Deespicable

Thanks Lucifer for the updates. Frost a huge priority. ANB next and Vanders and Stretch after that IMO and after the latest CBA, we should be able to up all of their salaries to retain them. The rest can wait until end of season, although club's decision on Vince (either way) is pretty major. We are finally in the window, so I'd be disappointed if we did not re-contract him for another year. Tricky decisions on all the rookies - with Maynard the only one who seems to have progressed majorly during year so far - although Tim Smith has been unlucky. But a lot can happen in the final few weeks, especially when careers are on the line. The list manager decision on how many bigs it wants to carry is also pretty pivotal, especially with the trend away from dinosaurs.

Ok here's a challenge to you Smokie. Start a thread on a topic about the Demons, voice your opinions on it and then see if people are interested in it. I would have thought the fact that so many of us have read this thread already means it was a good topic. And whilst a lot of us disagree with his summation, it's still a very worthy topic. The image of Kent all alone in a room having a Nicky Riewoldt was a lasting one from the game for most of us along with Sloaney staggering like a drunk and telling his medical staff to f.. off.

Mate, you are still not getting it - you are playing the man and not the ball. There's nothing wrong with the guy that set up the thread - it takes courage and conviction to do so and he's entitled to his opinion and that is the essence of Demonland. The fact that you and I are aware that there were probably heaps of other factors in it is irrelevant to his entitlement ... and yours. But remember it's a forum and try and avoid bagging the author of the thread.

Thanks keyboard warrior! Firstly Farmer is not a regular here so your last assessment of him is exactly what you are complaining about - who are you to make a statement about Farmer and he could be Jeffy in real life for all we know and your comment could be racist! The thread is fine - I'm sure we all (other than the PCs among us) thought it was surprising to see Kent in a room by himself - but who knows, it could have been the cool room and Goody's punishment for missing a sitter early in the night! And as has been pointed out, only those around him would know why and how much medical attention he had received - which makes it all speculation, just as you have speculated that Melbourne's medical staff was not negligent. My guess is that they were dealing with other players at the time, but it's only a guess - I wasn't there. And I may be drawing a long bow there or maybe I'm in need of taking a long bow to your wisdom or maybe I'm bow wowing about nothing.

What is going on - almost everyone this week has stolen my verbosity and started making lengthy analysis as well. In your case Demon Jack I have to ask are you one of my kids whom I watched the game with and are taking the [censored]? My votes would have been identical and your descriptions/rationale are mine - spooky! Let me know when you plan to do your votes next week and I will try and get in first.

I just read the following and was shocked to see we had again not taken advantage of what Darwin offers in terms of rehab, not to mention the team bonding component of a week away. I was already shocked and disappointed when our club hierarchy tried to make out we were getting out and conducting training sessions in Alice Springs in late May. In actual fact all bar Dion Johnstone, Declan Keilty and I think one other attended an outback community clinic - the rest spent just one night in Alice Springs. That was somewhat understandable - Alice Springs is very much a backwater and has poor recovery facilities. So getting Virgin Airlines to agree to a late night Saturday return flight to Melbourne can be viewed as highly practical ... even clever. But this is different. We are now in the middle of winter and have already seen a spate of soft-tissue injuries. And Darwin is not a backwater - it has genuinely good facilities and a sporting precinct. It is a perfect place for our players to get away and put in a solid week of preparation without having to don tights and fear sprinting full pelt. It could have been a godsend for the likes of Nathan Jones, Wattsy, Salem and Dom to get some decent speed sessions in as they attempt to overcome their injuries. But more importantly it was a rare chance for someone like Jack Trengove, who is deemed to be too slow, to get in some serious sprint work - without having to fear whether they had sufficently warmed up enough bracing Melbourne's cold. It was also the chance for our players to really embrace the NT community - to conduct special clinics with the talented locals and really spruik our brand in the region. To me, we have come a really long way under Jacko. But we continue to pay NT lip service and just take the money and run. Are we really that poor still that we cannot afford to spend a week's accom in Darwin on our team? Or is there something more sinister at brew - we are about to ditch the NT program outright? Anyone with inside information feel free to comment. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-07-13/no-darwin-trip-for-injured-demon-duo

Arguably our worst four yesterday were the inclusions - Smith and Hoges underdone, Kent off the pace and Jeffy (quiet, but effective when he got it). The same could be said about the week before, but the decision to keep Wags proved a master stroke in the first half yesterday. I have one certain in - Kennedy-Harris. Apart from being 23rd man, the history of the Darwin game tells us that indigenous players lift and they love having the crowd behind them. Remember Jeffy in Alice Springs six weeks ago. A hard choice deciding who goes out for JKH, but it probably comes down to Stretch or Kent, although the latter deserves another go - he surely can't be that bad again and if he is, then you sort of know he's done for the season. The only other changes will be forced by injury or either Watts or Tyson passing fitness tests. Watts, if fit, presents a selection dilemma because we have to decide if we can afford to go bigger up forward than we did against Carlton, given it's Adelaide's counter-attack from the likes of Smith and Laird and Cameron that is their main weapon. That means that cult hero Pedo may miss for balance and the fact that it gets a bit dewy in second half up there (queue guy that reckons that's a furphy up in Darwin and that any slipperiness is caused by perspiration of players). The Crows have their key bigs (Tex, Jerka and Maureen) plus Eddie, but fortunately we now have some major flexibility with Hibberd, Smith, Nev, Wags and even Hunt all capable of manning bigs via our zone. And we still have the option of sending Hoges down back to stand McGovern or Tex (please no Hoges on the ball Goody, he doesn't yet have the smarts for that role). Highlight will be Bernie v Sloane part II. Will Tex get reported for wiping out Bern?

6 Oliver - With his best three clearance support acts missing, he had to step up and he did in a big way and before Cripps left as well). 5 Frost - He reminds me more of Sean Wight (circa 1987) every day. 4 TMac - Can those who used to reckon he couldn't kick please head to church confession now. 3 Neal-Bullen - Horror start but kept buttering up and that's why he will play finals if we make it. 2 Petracca - The best hips since Brian Wilson and unlike Willo, he can kick a long ball as well as clear packs. 1 Jetta - Great final play and once again showed he can play on bigs and smalls. Apologies Wags (great first half), Hunt (super disallowed goal), Jordy (Boo, who!) and Bernie (did Gibbs play?).

You are correct with all those things if JKH was coming back into the lineup as a small forward again. Thankfully he's not, he's coming in as a midfielder - huge tank, thumping kick, nice evasive skills and is coming off several weeks of working hard to effect clearances and tackles. Deserves his chance and you might have to reappraise. Perfect player for marking Murphy, SPS or Cunningham.

