Demonland

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THE HIGHWAYMAN by Whispering Jack “I was a highwayman Along the coach roads I did ride, With sword and pistol by my side.“ I have this picture in mind of the great Demon Jim Stynes in another life in which he is a highwayman roaming the mountainous regions of his native Ireland. The image is not that of a common criminal but rather of a folk hero in the mould of those legendary characters who stole from the rich and gave to the poor in that famine-ravaged land. When captured, they were hung on the gallows or, if luck intervened, they would be transported halfway across the world in chains to do hard labour. There were those in this land who craved freedom more than the highwayman’s baubles and coins. In dark times at the rising of the moon, they lay in wait preparing to battle for their liberty. Jim's grandfather had a brother, "Uncle Joe". He fought alongside the legendary Michael Collins during the Irish war of independence but Joe also won an all-Ireland Gaelic football title playing for Dublin. “I was a sailor. I was born upon the tide And with the sea I did abide” There was another great Demon Ron Barassi. He appreciated the close connection between the Irish game and our local sport. Australian football was first played in the colonies where highwaymen were sent on convict ships. Afterwards, thousands came on the tide hoping to find gold on the streets and start new lives away from the misery and the poverty of their homeland. Another hundred years and more passed by when a tall young teenager with immense athletic talent read an advertisement. It was placed in an Irish newspaper by Barassi's football club and was seeking athletic young lads to come across the world to play football. Jim Stynes answered the call and arrived in Australia where he overcame many hurdles to become a champion footballer. He was the pre-eminent player in his adopted land when he won the Brownlow Medal in 1991. “I was a dam builder across the river deep and wide Where steel and water did collide” Football careers are measured in short time spans. When they end, the time comes to build other things. Jim married, made a home, started a family and a thriving enterprise helping young people with shattered lives. He reached out and soothed and enriched them. He gave them back their dreams. “I'll fly a starship across the Universe divide, And when I reach the other side, I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can, Perhaps I may become a highwayman again" Jim was the bloke who ran over the mark in the preliminary final and went on to play 244 consecutive games in a total of 264 in a career that saw him win club four club Best and Fairest awards as well as the 1991 Brownlow. In his time, he established his durability, a feature that remained part of his persona even when afflicted by the curse of cancer in the last few years of his life. Last September, he surprised the Melbourne faithful and arrived to speak at the club's Keith "Bluey" Truscott Medal presentation night. They were saying he was on death's bed, that the AFL was planning a tribute on grand final day. We stood, listening to his words in awe. And he stayed on a while ... "Or I may simply be a single drop of rain, But I will remain, And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again ..." Today, that single drop of rain is like the tear that spills from my eye yet I remain consoled knowing his spirit will remain with us forever. [The words quoted are from The Highwayman written by Jim Webb]

THE HIGHWAYMAN by Whispering Jack “I was a highwayman Along the coach roads I did ride, With sword and pistol by my side.“ I have this picture in mind of the great Demon Jim Stynes in another life in which he is a highwayman roaming the mountainous regions of his native Ireland. The image is not that of a common criminal but rather of a folk hero in the mould of those legendary characters who stole from the rich and gave to the poor in that famine-ravaged land. When captured, they were hung on the gallows or, if luck intervened, they would be transported halfway across the world in chains to do hard labour. There were those in this land who craved freedom more than the highwayman’s baubles and coins. In dark times at the rising of the moon, they lay in wait preparing to battle for their liberty. Jim's grandfather had a brother, "Uncle Joe". He fought alongside the legendary Michael Collins during the Irish war of independence but Joe also won an all-Ireland Gaelic football title playing for Dublin. “I was a sailor. I was born upon the tide And with the sea I did abide” There was another great Demon Ron Barassi. He appreciated the close connection between the Irish game and our local sport. Australian football was first played in the colonies where highwaymen were sent on convict ships. Afterwards, thousands came on the tide hoping to find gold on the streets and start new lives away from the misery and the poverty of their homeland. Another hundred years and more passed by when a tall young teenager with immense athletic talent read an advertisement. It was placed in an Irish newspaper by Barassi's football club and was seeking athletic young lads to come across the world to play football. Jim Stynes answered the call and arrived in Australia where he overcame many hurdles to become a champion footballer. He was the pre-eminent player in his adopted land when he won the Brownlow Medal in 1991. “I was a dam builder across the river deep and wide Where steel and water did collide” Football careers are measured in short time spans. When they end, the time comes to build other things. Jim married, made a home, started a family and a thriving enterprise helping young people with shattered lives. He reached out and soothed and enriched them. He gave them back their dreams. “I'll fly a starship across the Universe divide, And when I reach the other side, I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can, Perhaps I may become a highwayman again" Jim was the bloke who ran over the mark in the preliminary final and went on to play 244 consecutive games in a total of 264 in a career that saw him win club four club Best and Fairest awards as well as the 1991 Brownlow. In his time, he established his durability, a feature that remained part of his persona even when afflicted by the curse of cancer in the last few years of his life. Last September, he surprised the Melbourne faithful and arrived to speak at the club's Keith "Bluey" Truscott Medal presentation night. They were saying he was on death's bed, that the AFL was planning a tribute on grand final day. We stood, listening to his words in awe. And he stayed on a while ... "Or I may simply be a single drop of rain, But I will remain, And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again ..." Today, that single drop of rain is like the tear that spills from my eye yet I remain consoled knowing his spirit will remain with us forever. [The words quoted are from The Highwayman written by Jim Webb]

