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So what you’re saying, is that it might have nothing whatsoever to do with being “rushed back” (from a 12 month rehab) and might just be bad luck? You could knock me down with a feather! (Sorry if it seems like I’m picking on you - I’m not, just frustrated by the general tone in this thread. Thanks for passing on the info.)

"You appear to be" was in reference to you announcing to the internet that you completed an undergrad while arguing that white people suffer racial bias. Wow that sentence is hard to read without throwing my phone at the wall. In the context of racism, being white is inherently to be privileged. It doesn't matter if you're from housing commissions or a private school, you weren't and never have been subject to racial bias as our indigenous people have, ergo your comments are truly condescending to those who actually experience it. Your meaningless verbosity may be enough to fool some, but here in the real world, white people are not subject to racism. Anyone that claims they are on a quest to be recognised as a victim because they likely have nothing better to complain about in life. And that is what I call privilege.

Deespicable’s 2019 Mid-Year Player Rankings Before getting into my annual mid-year rankings, it is necessary, this year especially, to pass judgment on Simon Goodwin as well. This was supposed to be the year that we ended our drought, instead it’s turned into the year from hell. With every loss the pressure mounts and the number of fans bemoaning Goody grows. Depending on which source for info you use, you will now hear an opinion on Goody's ability and even the odd "he's lost the players" line which smacks in the face of last September. As with Hardwick in 2017 and Simpson and Bucks in 2018, Goody faces a summer of introspection trying to reconfigure a side and squad that Champion Data proclaimed back in March as the best list in the league. Already the changes have started with Brendan McCartney being sacked from his role as defensive coach. It's a fair bet he won't be around at all next year. Jade Rawlings has come back as forwards coach instead of Max Rooke and while Troy Chaplin remains as defensive coach, Jordan Lewis is the obvious choice to fill that role in 2020, if we can convince him not to sell out to media opportunities. Our ageing fitness guru David Misson is also moving on but the one that should be under the most pressure is Jason 'Tubby' Taylor, after what may go down as our worst draft performance ever. What amazes me with Taylor is that he was so keen on tall midfielders when he opted for Olly, which followed Gus, Trac, Harmesy and Vanders, that we all thought he was a miracle man. This year, aside from our three trades, we have brought in six players under six feet (183cm). And not one of them is electric quick like Jayden Hunt. All up we now have 15 vertically challenged players on our list in a squad of 44. Could someone explain how that is good list management? Sure every side needs small players, but 15? The impact such an imbalance can cause became obvious early when Joel Smith and VDB joined Mitch Hannan on the injury list. Suddenly we were devoid of mid-sized forward options and once Melky went down, it's been game over. We all have our personal view on who should be omitted and included, but the one continual shock non-inclusion has been our 205cm recruit Brayden Preuss. I’m not about to say he’s a star in waiting or anything silly like that, but those of us who watched him kick three goals as a forward and back up tapman in our pre-season match against the Pies thought he may well be an inspired choice. With Gawny rested the following week, he rucked almost the whole of the next game against Richmond and with that, the experiment of playing him forward was ditched. At least until the Swans game (a good selection on such a short ground) where he snagged a couple and looked a really good enforcer until hurting his shoulder. The next week he played a bit hurt but still kicked two more including one gem from 60m out. That’s seven goals in three games as a forward (albeit an injured one). On this year’s basis, that from one of our talls should have been a ticket to play for the rest of the season. Not to mention the fact that he gives Gawny a decent cut out. Sure he’s slow, but Tom Mac isn’t? As stated Goody has big decisions to make in the off-season, but most revolve around what to do with his underachieving side. What does he do with our revered loyal skipper Nathan Jones? Are the Mac brothers, once lauded as supreme athletes for their size, washed up already or can a summer of sprint training re-invent them? And can we keep going with Clayton Oliver in the middle when he keeps playing safe and looking after his SuperCoach score? As strange as it may seem, I'd send him forward for the rest of the season in the hope of accelerating his rise to superstar status and overcoming his current case of the yips. But by far Goody’s biggest job is figuring out his game style for 2020. Can he continue to play our 'attack at all costs' style of game which renders us so prone to the counter. Does he look at what the Cats are doing with Stewart and Blicavs and play a sweeper to cover the 'over the back' play? He's tried that a bit with Frosty, but he needs someone a little more assured. Steven May with the help of the pacey Joel Smith could be our best bet to stop that play which has seen us leak goals like we are the Suns. The only positive I can impart is that under Neale Daniher we were really good at bouncing back. Between 98 and 2000 we finished 4th, 14th (3rd bottom) and back to 2nd. Let's hope that's a good omen for next year. 2019: One to 44 – Rating our list (last year’s rank in brackets). 1 Max Gawn (1) He’s our only winner each week and in recent weeks he’s even taken on more of a role at ground level with a career high 30 disposals against Grundy and the Pies. He’s the player the media seek out first after each game and as we saw against the Pies, even little girls with spectacles want to do their warm up with him. But there’s two questions remaining for him this season, now that he’s shored up the AA ruck spot – Grundy will be interchange again. The first is whether he will be sole captain next year – my bet is that he will share it with Jack Viney. The second is where he now stands in the pantheon of ruckman. He’s gone way past Jeff White and whilst he doesn’t have a Brownlow, he’s better than old Jimmy, who was more ruck-rover than ruck anyway. That makes him our best ever and with three superb seasons behind him now, he’s about to go past Eagles great Dean Cox for the best this century. As for best of all-time, only the Herald Sun's Robbo and Bomber fans would be willing to rate Simon Madden ahead of him now, although Gawny may need another 100 good games to beat that comparison too. 2 James Harmes (13) He stepped up late last year and became one of our elite mids and most of us will never forget his clash with Joel Selwood in the finals. This year his game’s grown further. He now gets all the major assigments (Danger, Treloar etc) and he’s encouraged to hurt the other way, which he would if we had any forwards of note. But he needs a breakout elite game. One where he kicks three or four and racks up 40 touches. Fanciful you say. Sorry, but I reckon it will happen. If Olly and Angus stay focused with him, we are a couple of quality forwards away from major success. 3 Christian Salem (12) Every side needs a bit of silk out of defence and he’s clearly our most precise kick – Adem Yze of 2000 if you like. But unlike Yze that year, he’s really developed his one on one skills, which means he now is our most trustworthy defender. I’d like to see him drift forward and bang home a few goals from 50m, but with our luck this year he’d hit the post, as he did in the Pies game. 4 Clayton Oliver (2) When you are coming off a year as an All-Australian, the expectation mounts and his pre-season shoulder surgery made it hard for him to hit the season running. But I suspect this has been the year he’s had to have, before becoming a great. Apart from Jayden, he’s almost the quickest bloke out there and if you compare him with the greats of the game – Dusty, Danger, Fyfe and Cripps – what does he lack? The confidence to take the game on and kick goals is the only thing stopping him from joining that group. I mean he’s kicked one goal this season. Against the Pies his exceptional workrate was there for all to see, yet he recorded a career low 54 metres gained. Compare that to Angus (713m) and Harmesy (709m) and you can tell there’s something wrong with his game. He’s playing safe, maybe to protect his Supercoach score, maybe to protect himself from critics. His handball backwards to May to take a shot from 60m was classic Olly. I reckon he needs a few games this season being left at full-forward for an entire game, so that he develops a bit of selfishness and at the same time realises the frustration that comes from leading and seeing players give it off sideways. You can tell he’s struggled mentally a bit with the higher aspirations and his game against De Boer in Rd 10 was so bad, it was comical. 