As with others, both Weids and Trenners on light duties at training because of their game tomorrow. The rest, including the 23rd carry over, all trained well - basically a technique session for most of them - plenty of snaps by our forwards and preparation on crumbing and giving for the little guys. From my reading of changes: Hoges replaces Bugg as a leading forward - this time we go bigger up front as T-Mac and Pedo also part of six-man forward rotation with Kent, ANB, Jeffy and Trac/Hannan when resting. Smith replaces White in back seven rotation (six plus on on bench). Hunt replaces Vince (used on ball). Lewis and Vince and Trac to get more minutes in core midfield with Oliver and Gawn. JKH on the outside with Stretch and Hannan. Unclear yet whether 23rd is Wagner or Stretch/JKH or Jeffy. Given Jeffy seemed to get through, my guess is we will remove Wags but it could be Billy? Given we have lost our two midfield lifebloods and our two best kicks, it's amazing how sharp and vibrant the place was this morning. Maybe we weren't mentally beaten up by the Swans after all. The good thing is that this is almost our most balanced side since Round 1 and almost our quickest since that game.

Over the past month, the three best midfielder in the comp have been Dusty, Danger and Gibbs. Further to that Gibbs has a great track record against us - absolutely smashed us in Rd 22 last year and was handy, not sensational, in Rd 2 this year. You can't put a small mid on him, so it must be a hard tag from either Vince, Jordy or Melky - at least we have three options. Then they have Cripps who also killed us in Rd 22 last year and was having a huge impact third term in Rd 2 when Jordy intervened. Given that he is their major hardball man - it is up to Oliver and Petracca to beat him with their intent at stoppages. If they do, then we are half way home. Don't underestimate the loss of our two leaders - Jones and Viney. Jonesy in particular has done a great job on Murphy the past few seasons, so finding the right match up for Murphy's outside run won't be easy - is JKH ready for this role? Is ANB? Or do we put Melky there? Then there is Gawny v Kreuz. I think the best thing is that Gawny is an avid ruck-watcher and he knows Kruez is probably the AA ruckman at the moment. He also knows that he lost his way last week, losing his balance a couple of times and becoming stationary (lazy!). I will be very surprised if Gawny doesn't lift for this one, but on paper we will be smashed at the clearacnes, so it will be a great test for our gameplan and the ability of our youngsters Oliver and Trac. The other major factor is whether we still have enough overall confidence after last week's loss - when you are belted it can take a bit to get you back going - this is a major challenge for Goody and his gameplan. It will be a low-scoring affair - that's the way they play - they switch down back incessantly. But at least this week we aren't going to be as slow up forward (possibly our three amigos from 2016 - Hogan, Kent and Jeffy - will unite again) and also with our run from down back (Hunt will definitely start down back this week). Don't be surprised if Pedo is left out this week (even last minute) - it will be a forward balance thing if he does and will be related to the fact that with T-Mac having been so good, we can afford to play another quick mobile tackler to counter the Blues pace back there. I have six Ins tonight (it's a Sunday game after all). But Tyson will be tested tomorrow and may not quite come up. In: Hoges, Garlett, JKH, Kent, Kennedy, Smith Out: Bugg, Viney, White

Shades of 1984 when we were coming off five wins in a row including a Peter Tossol inspired victory against Hawthorn at Princes Park and then we got belted by Essendon at VFL Park and skipper Greg Healy was Ko'd early. Really important week for Goody - he must go back to his original plan of switching play methodically and then runnning and gunning. But having lost the three best kicks in the side, it's hard to be precise. And his decision to bring in White and Wagner backfired massively. Playing Hunt as Jeff Garlett was a disaster as we lost a fair bit of drive from defence and White wasn't able to get the pill enough to use his precise kicking. But despite that we have to somehow turn it around against Carlton which won't be easy. Fortunately we have nine days off. Really important that Gawn, Vince and Lewis lift and that Oliver goes back to see ball, get ball. Sounds like Hoges may be our only key to return from injury with Wattsy doubtful based on his comments pre-game. Vince to tag Gibbs. Oliver and Gawn to be told to lift against Cripps and Kreuzer. If they don't we are done. Out: Viney, Tyson (injured) Bugg (susp), Pedersen, Wagner, White and Stretch. In: Hoges, Kent, Kennedy-Harris, Kennedy, Maynard, Weideman (all subject to strong displays in VFL), Trengove (for his smarts) or Smith (if he comes through VFL game well) B: Jetta Frost Hibberd HB: Hunt O-Mac Lewis C: Melksham Vince Kennedy HF: Harmes T-Mac Hannan F: Kent Hoges Petracca Ru: Gawn Oliver Neal-Bullen Int: Maynard, Trengove, Weideman, Kennedy-Harris

6 T.Mac (showed amazing leadership all night and with Gawn badly beaten, our only tall marking option) 5 Hibberd (Kept providing run from defence, but a couple of unusual errant kicks was only demerit) 4 O-Mac (As with the Pies game, needed to fire up and once he did he showed he is more than capable at this level) 3 Viney (Clearly our best to half time. A disaster if he is out for long with Jones missing as well). 2 Trac (Two very classy goals manufactured from nothing, but unable to provide any lead-up work) 1 Tyson (Just pipped Melky and Frost. Clean all night but unable to conjure any major brilliance)

Two of the greatest individual games we've seen this season. 6 T-Mac (Any comments about his kicking this week? The matchwinner but likely 9 votes each with Viney in coaches award.) 5 Viney (How good was he. The main reason why sides don't intimidate us anymore) 4 Vince (This was old style Bernie and he played smart all night) 3 Gawny (Nice to have a ruck influencing the game again and that flick back into the central corridor late was a key) 2 Oliver (Bad WC move firing him up at halftime. Loved the way he took the game on more as well). 1 Neal-Bullen (Could have been Harmes and a few others, but thought he handled himself well in traffic)

Big decision ahead if Gawn can impress on Goody that he's ready to go and that his "best on" last Saturday is indicative of where he's at. Interesting to see some want us to ditch a small for him though on the fastest ground in the game! To me they have to decide if Gawn can come straight back in and sounds like that's a yes. And then it gets down to whether T-Mac or Pedo can do the back-up ruck role best and if they keep Pedo, then O-mac will go. But my guess is that Pedo will be the unlucky omission. When you win, any exclusion is tough. The guys pressing in the twos - Kennedy, Stretch, JKH, Wags and Weid will just have wait another week. To be honest, our chance of beating the Dogs after their poor showing last week are extremely low. However I like our chances the following week in the west.

