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I just had a lengthy chat to one of our assistant coaches this morning. I asked him about the rumours of a few players being sore and potentially missing on Monday. But Jake Lever (He acknowledged Jake's ankle was sore) and Christian Salem (groin) both trained strongly and should play. The boys fly up tomorrow, have a Captain’s Run on the SCG and come home Tuesday. They then have 4 days off before the Bye. We spoke about the small forwards as this bloke looks after them. He’s really excited about Kade Chandler who kicked 5 goals in a little scratch match last week with players from Carlton, Essendon and Collingwood. We also spoke about the new training facility. One thing he told me that I didn’t know was that the oval at Gosch’s Paddock is being expanded to MCG size. That was definitely going ahead shortly. He was also fairly confident that the new facility would be built in the current AAMI car park.

I recall a lot of posters saying Carlton and St Kilda had gone past us.

One good full preseason under Burgo and BBB will bounce back like TMac has. We have a bad habit of writing our players off far too soon.

Australia is supposed to have the strictest quarantine entry requirements of any country and the federal government are in charge of it. If this had been fixed at the source then there would have been little need for the states with their differing health laws to get involved. All countries have official entry requirements whether that be a visa, proof of an outbound ticket, enough money to cover your stay without working or a particular inoculation to give a few examples. All reputable airlines are super switched on about this because if they fly anyone into a country where they don't meet all of the rules then they have to fly them back to where they first boarded (at the airline's expense) and are fined around $US10k. All the federal government needed to do when this all kicked off last February was to make it a mandatory requirement for anyone boarding a flight to Australia to enter 2 weeks of quarantine on arrival. Anyone that doesn't agree gets stopped at check in before they can board. Period. Again there should have been a remote facility constructed that could house all of the arrivals in one place that's relatively close to an airfield. It wouldn't be the Sofitel but if you want to get home that badly then you'll suck it up in order to spend the foreseeable future in our hermetically sealed country. Yes it would require key workers to spend periods of time away but they already do this at places like Uluru Resort, El Questro in the remote northwest of WA and even Mawson Base down in Antarctica so it's not like it's an alien concept.

The Blues have no midfield. Recruiting a half back in Williams on big bucks thinking he could play there was a mistake. They need to trade for mature midfielders to complement Walsh otherwise they are going nowhere and who the coach is won’t really matter I think we are set-up to be a top 4 team for a few years. Hopefully we can take advantage of Carlton’s situation, twist the knife, by taking McKay off their hands. He becomes a free agent in 2 years I think. It would give me great pleasure to see the Carlton faithful slitting their wrists if we could pull off that move.

Good disclaimer. Perhaps all posts should have an enforced signature to that effect. I, four letters in a seemingly random order, anonymous poster would not wish to give the impression I am paid to give these opinions nor informed enough to be considered a leaker of information.

You're 100% right, but regrettably it's not exactly how Demonland works though, is it. May was a disaster of a trade decision about two weeks into the 2019 season. At that time Lever was worse.

People I have spoken to reckon he will develop really well based on his desire and attitude. He’s not blessed with size, blistering pace or freakish ability but he won’t be the first or last player who develops through sheer hard work