Congratulations James Magnar. Officially promoted from the Rookie List, http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/demons-promote-james-magner-from-rookie-list/story-e6frf9jf-1226304028774

Agreed. Could everyone please leave the debates to another day and only use this thread for what it is intended for.

Rest In Peace Jimmy. You are are true champion!

SCORPIONS READY by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions led Frankston from start to finish to win by 19 points in Saturday's final tune up at Casey Fields for next week's season opener against Williamstown. The victory was the senior team's third win on end under new coach Brett Lovett to give it a blemish-free practice match series but it was nevertheless a somewhat unconvincing hit out against the competition's perennial cellar dwellers who admittedly do look to have improved this year but they are as ready as they will ever be for the tough season ahead. Following the win, the club's jumper presentation was held in its function rooms at the ground and the following 2012 leaders were announced: • co-captains - Kyle Matthews and Evan Panozza, and • vice captains Rian McGough & Daniel Nicholls. Casey opened full of run and welcomed the lively Kyle Matthews back with a bright start. The team had three goals on the board before the Dolphins looked threatening thanks to Jai Sheahan, James Strauss and Michael Risely mopping up everything coming their way. It took an indiscretion and a 50 metre penalty to concede the first goal. The second quarter saw both sides go defensive with plenty of flooding. It was not a great spectacle and the home side dominated thanks to the hard hitting determination of young Jack Viney and the fine work down back of Sheahan and Strauss. Wade Lees and David Collins were the best of the Casey crew while Gysberts and Morton added their stamp to the game. It was a different story after half time when the visitors kicked two quick goals thanks to some accurate kicking to position and by quarter's end the Dolphins had narrowed the deficit to 11 points and the tiring Dolphins looked to be in trouble. Jack Fitzpatrick struck a purple patch up forward for his team, first combining in the ruck for a Gysberts goal and then kicking one from way out on an angle. The pressure valve was released and though Frankston continued to fight hard, Casey held on to a well earned 19 point win. Only six AFL listed players were available on Saturday. Jack Fitzpatrick - alternated between the ruck and forward line. Kicked a couple of goals and gave some drive on the ball. Jordan Gysberts - worked hard and won the ball well at the stoppages and could work his way into contention for a round one berth with the Demons if he shines next week. Kelvin Lawrence - flashes of pace and brilliance but needs to produce more often and more consistently. Cale Morton - first up after injury and obviously needed the run. Has plenty of time and was effective at half back. Jai Sheahan - the surprise packet, he was very impressive at full bank, showing great poise and creativity. Needs to bulk up but he he has the makings of a senior player as attested by his 23 disposals and 10 marks. James Strauss - defended well in his three quarters and impressed with his strong tackling and excellent field kicking. Then there was Melbourne's future father/son pick: Jack Viney - in his first hit out in senior company, the 17 year old Viney acquitted himself well and had a hand in a couple of the early goals before finishing with 10 disposals in the first half which got him a well deserved break in the second half. Challenged physically early in the game and gave back as good as he got. Casey opens the season at home next Saturday night against premiership favourite Williamstown. Casey Scorpions 3.4.22 6.8.44 7.9.51 10.12.72 Frankston 1.1.7 2.5.17 5.10.40 7.11.53 The development squad got up with a late goal to beat the Dolphins 9.6.60 to 8.6.54.

