Demonland

Who are you tipping this week round?

Adrian will be joining us on the Demonland Podcast this Friday LIVE at 8:30pm to discuss the Podcast and talk about this dark time for the club.

One of the most highly anticipated sporting podcasts is here, No Merger. The four-part docuseries delves into the truth behind the failed merger of Melbourne and Hawthorn. What happened broke friendships and tarnished legacies forever. Told through conversations with the people at the front of the controversy, including former AFL CEO, Ross Oakley, acclaimed AFL journalist Mike Sheahan, Demon Alternative co-founder Mark Jenkins, Operation Payback frontman Don Scott, ex-Melbourne coach Neile Balme, former players Jason Dunstall, Alastair Clarkson, Andrew Leoncelli, appearances from Demon Army cheersquad leader Sophie Galer, diehard Demons supporter Gary Marchant, and many many more! Sydney based actor Ditch Davey, who recently joined the cast of Home & Away, features as the voice actor of ex-Melbourne president, Ian Ridley, who passed away in 2008. The podcast pre-launched yesterday with front and back page attention in the Herald Sun, featuring Don Scott's claims that Hawthorn were breaching the salary cap in the 80s. The news was syndicated and picked up via Seven, Nine, Fox Sports, The Age and other various outlets. Listen via the following platforms or wherever you get your podcasts! Apple: https://apple.co/2X5ZOUq Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3hIy000 iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2X0yo22 Adrian from Podular Media and The DeeBrief, one of the producers of the series, kindly passed on this episodic breakdown of the series. Episode 1 - LIVE NOW In the mid 80s, the AFL began to go through its most transformative period. The appointment of Ross Oakley as CEO, saw struggling Victorian clubs' futures brought into question. Melbourne Football Club became embroiled in a number of these discussions, while Fitzroy were relocated and merged with the Brisbane Bears. Unhappy Hawks | 2 - Published on Tuesday, August 4 Hawthorn Football Club are the most successful AFL team of the past six decades. Despite their dominance in the 80s and early 90s they were an organisation on their knees. It begs the question - how could such a star-studded team find themselves in such a position? The 'Merger Match' | 3 - Published on Tuesday, August 11 When the Herald Sun broke the story of a merger between Melbourne and Hawthorn it sent shockwaves through the football community. Anti-merger groups were formed and the battle lines to preserve the identity of two historic football clubs drawn. The battle between economic rationality and passion had begun. Vicious Vote Night | 4 - Published on Tuesday, August 18 The Demon Alternative and Operation Payback scrambled to get last minute press ahead of the Members' Vote Night. Wild scenes greeted the pro-merger Boards, as the merger descended into a night of utter chaos. Vicious taunts and toxicity pervaded the Dallas Brooks Hall and Camberwell Civic Centre, where both sets of supporters would decide upon the future of their football clubs. I'm sure this will one stir our emotions throughout listening to the series! Thankfully, they were able to uncover some important information around the dubious nature of the vote night [in episode 4], which I know is a sore spot for many. And there's a big revelation in episode 2, as Adrian was informing me, about a misconception that still lingers around like a bad smell - keep an ear out for that one. It's an engrossing listen, you'll be hooked and no doubt it'll generate great debate here on Demonland.

Injury List Aaron vandenBerg Cheekbone | 1 Game Marty Hore Toe & Quad | Indefinite Harry Petty Groin | Indefinite Kade Kolodjashnij Head | Indefinite Aaron Nietschke Knee | Season

Injury List Aaron vandenBerg Cheekbone | 1 Game Marty Hore Toe & Quad | Indefinite Harry Petty Groin | Indefinite Kade Kolodjashnij Head | Indefinite Aaron Nietschke Knee | Season

Exactly. They weren't even free kicks. If anything the Lions player should have been penalised for dropping the ball. Farce.

?

Here's the Petracca one earlier.

At the time I thought Fritsch was paid the 50 against for "milking the fall" which he may have but he was visibly pushed down in front of the umpire.

