Demonland

No sure how we can test that out. It's not like Viney can scream at his hammy. * * I am aware that Viney is not playing Round 1.

If this was a Melbourne player he'd be out for 6 weeks. Geelong are confident he will play in 11 days.

Like getting a foot in the Friday night TV market we're going to have to put runs on the board for people to take us seriously and that includes fans. Speaking from experience it's hard to get young ones on board to go to the footy when you've had a decade like we've had. I still buy my little ones a membership because I can afford it but I'm sure that there are many who can't or won't buy a membership for a kid that won't go to the footy. Hopefully some sustained success will rebuild the membership but the results have to happen first.

Surprisingly we've had worse.

Looking forward to your extremely detailed report.

That was a practice match. I'm not so sure we will leave just Pedo as the only big man in the forward for too long in the real thing.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-13/dees-confident-sore-forward-will-play-round-one

It's not even accurate. I would love to be Top 4 after 10 rounds.

I'd be out of breath from pacing back and forth. Being a Melbourne fan is not good for the ticker despite the added exercise from the pacing. Can't we just destroy teams every week so I can enjoy the game. Is that too much to ask.

No surprises here.

I don't have any problem with pundits not trusting us. Heck I can't trust us at times. Just look at the JLT 2 3rd Quarter. The problem I have with some media pundits is their blatant bias towards their teams. If you are going into the media then you have to take off your [censored] scarf. That goes for being pro-Demon as well if they existed.

I hate to break it to you but I'll be at the game too (without my equipment). Although I could stream live from my phone but I'd be too nervous. Perhaps I'll do the last quarter when we're 48 points up at 3/4 quarter time. Oops we've blown lead like that in the past.

You won't need to listen to him as you will be at the game.

I'm sure @Whispering_Jack agrees with this.

He got the call up last year when Hoges was suspended against the Cats. Didn't have a lot of the footy but had more than Weids who was in the same team. Got injured 2 weeks later and did not return to the team.

This injury to TMac is a worrying considering the limited preseasons the Weid and T Smith have had. Also puts the kibosh on Hogan having stints in the middle. Pedo would be a lock for Round 1 now.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he wrote that before Greene re-signed only because he picked us as a Top 4 team.

You can Ask the Coach a question on Tuesday 13/3. See link below. http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-12/ask-the-coach-simon-goodwin