Rating our list I’m sure this year’s selection as my No.1 will be scoffed at by some. How could you overlook the best ruckman in the AFL? What about giving credence to Clayton Oliver’s amazing second-season? Or again paying homage to Jack Viney - our hardest worker and the biggest reason why no side can smash us these days? But I just reckon this year Jonesy deserves it. Chunk’s the same player every week no matter what opponent, putting it all on the line. I still reckon people underrate his evasive skills and his kicking vision and against Gold Coast he just said: I’ll show you guys how to do it” and nailed goals that mattered. Sure he’s not a Gary Ablett or a Danger, but he’s still our main man and he’s now got a great support team led by Viney and Oliver and backed by Lewis and Vince and a host of talented kids. Overall it’s getting harder to do this rating because we now have close to 30 players on our list who are AFL-worthy in any side. Five years ago you could go Nathan Jones and then the gap to our next was immense. But not so nowadays. And as with any rankings system, it’s fraught with danger. Things can change pretty quickly and in AFL there is plenty of stuff going on behind the scenes that we never hear about. Feel free to tear strips out of my assessments – it’s a view after all. One person whom I didn’t try and rate was Simon Goodwin, but if I did, I’d give him a B-plus. Certainly all of us at Demonland have questioned some of his selections – it was Weideman early and then JKH shocked almost all of us. But hopefully everyone also appreciates that Goody has brought to the club a modern-day gameplan with a refreshingly clever tactic of running two-forwards off the back of the square, thereby ensuring that we have numbers at the contest. He’s not afraid to switch players mid-game, although he can also be a bit stubborn (eg: Melky in defence for six weeks). At training he’s also constantly bringing in new drills so that repetition boredom doesn’t set in. So far he hasn’t made any earth-shattering speeches or pronouncements – he’s a long way off becomes a preacher like The Reverend – but perhaps as he matures, he’ll become a bit more confident to use the media to push the club’s barrow. But this list is about the players, so here goes. 2017: One to 40 – Rating our list (last year’s rank in brackets). 1 Nathan Jones (3) You only have to try and empathise a little as to what it would have felt like to be told that you were no longer sole captain to get an idea of how hard it must have been for Jonesy to confront training this year with a confident, determined air. But the fact that he’s on track to either win or come runner-up to Clarry in the Bluey Truscott is testament to his resilience. He’s getting closer to 250 games (milestone next year), getting closer to 30 (January) and getting closer to being rated as one of our all-time greats – if he wins a fourth B&F he joins a group that includes only Jimmy and Allan La Fontaine. For me his highlight this year was that wondrous, grass-burning left-foot pass to Jack Watts in Alice Springs, part of the most inspiring quarter of football I’ve seen from one player since James Hird devoured West Coast. He’s not in anyone’s AA side, but if the Big V was still going, he’d be a must-have selection in the Flea Weightman mould. 2 Max Gawn (2) Three games in and our most celebrated player goes down against the Cats – the side that he made his name against at Kardinia Park two years earlier. While ruckman are out of vogue in AFL circles at the moment, there’s not a commentator who doesn’t love the bearded one. And the pleasing thing is that he showed no sign before his hammy malfunction that he was going to ease off his training intensity. The big Kiwi’s a cult figure and deservedly so given his knowledge of almost all things – the weirder the better. And once Spencil went down, he’s been the most missed player in the game, although Pedo’s efforts and Goody’s two-men off the back of the square have made his absence less of a death sentence. 3 Clayton Oliver (25) OMG – he’s still just 19 until July 22. Jason Taylor can thank his job security on this kid. Finally we have a genuine superstar in the making – our first real one since “Dollars” Lyon burst on the scene in 1987. There will be a lot of rich Demonlanders if he gets up for the Brownlow, although to be honest that’s a bit of a stretch. He still has flaws – I get incensed when he heads backwards to dish off a handball when he has time and space to head forward. But it may take another year or two for him to realise that he’s quick enough, and strong enough, to take on almost any foe and he is a thumping kick – even if he doesn’t yet believe it. When I saw a Murray Bushrangers video of one of his three-bounce runs in 2015 it reminded me of the old video highlights of just one player – Ron Barassi. And like so many of our new stars, Clarry has character! 4 Jack Viney (1) I suspect Jack was a little like us in being caught out when anointed this season. Obviously we all knew that he had the future skipper tag just like his dad, as every club needs a player with such passion and attack on the pill at the helm. It’s taken him a few games to get going this season and there are many theories around why – some say he was trying too hard as skipper and getting involved in almost every fracas, other say it was because he missed a fair whack of the pre-season because of hip surgery. My view, however, is that he overdid the weights. He’s always been big-bodied, but in January I was thinking I was watching Naim Suleymanoglu train – his leg quads were like tree trunks. When he was caught twice against West Coast pre-season I had my suspicions confirmed, but as the season’s gone on, he’s got leaner and again looks more like a power athlete than a weightlifter and he’s starting to break from packs with pace a bit more – Adelaide game is a case in point. The good thing is that with guys like him around, you know that no side can try the old intimidation game on us. I know tagging is out of vogue with zone structures, but boy I’d love to see him taking on Pendles and Dahlhaus in coming weeks. 5 Michael Hibberd (New) A few posters were getting worried early when his Achilles flared up a couple of times pre-season – did we have another Deledio? The answer came quickly against the Tiges with a game that sent everyone into raptures - his long goal on the run still ranks among the best of our season highlights. He already is acclaimed as our most reliable defender and despite being a smidge over 6-foot, he can play on tall timber as well as small forwards because his body strength is so good. He’s also a good reader and a thumping kick, which means he’s perfect for the modern press and defensive switch. Talk to any Essendon fan and they are still dirty that he got away ... and especially for just a second-rounder. 6 Jayden Hunt (12) In the absence of Gawny, Mr Nippy has become a cult hero this season with his headband war and regular tweets/instagrams making him No.1 for social media followers – his post-game concussion-fueled Nippy’s milk bus video went viral. It’s still hard to believe that two years ago he looked like a delisting, but now he’s our version of Jason Johannissen – just waiting for a Grand Final to become part of folklore. His game against the Cats when we were under injury-induced siege was epic and I said last year that his arrival at AFL level changed the image of a team just as Scott Camporeale altered the look of the Blues in 1995? In fact there is a case to be made that he’s the most critical player in the entire side. I have him at No.6 for the moment, as he still needs to work on the reliability of his kicking. Sometimes he gets under the ball just a little too much and sprays it into the heavens Brent Grgic style. 7 – Jordan Lewis (New) How lucky were we. In years gone by we’d have to throw truckloads of dosh and our top draft pick to get close to securing a wise, old head like Jordy. We can thank Todd Viney for him falling in our lap and his smarts across the middle and down back generally have been as calming for the side as a chai latte. We all know that his Patrick Cripps moment cost us the Freo game two weeks later and possibly games against the Cats and Tigers as well, but how nice is it to watch him in red and blue. It’s also nice that we now have the ability of heading up the left wing with accurate foot skills – four years ago we were virtually bereft of left footers, now they are almost in the majority. Hopefully we can finish the season off well enough for Jordy’s judgment on our rise being on the money as well. 8 Jack Watts (7) How ironic. The first year that every fan wants him in the side and our new coach decides that he needs to earn his place, or that his skinfolds are poor, or that he’s been talking with fans too much or that he failed the recreational drug test or whatever rumour you want to dredge up – certainly the club and Goody wasn’t willing to explain it. So we all watched two pre-season games without him in shock before the ban, penalty or laziness expired. I reckon the Vandenburg injury forced Goody’s hand and Wattsy managed to play Round 1 (as he always does) and after showing some form against the Blues, he showed some real spunk against the Cats – what a goal from outside 60m on the run. Watching him give up two similar opportunities from around 50m in Alice makes me think that he’s got a bit of a groin niggle, which hopefully settles over the bye because as everyone now knows, he’s our best kick and creator – even if his tackling intensity still could go up another notch (it has improved though). I love him having a cameo in the ruck if he’s been quiet up forward, but I hate it when he stays there for long. At centre bounces he has a habit of turning away from his opponent and losing sight of the ball to protect himself – almost all of us would too if we were six centimetres or more shorter than our foe charging at us. He’s smarter at boundary throw-ins and is quicker to the flight when the ball is thrown short. But really is it worth the risk. Thankfully Goody is now more likely to throw T-Mac to the ruck wolves anyway. 