Demonland

Bump. The Age are still keen to organise someone to interview and photograph should we win. Good opportunity for Demonland fanatics.

And Max and Jonesy as per a friends photos. I would presume that Lewis is on that flight too as those 5 were all on my flight last time a day earlier than the rest of the team.

Thank you.

He's Back!!!!

I expect that from a Collingwood fan.

Registered. Now let's book a spot at the dance.

For well over a decade, Melbourne fans have been sitting back at various times during the football season (more often than not in the early parts), contemplating the AFL ladder and pondering on the mathematical possibilities available to their team of making the finals or winning the premiership. Rarely have they been equally or better placed than the others except when this particular event was taking place at the very beginning of the year or possibly after a the opening round of the season. This week, at long last, things are different. When Preliminary Finals week comes around, there are four teams left in the contest for the premiership flag. All four of them face a task which only one of them can successfully achieve and that is to win both remaining games. The mathematics are simple - each club has a 25% chance of making it to the Holy Grail. Nothing could be more simple than that, could it? Except that in Melbourne’s case, it has to win its first contest outside of its home territory. That being the case, while Richmond, Collingwood and West Coast players will be waking up in their own beds on the morning of their game (well, hopefully), the Melbourne team will be waking in some hotel room after having flown a distance of approximately 2,722.36 kilometres from their home town to play in front of a crowd made up of mainly rabidly hostile natives. The prospect would be a daunting one but for another interesting mathematical equation. In past years, an out-of-town trip to anywhere else in the country spelled doom and gloom for Melbourne and the loyal fans who traveled with the side. Interstate wins were as rare as hen’s teeth. In real terms, the mathematical possibility was as close to zero as you could possibly get. But not this team and not this year. The Demons have played seven home and away games - almost a third of the season - outside of their home State and won all but one of those contests (and you could mount a strong argument to say that even the Port Adelaide game was a victory of sorts in every aspect except on the Adelaide Oval scoreboard) which gives you a very healthy 85.7% win/loss ratio. In those games, it was Melbourne that dominated most of the statistical data such as clearances, contested football, inside 50 entries and shots at goal*. To emphasize the point, you only have to look back a little over a month to Round 22 when the Eagles and Demons clashed at Optus Stadium in which the visitors prevailed by 17 points to understand that the idea of traveling across the continent holds little fear for the Melbourne of 2018 which has an away record that is the envy of all others in the competition. Not even the Tigers who are everybody’s favourite at very strong mathematical odds to win this year’s flag, can boast a victory against this team at this venue this year. Indeed, they had to wait until Round 21 against the ailing Suns at Metricon Stadium to record their only interstate win of the season. The fight for the flag is an even money proposition and Melbourne’s mathematical odds are as good as those of anybody else left in the race. THE GAME West Coast v Melbourne at Optus Stadium Saturday 22 September 2018 at 3.20pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall West Coast 33 wins Melbourne 17 wins At Optus Stadium West Coast 0 wins Melbourne 1 win Past five meetings West Coast 3 wins Melbourne 2 wins The Coaches Simpson 0 wins Goodwin 2 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Footy Channel, Live at 2.30pm RADIO - Triple