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As the off-season comes to a close I wanted to say thankyou to all who have been active on Demonland in the off season. As always, it's been informative, entertaining and sometimes maddening. And it's been a decent time-waster, too. Particular thanks to all those who posted training reports which helped us appreciate the work being done as we head into what we all hope will be a successful 2019. Similarly, thanks to the site administrators and moderators who keep this wonderful form of social media going. Go Dees.

So i was planning to drive from Shepparton on Saturday with my sister who is also an MFC tragic. I honestly can't remember if we have ever attended a game together in our more than 50 years on earth, so i was really looking forward to it. Tonight i got a message from someone i work with, who is the mother of a Port player in this rounds team. She asks if we are happy to go to the game with them. (This lady is also the nurse who controls my roster at work). The best part of this offer is that her husband is an absolutely MAD Dees supporter. OFC i said yes, we would be most happy to share the drive to Melbourne. Long story short, i was asked if it was OK that we waited about 30 mins after the game so they could pop down to the rooms and see their boy. She also said it would be less of a wait if Port won. My reply.... No worries, my sister and i will be busy singing "Its a Grand Old Flag" after the match..... take as long as you want. P.S. Why is it longer if you lose? Her reply was in the screenshot attached.............

If I was a Port supporter, I'd be worrying that Ken Hinkley hasn't realised this is Round 1 and is instead picking a team to help him win a game of Scrabble.

That’s the time between elections

Kids aren't necessarily at risk or in direct danger but is it okay for kids to see this sort of violence unfold in front of them? NO. Have you seen the video? The bloke went postal and started throwing huge punches. Absolutely appalling. Don't need to know any of the context. Violence displayed by this individual should see him banned.

Its never good to see a player be seriously injured. But there is a bit of karma in Rance's knee injury. How many players have his knees seriously damaged? Rance often goes for a mark leading with his knee into a players head or back even when he has no chance of marking. He broke Tim Smith's ribs a couple of years ago. Smith didn't play again for a while. As they say 'live by the sword, die by the sword'. Richmond have been lucky with injuries. This will test them.

How good is it not to see a swarm of team runners on the ground zoning?

Also a shout out to Jack Watts and Jesse Hogan. Who once again demonstrated to the AFL that it doesn't need to manufacture off-season interest through one-month trade weeks and grand final time-slot speculation when it has twenty-something year-old blokes as its prime commodity.

? | https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2019-03-22/melbourne-players-to-wear-black-armbands

Anyone else noticed the total drop off in quantity and quality of content on the official website over the last 3-4 months. It’s a complete dogs breakfast at the moment. I hope whoever is in charge gets a rocket. I understand that over the preseason not a lot happens, but I hoped that with R1 upon us it might have stepped up, but if anything its gone backwards. - No interview with one of the coaches discussing selection. - Two debutants that we haven’t heard anything from. - The photo used for the R1 team selection looks like (on my phone) its been taken with very the first camera invented. - Jay Lockhart drafted last week - haven’t had an interview. Last year there seemed to be an immediacy to the content where as soon as something was announced there was 1, 2 or 3 articles or interviews instantly. Now it seems to be drip fed over a few days. I’m really disappointed.

That's surprising. Essendon has an unparalleled recent history of fully understanding the health of all its players with complete confidence in everything the club doctor says.

Sliding doors on AFL site:

Hope Essendon gets flogged.

I love me some crying Eddie on a Friday night.

Before he got injured last year I thought he was on the up. I wouldn’t be writing him off

Really happy that the AFL has decided to crack down on off the ball incidents. Go you beauties...get this out of the game. Wait a minute...Oh no! not inconsistencies again. Hands up...how many of us saw this coming???? Only thing is, I thought they would at least wait until a few weeks into the season, not the first game.

Nothing hypothetical, it's a fact. The Richmond fan punched the guy to the ground and then stood over him and continued smashing him while he looked to be unresonsive. Then turned and started punching into other people. Absolutely lost control. If there was more before the footage which he thought was wrong, he should have called for security. Stop condoning violence, Smokey.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-daily-live-rolling-footy-news-from-around-australia-for-march-22-2019/live-coverage/9d08cd80322fcd39d5189ede9737bfa6 Hidden a few tabs down in this report . If this is right its the second time Scully has really f'd with the club he's leaving. They got a future round 4 for him because his ankle was so stuffed....and suddenly, hey presto, he'll be playing in the next few weeks. Clarko busy saying he got better with the hawks because we werent pressuring him about a return date. What a load of absolute frikn garbage. Remember his knee when he was playing for us. Full respect for his footy ability but the guy has the loyality of a pea..which is perhaps being unnecessarily harsh on the vegetable kingdom. Sully wanted to get to the hawks and made it super easy to for the to trade for him by having an ankle "that may never let him play again" then bang...all better. Somewhere theres been some big lying going down. GWS got shafted.

What? People are considering Hogan be traded back to us??? Are you people mad. Both sides have made their decisions. Let us dry our eyes and get over it. Much bigger fish to fry.

