Leaderboard

Kozi has slotted 2 goals and he's hit the post twice at this season i believe. As noted by @Fifty-5 he helped get us over the line vs gold Coast. Yes he could be scoring more, but the whole team could. Leave him in the team to develop his game and also the link up game with other players. Stats this seaosn 2.2 vs West Coast; 1 Goal asssist - 5 Scores involvements 0.1 vs Geelong, 0 goal assists, 4 scores involvements 0.1 vs Richmond; 1 goal assist, 2 score involvements 0.0 vs Gold Coast; 3 Goal Assists - 4 Score Involvements.

I dont know what your expectations are but he was in our top 5 for pressure acts on the weekend and directly gave goals to Harmes, Fritsch and Bennell. He was our third highest for pressure acts the prior week against Richmond. He is just getting settled in.

I'm feeling bullish about our line-up, assuming TMac gets up and with Weid and OMac back in, we're looking similar to the line-up that played the Hawks in the 2018 finals, but I think our personnel is clearly improved: In: May, Lever, Lockhart, Langdon, Bennell, Pickett Out: Frost, Lewis, Jones, Tyson, ANB, Spargo Clarkson is a great coach and will bring all his expertise. He has a very experienced line-up - clearly second oldest and most experienced behind only Geelong - the Hawks believe they are in premiership-mode now. It's going to be a great test.

I seriously don't get the AFL's aversion to Darwin/NT. It's not a stretch to imagine Covid will continue its march up the Eastern seaboard and catch up with the league in Queensland soon enough. Meanwhile, the Territory ticks every box. I've been stuck here since the international borders closed. Basically not a single case of community transmission the entire time. Low density tropical living with little pollution - three aspects that have been suggested as delimiting spread. Life goes on almost as if normal, compared to what I hear from friends interstate. Conditions for footy are currently perfect. It's not sticky at present. TIO is in good shape, and would probably attract more spectators than in QLD. Job losses here have been comparatively light and there's still disposable income. It's neutral territory with a good spread of fans. Plenty of accommodation, and the players can just get on with it. I would go to three games a week - and if they can't get a full paid audience in, it could still be a marketing/development bonanza. Free entry to anyone under 18. Get the indigenous kids in. Broadcast the matches and our culture around the world. I'm assuming the NT government would be inviting and willing to chip in for promotional benefits. For mine, if they set up here now with a commitment to play out the season, it would create a true carnival atmosphere and grant some actual legitimacy to the season, rather than all this week-to-week scrambling and revised fixtures.

I just hope they are playing at either Metricon or the Gabba and not in Cairns, that way me and the family can see a few games.

The media bashing of the Hawks needs to stop, nothing worse than an opponent who has copped it from all and sundry in the week leading up to their game

OMG that just totally confirms my view that you are a terrible judge. Kosi directly created Harmes, Fritsch and Bennell goals against GC. He is an absolute gun.

I can just see us having to leave NSW before Sunday and our match against the Hawks postponed. That would be so 2020 for us.

Agree LH. We could have won by 100 points had we only kicked about 15 more goals. You can't make a sliding doors projection based on what-ifs. If the first behind of the game had been a goal, everything that happened after that will be different to what happened in the real game, because the ball will be back in the middle rather than being kicked out. The outcome becomes undefined and unknown. The only valid scenario to ponder is the one that actually happened.

Technically the Reverend. Former Bombers player and was a good result

I’d go unchanged this week if TMac gets up from the eye scrape. If Hawks get their kicking possession game going, we’re toast. Need to bring the pressure this week to combat this.

There is a large difference between knowing what people are saying and actually listening to it.

