Leaderboard

Another update from Insta... BroDEE, Spargs, TMac and maybe Fritta (?) Hit Gosch's at quarter to 8. Not a bad effort for the final day of 2022!

If we win a flag everything else is cream. 1, Kozzie signs 2. Dockers bottom 4 3. We use the Dockers picks to land a huge fish.

I'm a big fan of Spargo and have been a staunch supporter since he arrived at the club. But, personally i thought he was disappointing this year. He defensive work dopped right off along with many others and whilst he is one of our best ball users going inside 50, we're lucky to see him do this 2-3 times on the day. He was incredibly lucky not to get dropped at times especially when I saw a much more dynamic Kade Chandler at Casey level week in week out dominate at VFL level and was also hitting the scoreboard. Big year for Spargo in 2023. If he doesn't find other elements to add to his game such as hitting the scoreboard more and maintaining his pressure then he's simply in trouble for his spot. He's gotta step up especially as he's coming up to that sweet spot of 100 game mark. Laurie and Chandler will be extremely hungry this year to take his spot.

A flag At the g That i actually attend

That I live to see 2024 and beyond.

Clearly another flag is a given so let’s try to avoid the flaming obvious. Mine: 1) JVR to announce himself as an upcoming power forward. 2) Inside 50 function to he overhauled In considerable change to that phase of our game. 3) Gawn and Grundy take the dual All Australian team spots after an epic season of dominance.

FLAG CLARRIE / TRACC TIED BROWNLOW KOZZIE NORM SMITH AND SIGNS A 6 Year Demons contract

1. Exciting attacking footy returns 2. Kozzi signs 3. OD makes it to 2024 and beyond

Pity he wasn’t a Carlton Captain, or a name player, he would have gotten off. Both he and ANB have been treated very differently to other AFL players by the Tribunal.

Found an article that outlines Burgo's philosophy: Fitness guru reveals secret to Dees' incredible injury-free run: https://www.afl.com.au/news/686425/fitness-guru-reveals-secret-to-dees-incredible-injury-free-run Some key statements below: "There's two ways to go about injury prevention, I think. "If someone has niggles you give them a rest so they complete as many sessions as possible, cut the sessions short if someone's a bit sore, or you can build them up and push them through those periods where they're a little sore, a little bit tender and a little bit fatigued … to provide them with that robustness to get through." Burgess said he used to subscribe to the former theory before evolving to the latter in recent years. After an improved 2020, Melbourne won the 2021 premiership partly off the back of player availability, and the work of Burgess and his team. Nine men played in all 25 games, another four missed just one, and 16 played 20 games or more. "Providing that physical resilience was about turning up, day after day, with training intensity at a super high level," he said. "It's really tempting for medical, performance people to say 'we train from November to March and then we play games. And in January when it's a bit hot and someone rolled their ankle slightly, it's tempting to say just have this session off, it's just January, it doesn't matter if you miss one session'. But it does. Somehow this worked for us in 2021, with players no doubt carrying some injuries through the middle parts of the season, but in 2022, if Selwyn Griffith applied the same philosophy, we are supposing that it wasn't as effective, because the players weren't in as good a condition headding into finals. Maybe there's also some nuance that we didn't quite get right in 2022. I'm also actually woundering if injuries in 2022 were really as significant as is being made out? We weren't that far off Sydney and Brisbane in the finals we played them. Brisbane we'd smashed comprehensively just a few weeks earlier on their home deck. I'm woundering if it's more down to being outplayed on the night in 2022? To some extent I also recall Sydney being helped back into the game by some fairly dubious, momentum shifting umpiring. We beat Sydney and then we'd have had a weeks rest for the whole side before the prelim like we did in 2021.

I'm excepting big things from Hunter in the coming season. He should fix our other wing and provide sweet delivery to the forwards.

QD's been on a lovely break since 23 Dec. Very happy Comes onto Demonland to ensure he hasn't missed anything important Reads this thread Checks the bathroom cabinet for razorblades Remembers he bought an electric razor last year around this time.

