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I rang in to Demonland tonight & was thankful Andy & Binman gave me some time to share my thoughts on this great team we barrack for. Here's what I said & what I feel. I'd like to share my thoughts on the Redlegs as a whole circa 2023. As a club, we're in rarefied air; a men's, women's & VFL Premiership all within the last 2 years. A recruiting, administrative & conditioning team that made impeccable decisions for almost 10 years. The highest paid up memberships in the history of the club. A pool of generational talent signed to long term deals. A strong list of youngsters pushing our best 22 for team selection. A destination club that has attracted All Australians, Best & Fairest's and previous club captains. A team of A list assistant coaches. A coach that tasted the highest success in his playing career & now also as a head coach, that not only learnt from a genius & passionate Demon fan in Paul Roos, but is young enough to relate to his players, young enough to grow with his players & young enough to be around for another decade which creates an environment of trust & cohesion. If you think back to your amateur team sports days, be it AFL footy, local cricket or even indoor soccer, when did you, as a team, create success? When you had consistency & cohesion & trust. When you had the same 22 fellas running out to kick the sherrin, the same 11 blokes going out to field, the same 5 friends putting on shingaurds. Why, because you built patterns, game plans and trust in their abilities. You could anticipate what your team mates were going to do & when they needed your help. The Dees finally have this. Stability, trust & importantly genuine class. What we don't have is a recent history of it. They're learning to be successful. Just as we as a supporter base are learning with them. We're not used to this success, being the favourites to win every game, being in every game, no longer being thrashed each week. But what I consistently see when I read frustrated fans' posts on various platforms is that we should be better. And it's this word I'd like to analyse. 'Better than what' is what I would like to ask. Is it possible to win every game? Of course not. Is it possible to only lose 4 games in a season. History would suggest not often. It's been decades since we've had this kind of heat. Teams need to play at their very best to beat us. So each week, we are playing the very best the opposition has to give, week in, week out. This takes its toll on the boys; you simply cannot be up every week. You simply cannot be 'better' all the time. This not an excuse, or a defeatist attitude, it's a fact. We all know the cliches; you don't win flags in 'insert any month except September', you have to peak at the right time, you must finish top 4 to win a flag. They're cliches for a reason, because the better teams have fulfilled these cliches better than other teams. As Binman says, if you have all the pieces in place as we do (talent, good governance etc), the key determinant is injuries & increasingly suspensions. These are the things to concern yourself of. Not the team itself. In the cut & thrust of battle ie the home & away season, it can be hard to pull back & see the bigger picture. What is it? The future has never been better. It's ok to be angry at losses but let's get behind them rather than walk away. Let's be that club that turns the umps whistles our way with our own noise of affirmation. Let's continue to pay our membership, to buy whatever merch we can afford from the Demon shop to assist the club to find a spiritual home for us congregate; not Casey or Gosch but a real home. Let's not feed into the collective anxiety that if we don't win a flag in the next few years, we never will again, but rather strive for sustained prolonged success. Because then the flags are inevitable. Simply my point is, trust in this team, this collective organisation. The club has never been in a better position. If we can't enjoy this now, when can we enjoy this team?

Was waiting til the official word from the club @rjay. A ‘strain’ is a tear. Not sure why they insist on using ‘strain’, when they could just use the tear grading (1-3). Nobody’s fooled I suspect. Anyway, all hamstring tears begin at 3 weeks. Straight clinical epidemiology tells us that if you bring even a minor tear (grade 1) back inside 3 weeks, the risk of re-tear is markedly greater. Needless to say, the longer the rehab, the lower the risk. I’ll assume Clarrie’s is grade 1, in which case he ‘should’ miss the next 3 games, to avoid such risk. Desperation does strange things though.

Love it !!! Jeff Gleeson says Hunter is "an intelligent, articulate fellow who's got a clear view about what happened in this matter" and should stay for further questions if he can. Hunter: "I've got nowhere to be mate other than Saturday at the G'."

Hardwick won’t miss anyone on the way out. Let’s hope he whacks the AFL, the state of the game, the MRO, the stupidity of 4 field umps, the score review system fiasco, the treatment of coaches, the dogs in the media, the dogs not in the media, the State government, the Federal government, cops who taser old ladies and throws a bit of climate change hysteria in for good measure.

Great answer because if the Tribunal finds him guilty, the game becomes a non contact sport.

I liked this one. AFL: One of the things you could've done to avoid this impact was to step either to your left or right prior to impact. Hunter: No, because you're asking me to concede the ball to Port Adelaide.

For years they’ve said turn side on and now they’re saying go in front on with your arms out? Utter nonsense

Indeed. And almost all jobs on that that long list would be paId way, way less than what Dimma would be on. My MICA paramedic mate says hi.