I'll take the bait. He was directly involved in a number of our goals and seems to have the opposition a bit jittery with his pressure. Sure he's not perfect - but it's his first season and he's playing one of the hardest positions to play. He's definitely exceeding my expectations for a first year player in that role. Who would you bring in for him that will do any better? Hunt? Spargo? ANB? None of them can do what he does

I respectfully volunteer to be captain of team Oscar. In terms of experience i was previously captain of team Anthony 'Spud' Dullard, like Omac an effective but much underappreciated big defender (and occasional ruckman) who played his last game in 1981. A (as an aside i I just checked Spud's page on demonwiki - the single greatest website in the history of the internet - and was amazed that he also wore number 28, a fact i'd completely forgotten. Sorry Spud. And further he holds the club record for games wearing number 28 - 108. Omac is on 74 so all things being equal he will break that record. And when he does i might have little Team Oscar celebration and invite Spud. I can't see Omac passing Spuds 49 goals but with some luck maybe he might exceed Spuds 10 career Brownlow votes though he might need to get wriggle on) For many years team Oscar felt like a very small team. Growing in numbers now it seems. Little Goffy and handful of others can say we were into Oscar before he got big. But if he gets too popular i might have to find a new, unfashionable, but cool team. Like when i was into Hunters and Collectors (down there in that cavern where heaven grows) before they went mainstream and went off them once they did - i mean Holy Grail, please!. Any ideas of who the next underground, alternative player for the true believers might be? personally I'm thinking of joining team Smith.

My nightmare is winning a flag and not being there to see it. Don't get me wrong I'll take it but it truly would kill me in a first world problem kind of way.

If anyone is going to do it, it'll be Essendon. Dorodo likes to get his name up in lights, so would be most likely to try and go down this route. From my understanding if they did that and drove a hard bargain, then the player can refuse to sign the contract and then go into the drafts? So Joe would have to be comfortable to be able to go into that situation. In a lot of ways our trading away a 1st this year, helps as that diminishes what they could ask for, in particular if we hold firm on not letting any players go (unless we need too for salary purposes) - that's if we even wanted him.

That is like saying we would have won by a greater margin if: Lever and May hadn't spoilt each for the mark GCS wouldn't have got the goal out the back (2nd qtr I think). Max hadn't tapped the ball into Rankine's lap in the last he wouldn't have got his third goal. Max didn't turn the ball over with a OOB around their 50m arc King wouldn't have received the kick-in to run into an easy goal. So Max's mishaps directly cost us two goals. Not criticising him; he was mighty. Just saying lots of players make mistakes; some directly cost us goals and some don't. I could pull various other examples that cost us a 'much greater margin'. Every week there are moments that cost us a game or the margin. Not yourself, but others on here have questioned Petracca's coaches votes on the basis of his mishaps. If coaches used that in their assessment then Max would not have got 5/4 as he directly cost us two goals and had a few other clangers.

Given that most people won't read the report you've linked, it's a shame you didn't explicitly express the point I'm guessing you wanted to make - that the majority of Indigenous deaths in custody are from natural causes, suicide etc, rather than guards / cops killing them, and that the rate of Indigenous deaths in custody is actually lower than it is for the rest of us. It's important, and people should understand what's behind the 430+ number that is often quoted. But that doesn't take away from the injustice of some of those deaths. Reports with stats don't tell the stories of Tanya Day (a relative of Nev's wife, I believe), who was picked up for public drunkenness but didn't get the friendly ride home which Steele Sidebottom had the other week when he was found naked and drunk in the streets. People should read the accounts of the deaths of people like David Dungay Jnr and Cameron Doomadgee, whose spleen was so badly injured it was basically split in two, and ask themselves whether any white Australian has ever 'died in custody' the way they did? It's scandalous that 30 years after the RC, most of its recommendations still haven't been implemented.

If Brown coming in to support Weideman as the otherwise sole tall forward isn’t the reason he exists on our list, then I’ll be buggered if I know what he was recruited for.

I’m nowhere near ready to say Jetta is done yet. Even senior players can have slow starts to a season and even entire poor seasons. Look at Hibberd for example, who had an awful year last year and has been on the outer parts of this season. Suddenly since returning to the side he has gotten going and looking similar to how he did when he first arrived. He’s been excellent three games in a row. Jetta does definitely need to raise the bar this year though or the opportunity to show he can still play will dry up.