SCORPIONS READY by KC from Casey The Casey Scorpions led Frankston from start to finish to win by 19 points in Saturday's final tune up at Casey Fields for next week's season opener against Williamstown. The victory was the senior team's third win on end under new coach Brett Lovett to give it a blemish-free practice match series but it was nevertheless a somewhat unconvincing hit out against the competition's perennial cellar dwellers who admittedly do look to have improved this year but they are as ready as they will ever be for the tough season ahead. Following the win, the club's jumper presentation was held in its function rooms at the ground and the following 2012 leaders were announced: • co-captains - Kyle Matthews and Evan Panozza, and • vice captains Rian McGough & Daniel Nicholls. Casey opened full of run and welcomed the lively Kyle Matthews back with a bright start. The team had three goals on the board before the Dolphins looked threatening thanks to Jai Sheahan, James Strauss and Michael Risely mopping up everything coming their way. It took an indiscretion and a 50 metre penalty to concede the first goal. The second quarter saw both sides go defensive with plenty of flooding. It was not a great spectacle and the home side dominated thanks to the hard hitting determination of young Jack Viney and the fine work down back of Sheahan and Strauss. Wade Lees and David Collins were the best of the Casey crew while Gysberts and Morton added their stamp to the game. It was a different story after half time when the visitors kicked two quick goals thanks to some accurate kicking to position and by quarter's end the Dolphins had narrowed the deficit to 11 points and the tiring Dolphins looked to be in trouble. Jack Fitzpatrick struck a purple patch up forward for his team, first combining in the ruck for a Gysberts goal and then kicking one from way out on an angle. The pressure valve was released and though Frankston continued to fight hard, Casey held on to a well earned 19 point win. Only six AFL listed players were available on Saturday. Jack Fitzpatrick - alternated between the ruck and forward line. Kicked a couple of goals and gave some drive on the ball. Jordan Gysberts - worked hard and won the ball well at the stoppages and could work his way into contention for a round one berth with the Demons if he shines next week. Kelvin Lawrence - flashes of pace and brilliance but needs to produce more often and more consistently. Cale Morton - first up after injury and obviously needed the run. Has plenty of time and was effective at half back. Jai Sheahan - the surprise packet, he was very impressive at full bank, showing great poise and creativity. Needs to bulk up but he he has the makings of a senior player as attested by his 23 disposals and 10 marks. James Strauss - defended well in his three quarters and impressed with his strong tackling and excellent field kicking. Then there was Melbourne's future father/son pick: Jack Viney - in his first hit out in senior company, the 17 year old Viney acquitted himself well and had a hand in a couple of the early goals before finishing with 10 disposals in the first half which got him a well deserved break in the second half. Challenged physically early in the game and gave back as good as he got. Casey opens the season at home next Saturday night against premiership favourite Williamstown. Casey Scorpions 3.4.22 6.8.44 7.9.51 10.12.72 Frankston 1.1.7 2.5.17 5.10.40 7.11.53 The development squad got up with a late goal to beat the Dolphins 9.6.60 to 8.6.54.

That's all folks - post match discussion on the "no match report" thread please.

There will be no Demonland match report on the Port Adelaide v Melbourne NAB Cup Week 4 game because: A we had nobody there who was willing to write it up; B it was a glorified practice match that nobody cares about; and C we were dreadful. There's a report here from a bloke called Michaelangelo Rucci who writes for the Adelaide Advertiser and the Herald Sun. It doesn't provide much analysis about what happened - John Butcher reported as Port Adelaide beats Melbourne in practice match but there's probably enough from our point of view. Hopefully, Colin Sylvia's injury isn't too bad and he recovers in time for our round 2 game in Perth. And sorry to do this to Matt Burgan but the quote of the week comes from his report on the melbournefc.com.au website - Sylvia suffers back injury "On positive for Neeld was the performance of ruckman Mark Neeld, who had 45 hit outs. " Talk about the coach having to do everything at the club!

For those that don't have access to the Tune In app on their iPhones/iPad/Android Devices you can probably listen live through 5AA website at http://www.5aa.com.au Alternatively I'm sure people will be providing live updates of scores on this thread. We welcome anyone who is going to the game to post their thoughts after then game.

Thank you for bringing this issue up. Not that particular one but just the issue of banning in general. Let me be clear here; Annual and Life Member Subscriptions of Demonland do not give posters carte blanche to behave in contravention of the Codes of Conduct of Demonland. You can and will be banned if you are warned and then continue to flaunt the rules. I have asked all Mods to refer all such cases of paid up members breaking the rules to me and if necessary you can and will be banned. I will of course offer you a full refund in such cases.

The mobile skin does not work with the iPad as the full site displays fine on the iPad. When you are logged in all the ads on the site should disappear save for the one on the homepage below the list of new posts on the left hand side. Also please ensure you type in the site address as Demonland.com without the www as that retains your login info and will ensure no ads are displayed upon entering the site.

