Goodvibes

All the more reason to move Gillies there!

Gillies to full forward.

People view midfielders too simply. Either they're viewed as inside grunt or outside skill. Wines will most definitely be a solid meat and potatoes footballer. If everything goes right he might become Andrew Swallow. If he stagnates, he'll become Brock McLean. Toumpas has the body, speed and skill set to become a fine outside midfielder but I'm hoping he becomes more than that. I've seen enough to suggest that he will become more inside as he matures and we might have a genuine inside/outside midfield star. If it takes 4 years for him to become that player I can wait even if it means I've watched Wines play 4 really good seasons and win a rising star award in the meantime. We need a genuine midfield star. Someone who is the complete package. Wines will be a very good player but he'll never be the whole package. Toumpas, on the otherhand, could grow into a top 5 midfielder in the comp and along with Viney and Jones give us a midfield capable of competing with the big boys.

There has been a lot of people saying very similar things since yesterday. There has been much talk of walking away and many of the most positive and passionate seemed to have taken one hit too many. This club needs a win. I thought I'd fly down to see it. My only worry is that I might be a week too late.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. I'm on a plane in 12 days time heading down to watch us play West Coast. I figure if I can head interstate at a time like this, most locals can give the Dees at least a month before they jump off. Does one single person on this forum give us a chance against the Eagles?

Alright, I'll have a crack. As dismal and as pathetic as yesterday was, most serious watchers of footy will tell you that when it comes to finals footy, having 2 - 3 out and out stars are essential to getting you over the line. Demon supporters regularly lament the fact we haven't produced a genuine star of the game since Robbie. I think despite everything we've endured over the Bailey/Neeld years we may look back on the 2012 - 2014 period as a pretty important three years where we found our three stars. Mitch Clark is our best player. If he can string a few seasons together he will become a genuine star of the competition. Yesterday, Jack Viney showed the kind of never die character that confirmed the 'culture changing' label many had placed on him before he'd even played a game. In the first 25 minutes of a game most will forget about by the end of the season I saw an 18 year old stamp himself as a class above the opposition's collection of super talented key position players when we played the Suns on the coast a few weeks ago. Can't wait to unleash Hogan next year.The kid will be a star. Three stars in three years would be pretty good going when you haven't had one in a couple of decades. I genuinely believe in the talent of these three. Now we just need to develop a supporting cast of hard-running, hard at the contest foot soldiers. I rate Jones, Blease, Howe, Grimes, McDonald, Toumpas and Trengove as having the ability and potential to play in a future Melbourne flag. Dawes has already done it at another club. That's half a team. Frawley, Sylvia, Jamar and Watts certainly have the potential as well but an urgent dose of confidence and endeavour are much needed. I like the look of Terlich and Kent. Now we've got two thirds of a team. The next 21 rounds for me will be about finding out who wants to fill the last 8 - 12 spots a premiership team will need over an entire season. McKenzie can play a role. Jetta might make the grade. Taggert maybe? But there's not a whole lot more that gets me excited.

I'd normally agree. But this feels different.

16 and a half hours to go . . . .

I've been doing a fair amount of research in the field of sports lip reading and I'm pretty sure he says: "Cale . . . we're not tanking this year"

It's a forum that is far more interesting when there's games of footy being played every week. I'm just suggesting it's been a long pre-season.

In under a hundred hours we'll be discussing the potential of our team to succeed this year based on watching players playing footy on a footy field in a competition with four premiership points up for grab. It will make a refreshing change from analysing and over-analysing the tone and subtext of every comment made by members of the MFC football department in the media.