Is happening today down on the Mornington Peninsula for those that are interested. Lots of players in attendance I'm told. Good luck to Adam and his lovely bride

I just watched the second half of that match again. We got killed by the umpires, Kozzie missed two shots he should never ever have missed, yet with a minute to go, we were a real chance. The way I and everyone else on Demonland has reacted, it was a disaster and we were hopeless. Sure, we all wanted to win the premiership and believed we could, but we played a team which had been highly predicted to be the premiers themselves , and had every chance to win it, and it was an extremely close and exciting game. I have never been as optimistic coming into a season as I am for 2023. I think Grundy and Gawn will be incredible together. People say that Oliver is “one of the best midfielders in the competition”. Rubbish. He is hands down the best, not “one of the best”. Petracca is one of the best. Viney is one of the best. We have the best defence in the league, two of the best wingers, and we all hope we will now have a functional forward line. I can’t wait!

Nice try, Tony Cochrane

1. Kozzie’s signature 2. Sellout the G for Anzac Eve and King’s Birthday 3. Beer price to drop at the G.

On the park 3 times last season mostly during junk time for an average of 17 minutes each game. In Perth trying to to do the team thing busted his guts out tackling a WC player and earned two weeks rest.

“Fazed” or “Phased” Overview fazed / phased are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇 Definitions fazed: (verb) disturb the composure of. phased: (verb) arrange in phases or stages. (verb) adjust so as to be in a synchronized condition.

Happy 31st Birthday Gawny

Spargo is statistically the most effective kick inside 50 in a team that notoriously struggles with kicks inside 50. Would be great for him to do it more, but it's completely incorrect to say he adds nothing to our scoring power.

His extended family, who will remain anonymous here, have been long suffering Demon people. Sitting in the same seats on level 1 on the wing of the Olympic stand for as long as I can remember…. that’s all you’ll get from me on this one.

The great Melbourne sides of the late 50's and early 60's had Reserves sides studded with players in waiting E.G. Massey, Miller, Crompton, Len Mann, Tony Anderson, Townsend, Emselle, Rowarth, Vagg, etc. It ain't no crime to bide your time.

From what I understand, Koz moved from WA to SA during his teen years and lived with family there which he is still very close with. I don't think the chances of his mum asking him to move back are very high, but there's always the scenario that losing his mum has made him consider being closer to family again. On top of that, I believe his dad lives in SA these days.

Well you could post that we are going to win the 2023 flag. That might be nice.

Schache is not a HB flanker maybe you are thinking Back Pocket? He may need to just train hard and fit in a team way to get selected in any position. Let's hope he can become a real surprise packet any where for us. No doubt has ability like Weid but needs to produce !!

This is were I can see Sestan pressing for a spot.

Don’t forget TMac& BBB…..And Pickett, JJ and Jackson were carrying knee injuries into the finals. That’s 11 players below their best. Small wonder we fell away in the second half of games at the end of the season.

Lingering injuries, yes. But as both Gawn and Goodwin commented at the end of this season, we didn't really get a break at the end of 21, the two seasons virtually rolled together. With predictable results. No accident that back to back premierships are so hard to come by.

It would be great to see stats per position across the league. I think HF & FO & HhF would be great to see the list in that position and averages. Spargo doesn’t get 20 possessions per week but what do other players average in similar role. Stengel got 50 plus as number one small forward at cats our equivalent Kossie got 40 plus, but who is next in the league. Fritsch as half forward got 50 plus who was next best in league. Spargo as 2nd small forward who plays high only got 10 but how do other team’s equivalents stack up? Most supporters have unrealistic expectations on the player and stats when compared to the role they play and the average stats.

I believe Maysie has invited Lachie to an introductory dinner at Entrecôte !!!

Gawny's a year older, wiser and probably funnier. What a gun! Hope he has another 10 years in the game.