Hi all, hope you are all keeping safe and well especially with lockdown restrictions in Melbourne recently. I’ve been paying attention to Melbourne’s trade activity these past few days and delighted to see so many players have signed on for another season or two and looking forward to seeing the new recruits in action too. That includes Sinead & Lauren coming back for season three and two respectively. No surprises with either of them, I had little doubt they’d be returning. This is slightly off the topic of AFLW and some of you may be interested, others less so. Lauren & Niamh have returned to playing with the Dublin Senior Ladies Team in the past three weeks. They’ve played three games so far with three wins. Their next game is a semi final to be played on Saturday June 12th. I’ve attached links for their previous three games if anyone is interested in watching them back. The second and third games are shown here on the TG4 channel which has Irish commentary only so you’ll have to make it up yourself. This competition is the league so it’s not the main championship, that comes in a few weeks. However the density of this season makes every game very important. I would highly recommend watching the second game vs Cork, it was a cracking match. Lauren & Niamh have featured in each game so far, Goldie still recovering from her hamstring injury. Round 1 vs Waterford: How to get Round 2 vs Cork and Round 3 vs Tipperary. - Google TG4 Player. tg4.ie is the right one. - Click main menu in top right hand corner and make sure setting is on English. - Click the watch arrow in the main menu, then press sport. - Scroll down to find the tab “Peil na mBan Beo”. It means Live Ladies Football. The photo at the moment is of Niamh McEvoy kicking a ball so that’s a giveaway. - Round 3 is down as Tiobraid Arann v Ath Cliath. (Tipperary v Dublin) S 21 Ep 4. - Round 2 is down as Corcaigh v Ath Cliath. S 21 Ep 3

Thought some of you might be interested in this piece by AFLW expert Gemma Bastiani. It's an in-depth look at how the Dees' 2021 list was put together and how the club is developing its young players in the unique AFLW environment: https://sirensport.com.au/aussie-rules/aflw-player-development-how-the-demons-are-getting-it-right/ I've cherry-picked some highlights: - Melbourne fielded the fewest Victorian top-ten draftees in the 2021 season - While most Victorian clubs built their 2021 lists through the draft, Melbourne has looked to cross-code rookies more than any other Victorian club. A strategy somewhat making up for their limited access to high-end draft picks. Of the four inaugural Victorian clubs, the Demons have had access to just eight top ten Victorian players since 2017, compared to 11 at Collingwood, 12 at Carlton and 17 at the Western Bulldogs. - Players aren’t the only ones putting in extra time outside of contracted hours year round. Head coach Mick Stinear and his coaching panel run extra skills sessions twice a week, and willingly conduct one-on-one sessions with players whenever requested. - L.Pearce, on the turning point in her form ahead of her All Australian 2019 season - Pearce would head down to the men’s training sessions outside of her contracted hours to work with men's coach Greg Stafford. “Prior to that, obviously, I was working during the days and stuff and it was not until that 2018 [VFLW] season that I was able to drop off work quite a bit, which therefore gave me more time to invest in my game outside of normal training hours.” The fact that the club and Pearce were able to negotiate this extra position-specific training time meant the ruck was able to develop her ground-level game during team training sessions. - Also some interesting stuff from the likes of Hanks, Heath and Tarrant about their progress in the last few years.

How in the world did Adelaide beat us? They are trash.

IN: Langdon OUT: Melksham

Is that what you call a punchline?

School recess.

I don't pretend to know what players are paid but there are a number of things to take into account. First is the marketing allowance clubs are allowed. Second is your estimate of costs for the lowest bracket are probably overestimated. The vast majority of those players would be on a very low base plus incentives for games played. Not many of those given our good run with injury. Third is the fact that for years we paid the minimum TPP required by front ending contracts. That builds up a "bank" that can be carried forward. This may have run out, who know, but perhaps it hasn't. And finally this team seems to be singlemindedly focused on team success. If you went to the top six or eight players and asked them to sacrifice some dollars to get a very good player in who they believed would significantly increase our chances of a flag they'd probably do it. And as has been stated already players like Tommy Mac and others would extend contracts allowing lower amounts next year also freeing up cap space. What I'm really getting at is there are lots of things that can be done to free up cap space. I'm absolutely confident we would have done our planning and know what we can do to retain our players and identify cap space and I think there would be more than you imagine. But having said all that there isn't much we need, the deal would have to be pretty compelling. Our weakness is small and medium backs. Hibberd is getting old, Jetta also, Bowey unproven, Lockhart unlikely and I'm not sold on Hunt. That leaves Salem and Rivers.

I hope that’s not the team’s attitude on Monday.