5 Angus Brayshaw (10) As with Olly, he’s had to endure a year where an average game in a losing side brings a chorus of what’s wrong with Angus. Ultimately both have to wear some of the criticism for the “disconnect” between mids and forwards, although I’m sure not having a forward target who can lead quickly makes it hard to spot the best option. That disconnect got to the stage where even Goody decided he wasn’t travelling that well and took him out of our middle set up for a few weeks. But his return to the guts coincided with him showing his game awareness skills against Adelaide and Collingwood. He’s still classy, but he may need to be given some leadership this off-season to get him back to the Pendlebury/Mundy level. 6 Jake Melksham (9) Having established himself as our best forward last year, his pre-season was ruined when he suffered a hamstring strain after X-mas. He managed to get back just in time for Round 1 and posted one of our few memorable highlights from that game, swinging around on to his right foot with a long bullet pass which was marked near the goalsquare by Tom Mc for our first goal of the year. That was arguably the last time our forward line looked like it had in 2018. In desperation he was tried as a midfielder against Richmond and looked far more likely to hit targets than most of our players, but even he looked forlorn by the lack of swift movement. An unlucky kick saw him break his toe and it now looks like his season may be done – as it is for our team. But with 10 goals in eight games, he did lead our goalkickers until recently. 7 Jayden Hunt (18) Written off by some as a one-trick pony after last season, you could tell pre-season he wanted his spot back and he worked his butt off lowering his eyes and improving his short kicks. Then two weeks and two bad losses into the season, Goody realised that Mr Nippy was our best chance of being free on a lead and sent him forward where his ability to kick goals from 50m makes him irreplaceable – especially this year. He currently leads our goalkicking with 14, but it’s his assists that have impressed me, not to mention his forward pressure. Given he wears the No.29 and is still a bit prone to a wobbly drop punt, it’s hard not to think it’s Kevin Bartlett reincarnated. Happy if he scores half as many career goals as ‘hungry’. 8 Christian Petracca (14) I know I’ve been critical of him in the past and just as critical of our coaching staff for not correcting his high ball drop, but for the past six weeks or so I’ve been mega impressed with his game – his workrate now is exceptional and his use of his body is De Goey-esque. He still makes the odd disposal choice error – not even god knows why he short-passed the ball 10m backwards against the Pies, and the yips (high ball drop again) have been costly for him with set shots, but there’s signs now that he’s a becoming a genuine player. 9 Jack Viney (6) He got back in time for finals last year and what a series he played and what a leader we all said. But this year he again spent pre-season in the rehab group and as a result was rushed in for Rd 1 and has struggled to impact games. He’s still our hardworking leader, but what surprised me most was that he came off second best in his clash with Richmond’s Sydney Stack. I mean we are talking about our strongest man here against a first-year Tiger. People are now also suggesting he lacks pace, but I just hope that he gets a chance to do a full pre-season for once and shows everyone what an amazing, tough talent he is. 10 Michael Hibberd (5) As with Viney, his reputations has fallen a notch this year, but he still does all the percentage plays with courage and application. His game on Dusty Martin was a ripper and I’m a little disappointed he hasn’t been tried in the middle of the park again. Now with Lever and May back, hopefully Goody can be a little more adventurous and have him tag and pester a few stars – Nat Fyfe this week and Patrick Cripps come to mind. 11 Marty Hore (New) One of our few revelations this season with his impressive aerial intercept work and sound left-foot making him an automatic choice for our coach and all SuperCoaches. He’s not mega quick though, so he needs quick players around him so that he doesn’t have to line up on a Charlie Cameron or Tom Papley – hence why Joel Smith’s return to defence next year is so important. But he’s been well worth the No.56 pick and at 23 should be around for five or six more years. The Pies must be kicking themselves for letting him get away. 12 Sam Frost (23) Finally Goody has realised that he does bring something different to the table and that a little left of centre is not necessarily a bad thing. I can’t forget his long bomb against the Hawks in the finals last year which set us on our way, nor the fact that he ran off TomaHawk in the elimination final. We all know that he’s risky, but if our style is to play on at all costs (which it is this season), then he’s ideal. This year he’s had to take all the key forwards from Tex through to the Hawk and Cameron, but now with May available, we will find out whether he can turn laterally quick enough to mark smaller forwards and whether he can play up the field or not. His effort in disrobing the Eagle’s Jack Petrucelle was a gem. 13 Bayley Fritsch (22) One of the few on our list who had a sensational pre-season which led to a spot on the X-files – and he was a member of the winning Rampage team that included such megastars as Cripps and Riewoldt. The hype about him hit new levels, and maybe he started to believe it a little too much, because his first nine weeks were hardly earth-shattering and his ability to break through lines almost non-existent. He showed a bit against Adelaide though and was clearly one of our best handful against the Pies. The question for many is where he should play and, given his lack of body strength at the moment, it has to be as a running half-back or wingman. Maybe if he bulks up pre-season, he can be sent forward, but not now. 14 Nathan Jones (4) Like it or not, his name and future is going to be a hot topic for the next two months as the debate over whether he should, or should not play on goes up a notch. At 31 and with 276 games already behind him, our skipper is certainly not too old to keep going compared to other guns such as Burgoyne (36), Ablett (35), Mundy (33) or Higgins (31). The difference though is that he has not found a niche or been tried either in a less physically demanding position – ie: defence or attack. Personally I had hopes that he could play a Jarrad McVeigh-type disciplined link role down back for us and with Jetta out, this seemed even more likely. But instead Goody has played him primarily on the wing, which has been a graveyard offering for previous leaders in Grimes and Trengove and even Tyson last year. He’s kicked a few nice long bombs and had a night out against Sydney, but in general he hasn’t looked comfortable playing on younger, quicker opponents and trying to find our forwards. With Viney, playing, there just isn’t scope for another 5ft 10in (178cm) mid in the middle trying to crumb Gawny, however courageous he may be. So with our coach unwilling to send him back or forward, he is now likely to be faced with a tough choice of inciting a potential James McDonald situation. That choice may be made harder if the pressure goes on to us to take quite a few draft picks. 