Demonland

I wanted him when he was leaving GC

Love it that Sheedy fills in the goals in the footy record

Essendon getting the rub of the green.

I wouldn’t play him in the middle. Not a great contested ball player.

Do we have any forwards that can reliably take a contested mark in the forward line like Wright just took?

Pies had slow start last week.

Bend it like Beckham like

Good to see Collingwood make an effort to wear an ANZAC guernsey.

Two weeks ago, when the curtain came down on Melbourne’s game against the Brisbane Lions, the team trudged off the MCG looking tired and despondent at the end of a tough run of games played in quick succession. In the days that followed, the fans wanted answers about their team’s lamentable performance that night and foremost among their concerns was whether the loss was a one off result of fatigue or was it due to other factor(s) of far greater consequence. As it turns out, the answer to the major question is still blowing in the wind after the traditional Anzac Day Eve clash between the Demons and the Tigers with the fans forced to wait a little longer for the big reveal. Not surprisingly, the match up between teams in different stages of development was never going to be a definitive guide to those perplexed by the team’s reversal of fortune after such a good week in Adelaide. There were however, some encouraging signs of work in progress towards resolving some of the puzzles presented lately to Simon Goodwin and his coaching panel. Admittedly, they only came later in the game. Circumstance made this event one that most of the 72,840 fans who turned up to the MCG would rather forget. Given the plight of the Richmond Football Club and its ever-expanding injury list and the fact that new Tiger coach Adem Yze was intimately familiar with the way the Demons play, it was inevitable that the game would turn into a slog which is precisely how the first half turned out. The crowd was treated to congested play, skill errors in abundance and a low scoring battle of the defences. A single point favoured the Tigers when the major break delivered us all to twenty minutes of respite. There was nothing more to say other than that Demon fans were entitled to feel a little despair. They had come to the football after a fortnight reflecting on a truly abysmal effort from its much vaunted midfield engine room and even worse from its forwards. Skipper Max Gawn had again been solid and key defenders Jake Lever and Steven May, their usual dependable selves as they marshalled the backline but overall, the team was faltering. Leaving aside the final term against the Lions who slammed on the brakes with the game well and truly won, scoring had seemingly stopped to a trickle. The line of attack was once again looking helpless and impotent. Whatever Goodwin said or did at half time, it worked to great effect. Or perhaps, it was simply his regular game style finally forcing the Tiger hand. The team was suddenly imbued with something - call it the Anzac Spirit if you like - but they lifted their intensity and produced an inspirational ten goal to two second half that witnessed the arrival in football terms of a new key forward. Daniel Turner will definitely be one of the few who will remember this match, along with Jason Taylor who recruited him with a late selection in the midseason draft almost three years ago. The man they call “Disco” announced himself with his three goals on a night when both his side and the opposition managed just three each in the first half. He could hardly be described as an overnight sensation. His progress since he was drafted mainly as a defender has been slow and painful, marred by injuries and a measure of disappointment along the way. And he was almost there when the club prepared him to go forward on the eve of last year’s finals but, alas, others were preferred. Then came another injury setback in the month before the start of this season. Fans will be hoping that he’s not going to be a one hit wonder. The Melbourne cause was aided by two goals each from Bayley Fritsch, Kysaiah Pickett and another newcomer to the club’s goal kicking ranks in the tactical sub, Bailey Laurie, who also will likely not forget the night. Suddenly, there was some versatility in the forward set up adding to the undoubted talent of Fritta and Kozzie. Now for a repeat of that for the full four quarters against the big guns! What we witnessed after half time was a bolder Melbourne emerging upon Max Gawn’s Frank 'Checker' Hughes medal-winning performance in wearing down Toby Nankervis and thereby, the rest of the brave Richmond line up who were by now constantly turning the ball over under pressure. Gawn finished with 23 disposals and 10 marks to go with his 26 hit outs and a goal when it really mattered to start the scoring with the match still an arm wrestle six minutes into the second half. Jake Lever’s game in defence built up to a crescendo and his 26 disposals, 11 marks and 15 intercept possessions were sublime. There’s also a lot to like about how Trent Rivers is maturing into a player of high quality. The Demons got out of the night with a percentage booster and now sit on a 5 - 2 record. They hold a much happier disposition than the one they had at half time. The midfield is still nowhere near its best but no injuries were reported either, which augurs well for their next two matches against two of the competition’s best performed clubs. Perhaps then, supporters will finally discover the answer to the big question troubling them since that problematic game against the Brisbane Lions. Bring it on! MELBOURNE 2.3.15 3.5.23 8.7.55 13.7.85 RICHMOND 1.3.9 3.6.24 4.8.32 5.12.42 GOALS MELBOURNE Turner 3 Fritsch Laurie Pickett 2 Gawn Petracca van Rooyen Windsor RICHMOND Rioli 2 Bolton Lefau Martin BEST MELBOURNE Lever Gawn Turner May Langdon Oliver RICHMOND Lefau Broad Dow Hopper Baker INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil RICHMOND Jacob Hopper (hamstring) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil RICHMOND Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Bailey Laurie (replaced Caleb Windsor in the final quarter) RICHMOND Kamdyn McIntosh (replaced Jacob Hopper in the third quarter) UMPIRES Fisher, Stevic, Broadbent, Adair CROWD 72,840 at the MCG

