Engorged Onion

Were they 'celebrating too much'? ?

Mmmm Arbroath smokies... would be good on a day like today.

Woweee- why does this [censored] matter?

Port V Western Bulldogs Are we going 2 games clear or what - this week boys and girls!

I'd rather be labelled an 'Imposter at the top of the ladder' as we haven't had numerous 10 goal wins... due to certain biases rather than a down hill skiing club. If anything the last 8 weeks has put that conversation to bed, by the constant resilience shown at different times throughout our games. Blowing teams away is sexy and feels good - but this team, just keeps going and going and going, irrespective of strategies used to diminish our better players and at times good luck with injuries/outs to other teams.

For the EFL /SPL watchers, is a match at Casey Fields equivalent to Stoke City on a Tuesday night?

Yes, that's why I put him in there. Culture was problematic allegedly.

Perhaps I have too stronger recollections of mature age students, who ask questions of tutors/supervisors in front of a packed audience, in such a way, that they too can confirm the already know the answer, as a way to confirm superiority of knowledge (inferiority) in front of the younger students. Anyways...they were hated in the cohort. Not dissimilar to Robbo I suppose.

I gave Robbo, the benefit of the doubt, that he was asking as though it was on behalf of the general viewing public.

I take your point @Patches O’houlihan - look at our first 5 rounds (and even last week) we had significantly more scoring shots throughout games or throughout certain quarters and have failed to capitalise. We actually haven't had the forward line that we have trained for. I've loved our wins and the style of them. And there is a version of me that wishes we had smashed some teams cause it [censored] feels awesome and its genuine vindication that have a capacity to do so. BUT All of our wins - have come with elements of resilience in different ways. That is what matters. The blowing away of some teams will come... 2 games with Brown and TMAC and now Weid - we're back to the first game whereby these have played in the AFL within a system...it'll take some time. But then you see Hawkins, Cameron and Rohan - 15 goals between the 3 of them. I think we can match that with Fritsch as well. If it wasn't for the will to win each mach - it'll be genuinely interesting as a neutral to see how the forwardline structures work.

Would have thought after 5 years in the system by Weideman - all the puns would have been exhausted... I suspect 'headline writers' have around 1000 options just sitting there...and just need to scroll through Demonland ?

I wonder what Cam Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater would have to say about this matter. Or Andrew Gaff Or Matthew Pavlich Or Patrick Dangerfield Or Adam Goodes Or Buddy Franklin Or Lachie Neale Point is that there is plenty of evidence that the go home factor is irrelevant, if the culture is what you desire and you have great relationships.

I have - and I found a lazy $500k for him behind my couch. ?

I take your point about the need to move someone on. I disagree that it will be Jackson. Whilst TMAC is playing fantastic - those 'mutual' conversations last year between the club and him, would still have him 'flicking v's at the FD (if I was him) and I would happily walk irrespective what occurs for the team by the end of this season. I would imagine TMAC will be gone - and he is doing himself (and as a by product the team) the world of good for an extra opportunity at another club. It's a unique circumstance (still having a contract, no suitors, retained at club), he is performing well, and adhering to structure (so, also extremely coachable considering context ) even though he wasn't wanted. His is a truly courageous story. I'll slot him in for greener pastures on the Gold Coast in 2022. Jackson will remain.

All this just as he has broken a finger? What are the pointers that he is looking at leaving @Mental Demons?

Thanks @Drunkn167 for the link on the ABC website. For me what was helpful - was sense making around turnovers. For those that are quick to criticise players that have turnovers- here is a neat little graph to lower your expectations and ground it into the reality of playing at the elite level. I presume that I don't need to explain the graph.

1. Checks Demonland 435 times a day... it's a cultural edifice. 2. Likes the 'witty people' that post things on Demonland 3.First and last thing that is checked daily on computer/phone. 4. Questions whether this is 'life structuring' or merely 'enthusiastic' 5. In denial that it impacts on daily functioning and being present with family.

That's what I use as well. AFL STATS PRO

Musings... Perhaps it's an over correction. In the sense of, there seems to be an edict that it's 'ok' to lose a clearance. Thus it's psycholgically easier against bigger bodied mids to not go 'quite' as hard - as there is a fail safe outlet 40-60 away from the oppositions kick. @binman and @Axis of Bob have detailed how the midfielders now set up, with one spare at the back in a centre bounce/clearance situation. So that should we lose the clearance, we have a greater likelihood of intercepting the ball.At the same time we are honouring the much vaunted skills of Petracca, Oliver etc. Without Viney though - the pressure from him against strong bodied midfielders (Cunnington/Kennedy etc) is clearly not there - hence the clearance differential. As @Clint Bizkitmentioned earlier today - if this is not rectified - Cripps will have a field day - and it's then about whether their forwards can capitalise. I am interested in the strategy of Oliver starting away from the ball and coming in at pace. Whilst that's a good option with a tag that he is finding difficult to shake - is it part of on ongoing strategy regardless of a tag? Clarry is clearly fantastic in and up close distributing the ball out, so by starting further away - we lose that great ability of his. I didn't watch the game as I was at a 40th (and an AFL coach was there, who was seemingly far more interested in the game on his phone and updates than the dinner party convo) #humblebrag Anyway... by Clarry starting wide, I wanted to know who his direct opponent was - so in essence, what advantage did it give us, or what did we nullify for the Swans?

Anything you’re not concerned about?

How pleasant it is to have the luxury that it is no biggie if we lose, and that if we win, we get further away from the pack who are taking 4 points off one another weekly. Brown for 3 goals 2 ANB for 2 goals 3 Pickett to upstage Bolton's mark of the year contender.

More from stats insider. Beating top 8 teams is not indicative of your capacity to win the GF. So in the AFL, is there any truth to the well-trodden sports cliche that to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best? Well……Not really. In fact, it’s increasingly acceptable to be a relatively middling team against top-8 opposition during the home and away season, with such form not necessarily forming an impediment upon a club’s premiership aspirations. In 2014, Hawthorn went 5-5 in the home and away season against fellow top-8 rivals yet successfully claimed its third flag in seven seasons. Speaking of 5-5, that was the record the Eagles took into their Finals campaign twelve months later, and it didn’t get in the way of them booking a Grand Final rendezvous against the Hawks. When the Bulldogs won their ground-breaking 2016 flag, they entered September carrying just a 4-5record against their Final’s brethren, as well as a forgettable 88.9 percentage. In 2018, the Pies came within a kick of winning its 16th club premiership. It's record against top-8 foes during the home and away season? How about 1-7, with an 81.6 percentage to boot. While Richmond’s 2020 flag was achieved with a 4-2 record and solid 121.7 percentage against the best, it’s 2017 and 2019 triumphs were accomplished with suspect form against top-8 combatants, combining for just a 9-8 record and an unremarkable 90.1 percentage. " Apologies about the [censored] formating.

100% Harmes is in for a specific shut down job. It's the only logical conclusion looking from the outside in. A hardened body to compete with Kennedy. If Viney was fit, he would be 'languishing' in the two's.

Nice little article from James Rosewarne about scoring potency across the league. We’ve learnt that despite Melbourne’s blistering start, so many of its offensive metrics sit in contrast to their rest-of-the-ground dominance. It’s perhaps a scary thought to consider how much room for improvement exists within this Demons squad.