Demonland

I'm going to cut of the questions here. We already have a lot to unpack and talk about. Listen to the show LIVE tonight @ 8pm @ Demonland.com Download the Show tomorrow on your favourite Podcasting App.

AFL umpires have reportedly requested that Champion Data not publish specific details surrounding free kicks paid. Kane Cornes has detected that the free kicks awarded by specific match officials is no longer available on the stats portal. He wonders why the umpiring fraternity have asked for these statistics to be removed. “I love to keep the umpires accountable when it comes to which umpire has paid which free kick,” Cornes said on SEN’s Fireball. “I think that is very useful information. “You’ve got four umpires out there, I like to know that such and such umpire has paid 11 free kicks to North and three frees to West Coast, for example. “That information has always been readily available to those who have access to Champion Data stats. “I like seeing the breakdown of which umpire out there has paid a free kick to which team.” Cornes continued: “I can tell you now, that information is not available anymore. “Where has that info gone? Surely it’s pretty important stuff. “I reached out to Champion Data to find out where this information has gone. They said to me that the umpires got in contact with Champion and said we now do not need that information. “This is the greatest example of how soft we have become. You can’t have player weights in the Footy Record any more, the umpires now do not want to be, clearly, kept accountable for who has paid which free kick to which team. “How could this not be useful information for the umpires’ coach to go, ‘Hang on, see that free kick? You paid that to West Coast, we can now break down what’s gone on there and review that’. “They have got in touch with Champion Data. My suspicion would be that they’re too scared to be made accountable for this information, if there’s a lopsided free kick count and we want to keep them accountable. “That information is gone. I honestly cannot believe that the umpires would be that sensitive to not make that info available when the profession has never been more highly paid, when everyone else has never been more accountable. “We’ve spoken about under-fire coaches and players, but the umpires do not want have that accountability. I can’t believe it. “It needs to be investigated further as to who has made that decision and why this decision has been made. It’d got to be more than ‘this information isn’t necessary anymore’.” Co-host David King added: ”Who are you protecting the information from? It’s the fans’ game, isn’t it? “They’re just conversation points, they’re bullet points in our Monday discussions, and you’re just part of the cycle. “There’ll be good weeks and bad weeks but that’s the game.” King was also made aware of another statistic that is being kept from Champion Data users and it relates to the stand rule and 50-metre penalties paid. “At the start of the year when we were having the stand rule discussion, I wanted to know how many 50s were paid last year from a violation of the stand rule,” King said. “Not an outrageous request. “Do you think they would give me that information? ‘It’s not a Champion Data thing, it’s an AFL thing’ - they wouldn’t give it to us. “I just wanted to compare has it doubled, tripled, what’s happening with it? I want to use the facts and I can’t get them. “Who are we hiding that information and why?” Cornes said further: “Why are they the only people in the game who are protected from scrutiny? Why do they get protected so much? “I understand we want junior umpires coming through but they’ll come through. You get paid nearly $200,000 if you’re any good and you can work outside of that. “It’s a pretty good profession. You get to keep fit, you’re in a great game in a terrific industry. The young umpires will come through. “I don’t understand why they are immune from scrutiny and we can’t get information that is necessary to keep these people accountable for the fans and the game.”

