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Lampers from bigfooty did the stats on the game for the 4 quarters and provided the following. Jake Bowey 14 kicks 2 handballs 7 marks 1 score assist Angus Brayshaw 13 kicks 3 handballs 9 marks 2 score assists Ben Brown 7 kicks 2 handballs 6 marks 2 goals Kade Chandler 8 kicks 5 handballs 5 marks 1 goal 1 behind 2 score assists Max Gawn 10 kicks 6 handballs 7 marks 15 hit outs 2 goals 1 behind, 1 score assist Brodie Grundy 4 kicks 4 handballs 2 marks 20 hit outs 1 goal James Harmes 3 kicks 3 handballs Lachie Hunter 17 kicks 10 handballs 9 marks 1 goal 3 score assists Ed Langdon 10 kicks 5 handballs 6 marks 1 goal 1 score assist Jake Lever 6 kicks 3 handballs 4 marks Tom McDonald 4 kicks 3 handballs 2 marks 2 hit outs 1 goal 2 behinds Judd McVee 12 kicks 4 handballs 6 marks Steven May 19 kicks 2 handballs 5 marks Alex Neal-Bullen 11 kicks 4 handballs 5 marks 1 goal 1 behind Clayton Oliver 10 kicks 16 handballs 3 marks 2 score assists Christian Petracca 14 kicks 8 handballs 5 marks 3 goals 1 behind 5 score assists Harry Petty 7 kicks 2 handballs 5 marks Kysiaih Pickett 15 kicks 2 handballs 7 marks 2 goals 1 behind Trent Rivers 11 kicks 8 handballs 9 marks 1 goal Charlie Spargo 4 kicks 3 handballs 4 marks 3 score assists Tom Sparrow 6 kicks 4 handballs 3 marks 2 behinds Jacob van Rooyen 1 kick 2 handballs Jack Viney 9 kicks 10 handballs 5 marks 1 score assist

It’s always interesting to read dissatisfaction with our attacking game when we score 16 goals (or > 100 points). With our defensive qualities, that will win us every game, barring defensive aberrations, regardless of ‘system’. Likewise the entrenched belief that Max will be a guaranteed failure up forward. If he kicks straighter, he’s going to be an almighty headache for every other team. Simple.

I've made a more visually friendly version

Yes, But it’s only ok if we do it.

Having read most of the reports / comments it appears we have substantial depth going into this season. There will be injuries and unlike last year when tmac went down we will be better able to cover them. I find it hard to believe we will not be in the GF in 2023.

We could launder the players jumpers through them. Oh, ok... wrong laundry. Sorry.

If you take off the spectacles of bitterness, it is not unusual that a player who was hampered with injury for a large part of 2022 has been able to return to full fitness over the offseason and perform well in the first practice match of 2023. Some people just can't get used to the idea that a Melbourne player would wish to leave us, despite the fact that players leave every club every year. We just picked up three new faces in this very manner.

and i bet he's: training the house down never been fitter settling in well helping the kids bring his premiership experience looking forward to having an impact loving all the boys.

So just like Chip, he mailed in his games knowing he was leaving. Say what you like about Danger, he played his heart out with the Crows knowing he was out the door.

Most people don't take into account Brodie Grundy has virtually not played a game for 12 months and this was the first time he played a competitive game with his teammates.

Had some fun editing this one! Some call it an urban legend, others claim to have witnessed the phenomenon in person (myself included), but back in Round 7, 2008, Melbourne claimed the most unlikely of victories against Fremantle. After trailing by a match high 51 points towards the end of the second quarter, Melbourne kicked 14 of the next 18 goals to record a 6 point win. Check out all 17 goals kicked by Melbourne during what was a most eventful afternoon at the G!

Sorry Cookie but I can live with that

Buns are $2 for Geelong members and $3 for anybody else.