That's captaincy big boy

My record is not without blemish when it comes to player and coaching evaluations

I was one that had felt St Kilda were further ahead of us until we beat them very comfortably. Certainly Nibbler and Spargo were two players often mentioned as guys that would never be a regular part of a successful Melbourne team. TMac as well was labelled as “cooked”, Harmes was useless and a wasted 4 year deal. Really goes to show you how much fans use emotion to base their arguments, eg with Spargo his first game last season against West Coast was awful and had posters (I may have been one of them) saying he should never pull on a Melbourne guernsey again. EDIT it’s why I’m backing Melksham to come back at some stage and prove his worth, and why I think BBB will give the coaches a reason to pick him again. That said Langdon for Melksham was correct in/out.

Melksham will be the medical sub. Good change, and fingers crossed Tmac plays. It will be far harder to win without him.

Good luck to Matty Rowell back today. Hope he gets a good crack at it now and his injuries are passed him.

Carlton's recruitment strategy has been nothing short of a Deebarcle. At no point did they target midfield bulls which they have none of, (Cripps aint a bull) hence the courting of Oliver. They have skewered their strategy in regards to age bracket so much they will not have a sustained tilt with the same core group, its all over the shop. I can't thank Jason Taylor and his crew enough with the selections and strategy they have gone with. Salem, Hunt, Trac, Clarry, Petty, Neal- Bullen, Spargo, Kosi, Action, Rivers, Viney, Harmesy(rookie), Gussy and Weed. In a 8 year period we assembled this core group which will have sustained tilts at premiership glory, absolute genius recruitment strategy and planning. With Lever, May, Langdon, BBB, Hibbo, Melk as the trade commodities which were needed to fit the puzzle. Gawn,Tmac, Jones, Nev are 10+ year veterans recruited before the plan took place and are crucial cogs in this tilt. Carlton have been dudded by their favourite Son SOS and co. Their planning and player analysis looks nothing like our masterpiece.

Me and Mrs P have our tickets and beanies ready to go. Can’t bloody wait.

H2O (Water)

For me Chandle needs to be given a run of games ahead of Melksham. We keep hearing coaches rate him highly, but giving him 1 game then omitting him the next week isn't really giving him the consistency he needs. Ps great Intel thanks TK.

So your contribution to the discussion is dismissiveness and to fold your arms and say the club knows what it’s doing? Ok then, you’d be fun at parties. As for the cap pressure - I intimated that we would struggle to bring in any best XVIII players, not Werribee’s 5 time overlooked CHB. And the replacement of injured players through the mid season draft has negligible impact on the cap. If you want to read the CBA it’s here: https://www.aflplayers.com.au/app/uploads/2020/12/AFL_CBA_2017-2022-1.pdf I would also get you to do some self reflection about what we can post about if we can’t engage in speculation? Melkshams place in the team? Absolutely not, we don’t know the ins and outs of what he is asked to do. Gameplans? Goodwin and the players give hints but they are not going to tell us anything. The last month most of us have watched on TV - you can only speculate as to what players are doing.

i am unsure of the point of bringing in players from oppo sides who will be 'good depth' - particularly if they can't make the 22 of the side that they're in now, i'd have doubts on them making ours for instance i worry about the likes of dow or petrevski-seton at carlton, geelong's narkle, or someone like ainsworth at gc17 who is constantly in and out of his current side despite being ostensibly a 'useful' player - mebbe they're like chandler or baker for us, and solid depth? ideally you add best 22 players to push those on the fringes of yr best side out, not keep them in - it's why if we are targeting someone from another club, i'd love if it was maynard from the filth, cerra from freo, peptides' zerrett (or parish), or either duursma or butters from the pear...the latter are just blue-sky dreaming personally i would expect our salary cap judgement to be fine, and given the raft of signings that we have made and extensions / re-contracts we have executed we should be in a decent position to augment our side with a a quality pick-up from somewhere else either this off-season or next

Used to be able to hire a pair of shiny shoes at sweethearts in order to be allowed into the nightclub across the road back in the days before we hash tagged our wingmen.