15 Alex Neal-Bullen (21) Another of Goody’s project players who has failed to cope with higher expectations this season. He still runs his butt off but he’s struggled to break clear of packs and when he does, the game of finding a tall forward has gone up a level this year. He’s too good for VFL, but are his kicking skills good enough at AFL level – perhaps that question could be leveled at most of our players? I just wonder what would happen if he played a tagging role in the middle – we know he’s disciplined enough to make it work. 16 Jay Lockhart (New) This Tassie boy looked very efficient with his kicking skills at Casey last season and got a big break when the club added him to the list as a March rookie. Within a few days he was making his debut down at Geelong and how good was it when he took on Joel Selwood, not once, but twice. He’s kicked a few classy goals already and while he stands just 177cm, he’s got a good leap and barring an unlucky injury or two, this guy will make it, even though he’s already 23. If you want to see one of the best VFL games ever played by a Casey player, watch a replay of his game against the Pies. 17 Oskar Baker (37) In a year when almost nothing has gone right, he’s the story we needed to keep us coming back and if you haven’t seen his first game youtube by now, then you aren’t a supporter anyway. What a dad! And it’s nice that he’s come in and shown a bit – with two goals he’s even outscored our No.1 midfielder (sorry Olly, gratuitous sledge). He’s also got a bit of height (184cm), unlike most of our recent draft picks, and has good pace (endurance type, not explosive as has been reported). I said last year he’s an everyready battery who just needs to work on his disposal and that’s pretty much still the case. He’s 21, so he’s not young, but he certainly is making progress and there’s still plenty of upside given he was playing QAFL with Aspley two years ago. 18 Tom McDonald (8) Let’s flash back to Rd 1 for a second. T.Mac, coming off an injury interrupted pre-season, sees Melky free on the outer wing and heads back towards goalsquare. The 60m bullet flies slightly over Robbie Gray and T-Mac judges it perfectly and marks and converts our first goal of the season. Who needs Jesse! Well sadly the story doesn’t have a happy ending. Since that moment we have seen arguably the worst 11 games played by a key forward, broken up for a week by a very solid game in defence on Tom Lynch (also mobile-impaired at the moment) against Richmond. Almost every week I have called for T-Mac to have a week or two off to try and get back some of his speed as I know he missed most of the 200m reps this pre-season and quite a bit of agility work because of a mix of turf-toe and knee soreness. But Goody has decided to keep persevering with Tom and we have had to keep watching the trainwreck as one of our best players is continually beaten for pace on the lead – and that’s a lead he starts. Together with O.Mac’s plight, it’s made me wonder if he is washed up as well. But I suspect in Tom’s case, it’s injury driven. He still has incredible aerial judgment and he works hard at ground level, it’s just that his bread and butter cut back play towards the goalsquare has been rendered obsolete. 19 Brayden Preuss (New) It is hard to figure this one out. Many of us felt he’d done a deal with Goody to play a handful of games when we recruited him because quite obviously with Gawny in the line up, he was a back-up tapman. It was so calming pre-season knowing he was around contesting with Gawny at training rather than a couple of developing kids and we all thought back then we could rest up Gawny on finals eve. Then when he had a cracker as a forward pre-season against the Pies he seemed a certainty for Rd 1. But a poor game (first rucking mind you) against Richmond saw Goody ditch his plans, at least until Rd 4 when the SCG dimensions and our growing injury list lended itself for another big. He looked fearsome, snagging a couple more until he copped a shoulder knock. He managed to play the following week and his thumping goal from 60m out against the Saints remains a season highlight. His shoulder injury forced his omission for the Tigers game and from then it’s been a complete mystery why he’s been overlooked for T.Mac and Weid or Keilty, who have all struggled in the ruck when Gawny rests. 20 Tim Smith (31) Once again the Bull made his way into the seniors for the Richmond Anzac game and he quickly showed T.Mac and Weid how to lead and mark. He was done over by the umps big time in Perth and missed the Pies game with flu, but he’s shown enough playing the corridor lead-up role to warrant another year. 21 Billy Stretch (24) As a Billy fan, I was rapt when he finally got a chance to show his wares against Richmond and he was really good in a losing side that night. Injuries meant he got to play the next five weeks on the wing and he never really quite nailed it, which is not a good thing when you are losing. With Salem out, he was sent down back against Adelaide and I thought he did a pretty good job until Wags bowled him over which allowed his man Eddie to break free and fire up the locals. He’s out of contract and many have already hit the delist button and given he’s just 180cm, you’d think I’d want him gone too. But I don’t. I want him to have a run as a small defender because I know he’s disciplined and, unlike almost our entire squad, he’s a right footer, which means we can switch left and still head back right if we don’t like that option. 22 Jeff Garlett (26) It’s been an interesting year for Jeffy. Having lost out to Goody’s lovechild Spargo last season and missed our historic finals, he was brought back in for the Richmond game and like so many that night, struggled. Jeffy is still our best chance of converting an over the back from Angus, but most sides are awake to that nowadays. Hence he’s done well on occasions – the Darwin and West Coast games were vintage Jeffy, but unfortunately the others have been more about what vintage is Jeffy – he turns 30 in August and that looks to me the end date on his AFL career. 23 Sam Weideman (33) What a morale-sapping year for the Weid. As we all know he showed a few glimpses late last year and was clearly in Goody’s planning in the post-Hogan era. What we didn’t know was that his manager had jumped ahead even further putting a price tag on him in the vicinity of $650,000 a year – not bad for a bloke averaging a goal a game as full-forward. A stint in the reserves and that horror miss in Darwin seem to have made him mega-keen to get the paperwork done, maybe so that his price didn’t fall even further. A new two-year is best for both parties. If he comes on he can quickly get his $400K contract redone and if he treads water, Melbourne can jettison him. The signs were good against the Pies though with more marks than he’s had all season. 24 Oscar McDonald (16) There’s been enough vitriol about poor Oscar this year and from what I’m told he’s a super nice guy off the field. He’s contracted for another year and if doesn’t spend most of it playing as a forward (albeit in the VFL), then I’ll be very surprised. Enough said. 25 Jordan Lewis (17) Jordy lost out on all fronts this year. Firstly he twinged a hammy just before Round 1. Secondly, when he did return, almost every supporter had cottoned on to his lack of pace and started potting him, especially with our opponents beating us out the back with monotonus regularity. Secondly with May and Jetta out, Frosty had to play and any semblance of a controlled, slow, switching build up from down back that Jordy likes (and Hawthorn and Geelong and other sides employ) went out the door. The result was that even the selectors lost faith and sent him back to play against old mate Roughy. What’s worse is that our injury run has meant Casey is unlikely to play finals, although Jordy may be able to help correct that with a bit of luck. He’s like a playing coach down there and he’d be a smart choice as our backline coach for next season, although he will get quite a few job offers I reckon. 26 Charlie Spargo (27) Firstly let’s state now that if Charlie was 185cm tall, he’d be an absolute superstar. He does everything you want – spots up players, makes position and tackles with intent. His old man Paul has trained him well and he should be mighty proud. But as I said last year, when you are just 173cm tall (5ft 8in), it’s bloody hard making it in this industry. You have to be explosively quick (like Boomer Harvey was) or an incredibly good kick with amazing stamina (like Caleb Daniel is). Sadly Charlie is not mega quick and he’s not a thumping kick for his size, which limits his upside, because he can be brushed off by defenders – Matt de Boer would be too if he was 173cm. Goody still loves him, but I reckon it’s a big call. 27 Josh Wagner (28) Wags has been almost a regular this season playing nine games after spending most of last year in the twos. He’s certainly been one to benefit from injuries and to be honest, he hasn’t really made half-back his own. As I said last year, he’s not a thumping kick, and he’s not mega-quick so he struggles to break lines and invariably is forced short. In a squad of left foot defenders with impressive foot skills led by Salem, May, Fritta and Hibberd and potentially KK, it’s hard to see how he can fit in. He’s 25 this week and been in the system long enough to know where things are headed. 28 Harrison Petty (39) Before you go and send him on his way as being another tall that hasn’t quite got what we need, I’ll just remind you he is still only 19 and there are signs that he’s improving – have a look back at how he read the play against West Coast. The problem now is that we have our first choice defensive talls, so he may need to be tried as a forward at VFL level. I’m not sure he’s quite quick enough to make it, but let’s wait and see one more year – he’s a big after all! 29 Declan Keilty (38) I was really rapt that Dec got a chance at AFL level after a four-year odyssey at Casey. And he will go down in history as one of the few players to boast an unbeaten win/loss record with his two games being wins against Hawthorn and Gold Coast. He’s now got the body to make it, but he’s not quite quick enough and his kicking isn’t quite reliable enough. But he was certainly worth the rookie risk. 30 Corey Wagner (New) Having won our best and fairest at Casey last year, it was great to see him rewarded with a rookie spot and Goody even found room for him in Round 1. As with his brother, he works his butt off and is a good tackler, but he lacks the class and kicking ability to really impact at this level. Whether we keep him on for another year may depend on if we keep Jonesy. 