Melbourne A healthy, happy Demons side will be a force this season with Brodie Grundy and Lachie Hunter filling important roles in the match sim against St Kilda. Gawn and Grundy look a good combination in the ruck and switching forward while Ben Brown thinks it will be similar to last year with a resting ruckman joining him and Tom McDonald as key forwards. The Demons looked to be kicking more centrally and, at times, more long and direct during the St Kilda match. Another change is Kysaiah Pickett spending some time in midfield along with his pressure forward role, and he could cause havoc against tired midfielders this season.

Bargain. He obviously had a big falling out with certain people at the Dogs. Wipe the slate clean at a new Club. he will excel on the big MCG Wings Repeat: Bargain in the last minutes of trade madness

Not sure about that. He was good in his match, much better than Harmes and Sparrow for example, in the main game.

Is this about Charles and Camilla wanting to head our cheer squad?

I noticed in an email that Penfolds has joined MFC as a sponsor. I tried to investigate the MFC to see what are the terms of this deal, and also whether their were benefits for MFC Members. I could find NO mention of Penfolds on the MFC website. Perhaps I missed it. Couldn't find anything on Demonland, either. So I tried googling MFC/Penfolds and found MFC Members can get a significant discount by using the promo code "MELBOURNE". ( about 18% on certain bundles). Why has there been so little publicity for such a prominent and desirable sponsor? Also ,didn't we have another wine company sponsor recently.? I presume this supersedes them. Surely we should be delighted to have Penfolds on board, and do everything possible to nurture, and perhaps upgrade the association in the future. I just checked again, and found that Penfolds ARE listed with the official partners. So the above is not correct, but I still think a little more exposure would be advisable.

Harmes will be ok as it's only one hit out. Certainly wasn't at his best but we know how good he can be van Rooyen needs time as he is still only 19. First of all he needs to break into the team and then needs a block of 3 or 4 games to show his wares But Hunter really stood out especially because it was his first go in the Demons jumper. He's hit the ground running and if he & Langdon both shine this year on both wings, lookout! If he'd picked up 15 possessions instead of 27 we'd probably be quite pleased with his output first time up Also, Grundy was quite good ... he's certainly got a presence and is imposing. And that's what you want from a ruckman (we've got 2 as well) The possessions will come

27 possessions to Hunter was most pleasing Rivers, Kozzie & Bowey getting amongst it through the middle was good to see Grundy & Gawn worked quite well in terms of both having a real presence in different parts of the ground ... that will concern the other teams McVee looked alright too. Brown & Chandler were ok as well

a few here bagged Grundy. If thats his stats spudding it up, We will be happy with that.

