Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Hanging out and hoping for a rare moment of footy joy from this weekend, that Geelong will smash the Dorks and keep them firmly planted on the bottom of the ladder.

Yep, those late red time goals are really hurting us in the last two games.

Despite the obvious disapotment of Saturday's loss of what was more than a winnable game, I did take away a few positives: 1. Spencer's game; 2. Jayden Hunt continues to grow and flourish as a player; 3. Was encouraging that a number of our players nailed goals under high pressure in the last quarter and at other times - Watts (usually does anyway), ABN (I think has shown himself as generally a reliable set shot on goal, but was good that he stood up in this regard yesterday), Salem's lovely little snap, Jeffy (has generally fixed his set shot yips all year) and lastly Viney (though somewhat negated by his spray after the double 50, but thought that the strong mark and subsequent goal were good signs).

In posting this I fully acknowledge that we should not be putting undue expectations on a developing Weid to carry the forwardline in the absence of other key forwards. Having said all that I think his selection and subsequent performance was a huge disappointment and a meaningful contributor to the loss. In modern footy you can not have any passengers and he has been that for the past two weeks. Someonesuggested that he may have been in the team for 'structure' - what a load of crap. He has contributed nothing to the structure for the past two weeks, no presence and virtually no tackles which suggests little/no forward pressure. Played injured yesterday? For how long? Presumably he was not injured in the first half and still did nothing. That is the thing I find most disappointing that he showed little intensity, effort or intent. Sure we had other players like Viney and perhaps Bernie Vince who have been down on their best in the past few games, but I would never question their effort and agression at the football. All this in the context of having a more than serviceable replacement in the form of Pedesen. Pedesen rarely (if ever) let us down last season when given an opportunity. Also despite my previous comment on the matter, I'm not completely against using Watts in the ruck, but yesterday I felt his impact in the ruck was minimal and his impact as a forward was great. Playing Pedesen would have allowed us to minimise Jack's time rucking and maximised his value as a forward. I really don't understand why we bothered resigning Pedesen if ever there was a time to use him, it was yesterday. Dropping Smith also baffled me completely.

He is a much better forward and in the midfield and that's where he belongs. In the past two games when we have had plenty of ball in the forwardline without being able to put it on the board, he could have made a big difference. He is far from cooked though.

Logging off Demonland for the night - too depressing, I thought these kind of [censored] performances were behind us. Might cruise the news sites, perhaps Kim Jong-un has fired missile somewhere or something, Trump and Putin are preparing the nukes - even that would just about be less depressing than the [censored] result of today's match at the G.

Can we please let Demonland do the selections next week - couldn't [censored] it up any more than the professionals did this week against Freo.

Using Watts in the ruck is like using your Rolls Royce to take your rubbish to the dump on the back seat when you have a perfectly good ute sitting in the carport, you just shouldn't do it, particularly when you have practically no other key forwards on the park.

Bring back Pedo

6. Spencer - did everything that could be expected an more against the biggest genuine ruckman in the league. Should do well in future weeks against lesser opponents. 5. Watts 4. Hartley 3. Hunt 2. Oliver 1. Jetta

I put it on both. The selection pannel showed faith (be it misjudged), but Weid gave paractically nothing today for the second, if not third week in a row. People have go at Jack Watts, but I'm struggling to remember him ever displaying such little effort.

So mad with our selection decisions right now. For the fourth week in a row Weideman was [censored] useless. Smith, Pedesen, Bradshaw, anyone would have done better playing full forward today. In a game that we lost by 3 points playing Weideman has cost us the 4 point. I'm putting all the blame on one player here, but I don't think it is unwanted. I can excuse him getting out muscled in the air, but what I absolutely despised about his game today, was that when he lost the arial contest he gave NOTHING at ground level - looked almost disinterested at times. Complete passenger - back to Casey and show some intent.

Jeff Garlett celebrates his 150th game overall today. Unless I've missed it elsewhere, I think it has gone realatively noted here on Demonland. Jeff has been a fantastic bargain pick-up from the blues. Though his has had a few dips in form where his impact on games is minimal or marginal at best, overall I think he adds tremendous forward pressure, goal scoring power and that X factor that makes you stand up in your seat. Couldn't believe our luck when Carlton let go a guy who had kicked 40 odd goals a season for a number of years (before having one bad season under Mick) for next to nothing. Great work Jeffy and may the goals continue to flow for you for many years yet in the red and blue!

Cheers - a behind to the Swans to finish off the quarter.

Was reading Demonland with the footy on in the background, while not really watching it - the boos from the Domain Stadium crowd told me Swans just kicked a goal.

Considering he is already presently on 70 games, Jack has a great opportunity to surpass his old man. Would help if he doesn't get distracted by tennis as well.

So long as it doesn't set him up to suffer the same date as our last AA.

Still wouldn't have got him a rising star nomination if he was elegable!

Here's to hopeing it's more than just a couple.

Yeah, but thankfully it didn't cost us a grand final birth this time.

Not that it could have completely have been foreseen by anyone, but I actually think playing Weid over Pedesen partly cost us the game yesterday. Would have provided an actual presence in the forward line, but also critically given us someone to share the ruck duties with Watts with and subsequently also given us a reliable goal kicker up forward. We were getting so many inside fifty entries, that Jack would have got amoungst that and is nomally such a reliable kick on goal. Having several half decent ruck backup options that can also hold their own in other parts of the ground when not in the ruck is a contingency, the value of which should not be under estimated.

Agreed

The most pleasing thing about this game for me was the way the team played after we lost Gawn. Didn't drop it's bundle and all but dominated Geelong for the next two quarters. In the end the only things which really beat us was inaccuracy in front of goal combined with the inevitable physical fatigue compared with Geelong from having a ruckman short. Can't fault our players effort and attitude to the game. The only couple of things which could have improved the performance was some better mental application in front of goal - no one guilty player, but if two or three of those could have been slotted through and had we not lapsed for the last three minutes of the third quarter it could have been a victory to remember.

Re Richmond in 2nd spot: * WTF * Only round 3

Too many behinds