Anyone seen the video of the ugly brawl in the stands after the game last night? Absolutely appalling behaviour by one Richmond fan in particular. The article reports one man was charged with riotous behaviour and fined $322. The victims don’t wish to pursue further police action but i sincerely hope the MCG step in and ban the thug for life. We play them in a few weeks and we shouldn’t have to put our kids at risk with thugs like that.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/how-demons-psychologist-moved-tom-mcdonald-to-a-wing-20190322-p516hp.html

Guys, I can let you know that Tom Sparrow will debut tomorrow as Jorda Lewis won’t play. Good luck Tom

Howe shanked 2 kicks in that final term. I enjoyed seeing the pies lose by under 10 points again. Worst part is, is seeing Lingy swoon all over the cats boys.

Cox is also a spud. He's played 2 good games. One against us unfortunately.

Mayne is a spud.

Every round please.

We will come down hard on gut punches and off ball incidents. Bloody hypocrites.

Paul Roos worked that 2015 draft superbly making Swans bid high for Callum Mills then choosing Oliver over Parish. Roos is the gift that keeps giving, 8 years later.

May's shoulder hit Berry flush on the chin. To me it looked like Liam Jones hit Rievoldt's body and winded him badly One was head and one was body. That's the difference. (But I still think May's should have been a fine only)

I had the opportunity to interview Fitzy on my podcast last year and he was brilliant. Speaks about how he catches up weekly with Maxy for dinner. Here is a link to the podcast so you can have a listen: https://anchor.fm/lace-out

Less than 24 hours to go. .Countdown

How the [censored] does it take 4 years to redevelop a foot bridge?

As I said during the game last night the centre clearances are still a big problem for the Tiges. 16 to 10 in Carltons favour. With the new 666 rule a good centre clearance team will take full advantage and bury them. ...and without Rance it exposes them more. It's set up for the Pies next week.

Probably ruins his Gold Logie chances too ?

Love how Demonland has turned the Melbourne fans' penchant for jumping at shadows into a literal art form.

Is it me or did Dustin Martin look really really average tonight. Looked slow and was caught several times which is unlike Martin.

Corey Wagner deserves a go as he was at North Melbourne and was delisted. You see every now and then Brad Scott has a brain freeze and gets rid of players who can play However doesn't like to keep good honest players. He wants the thugs in his side. Played 8 games from 2016-17 drafted at 43 for NM. Top season for Casey last year. Marty Hore a dual B&F last 2 years for VFL C/wood. Worth the pick for a 23 year old backman that can run and carry and could be of value. 190cm plays small and tall and an accurate kick. Good luck to both the boys and wish you all the best. Make us proud.

And that's not all! I told him he was too good looking to be playing football. He might get his face messed up. He had a good laugh with us and he speaks well. All round nice guy. ( He won Collingwood's VFL best and fairest award in 2017 and 2018, so hopefully he brings this good form, with further improvement, to our club).

Awesome to see Corey getting a go. how good is it too see boys come from the VFL into the big time. We’ve got Fritsch, Wagner, Hore, Keilty as an emergency, Hibberd originally VFL as well. Good stuff.

Sure - I have no problem with that. Pretty obvious statement though. But it’s also exactly the reason I’ll spend my compassion chips on feeling for victims of crime, returning ex-serviceman, the weak in society, and people who are unfairly bullied, vilified and harassed by others, not marquee AFL players who break club rules by boozing when they shouldn’t. At a human level, I feel a lot of sympathy for Hogan and his unfortunate circumstances last year (like all others here) - but I don’t feel strong level of compassion for a dude who appears to find it hard to manage the conflict between: - the commitment required to be a professional footballer (with all of the attendant pressures and rewards); and - an apparent desire to not have that pressure, and instead spend his time with his non-footy playing mates drinking beers at music festivals and generally being a regular guy. The narrative here is just not that compelling for me. The world is full of simply heart-breaking tragedies - this is not one of them.

While Matt Burgan could be dry and monotonal in style he was very good at getting all the things you mention done and onto the website. Plus, letting Robbo go part-time we get few interviews from him. With Matt gone there is less and less material (In particular I missed the daily stories from the Qld camp covering the off-field banter). Anyone know if Matt was replaced? They are missed.

Maybe Richmond’s luck over the last 2 years on the injury front is coming to an end, if they lost Martin aswell they would be in serious trouble

I’m still angry they changed the centre bounce rule so Jeff White couldn’t get a run up and became ineffective. I’m also angry Brent Moloney got suspended for not even touching his opponent. i hold grudges.

Footy is back! Should win this.... Over the last two years I think we have played match up games and that's when we do very well, so all these new players for Port make me nervous. Go Dees!

The worst thing someone struggling with mental health issues can do, is mix up with the wrong crowd. It sounds like his “mates” that he so desperately wanted to get back to, are the wrong crowd. Mix that with a footy club that has a poor culture and a failed history of handling troubled players badly, and you have a recipe for disaster.

My poor heart is broken: Rance has hurt his knee. Means he won't be able to maim people with it for a while. Or maybe he thought it was Bollywood and he'd pose hurt for the cameras. Wouldn't put it past him. I hate him with great passion.

If our recent VFL recruits in Hannan and Fritsch are any indication, I'm excited to see what Hore and Wags 2.0 can provide to the team. Congratulations to them both!

Well if you needed any more reasons to hope we smash Port: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-21/port-adelaide-power-launches-match-day-dating-service/10925582

You do recall Carlton were 6 goals up last year in the second quarter and Richmond only ran over them in the 4th And whilst we love our club many were saying similar about us getting QB for many years