31 Tom Sparrow (New) I am not sure who was busy watching Prince Alfred games, but we ended up with two small forwards from the school and both were regarded as surprise selections by the local AFL clubs (Crows & Power), who not surprisingly should know more than us. Sparrow does have a bit of upside being built strongly and he’s blessed with a fair degree of pace, but you’d want him to look the part for pick 27. He’s listed at 183cm, but he’s another Collingwood 6 footer. He came in late for Round 1 and did well to convert his first goalsquare play into a six-pointer, but he is very much a speculative pick. 32 Kade Chandler (New) Another SA youngster from the tiny country town of Penong, he fits Tubby Taylor’s recent penchant for small players, standing just 173cm. He’s a lively left-footer who provides good forward pressure at VFL level, but gees, it will be a huge step if he can make it. 33 Toby Bedford (New) Came to us via our indigenous project and yes he’s another one for our small brigade. But that didn’t stop him nailing Gawny in a big tackle pre-season which won his the coaches award for the day. He looks classy and has skill but at 172cm and weighing less than a pencil, he’s struggled to win the ball at Casey level. 34 James Jordon (New) Well at least JJ has height (187cm) in his favour, but to be honest, he will need to really work on his weights next season to make it at this level. He just looks like a nice guy to me, which is a worry, and I’ve struggled to see the traits that made him a must have by Taylor. He’s still only 18, so he’s one of the young ones, but pick 33. No ratings This year’s injury list quickly went through the roof and it’s only been in the last few weeks that a few have been let back into the main training group. Jake Lever (7) How good did our aerial work down back look against the Pies. It’s only one game but his partnership with May got a solid tick of approval. It may take him a few weeks to really pick up the pace, but he’s a smart player and with Jordy finishing, that’s what we need down back. Steven May (New) What a disaster – initially at least. Our new man on a salary that puts him in our top three wage earners and he comes in to pre-season unfit and depending on your contacts, absolutely shitfaced on occasions. An early striking ban (unlucky?) and a hamstring-related shocker against Geelong (he wasn’t Robinson Crusoe that night mind you) added to supporter angst. But he’s knuckled down and got himself fit, and the result was an ultra-impressive performance down back against the Pies. By god he can kick it, maybe further than Lynden Dunn. And he’s very much a Darwin man, which means we have finally got the right link for ‘dialing a crowd’ up there. He may yet be Todd Viney and Jason Taylor’s smartest choice of November 2018. Neville Jetta (11) Many Demonlanders rate Lord Nev an All-Australian and his teammates hold him in such high regard that he was named in our four-man leadership group. But that honour backfired a bit as injuries immediately restricted him and he lasted just four games before heading off for knee surgery (lateral meniscus). His one-on-one work has been missed and it is now doubtful whether he will resume this season. Joel Smith (30) His dad Shaun wasn’t the only one wondering why the club put him back on the field against Brisbane in a pre-season practice match. Whether the decision exacerbated his OP, we may never know, but it wasn’t a good look, especially given Joel had been one of our few March highlights. How good was it watching him smash ANB and others at 200m reps throughout February and then see him turn on the afterburners against the Pies and Tigers. But here’s two key points for 2020. Firstly the club has to sign him (dad may not be keen now) and secondly once he gets over OP, he does not have to play forward as Jayden has taken that role a bit anyway. To me, it is a hell of a lot safer to play a guy with an OP history down back, where he doesn’t have to turn sharply to evade a tackle … just saying! Mitch Hannan (19) As one of our mid-size leading, tackling forwards, he’s been sorely missed, especially with Kent off to St Kilda. He looks so good at training and hopefully his knee issues permit him a good run next pre-season and we can finally see him fit and capable of dominating games. Aaron vandenBurg This time last year I said his career was at the crossroads because of his ankle-related stress injury and he charged back and became a dominant force in our run to the finals. Few if any will forget his brutal tackle on Jordan Murdoch in the finals and he looked a million dollars playing through the middle against the Pies pre-season and against the Tigers. But then his stress fracture came back and our hard man was sent back indoors running on alter Gs, rather than the real ’G. He’ll be 28 next February, so as with Maynard, you wonder if he’s missed the karma boat, which is a massive shame because this guy could have be a star if his body held up. Jay Kennedy-Harris (35) Sorry fellow Demonlanders, but if you expect me to join you bagging him then it won’t happen. Like many of you, I had him down to be shown the door last season, but he really developed as a player in the final few weeks of 2018 and looked likely to be first 22 pre-season this year before he became another of our rehab group specials. He played one VFL game to get his fitness going after his knee surgery and lack of fit players necessitated him being rushed in for the Darwin game. Sure he butchered the ball that night but TIO Stadium is more slimey than Mitchell St after dark, so I’m not sure why he wasn’t cut a bit of slack. To me, right now, he is our best chance of making it as a wingman because of his tank and evasiveness. If the list-culling question is who will be a better wingman for us in 2020, Nathan Jones or JKH, then I know my answer? Kade Kolodjashnij (New) Came to us as part of the Hogan/May deal and looked good with his Lleyton Hewitt style cap on backwards pre-season until a slight hamstring/adductor tweak sent him to the rehab group for a few weeks. He played about three quarters of a VFL practice match and for reasons best known only to the coach, was rushed in like he was Brian Peake or Phil Carman to the side that was belted down at Geelong. Goody had also decided he could play half forward/wing and he looked majorly lost, although the following week against Essendon we did get to see that he has a lovely left-foot kick. A head knock sent him back to concussion school and it seems our medical staff has managed to get on top of it this time, which they did with Angus mind you. I don’t quite get why he hasn’t been played off half-back to get his confidence going and defence is where his brother has made it. He hasn’t got electric speed but he certainly isn’t slow, so defence would seem the right fit – that is where Gold Coast had success with him after all. Corey Maynard (34) This guy just can’t get a break. He’s had chronic hip soreness and just as he started to find form in the VFL, he copped a nasty headknock against Port and he’s been back in the rehab group. There’s no doubt he can find the pill and has game awareness, but he just can’t get on the park. He’ll be 28 in October, so he may have run out of time to make it. Kyle Dunkley (New) Thank Christ Carlton overlooked him for the mid-season draft and thank Christ, Coburg’s Sam Lowson got injured the weekend before the draft, otherwise Jason Taylor would have drafted another sub six-footer. The Blues loss has been our gain with Dunkley, who is just a pup. He turns 19 this week. He already has impressed in his two VFL games for us and at 185cm looks far more formidable than our mosquito fleet. He’ll get a chance this year, barring injury, but I doubt he’ll have much impact until he gets stronger like his brother. But you can tell he has great stamina, good aerial skills and a penchant for the hard ball. Aaron Nietschke (New) Another of our surprise selections from country South Australia on draft night and at least he is the full 6ft, probably with an inch to spare. Sadly he didn’t get a chance to show his talent, doing an ACL in early February. At least he’ll get a chance to bulk up now and we should find out about this time next year if he’s a value spec pick or not. 2018 rankings 2017 rankings: 2016 rankings http://demonland.com/forums/topic/40708-rating-or-list-from-1-44/#comment-1294469