The draw - 7 of their first 9 matches are in Victoria (at the MCG or GMHBA) which will help the old legs in their squad with only trips to Metricon and then to Adelaide for the 'Gather Round' to play West Coast before Rd 10. They do have 5 six day breaks though in that first 9 rounds which may or may not be a factor depending on any niggles with their senior citizens. I think they''ll have a solid enough start but AFL.com assessed them as having the equal hardest draw and playing Sydney, Collingwood, Freo, Port and the Bulldogs twice which makes it significantly harder than last year, but all those return matches bar the Pies are at GMHBA and of course they play us there as well - they do have to square off against Carlton and Richmond at the G though and I think both of those teams will challenge for the top 4. 1. While they have the oldest list, it's also the most experienced and I don't expect the fall off the cliff unless there are significant games lost by Hawkins (possible he's got a foot complaint and will miss the start of the season at least) and the other 32 and over older players: Touhy, Blicavs, Stanley, Smith, Duncan and Dangerfield. I think their support cast is solid without being spectacular and they seem thin in particular for depth in the key positions even though they didn't really need them last year. It will be interesting to see whether the AFL world continues to laud their management approach after this year. With the exception of Ceglar and Jack Henry they never really had too many injuries to senior players so were able to keep the best 22 together for long periods. It might be harder for them to rest players the way they did last season with blocks of harder games in a row this year especially at the back end of the season where only St Kilda in the second last round looks easy on paper. 2. They've got a good cohesive defence. – the third best in 2022 (though there was only a goal separating all three). Stewart is elite, and De Koning might be by the end of the season as well and Henry can do the job on the third tall. Then there’s always Blicavs they can swing back there. The smaller players (with maybe the exception of Touhy) in Bews, Zac Guthrie, and Kolodjashni go about their job with a minimum of fuss and fanfare and they have the luxury of being able to throw Atkins back there if needed. Like all good defensive sides they also rely on their midfield being able to fold back to provide support, including their rucks. It will be an interesting watch this year to see if they can maintain that work rate. 3. I think of all the lines the one area of concern for the Cats is their midfield. That may seem odd given they’ve added Bowes and Bruhn, but only lost Selwood -whose on field direction and work in close they’ll miss. They’ll still have a very strong first string on ball brigade in Duncan, Guthrie, Atkins and Dangerfield, in the middle and Smith and Holmes to lock in on the wings – (though they’re experimenting with Holmes as an inside mid). The issue for me (and I do love mids that get first hands on the ball) is that while they’re an elite defensive side, they’re a very ordinary CP side, though strangely they had 5 players get over 200 CP for the year: Guthrie 245, Blicavs 213, Danger 210, Atkins 209 and Selwood 204. It tells me there’s a lot of heavy lifting in there by only a few – one of whom has retired and two are 32 & 33. It will be interesting to see if they continue to use O’Connor in a lockdown role (who only averages 13 possessions for 82% TOG) or run with a more creative mid in that position. Their rucks (Stanley and Ceglar) are serviceable, but they aren’t in any conversations as match winners. 4. The fortunes of their forward line rest very much on the shoulders of Tom Hawkins who provides the structure they need. Jezza isn’t that player – he’s a good second foil and he’s crucial in his own right, but his effectiveness is curtailed when Tom isn’t there. With Stengle and Ollie Henry (who I think will replace Rohan) they have plenty of goals scoring options while Miers and Close play their roles as good as anyone. The only question mark is whether father time (for Hawkins) or injuries (dodgy hammies for Jezza) disrupt their season. 5. The elephant in the room is age, while they rewrote history to win the premiership last year with the oldest list in AFL/VFL history - logic would say that its highly unlikely they will have the same good fortune twice in a row (you do need luck on your side to win a premiership) and as our experience last year demonstrated it's tough to back up particularly as you get older. I expect them to win enough games to finish top four but am hoping they run out of petrol tickets come the finals. 5. The player they can least afford to lose – I actually can’t pick just one. I think there are four which might not be such a good sign for the Cats: Hawkins, Cameron, Blicavs and Stewart. I was tempted to say five with Danger who for me the lynchpin of the midfield but I think they can sort of cover him, but given how critical the other four are to their structure they can't afford any on them to be watching from the stands. For Chris Scott and how he coaches it is all about structure - well it is for most coaches, but he’s super reliant on having those players available – particularly when they play at the MCG. Last year of a possible 25 matches they played respectively: 25, 24, 24 and 20 (Stewart’s suspension didn’t really cost them in the end). The Cats will obviously be there and thereabouts again and I think they’re good enough to finish 2nd at the end of the H&A. Injuries will be critical to their fortunes as they are for most teams, but with their age profile i'm expecting them to be more disruptive this season than last.

What gets overlooked with McVee is his toughness. He's physically not huge, but he has a real crack. He has genuine class, very good kicking, he's evasive and he has nice speed, which is at odds with an earlier comment in this thread. There's a lot to like.

Thanks Ethan, a number of interesting and important issues here. However, I shall make no comment because I cannot stand Rita Panahi - a sanctimonious, headline hunting, self righteous excuse for a journalist whose carping adds little to any serious debate and whose sole raison d'être appears to be promulgating the views of her political masters.