9 Jeff Garlett (11) Why so low you ask? He is after all our leading goalkicker with 25 – equal-ninth in the league and second among small-forwards only to the inimitable Eddie Betts. His tackle-count is also way up on previous years as well with an average of 4.2-a-game putting him in the elite small forward category. I just feel I want to see him do what he did against Gold Coast on a big stage. The pleasing thing is that it wasn’t all over-the-back stuff either. He even led up at the ball a few times. But can he do it when it’s cold and wet? I guess that’s his final test and may ultimately determine whether he sneaks into the All-Australian team this year. 10 Sam Frost (18) Every time I watch him play I think of the late Sean Wight. Tall, athletic and with a gung-ho style that is so refreshing – that’s our Frosty the go-man. And with T-Mac required to pinch-hit in the ruck, he is now getting all the big assignments – Tex and Lynchy in recent weeks. What’s really impressed me this year is that his kicking has become far more reliable and he can kick a bomb on the run – as North found out. His style means he will have his unlucky days, but there should be plenty more days where he’s almost a matchwinner. Could he hold Gary Ablett Snr goalless like Sean Wight? I’ll settle for a Round 14 spanking of Josh Kennedy that leads to our upset win in the west. 11 Jesse Hogan (8) Watching him train pre-season I thought a breakout year approached – but sadly things have conspired against him and he remains a question mark superstar commodity. He’s always been behind Lynch and he’s now fallen well behind Daniher and Brown in the best young forward stakes and his value depreciates a bit because he’s not quite tall enough to be used as a back-up ruckman. Given his suspension, his dad dying and his cancer, we’ll cut him some slack, but there’s a strong case to say that he’s no longer in our top 10 – even on potential. I mean he does have flaws. I’m not talking about his stutter step which he’s pretty much overcome, it’s his ability to quickly spot up his downfield option, coupled with his lack of a long kick that worries me. The game has changed – some sides are now playing just four bigs – as the obsession with zone defence and tackling intensity takes hold – making slow-moving dinosaurs like Cloke a waste of time. But Hoges ain’t slow. He showed pre-season he’s the naturally fittest bloke in the side and all his teammates know he’s the No.1 man with that Neanderthal-strut. He just has to show it at AFL level again – it has been quite a while since he dished up a game – April 30, 2016 v St Kilda - that made us all sit back and dream of days in September. And aside from a well-earned dose of luck on the homefront, my guess is that he may need a stint in defence to get his game-awareness really going. 12 Christian Petracca (15) I am not sure whether it was the fact that I lost my dough on him winning the Rising Star last season, but I’m afraid I started the year being a bit down on Trac. Sure we all saw what he could do pre-season against Carlton, but then after his ego is stroked by a wave of publicity, he comes out and puts in a stinker in the west and starts off the year well short of star-billing form. But his courageous second-half v the Tiges made it clear that he has the tools and his game under the lights against Adelaide was the first time I truly saw his genius. The power of his baulks are just shattering and makes you wonder if another Dusty is just a season or two away. I still get miffed when he fails to get back quickly after a mark and is forced into an elevated kick that can be intercepted, but there’s no doubt he has that basketball-style vision to be a champion. He’s already on par with Jake Stringer and I’m not talking about his private life. 13 Tom McDonald (5) Please don’t lump me in with the anti-T-Mac Demonland lobby group because he’s fallen to No.13 in my rankings. Or in with those idiots that are suggesting he should be dropped for the Pies game. Tom remains one of the league’s premier tall defenders and is a fantastic spoiler and intercept mark. It’s just that we can’t play him there at the moment because he’s needed in the ruck and up forward, where his courage and his fitness makes him a worthy back-up while we wait for Gawn and Hogan’s return. When they do, it’s going to be interesting to see if T-Mac can double up in his role as key defender and back-up tapman. And also whether he has picked up a few new tricks from his stint up forward on some of the league’s best defenders. But I’m sure T-Mac now has more of an appreciation of just how hard it is to be a forward week-in, week-out. 14 Neville Jetta (6) As with Wattsy, he really had a battle to make Round 1 in time and possibly only the injuries to Josh Wagner and Hibberd left a whole for him. But by the time they’d returned, Nev had again showed why he’s such an important member of our back six. He’s an agile defender who is incredibly safe with ball in hand and he has a phenomenal leap for his size and that means when our zone defence presents unusually tall match-ups, he’s not all at sea and can adapt to any opponent. His leap still occasionally gets us into trouble because when he’s on a small, you want him making sure the crumber is covered at ground level for the ball that spills over the back, rather than to fly fourth-man up. But most of the time he’s Mr Reliable. 15 Bernie Vince (4) Is his fall down the rankings a sign that age is finally catching up with our oldest player? Or is it more that we now have significant depth in our midfield/small defender slots? Watch him at training and he’s still one of the hardest workers and it’s pretty rare that anyone intercepts one of his kick-ins that he works on religiously. He’s also still as tough as nails - his game on Rory Sloane is an even better sequel to his Danger cull of 2015. He also made the most memorable intercept of the year so far against Gold Coast, so he’s hardly not pulling his weight. There’s also the option of playing him as the third key forward as he knows how to kick a goal and lead up for the ball. Will he win another contract? I hope so, although history records we don’t always look after our 30-somethings that well. 16 Christian Salem (17) After dominating two VFL finals, our lethal left-footer seemed to have finally made it big time this year when he absolutely carved up Carlton from half-back with a best-on-ground game that included intercept marks, elite passes and one of his special goals. But for some reason he was spent the next four weeks in the middle while Melky was kept down back. Christian is all class and he doesn’t have either the height or the big body to make it as an inside mid – it’s a fact of life that some aren’t born that way. And we already have about six guys we can rotate through there to do that job. Thankfully he was returned down back for the Adelaide game and he showed the poise we needed for that cauldron. Provided he stays there I can see him challenging for a B&F top 10 this season. 17 Dom Tyson (9) So far he’s been handy in almost every game, but at the same time not a dominant force in any either and his one or two errors a game have been sending a few bloggers into overdrive. But we are now in winter and this is Dom season – the quick players come back to him and he becomes one our MVPs again with his thumping left-foot capable of clearing the mud-splattered lines. 18 James Harmes (13) I said last year that he’s like St Kilda’s Jarryn Geary or the Dogs’ Liam Picken – a blue-collar worker that coaches love because they tackle, they chase, they smother, they shepherd and they just do the fundamentals so well that you can ignore the occasional brainfade. I was sure that Goody, a former rookie of similar mould, would be a fan – but I was wrong. Dumped after an 18 disposal/8 tackle game against Richmond which saw him score plenty of votes on Demonland, Harmesy had to wait until Round 10 to get another gig. This time he nailed two kicks from the 50m line along with another clever gem to make sure his coach appreciates that he can provide the odd bit of skill to go with his grunt. As I said last year, he’s a must-have in your starting 22. Goody, it seems, begs to differ. 19 Jake Melksham (New) It’s been a bit like the 2015 “Frosty as a forward experiment”. For six weeks we all waited to see why Melky was playing in defence – clearly it had been Goody’s intentions to use Jake there when he arrived at the club. But that was the pre-season of 2016 before Hunt, Hibberd, Frost and Wags had turned us into a running backline. Thankfully Melky went back to his usual midfield role in Alice and showed what he offers. He is an elite runner and adds speed on the outside and is a tough cookie inside. He still struggles a bit with his disposal under pressure, but if he cleans up that, then he’ll be part of our first finals side since 2006 – either this year or next. 20 Mitch Hannan (New) Not since Sean Charles was rushed by helicopter to Junction Oval training in 1994 has a player won his spot so easily. Hannan had barely overcome his shoulder surgery and had a run in the VFL practice matches when he was named for the clash against the Saints ahead of Harmes, Bugg and others. This is not a Jason Taylor pick, although he may try and claim it. Clearly Goody obviously loved what he saw of the then 22-year-old in last year’s VFL finals series and had him earmarked for Round 1. His first game was a ripper, but then he struggled to impose for a bit before showing us all why he was picked against North and Gold Coast. He’s quick, can put boot to ball even quicker, tackles with intent and has that leap. He’s even shown a bit of ability in his cameos on the ball – could he be an Isaac Smith type pick-up? Here’s hoping. Footnote: Originally our third round pick was one behind the Dogs. But our last-day trade of Lynden Dunn to the Pies saw us exchange picks and with that the Dogs missed their boy. Bow-wow. Thanks Dunny. 21 Alex Neal-Bullen (27) Another Goody special. I think most of us had our doubts about ANB’s ability to fight his way into the midfield and as a small forward most of us thought he wasn’t quite quick enough. But ANB’s has honed his skills in the VFL and now has the smarts and ability to turn out of trouble (Jonesy style) and then neatly spot up a target. He is a way better version of the ANB that we saw in 2015 help win us our game down at Geelong and it will be interesting to see how far he goes this season. He’s also one that has benefitted from the two-man off the back of the square policy – he’s generally one of the two and he reads that play well. 22 Billy Stretch (16) As with Harmesy, I don’t really know what he did so wrong to lose favour with Goody. Certainly against Fremantle his running patterns were a bit off and he collided a couple of times with Oliver/Viney, but geez I’m splitting hairs to find a reason – perhaps the old “three losses in a row, someone has to go” syndrome. And with Melky now on a wing, it may be a bit harder for him to secure his spot back, but I’m sure in time he will. We have the hardball clearance area covered, we now need some outside run and he’s our best linkman and he marks his man closely at the same time – the perfect fit for Caleb Daniel or Hunter in his Round 13 return. But BenKen is currently at the top of the VFL queue, so he may have to hone his skills for a bit longer – just like his best mate ANB had to last season. 23 Oscar McDonald (26) Just when you think he’s almost made it, you hear talk of our interest in Steven May, which given that we are now playing just two tall defenders against most sides, would spell his deathknell barring injuries. Oscar has improved markedly this year and if you stop bagging him for a moment, you will see that he has way more intent with his attack on the ball than last year and looks a quality act (most of the time at least). Forgive him his boundary line mix ups in the Alice as the sun and smoke made those lines almost invisible, except to the TV. Like his brother he has a tank and with experience could yet be a better version as he has a thumping kick. My only worry for him is that the game is changing and bigs are out of vogue – it’s a small world after all. 24 Josh Wagner (20) Just emerging from an injury-riddled start to the season, Wags is mega-popular with the coaching staff as he has the ability to play on bigs and smalls. Like Jetta, he’s got a prodigious leap, which against Hawthorn presented problems when we had four-up and no-one down a couple of times. He’s yet to have a high point this season like last year’s honour of being “the man that dragged down Gary Ablett” but it will probably come soon – “the man who shut down Jake Stringer” maybe. 