Demonland
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Everything posted by Demonland
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We're really getting robbed of having a decent crowd at our game by virtue of it being a double header and the Port fans most likely not being there for the majority of our game. -
Surely a flick is a throw.
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Loose goal post padding cost Swans a goal there.
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Taranto has been very unimpressive for the Tigers this year.
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Never trust Gold Coast
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Signed 2 year extension until the end of 2025.
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Even though it missed Broome I’m sure the weather would not have been pleasant and my young daughter is petrified of storms and I didn’t need the spectre of evacuation hanging over us or the possibility of being stuck there. The weather in Queensland has been beautiful and the accommodation here was free so win win in the end.
Over summer, an explosion occurred in the AFL’s marketing department and the result was that every club was consigned to the sleepiest part of the country for a Round 5 weekend festival of football. Brisbane and North Melbourne travel to the Adelaide Hills where organisers hope the teams get lost forever but most of the games have been allocated to Adelaide Oval which gives Melbourne an opportunity to bask at one of the venues remembered for the club’s 2021 premiership triumph (the Demons beat the Lions there in the First Qualifying Final). Two seasons down the track of that memorable achievement, the Dees are back on the banks of the River Torrens as one of the premiership favourites. This is a less high profile contest but still one that involves two current top four teams making it highly relevant in terms of the projected end game of the season. No disrespect to the Bombers because you can only beat whatever they serve up to you, but they really haven’t had to knock over any of the competition’s leading lights from past seasons to get into their current elevated position. This game looms as one that in time could become known as the benchmark for their season so they should be pumped for the contest. A win here would certainly put the football world on notice. By way of coincidence, both Melbourne and Essendon have players missing who loom large on their playing lists. The Demons have skipper and perennial ruck star Max Gawn out for another month while the Bombers have Two Metre Peter, their 2022 B&F missing from action. And this is exactly where the contrast between the two clubs highlights their respective strengths for this particular contest. Melbourne’s flag favouritism is predicated on a number of things but where it truly stands out is that the depth of its list is downright scary. Ben Brown goes out with a back strain and Simon Goodwin replaces him with Tom McDonald who immediately boots a lazy four that should have been five. Meanwhile, Harry Petty and Jacob Van Rooyen are around the place pressing as tall marking forwards as well as providing support for Maxy’s very capable replacement — two time All Australian Brodie Grundy. And I haven’t started any commentary yet on the team’s midfield or defensive depth. Compare this with the Bombers. They lose Wright and now, Sam Weideman. Who replaces them? Kyle Langford filled in a few weeks ago against an embattled Hawthorn and kicked five goals but he’s more of a forward/midfielder and might be stretching the point if he were to claim a permanent role as a key position player. There’s “The Package”, Jake Stringer who has credentials as an All-Australian, a premiership player with the Bulldogs who has led his clubs' goalkicking on six occasions (three for the Western Bulldogs and three at Essendon). On Sunday, Stringer returned to form and helped the Bombers come from behind with four goals including a huge barrell among a couple of trademark zingers and half a dozen behinds in the win over GWS Giants. There’s no doubt The Package is a dangerous foe but he’s also terribly inconsistent, looks unfit and has also had to deal with a lack of consistency, back, hamstring and concussion issues lately. Goody knows that if he can control him, it leaves Brad Scott with very few aces left up his sleeves while he has an entire pack including some jokers in Oliver, Petracca and Viney gathered around him in the midfield and players all over the ground to help him come up trumps. The weather bureau is predicting rain and the Demons have the strength, experience and skills to overcome the Bombers on a wet track. Melbourne to win by 28 points. THE GAME Melbourne v Essendon at Adelaide Oval Saturday 15 April, 2023 at 4.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Melbourne 86 wins Essendon 130 wins 2 draws At Adelaide Oval Melbourne 0 wins Essendon 0 wins The last five meetings Melbourne 4 wins Essendon 1 win The Coaches Goodwin 0 win Scott 0 wins THE LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 14.15.99 defeated Essendon 10.10.70 at The MCG, Round 3, 2022 Oliver, Brayshaw and Langdon were all prolific ball winners in Melbourne’s 29 point win over a plucky Essendon combination who stayed with the reigning premiers for the better part of three quarters before they were worn down by the superior run of the Demons. THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B A. Tomlinson S. May J. McVee HB J. Bowey T. McDonald H. Petty C A. Brayshaw C. Oliver L. Hunter HF K. Chandler B. Fritsch A. Neal-Bullen F C. Spargo J. Melksham K. Pickett FOLL B. Grundy J. Viney C. Petracca I/C E. Langdon T. Rivers T. Sparrow J. van Rooyen SUB J. Jordon EMG B. Laurie D Turner IN J. Melksham A. Tomlinson OUT M. Hibberd (Achilles) J. Lever (ankle) ESSENDON B M. Redman B. Zerk-Thatcher J. Ridley HB J. Kelly J. Laverde A. McGrath C D. Heppell Z. Merrett S. Durham HF J. Menzie H. Jones D. Parish F A. Perkins J. Stringer N. Martin FOLL S. Draper J. Caldwell D. Shiel I/C K. Langford A. Phillips W. Setterfield W. Snelling SUB N. Hind EMG B. Hobbs M. D'Ambrosio P. Voss IN N. Hind W. Snelling OUT A. Davey Jnr (Managed) S. Weideman (Concussion) Injury List: Round 5 Ben Brown - Back | Test Jake Lever - Ankle | Test Michael Hibberd - Achilles | 1 Week Max Gawn - Knee | 1 - 2 Weeks Joel Smith - Thumb | 1 - 2 Weeks Kye Turner - Groin | 1 - 2 Weeks Taj Woewodin - Finger | 1 - 2 Weeks Christian Salem - Knee | 3 - 5 Weeks Will Verrall - Pelvis | 8 - 9 Weeks
So much false hope. Always have a really good first half before malfunctioning. I would never bet a single cent on them.