There is no annual leave at Demonland HQ

Some of us peasants have to work on Friday 😜

Substitute Wednesday for Thursday

How rest and preparation dictate AFL performance

The afternoon atmosphere at the Swinburne Centre was somewhat surreal as the game between Richmond VFL and the Casey Demons unfolded on what was really a normal work day for most Melburnians. The Yarra Park precinct marched to the rhythm of city life, the trains rolled by, pedestrians walked by with their dogs and the traffic on Punt Road and Brunton Avenue swirled past while inside the arena, a football battle ensued. And what a battle it was? The Tigers came in with a record of two wins from their three matches but with a question mark as a result of their lengthy injury list which left them with only 7 AFL listers to 14. The Demons were still seeking redemption after two early defeats on their home turf. The home side, with Ryan dominating in the ruck contests, raced quickly to a three goal lead but Casey steadied to kick the next four with Will Verrall booting the first two for his team. Ollie Sestan and Shane McAdam scored the next two. The Tigers steadied with the goal and Casey headed into the break with a lead of two points. The second quarter was similar to the first in that Richmond had all of the momentum and booted the first three goals before Casey burst through on the back of its high fliers Adam Tomlinson and Tom Fullarton who amassed big numbers statistically and the beneficiaries were Josh Schache and likewire human highlights reel Shane McAdam. In the end, the teams halved the quarter. Again, Richmond took the early initiative to burst ahead with Casey coming back late in the term. The lead continued to change into the final term in a game that was turning into a thriller. The Tigers were combining better. Their crumbers kept up the pressure and, in crucial parts of the game, forced errors and turnovers as they stretched their lead, aided by the benefit of their superior accuracy. The Demons seemed a little top heavy. They held sway in the air but were well beaten in the ruck (48 hit outs to 14) and the Tiger midfield won the clearance battles and the ground balls, allowing them to move away to a well-deserved 20 point victory. Tomlinson had an intriguing battle with Richmond’s Jacobs Koschitzke. He finished with 38 disposals but allowed his man four goals. Shane McAdam was super impressive when he was on, but he was used sparingly and his game was over by the final break after which he and Koltyn Tholstrup, who earlier had suffered a head knock, were rested. We’ll never know, but without their input and presence, the team wilted in the end. Credit to Andy Moniz-Wakefield and Ollie Sestan who both had some impressive moments. Josh Scache worked himself into the game and Shane McAdam finished with three goals. Lachie Hunter continued to work away in his quest for an AFL return while skipper Mitch White was a steadying influence. Casey’s next assignment is at home against one of the stronger stand alone clubs in Williamstown. They will need to find a way to bolster their midfield depth if they are to improve this season’s record. CASEY DEMONS 4.2.26 7.4.46 10.8.68 11.9.75 RICHMOND VFL 4.0.18 7.2.44 11.7.73 15.5.95 GOALS CASEY DEMONS McAdam Schache 3 Fullarton Verrall 2 Sestan RICHMOND VFL Koschitzke 4 Coulthard 3 Cumberland Davidson El Nour Green Johnson May Ryan Sonsie BEST CASEY DEMONS Tomlinson Fullarton Moniz-Wakefield Schache White Hunter RICHMOND VFL Sonsie Harris Koschitzke Ryan Street Garner Statistics Jed Adams 4 kicks 2 handballs 6 disposals 2 marks 2 tackles 25 dream team points Ben Brown 6 kicks 1 handballs 7 disposals 2 marks 23 dream team points Kynan Brown 2 behinds 5 kicks 9 handballs 14 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 46 dream team points Leo Connolly 7 kicks 3 handballs 10 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 37 dream team points Tyler Edwards 10 kicks 6 handballs 16 disposals 1 marks 3 tackles 57 dream team points Tom Freeman 5 kicks 3 handballs 8 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 41 dream team points Tom Fullarton 2 goals 16 kicks 9 handballs 25 disposals 8 marks 2 tackles 5 hitouts 112 dream team points Max Gregory 5 kicks 7 handballs 12 disposals 3 marks 1 tackle 42 dream team points Marty Hore 17 kicks 2 handballs 19 disposals 10 marks 1 tackle 87 dream team points Lachie Hunter 13 kicks 10 handballs 23 disposals 6 marks 6 tackles 90 dream team points Matt Jefferson 3 kicks 3 handballs 6 disposals 2 marks 18 dream team points Shane McAdam 3 goals 8 kicks 3 handballs 11 disposals 5 marks 64 dream team points Andy Moniz-Wakefield 11 kicks 7 handballs 18 disposals 9 marks 5 tackles 95 dream team points Ned Moodie 3 kicks 6 handballs 9 disposals 3 marks 30 dream team points Josh Schache 3 goals 3 behinds 12 kicks 2 handballs 14 disposals 10 marks 2 tackles 96 dream team points Ollie Sestan 1 goals 1 behinds 14 kicks 3 handballs 17 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 75 dream team points Roan Steele 1 behind 6 kicks 4 handballs 10 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 58 dream team points Mitch Szybkowski 5 kicks 6 handballs 11 disposals 1 mark 30 dream team points Koltyn Tholstrup 5 kicks 7 handballs 12 disposals 1 mark 5 tackles 57 dream team points Adam Tomlinson 28 kicks 9 handballs 37 disposals 15 marks 143 dream team points Will Verrall 2 goals 10 kicks 6 handballs 16 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles 9 hitouts 78 dream team points Mitch White 13 kicks 6 handballs 19 disposals 8 marks 4 tackles 91 dream team points Kai Windsor 2 kicks 2 handballs 4 disposals 1 mark 2 tackles 23 dream team points

After returning to the winners list the Demons have a 10 day break until they face the unbeaten Cats at the MCG on Saturday Night. Who comes in and who goes out for this crucial match?

The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 29th April @ 8:30pm. Join George, Binman & I as we analyse the Demons victory at the MCG against the Tigers in the Round 07. You 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. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31