Chasing Darcy Parish? Sounds like a good title for the George Pell biopic

"Two pizzas for the price of one at Doughy's!" "Doughy's has terrible pizza." "Yeah, but there's TWO!"

What is narcissistic personality disorder? Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) involves a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behavior, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration. Others often describe people with NPD as cocky, manipulative, selfish, patronizing, and demanding. Signs and symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder: Grandiose sense of self-importance Grandiosity is the defining characteristic of narcissism. More than just arrogance or vanity, grandiosity is an unrealistic sense of superiority. Narcissists believe they are unique or “special” and can only be understood by other special people. What’s more, they are too good for anything average or ordinary. They only want to associate and be associated with other high-status people, places, and things. Narcissists also believe that they’re better than everyone else and expect recognition as such—even when they’ve done nothing to earn it. Frequently demeans, intimidates, bullies, or belittles others Narcissists feel threatened whenever they encounter someone who appears to have something they lack—especially those who are confident and popular. They’re also threatened by people who don’t bow down to them or who challenge them in any way. Their defense mechanism is contempt. The only way to neutralize the threat and prop up their own sagging ego is to put those people down. They may do it in a patronizing or dismissive way as if to demonstrate how little the other person means to them. Or they may go on the attack with insults, name-calling, bullying, and threats to force the other person back into line. Sense of entitlement Because they consider themselves special, narcissists expect favorable treatment as their due. They truly believe that whatever they want, they should get. They also expect the people around them to automatically comply with their every wish and whim. That is their only value. If you don’t anticipate and meet their every need, then you’re useless. And if you have the nerve to defy their will or “selfishly” ask for something in return, prepare yourself for aggression, outrage, or the cold shoulder.