The Demonland Podcast returns for Season 2023 Join @binman & I on the Demonland Podcast Monday night 27th February LIVE @ 8:30pm for breakdown of the Match SIM against St. Kilda. If you have any questions or comments leave it below and we'll include it in the show. Please keep it to Match SIM and general preseason training stuff as we'll do a more in depth Season Preview in a few weeks with George. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-25/crown-woos-victorian-afl-clubs-with-sponsorship-deals/102021564 We are yet to comment... I personally hope we reject any approach and stick with our pledge to not accept gambling sponsorship. However, I fully respect others won't agree?

WTF Since when did Collingwood Rebuild the MCG?? As an MCC Member i take high offense at that comment. And let’s get one thing straight Yes the MFC had QB as a Home Game for many years, BUT the deal they had in the Ponsford Stand paid very handsomely on an almost weekly basis. That Deal should never have gone ahead. It stunk and still does. Oh how i HATE anything Collingwood… The arrogance just spews out of every orifice

To pick up Hunter and Grundy this year is like going to the draft with the first Two Picks, and both having already played in top football sides a Hundred Games each..

BT giving everyone on Demonland the shts....

it's just cracked $80,000

Is this true, and if so exactly to which carparks do they apply this rule? Kardinia Park is Crown Land run by a Trust appointed by the State. The rule will breach the Crown Land Reserves Act on disciminatory grounds. Woudl love to see a bunfight over this if real.

Geelong will make the 8 for the 1000th time . A key Melb'ne player will get injured by a careless act down at Mordor stadium late in the season. The umpires will be just as hopeless as usual. Caroline Wilson will predict a Tigers flag and will suck up to the new AFL CEO.

We played Frawley up forward and, I am told, we didn’t try very hard to keep him knowing we wanted to get ND3 as compensation. Much prefer to have had Brayshaw.

Points of order. He wasn't THAT amazing in the GF. And 'He was everywhere' may simply mean he was tried in lots of positions, so need to panic yet. On a brighter note, Freo lost.

Happy to give you a serve anytime BBO

Crown is the font of evil in Melbourne, dirty dirty organization with loads of sleaze and abuse hidden by a slick facade. Did I tell you I didn’t like Crown? If all you saw were the functions and advertising you could be fooled into thinking it’s benign but truly it’s not. Gambling should be tolerated not encouraged, much like sex work, and other activities that chip away at human dignity.

oh, and i had this image of you sitting in the kitchen, stirring purloined threads from fritta's bed cover in a bubbling cauldron, whilst chanting magical incantations, in a desperate attempt to breathe life into a cardboard jayden facsimile.......reputation be buggered!

Nah no chance, they lost me when they introduced 22 in the dealers’s hand as a stand-off in blackjack.

I'll also add that I thought Jake Bowey was superb off half back. Didn't realise he was so strong overhead and took a couple of good intercept marks. Bit scratchy at the start but as the game wore on he got better and his ball use and drive off half back was excellent. He's best 22 now. 3rd year now and I expect him to make big strides in his game. Watching Riv go through the midfield is salivating. Powerful 188cm 88kg type with speed and and a booming kick who could really change the dynamic of our midfield set up. Looks fit and ready to go.

You'll have to find that aisle yourself. The 16 year old stoner will try to help, buy ultimately give up. 'What's a cauldron do? So, it's sort of like a bucket? Maybe try the cleaning aisle? Number? Um, down that way? It's hot in a cauldron? Um, maybe try the outdoor sections where they have those outdoor heater thingos. Yeah, nah, sorry man, can't help'

Look in the cauldron section at Bunnings.

Wouldn’t be happy one with the club being associated with a criminal organisation.

Fast Food

would hope we weren't involved

SOOOOO not needed or wanted.

So you sleep in Fritsch's bed and take Jayden home...and I thought you were a wholesome type...😉 Clearly mistaken!🙃

he probably has watched too many episodes of are you being served

NOT SURE.

I really think people are being very harsh on Grundy‘s performance. He did drop a couple of marks and this was his first game since Round 6 and it was in 33 degree heat. He did a couple of really nice things and that goal was great.