Metaphysical poet and Dean of St Paul's, John Donne. 'No man is an island...'

If you get picked up by the mighty Dees you know you are more than a fair chance to make it. Jason Taylor and the team have been doing a great job of late. We have seen the proof on the field and our depth. All topped off with some 1st Class development.

So, he's moved into the Brayshaw family home, along with Rivers & jackson. Just how big is the Brayshaw mansion??

like the big pedo not long back.

Info I have and don't ask for sorce as its third hand. is BBB has been having a six week preseason as the club wasn't totally happy with core strength and repeat running efforts when he came into team. He will be ready to have another crack after the bye

Welcome Daniel good luck and hopefully you can forge a successful AFL career with the Dees

According to this we have Brisbane's second round pick and Hawthorn's third round pick. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.afl.com.au/news/603145/indicative-draft-order-check-out-your-clubs-picks/amp

F.U.C.H.S.I.A.S. B.E.C.A.M.E. D.E.M.O.N.S. Sorry Timothy, all your hard work spoiled so early! I'll try to make amends by posing the finest cryptic crossword clue I ever encountered. HIJKLMNO (5) The answer is a common English word.

You got my juices going, too, Demonstone (and you other 'setters). We have Frank 'Checker' Hughes to thank* for this team's Firsts spell... F FANNING F. USHER R. CORDNER T. HF HEYWOOD D. SMITH N. IRWIN R. C ANDERSON S. SPENCER S. BARASSI R. Snr HB EMSELLE R. CORDNER D. ARNOLD L. B McMAHEN N. EDGE B. DOWSING R. Foll ELLIS N. McGRATH S. O'KEEFE J. 19th/20th NIVEN C. SPITTLE M. (*Thanks to Demonwiki, too)

We can/have beat them all. The game plan(s) stack up. It's now merely the proposition of whether we bring the pressure on any particular game day, adhere to structures and/or remain relatively injury free. There is no doubt about our Tier One credentials It's been a long time coming... ?

Yes same. I ended up rebooking as my daughter and her partner are coming too

His skills let him down at times but I wonder if he could be a September wild card if he somehow finds himself in the side in August? Big bodied contested player that wouldn’t be afraid of nailing the big goal in a final.

Also, number of games remaining vs top 8 sides: Dogs - 5 West Coast - 5 Melbourne - 4 Geelong - 4 Sydney - 3 Brisbane - 3 Port - 3 Richmond - 3

Record vs top 8 sides: Melbourne - 5-0 Geelong - 4-2 Sydney - 3-1 Dogs - 3-2 Brisbane - 2-4 West Coast - 1-2 Port - 1-4 Richmond - 1-5 Richmond is Richmond, so they should always be feared, but they need to prove themselves against top 8 sides in 2021.

Port supporter here Googling Burgess because I desperately want him back. Can confirm it’s the man that works the magic, he left us his tricks and appointed a team to replace him; in 2014/15 we were in your position fitness wise and we now struggle to run out quarters. He supposedly was in close contact with the team he left and giving pointers, but we felt his loss rapidly when he went to Liverpool. Kane Cornes (yeah yeah [censored] alert) wrote in his autobiography about a random club dinner he went to where a can of Coke was put in front of every player; Burgess had put them there to test the group, and the next day punished the players who drank the cans without thinking. The guy creates a culture and players respect him.

Ill be at the game.

He's 11 games into his 4 year contract.. How about we hold off on the "flop" comments for now hey? Ample of time to make huge contribution still. Reckon we'll see him in the 2nd half of the year back to some good form.

On the contrary, has the look of someone who means business.

His highlight package shows that he can mark and kick at a high level. He’s played against men already in a pretty serious competition. I look at that photo and just wonder what an AFL training regime will do for his body. I see upside.

Looks like Trenners in that picture!