No but if you take out 5 consecutive annual memberships then I will throw in a nice bridge from Sydney for your troubles.

You should have it now by visiting the site. If it is not going to the mobile skin then make sure you are logged in and failing that go into the phone settings and clear history and cookies. Let me know if that doesn't work because it should.

We have decided to make the mobile skin available to those who purchase a subscription to Demonland. The decision to make it available to paid subscribers was financial as not only does the software and support of it cost me but it also costs us a significant amount in lost revenue from advertising on the site. In addition to getting the mobile skin on your devices you will also stop seeing the Advertisements on both the mobile and full sites of Demonland. I will also allow any Lifetime Subscribers to personalise their Rank Title situated above their avatar to anything they want (within reason) as an added bonus to the Lifers. You have two choices in regards to subscriptions to Demonland. We offer a Yearly Demonland.com Subscription (not automatically renewed) that runs for a year from the day you pruchase the package. At the moment it cost $15 for the year but will be going up to $20 as of Round 1. We also offer a Lifetime Demonland.com Subscription which of course is forever. At the moment the it costs $40 but will be going up to $50 as of Round 1. In order to take advantage of our 2011 pricing schedule please get in early. As I have stated before all costs go towards running and maintaining the site. I am not in thise to make money and I have been running this site for over 10 years without making a cent at a significant costs to myself. I will always donate any leftover proceeds back to the club in some form or another too. You can subscribe by clicking the Subscription tab under the main Demonland logo at the top of the page and follow the prompts through to PayPal. Or you can just click here. I understand that not everyone can afford this and membership is not required to sign up and read and post on the site. Cheers and GO DEES! Andy

We have decided to make the mobile skin available to those who purchase a subscription to Demonland. The decision to make it available to paid subscribers was financial as not only does the software and support of it cost me but it also costs us a significant amount in lost revenue from advertising on the site. In addition to getting the mobile skin on your devices you will also stop seeing the Advertisements on both the mobile and full sites of Demonland. I will also allow any Lifetime Subscribers to personalise their Rank Title situated above their avatar to anything they want (within reason) as an added bonus to the Lifers. You have two choices in regards to subscriptions to Demonland. We offer a Yearly Demonland.com Subscription (not automatically renewed) that runs for a year from the day you pruchase the package. At the moment it cost $15 for the year but will be going up to $20 as of Round 1. We also offer a Lifetime Demonland.com Subscription which of course is forever. At the moment the it costs $40 but will be going up to $50 as of Round 1. In order to take advantage of our 2011 pricing schedule please get in early. As I have stated before all costs go towards running and maintaining the site. I am not in thise to make money and I have been running this site for over 10 years without making a cent at a significant costs to myself. I will always donate any leftover proceeds back to the club in some form or another too. You can subscribe by clicking the Subscription tab under the main Demonland logo at the top of the page and follow the prompts through to PayPal. Or you can just click here. I understand that not everyone can afford this and membership is not required to sign up and read and post on the site. Cheers and GO DEES! Andy

I tweeted 5AA and asked if they are broadcasting the Melbourne v. Port Adelaide game on Friday night and this was their response:

