The Sailing Demon

I am about as stiff as a rocket and ready to fly to the moon right now. Welcome back Jack, Jack, Jack, Christian and Dom. Always hate going up against Port, we are sporting the strongest team we have played in weeks...Probably since the Dogs game. That forward line makes me moister than an oyster. Between T-Mac, Garlett, Watts, Petracca and Hogan I think I could be forgiven for expecting at least 15 goals this game. Port are a good team but I have held them in the same light as Richmond all season, pretenders who are 2 of the most fraudulent top 4 teams I have ever witnessed...They've had a golden run with injuries and haven't been convincing against any sides worth their salt. If we come out of the blocks the same way we did against the Dogs then we will run all over them. I am kind of optimistic about this one after last week and would love to see Hogan continue his form from the second half of last week. (Wouldn't mind him kicking straight) Go Demons!

Fair bump, play on.

Mayne I got a little trigger happy, I am just happy to see him getting a good amount of it, and lay 5 or 6 tackles.

Not particularly surprised considering we have 4 of our best out. Happy there was a fight back but jeez the moment they kicked up from half back it was one of their huge forwards all alone. Not a massive fan of playing in Darwin, I get why we do it but to have to travel to the middle of nowhere twice a season is a bit much when you consider potential injuries etc. JKH was excellent, did everything he needed to do to stay in the team, ANB was also pretty good. I will probably get hung out to dry for this but I just don't like our forward line with Hogan in it. He doesn't chase, he doesn't tackle, he's slow, he throws his arms up, he stays on the deck for a long time after he goes to ground, he isn't that accurate, and can barely kick the ball 45 meters. I know he is having a rough trott but none of these things should be effected by injury and prior to his break from footy it was the same. Kent, as sad as I am to say it, will probably play one more season for us and most of it in Casey...He should perhaps start looking for jobs now. Joel Smith was okay too, I see why the coach likes him. All in all, we have 3 of 4 very hard games ahead of us...4 of 4 if you include a team we haven't beaten in 12 or so years. I am hoping we can get Jones, Watts, Viney, Salem all back within a week of eachother because with our best 22 on the park playing 4 quarters of footy we won't be beaten. Go Dees...

Oh my god. sitting here in the middle of the ocean updating the score by internet absolutley crapping myself. Should have not won that but that's what good teams do, we win games we shouldn't with a hist of injuries. Bring back Watts and Tyson next week and we have weathered this horrod run of injuries with a 5-1 record...Gotta be happy with that! IT'S A GRAND OLD FLAG

I have been a Kenty fan for ages but... He is very close to being traded.He has failed to get himself in shape 2 years straight now, lacks defensive pressure, obviously doesn't take his footy seriously if he is going to do something stupid like getting on the terps when he knew he shouldn't have been same goes for JKH and Spencer...BenKen I can forgive because he hasn't played this year (Although I think he should be in the squad this week) Our squad is decimated with injuries, our faces are in the media for all the wrong reasons, we are staring down the barrell of a very grim 6 rounds with outs. I am sorry guys but this season is just wreaking to me of a 9th place, I really want to be wrong but we are public enemy number 1 right now and the footy community is laughing at us and is stoked at our injuries list and suspension because of the way we have acting. I have faith in Goody but jeezz it's going to be a hard one to get out of.

Garlett Jones Salem Hogan Watts Viney for half the game 4 games in 18 days Travelling across the country. Was always going to happen. If anything, I am surprised we did so well in keeping them to just 6 goals. Watts, Garlett, Hogan back in 9 days after a good rest. The hardest part of our season is done and we came out of it 4-1. Not fussed at all about tonight, we all knew it would happen, Bugg, yeah disappointing, the leadership group will speak to him about that but take the good with the bad with a player like him, he is an antagoniser and will overstep the mark like that at times. We are still 6th and will still be in the 8, the worst loss of the year ant it's only 35 points against last years premiership runners up and our Casey squad. Go Demons, we are still one of the top 4-5 teams in the comp but you can only do so much.

Not that I call injuries an excuse, but I do think that people under estimate how damaging Max Gawn and Jesse Hogan are rotating up forward. when they are both in the forward line there is usually a mark taken. The JLT series was a good example, if it's not Jesse marking, then it's Gawn, and if not Gawn, it's Watts. All will be proven when those 2 boys return, we will make a hot run for the finals in the second half of the season if they remain healthy. We don't just lose 2 players, we lose about 4. Pedo has to go into ruck so we miss him forward, same with Watts, can't keep patching these circle holes with square bandages, team structure is imperative to a win, it's not grade footy when all we have to do is rely on 2 or 3 wicked players to dominate games, theres a science to it and when you remove an element in somethings makeup then the whole thing turns to custard.