I reckon we are in good shape for a tilt at the flag this year and here are my reasons; 1. Eight matches into round 5 we are sitting at 1-3. Improve our composure in forward half and we are likely to find ourselves at 3-3 by the end of round 6. 2. Our list is fit, with no injuries to our best 33 players. The expected compressed fixture will work in our favour with ability to back up matches every 4-5 days through fitness and ability to rest and rotate players across all lines. 3. Our contest work is a real strength and much better than last season. Defensively we are holding up well and despite some poor discipline re being switched on we are keeping teams to a low score. 4. Our ball use can be addressed through our team playing together more, playing more than two matches in a row tweaking game style and bringing in better ball users, e.g. Harley Bennell and Nathan Jones. 5. Goodwin's management style is very much process based, we saw this in 2018 where once we got going we were the most dominant team for decent parts of the season. The next 4-5 weeks will tell us alot. I'm confident we can turn things around and be at 6-4 heading into the last 7 rounds.

How could anyone possibly say we don’t want or need Daniher our key forward department is so bare it’s disgusting. We barely have an AFL standard KPF

If Ellis didnt kick 2 goals out of his [censored] that he will never kick again we would have won easier and by a greater margin

No Tassie either. We’ve just ticked over 60 days with no cases. Perplexing.

NO NO NO AND UNEQUIVOCALLY NO and that is my Final Offer!! Where do you want me to start? Absolutely Injury plagued!! Plus cannot kick straight

That's true but since then they've been horrible and Bennell and Kosi are a massive upgrade on them. They've only played one game together so far. I'm looking forward to Krakouer brothers-style magic coming up. Yes it will be fascinating to see whether we are on a roll.

Now this will probably provoke a few but I don't think Cossi is earning his spot. As yet he has done little in a game. Not unexpected he is a kid who went from under 18's to senior football in one jump. Time to rest him IMO.

I loath that woman, however she is absolutely right to milk this for all it's worth. Without QLD we have no season and she knows it.

Looks like all Victorian teams are moving to Qld for the remainder of the season. Everyone out of NSW soon, maybe last game on Sunday...but maybe not?

I may have not made myself clear. I wasn't 'deducting' points for his mistakes, nor was I blaming him for a smaller winning margin. It came from a sense of amazement that someone who is usually so clear and clean with his disposal could do clanger after clanger, repeatedly. That most players fumble, drop marks, kick to an opponent, get out marked, outsmarted at some time is a given. Petracca, for instance, made three blues in about the first five minutes, including the fresh air miskick in the goal square. I didn't watch the game, only the replay, but I recall the comment 'Petracca having a shocker' early in the Game Day Thread.

On the ABC last night Gladys said no return to lock-down in NSW - they have to learn to live with case spikes. Definitely time for MFC and the AFL to get out of Dodge City. Likely that Queensland (if they close the NSW border), SA, WA, NT and Tas will be the only available hub venues for the second half of the season. Expect MFC to be on the road for a long period.

He has the worst voice for commentary Barely able to hear the words or sentence construction Nasel dominated with very poor diction and zero inflection No matter what he says it is barely able to be listened to.

I don’t think this is as demented as others do. first, it was written last week. We’ve since scored a win. Secondly, we’ve played WC in Perth, Cats and Tigers at the G. Lost to Cats by 2 points. An extremely hard group of matches; we haven’t lost a match we were expected to win,. Our position on ladder looks bad but it is deceiving because we have a game in hand. something which was not mentioned but which is important is that this is , largely, a new side.. These blokes have not played many matches together . It doesn’t matter if May has played 150games. How many has he played with Oscar, Nev, Christian, Lever, Lockhart ?If u look at the v successful Richmond and WC teams in the past 5/6 years they’ve had great player continuity. I am certain the second half if the season will be stronger than the first half. it is now becoming plain that there are some poor teams and sooner or later we must play them. We could easily win a bunch of games in a row, and remember what happened in 2018. I think our list this year is stronger. I backed us for the flag pre season and at 80/1 the odds are ridiculous. Time to double up! Of course we may lose to the Hawks and Brisbane and you can all laugh at us

Incredible watching this, so much passion and excitement. The games this year without the crowds are so stunningly stark in comparison, its like a different world. Lets hope we can get back there. Stay safe everyone.

I'm just going to quietly nudge in here - that I've always believed in Oscar, in a realistic way, going back years. Gooooo team Oscar!

?

Awesome! Dees to Cairns now?!

