Demonland

Couple interesting players popping up in photos from todays gallery from training on the SCG including Spargo, Melksham and the suspended Kozzy

You would think he would need some match conditioning.

AFL.com.au's predicted teams. They didn't get the Harrison Petty injury memo.

Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year’s top eight? (18 times seven selections). 17 – Collingwood 16 – Brisbane 15 – Carlton, GWS GIANTS 14 – Melbourne, Sydney Swans 10 – Adelaide Crows 7 – Port Adelaide 6 – Western Bulldogs 4 – Gold Coast SUNS 3 – St Kilda 2 – Geelong Cats 1 – Essendon, Fremantle, Richmond Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final? (No captains picked eventual premier Collingwood in 2023). 9 – Brisbane Lions 6 – Collingwood 3 – GWS GIANTS Which player from another club do you think will win the 2024 Brownlow Medal? (Three captains correctly nominated Lachie Neale in 2023). 10 – Marcus Bontempelli, Western Bulldogs 2 – Nick Daicos, Collingwood 1 – Charlie Curnow, Carlton; Jordan Dawson, Adelaide Crows; Tom Green, GWS GIANTS; Errol Gulden, Sydney Swans; Darcy Parish, Essendon; Sam Walsh, Carlton; Which player do you think will win the 2024 Coleman Medal? (One captain nominated eventual Coleman Medalist Charlie Curnow in 2023). 7 – Charlie Curnow, Carlton 3 – Jeremy Cameron, Geelong Cats; Nick Larkey, North Melbourne 1 – Tom Hawkins, Geelong Cats; Max King, St Kilda; Tom Lynch, Richmond; Harry McKay, Carlton; Jacob Van Rooyen, Melbourne Which player do you think will win the 2024 AFL Rising Star? (One captain nominated eventual Ron Evans Medalist Harry Sheezel in 2023). 6 – Harley Reid, West Coast Eagles 5 – George Wardlaw, North Melbourne 3 – Ryley Sanders, Western Bulldogs 2 – Colby McKercher, North Melbourne 1 – Blake Howes, Melbourne; Jed Walter, Gold Coast SUNS Which club will win the McClelland Trophy? 8 – Brisbane Lions 4 – Melbourne 1 – Adelaide Crows, Collingwood, Gold Coast SUNS, GWS GIANTS, Richmond, Western Bulldogs Who would you love to see perform as the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment this September? 3 – Coldplay 2 – Luke Combs, Tame Impala, 1 – AC/DC, Adele, Fred Again, Luca Brasi, Kylie Minogue, Mumford and Sons, Oasis, Rhianna, Robbie Williams, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift

2 Ex-Demons to debut

Probably around 6:20pm tomorrow.

Who are you tipping this week?

Not arbitrary at all ...

There is a VFL practice match on Friday the 8th March and then one of Saturday the 16th of March. Both at Casey.

That could be something new which is a worry. He was running very well on Saturday. At one stage when he was resting he was poking at his calf and I assumed if he was just feeling around to see how it felt. Nothing in what I observed indicated any hamstring awareness. If this is a new injury then I have a feeling he will be a player that unfortunately spends more time on the sidelines than on the field.

Name Injury Expected Return Ben Brown Knee Available Charlie Spargo Achilles Available Harrison Petty Toe 2 weeks Lachie Hunter Calf 3 - 4 weeks Daniel Turner Hip 7 - 8 weeks Shane McAdam Hamstring TBC Jake Melksham Knee TBC