25 Dean Kent (10) I didn’t see this coming, but probably should have. Like most on Demonland I had Superman Kent inked in this side and felt he was on the verge of small forward greatness. But I did notice he was labouring a bit in run-throughs pre-season as he attempted to overcome another hamstring tear. I was shocked when he was dropped after the Freo game but not when it happened again after the North game – six tackles in four games as a small forward is a direct ticket to the VFL. It’s now hard to figure out whether he got cocky after a big 2016 or if he’s just been restricted. He needs to find his passion for the chase again. If not, he’ll be some serious trade-bait. 26 Tom Bugg (14) Hoges’ absence has meant he’s been tried in the permanent forward role and sadly the added pressure has got to his kicking – the wastage has been reminiscent of Craig Sholl on Ben Hart in the 1998 Grand Final. I love the fact that he’s got character but he may just be a yard too slow for the modern game. He even struggles to lay tackles now, and there’s nothing wrong with his intent, he just can’t get there in time. Could he be sent to Steele Sidebottom again on QB? Maybe, but only if Hoges doesn’t come back and take his spot first. 27 Ben Kennedy (21) Those who have been watching Casey will tell you he’s probably leading their best-and-fairest – so there’s no doubt he’s trying his darndest to get back into the side and after his three goal effort against Coburg – he heads the inclusion queue for the Pies game. But with Jeffy on fire and ANB looking so polished, it means he’d have to make it back on the wing. I said last year that I thought he could become a niggling little defender down the track, but so far the club hasn’t tried that option. His contract is up this year, so I hope he gets a go soon and signs on for another season. 28 Jake Spencer (33) How to blunt a Spencil. After not missing a VFL game all last season as he waited for Gawny to need a rest he finally gets a 10-12 week chance to make a name for himself. His first game is pretty good against the Giant of Freo and he starts the Richmond clash outjumping Nankervis when double whammy – first his shoulder, then his knee gives way. He’s expected to beat Gawny back by a week if he’s lucky but now Pedo may be hard to displace anyway. My view is that the ideal situation when both big boys are back is that Spencil should play as a forward like he did pre-season because Weid is not yet ready and then we have the back-up ruck covered and he’s a viable lead-up option. But I suspect Goody is too enamoured with forward-press mobility for that too happen. Someone will try and snare him as a UFA in October, but hopefully he agrees to be back-up for us again. 29 Jack Trengove (34) If you venture down to training or watch him in the VFL – there’s nothing different about Jack. He’s still a clever linkman putting his body on the line and racking up possessions almost at will. He’s the perfect clubman and team player - always happy to give it off to a player in better position. The only issue is that his cards have been marked with the “too slow” tag. So here’s my plea to Goody and his footy department. Now that he’s over his foot issues, send him up to Darwin a week beforehand, with Buggy as well, and get him to do two weeks of hard sprint training in the warmth. Get Misso or a recognised sprints coach to work with them. Bugger the accom expense – if we are going to delist these two, then let’s make sure we haven’t given them the best chance. PS: I have liked the extra sprint sessions Misso incorporated pre-season this year, but these two need more. And they need to do it in a warm environment where they can attack each sprint without fear of tearing a muscle. Hence Darwin. 30 Cam Pedersen (36) If he was 20, then we’d all be in raptures about how he’s stepped up and looked so accomplished. He’s the perfect back-up and almost the perfect player. If he was five centimetres taller he’d be one of the league’s best ruckman and if he was five yards quicker, he’d be one the league’s best key forwards. He’s now likely to hold off Spencil and keep his spot until Gawn returns and even then, some will want him retained as our third tall forward with Watts and Hoges. But as I said about Spencil, Goody wants speed for his forward press to work properly and he’s not alone – almost every side except GWS and WC – is now going for mobility up front. Two bigs up forward and down back is all that is permitted in 2017 and most likely 2018. That probably means that if Spencil stays next year, Pedo will go. 31 Sam Weideman (41) You have to wonder if the game had looked like it does now, whether Taylor would have gone Curnow. That’s not a slight on Weid, it’s just that tall forwards that lack mobility are now almost extinct. At least he’s got a few chances this season to show his worth and his attack on the footy in Adelaide was exciting. He’s still mega young, but he’s going to have to work his butt off to make it in this modern game. He’s got to become fit enough to play as our back-up ruck and agile enough to lay a tackle and confident enough to slam the ball home from 50m. That’s exactly what he did with his highlight goal against StKilda in Round 1. 32 Tim Smith (New) He’s a classy looking kick and he’s no shrinking violet – hence the Bull nickname. But as with Spencil, he’s been bloody unlucky to get injured at the wrong time and has missed his opportunity to show his wares. I reckon they’ll keep him for another year – in reality he’s Hoges’ backup. 33 Jay Kennedy-Harris (39) This was another Goody malfunction. I’m sorry to those that love him, but I’m with the set that reckon he’s too light to make it these days and after barely laying a tackle in his three games as a small forward, even Goody couldn’t justify his spot to his co-selectors. I’d still like him trialed as a defender in the VFL as he has good endurance and great skills and he can be a thumping kick – in theory he could be an even better version of Nev Jetta. But I suspect we will all have to look back fondly and recall his magic game and goals in Adelaide in 2014. 34 Mitch White (37) He still got the thumping left-foot kick, but the problem for him is that we now have Hibberd, Salem, Jordy and Wagner with similar left-side skills playing out of defence, so even if his intercept skills keep developing and he makes the VFL team of the year, it may not be enough to glean him a fourth rookie season. Three years ago he would have had plenty of opportunities. Not now. 35 Corey Maynard (New) He made a handy start at VFL level in our first three games before a low act from Lindsay Thomas against Werribee set him back. He looks a bit like Pendles and is quite polished and quick to give off a handball. But at 25, he may have started his AFL bid too late. 36 Declan Keilty (New) We were all rapt to see Casey’s young tall given a go on an AFL list, although he appeared a little star-struck when I first saw him at training. He’s a bit of an in-betweener like Pedo, but he does have more pace and if he can develop his skills could become a handy Pedo-style back-up next season. He generally plays his best footy down back, but he’s not a thumping kick. But then again, neither was Jamie Duursma and he played finals. 37 Dion Johnstone (New) A bit of a surprise pick given we already had quite a few small forwards, but he did show a bit in our intraclub match pre-season which led to his JLT call-up versus Carlton, which wasn’t exactly memorable for him. Since then he’s replicated our Casey season so far as small forwards tend to do – struggling in all of our losses bar the Werribee game. He plays a bit like a wild fox terrier, charging madly at almost everything. But he may ultimately lack a bit of class with his kicking and decision-making. 38 Liam Hulett (40) His second year at the club saw him trialed as a key defender at VFL level and the reports weren’t exactly flattering. He did fare better when sent forward in the win against Port Melbourne and Copburg. When he arrived at the club he looked the part (being strong-bodied) and he’s a lovely kick, but he just can’t seem to get it enough and mobility and a lack of a leap seem the issue. Worth the punt … hard to see him getting another year though. 39 Mitch King (44) With our dearth of available ruckman, Mitch has been thrown to the wolves a bit as our No.1 tapman in the VFL and so far he hasn’t really set the world on fire, but coming off a ruptured ACL that is somewhat expected. The changing game that I’ve discussed earlier probably means that if Spencil re-signs, either Mitch or Lochie has to be jettisoned. Tough call. 40 Lochie Filipovic (New) Gawny gave him a big wrap I know, but I have to admit I wasn’t majorly impressed with his early training efforts. He’s still just a kid though – doesn’t turn 19 until late August, so it would be a big call to say “No” to a second development year. But as I stated about Mitch, I can’t see how any club can justify two back-up, back-up dinosaurs. A mobile forward who can also ruck is what is now required as a project player. No ratings Pat McKenna New Worth a shot as a late-order trade and looked handy in defence pre-season, but since then a serious hamstring injury has seen him mainly in rehab. Assess next year. Aaron vandenBurg (19) I still think if he hadn’t got his stressy after the Carlton pre-season game, then he would have played as our third tall against St Kilda and JW would have been emergency. But regardless, he’s still a scary unit and I’d be signing him up again. Col Garland (24) I was laughed at last year when I said he still had a lot to offer because he’s only just beginning to adapt to the modern game. And he impressed me even more with his willingness to take the game on when he got his chance against West Coast pre-season – I had him in our best five that dismal night. Very happy for him to try his luck again once his knee is ready next season, although I accept that age may now be against him. Joel Smith (42) How good was this guy looking before that “dirty” Nick Riewoldt got him near the boundary line. Hopefully he comes back even stronger. Don’t be surprised if he has just two games in the VFL before returning to the seniors about Round 16. The club rates him. Angus Brayshaw (23) I still haven’t gotten over Sharrod Wellingham jumping into a tackle that saw Angus grounded the first time in his debut season. I don’t have any inside information, but perhaps a season staying on our list but working as one of our skills coach could keep him in the loop for a comeback in 2019? Last year’s rankings: http://demonland.com/forums/topic/40708-rating-or-list-from-1-44/#comment-1294469