M SEN 3AW ABC ABC Grandstand THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 16.12.108 defeated West Coast 14.7.91 in Round 22, 2018 at Optus Stadium The Eagles were reeling at the time, having recently lost Nick Naitanui and the Andrew Gaff incident was still very fresh in the mind. They were also without Josh Kennedy and their other tall marking forward, Jack Darling, was out off the game with concussion after only ten minutes. As a consequence of the Demons taking full advantage of the situation, they were four goals in front in the blink of an eye. With the home crowd behind it but not as much noise of affirmation as usual, West Coast gradually fought its way back into the contest and momentarily took the lead by a point in the final term before Melbourne showed its mettle and kicked the game’s last three goals. THE TEAMS WEST COAST EAGLES B: Shannon Hurn, Tom Barrass, Will Schofield HB: Thomas Cole, Jeremy McGovern, Lewis Jetta ? Dom Sheed, Luke Shuey, Chris Masten HF: Mark LeCras, Jack Darling, Mark Hutchings F: Willie Rioli, Josh J. Kennedy, Jamie Cripps Foll: Scott Lycett, Elliot Yeo, Jack Redden I/C: Liam Duggan, Liam Ryan, Nathan Vardy, Daniel Venables Emg: Brayden Ainsworth, Brendon Ah Chee, Oscar Allen, Jackson Nelson In: Will Schofield Out: Brad Sheppard (hamstring) MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis HB: Christian Salem, Sam Frost, Michael Hibberd ? Mitch Hannan, Nathan Jones, Angus Brayshaw HF: Jake Melksham, Tom McDonald, James Harmes F: Aaron vandenBerg, Sam Weideman, Alex Neal-Bullen Foll: Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney I/C: Christian Petracca, Joel Smith, Charlie Spargo, Dom Tyson Emg: Bayley Fritsch, Jay Kennedy Harris, Jayden Hunt, Tim Smith In: Joel Smith Out: Bayley Fritsch (omitted) Melbourne dropped a bombshell at selection when it omitted first year player Bayley Fritsch who has surprised all and sundry with an excellent debut season in which he filled a number of roles for the team. One has to feel sorry for the kid but he will have lots of opportunities in the future and, of course, can’t be ruled out of a place if the Demons make it to this year’s Grand Final. However, the fact that the selectors have taken the ballsy option of making a decision that is considered controversial and risky is the very thing that sets the Melbourne of 2018 apart from the Melbourne of past days. These days, the Demons stand tall; they are prepared to take the game and any opponent on with their high risk, boisterous, crisis style of play. It’s a feature that was evident earlier in the season and has only solidified in later days. When they last traveled across the Nullarbor, they did so knowing that their place in the finals was not yet booked and that in order to make it, they needed to achieve something they hadn’t done all season - beat a top eight side. In the case of the Eagles that meant winning in unfamiliar territory in a noisy cauldron with 50,000 hostile fans willing them on to their doom. That they came out of the game with a stirring victory achieved after fighting back when the Eagles took the lead for the first time in the last ten minutes of the game and then have backed that effort up against top eight sides another three times speaks volumes. In physical and mental terms the achievements that have led them here is already far in excess of the mathematical distance of approximately 2,722.36 kilometres that the players have traveled to get to Saturday night’s game. In terms of development of the team over the past five years, its more akin to traveling in space at the speed of light and a foreign ground, the noise of affirmation, the return to the opposition of their twin towers are all powerless to stop this team’s forward surge. Melbourne by 27 points. * the Adelaide game was an exception by one inside 50 and a few shots at goal due to a late flurry in the wet but the Demons were the stronger side on the night.

