And to be honest working some Sunday evenings had me checking demonland late before bed and doing my tips as Shefty was announcing the injuries that worked in my favour. Loving the wild card match ups this year, seems a really strong group of teams. An early play off prediction - the AFC is underrated and the NFC is a bit overrated. An early hope - Colts win so they go play the Chiefs, and the Ravens win and get the Pats match up.

"I'm afraid you've got a bad egg, Mr Home" "Oh, no, my Lord, I assure you that parts of it are excellent!"

It’s becoming all too common mate but that’s nothing. I lived and worked in Zambia and DRC in Africa for about six years and I can tell you that they value life a lot less than us westerners. Some of the traffic accidents over there are horrific but rather than stopping to lend a hand, the local first responders steal what they can from people who are dying. Shoes are the most common for obvious reasons in truly horrific cases.

Has anyone watched our team since 2016?

Easy to take post shots at the guy. Will remain a favourite even in freo colors. Gave us hope when we needed it. Hard trainer off field coming back in great condition at the start of the last preseason and was leading b and f or close before injury. Can't doubt his commitment to the club and hasn't broken any laws. We have all been on a bender in the past and good luck to him what he does during his break as long as mentally he is ok

Got a feeling Hogan might know a lot about bags.

and from the club website......... have the tissues handy The best bits of 2018

cheers, rjay. and the same happy and healthy 2019 to you and your loved ones. Lets hope we can all work further toward our Demons ultimate goals. Happy New 2019... Demonlanders.

Very happy new year to all on Demonland

And we have a winner in the tipping comp for the 2018 season! Congratulations go out to @DeeSpencer ... well played and well done! DeeSpencer scored heavily in the 2nd half of the season and even missed a couple of weeks so is a worthy winner. Hard luck to former winners in @Clintosaurus & @Dappa Dan in coming equal 2nd on points gained ... it came down to the very last game to decide things so the whole comp couldn't have been scripted better. Another former winner in @Gorgoroth shared 3rd place on points along with @Dee Zephyr and yours truly. Commiserations go out to @JV7 & @Dr. Gonzo who both led the Comp for a long period there and then both got passed in the last week. That's tipping for you! We might have to start calling you 'Schillaci' JV! As for @layzie @titan_uranus @Go the Biff & @DemonDave - there's always the Post Season tipping comp for the 2nd chance! But thanks to all for participating. It's been a lot of fun for me this season with a dozen people involved and for a while there I thought we were going to have multiple winners. But fair play to all in the way that you've participated - my task in running the comp has been made quite easy because of that. Hope to see you all for the post season tipping comp! Final Tally in the Tipping Comp 9 - DeeSpencer 8 - Clintosaurus, Dappa Dan 7 - Gorgoroth, Dee Zephyr, Macca ---------------------------------------------------------- 6 - JV7, Dr. Gonzo, layzie, titan_uranus 4 - Go the Biff 3 - DemonDave But to the winner goes the spoils

It would be great if that was the mentality and message that Goodwin emphasises to the players, and I am sure that is what has underlined his statements in the media, so far. We know it is a game by game proposition but the increasing diversity and depth augers well for this to be a clear victory pathway for 2019; provided: Gus is fit and remains fit Lever does not break down again, nor Viney, nor Harmes and Hunt Those with promise continue to develop, not falling off the bandwagon across the season, heralding a unique yet dominant footy gameplan with added talents, not just talents that can be accommodated (holding their heads above water) within the side Frosty is the No. 1 CHB and OMac ain't.

As was mentioned by a few posters here during the season in defense of our often lamented supposed lack of defense: Points against: 2018: 1749 2017: 1934 2016: 1991 2015: 2024 A cursory glance at the ladder shows that at least nine teams conceded more points than us during the regular season. Maths says no.

Master Po: It is just the notion of social evaluative contribution based on formative reasoning that differs and then it might progressively change to interpersonal evaluative judgements - depending on one's own haste for that change, itself. Grasshopper: uh .... right. Do you reckon Jesse is going to kick a bag when he plays us?

And that's useful once in a career. Football in the modern era is made up of 1%ers done repeatedly over the entire year, not some fluke long kick. The 1970s rang and asked you to beam yourself back.

It’s been common knowledge that the Suns medical team capabilities and rehab programs were far from effective. Take the knee issues O’meara, Prestia, Swallow and Lynch for example. All but Swallow has pulled the pin on the place which I found surprising but not so much surprising now that his older brother is part of the Suns FD. Hall rubbished the place soon after he got to North and IIRC made special mention of their inability to rehab the players properly. KK is another prime example of the Suns injury mismanagement given the final identification of the root cause took them eons to discover. Professional players look for success, get home sick or get fed up with being injured and not properly rehabbed. This is why I’m particularly confident that KK will be a fantastic inclusion to the team and a lock for Round 1.

Soft at the finish Macca. Well done on the exacta, healthy divvie. A winning double for the crew here today. Good job, play money for the EPL tonight, which reminds me to head over for some monkey business.

There's one where he's wearing a Dockers jumper. An act of rash stupidity that a number of young men these days unfortunately indulge in.

I didn't know Redleg played basketball for Australia. ?

The truth is that we are all the same at any age. We act on our basic instincts. The 'Me' generation can include anyone of any age. The selfish gene can afflict anyone, anytime. Millennials = Baby Boomers and anyone else in between. We forget what we were like when we were young - or perhaps we go into denial as we age. Oldies pointing the finger at the young is hypocritical.

The 'me' generation that has to spend 12 times the annual median income to afford a Sydney house instead of x4 like in the 70's. Additionally you have to factor in lower mortgage interest rates, higher saving rates, lower educational debt etc. C'mon mate. The baby boomers had it easy compared to today. They are the entitled generation, if any.

I reckon that’s a bit unfair on the current generation. Previous generations would have been just as bad if the technology was available to them.

I’ve always been curious as to what type of human one has to be when on sight of someone who’s had one too many, the first instinct is to snap a photo and circulate it on the internet.

Happy xmas deelanders. I will do what any atheist does on crissy day and get sloshed and dream of a demon flag.

Your metadata is probably being analysed as we speak.

Good luck to him and his family, he gave his all for us.

Well, snorting ice cream will do that...

Mike Sheehan was more than happy for Jesse to go, said he would straight swap May for Hogan in a heartbeat not to mention KK and picks. I thought he was crazy at the time but I'd suggest he had very good mail OD

Thankfully those days are over. Just today it was reported that recruits spent the first month living with a senior player, went to Alice on a camp together (again with club leaders) and will live together for 3 weeks in Kooyong as part of their induction to the club. They will learn early what is required of them and importantly given the internal relationships to support them now and as they develop.

Maybe he just had a really bad ice-cream headache?

Can confirm I am not those people. Long time lurker and Melbourne supporter from Perth.