With Frost on Lynch, OMac and Hibberd waxed it a bit as the loose man down back and also covered 2-metre Peter. Like many DLs I can be critical of O-mac at times but throughout the game his intensity was high. He went in hard for the tackle when he needed and often flew almost maniacally for the spoils. He missed a few but invariably Hibberd was hanging at the back to clear up, but he also got quite a few spoils. Obviously his brother would have taken more marks as the sweeper but overall he did a pretty good job - the fact that Wright and Lynch didn't dominate is partly attributely to him. As to the two errant kicks to Hunt to the grandstand wing, he may have had difficulty judging the boundary line because it was a really light line and at dusk was nigh on impossible to see. Did he do enough to retain his spot. Yes. If T-mac returns to the defence does he keep his spot is another question but one that you need to wait and see what happens if and when Hoges and Gawn return. My final comment on Oscar - he's coming along fine and if his intensity remains, he should stay in the side. He's not mega quick but he is mega fit and we have Frosty to play on the quick leading talls anyway. My wish now is that he get a game soon where they play him as a forward - as part of his development and he might surprise a few with his kicking for goal - he is one of the best kicks in the side- he gets into strife in the slow build ups

6 Jones - showed everyone what they had to do with the most amazing third quarter - shades of Hirdy v WC. 5 Hibberd - amazing ability to read the play and either intercept or get the spoil. 4 Garlett - the chief beneficiary of our second half dominance and too good for Saad when it counted. Locals loved it. 3 Harmes - as with Jonesy, kicked truly when we were trailing and helped turn the game. 2 Melksham - you have to wonder why Goody tried to turn himinto a defender. Probably still running now. 1 Tyson - coudjust as easily have gone for Viney or ANB or Oliver but he seemed confident and controlled allgame and winter is almost here - watch him destroy teams then.