MATHEMATICAL POSSIBILITY by Whispering Jack For well over a decade, Melbourne fans have been sitting back at various times during the football season (more often than not in the early parts), contemplating the AFL ladder and pondering on the mathematical possibilities available to their team of making the finals or winning the premiership. Rarely have they been equally or better placed than the others except when this particular event was taking place at the very beginning of the year or possibly after a the opening round of the season. This week, at long last, things are different. When Preliminary Finals week comes around, there are four teams left in the contest for the premiership flag. All four of them face a task which only one of them can successfully achieve and that is to win both remaining games. The mathematics are simple - each club has a 25% chance of making it to the Holy Grail. Nothing could be more simple than that, could it? Except that in Melbourne’s case, it has to win its first contest outside of its home territory. That being the case, while Richmond, Collingwood and West Coast players will be waking up in their own beds on the morning of their game (well, hopefully), the Melbourne team will be waking in some hotel room after having flown a distance of approximately 2,722.36 kilometres from their home town to play in front of a crowd made up of mainly rabidly hostile natives. The prospect would be a daunting one but for another interesting mathematical equation. In past years, an out-of-town trip to anywhere else in the country spelled doom and gloom for Melbourne and the loyal fans who traveled with the side. Interstate wins were as rare as hen’s teeth. In real terms, the mathematical possibility was as close to zero as you could possibly get. But not this team and not this year. The Demons have played seven home and away games - almost a third of the season - outside of their home State and won all but one of those contests (and you could mount a strong argument to say that even the Port Adelaide game was a victory of sorts in every aspect except on the Adelaide Oval scoreboard) which gives you a very healthy 85.7% win/loss ratio. In those games, it was Melbourne that dominated most of the statistical data such as clearances, contested football, inside 50 entries and shots at goal*. To emphasize the point, you only have to look back a little over a month to Round 22 when the Eagles and Demons clashed at Optus Stadium in which the visitors prevailed by 17 points to understand that the idea of traveling across the continent holds little fear for the Melbourne of 2018 which has an away record that is the envy of all others in the competition. Not even the Tigers who are everybody’s favourite at very strong mathematical odds to win this year’s flag, can boast a victory against this team at this venue this year. Indeed, they had to wait until Round 21 against the ailing Suns at Metricon Stadium to record their only interstate win of the season. The fight for the flag is an even money proposition and Melbourne’s mathematical odds are as good as those of anybody else left in the race. THE GAME West Coast v Melbourne at Optus Stadium Saturday 22 September 2018 at 3.20pm. HEAD TO HEAD Overall West Coast 33 wins Melbourne 17 wins At Optus Stadium West Coast 0 wins Melbourne 1 win Past five meetings West Coast 3 wins Melbourne 2 wins The Coaches Simpson 0 wins Goodwin 2 wins MEDIA TV - Channel 7, Fox Footy Channel, Live at 2.30pm RADIO - Triple M SEN 3AW ABC ABC Grandstand THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 16.12.108 defeated West Coast 14.7.91 in Round 22, 2018 at Optus Stadium The Eagles were reeling at the time, having recently lost Nick Naitanui and the Andrew Gaff incident was still very fresh in the mind. They were also without Josh Kennedy and their other tall marking forward, Jack Darling, was out off the game with concussion after only ten minutes. As a consequence of the Demons taking full advantage of the situation, they were four goals in front in the blink of an eye. With the home crowd behind it but not as much noise of affirmation as usual, West Coast gradually fought its way back into the contest and momentarily took the lead by a point in the final term before Melbourne showed its mettle and kicked the game’s last three goals. THE TEAMS WEST COAST EAGLES B: Shannon Hurn, Tom Barrass, Will Schofield HB: Thomas Cole, Jeremy McGovern, Lewis Jetta ? Dom Sheed, Luke Shuey, Chris Masten HF: Mark LeCras, Jack Darling, Mark Hutchings F: Willie Rioli, Josh J. Kennedy, Jamie Cripps Foll: Scott Lycett, Elliot Yeo, Jack Redden I/C: Liam Duggan, Liam Ryan, Nathan Vardy, Daniel Venables Emg: Brayden Ainsworth, Brendon Ah Chee, Oscar Allen, Jackson Nelson In: Will Schofield Out: Brad Sheppard (hamstring) MELBOURNE B: Neville Jetta, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis HB: Christian Salem, Sam Frost, Michael Hibberd ? Mitch Hannan, Nathan Jones, Angus Brayshaw HF: Jake Melksham, Tom McDonald, James Harmes F: Aaron vandenBerg, Sam Weideman, Alex Neal-Bullen Foll: Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney I/C: Christian Petracca, Joel Smith, Charlie Spargo, Dom Tyson Emg: Bayley Fritsch, Jay Kennedy Harris, Jayden Hunt, Tim Smith In: Joel Smith Out: Bayley Fritsch (omitted) Melbourne dropped a bombshell at selection when it omitted first year player Bayley Fritsch who has surprised all and sundry with an excellent debut season in which he filled a number of roles for the team. One has to feel sorry for the kid but he will have lots of opportunities in the future and, of course, can’t be ruled out of a place if the Demons make it to this year’s Grand Final. However, the fact that the selectors have taken the ballsy option of making a decision that is considered controversial and risky is the very thing that sets the Melbourne of 2018 apart from the Melbourne of past days. These days, the Demons stand tall; they are prepared to take the game and any opponent on with their high risk, boisterous, crisis style of play. It’s a feature that was evident earlier in the season and has only solidified in later days. When they last traveled across the Nullarbor, they did so knowing that their place in the finals was not yet booked and that in order to make it, they needed to achieve something they hadn’t done all season - beat a top eight side. In the case of the Eagles that meant winning in unfamiliar territory in a noisy cauldron with 50,000 hostile fans willing them on to their doom. That they came out of the game with a stirring victory achieved after fighting back when the Eagles took the lead for the first time in the last ten minutes of the game and then have backed that effort up against top eight sides another three times speaks volumes. In physical and mental terms the achievements that have led them here is already far in excess of the mathematical distance of approximately 2,722.36 kilometres that the players have traveled to get to Saturday night’s game. In terms of development of the team over the past five years, its more akin to traveling in space at the speed of light and a foreign ground, the noise of affirmation, the return to the opposition of their twin towers are all powerless to stop this team’s forward surge. Melbourne by 27 points. * the Adelaide game was an exception by one inside 50 and a few shots at goal due to a late flurry in the wet but the Demons were the stronger side on the night.