FB: Jetta, Frawley, Garland HB: Terlich, Watts, Dunn C: Blease, N Jones, Grimes HF: Sylvia, Dawes, Howe FF: Sellar, Clark, Byrnes R: Jamar, McKenzie , Viney IC: M Jones, Rodan, Toumpas Sub: Tapscott Em: Nicholson, Kent, Pedersen I'd give McDonald and Trengove another week or two. Clark and Dawes if healthy should play. We need Blease. Sub him in the second half if need be. Fitness not such an issue. Toumpas gets the nod ahead of Kent. Viney is a given. Terlich and Jetta ahead of Strauss and Nicholson. Sellar deserves a chance ahead of Pedersen and Matt Jones keeps Magner/Nicholson at Casey. Gillies has to wait his turn and I'm afraid Davey is nowhere near our best 22.

Something about proof and pudding . . . .

I completely agree - he is exactly that type of player. But I've reached the point where I'd rather take a punt on someone who might contribute week in week out to getting us into a grand final.

Now there's the basis of an amazing fortnight of "Dine With Me".

The Demonland Nine - an epic tale of desperation, unbridled passion and unrequited love that has stirred the hopes and dreams of a generation of fans, stimulating debate across the political spectrum. Definite Hollywood potential. Nice thread hijack btw. Demonland never fails to disappoint. In regards to the Demonland Nine, I think the OP has done a good job of highlighting those who need to show that they've taken another genuine step in their development in 2013. I think I know what I'm going to get with Jordie. The rest, however, are less predictable. I've given up on Sylvia as a dominant force in the midfield. So of your 9, Trengove's development (on top of an injury-plagued pre-season) is the most important simply because he plays in the midfield. If we're to make serious strides, Trengove, Jones and Grimes need to become very very good players before Viney and Toumpas mature to give us the depth we need.

We're not talking about carrying the midfield. We're talking about becoming (intially) the seventh and eighth members of it.

Hogan and Clark together in 12 months - more anticipated than my dodgy Robbie Flower Collectors Edition Port I purchased two decades ago. Vowed I wouldn't open it until we won a flag. It's looking very dusty.

All I know is that there won't be any grey. If we beat Port we'll be talking the 8. If we lose, it'll be spoon talk.

Jones was solid. Got a fair bit of ball on the inside but didn't find much of it in space or forward of centre. In the heat the rotations were at a very high level and Jones was the one midfielder who came off every time looking in pretty good nick. He's ready to go.

He was good today Jack. BH was on the money with a comment early in this thread about him needing to adjust to the pace of AFL footy. Even today he seemed a little rushed when in possession early but once the intensity in the heat dropped a few percent he looked much more composed. If his decision making improves and he develops his body to Joel Corey-like proportions we may have ourselves a player.

They said the same about Cam Hunter and look how he . . . . . . . nevermind

Our kicking was ok and hanballing was hit and miss. Our tackling and defensive pressure certainly didn't match what I saw in the Renmark replay. Similar conditions too. Howe, Magner, Tapscott and Jones were the better tacklers. Strauss was ok in this department. Nicholson and Byrnes let a couple of opposition players slip past. We seemed pretty well structured defensively but didn't create many turnovers through our pressure.