Very interesting question willmoy. I thought there was a lot of body language going off during the game that you don't pick up on TV. I was particularly pleased to be there for that reason. My take on his body language for what it's worth was that he wasn't attacking contests going for his marks like I saw him do in his first couple of seasons. His body language said to me that in his head he isn't entirely confident in his own ability at the moment. He wasn't taking aggressive grabs his hands were quite flat and thus he dropped a few he used to hold. He also struggles a bit when other players are in the drop zone. I don't think he's using his body enough at the moment to push them out of the way so he can put himself in the best spot. It's easier said than done but it has to happen to be an effective forward. But in my view, again for what it's worth I thought you could physically see his body language and confidence starting to come back after he held those two excellent contested marks. He's certainly got the package. I really felt his body language told a lot that his problem is above the shoulders. I also didn't realise it's 12 mths since he's played in the firsts. 12 months!! And we all get stuck into him so much. I really hope they give him a good 4 or 5 games now no matter what the output. On body language. In the first quarter it really felt like all the players were very tentative and scared to make mistakes. This was actually mentioned by Goody in the post game pressie. He said they were being too cautious and he had to get them to take the game on. They noticeably did that as soon as they came out in the second quarter. It was interesting seeing the game day vid on the Club website with Goody's pre game address to players where he said I won't send out a message for your execution just take the game on. That's exactly what didn't happen in the first quarter. So really interesting to witness the body language and psychology live. I really like what I saw of Goody's game day addresses. The most inspiring I've seen him.

I love the behind the scenes stuff the Dees post. Goody telling the boys to enjoy with win but include their families, players at home abc supporters is absolutely brilliant. A great insight into him I think.

We seem to be covering a lot of positive territory on this thread and it made me wonder what everyone's thoughts were in regards to Australia Day. Apologies if this has already been covered elsewhere or if it's considered slightly off topic. Ignore me if it is. I think we could kill two birds with the one stone perhaps by declaring / voting for a republic and thereby creating a new national day that everyone could feel comfortable celebrating. This would then replace January 26. In an ideal world of course we would just be mature enough to understand that it's no fun celebrating something that upsets so many of our fellow citizens for obvious reasons and change it anyway but it's not an ideal world we live in. Personally I'd go one step further and take the butchers apron off the flag as well if we really do want to grow up as a nation but I wouldn't want that to sidetrack the bigger discussion we're all having here. It would have the added benefit of pissing of royalists though which can only be a good thing considering we're now living in the 21st century.

One of my all time favourite passages of play. Up there with the Hannan goal from the 2018 EF.