Melbourne’s early surge of optimism came crashing back to reality in its clash with Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. Just six days after unveiling its fun-filled, attack-minded style against the Saints, the Demons were met by a Dockers outfit determined to shut it down with a blend of speed, pressure, and physicality. As it had in the opening-round against Geelong, Fremantle exploded out of the blocks with relentless early pressure and rapid ball movement in a dominant opening stanza in which it piled on goal after goal to seize control of the contest. Those within the Melbourne camp who are more measured in their expectations understand that the attacking transformation being implemented by Steven King will not come without challenges. A six day turnaround, a long trip across the Nullarbor, and hot conditions in Perth presented a less-than-ideal scenario for a developing side. When key defender Daniel Turner - who had begun impressively - was forced from the game early with a hand injury, the task became even more difficult. Suddenly undermanned in the height department down back, the Demons were left to contend with a potent Fremantle forward line featuring Josh Treacy, Patrick Voss, and a rotating Luke Jackson and the runners around them. The Dockers capitalised fully. With Max Gawn resting on the bench, they slammed on three quick goals, while Andrew Brayshaw was prolific, finding the ball at will, and Shai Bolton’s electric running cut the game open. By quarter time, Fremantle had surged to a commanding 40-point lead. To Melbourne’s credit, it prevented the margin from blowing out even further, eventually going down by 48 points. However, unlike the cohesive team performance seen against the Saints, this effort was more fragmented. A spirited second-quarter burst of four unanswered goals in the opening 25 minutes briefly reduced the margin to 20 points. Yet this surge was driven more by individual effort than collective cohesion. After Kozzy Pickett’s clever crumbing goal at the 25-minute mark, some costly turnovers crept back into Melbourne’s game, allowing Fremantle to regain momentum with two late goals before half time. Any hope of a revival was extinguished in a devastating third term. Fremantle broke the game wide open with seven goals, as their runners and small forwards took complete control, stretching the lead to 67 points by the final change. With the intensity gone from the contest, Melbourne scored the first three goals of the last quarter as the game petered out. While they could claim two quarters on the scoreboard, it offered little consolation in the broader context of the match. Max Gawn once again led from the front, producing a superb performance with 23 disposals, 11 marks, and 28 hit-outs. The pressure of the game and the early loss of Turner often forced him down back and he ended the game as the holder of the record for the most intercept marks in a single game by a ruck - eight - a record he previously shared with two others. Gawn’s leadership was evident throughout, even as frustration occasionally surfaced. Jack Steele provided Gawn with strong leadership support and ha team-high 31 disposals and nine clearances, while experienced campaigners Christian Salem (26 disposals, eight rebounds) and Ed Langdon (22 disposals, two goals) contributed solidly. However, Melbourne needed more from the emerging group that was so influential the previous week: the collective lift never materialised with the one exception being Koltyn Tholstrup, who was tasked with nullifying Caleb Serong and he performed admirably, limiting the impact of one of the competition’s most dangerous midfielders for a second time. The Demons now turn their attention to Round Three and a meeting with Carlton, who have won the past four encounters between the sides by an aggregate of just 15 points. Breaking that streak would provide a timely boost - and perhaps restore some of the fun and excitement that flickered just one week ago. MELBOURNE 1.1.7 5.4.34 6.6.42 10.10.70 FREMANTLE 7.7.49 9.11.65 16.13.109 17.16.118 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch Langdon Sharp 2 Chandler Mihocek K Pickett Sparrow FREMANTLE Treacy 4 Dudley 3 Bolton Reid 2 Brayshaw Jackson Johnson Serong Switkowski Voss BEST MELBOURNE Steele Gawn Salem Tholstrup Langdon Rivers FREMANTLE Bolton Treacy Brayshaw Dudley Pearce Ryan LATE CHANGES MELBOURNE Nil FREMANTLE Brandon Walker (soreness) replaced in the selected side by Luke Ryan INJURIES MELBOURNE Daniel Turner (hand) FREMANTLE Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil FREMANTLE Nil UMPIRES Daniel Johanson John Howorth Nathan Williamson Brent Wallace. CROWD 44,736 at Optus Stadium

No surprise here - 33. Max Gawn 24. Jack Steele 16. Jacob van Rooyen 11. Christian Salem 8. Jai Culley Ed Langdon Kysaiah Pickett 7. Koltyn Tholstrup 5. Trent Rivers 4. Brody Mihocek 1. Jake Lever Harrison Petty