A few comments after a beer and dinner at Bojangles. Gold Coast are more of a rabble than I thought. They failed to comprehend our two player off the back of the square and were smashed at the centre bounces and once they became regular in the second half it became a procession. clearly we had a confidence issue in front of goal up until midway through the third term and it took Jonesy to fix it. Then GC just packed up shop and became training cones. Up until then it was our two Essendon boys and Viney keeping us alive as we wasted opportunity after opportunity. There was a slight wind but certainly no gale - to be honest the smoke coming off the BBQ was more of a problem. Hannan had a huge first term and then struggled for a while - mainly because he was on Steven May. Dommy was better and ANB showed fantastic awareness while Harmesy was huge when it counted in the third. Pedo and Tom Mc have had better days but it ain't easy conceding height all the time. Buggy reminded me of Craig Sholl in the 1997 GF - thankfully his lack of scoreboard pressure didn't hurt us in the end. Funniest moment was Alice Springs officials playing the GC theme song post game - but it is Alice after all!

Interesting. I have four certain ins and a fifth possibly. And I have about six players whom we could omit, but obviously that can't happen. As we've all commented, our tall situation is our biggest issue. In terms of structure, the key thing to remember is that they have Lynch and Wright and a rookie called Keegan Brooksby who may well get another game - that is three tall forwards. Against playing three bigs is that it is an evening game at a hot venue so it may not be a night for bigs - let's hope so because we've been hammered in that area without Gawn and Hoges, not to mention our back up Spencer. My biggest issue is that both O-Mac and Weids are so youthfully underprepared that I can't see any point in playing both - even if that means we are going small - real small. T-Mac must join Frosty down back this week because of Lynch and Wright with Wags picking up Brooksby. The question then is deciding which of O-Mac or Weids stays as our only tall forward because King is still developing (forget the fact that he was named in the best against Port as that was the old most courageous award being handed out). Hulett and Keilty were better last week apparently, but both need to show that for a few weeks to be considered. So that leaves one of O-Mac or Weids as a bare minimum. Weids lack of agility and his lack of strength and positioning meant that he was easy fodder for Tarrant and Thompson to just bump him out or work him under the ball and you can see May or even Leslie carving him up. But Weids did have an impressive final quarter and against Adelaide he brought the ball to ground most times, even if he didn't win it and that really is all he has to do, although being fit enough to have a stint in the ruck would help. By contrast O-Mac had a howler and his lack of awareness makes him a liability down back, but maybe now is the time to play him as a forward - he was a junior there after all and he does have endurance - he just isn't mega quick. To be honest playing him up forward would be good for his development, just as sending Weids back to the magoos is also beneficial to his. We all get that neither is good enough yet, but we can't send both back until Hoges and Gawn return. So my tip would be to take a risk and play O-Mac up forward and hope that the ball lands fortuitously in his lap early and we all know, or should know, that he is a very good kick. The other changes are more clear cut. Salem is out suspended. Kent is out because he has stopped running with passion (not sure what is going on there) and Bugg makes room because when you have to go mega small up forward, you can only win with tackle pressure from the press and whilst Buggy can tackle with the best of them, he ain't quick. That means I would retain Jeffy, who I am sure I saw a couple of times on Sunday (he may have been a late withdrawal though!) and who will be well suited to Traeger Park. The four obvious ins are the three guys who were stiff to be excluded in the first place - Harmes, Neal-Bullen and Stretch - plus Melksham, who has worked his arse off in the magoos and deserves to show us all what he can do in the midfield with his endurance, rather than down back where he hasn't quite got it right. The unlucky (I suspect) fifth player is Ben Kennedy, although both Watts and Jeffy are lucky to survive given their output on Sunday. BenK should be next cab off the rank for the Pies QB Monday game. So my side is as follows - we have to run, pressure and be better on break, because we just ain't tall enough I'm afraid if it becomes a kick down the line game. And as I've said before, Goody has to switch his men around again - what is good at halftime may need a tweak - eg: Watts may need to be switched with Frosty if things are not working for them. B: Jetta Frost Hibberd HB: Hunt T-Mac Wagner C: Stretch Oliver Melksham HF: Viney O-Mac Hannan F: Garlett Petracca Watts Ru: Pederson Lewis N.Jones Int: Vince, Tyson, Harmes, Neal-Bullen We are a young side and we have an inexperienced coach with a good gameplan. Stretch, Melky, Harmes and ANB will all be fired up to show Goody erred by dropping them. Petracca has done his story in the HS, so his ego will be back down again after his North clobbering and we can expect him to be lively again like he was against Adelaide. Ditto Hunt, who will be a week better off after his KO. And Pedo should again be handy around the ground, although Witts will smash us in the hitouts. But if Goody can somehow figure out a way to get Wattsy's confidence back up again and his hands on the pill, then we should win.

Great to see that our coach and players are embracing the need to change player position most weeks - for those of you who remember or were around for the dominant Essendon 84-85 era under Sheeds, you will understand that with a young group, having fresh challenges is the way to go and ultimately all 22 have to be able to play in almost every position. I have potentially three ins and outs for the Roos and a host of other changes. The first is Hunt. I am sure he will want to play and watching him dance around the team bus filming his Nippy cohorts makes it clear that he thinks he is fine as well. But why take the risk. Adelaide did so with Lynch and they now have a game lost and a player out of form and possibly still jaded from his KO. If this week was a GF, then Hunt plays. As it's not, then the risk (even if it is only minor), is not worth it. That leaves room for Harmes, Stretch or Melky because we lose pace. Personally I'd give Melky one more week in the VFL, just to get him more aware of the importance of good disposal - playing with VFL players highlights that more. The second out is either Weeds or Hannan for Hoges. Weids stepped up well, his tackles were super and he brought the ball to ground. Hannan was quiet early but his last quarter cameo in the middle showed he can play at this level - it was great awareness by Goody of how tired our midfielders were getting to send him in there. Sheeds of 84 would have taken note and given Goody the thumbs up. So the good news is that whoever of Weids or Hannan goes out, they go back this time knowing they can perform at AFL level and can go back for a week or two and get ready for their next AFL foray. Personally given we are all about the press, then we have to omit big for big - so Weids is out. Hannan pace and mobility just wins for mine, although personally I'd prefer Harmes in that role. Hoges comes in and starts in defence on Waite, who will be back from his ban. Hoges needs a fresh challenge and playing him back (even just for a half) may make him realise that tackling hard and not giving up when it's kicked poorly is so Richmond. Waite has that freakish marking knack too, so Hoges might learn something off him. Tarrant will have planned for Hoges, so it is good to have a few game-changers early to muck up planning. That leaves Frosty on Brown and O-Mac on either Hansen (if he plays forward and is not dropped) or Wood. At some point we switch our new gun forward T-Mac back for Hoges - most likely around half time. The final change is dependent on match ups. Clearly Wags is still finding his feet, although to his credit he keeps presenting. If North goes small he goes out. If North goes big, he stays in and takes Wood or Hansen. Stretch comes in to cover the outside run, unless it's decided we need more grunt and then ANB gets a gig. Final comment - given we have not beaten North for almost a decade, I'd hope we are not cocky. And certainly their Kamikaze leader Ziebell will knock the sh.. out of anyone who is not fair dinkum. And I imagine that Oliver will have his first serious tag this week - so hopefully Goody already has plans to rotate him a bit at full forward with Petracca. But provided we do our research, we should win. So: Out: Hunt, Weids and possibly Wags In: Hoges, Harmes and possibly Stretch Team B: Hibberd Frost Hoges HB: Jetta O-Mac Salem C: Vince Viney Lewis HF: Watts T-Mac Harmes F: Garlett Oliver Kent Ru: Pedo Petracca Jones Int: Hannan, Tyson, Bugg, Stretch (or Wags)

