dieter

He may not have had so-called 'people skills' but he certainly had a good idea about what was kosher and what was not. It sounds to me that the Demons were not a very kosher outfit when he took over. Most coaches would have failed in that environment. As for Maloney, he was a one dimensional one long high bomb fits all player who had some basic larrikin habits. As did Mr Sylvia. The Melbourne Football Club in the end did not need either of them. In other words, good riddance. That may sound harsh, but the fact we treasured these one dimensional and shall we call them 'deviant' players suggests that there was something very rotten in the state of Denmark.

Had this problem intermittently all day. Lucky I've got the flu with nothing better to do but wait till it came good. Which it would for a while then back to the scheisenhaus as we say in the old country.

Today I watched the replay of a game which in my weary arthritic bones - I have Kneemonia, Toesolitis and very probably dicktheria - I knew we would win. ( I have just returned from a week in SA and have noted the moral decline of the natives there, even though the quality of the drinking water has risen about an inch in quality since last I visited - in 2016. I also have worked out why many South Australians have weird habits. I believe it's because they have totally lost touch with how to get a lather up in the shower. I believe they work so hard to achieve this unattainable level of lathering, they have lost sight of the big picture. It possibly accounts for the weird utterances of the likes of Bernardi, Avanda Manstone and that curiously suited penguin imitator, Cristopher Pain, as they pronounce it at the levels I mix with while I'm over there.) I had not felt this way ahead of the Geelong, Freemantle, Hawthorn and Richmond games, though in the end, we could have won all four of those. Goodwin's after game press conference was impressive. He kept pointing out the Demons are a team still learning how to win. He reminded us deluded post-1964 geriatrics - where I remind you we won a flag with Graham Wise as our excuse for a ruckman, perhaps proving Leigh Matthew's point that ruckmen are superfluous - well he may or may not know a thing or two about winning a flag, what we do know for sure, however, is that he was a thug of the first order - that young teams like ours find many ways to circumnavigate certain victory.

As of 14 minutes into the last quarter against the number one team on their home ground much of what I wrote above sounds true to me. Let's revisit after the 32 minute mark.

Just got back from SA and watched the replay. The bottom line is that apart from Quarter 1 the Demons were the better side. So why did they lose? As usual, multi turnovers. Especially in the first half. How do you cure this? Winning games, in the end.... Positives: Hibberd played his guts out. The general positiveness of our game after the first quarter. Mr Frost. Negatives: Demonland armchair critics. I mention this because JKH was not the disaster case as portrayed by the sad sacks who fester on Demonland. Hannan just needs a confidence boost. Wagner was first game back. He will get much better. The Demons are playing good football despite horrendous injuries. Tom Mac D is obviously feeling the pinch of substituting as a ruckman. What needs to happen: Out Mr Buggah, in Clark Kent. There's not much in reserve at the moment. The best lineup: Jetta T.Macdonald Hibberd Hunt Frost Lewis Oliver Viney Stretch Kent Watts Vandenberg Garlett Hogan Petracca Gawn Tyson Jones Brayshaw, Pedersen,Vince, Salem Emergencies: Oscar, both Smiths, Weidemann, Harmes, Wagner. I put it to you that it's in that Emergency list that we'll find the real future.

I love Jetta, Whelan had more x factor...

Ahem, Matty Whelan???

Good advice, Mr Biff.

I also have a problem with the Essendon player who was rubbed out. He was charging at the ball, a Crow player threw himself, head down in front of his path to pick up the ball. Result? Collision. What was the Essendon player supposed to do? He was running full pelt. I know, he was supposed to either stop dead and be dragged for squibbing by Worsfold, or, he should have taken off and jumped over the brave but stupid Crow? Sure, the brave but stupid Crow was hit in the head but the Essendon player had about a split second to either stop dead or jump. It is, I'm afraid, part of this weird game called AFL and while it will create injuries surely a player with no intent to injure, a player whose sole purpose is to win the ball, who makes contact with an oncoming player who dives into his path.........??????? Lecras, of course, was innocent. He's a WC Eagle after all.

'Delayed concussion' is surely worth at least one week's rest???????? A fractured jaw is surely worth at least one week's rest????? But no, both front up fresh as a daisy ... That's what's wrong with the MRP, it's an arbitrary sequence of [censored] .

Great player....

Apologies to Petracca.

I thought Hannan was good. Ditto Neal Bullen, Jack Frost and Harmes. I'd bring in Hogan for Weidemann, Brayshaw for Melksham and Pederson for The Bugga.

6: Jack watts 5: Jayden Hunt 4: Jeff Garlett 3: Claytons Oliver 2: Jake Spencer 1: Chris Salem

That's been happening to just about every team: it seems to be the nature of the modern game.

His own fault?You armchair moralist.

Peronified is a Swiss drink Apologies. I agree about Watts, BUT, that Viney was chosen because of his demon lineage is ridiculous.By the way, stone thrower, please learn how to spell 'comitmnent'. But let's not argue. Dragging the Demons out of the quagmire of mediocrity takes time. Mistakes will be made along the way.

This is ridiculousness peronified.

Jake Mel was recruited under Roo's regime.

I see what you mean. However, sooner or later we have to deal with the real, as Iggy once sang. We're not there yet. That's what Goodwin was pointing out. Don't blame him. All those missed shots at goal are not his fault. All that inability to stay composed and defend is not his fault. Our boys are still learning how to do that.

Good question. Don't know why it was posted. I was trying to post something about today's press conference. This is where moderators ARE REALLY NEEDED. Are they listening??????

That's life, baby. Remember, it's in the end a game of football, a first world privilege. I recall reading an article by Noam Chomsky about his College days. He recalled how everyone at the refectory one Saturday night was upset and morose. He was told their football team had been defeated that day. He chewed his cud morosely then said to himself, So what? The world has not changed. What's the tragedy?

I thought Goodwin's Press Conference today was spot on. He has a handle on the what we need to do, more than anything, about exactly where we are. Demonlanders expect too much too soon. It's a journey, the past is now irrelevant. J. Christ, there are so many experts on this site. I'll believe Goodwin before most of them any day.

After our opening round win last year Demonland was euphoria incarnate. Next week the Demons collapsed against Essendon. Back to Downdumpland. I noticed that the players acted calmly and coolly when the siren sounded yesterday. That's how we Demonlanders need to react. There is still a long way to go. However, I feel very assured that we're heading very much in the right direction. Oliver, Petracca and Hogan were stunning yesterday. Ditto Gawn, Jones, Lewis, Garlett, Jetta and Uncle Tom. All players contributed yesterday. Lots to like. Let's now calmly deal with Carlton who, like Essendon, have also had the wood on us recently.

I recall a game at the Western Oval, Dees versus the Dogs, 1963. At three quarter time the public was allowed onto the oval to listen to the coaches, what have you. I remember being astounded to find Alan Rowarth sucking on a Craven A like there was no tomorrow.