If I was Stephenson I would back Freo.

AFL knew about this prior to QB and yet allowed him to play and he starred, receiving coaches' votes and likely Brownlow votes. That stinks.

I would argue that, as you appear to be a tertiary-educated white male, that you are the one who is out of their depth when discussing the true meaning of racism. Look beyond how the dictionary defines the word and understand that the notion of racism is underpinned by thousand of years of white imperialism throughout history. And sadly, in Australia, we don’t need to look back very far to see evidence of that. Our high court didn’t recognise native title until 1992. We didn’t apologise for the forceable removable of aboriginal children by Australian government agencies until 2008. Oh yes, how civilised we are. Only a white man of privilege would believe that they can be subjected to the same racial bias as our first peoples have been. And why anyone would seek to identify with this through idiotic comparisons of “racism” toward white people is hard to understand. Again, look beyond the word and have the common sense to accept what the term racism actually means in practise.

I see the Bombers have been dealt the old Dalgliesh/Margetts in Perth double. Good luck with that lads!

Hahahahahahaha, I was *waiting* for the Hibberd came back too early call. I don’t even need to read this forum to know what people are going to say. I think I’ve been here far too long. And Lever got injured in the Collingwood game.

So you are hoping a player fails to justify your opinion, nice

His bets included spots, though. He bet on himself to kick 3+ goals. That required him to influence the outcome of the match to engineer 3 goals for himself, even if that was a bad outcome for the team. We've seen the footage showing him go for a 65m torp with 2 minutes left. Collingwood at that time were 40+ points up, but imagine if the Saints had been leading when he took that mark. Imagine if he'd gone for the low-percentage barrel with the game on the line, just because he wanted to get his own personal goal-count up to 3. There's a fair debate to be had around the AFL's taking of gambling money with one hand and doling out harsh punishments for gambling with the other, but that doesn't make what Stephenson did OK. It was not, and his penalty is probably too lenient given he is back for finals.

MB: 0 Smokey: 1

I assume Winmar was being a divisive, virtue-signalling, social justice warrior, provoking a crowd who were exercising their freedom of speech in the spirit of true blue fun and banter...

trade Angus ??? lol Probably trade most of the FD first !!!

In the coming weeks Steven Stretch will be our special guest on the Demonland Podcast. Got a question for Steven then let's us know.