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-injury-updates-your-clubs-injury-concerns-going-into-round-1/news-story/e888a9c539757144151e78c3403ec2c0 MELBOURNE Demons co-captain Jack Viney has been ruled out of Round 1 with the foot injury that has plagued him throughout the summer. Jordan Lewis missed last week’s JLT Series game with a calf complaint, though the club is confident he’ll be fit in time for the season-opener. Dom Tyson has returned from a calf strain, while Tom McDonald should be fine having missed last week’s game with a toe problem. Alex Neal-Bullen has quad tightness.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/herald-sun-afl-experts-give-their-tips-for-the-2018-season/news-story/34dac363a299939e43946eb0cde2cfbe Summary for Demons predictions: 15 - to make the finals 5 - to miss the finals (Robinson, Swan, Lloyd, Warner, Gardiner) 1 - Top 4 0 - Premiers 0 - Spoon 1 - Brownlow (Jon Ralph - Jack Viney) MARK ROBINSON BIG CALL “Suns/AFL will make Tom Lynch an offer he can’t refuse. Will go close to two million big ones.” Top 8 Adelaide Sydney Richmond Essendon Port Adelaide Geelong W Bulldogs GWS Premier: Adelaide Wooden Spoon: Carlton Brownlow: Patrick Dangerfield Getting back on the Bulldogs bandwagon. An off-season surely spent reviewing and rediscovering and redirecting, and with a game plan not vastly different to the Tigers, the Bulldogs could rebound. SCOTT GULLAN BIG CALL “Jake Stringer will kick seven goals and win the Anzac Medal against Collingwood in Round 5.” Top 8 Geelong Port Adelaide W Bulldogs Adelaide Sydney GWS Melbourne Richmond Premier: Geelong Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Gary Ablett Why no Essendon? Not believing the pre-season hype. Brought in some top-end talent and offensively they will look amazing at times, but think they’re another 12 months away. DANE SWAN BIG CALL “If anyone thinks Dusty is satisfied by his achievements in 2017, think again. He’ll be back just as good and he’s the one to beat in the Brownlow again.” Top 8 Adelaide Collingwood Richmond Port Adelaide Geelong Sydney GWS West Coast Premier: Collingwood Wooden Spoon: Carlton Brownlow: Dustin Martin back to back Bloody tough keeping it to only eight teams, but a good “source” told me the Magpies are the team to beat in 2018. Get on them. SAM EDMUND BIG CALL “Tom Lynch chooses Collingwood. Now 25 and with his career already half over, he will make the move.” Top 8 GWS Adelaide Geelong Essendon Sydney Port Adelaide Melbourne Richmond Premier: GWS Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Patrick Dangerfield If GWS can make back-to-back preliminary finals while being smashed by injuries, what happens when it finally gets some luck? DAVID KING BIG CALL “Tom Lynch signs the biggest contract in VFL/AFL history.” Top 8 Adelaide Richmond Essendon Geelong Sydney Port Adelaide Melbourne GWS Premier: Essendon Wooden Spoon: Nth Melbourne Brownlow: Dustin Martin Essendon is back! Brave off-field recruiting matched by the watchable brand of football on the field as the Tullamarine Globetrotters run wild. JAY CLARK BIG CALL “An all-Adelaide Grand Final. The Power’s faith in Ken Hinkley and a super trade period will be rewarded when they take on the Crows.” Top 8 Adelaide GWS Port Adelaide Geelong Sydney Richmond Melbourne Collingwood Premier: Adelaide Wooden Spoon: Nth Melbourne Brownlow: Scott Pendlebury After four tumultuous years, Collingwood will barge back into the eight. Melbourne will rise up with Petracca and Hogan slotting 50 goals each, keeping out the Dogs and Hawks. JAMES HIRD BIG CALL “Joe Daniher to win his first Coleman Medal.” Top 8 Geelong Adelaide Richmond GWS Essendon Port Adelaide Hawthorn Melbourne Premier: Geelong Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Zach Merrett Essendon to make a play for top four but Dangerfield, Ablett and Selwood to combine to help the Cats win the premiership. JON RALPH BIG CALL “If Christian Petracca can turn himself into a Brownlow contender and regular matchwinner, the Demons can win the flag. Three fairytale stories in a row.” Top 8 Geelong Adelaide Richmond Sydney GWS Essendon Melbourne Hawthorn Premier: Geelong Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Jack Viney Melbourne has the capacity to explode as a premiership contender. Happy to back them as a smoky. LAUREN WOOD BIG CALL “Like the idea, Bucks. Ben Reid to flourish in his new role as a forward for the Pies and deliver 40-plus goals.” Top 8 Geelong Sydney GWS Adelaide Richmond Essendon Port Adelaide Melbourne Premier: Geelong Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Patrick Dangerfield This is finally the year for Melbourne to sneak in after last season’s heartbreak. MATTHEW LLOYD BIG CALL “Has there been a tougher first half of the season in the history of the game than what the Suns have to face being unable to play at home until Round 11. A new coach, young group and starved of success, it won’t be pretty early for the Suns. The Blues, Lions, Roos and Dockers should be super competitive but are potential bottom four clubs.” Top 8 Adelaide Geelong GWS Essendon