I watched the replay last night. The first replay i have watched all year and since our last win 2019. When we win, and play ok it is something i really enjoy. It is a different experience obviously but its funny when you know the result and there is not the emotion and fear of losing how you can see things differently. i posted my reflections on the game earlier in this thread so won't repeat those comments. But here are some random reflections from the replay: I though the commentary was bad when i watched it live but it was actually worse than i remembered. Really just a joke. The model of having head play by play caller (hudson) and two ex footy jocks in the box just talking to each other about their own opinions like they were at the pub (and providing zero useful analysis), with a boundary rider whose job is seemingly to get injury reports wrong and make wise cracks to each other is just ridiculous. Look at the EPL. One commentator. Who often doesn't talk and just lets the pictures tell the story. Or the socceroos coverage. Hill as the main caller - smart, erudite, knows the game inside out and has a good voice for calling a game augmented with an ex footballer who actually provides helpful input, analysis and responds to questions form Hill. And then at half time have the panel of footy jocks guffawing. Perfect. The commentary mess was summed up for me at one point when Lyon and Brown were banging on about tacos and red mist, repeating a conversation that had 10 times already whilst the ball was in play. Rankine did something or other and Hudson, the play by play caller, said whoa look at that - and then apologized for interrupting! Sheesh Traccs kicking was poor (really Lyon and Brown, do you need to point that out again!) but he played much better than i thought - so powerful in the contest. On the cusp of becoming a true A grader and surely will be AA this year And actually a couple of Tracc's kicks were not bad as gaddy and browny made out For example the one where he burst out of the centre and went to for goal rather than pass to weed. As his second goal showed he can easily kick 55 metres and he was on the run kicking from about 60 so it was shot he could have well made. He just didn't flush it. And i have been wanting to see him take more of those sort of shots I was surprised to read after the game that Harley had the equal highest score involvements but his influence on the game was more apparent watching the replay - his talent is so obvious that even if you had never watched a game of football it would be evident. Uses his body beautifully, knows where to be and has that skill that only the best players in any team sport has - an ability to know what is around him, as evidenced by some of his handballs At the risk of banging on about brown and gaddy one those handballs was to max and they knocked him for being too hollywood and used it as an example of the team transferring pressure. Live i thought that seemed a bit tough and on the replay it was evident it was just nonsense. Harley was hot, if tackled he risks a free against and a shot on goal. He hits gawn perfectly but rather than take the ball Maxy decides to thump it forward. Which was max's error not Harley''s Two bits of plays summed up perfectly what Harley brings to the team (and what we have been sorely missing): Winning a one on one contest on the HFF, finding space and kicking the ball 50 plus metres on his non preferred foot to the forwards advantage to set up Weeds first goal The second, and more critical involvement, was his handball receive hard on the boundary on the wing, running 15 odd metres, balancing up and kicking with enough penetration and depth to get over the back of the contest giving hannan a good chance of marking it (and the suns players no chance - how often this year has the defender marked in that exact scenario?) but when he didn't, be able to run on to it and set up Weeds second goal. A goal that arguably won us the game No disrespect to any player who has played in the interim but Harley is in my opinion the most talented player that has played at the demons since Robbie retired. Hard to overstate the importance of Harley i reckon. If he stays fit and plays for most of the season we are a chance of making finals. If not i doubt we will. Melksham was better. Even though he did not have a stand out game the most important thing from my perspective there was none of the selfishness that has been so evident this year. Good move by goody to get him up higher and in the play. I''m really pleased he was better as we simply can't afford to have player with his skill and talent available but not playing seniors Lever was also better and great to see him involved more. Really like him playing higher as it plays to his strengths and he becomes a threat not a negator. Another good move by goody Interestingly in the radio interview with max he mentioned, i think (it was quick) that Lever and Melksham were added to the leadership group last week. If that is the case another good move from the club as the proof was in the pudding with their games In that interview Slobbo specifically asks about the influence of Omac - fascinating response I was perplexed by the decision to drop him as, as i pointed out prior to the blues games i think Omac is critical from a structural perspective, in particular his role of last line sweeper (a very tricky role - as noted elsewhere maxy said he is the best reader of the play in the team - a key skill for that sweeper role). However it is easy to be critical of the decision to drop him. But it may well have been a very clever decision by Goody and as shocking as it might seem Goody might have known things fans didn't. Maxy said something quite revealing - that omac is very important for the team, that the role he plays is super important, particularly in terms of allowing May and Lever to be more damaging. But that Omac also has to perform. I suspect goody and perhaps the leadership team put the acid on Oscar to say you are better than a journeyman and role player and we expect to see it. We need to see it. And that Goody reinforced this message in the tried and true way by dropping him and making it clear he was no lock to come back into the side. True or not Omac, as many Demonlanders have noted, played with much more confidence and much more aggression. Perhaps it is my rampant Omac confirmation bias but to my eye he also looked a bit quicker. King out marked him on the lead a couple of times but he is quick and omac was right on his tail. There has been a lot of talk about the back line for the last 2-3 years, but by in large the focus has been on our bigs. But as i have noted a few times over that period the real issue we have down back is not that the opposition bigs get on top of us, it is the small and medium forwards that hurt us. And again that was the case against the suns. The Suns only took 4 marks inside 50 (remarkably we took 12) and King and Day had almost no influence on the game - ironically Kings one goal was from a crumb. Eight of their nine goals were kicked by small or mediums - Rankine, Ellis, Fioroni and Weller. We need to sort this issue.

Well said. This thread should be called the Oscar McDonald Apology thread......this bloke has copped way to much bagging on here in the past.