6 Oliver (hard for me not to give him this after criticising him lately. Not once did he turn backwards and compile stats with an easy unrequired handball. Brilliant and what a goal) 5 Hibberd (how good was he! Plenty of tricky moments to cope with - the Wags handball over his head etc - but he was beaten only in one of them - Eddie's magic goal). 4 Viney (he's back. I just feel sorry for his girlfriend. Imagine him coming at you all the time!) 3 Petracca (when you are Mr Cool in the cauldron that we witnessed, then you've made it. He has. We now have two young superstars and a host of other goers). 2 T-Mac (I know some of you don't get it with his kicking. But if you actually watch his impact, he's in everybody's votes. I just wish Jesse would take note.) 1 Salem (Started our regroup in the second with a courageous handball to Lewis and was precise and clever from then on. Why he's been playing midfield is beyond me.) Apologies: Jones and Pedo - Hard to believe that they could kick five between them, do their roles, and miss votes, but I stand by my choices. Vince - A serial pest in Adelaide. Sometimes we need to tag and the element of surprise helps. Normal role next week please though.

I still like our chances, even if we blew our game v the Hawks, although obviously a lot will depend on how well the three 19th men play for them. Their loss to the Roos means they will make a few changes and I'm expecting Tom Lynch to be out along with long-term injury McGovern - so they aren't as big up forward as last year. But they will again be tough through the middle - remember it was only when Vanders went into the middle that we got a sniff out of centre bounces last year. They also are a fast-breaking side, so I expect we will have to play an extra man down back and hope our forwards can pressure enough, even when outnumbered. Last year Oscar played largely as the extra at the back, but I'm expecting his brother Tom to do a fair bit of ruck work (Jacobs will be way too good at the taps, but Tom can give us a winner around the ground) and I reckon Hibberd will have to play the loose defender role. That leaves Frosty to pick up Tex and O-Mac (who was sensational after half time last week) to pick up Jerka Jenkins. Even though his form has been a bit up and down, it would be cruel not to play Jetta on Eddie - he has had his measure in the past and deserves the first cab off rank role. That leaves putting Jayden on the pacy Cameron and means that while we lose drive, they lose dangerous run. It's a marriage made in heaven. Then I'd like to see us send either Salem or Jones back because I am sick of watching our defenders all fly for the one ball. We need someone to stay down and this might be the game that Jonesy has to play back and take out Douglas, who has a pretty good record against us. The other player who needs a tag is Sloane - is it Lewis or Vince (circa Danger two years ago). Perhaps they can tandem it a bit. They have the experience and the discipline although they may not be quick enough any more. Up forward i'd also make one change. The new addition should be Oliver - at least until half time. the reason is that he has to be told that no-one really gives a shi.t how many handballs you get, it's all about score involvements and playing him up forward to start with will hopefully force him to kick it and also stop him worrying about his SuperCoach points - he clearly has himself in his own team and doesn't want a turnover. So let's force him to be the complete superstar that he's becoming. Let him loose on the centre clearances after half time. Up until then here's Goody's chance to rejig his forward set up and send Petracca into the middle for a bit. Kent will come in for JKH and it's a toss up as to whether Harmes or Kennedy comes in for Hannan - my preference is for Harmes (even despite his eye injury) because he's just such a good one percenter player and I reckon he'll be able to rough up Ottens - just as the Roos did last week. Kennedy might be able to do the same thing mind you. I'd also lobe to see Kent fix up Mackay or Hampton with a couple of burning tackles. The one other thing I'd like to see is Hogan start at CHB - even just for the first ten minutes. I am yet to see any benefit in him starting in the middle as he did last week and he was a bit freakish as the CHB in the U18 carnival. If we need him to get him into the play, maybe it's time for Goody to switch him with Oscar for a little bit - nothing ventured, nothing gained. I also feel we have a side that is young and likes fresh challenges, so switching them around a bit like the Dons of 84-85 should not be viewed as taboo. It annoys me nowadays that coaches are so caught up in thinking that their strategies are so intricate that they won't move players. It's OK, the Y generation loves short-term gains. Ultimately, however I see the side as follows. Out: JKH, Hannan, Bugg In: Kent, Harmes (or Kennedy), Stretch And I'd like to see them line up as follows with O-Mac switching back with Hoges after 10 minutes and Oliver being sent into the middle at half time. To me, when you travel, you have to shock the opposition, just as Ross Lyon did by playing Neale and Mundy forward against us. B: Jetta (Betts) Frost Hibberd HB: Jones (Douglas) Hoges Lewis C: Stretch Vince (Sloane) Hunt (Cameron) HF: Harmes O-Mac Kent F: Garlett Oliver Watts Ru: T-Mac Petracca Viney Int: Tyson, Salem, Pedo, Wagner I'm up for this game, so I imagine our players will be too. So write us off at your peril.

Or a clever way of finding out if he was going to have a full-on tag or not and therefore getting immediate intel on it!

6 Frost - Third quarter was immense. Took the game on with courage and meant Hunt's absence down back wasn't noticed. 5 Viney - Wow. I reckon a few of their players went sideways when they saw him coming. Getting back to his best and almost took a nice hanger along with a super goal. 4 Lewis - Started slowly (probably a bit nervous). But huge after half time. 3 Hunt - Switch to the forward line also made Goody look a master. Please don't play him there every week - we have others who can do that role - ie: Kent. 2 Jones - As with Jack Viney, in everything and part of the reason why even with McEvoy dominating, we won the clearances. 1 Vince - I struggled with my final vote, but Bernie did stick to the game plan and tried to switch it a lot. And I don't blame him for not knowing we only had 15 second left.