Demonland

We've achieved umpire parity and have dropped out of the 8.

You do not want to know about the Doomsday Scenario.

I thought the that initially the sub rule was in place for concussion only and that if a player was subbed off they would automatically be unavailable for the next week. Then the rule allowed for other injuries no matter how minor without the week off stipulation. Perhaps put a 1 or 2 week ban on the subbed off player. This of course doesn't account for the use of it in Grand Finals. Perhaps they could also release the oppositions subbed player if a club activates theirs. It is only fair that both teams have access to a fresh player.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/07/25/brayshaw-provides-contract-update-reveals-significant-factor-determining-new/ Speaking to SEN Breakfast, Brayshaw said he was unfazed by the discussion surrounding his contract and is glad it hasn’t impacted his game. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out this is the most important decision I’ve got to make (with my career) and it’s not one I’m taking lightly at all,” he said. “I’ve got a heap of due diligence to do to feel comfortable about the decision I make, obviously I haven’t decided yet. I understand that time is running out on the clock and people speculating, but fortunately I’m not making the decision for any of them, it’s a decision about what’s best for me and I’ll make it when I’m ready. “One thing I’m quite proud of is that despite all the talk and the noise I haven’t really let it affect the way I play footy and commit to the team. “I feel really comfortable about the process I’m going through at the moment.” Uncertainty around Brayshaw’s future is rife given he’s yet to commit to the Demons for next year, who are also battling to retain Luke Jackson amidst rumours of a Fremantle move. With the trade period a little over two months away, there’s no doubt pressure would be rising on the utility to make a call on his future. However, he’s feeling none of it. “I don’t want to be rushed into a decision or pressured into something when I’m not on board with, which hasn’t happened yet and isn’t going to happen,” Brayshaw added. “There will be a time where I come out with something and make a decision. “I’m making sure I absolutely nail this one… it’s the rest of my career we’re talking about, so it’s not something I’m taking lightly.” Brayshaw is speculated to be chasing a positional move if he shifts away from Melbourne, currently playing off half back for Simon Goodwin’s side. He started his career as a midfielder but has played a number of different roles in his eight years at the club, admitting where he plays on the ground will be a significant factor in determining his next contract. “It (position) is certainly something that comes into calculations,” Brayshaw stated. “I’ve heard all sorts of theories about where I play my best footy… I’m really loving playing on the half back flank this year. “It came a bit out of nowhere and I absolutely love being a part of that group.” He’s averaging 24.9 disposals per game in 2022, while also averaging career highs in marks (8.6) and rebound 50s (4.1).

Let JVR play in front of his family on his home deck.

It's JVR Time.

I was actually dialed down. I had some more doomsday scenarios that I could have unleashed but reeled it in.

I wasn't always so negative this season. Here is a visual representation of my bullishness about the Demons as the season has gone on.

Thank you to all of the poster who proposed questions, comments and analysis. I really enjoyed incorporating it into the format of the show and would love to continue to do this so please feel free to post comments, questions and analysis each week and we will give you a shoutout and answer any questions on the show. Thank you to @Dee Zephyr @BigMacjnr @At the break of Gawn @MurDoc516 @Travy14 @Jibroni @Stu @Deeoldfart and Kieran who called in and John who left us a voice message. This show is dedicated to you guys.

Thanks for all your questions tonight. We're going to change things up tonight to accommodate a lot of them so stay tuned.

We'll be LIVE in 30 minutes Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

If there is anything in particular from the match that you wish us to discuss or you have a question or comment then let us know here.

Join @george_on_the_outer, @binman & I on the Demonland Podcast Monday night 25th July LIVE @ 8:30pm for breakdown of the Round 19 loss to the Western Bulldogs. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

Beware the surface of Premiership Stadium.