Very apt flipping them the bird

AFL orders clubs to stop ‘ridiculous’ tactic The AFL has officially ordered clubs to end the ‘ridiculous’ tactic of labelling injuries as ‘short, medium or long term’, with expected return dates now required for the 2024 season. Geelong, Richmond and Essendon were among those to come under fire from fans and broadcasters for the strategy. But all clubs must now share its plans for matchday and mid-week injury updates with the AFL as the league enforces the swift and detailed release of information. Criticism reached its peak midway through last year when dual premiership player David King said clubs — the Cats in particular — were “treating the fans like fools”. The changes, initially outlined in the new collective bargaining agreement, were reiterated by the AFL with new details ahead of Opening Round and Round 1. Clubs have been told to provide injury information “as soon as possible” on matchday. A player’s status must be declared alongside specific details around the problem, such as left or right side of the body and noting, for example, AC joint for a shoulder issue. Mid-week updates should also include that information — and, crucially, offer up the number of weeks until an injured player is expected to be available for selection. “It is not permissible to provide general availability windows, ie short term, medium term, long term,” the AFL wrote in its 2024 policy document. The shift has already become clear in Geelong’s injury reporting. After injuries suffered in Round 5 last year required surgery, the Cats said Tyson Stengle (fractured left wrist) and Rhys Stanley (fractured right eye socket) were both out for the ‘medium term’. But the ambiguity was on full show when Stengle returned in Round 10 while Stanley made his comeback in Round 15. In a further sign of the discrepancy, Geelong skipper Patrick Dangerfield was ruled out for the ‘short term’ with a left hamstring strain sustained in Round 8. Yet he went on to miss five games — the same number as Stengle with his ‘medium term’ injury. Following the introduction of the new rules this year the Cats last week specified Cam Guthrie was “likely to miss 8-10 weeks”when he went down with a right quadricep tendon injury. Clubs retain the ability to list an injured player’s return date as to be confirmed “if correct at the time ... but the status must be updated ASAP to a week-of-return timeline”. Geelong’s tendencies came under fire last year. “They want to massage the truth with all sorts of reporting, they don’t want to give up and extra information to opposition clubs, which is ridiculous,” King said on SEN. “At the end of the day, the fans pay the price for that. “The Geelong injury list is just ridiculous — the short term, medium term and long term. It’s always been 1-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks and five plus. “And then when something goes wrong, they say ‘you’ve got to trust us, you’ve got to believe us when we tell you this’. Well, we haven’t been able to believe you for the previous five years so why do we have to believe you today?” “Let’s just be done with all that stuff, you’re treating the fans like fools.” The new policy arrived alongside details surrounding greater media access to players as agreed in the new CBA. All players are to be made available, if requested by media, after matches and mid-week but “there is no realistic expectation” for all 23 players to attend a single session as a full group. The revised requirements sparked questions around Dustin Martin’s response, given he is the most high-profile player who largely shuns the spotlight. Fines of $10,000 for players and $20,000 for clubs are reportedly on the cards if requests are repeatedly rejected.