I watched the replay today. I can't believe people are saying Brayshaw to be dropped. Yes he had limited possessions however he isn't an inside mid. He plays an outside mid where two of Oliver/Viney/Petracca plays in the guts while Brayshaw sits back waiting for the handball receive so he can launch it long and also if suns wins the clearance, Brayshaw will apply pressure trying to stop them breaking through the lines. In 2nd quarter, Brayshaw applied pressure on two players resulting their kick out on the full. He also is a great interceptor, he times it well and intercepted beautifully punching the ball away which could've been an easy kick into their forward line. He has also intercepted again by marking it however he kicked the post. Brayshaw mans up when suns have the ball running into their forward line. I would be very surprised if he gets dropped. When Brayshaw rests, Melksham takes the centre bounces. We certainly do have an predictable kick ins where May kicks it to Gawn. No need to complain about that, all teams kick to the same spot 90% of the time as i watched all 9 games every weekend. Only once of those kick ins, suns won the ball. As long as we have Gawn and T-Mac there with mids at their feet to crumble, we should win 80% of the time. Rankine will be a future superstar. Lockhart was on Rankine when he snapped his 1st goal but it was melbourne's fault due to their fumble. 2nd goal, Lever gave Rankine too much space. The third goal, Jetta failed to put a block on Rankine. Also Jetta didn't put the block on rankine at the same contest however luckily, Langdon smothered Rankine's kick. Jetta didn't have a good game but i can give him another chance only if he goes on Puopolo. T-mac was pretty good in the 1st quarter, Just after centre bounces, he runs up, dragging his defender out of the forward line giving Weideman space. T-mac is a good runner, so he will continue play high up the ground while Weideman stays back. Bennell played beautifully, he has plenty of time and space to make decisions. He needs to play centre in Brayshaws role while brayshaw rests on the bench. Bennell helps us move the ball forward, he opens the game out. Hannan was clearly top 5 best players against suns. He made 3 important passes that resulted in goals. Weideman was very solid, he stood tall. He crashed packs when he knew he couldn't mark to allow the ball to drop to ground for the dees to crumble. That resulted in VIneys pick up and leads to demon goal. Another one was just before where Pickett tapped it to Fritchch who then kicked the goal. Weideman should've gotten 3 frees, he was pushed out of contests 3 times. Viney/Oliver/Petracca did a lot of great things and some of bad things. Few mistakes, bad kicking etc however they played their role.

I was lucky enough to go to the game. Interesting how good Weid looks when teammates honour his leads and actually kick the ball to the right spot in front of him.

Harley did that as well, he hand balled to a player and immediately made the block in the player that was pursuing him. Too often the hand balls our players make appear to be more about passing responsibility rather than the team “thing” to do. If I had to guess (without being an expert) I feel like the 1-2 overlap is being more coached rather than the handball > shepherd. Just on Kozzie, how good was it to see a Melbourne player have the intelligence to tap forward to Fritta rather than take possession? Definitely something we need to employing more of.

Im not sure why people get so upset with Garry. He is paid to observe not barrack. He has an opinion on the game. Its still better then Huddo and the other peanuts. Regardless of if he over did the commentary or not, for the MFC to take the next level and become a really good side there are lots of fundermentals we still have to clean up. Bit like what Clarko says. You can be middle of the road or you can be elite. We are not elite.... the criticism is warranted.

Garry and Jono Brown are complete tossers. It was painful to have to put up with them. Make a big deal about every Melbourne mistake and have a circle jerk with Huddo over Rankine, while completely making a non-issue of the fact he got two of the biggest bullsh&t free kicks of the night. Gary is the opposite of Eddie McGuire and his Collingwood bias. he actively bags Melbourne at every opportunity and barracks for the opposition to hide his bias. He shouldn’t call Melbourne games. How was Browny at the end, wanting to focus on the fact tht Rankine will pull them through the gates and completely disrespecting our win. Both can bugger off.

Langdon stood flat footed and let Rankine shark the tap Hibberd was on him when he did the soccer goal Rankine side stepped Harmes for his first goal Nev made one error on Rankine Please watch the game before writing off Nev The only disappointment for me tonight was Garry Lyon commentating like he wanted the Dees to lose

Dees chasing Daniher ? Shouldn't be too hard considering he can't run.