pringle

We are dead set cursed. Supposedly an injury free pre-season, but look at our current injury list!!! FWIW, I would promote Zomer and see if he has te ability to create a contest up at FF. Couldn't do much worse than Newton, and since seeing him in a TAC cup GF, I always thought he had potential. Worth a shot... But this is devastating news for the club. The only beneficial effect it could have is helping us get higher draft picks. He is an important player and this will hinder his development, as has been the case with Rivers and his injuries. rotten news for the club and a black day.

Is that true? Where did you get that info from? Because the affluent Demons supporters really do go to the snow. Does it just work on both levels....

That's what I'm getting at. Leave only dead wood available. Is this possible though? can you re-sign contracted players before their contract expires? Happy to leave Meesen to be poached. Surel GC will need a ruckman...

Judd leaves Carlton because Fev goes on a drinking binge and brings along Murphy, Kreuzer and Gibbs with him, all of whom get arrested and jailed for 6 years for criminal offences. Judd goes to Collingwood in disgust, who pay him 2 million a season, leading to player disgruntlement. Daisy and Pendlebury decide they won't take a pay-cut to accomodate Judd under the salary cap and defect to the Demons, who win the 2010 premiership unexpectedly and embark on a 10 year period of afl DOMINATION, building a massive supporter base, whilst Carlton and Collingwood hit rock bottom but get no draft concessions for their 4 or less winless seasons, as GC and WS get to select all the best youngsters in the country for the entire period of their bottoming out. Moreover, the fallout from the Carlton debacle causes mass member unrest, record low membership and untimately financial collapse and relocation to Tasmania, who finally get the AFL team they deserve. Certainly plausible and not much to ask... Is it?

Exactly my point though. Happy for these 2 to be out of contract, but what if it was Watts??? Who actually probably has a 2 year contract to begin with... What's to stop them from poaching Watts?

51,643 I got very close last week (29,432 was my guess on last week's thread), and I'm confident I won't be far off this week. I base this on last week's crowd of Collingwood vs Adelaide (about 41,000), compared with the difference of Melbourne being a Melbourne-based team, minus the few that won't come because it's not a Melbourne home game, minus those who won't come due to predicted rain, minus a few of the magpie hordes who chewed their last few teeth off during last week's loss to the Crows and are still trying to read d.e.n.t.i.s.t. in the phone-book to arrange some dentures. If all fell well for the Pies (their home game), then if the sun decides to shine, 55,311 (though I'll leave my 1st prediction as my official one).

I'm not exactly sure how it works, but from what I understand, GC 17 have the option to take 1 uncontracted player from each club. I'm not sure if they need that player's consent, but presuming they can pick anybody, and have openly stated they want Riewoldt, Buddy, Petterd etc, is it not true that the smartest clubs will move now to prevent their biggest stars from being poached? I for one would be gutted if, let's say, we built ouselves back into contention with a list based around players we developed into stars, back into finals contention, only to lose a vital cog in that wheel (eg. and important KPP or a genuine A-grader star) to the CG team. So whatt can we do to prevent this? Can all players who are due to come out of contract in 2010 and who we believe to be in the 'untouchable' category be signed to new contracts that don't expire until 2011 before their current contract expires (ie now)? Is this a legitimate tactic? And what other methods can you guys come up with to ensure we don't get shafted? I believe that a couple of clubs will get short-changed and be helpless in losing a player they put years of development into. This seems unfair, and I can't understand how the clubs agreed to this concession...

Guys, we are only 1 game and % out of the top 8!!!! This is a situation we dreamed of after round 22 last year. Savour the moment. With 21 games still remaining, we are still a mathematical chance for finals!!! On the verge guys, on the verge!!! Go Dees!!!!

1. The guy who pulled his pants down on the day took a very long time to realize his potential, but has developed into a very good player for the Roos. Many were frustrated by his slow progress knowing his great alent, but the Roos persisted, showed faith and he has become a damaging player. 2. If I recall correctly, Buckley had a late start to pre-season in terms of actual game time, and probably showed his match fitness was not yet up to scratch. Should be better for the run. 3. The mass hysteria sometimes seen here is pretty entertaining to say the least. Whilst I don't usually like the negative sentiments in these types of anti young player threads, I do like the points of discussion they bring up and the focus on aspects of players' games that arise.

6. Jones 5. Cheney 4. Petterd 3. McDonald 2. Moloney 1. Warnock

Not too far off with most, though I thought Bennell was pretty good on debut and showed he cauld carry on the tradition of the great # 43 jumper worn so proudly by Riggers over his years of service to the dees. I also thought Jones' 2nd half was very good and he can hold his head high. Cheney was fantastic, and with a bit more experience will start to choose better options as he progresses.

I would not listen to anything Peter Larkins says. The media is always sensationalizing things. No-one I have heard comment on this has anything to do with the Richmond medical team and therefore any pictures seen during match do not necessarily represent the truth to the matter. Things are not always as they seem and to blame the coach or medical staff on tv evidence (or based on anything doc Larkins says) is presumptuous.