Richmond Sydney Port Adelaide W Bulldogs Premier: Adelaide Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Zach Merrett I found it really difficult leaving the Demons out of the eight as they have the talent to make it, but you can t trust them like the sides I have above them. The home-ground advantages of Adelaide, Geelong and GWS enhance their top four chances. GLENN McFARLANE BIG CALL “By the end of 2018, Carlton’s athletic powerhouse Charlie Curnow will be hailed as the best 21-year-old in the game.” Top 8 Sydney Geelong Richmond Adelaide Port Adelaide GWS Essendon Melbourne Premier: Sydney Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Patrick Dangerfield Dees narrowly edge out the Pies and Dogs in a last-round thriller, making the finals for the first time since 2006 (the year before the first iPhone was released). MICHAEL WARNER BIG CALL “Tigers will become footy’s first club to crack 100,000 members.” Top 8 Richmond GWS Geelong W Bulldogs Sydney Port Adelaide Adelaide Essendon Premier: Richmond Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Dustin Martin Dogs will bounce back, Bombers back in business and Gazza to claim his ninth All-Australian jumper. JON ANDERSON BIG CALL “Beneath the smiling countenance lies the fiercest and proudest of competitors, so buckle your belts for the Gary Ablett Show.” Top 8 Geelong GWS Adelaide Sydney Melbourne Essendon Richmond Port Adelaide Premier: Geelong Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Gary Ablett I suspect the Demons are a year off a genuine tilt at the flag but with Lever in and Hogan fit, the eight is very reachable. DERMOTT BRERETON BIG CALL “At the end of the season Taylor Walker will seek a clearance, citing that he would like to chase guaranteed success.” Top 8 Sydney Adelaide Port Adelaide GWS W Bulldogs Richmond Geelong Melbourne Premier: W Bulldogs Wooden Spoon: Nth Melbourne Brownlow: Marcus Bontempelli Sydney’s best six will definitely get it to the top four, but it is the Doggies that will rise again. If you take an average line through every player who could call himself an automatic selection, that’s what you call your core group. And they are the players who will take you all the way. The Doggies in 2017 were the youngest list of senior core players in the AFL. That group won a premiership just 26 games ago, so they are young and have the know-how. MICK MALTHOUSE BIG CALL “The maturity that comes with playing off in two finals campaigns in the past two seasons will serve GWS well.” Top 8 GWS Adelaide Essendon Port Adelaide Geelong Melbourne Richmond Sydney Premier: GWS Wooden Spoon: Nth Melbourne Brownlow: Joe Daniher St Kilda, Hawthorn, West Coast, Collingwood and the Bulldogs all have justifiable reasons for thinking that they will stay in the eight, rebound back in, or climb into it this year. But at this stage, there are eight teams that are better than them. ELIZA SEWELL BIG CALL “Rory Sloane wins the Brownlow, the flag and then joins mate Patrick Dangerfield at Geelong for season 2019.” Top 8 Adelaide Geelong Richmond GWS Port Adelaide Sydney Melbourne Essendon Premier: Adelaide Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Rory Sloane I wanted to put Collingwood in the eight, but I believe the hype every year and continually get let down. SAM LANDSBERGER BIG CALL “Tanking talk fires up as clubs salivate over the greatest draft in football history.” Top 8 Port Adelaide Adelaide Sydney Melbourne Essendon Richmond W Bulldogs Geelong Premier: Port Adelaide Wooden Spoon: Carlton Brownlow: Marcus Bontempelli Toby Greene (GWS) and Tom Lynch (GC) receive Dustin Martin-type offers to return to Victoria as the expansion clubs crash out of the premiership race. BRENDON GODDARD BIG CALL “Rory Sloane will be a runaway winner in the Brownlow as he has conquered last season’s concerns with a tag.” Top 8 GWS Adelaide Geelong Sydney Essendon Richmond Melbourne Port Adelaide Premier: GWS Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Brownlow: Rory Sloane Melbourne will make the finals and GWS will build from its 2017 disappointment. Gary Ablett’s fairytale comeback will see the Cats cement a top-four spot. GILBERT GARDINER BIG CALL “Scott Pendlebury stuns fancied rivals Patrick Dangerfield and Dustin Martin to break through and win the Brownlow.” Top 8 GWS Sydney Essendon Geelong W Bulldogs Richmond Port Adelaide Collingwood Premier: GWS Wooden Spoon: Nth Melbourne Brownlow: Dustin Martin The wheel must turn for the Pies eventually, while Adelaide has been up for a couple of years now without any silverware. Big outs will make it tough for the Crows. CHRIS CAVANAGH BIG CALL “Joe Daniher and Jake Stringer both finish top five in the Coleman Medal race as Essendon rockets into the top four.” Top 8 Geelong GWS Essendon Adelaide Richmond Sydney Melbourne Port Adelaide Premier: Geelong Wooden Spoon: Brisbane Brownlow: Josh Kelly With Gary Ablett back, the time is now for the Cats and after consecutive preliminary finals appearances they look poised to take the next step.

Just about to board a flight back to Melbourne. Will get on to this shortly. Stay tuned.