The Casey Demons faced a tough first up task taking on reigning VFL premiers Footscray at Mission Whitten Oval. The Bulldogs, who unfurled their premiership flag pre-game, had 15 AFL-listed players and their top VFL talent available, setting them up for their 15th consecutive win. The younger Demons stayed competitive for more than half the game but eventually tired against the experienced Bulldogs, who had stronger legs and more purpose in their attack on the football. The game was played in near-perfect conditions with the young squad, many of them playing together for the first time, showing great enthusiasm, particularly in the early going. The teams traded points in the first half of the opening term before Footscray took control, threatening to blow the game open as they burst to a lead of 22 points before Paddy Cross booted truly with a free taken after the quarter time siren. Footscray looked like breaking away again early in the second quarter but Casey regrouped and twice fought back to take the lead. Jesse Craven was the catalyst with two quick goals that helped generate the comeback. The Bulldogs were held back by their inaccuracy in front of goal but their midfield dominance and their three goals to one in the time-on period saw them take an eight point lead into the main break. Casey's recent acquisition from the Dockers via Box Hill, Ethan Stanley, kicked the first goal of the second half, cutting the lead to two points. But that was the last piece of resistance that the Demons could muster. Led by Will Lewis's third quarter goal-kicking masterclass and the dominance around the ground of seasoned veterans in Adam Treloar, Nick Coffield, Lachie McNeil, and Jack Billings, the Bulldogs pounced and finally stormed home to win by 43 points. For the Demons, Max Heath was dominant in the ruck. He collected 17 disposals to go with 36 hitouts and seven clearances and he also added a goal early in the final term. Andy Moniz-Wakefield, playing his first game after missing all of last season after ACL surgery was among the Demons' busiest with 30 disposals going at an outstanding 90% disposal efficiency. Jack Henderson also did well with 18 touches in his comeback game after an injury affected summer. Jed Adams and Oscar Berry were both put under the pump in defence and showed promise of better things to come. Melbourne’s top 2025 draft pick Xavier Taylor showed composure in a defence under pressure and finished with 16 disposals and eight marks. Fellow draftee Tom Matthews started slowly but worked himself into the game and looks to be an exciting prospect, kicking a nice goal late in the game. Both will benefit from their first official hit out in the colours after being given limited preseason game time. Casey’s only true battle hardened veteran Jake Melksham managed one a signal goal after spending some time in the hands of the trainers with what appeared to be a knee concern. Co-captain Riley Bonner was the best of the Casey contingent. He was a strong contributor around the ground with 32 disposals and nine inside 50s. A number of new faces brought into the team by former Gippsland Power coach Rhett McLennan who took the reins for the first time. Teenager Luke Cheffers was the most prominent among them while former Docker Stanley had an impact after half time with two goals. The 43-point loss was a disappointing outcome. The Demons took a hit, but at least they have the Bulldogs behind them. The bye might be a blessing in disguise, giving them time to regroup. Facing the toughest opponent early on means it's potentially smoother sailing ahead. CASEY DEMONS 2.2.14 7.4.46 10.7.67 13.8.86 FOOTSCRAY 4.6.30 7.12.54 14.17.101 19.21.135 GOALS CASEY DEMONS Cross Pipicelli Stanley 2 Bonner Cheffers Cross D’Angelo Heath Laurie Matthews Melksham FOOTSCRAY Lewis 6 Billings Jones McNeil Smith 2 Craig-Peters Crofts Dolan Kennedy Saunders BEST CASEY DEMONS Heath Moniz-Wakefield Bonner Taylor Cross Mentha Jr FOOTSCRAY Treloar Coffield Lewis Orgill McNeil Dolan

We have a new number that you can call the show LIVE or leave us a message during the week for us to play on the show. The calls during the week go straight to messages so you won't have to speak to a human. Call the Demonland Podcast on 0486 387 929

The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 23rd March @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees dismal loss to the Dockers in Perth. Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. PLEASE TRY TO KEEP THE QUESTIONS/COMMENTS TO ONE SPECIFIC TOPIC/PLAYER IN ORDER TO MAKE THE PREPARATION FOR THE PODCAST EASIER. Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

The Demons return to the MCG next week and will be looking to atone for a dismal performance in Perth as they take on the under the pump Blues. Who comes in and who goes out for our Round 3 match against the Carlton?

Coming off Back to Back Demonland Player of the Year Award wins Captain Max Gawn is already in the lead followed by Jacob van Rooyen, Jai Culley, Kozzy Pickett & Jack Steele. Your votes please. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

The Demons were fumbly, inefficient, outrun and outgunned all over the field as they went down to the Dockers by 48 points at Optus Stadium in Perth.

Jiath 🤦‍♂️

Windsor too

Langford must have soap on his hands.

OMac making us look silly