I'm pretty sure its on Saturday. But I may find out different during the week. At the moment I'm getting set for a Saturday game. And I work with the Tigers and haven't heard anything different. I don't think there is any thought about changing the game for the Scorpions. Where did you get that information from? I may be wrong as my fixture from a month ago does not exactly confirm time and date - TBA.

Yeah may be a pump up song, but reiterates to me that we were and still are a 'pissant club' - to take a phrase from Aurilio Vidmar. How many times are Melbourne fans or players featured in that clip? Compare that to collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and even Brisbane. Our lack of success over nearly 50 years has cost us dearly and we are basically a nothing club at the moment. In fact we have been since the 70's. I'm sick of it. Nothing short of a premiership in the next 5 years will change this. Unfortunately, I don't share the optimism that this is possible in the current AFL, where the rich have the resources to buy success (with sports science innovations and paper bag payments to players), whilst the poor struggle to just survive. Relating this back to the current AFL advertisement, we will only be seen as a major player in the AFL when we produce the big name stars who regularly play in big games and big finals, and produce highlights worthy of being edited into official AFL advertisements. I don't think we have had one of these since Robert Flower. Schwartz came close before rogering his knee, but that's about it. And I'm not talking about your Jakovics or Daveys, I'm talking about your Judds, Kernahans, Abbletts, Harveys, Hirds etc. Why? Discuss...

I'm ha[[y for him. The only shame is that he's playing with a team that I doubt will have much success as he plays out his career. Too reliant on too few at the Lions. And I could be proven wrong, but the appointment of Voss as coach was a bad move IMO. No apprenticeship. No experience as a coach... A HUGE gamble. I actually hope it pays off for them, but I fear he is doomed to failure and may end up tarnishing his previously good reputation. Good win first up, but poor opposition methinks.

Next week Casey Sorpions are again at Casey Fields vs Coburg Tigers, Sat 1pm. I'll be at the game, so I'll post a report. I assume most here will be at the G for Dees vs Filth FC. I'll try to give an update from my i-phone at the end of each quarter, but may be difficult. It will be the last practice match before the real stuff gets started in 2 weeks time.

Coach has had 5 years to put a list together and teach them skills Redleg. Who else to blame???

Geelong, Bulldogs next 2 rounds... Good luck Tezza.

1/2 time, game 1 of the season. I think nearly a foregone conclusion. Can't see them turning this around. Skills still diabolical after 5 years of rebuilding. Most over-rated coach in the AFL. I was actually hoping they would do well, but I'm bitterly disappointed by this effort. 5 Ben Cousins' wouldn't make any difference.

Can you name an injury Rivers suffered due to playing on bigger bodied players?

And Robbie Flower to come back and lead the Dees to premiership glory.

I signed up my dad today to a reserved seat. I reckon if I'm lucky he'll go to 1 game this year. But we can all try, can't we. If anyone thinks they can convince him to give up God and support the real thing, please let me know. Maybe something along the lines of "jack Watts is the real Messiah"?.?.?.?.?

Number of wins: 8 Average losing margin: 27 points Average winning margin: 18 points B&F top 3: 1. Garland 2. McLean 3. Bruce Leading goal-kicker: Wonaemirri 28 All Australian representatives: Nil Top votes at the Brownlow: McLean Best first year player: Spencer Breakthrough year (first-year players do not count): Martin Disappointment of the year: Robbo struggling to make it back into the side late in the season only to retire after battling injury all year Biggest area of improvement: Forward potency Surprise packet of 2009: Nathan Jones' resurgence Headline of the year: (After QB victory over Collingwood) 'Demons kasperski hankook pies to hungry fans' (doesn't quite work, but if you use a bit of imagination...) Best win of the year: Happy with any win but the look on CJ's face as the siren sounds with the Dees beating Carlton by 57 points will be gold. Worst loss of the year: Geelong by 98 points. Final membership numbers: 33,211 And just for fun... Number of times Bailey will use the word 'competitive' in 2009: 1,314,594 Number of games until Rivers and Moloney both break down with injuries: 1/2 time vs. Nth Melb Number of weeks until Sylvia makes headlines for being a tool again: Those days are over (unless you count kissing CJ after outmarking him and scoring his 7th for the day to bury the hapless Blues being a tool). Number of weeks suspension served by Spencer for whacking someone on debut: 0 - will not whack. Number of times Aussie does the 'frog leap' in 2009: 0 - I'm tipping Aussie has been planning a new celebration... Stay tuned. Number of "when is Jack Watts going to debut?" threads on Demonland: 1 per week from after this round - 21.

29432. Would love to say higher, but grand prix is going to kill us and north have no supporters. Scores: north melb 13.11.89 to demons 9.8.62. We will outplay them for most of the game, but will be unable to capitalize on our forward 50 entries. They will play like the ordinary team I think they are, but they will somehow manage to scrap goals through against the tide and will have a half a qtr where we fall asleep and gift them 4 goals.

I'm sick of that debate too. Please don't go there. But back to the actual topic, that magazine today was one of the most useless pieces of tripe I've ever seen. Useful only to look at a few player stats and team lists. Surely a small article about each team wouldn't have been too hard? It looks like they threw the whole booklet together in 10 mins just in time for publication. Waste of trees. 1 star only from me.