Just got back to Brisvegas and walked in the door and jumped straight on Demonland. Not sure how much analysis from those who were at the game exists above this post but I thought I'd share my thoughts anyway. Firstly, I love going to Southport. Ground is always in good condition and there's lots of good vantage points. I was lucky enough to be standing on the fence for the whole game directly behind the Melbourne interchange entrance. I really enjoyed this unique perspective as I was able to get a bit of insight into the personality of the players in terms of their footy brain, communication, positivity etc . . Interestingly one of the most quiet players appeared to be Jack Grimes. Rodan (who didn't seem to get much of it) was really impressive. At one point when Watts marked on the wing closest to us, he was basically coaching him. Told him to slow down, look through the options, pick the right one and then when his kick went to the right option reinforced his effort with a positive. Might seem like a little thing but highlighted for me why he and Dawes and Byrnes have been brought to the club. Before I talk about the match, it's important to note that it was bloody hot. Hottest day we've had up here in over a month and 11. 50 - 2.10 would be the hottest part of the day. Little breeze to speak of. We noticeably tired in the second half. The main reason I ventured down to the Coast today was to watch Hogan and Toumpas and in the first quarter I could have happily headed back up the coast because Hogan made it pretty clear that he is the real deal. He faded a little in the last quarter but he took a series of contested marks and could have easily taken more. More than once he overcame being in the least preferred one on one position to win the ball (in the air and at ground level) and created space for those around him. Can't wait to see him in 2014! Casey watchers are in for a great year. Like many have suggested throughout the pre-season Jimmy Tompas has given an obvious insight into why he's so highly rated but it also becomes obvious that he will need some time. He had one sublime moment on my wing when the ball was poorly handballed by a team mate and he was seemingly left to contest a hot 50/50 ground ball. I thought to myself at the time, that I would find out whether this kid goes hard or not. Not only did he go low and hard, he actually beat his opponent to the ball and spun imperiously out of confestion. Smacked of class. Give him time but he'll be a beauty. Don't think he's played too many games in heat like this. He was really struggling with the conditions but kept working hard. He's a confident young kid and seems to be coping well with the structural demands of the team rules and doesn't hesitate to tell his team mates where they need to be. My other highlight for the day was Dean Terlich. I really like the cut of his jib. He's an intelligent footballer who seems to have jelled really well with the team. He knows his role, he knows the team structures. He'll become more and more comfortable with the tempo and he'll better utilize his good kicking skills. I'd definitely have him in the team ahead of Strauss at the moment. Strauss had an intersting game. He was really good in the areas that I have questions marks about him. He competed well one on one and was strong in the contest but his run and carry and end product was a little disappointing. Matt Jones shows a bit too. It was clear that he got better and better when the early fiz had gone out of the game. He got alot of the pill. He's clearly a neat kick who works hard from contest to contest. Decision making and adjusting to the tempo of AFL footy will be his challenges. When we were up and about and travelling well in the first half I was marvelling at the fact that with what was basically our entire spine missing we still had some quality tall targets up forward. In addition to Hogan, Pedersen and Sellar are genuine players. They both have big bodies are flexible and can take a mark. Pretty good back-up in the key position department. Likewise down back with Frawley and McDonald out we still had Gillies, Garland, Dunn and Watts capable of matching it with the bigger Gold Coast bodies. But just as I started to marvel at our depth in this area, Dixon started to get on top of Gillies and the game turned. Gillies tries hard and is a great size and certainly worth persisting with. Dunn was ok one on one but his much talked about kicking was poor today. Watts was good. Calm with the ball in hand and made good decisions but didn't do anything over hard or courageous that would have you going home thinking we'll see a pack bursting Watts this year. Also wanted to make mention of Magner. I've had him pigeon holed as a slow, hard working trier but having seen him today and watching the Renmark replay I think he deserves a spot in our starting 22. He reads the ball really well in the centre. Today he got it first dibs numerous times and his hardness and tackling pressure are of a very high standard. He and Jordie might find them fighting for a position if Viney consolidates as expected. Good to see Grimes get a few touches. He spent alot of time off the ground early in the second half. He's clearly being carefully managed given his history of injury and if this has been the case all pre-season it could account for his lower than usual disposal numbers. Sylvia was Sylvia. He failed to find much space when in the midfield and didn't hurt on the scoreboard when he went forward. He's at the crossroads. I thought Jamar looked it great nick and was getting around the ground pretty well given the conditions. I think he'll definitely have an improved season if he stays healthy. All in all, I wouldn't be slashing my wrists over the final result. McDonald, Clark, Dawes, Frawley, Trengove, Blease, Viney and Jetta all out of my best 22 missing and the heat was a genuine factor. Disappointing we couldn't get anything close to our best team on the park this pre-season but the positive is that we're not far away from doing exactly that and it might make round 1 all the more interesting. Potato cakes surprisingly good. Happy to answer any specific questions.

I'll give a report when i get home, but just wanted to confirm if we didn't already know it - Hogan is a star!