I have no idea why anyone has doubted him. He made a direct impact in his first game, has some lean games but no where near our worst. Clean hands above, massive jump, kicks goals, quick and big. And has played a handful of games only. Anyone who was calling for his dropping needs to may a bit more attention to the footy I think and not just look at the stat sheet.

I think we need to drop Weideman. "We need him in because he is a tall" Did he take a contested mark all day? no point having a tall if he cant mark, might as well bring in someone who will halve the contest and be quick whilst going to ground. Harmes should be in for Weid. (Yes Harmes is a backman but hes a tough body who is better than Weid.) Kent out for Stretch (NFI why Stretch hasn't been playing)

He isnt jumping ship 7 games into a season. He is jumping ship after 11 years of no finals and 53 years of no ultimate success. And in that 11 years the majority of it has been floggings week in week out, not finishing 9th.

3-4 is a failure. Simple as that. 7 staight Vic games and we are at 3-4 with a worse percentage than the same stage last year. "We should have won" What a defeatist approach that is. "Should have"...What an absolute joke, "At least we were competitive" another catch cry of the loser supporter who enjoys a losing culture. 2014 I was happy to be competitive because I was sick of 100pt thumpings. Serious issue with the club culture and mental toughness of this club. We WILL NOT make the finals this year, that is a fact. We have NOT progressed as a club. We have beaten the teams around the ground this year and only the demons could vastly improve their game over 300% and still come up with losses week in week out. JKH will never be and has never been an AFL player, Stretch in the 2's is a disgrace and the coaching staff need their heads checked as to why they leave guys like him, Kent, and Harmes out. Adelaide will be a huge loss and we will not get off the hook nearly as much as we have been with turn overs with them, they will dish out a 70 point belting and im sure either Viney, Hogan, Lewis, or Vince will cop a suspension for an errant hit or striking whilst we are 54 points down in the 3rd qtr.

I simply don't see any part of their game where they can beat us. Our backline has their forwards covered. Our midfield will crush theirs. Petracca, Hogan, Watts, Garlett. A lot of ability there in our forward line. The boys are very confident about tomorrow, they truly believe that they should be 4-0 and I agree to be honest.

Not every player is a head over the ball player man, simple as that. Jeffy doesn't need to be tough because he is deadly with the boot and super quick. Wattsy is a classy outside mid with elite running and awesome foot skills. I know what you're saying but they have a role and today played their roles superbly. Wattsy was pinch hitting against Matty Kruezer...and at times roved his own tap in the contest. no mean feat!

Oliver has 70 disposals in 2 weeks of footy and has played 15 games...those numbers are unprecedented. Harmes was wicked, Nifty Nev Jetta was awesome, Jeffy was awesome, Jones was deadly by foot. Dom Tyson had leather poisoning with 35 disposals...not bad for his first day back! Geelong next week at Etihad...who knows!

Further proves the point that he shouldn't have been selected at number 1 by the saints.

Sorry to hear that mate, never too early or late to get checked.

Not worried about putting in a lackluster performance, those days are over, we were unwavering for the JLT series and Goody is just as much a mental master as he is a dynamic coach. He will get the best out of the players and with so many spots up for selection there is no room for complacency. I want a win today (Obviously) but I want 4 quarters of footy, I want us to step on the throat and be unrelenting, I want to give the blues fanbase depression. Our group of kids play with such swagger and lack of respect I think that they will want to [censored] a team, winning isn't good enough today, we need to tear out their heart and show it to their cheer squad. ferocious attack on the footy, dynamic ball movement, deadly skills by foot, and white hot speed. #Riseup

Straight out of the Richmond supporter play book, I like it!

We won by a country mile on that draft. The problem with KPF's is that we don't play a game where there's a stay at home full forward. There is no point recruiting a Tony Lockett because the game has no need for one anymore. Your KPF's need to follow the Buddy Franklin footprint and be an elite runner and be able to push up the ground for 4 quarters, Paddy isn't nearly fit enough. I see him and I see an overweight kid who isn't even big enough to muscle too many off the ball. We are in an age where the whole team kicks goals, 18 man defences have no need for a bloke who can't run out a game. Weideman will surpass him within a year, it will be good, he is lean, tall, safe hands and will look like Josh Kennedy by the end of his career (Maybe not his beard) Sorry Fatty Paddy, your 1 job is to be an elite athlete and in an era where its expected that you hit at least 12 on a beep test your skin folds show your lack of discipline and professionalism you need to succeed in 2017.