DEATH BY A THOUSAND KICKS by Scoop Junior It was the same old story against Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night, with the Dees ending a bad week on a low with a thumping 79-point loss. Although the score may have created a feeling of de ja vu for those unfortunate enough to have witnessed Hawthorn treating us like a bunch of schoolboys over the last five years, the manner and pattern of the thumping was different this time. In fact, while the Hawks have totally dominated us since 2007, what is interesting is the fact that it hasn't always been the same modus operandi - it hasn't always been the same type of kill. There have been games against them when their bigger bodies have smashed us around the stoppages and in the contested parts of the game and there have been others where they have applied manic forward pressure to force us into repetitive turnovers in our back half. In this respect, I'm sure I'm not the only one with recurring nightmares of the third quarter of last year's game against them where we could not get the ball out of defence and had they kicked straight could have put through 15 goals in that term alone. This time, however, it was death by a thousand cuts, or make that kicks. Other than probably the first half of the first quarter when we were blown away, I thought we matched the Hawks in getting hands on the footy at the stoppages and were relatively even in the contested footy stakes. However, the difference in composure and ball use was almost comical, with Hawthorn kicking the ball around the ground to unmarked players in what looked like a training drill while we struggled to string together more than two or three uncontested mark chains. The other notable difference between the two teams was in ball handling. I lost count of the number of times a Melbourne player would try to pick the ball up and either fumble or fail to dispose of it effectively, and then a Hawk would swoop, pick it up cleanly and clear the ball all in one motion. Part of this was excellent pressure by Hawthorn around the ball, but this doesn't excuse a really poor execution of one of the most basic and important skills in football - clean hands. However, what was even more disappointing was the defensive side of our game. The way the Hawks shrugged our tackles made it look like men against boys and the way they cut our zone to pieces with their precise chip kicking was really disappointing. Space just seemed to open up for them to run into and we were constantly caught out by their spreading and speed of kicking. It was pretty obvious to anyone that was at the game that on this ocassion our zone was not working and that something needed to be changed to try to prevent the uncontested possession chains that were not allowing us to get near the footy. Perhaps man on man may have helped, or even pressing further up the ground to try to pressure their backs into making execution errors. But if we mug supporters can see this, then there's no doubt the coaching staff are well on top of it. And in this respect I liked Mark Neeld saying after the game that he wanted to stick with our structure and game plan and take advantage of the fact that this was a NAB Cup game where you can afford to try different things. I like a coach who is strong with his game plan and confident in his methods and he is trying to get us to play a brand of footy that he thinks will be successful. I don't think there's any doubt that had this been a home and away game, we would've seen a change in tactics fairly early on (perhaps even from the start of the match given Hawthorn's 'chip the ball through the zone' tactic was one they employed successfully last year). We also woudn't have seen our best tall defender subbed off at half time and we wouldn't have left a 19 year old second gamer on a rampant Hale who was marking everything in sight. And that probably leads me into the only positive of the night, that it was only a pre-season match and that things will be done differently once the real stuff starts. But apart from that there wasn't much else you could take out of this game, other than the Hawks showing what a strong, talented and committed team they are and Buddy Franklin displaying freakish athleticism and football skills. It was just a good old fashioned shocker of a performance from Melbourne and something we can only hope we don't see too often again. As for the players, I don't believe that there were any winners out there. I'm going to take the unusual step of not even naming a best - while some like Lynden Dunn and Nathan Jones worked hard, I just don't think that performance warrants players to be named in the best. I was disappointed with Brent Moloney, who again failed to perform to his best against an A grade midfield. His vision was poor and he blazed away a few times when there were other (better) options available. Colin Sylvia was also disappointing, another who has too often followed up great games with an anonymous performance. Jack Watts was lively and handy in the first half but didn't have much impact after half time. Mitch Clark competed well and was a good target but he really should have taken at least 4 or 5 of the marks he dropped. He had a size, weight and experience advantage over his opponent but could not dominate his position (unlike Hale up the other end). I also thought he was selfish on two occasions - one where he snapped for goal over his head and another where he could have dished off near the boundary but instead chose to attempt a near-impossible shot at goal. After the second one, Hodge let him know that it was a selfish decision, pointing to the top of the square where the kick should have gone. But he did show promise by getting to the right spots and three goals on a night where he didn't play at his best and the delivery was terrible at best is a good effort. It was a pity James Magner was injured early as he had probably been our best player over the last two weeks. I was keen to see how he would fare against an elite opposition midfield. He appears to be the best rookie midfielder available at present. Tom Couch is honest and has a dip but the question is whether he has the pace and class, while I haven't been impressed with Dan Nicholson this pre-season as his ball handling and kicking have regularly let him down. Anyway, strangely enough I am actually looking forward to when we play Hawthorn in the home and away season as I think from a tactical perspective it will be fascinating to see how we try to combat their game style. It would also be nice if we don't give them a five or six goal head start which is what we usually do against them. With the game in Adelaide this week, the next time we see the boys run around in a competitive match will be at the MCG in Round 1 against Brisbane. So what I'd like to hear from the game this week is a real solid effort, a much improved defensive performance and (obviously) no further injuries. The scoreboard is irrelevant this week but I do think it's important that we put in a solid four quarter effort to allow us to build into the new season with a bit of confidence. Melbourne 0.2.3.15 0.4.6.30 0.4.7.31 0.6.8.44 Hawthorn 0.6.2.38 0.10.4.64 1.12.8.89 1.17.12. 123 Goals Melbourne Clark 3 Watts 2 Dunn Hawthorn Franklin (supergoal) Hale 6 Franklin 4 Breust 2 Bruce Hodge Lewis Puopolo Sewell Best Hawthorn Franklin Hale Suckling Hodge Birchall Injuries Melbourne Magner (dislocated finger) Hawthorn Nil. Reports Melbourne Nil. Hawthorn Nil. Umpires McInerney Kamolins Orr Official crowd 10,600 at Etihad Stadium

Thanks for the compliment but the story was written by KC.