It’s getting tight up at the top! 79. Max Gawn 73. Christian Petracca 67. Jack Viney 46. Clayton Oliver 38. Steven May 21. Ed Langdon 20. Jake Lever 19. Michael Hibberd 13. Oscar McDonald 12. Angus Brayshaw 7. James Harmes 6. Mitch Hannan Jake Melksham Kysaiah Pickett Trent Rivers 5. Adam Tomlinson 4. Tom McDonald Christian Salem 3. Jayden Hunt Sam Weideman 2. Jay Lockhart

Due to the compacted fixture over the next few weeks the Demonland Podcast will be airing LIVE at different days than usual. Join @george_on_the_outer, @binman & I LIVE tonight 27/7 at 8:30pm to discuss the disappointing 4 point loss to Brisbane. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

Sounds like it was more sophisticated than Brown Paper Bags unless that is how banking is done in Tasmania. "Scott said club chiefs used a secret bank account in Tasmania to pay some of team’s biggest stars under the table. He has cited impeccable sources with full knowledge of the scheme."

Melbourne went down by 4 points in a thrilling finish against Brisbane, but they failed by more than the 4 points. They also failed to score the 4 points necessary to keep them in the race for the finals, and now find themselves sitting 6 points outside the top 8, but effectively 2 games outside (even though they have a game in hand). The Demons had more than enough opportunities to win. Six very easy shots on goal failed to bother the goal umpire with a major and ultimately this cost them the game. Five of those shots were from set shots inside the 50m arc. Weideman failed 3 times, Harmes and Fritsch once. Bennell missed an absolute “soda” running into the open goal, and those fails in essence determined the outcome. Discipline, or rather lack of it, also contributed heavily when in the dying minutes Bayley Fritsch conceded a 50m penalty after the side had fought to move the ball into the forward half threatening to steal the match. On a slippery wet surface, the game was always going to be a slog. The Demons should have had a huge advantage in the form of Max Gawn, but failed to take that advantage. A massive 41 hitouts didn’t give the side first chance at the ball, but the other mids failed to capitalise. Brisbane time and time again, snapped up the outside ball, usually after a Melbourne mid had touched it. All of Max’s efforts went for nothing as Brisbane recorded 35 clearances to Melbourne’s 22. And despite coming close in the game, the forwards failed the side badly. The failure to kick straight, particularly from set shots was bad enough, but in a recurring theme, too many of them simply aren’t getting their hands on the ball. Only Fritsch and Melksham scored goals as forwards, and 2 of those were from off the ground kicks in the goal square. Weidemann 6 touches, Hannan 4, Fritsch 6, Jackson 8, and Pickett 5 whichever way you look at it, is a forward line that failed. The backs in contrast held up their end of the bargain. Remember Brisbane now sit equal top of the ladder, yet they were held to 7 goals for the game, and telling final touches from Lever, Lockhart and McDonald denied them major scores. Together, they are operating efficiently, although Neville Jetta failed to show his best form, and two head knocks in the game may pave the way for his passage from the side, especially with only a 4 day break. This was a game that could have been won. Given the chances that the Demons had, it was a game that should have been won. Now facing Port Adelaide, the other top side in the competition, on the coming Thursday night, there is one final chance for the team to put themselves back in contention. The path to finals football is getting narrower and with a shortened season, may close off with another fail. It is now up to the players to show a lot more, and ensure that the 2020 season is not just another fail itself. MELBOURNE 2.2.14 3.3.21 4.6.30 7.7.49 BRISBANE LIONS 2.2.14 5.5.35 7.6.48 7.11.53 GOALS Melbourne Melksham 3 Fritsch 2 Jones Viney Brisbane Lions Cameron 2 Bailey Hipwood McCarthy Rayner Zorko BEST Melbourne Oliver Gawn Viney Melksham Petracca Lever Brisbane Lions Neale Lyons McCluggage Bailey Zorko Starcevich INJURIES Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Daniel Rich (hamstring) REPORTS Melbourne Nil Brisbane Lions Nil UMPIRES VENUE Metricon Stadium

If the investigation also includes Carlton we might get 1987 as well.

How can they not be investigated? Scott provides details whereas Brock McLean’s evidence was based on Blind Freddy.

Give us the 1988 Premiership

In unrelated good news changes I've made on the backend of Demonland are holding up postgame.

Close but no cigar ...

Ffs Fritsch.

Your votes for today's game please - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1