You can download and subscribe to the Demonland Podcast on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/demonland-podcast/id1220844996?mt=2 You can search Demonland Podcast on any other Podcast catching apps on iOs or Android devices 

Providing we win on Saturday The Age are seeking fans who will be available for a an interview this Sunday 23rd September to discuss their preparations for the Grand Final next week. They are looking for contact details for dedicated fans who are available on Sunday, have not been interviewed by other media, and are willing to talk and have their photo taken? You can contact Garreth Hanley via email at [email protected], on twitter @GarrethHanley or search him on Facebook, or sms on 0415308140. Good Luck and don't forget to mention Demonland when you're famous.

We are LIVE in 6 minutes. Listen & Chat LIVE: http://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

I'll be buying drinks for any Life or Annual Members of Demonland as well as any Freo supporters wearing Demon's guernseys.

When he first announced it it sounded as if SEN and their advertising partners were chartering a plane and tickets for everyone on the plane. Big announcement fail.

A pair each day for the next 3 days so now there will be 2606 people at the game. Huge news. ?

Red Energy and McDonald's have a plane and tickets to take people to the game.

Boy they've sucked me in to listen to a boat load of ads.

Yeah it's got to be something that no one else could scoop and an injury would be ripe for the picking.

I have a spare spot in the king size bed in my hotel room. Only left hand side available. Non-snorer preferred.

Special time tonight because real life. Join @Grapeviney, @Supermercado, and I tonight at 8:30pm as talk about the win over the Hawks and cast our eye on the game in Perth. Listen & Chat LIVE: http://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31 Paging @binman to keep the superstitious dream alive.

I don't hate the Eagles but having said that I don't love them either. Much prefer Freo over them. I went over for the Round 22 game and sat next to a lovely older Eagles supporter who was a great bloke pre-match until he questioned every blatant free kick. I love a good boo at the umpires but the Eagles were booing everything. Even the blatant rip the head off frees. It was bias beyond anything I've ever seen. Glad you're onboard even if it's only to [censored] off your Eagles mates. We'll take all the support we can get. As another poster asked where abouts are you sitting? Happy to shout you a beer too if you're in the vicinity.

I can haz Andrew Brayshaw?