I will be a lot more calm after the firt 15 minutes on Sunday. The Blues aren't a team that can rebound with the electricity and class of the saints and don't play with nearly as much polish and pressure of the saints either. 3 big men up forward doesnt fuss me at all, I have faith in both the McDonalds, Nifty Nev and Hunty. footy is played just as much on the deck if not more than in the air so I expect our backs to rebound with the same ferocity as last week. Very easy to get ahead of ourselves after last week due to our performance after Qtr time but might I remind us all that St Kilda had the same amount of scoring shots as we did in the second quarter. yes we managed to convert and they didn't but it shows that on paper stats don't show the whole story. the game will be won around the half back line and the square, Cripps is a wicked clearance player but we have Clearance Oliver too, I think we will out muscle them in the guts and run out the game with better speed and polish from our generals. They simply don't have enough elite players to cover our entire midfield, very much like a hydra, when you vut off one head, 2 more grow back in it's place...Covering Lewis? we have Viney, Covering Viney too? we have Jones, all 3? Bring in Tyson and Oliver...Our midfield getting tired? in comes Petracca...They simply can't cover all our bases. Between Hogan, Watts, Jeffy, Weidman, and Petracca we have enough firepower to give their backline headaches all day. My Predictions!. Stretch do be a quiet achiever again and get close to 30 touches. ANB to kick 2.1 Tommy McDonald to be solid up back. Clarry and Cripps to go blow for blow and finish the game around even. Demons to win by 40.

I said Clarry would get over 30. I said Roo would kick at least 3. I said Stretch would play a scorcher (26 touches) I was wrong about us needing 2 rucks and was wrong about our winning margin but I will cop that. Seriously feeling vindicated boys and girls! Hogan player like Lance Franklin, Jeffy had the opposition backs panicking every time it went to a foot race. Hannan was excellent and proved to be a good selection, Nifty Nev was his usual self. CLARRY 35 touches (8 tackles)...Jesus christ, not bad for a kid with 15 games under his belt. Trac showed good poise and Lewis showed his old head was essential. But what I loved was that when we were on the attack it was so quick and ferocious that even the commentators couldn't keep up at times. We straight up bullied them and our tackling and intensity were elite. Bring on the Blue baggers on our home deck next week and lets really strike some fear into the comp! RAISE HELL

Why haven't we seen Hulett play at all during JLT? From all reports he is a big body who can play footy well. I am really keen to see him play. Just curious...

My ship's broken so for the first time in 4 years I will be able to watch round 1 from the comfort of my couch. Usually I am sitting in the middle of the ocean on an internet system run by a potato refreshing the page stone cold sober (Which is less than ideal) So suffice to say I am wet with excitement. This game (Excuse the obvious statement) will be well and truly won in the coaches box for me. The past couple years we have come very close to winning and have been felled by the master strokes of Richardson. Not marking up on Riewoldt last year was mind boggling tactic and still to this day I ask how in the hell Hogan kicked 7 in a losing squad. The likes of Membrey, Stevens, Bruce, Riewoldt, Hickey and Carslile will prove to be difficult but they are nothing we haven't seen before. Vince on Roo for me is a good option noting that Vince can get under his skin and will be better on the ground meanwhile I would love to see how they will deal with Viney and Oliver. Oliver is showing potential to be the best student of the 2016 by a country mile and between Viney, Lewis and Oliver I doubt they have enough tagging options to negate those 3...throw in Jones who usually has around 22 disposals and 1 or 2 goals...Oh and Add Dom on top of that. Watts, Hogan, Petracca, Kent, Stretch, all multiple goal kicking potential and for good measure throw in Gawn into that mix. 2 Rucks is the only logical option for this match, Hickey is a good ruck (He is in my supercoach team for a good reason along with Maxxy) and when he comes up against 2 bonefide ruckman, 1 being AA he will tire...Let's not forget we have Watts who can also pinch hit up forward if need be. All these positives things having been said leads me to our backline... I don't really know what to say. T-Mac would really need to have one of those days where he isn't T-Mac and decides to hit targets by his boot and is giving me every reason to believe that his brother will surpass him in the Bluey this year (I know I know, round 1 hasn't even begun). I am really hoping Jetts and Hibberd manage to get up and Melksham has shaken off all his cobwebs from the past 12 months and give us some spice in our backline. I think it'll be a damn tight contest for 3 quarters and I think the game will be decided on a lopsided quarter. For me it's one of those games where it's all won and lost across Half back and the turnover goal count will determine the winner. My predictions. Clarry to run rampant with 30+ Stretch to play a scorcher. 2 Rucks to prove to be vital. Roo to be his usual self and kick 3. Viney to start jumper punches before half time. Me to be drinking VB's for most the arvo and then switching to champagne, or Boxed wine depending on the result. Demons by 19. And 1 girlfriend to remember why she loves me and why she hates the footy season whilst she consistently reminds me to "Shut up, you're scaring the dog, it's just a game" Also. If anyone here is a Sydney sider and knows where a rag tag group of Demons supporters and myself can watch the game around Sydney please let me know! Go Dees.

Very easy to forget the Gus was the number 3 pick in the same year that McCartin and Petracca went above him. The number 3 pick in a draft of around 80. Don't know why people are surprised, the dudes game against Richmond in 2015 where he had 11 tackles should have been a fair indicator.