Damian Barrett Premier: Brisbane Runner-up: Geelong Wooden spoon: Hawthorn Moving up: Geelong Set to fall: Port Adelaide Club under the most pressure (and why): Gold Coast, because it sacked Dew to get Dimma, and now won’t stop talking about finals Will the Suns finally make finals?: No Brownlow Medal: Chad Warner Coleman Medal: Jeremy Cameron AFL Rising Star: Ryley Sanders Recruit of the year: Brodie Grundy Surprise All-Australian: Ollie Henry Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Def Leppard and Motley Crue Headline you'll see: Melbourne: We Don’t Have A Drug Culture Headline you won't see: Gold Coast: We Knew We Had Dimma Even Before 2023 Started Big call: Suns Pick Up Buddy In Mid-Season Draft Barrett's ladder prediction 1. Brisbane 2. Geelong 3. Sydney 4. Greater Western Sydney 5. Collingwood 6. Carlton 7. Melbourne 8. Adelaide 9. St Kilda 10. Fremantle 11. Port Adelaide 12. Western Bulldogs 13. Essendon 14. Gold Coast 15. Richmond 16. West Coast 17. North Melbourne 18. Hawthorn Riley Beveridge Premier: Collingwood Runner-up: Brisbane Wooden spoon: West Coast Moving up: Adelaide Set to fall: St Kilda Club under the most pressure (and why): Gold Coast. Made the splashy coaching hire, now the Suns simply have to deliver and finally play finals football Will the Suns finally make finals?: No Brownlow Medal: Nick Daicos Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow AFL Rising Star: Colby McKercher Recruit of the year: Lachie Schultz Surprise All-Australian: Josh Rachele Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Dua Lipa Headline you'll see: Nick Daicos stamps his name as the best player in the League Headline you won't see: Pressure off Blues as Michael Voss' side has a quiet few weeks Big call: All-Australian ruck Tim English lured home and joins the Eagles Beveridge's ladder prediction 1. Brisbane 2. Collingwood 3. Carlton 4. Greater Western Sydney 5. Melbourne 6. Port Adelaide 7. Adelaide 8. Sydney 9. Gold Coast 10. Western Bulldogs 11. Geelong 12. St Kilda 13. Essendon 14. Richmond 15. Fremantle 16. North Melbourne 17. Hawthorn 18. West Coast Sarah Black Premier: Brisbane Runner-up: Collingwood Wooden spoon: North Melbourne Moving up: Sydney Set to fall: Richmond Club under the most pressure (and why): Melbourne. An off-season in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, coupled with a talented list and an injury-decimated forward line spells concerns. Will the Suns finally make finals?: No (the women did it last year, though!) Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli. Please. The man needs one. Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow AFL Rising Star: Ryley Sanders Recruit of the year: Tom Doedee Surprise All-Australian: Noah Anderson Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment?: Taytay played to 96,000 last month, let's bump it up to 100k. Dream big. Headline you'll see: Bombers' finals win-drought celebrates 20 years Headline you won't see: Tiges bounce back under Yze Big call: Cats to continue a slow descent, the old guard leading them to a couple of upset wins along the way Black's ladder prediction 1. Brisbane 2. Collingwood 3. Sydney 4. Greater Western Sydney 5. Carlton 6. Melbourne 7. Port Adelaide 8. Adelaide 9. St Kilda 10. Geelong 11. Fremantle 12. Western Bulldogs 13. Gold Coast 14. Essendon 15. Richmond 16. West Coast 17. Hawthorn 18. North Melbourne Nat Edwards Premier: Brisbane Runner-up: Carlton Wooden spoon: West Coast Moving up: Adelaide Set to fall: St Kilda Club under the most pressure (and why): Melbourne. It's the obvious answer, but after a tumultuous season they are going to be feeling the heat if they don't get off to a good start. Will the Suns finally make finals?: I've been burned by the Suns on this front for the last two seasons, never again. So, no. Brownlow Medal: Nick Daicos Coleman Medal: Nick Larkey AFL Rising Star: George Wardlaw Recruit of the year: Brodie Grundy Surprise All-Australian: Max Holmes Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Taylor Swift - she's already been enchanted by Melbourne, so why not get her back to rock the 'G in style? It's the perfect Love Story. Headline you'll see: Contract talks on hold for Dusty Headline you won't see: Eagles fans revolt after West Coast brings back the banner Big call: Brodie Grundy back in the All-Australian team Edwards' ladder prediction 1. Brisbane 2. Carlton 3. Collingwood 4. Port Adelaide 5. Greater Western Sydney 6. Melbourne 7. Adelaide 8. Essendon 9. Sydney 10. Western Bulldogs 11. Geelong 12. Gold Coast 13. St Kilda 14. Fremantle 15. Richmond 16. Hawthorn 17. North Melbourne 18. West Coast Josh Gabelich Premier: Brisbane Runner-up: Collingwood Wooden spoon: West Coast Moving up: Adelaide Set to fall: St Kilda Club under the most pressure (and why): Western Bulldogs following the off-season upheaval in the footy department. Will the Suns finally make finals?: No Brownlow Medal: Tom Green Coleman Medal: Nick Larkey AFL Rising Star: Ryley Sanders Recruit of the year: Brodie Grundy Surprise All-Australian: Hayden Young Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? DMAs Headline you'll see: Eagles chase free agent Tim English Headline you won't see: Brisbane's era under Chris Fagan is over Big call: Bailey Smith has played his final game for the Western Bulldogs Gabelich's ladder prediction 1. Brisbane 2. Collingwood 3. Carlton 4. Greater Western Sydney 5. Sydney 