The Casey Demons were extended early against rivals Footscray VFL in their matchup played in wet and greasy conditions at VU Whitten Oval on Saturday but, after establishing their authority in the second quarter, they were able to tie up their opponents at the end to maintain their undefeated run which now stands at 15. The game began under grey threatening skies and the wet conditions turned the game into a tight slog with scoring kept down to a minimum. The Demons were held goalless against the breeze in the opening term but thanks to a Kade Chandler masterclass in attack with three clever second quarter goals out of a total of five, they held sway by half time. There were a few threatening moments in the third quarter but the Demons’ resilience was outstanding. They withstood the challenge and steadied by the final break and then held the home side goalless and held on to the lead for the remainder of the game to win by a comfortable 23 point margin. The Demons’ predominance stemmed mainly from their defence which held firm from the very beginning despite the loss of Adam Tomlinson who was called upon to replace the injured Jake Lever in the Melbourne team. Oskar Baker and Jayden Hunt dominated with the pace and strong ball handling. Jake Bowey was also in fine form and his disposal in the wet was excellent. Corey Ellison and Daniel Turner added a solid edge to the team. In the middle, Luke Dunstan and Matt Buntine were strong and Jimmy Munro’s tackling in the conditions often unsettled the Bulldogs and forced them into error. The club’s much vaunted younger forward brigade had a more subdued outing which was understandable in the circumstances. One wonders whether last week’s bye might have affected some of the younger brigade, particularly as it appears their chances of gaining senior selection seem to dwindle with each passing week. A fortnight ago against the Cats Jacob Van Rooyen and Bailey Laurie were stars in the wet at GMHBA Stadium but the club seems determined to play established players at AFL level. Van Rooyen kicked only one goal at Footscray but he managed to be in the play often and also helped Jack Bell out in the ruck duels. Laurie also kicked a solitary goal but had his moments as did Taj Woewodin. Blake Howes would also be satisfied with his first up effort of 20 touches after such a long lay off with injury. With three games left before the finals, Casey is three games clear of second placed Southport. The team returns home for next week’s match up against the bottom-of-the-ladder Northern Bullants before their last bye of the season. CASEY DEMONS 0.3.3 5.7.37 7.9.51 9.12.66 FOOTSCRAY VFL 1.2.8 3.6.24 6.6.42 6.7.43 Goals Casey Demons Chandler 4 Grey Laurie Moniz-Wakefield Valentine Van Rooyen Footscray VFL Darcy Jones Martin O’Sullivan Raak Vandermeer Best Casey Demons Baker Chandler Bowey Hunt Munro Ellison Van Rooyen Footscray VFL Hunter Martin McLean Garner O’Sullivan Butler Statistics Oskar Baker 1 behind 29 kicks 4 handballs 33 disposals 8 marks 121 dream team points Riley Baldi 5 kicks 4 handballs 9 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 34 dream team points Jack Bell 4 kicks 7 handballs 11 disposals 1 mark tackle 16 hit outs 51 dream team points Jake Bowey 19 kicks 1 handballs 20 disposals 6 marks 3 tackles 89 dream team points Mitch Brown 1 behind 12 kicks 3 handballs 15 disposals 7 marks 1 tackle 66 dream team points Matt Buntine 15 kicks 5 handballs 20 disposals 10 marks 2 tackles 1 hit out 92 dream team points Kade Chandler 4 goals 11 kicks 4 handballs 15 disposals 5 marks 1 tackle 72 dream team points Luke Dunstan 1 behind 12 kicks 7 handballs 19 disposals 3 marks 9 tackles 92 dream team points Corey Ellison 6 kicks 3 handballs 9 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 38 dream team points George Grey 1 goal 4 kicks 2 handballs 6 disposals 2 marks 1 tackle 29 dream team points Blake Howes 11 kicks 9 handballs 20 disposals 6 marks 1 tackles 79 dream team points Jayden Hunt 7 kicks 7 handballs 14 disposals 1 mark 1 tackle 42 dream team points Bailey Laurie 1 goal 5 kicks 6 handballs 11 disposals 2 marks 5 tackles 53 dream team points Judd McVee 7 kicks 4 handballs 11 disposals 3 marks 3 tackles 47 dream team points Bryce Milford 3 kicks 4 handballs 7 disposals 2 marks 23 dream team points Andy Moniz-Wakefield 1 goal 4 kicks 3 handballs 7 disposals 1 mark 3 tackles 33 dream team points James Munro 2 behinds 6 kicks 8 handballs 14 disposals 1 mark 11 tackles 85 dream team points Aidan Quigley 5 kicks 2 handballs 7 disposals 1 marks 7 tackles 49 dream team points Fraser Rosman 1 kick 1 handballs 2 disposals 1 mark 8 dream team points [injured] Daniel Turner 7 kicks 7 disposals 1 mark 5 tackles 46 dream team points Ryan Valentine 1 goal 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 3 marks 1 tackles 2 hit outs 53 dream team points Jacob Van Rooyen 1 goal 1 behinds 5 kicks 7 handballs 12 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 2 hit outs 58 dream team points Taj Woewodin 7 kicks 6 handballs 13 disposals 5 marks 2 tackles 53 dream team points