Who's on the table? Full list of 2023 free agents revealed https://www.afl.com.au/news/902296/who-s-on-the-table-full-list-of-2023-free-agents-revealed Melbourne’s unrestricted free agents - Luke Dunstan* James Jordon* Jake Melksham Alex Neal-Bullen
Gather Round Everyone who are you tipping this week?
It would be fair to say that the departure of Tom Scully in September 2011 from the Melbourne Football Club to seek fame, glory and a million dollars a year in the northern suburbs of Sin City was not received well by the Demon faithful. After all, the club had taken him as first selection (a priority pick) in the 2009 AFL National Draft and bestowed on him the prized 31 guernsey formerly worn by the all time club champion and six time premiership player Ron Barassi Junior. How dare he leave us? Scully went on to have moderate success with expansion club, the GWS Giants over seven seasons, adding 121 games to the 31 played for the Demons. He even had a fleeting taste of finals football before the relationship soured amid concerns as to the Giants' handling of an ankle injury he incurred early in 2018. His career ended after 35 games at Hawthorn under the coaching of Al Clarkson who was trying vainly to sustain his club’s crumbling dynasty. Several months after Scully’s retirement in February 2021 at the height of the Covid19 epidemic, his first club broke a 57 year premiership drought. The team was led by skipper Max Gawn (today a 6 time All-Australian) who was selected with the thirty-fourth selection in the same draft as Scully. On Grand Final night, the famous number 31 guernsey was worn by Bayley Fritsch who booted six goals in the magical victory. He was picked at number 31 in the 2017 draft. Today, a little over two years after Scully’s retirement, the Giants are well back in the pack while the Hawks are in a deep hole. And the fascination with high draft picks continues. There’s a highly fancied youngster who the pundits have pegged as a certain number one, much like Scully in his day. There’s also speculation that the club where Scully’s career came to a sudden and silent end, might be tanking to snare that prized number one pick come November. There’s also a somewhat unsavory pastime among some Melbourne fans who are “death riding” rival club Fremantle; wishing failure on them so that the Demons can derive maximum benefit from the fact that they hold the Dockers’ first and second round picks in this year’s draft thanks to their trading of selections when Luke Jackson crossed to Fremantle. Demon fans should know better. The pursuit of Scully all those years ago failed to achieve the holy grail. Instead, it heaped more years of desperation and humiliation upon them as they searched vainly for that special someone. The messiah who, in the words of the disparaging parody song that emerged on social media after his departure, was the “someone like you.” History tells us that Melbourne eventually found much better than that someone who could singlehandedly and magically bring about success. Rather, it methodically and slowly built a whole team with many component parts that, with a lot of hard work and a modicum of good luck, enabled them to reach the pinnacle. Harley Reid alone will not help achieve this. Greater Western Sydney and Melbourne Demons in tug of war over young superstar Tom Scully
Podcast will be LIVE tomorrow night (Wednesday) @ 8:30pm Apologies for the late podcast. Originally was going to be tonight (Tuesday) due to the long weekend but I traveling to Broome right into a Category 4 Cyclone. I've course corrected and am heading back to the East Coast but won't get back in time for tonight. So Wednesday @ 8:30pm it will be. Better late and safe than never.
Already a multiple winner of every award pertaining to the MFC, Clarrie streaks further ahead:- 47. Clayton Oliver 35. Christian Petracca 28. Brodie Grundy 26. Jake Lever 18. Max Gawn 14. Lachie Hunter 13. Kysaiah Pickett 11. Trent Rivers Jack Viney 9. Ben Brown 8. Ed Langdon 7. Charlie Spargo 5. Jake Bowey Tom McDonald 4. Angus Brayshaw Bayley Fritsch 3. James Jordon 2. Jacob van Rooyen 1. Kade Chandler Tom Sparrow