6. Port Adelaide 7. Western Bulldogs 8. Adelaide 9. Melbourne 10. Gold Coast 11. St Kilda 12. Fremantle 13. Geelong 14. Essendon 15. Richmond 16. Hawthorn 17. North Melbourne 18. West Coast Sarah Olle Premier: Brisbane Runner-up: Greater Western Sydney Wooden spoon: West Coast Moving up: Adelaide Set to fall: St Kilda Club under the most pressure (and why): Given its off-season, Melbourne will be an eternal fascination in 2024. If Carlton can't hit the highs of last year, it will be intriguing to see if the Blues revert to self-implosion or maintain the course. Fremantle must perform better – otherwise expect coach Justin Longmuir's tenure to be at the fore of discussion in the west. Will the Suns finally make finals?: No. But by the thinnest of margins. Brownlow Medal: A NSW flavour: Errol Gulden or Tom Green Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow AFL Rising Star: If he stays fit, George Wardlaw. Expect an immediate impact from Ryley Sanders. Recruit of the year: Lachie Schultz will fit in beautifully at the reining premiers, while Brodie Grundy will fill a big hole at the Swans. Surprise All-Australian: Mitch Owens Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Bring some more girl power to the 'G: Is Beyonce in the budget? Headline you'll see: 400 not out: Pendles eyes Boomer's games record Headline you won't see: Honeymoon period's over for McRae Big call: Extra time will decide the Grand Final Olle's ladder prediction 1. Brisbane 2. Greater Western Sydney 3. Collingwood 4. Port Adelaide 5. Carlton 6. Melbourne 7. Adelaide 8. Sydney 9. Gold Coast 10. Geelong 11. Western Bulldogs 12. St Kilda 13. Essendon 14. Fremantle 15. Richmond 16. Hawthorn 17. North Melbourne 18. West Coast Nathan Schmook Premier: Brisbane Runner-up: Greater Western Sydney Wooden spoon: West Coast Moving up: Fremantle Set to fall: Melbourne Club under the most pressure (and why): Melbourne. The Demons haven't taken full advantage of their prime years. Ending two seasons of straight-sets exits will be a challenge after their pre-season setbacks. Will the Suns finally make finals?: No Brownlow Medal: Errol Gulden Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow AFL Rising Star: Colby McKercher Recruit of the year: Brodie Grundy Surprise All-Australian: Jordan Clark Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment?: Foo Fighters Headline you'll see: Freo zeroes in on forward target with draft kitty Headline you won't see: Club pushes the line with matchday concussion management Big call: Like the Brownlow Medal in 2023, youth will be the big storyline in the Coleman Medal race (around Charlie Curnow) as Max King, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Nick Larkey push the superstar Blue with top-five finishes. Schmook's ladder prediction 1. Brisbane 2. Greater Western Sydney 3. Collingwood 4. Sydney 5. Carlton 6. Fremantle 7. Adelaide 8. Port Adelaide 9. St Kilda 10. Western Bulldogs 11. Melbourne 12. Gold Coast 13. Geelong 14. Essendon 15. Hawthorn 16. Richmond 17. North Melbourne 18. West Coast Callum Twomey Premier: Brisbane Runner-up: Port Adelaide Wooden spoon: West Coast Moving up: Gold Coast Set to fall: St Kilda Club under the most pressure (and why): Brisbane – they're as ready as a challenger can be. Five years near the top and they have a super list. Will the Suns finally make finals?: Miss on percentage Brownlow Medal: Nick Daicos Coleman Medal: Jeremy Cameron AFL Rising Star: Harley Reid Recruit of the year: Lachie Schultz Surprise All-Australian: Nic Martin Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment?: Katy Perry or Pink Headline you'll see: Bring back the tagger Headline you won't see: Clubs in full agreeance on 2025 mid-season trade rules Big call: Sam Darcy becomes a star of the competition in his third season Twomey's ladder prediction 1. Brisbane 2. Port Adelaide 3. Collingwood 4. Melbourne 5. Greater Western Sydney 6. Carlton 7. Sydney 8. Western Bulldogs 9. Gold Coast 10. Essendon 11. Adelaide 12. St Kilda 13. Fremantle 14. Geelong 15. Richmond 16. North Melbourne 17. Hawthorn 18. West Coast Michael Whiting Premier: Brisbane Runner-up: Greater Western Sydney Wooden spoon: West Coast Moving up: Adelaide Set to fall: St Kilda Club under the most pressure (and why): Melbourne. After losing all four finals since winning the 2021 premiership, coupled with their off-field dramas, it's a huge season for Simon Goodwin's Demons, who should still be very much in premiership contention with their list. Will the Suns finally make finals? Yes. The coach says finals is the floor, so let’s see them back it up. Brownlow Medal: Errol Gulden Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow AFL Rising Star: George Wardlaw Recruit of the year: Lachie Schultz Surprise All-Australian: Keidean Coleman Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Foo Fighters Headline you'll see: Hugh McCluggage is the game's next million-dollar man Headline you won't see: Shutdown small defender selected in the All-Australian team (they're the new wingmen). Big call: We'll see our first non-Victorian Grand Final since West Coast and Sydney in 2006. Whiting's ladder prediction 1. Brisbane 2. Greater Western Sydney 3. Sydney 4. Collingwood 5. Carlton 6. Melbourne 7. Adelaide 8. Gold Coast 9. Port Adelaide 10. Fremantle 11. Western Bulldogs 12. Essendon 13. Geelong 14. St Kilda 15. Richmond 16. Hawthorn 17. North Melbourne 18. West Coast