The Dogs also torched us in 2nd half of 2020 and I vaguely recall Hunter having a very good day. He certainly knows how to get the ball and use it and will be an upgrade on our 2nd winger choices - assuming Brayshaw not playing on the wing! In addition to Grundy feels like we’ve really increased our centreline on baller firepower - Rucks Gawn & Grundy Mids Oliver, Trac, Viney, Brayshaw supported by Sparrow, Harmes, (backups Jordan & Pickett) Wings Langdon & Hunter (backups Brayshaw & JJ) Just an awesome midfield / wing combination!

I think we have to show some compassion for Uncle Bitters. He has lost his two pet dogs. His moat has dried up. His butler quit and his maid is getting uppity. His favourite wine cask is out of stock at the general store. The Dees have not won a game for months. That is a lot to deal with and I think he needs some kind words from all of us.

Absolutely. I don't understand the gripe against Spargo. He is quick in the first 5 metres, has great vision and decision-making. Plays his role defensively harassing and tackling. He was struggling for form in 2019 and 2020, but since then has been very good!

Except Spargo has been a pretty good forward score assist over the last two years and is our best kick inside 50... Some people are never pleased

Sad, but true, Bluey was an exceptional footballer…..and a ruddy lovely fella

A lot of people aren’t “phased”. But are they FAZED?

For what’s it’s worth - The Dogs knocked us out of the finals in 2020 with a final round win over Freo in Cairns by 5 goals. Hunter was so far clear best on ground that it wasn’t funny with 35 touches (in a shortened game), 1 goal and the 3 Brownlow votes. This suggests that he can step up in the big games that count. Looking forward to seeing what he can a) bring to the table and b) how it affects our recent wing options in JJ, Brayshaw and Spargo (who has no business being a winger).

True, but he been given bugger all chance to prove himself in the past two seasons.

That might be true, but I think they “knew” well before he left that he was leaving.

Not true. The Club wanted to keep LJ, right up to the day he left. Our President at The B&F made that quite clear But a Plan B was put in place a long way out.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t end with ‘Heaven knows I’m miserable now’.

Teams with plenty of salary cap room will come calling and we won't be able to match

Strangely emotional reaction to a normal discussion. I didn't say winning was unimportant, I just said it was less important than other factors. As I said this has been proven over many examples over a long period of time, across all sports. Jackson couldn't have had a more 'winning' start to his career with the MFC, in terms of games or individual success (RS). Ultimately, that success appeared unimportant to his retention, and potentially even tipped the scales the other way insofar as him not having any 'unfinished business' with the MFC. I am also equally unphased with whatever it is you think. Its interesting that in this day & age there are still supporters who think that winning will solve everything. The majority of players aren't as invested in the fabric of the club as you think they are, and are nowhere near as invested as you are. It serves them well to view it as only a job, and one they can do in 18 places around the country for similiar or better pay whilst playing in the same position, against the same opposition, flying round to the same stadiums and staying in the same hotels. If they can do all of that then with the (more important) factors taken care of like family and lifestyle, this is what will drive most decisions. All players are different though, and success will be more important to some than others. Most will say success is a factor usually for favourable optics for their new team ('I really believe this list can have success') but the evidence does not support the claims. There is little to differentiate the club's themselves, especially for middling teams like us in terms of prominence and size. We don't have the pull of Richmond or Collingwood and we don't have the lifestyle benefits of Geelong, Brisbane or Perth. Success is momentary and transient - at best it can last 3-5 years, on average it lasts 1-3, if you even get there at all. For players looking at a 10-15 year career, they know that all clubs will have both ups and downs and they'll be there for them all. Kossie would know that he's currently at a successful and very well run club. He'd be well aware of what he'd be leaving behind, because he himself has been a key part of driving it. Port are hardly a cellar dweller in any case. If he leaves, it will have nothing to do with success.

When their is smoke their is fire.

As with dogga I would much prefer if he stays but nowadays players come and players go. I’m not too emotionally invested. He has everything he needs to succeed at the dees. If he leaves try to get the best deal we can and move on. all that said I reckon more likely he stays but if he hasn’t signed by king’s birthday then his departure far more likely

Update for Howes' two year contract renewal until 2025. Next: Kozzie please. 🤩