A fresh start! Players rested after the bye. Some coaching shuffles. Lewis hinted at some tweaking in game style. Would love to think those factors will get us over the line. But Freo are playing ferociously like we did in the finals. If we can find that again we will be competitive and cause turnovers for us. And it will energise the team like Hunt did vs Hawks. But Freo know the formula to beat us: match us on the inside then beat us on the outside and/or let us win the contests, Cp's, i50's and watch us turn it over and they head for goals. If that doesn't work for them they will beat us for speed. And they have their tails up. Walters is scary good. Mundy usually plays well against us at the G. And then there is Fyfe to contend with. All are match winners. Nonetheless, looking forward to see what changes in our game plan and ball movement have happened over the break. And, I look forward to Jessie gracing the G again but hopefully no goals for him. Round 14 Melbourne v Fremantle Saturday, 22 June, 1.45pm AEST MCG 11.30am: MCC gates open 12.00pm: AFL + Public reserve opens Members As a home game, access Members can scan in with their Membership card or Digital Card in the club app. General admission Members can upgrade to a reserved seat via Ticketek. General admission Tickets to the game can be purchased via Ticketek. General admission seating Great Southern Stand M1 (Rows A-Z) M2 (Demon Heartland DRY) M3-M12 M13 (Rows A-Z DRY) P5-P7 Q1-Q15 Ponsford Stand M28-M32 M33 (Rows P-NN) M34-M36 Q29-Q36 Olympic Stand M53-M54 (Rows A-Z) M55-M57 Q49-Q57 Please note the general admission areas are subject to change. Look out for the screens displaying the map of available general admission areas on a match day, located inside each entry gate. Cheer squad allocations Melbourne: M3 Rows A-T Fremantle: M33 Rows A-G Public transport Train The ground is located in proximity to Jolimont and Richmond train stations. Plan your trip to the game and view potential disruptions on PTV's Journey Planner. Tram The MCG is serviced by trams along Wellington Parade (Route 48 and 75) and the Olympic Park Light Rail (Route 70). Car parking The following car parks will be open on game day in Yarra Park: Gate 3: 9.30am Gate 5: 11.30am Gate 6: 10.30am Gate 7: 9.00am pass holders only Deck out in red and blue at the Demon Shop located under the MCG concourse on Brunton Avenue. The shop will be open from 12.00pm on game day and will close 30 minutes after the match. TV times All broadcast info in local times. Melbourne: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Sydney: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Brisbane: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Adelaide: Fox Footy – 1.00pm Perth: Fox Footy – 11.30am + 7mate – 2.30pm (Delayed) Tasmania: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Canberra: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Darwin: Fox Footy – 1.30pm For all other regions and radio info, refer to the AFL Broadcast Guide. Mobile app Live scores, stats and match highlights are available at the tap of a finger in the club's mobile app. Download it for iOS or Android. Social media Match hashtag: #AFLDeesDockers Follow the club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live match coverage and a behind-the-scenes insight into match day. VFLW Round 7 Geelong v Casey Saturday June 22, 11.30am GMHBA Stadium, Geelong VFL Round 12 Coburg v Casey Sunday June 23, 12.30pm Piranha Park, Coburg Admission prices Melbourne/Casey Demons Members: $5 when you present your card on entry Adult General Admission: $10 Concession/Pensioner General Admission: $5 Children Under 15: Free Coverage Social media Follow the Casey Demons on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for behind-the-scenes + live coverage of the match. ORWELLIAN by Whispering Jack Please permit me to begin this rather tragic pathetic preview of Melbourne’s forthcoming game against Fremantle with some personal reflections. Two years ago, we had visitors staying with us who are all sports fans so we arranged tickets for the entire family for the Melbourne vs Fremantle game at the MCG. The Dockers were struggling at the time while the Demons were on the up and up so I was fairly confident about the outcome. Naturally, we all left the ground bitterly disappointed. The Dees picked up their game and came perilously close to making the finals that year and would have done so had they scored about 10 points more over the 22 rounds or one goal more in that particular match against Freo. Naturally, we were bitterly disappointed. Things were better last year. Our American friends from Philadelphia celebrated a Super Bowl victory and the Demons made the finals at last. Naturally, we were bitterly disappointed when they lost the penultimate game of the season - the Preliminary Final. Still, we thought things would get better in 2019. After all, we had the best ruckman in the competition (now supported by another monster sized tall) and a powerful midfield that was capable of bullocking its way through opposition defences and causing havoc in the competition. We had picked up a strong key defender with experience and leadership qualities who would be joined by an elegant key defender due to return early from a season ending injury incurred in the middle of last year? Whatever could go wrong? Melbourne certainly hasn’t lost the ability to move the ball into attack. The Demons have won the inside 50 count in nine of its 12 games to date which really says something. Indeed, if a team’s percentage was determined by its ability to get inside 50 metres from goal, they would be well ensconced in the top four with a healthy percentage of around 130. Naturally, we are bitterly disappointed that the team’s efforts have been translated into only 3 wins with a measly percentage of 76. In the immortal words of the late Professor Julius Sumner-Miller, I am moved to ask the question, “Why is it so?” For starters, they have scored a goal from just 16.98% of inside 50 entries so far this year which is the lowest figure ever recorded by a team in an AFL season since collection of such data began in 1998. And while they haven’t fared well with their kicking for goal in scoring 118 goals 130 behinds, their opponents have been making hay by scoring 166 goals 106 against the hapless Dees. That statistic has been even more pronounced in the latter stages of games. In the last six games the opposition have kicked an amazing 27.4 in final quarters to 16.26 (and that includes Melbourne’s aberration of 7.2 in the last against GWS). With these things in mind, I took my grandkids to the Queens Birthday game at the G against Collingwood and at half time commented to my oldest grandson that there were some signs of improvement in the first half but a turnaround in fortunes in front of each team’s goals was needed to provide a confidence restoring win. As it turned out, the Demons did perform better everywhere but in that particular area of the game. They won the inside 50 contest but Collingwood scored nine straight second half goals to Melbourne’s four goals eight behinds. Naturally, we all left the ground bitterly disappointed. I was relieved when last weekend’s fixture gave us all a break from the AFL and the Demon yips so I set off to the grandson’s Under 15 game where his team played against an opposition which apparently gave the coaching reins for the day to Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson (his son is a member of the side) because their regular coach Trent Dennis-Lane was unavailable. Grandson’s team led from the start but faltered in the final quarter and lost when a goal was kicked in the game’s dying seconds. The winners scored four straight second half goals to two goals five behinds. I just can’t get away from this. Naturally, we all left the ground bitterly disappointed. So on Saturday, Melbourne faces a Fremantle side on the rise chasing its fourth win in a row. The Dockers have beaten the Dees in eight of its past 10 games. Fyfe and Walters are on fire and Jesse Hogan is starting to hit form. Despite all that, I’m impressed that the Demons have finally done something to alter the pattern of the season to date. They’ve changed their coaching structure and we all know what that means in football. Prediction: Melbourne by 2 points failing which we will all leave the ground bitterly disappointed and most likely in the hands of the game’s Orwellian Behavioural Awareness Officers. THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at the MCG Saturday 22 June 2019 at 1.45pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 15 wins Fremantle 22 wins At MCG: Melbourne 7 wins Fremantle 7 wins Last five meetings: Melbourne 2 wins Fremantle 3 wins The Coaches: Goodwin 1 win Lyon 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel live at 1.30pm Radio - Triple M SEN 3AW ABC LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.24.102 defeated Fremantle 7.6.48 at TIO Stadium, Darwin, Round 16, 2018 The Dockers were struck by injury and only avoided a complete slaughter because the Demons, well ... they kept missing shots in front of goal. THE TEAMS PLAYER INJURY LENGTH Jeff Garlett Shoulder TBC Jake Lever Knee TBC Corey Maynard Concussion Test Michael Hibberd Collarbone 1-2 Weeks Jake Melksham Foot 4 Weeks Joel Smith Groin 4 Weeks Aaron vandenBerg Ankle 4 Weeks Neville Jetta Knee 6 Weeks Tom Sparrow Knee 7-9 Weeks Guy Walker Shoulder Indefinite Aaron Nietschke Knee Season

One day I hope the site admin makes the decision to ban posters for rubbishing our young players as spuds. The kid has a couple of games under his belt and is developing pretty well in my eyes. Btw, I love the ignore function on this site.

it will come and why wouldn't we bring in a player lacking mobility against a side who loves to create run and carry opportunities from their back half

The Petty selection is one in maximising development. Season’s over, may as well give it to young player’s who show potential, as opposed to bringing in duds and geriatrics.

You're correct. I did the predictor this morning and i have us finishing 8th with a final against WCE.

[censored] no Kev, we could lose more players if we trained.

Some poor little bustard who will have his boyhood dreams ripped from his soul and who will cry himself to sleep every bloody night when he hears he's going to the MFC.

Would fit in well with the rehab group

Tonight: The Drug Cheats (2005-06) v The Drug Cheats (2012) John Worsfold of course knows nothing about it, and as a Qualified Chemist I believe him....

If he misses this week with soreness in the same knee that was rehabilitated after playing only 3/4s of a VFL game over 3 weeks that would be evidence in my opinion. Obviously the year out and the training period seemed patient enough, but then to be recalled to the much greater speed and impact of AFL level footy on such limited match play makes it seem like they rushed the final stage. Playing 90% game time would have had an impact also. Played less than that in total for the previous 3 weeks. The Frost concussion would have been part of that equation of course, but that seems a pretty clear picture to me.

Isn’t the only way to get match fit to play footy games? I was concerned he might be underdone too but only from a touch/form/confidence perspective. As far as I can see there’s no evidence whatsoever that he wasn’t ready from an injury recovery point of view. People are flying off the handle without having the facts at hand, as usual.

