Engorged Onion

Help me understand why people are all of a sudden insistent that a player (Garlett) who didn't make the cut to play finals for us last year, is now an important cog in the wheel of how this team plays, when all evidence points to his lack of forward pressure when the chips are down... He jagged some goals against a putrid VFL side...surely he needs more than 1 game? What he potentially brings is not enough to what he has shown on numerous occasions that he cannot bring.

"Squiggles" - Aggregate of all predictor Engines. Looks pretty healthy to me.

How on earth do our views on Oscar (positive or otherwise) have any bearing on his confidence? I am confused.

Ahhh, the demotion of Oscar - it was always going to confirm a truth for some folk... perhaps the truth is somewhere in between... at least it is in my mind. If May and Lever were playing, Oscar would be on a third tall, who are typically average players themselves, and he would be doing fine...and probably under the radar. Oscar has been playing the number one role due to injury and well, he's having a less than stella time of it. For mine, when it he gets some runs on the board in the VFL, I assume (rightly or wrongly) the FD will pick him again and he will form a great defensive unit with May, Lever, Salem, Jetta, Mary Hore and Hibbo (though he's hanging on by a thread on form alone).

Please elaborate @Demons11...

Come to the bosom of the beast Ed I'd imagine Gus and him are familiar and friendly with one another...and if that doesn't get you over the line...

it's the going rate for forward with talent - and it's an opening gambit - personally I'd pay it, as there is a lot of upside to him, he isnt fully developed, and can clearly perform when it counts as evidenced by last year.

Why @Skuit? Why on earth do they need to be '[censored]-a-hoop' visually... as though that is the only discernible way to show they care, and that winning matters? Why can't they just get on with the job? Matter of fact from this exhibit itself - there is no correlation (and/or causation) between how hard you choose to celebrate or not, and whether you keep on kicking goals... Kicking goals is passé, when you've got a job to get on with, from process minded *nb hee hee - censorship for cockahoop

correct weight sir - and I am the youngest myself...

@stevethemanjordan - if ‘old man natedog who should retire and relinquish captaincy’ can jag 3 goals running off him - then he has limited pace ?

Of course! And until the paying public (paying with tv views, or gate receipts) turn away from the game, nothing changes! The evidence is in - no matter how much the AFL tinker/change rules on the fly, people still watch it - so as there is no disenchantment, there is no real cost for the changes from the AFL's perspective. It's football, AND it is simply just entertainment for the masses to avoid thinking about the drudgery of their own existence

For those worried about the run of St Kilda, from a strategy perspective, what would you do with our team of players and what strategy should be employed?

mmmm, check mate there @Mega_Watts...

That goal from 50 was always in before he kicked... it's great when he backs himself. I assume though he would have dished it off if there was any other team mate in the 50, and as there was not, there was no other option. Competence, breeds confidence.

I find these sorts of comments from armchair pundits really shortsighted and at worst condescending to the individual. All premiership teams have guys that play their role, that just do enough to be in the side at the right time. Who would have thought these blokes would have premiership medals.... Nathan Vardy Mitch Morton Zaine Cordy Matthew Spagher Max Bailey Mitch Morton Trent West Chris Dawes ? and did I mention Mitch Morton?

as a nod to the 'process' this week - I give you Billy Joel

3.2 in the second half to Sydney on a small ground, with a makeshift backline... maybe I am being reductionist - but the system works, when the parts of the system work hard... (two way running, yadda yadda yadda)...

It really feels like a year cruelled by injuries and post op rehab in a timeframe that was never going to allow us to get our clear best 22 on the park consistently. Onwards to 2020...

and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that...

The Kevin Dyson Cup

mmm @chook fowler - he seems like a guy who wants to give his all, and is quite reflective of reality... frankly your guess is as good as mine

A ha, but there is honesty and there is brutal shame inducing honesty, that is supposed to propel you to greatness....or at least fix something short term..ahem.

Jones knows it's his last season... his a proud bloke and will exit at round 19 -2019 knowing he has given his all.... that 'his' is for, you know who....

Come on man... that statement is based on YOUR expectations of where YOU think the team should be... It's fine to be disappointed, and if you can look across the team and go 'aye, they're simply getting their paycheck and not putting in effort' for each an every one of them - then I would concur - but it aint right....

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/demons-can-seek-inspiration-from-swans-of-2017-20190406-p51bi1.html some pretty fair points - and measured about where we are at, taking into account injury/preseason surgery. Key points include Melbourne’s challenge will be to develop a team defence that offsets the personnel issues that have seen Port, Geelong and now the Bombers punch holes in their weakened back six. Their one-way midfield isn’t making it easy for the backline, either. This week however, the issue wasn’t conversion of entries, it was their inability to defend. The Demons missed Steven May — the key defender acquired via the Hogan deal — more than their former key forward. This was highlighted in the one-on-ones in which the likes of Sam Frost were outpointed by his opponents and in the awful lack of composure in defence. Jordan Lewis would restore some composure to a green and panic-prone backline, but he wouldn’t resolve Melbourne’s most persistent problem: their lack of two-way running and relative speed deficit. The backline can be improved with May, Lever and Lewis.