It is said that every dog has its day and that was certainly the case when the Western Bulldogs defeated Melbourne under the roof at the Docklands on Saturday night. While the Dogs were certainly at the very top of their game, the same couldn’t be said of the Demons. All around the ground, dismal individual performances and dismal team performances were the order of the day. Fans should have been worried right from the start as the game turned into a goal-fest. This is not their team’s method of operation - both sides kicked 20 goals between them in the first half. The alarm bells should have been ringing in Demon headquarters since this is not how this side has traditionally played the game. Strong reliable defence is it’s mantra but when the Bulldogs kept on scoring it seemed only a matter of time before the dam wall broke. At the other end Melbourne has a patched up forward line, without any main target, and it was only inevitable that it would not kick a winning score if the match were to proceed in the way it was heading. Doubling up with the forward problems was the utter lack of effort coming from those same players. Not a single tackle, not one for the whole game resulted from those occupying the front half of the ground. Worse still was that the Dogs were allowed again and again to waltz the ball from deep in their defensive zone to outside fifty before a single Melbourne player challenged them. When players are selected on the basis of being “defensive forwards” then there is no place for them in coming weeks, because in this case they can be replaced by a number of those performing at Casey who will put in effort. Once again, the coaching group must share some of the blame as they continue with the obviously flawed tactic of resting rucks in front of goal. Once again zero scoreboard output from them, and once again both Max and Luke look like they are moving around the ground with concrete boots. Yes they are coming back from injury, but they need a rest from rucking duties, and they are just not getting it. The defenders were just overwhelmed from the lack of support up-field and their systems just fell apart in the absence of Jake Lever, a last minute withdrawal. It meant Steven May was forced further up the ground, and tried to replicate Jakes role, but to little effect. Their cause was further made precarious with English often left unattended in the forward line as he drifted forward. He wasn’t being rested there, he just left the Demons rucks struggling to keep up, with their forward duties sapping their endurance. The kick-out strategy also failed, probably because too many in the Demons’ camp keep saying we should try something different. The result: short chip kicks from kick-ins just resulted in pressure being provided where none exists when long kicks outside the 50m arc are taken. In the 3rd term it just seemed the Demons were unable to clear the defensive 50m zone for 15 minutes, and it was only because of three opportunistic goals that they kept in touch. It was just a matter of time before the Dogs capitalised … And the time came. Even though the Demons still held on to a lead with 10 minutes to go, it turned - the Dogs took their chance and the Demons didn’t. Could the Demons have played a more miserable game? Max Gawn was comprehensively beaten in the ruck by Tim English, who topped it off with 2 goals. Luke Jackson could only manage 3 kicks and 3 marks for the game. Alex Neil-Bullen ran around pointlessly, while failing to tackle instead of trying to corall, merely manages 11 touches. James Harmes with a lousy 9 disposals keeps losing his man and when given the chance to deliver easy kicks misses by 20m. Jake Melksham kicks the easy goals out the back, yet doesn’t put any defensive work in to stop his opponent moving down the ground. Sam Weideman is still to take a contested mark and likewise keeps looking around for an opponent to follow, after it is too late. At least the mids held their own. Christian Petracca was assigned Bontempelli duties, and both nullified each other. Clayton Oliver with one hand was magnificent with 28 touches, while Jack Viney with chipped in with 24 and a lot of guts. But it was also simply not enough in the end. Up next against the Dockers and this game will go a long way to deciding top four. It was all on the line for the Dogs this week, as to finals aspirations. It is all on the line for the Demons in this game against Freo. Do they have the same willingness to win? Will the selection team face up to the failures in the forward line, and stop expecting miracles or superhuman efforts to be performed to win matches? If not, it will be just another dog day for the Demons. MELBOURNE 6.3.39 11.5.71 14.7.91 15.10.100 WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.0.24 9.2.56 12.6.78 17.8.110 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch 4 Weideman 3 Melksham Pickett 2 Harmes Jackson Neal-Bullen Sparrow WESTERN BULLDOGS Ugle-Hagan 5 English Garcia Naughton Weightman 2 Bontempelli Macrae Treloar West BEST MELBOURNE Oliver Gawn Brayshaw Petracca Fritsch May WESTERN BULLDOGS Bontempelli Ugle-Hagan Dale English Macrae INJURIES MELBOURNE Jake Lever (shoulder) replaced in selected side by Adam Tomlinson WESTERN BULLDOGS Adam Treloar (calf) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil WESTERN BULLDOGS Nil SUBSTITUTES MELBOURNE Toby Bedford (unused) WESTERN BULLDOGS Robbie McComb (replaced Treloar in the fourth quarter) UMPIRES Simon Meredith Robert Findlay Jacob Mollison CROWD 26,501 at Marvel Stadium

Clarrie’s week off didn’t harm his ability to poll votes - 204. Clayton Oliver 147. Christian Petracca 112. Angus Brayshaw 105. Jack Viney 89. Max Gawn 75. Steven May 70. Ed Langdon 50. James Jordon 38. Kysaiah Pickett 31. Luke Jackson 27. Jake Lever 26. James Harmes 22. Jake Bowey Tom Sparrow 21. Michael Hibberd 19. Bayley Fritsch 18. Harry Petty 14. Ben Brown 11. Alex Neal-Bullen 8. Tom McDonald Sam Weideman 5. Jayden Hunt Charlie Spargo 4. Christian Salem 3. Joel Smith