According to this article it was Jeremy Howe that advised Stephenson to seek help after he made a flippant remark in the change rooms. How dumb do you have to be? Commenting as a joke about a teammate costing you a multi, wow, to a club leader after a win. He deserved a 36 week suspension , here’s your ‘bonus bet’ kid. It was in the rooms at the MCG after the Magpies had just beaten St Kilda by 41 points in round nine – a game in which Stephenson kicked three goals – that the 20-year-old made a passing comment to Howe that one of their teammates had cost him a multi. Stephenson was remarking on the fact one of their teammates hadn’t delivered the number of disposals that he had earlier bet on. https://apple.news/A9I1gA3IZRJazQM7FxHQtow Fine leadership shown by Howe if accurate.

My emotional investment in this season has passed on. It has ceased to be.

Another thing, if hes placing multi bets like these, hes been doing sports betting for a fair amount of time. Its not the only 3 bets this guy has ever had.

Is that the same Nicky Winmar who was lucky to make it out alive from Victoria Park, flanked by security guards? Who was spat on, and called a black c*** ? What do you think prompted him to lift his jumper and point to his skin that day? A polite enquiry from the crowd? When you decide - or think you can decide - which cultural dances Goodes can / can't perform, you're channeling the ghost of the old Coll president Alan McAllister, who said words to the effect of: 'we don't have a problem with Aboriginal people, as long as they conduct themselves the way we want them to.'

Everyone knows Viney has no 'right side'. Opposition exploit it mercilessly. I just don't get why he and the coaches have not after 6 years developed his right side at all. He could be a much better player with a few right sided tricks by hand and or by foot.

I just knew someone was going to have posted something like this. I’ve never heard of the guy and don’t follow English soccer, but the argument against fitness guys is always “but injury list”! In elite sport, the fitness group and athletes alike will always be looking to push the boundaries. Injuries will happen. Unless we can specifically point to negligence on behalf of the elite performance manager (or whatever the specific title is), I don’t think it’s a useful metric. In fact I think it’s yet another role that it’s impossible to judge the performance of from the outside.

Well we are sitting 3rd last on the ladder so naturally every minor problem is the result of the clubs incompetence. Remember May was also rushed back underdone but he played well and is playing this week so we forgot about that one

MB: 0 Melb16 and Smokey: 2

I like that you've bristled up a little here. Some emotion in one of your posts, I'm all for it. Let's see if we can coax out just a little bit of empathy now. 100% of the people you've chosen to lecture in this thread support Goodes. A skewed figure for someone who 'deplores racism'. One thing I'm sure (hope) we agree on is that there was an element of the abuse Goodes received was racially motivated. I think that the majority of it was/is. That is my opinion from the sample size that I have come in contact with. Meanwhile, you're hellbent on trying to make people prove what percentage that was (obviously not possible) in order to protect those the might've been lumped in with the bigots. You've tried to compare whites experiencing racism to minorities and in this case indigenous Australians experiencing racism. I find that completely misses the mark at best. All of the people that have put forward considered arguments in this thread disagree with you. You may not put me in that category, if that's the case, I'm not fussed. But have you considered that? Everyone is wrong and you're right? Even the person that seems to know you personally disagreed with you. Maybe you're just more intelligent than everyone?

And, they used to play with only 16 players per side on the ground, with no wings. Wonder if the AFL have ever considered that as part of a congestion-busting strategy?

Didn't hear the segment myself, was just told what was said. Don't know which knee, but you'd assume hey? To clarify, it sounds like he does have some foot soreness, but it's the knee soreness that is the problem and the thing that could see him miss this week. Guessing here, but it could be that he had foot soreness before the QB game, but now he has knee soreness that's bad enough to keep him from playing. Absolute guess though. I've not been one of the 'Misson bashers', but given what seems to have been a growing problem the last few years in injury mismanagement, particularly returns from injury, it certainly puts more context around his seeming demotion this week.

I’d recruit Nakia Cockatoo. Injury prone Cat who can’t string 3 games together without an injury and then misses 6/8 weeks. Perfect alignment to our list.

Ok, so lets get this clear to avoid confusion. It was 3 multi bets and the outlay was $36 across those 3 bets. Multi bets multiply the odds of each leg of the bet, by the sum invested. So if you have 6 legs for instance, including bets on individual players, for the sum of lets say $12.00....then the return could easily be in the $1000s!

We consistently struggled to score against good sides last year with Hogan. v Richmond v Hawthorn v Collingwood v Sydney despite stacks of inside 50's. The forward lines best games against good sides were v WCE, GWS and the first 2 finals with the Weid. We didn't bend over backwards to retain Hogan. He was contracted for this year, we could've held him to that. We recognised the opportunity to improve the backline and that the forward line functioned without him. I absolutely stand by that decision as the right one.

Being available for finals is outrageous. When I first read the headline I though it was the whole season, which is swift and appropriate action. Being available to play finals for a top 4 team is completely unjust and sends the wrong message.

Someone at Collingwood would have gotten wind of it and told him to self report before someone else reported it. Standard damage control tactic. The penalty to this is ridiculously lenient. Given that he bet on himself and his own team, he should be rubbed out for two years. His Collingwood teammate Josh Thomas should be totally bewildered.

If it was his choice or not does it really matter? Jade has been at Melbourne since 2012 the start of the dredged Neeld and Craig era 2012 to the end of 2013. Paul Roos 2014 to 2016 and Goodwin 2017 and beyond. Jade has seen 4 coaches since 2011 and into his eight season. Jade Rawlings is a well respected coach and person at the MFC and he is one piece of the puzzle that will help us rise up the ladder.

I suppose if you get 30+ possessions every week, there'll be some clangers in there

If I remember correctly, Roosy originally publicly said he wasn't interested in coaching the MFC either. Not saying that means he will end up at CarlsIcum or not, but just that until the new coach of the scum is named, that we shouldn't completely dismiss it either. I really do hope that Carlton get the coach they deserve, i.e. one that keeps them out of finals and anything that remotely smells like sucess for another 20 or 30 years. Carlton are currently ahead of us as being the least sucessfull team this century and let's hope that we put a complete gulf between us and them over the next 2 - 5 years. I want it to get soo bad for them that Carlton are part of the talk of relocation to Tasmania, a third Sydney side or maybe a merger with North. LET them feel some more PAAAAIN

I'm bored. The chairman of the bored

No to trading Angus. Kicking can be fixed more easily than being able to find the pill.