The way that they are looking at these reports is all wrong. Rozee and players that put themselves in danger like this need to do time to take responsibility for their actions. It was a stupid non football move...anyone that's played the game in the past would never have done this. He put his head down into an oncoming player. This is becoming more prevalent and we're going to see serious injury and it will be the AFL's fault for not stamping this out of the game. They have is a...up

Youre trying to apply reason and logic The AFL is not about reason and logic. Its about Power, Control and $$$

Naaah, it's Dave Gleeson from the Screaming Jets. He's a blues supporter

AFL: sorry im stupid and have never played the game. I'll see myself out

Don’t stop posting. Forums are for different views and hopefully in future your views will be treated respectfully by all.

In positive news, one of our first round picks is guaranteed to improve after this weekends game

The game is at a breaking point and the people in charge are not competent.

I feel like we put up a really good argument here, better than the JvR one so I (a super qualified AFL law interpreter) expect us not to get off

Dees' eight points: 1. No reasonable, realistic alternative 2. Hands down in motion to gather ball until very last split second 3. Still in goalkeeping pose (left foot, left hand out) to trap the ball. Only at last split second that he begins to move 4. Doesn't go past ball 5. Rozee's actions were unusual 6. Hunter didn't have option to tackle 7. He couldn't go low and risk contact below knees 8. It would've been reckless and dangerous to stay front on and go head-first.

By process of elimination we'll eventually get it out of you. Was it anyone in this photo?

I was having a good day until this.

Funny how he lost his passion for the job once they started losing and quit on the weekend they are officially out of finals. Or you could see the year out and break through some kids and set the club up for next year. Or wait until the club has a replacement ready. Not his obligation but it is the best thing for the club

A bit precious to say that there are no more stressful jobs than coaching. I could give him a long list.

It’s a spectrum of severity obviously layzie, but a tear is a tear. Assuming understanding and compliance from the injured person, any activity that’s pain free, and erring on the side of less stress to the hammy is ok. Regardless of severity however, the healing time, hence time-frame of diminishing risk, remains. None of this is to say that some don’t take the risk, and get through. It’s really about risk management. The Steven May 2021 GF is a great example. They knew that he might make the existing tear worse (whence he’d have 3 months to rehab). He didn’t, as we know, AND played out the game. Was a win, but could’ve been different

I see the Aussie tall poppy syndrome is in full swing. What a fantastic coach and what a wonderful legacy he will leave at Richmond. It is never as simple as one man but he was front and centre of the Tigers success along with our very own Craig Cameron amongst others. The teams we hate are pivotal to our game and without them footy wouldn’t be what it is. Hardwick added spice and interest to our game. He also reshaped it when he won his first flag with a game plan many in the competition followed. His pressers were great viewing as he put the journo’s in their place and he often said what needed to be said. And like Ian Chappell he’s going out on his own term, at least for now. Well done Dimma, some footy fans may rejoice at todays news but the footy world will recognise and appreciate what you have achieved and I only hope Goodwin can do the same.

not if they look at how our midfield is working at the moment

I’ll go with burnout, one day you feel fine, wake up the next morning and you’re done.

And Port elected not to contest says it all really

Lucky he didn't coach us to three flags then.

Outstanding coach. Will have his pick of jobs. Every team with a vacancy will chase him hard. And the Richmond hoards love him. Doesn't really matter what we think.

Hey Andy ( @Demonland). By the power invested in me by absolutely no one, I suggest @binman be sanctioned with a one week suspension for such thoughtful restraint on Demonland.

Was that for bad language or bad grammar? 😃

Next time this happens Max should run straight over PP/Butters/whoever is blocking his path creating an all in brawl. It is about time we stood up. i would prefer to see a lack of discipline for a few chaotic moments and actually stand up to this BS. The weak approach is to do nothing...it will simply keep happening. The whole team needs to be a little more on edge and much more unsociable/tough to play against. Standing up for teammates should be a given. To me this is a massive indictment on the club and insinuating we don't have great culture/unity/strength/spirit. We need to respond and make other teams realise we will NEVER allow ANY of our players to get treated like that. Massive response required by whole team. Expect them to all come out breathing fire this week vs Freo. If we don't play on the edge of unsociable i will be very suprised. Freo are in for a shock this week.

A small part of me wants this to be false - such is my dislike for Tom Morris

Tomlinson again was very good last week in VFL. With Petty out, clubs are now making Lever accountable for 2nd tall forward which reduces his intercept ability. I’d be tempted to play Tomlinson in the next 3 weeks to free up Lever. Especially v Blues with Curnow and Mckay (Tomlinson on McKay).

Titus O'Reily @TitusOReily · 2h Damien Hardwick won't quit until tomorrow so if we could keep this quiet until he tells his players that would be great.