Deemania since 56

We still have a bit of room until Lever returns, Viney is match by match fit, Hibberd returns to his real form, KK comes in as a sweeper and feeder - that all could provide an opportunity for Oskar Baker (the speedster) to have a few initial runs from the bench at the expense of the likes of Stretch and Spargo, and perhaps ANB. Baker may well provide some carry and drive whilst adapting to an AFL-level of expectation. I, for one, am dying to see him in action to gauge his potential.

Correct, yet I feel also that Hannan has become/ is becoming a key cog in that scoring machine, as well ... perhaps moreso as a case who can break the lines a move closer forward to space (rather than move from deep fwd to space outside his range. There were also hints that Hunt, as a deep forward, can lead to the space chase very capably to receive.

the key difference between (other than clearances of many types/shapes) very good midfielders and elite midfielders. Brayshaw has it ... Clarrie seems to have let it pass for a while ...

This is critical stuff. Spot on! Just imagine if these two actually did lead out - even just a little way - creating a 2-prong or better space. Their current concept of a lead is three steps - get to the take-off foot, leap and hope that the incoming sticks. Pathetic. Earn your dollar, forwards.

That is true, and it is not good enough for us. It continuously fails as an approach to footy. Our kicking to targets is pathetic, largely brought on by our targets being pathetic in their roles to maximise an incoming possession. No-one is looking for downfield options - the kick count is all important, not the deliberation of kicking; and, there is time to achieve a set-up in teamwork. Coaches, get to work on this as we have waited too long for this to occur. Entering the forward line and more deeply into the 50m zone is NOT met by 'panic station' attempts at clearances or maximal yards gained. That lets you teammates down, despite the statistic gained. If any of us DL supporters were playing, as soon as you saw - or predicted - that a teammate was in possession looking for a target, you would move rapidly to receive in the least compromising spot you could find/see on the field - and in this case, it is worth being where the ball 'aint and certainly, where the ball in the majority of cases will end up - right smack middle of a cluster of hopelessness. In football, you make your own game, for Heaven's sake. There are acres of ground available and two-way mental telepathy 'aint that hard to achieve - or even three-ways. Are we prepared to stay as a low-percentage team placing the onus and responsibility onto Solo Melk, accepting low scoring potentials relative to the number of our entries and the number of our 'professional' forwards?

Onyer, Vanders. Rock of Gibraltar wherever and whenever he plays.

Because of the height differential, he was: 1. Keeping hands and arms outta the contact and absorbing the impact moment, and 2. Protecting his knackers from the impact, elevating slightly from a front-on imminence. Name one Tribunal member who would not do the same in the spirit of fair play. What's more, this is an example of elite impact cushioning for minimal risk to both players with the incoming transgressor really trying to get a head bump for the free - is it May's fault that he is so much larger, taller and intuitive than his 'unselected' opponent?

Agree, given the circumstances at present. Frosty is a good choice as OMac is virtually useless, missing too many spoils, missing in action and missing his opponent who is mostly always metres ahead and pumping. Big responsibility for Spargo and I am sure that he will be up to it - however, Vanders has many values to add and can screen well for crumbing. It is the forward entry and its anticipation and open spaces that must be utilised - and not just by the Melk. Maybe TMac can hit his straps, as well.

Seeing the wood is sometimes shrouded by the trees, we all need to take a look at our football for this coming season and so far, it does not look as encouraging as we might think. Sure, we have great players but in the JLT we have lacked purpose and initiative as if the game '...doesn't really matter...', as well. Interrupted pre-season or not, we run around like chooks trying to cluck without a head. A professional athlete as part of a team of professionals is expected to display great skills more frequently than we have, and the pre-season is not an excuse. We have done far better in the past and in recent history with far lesser teams. The casualisation of the game must not encroach. It really matters and it matters NOW!

It was space, delivery to space and opportune leading in the forward line that beat us. Compounded, of course, by the backs who all flew rather than having planned groundwork to do. Joel Smith looked and played like his dad. Well done. on that one. Oscar made 5 big mistakes in the first qtr alone, 4 of these were close-in goals. He continues to be on the wrong side of his man, or behind by several metres, or attempting to get behind a handy teammate body in close for protection (as if he does not wish to be in the allocated action or to make it look like it is not his responsibility anymore}, or having no chance of a possession and clearance due to his absolute lack of speed. He did not improve for the next 3 qtrs. People say he kicks well. Unless it is a rare free kick, he does not get the ball at all. Poor old Nev - doing his own job brilliantly, and backing up the mistakes of Oscar, week in, week out. No wonder he comes off the field at the end of a game absolutely spent. Frost has to be the CHB whilst Lever is absent from this team and when Lever returns, it should be as a backline - HBFlank - utility to do his intercept stuff on the flanks and coming into the goal-to-goal line as required; these are his natural attributes. Frosty is the bloke to do the CHB body stuff, the leaps and spoils, and the break-aways. Full stop. The forwards? Constantly receiving inaccurate bombs, slowly delivered. No sense of making or taking space. No sense of leads to advantage. Happy to crowd as if mere muscle wins games. Initiative matters - and we have none in the forward line at present. The result does not matter, of course. Just a hit out. I think we have all seen enough of this style of play when it did matter and we would hate to see it this year when it does happen. Modus operandii needs attention.

Cranbourne and environs moving towards the beach backroads used to be a great weekend trek in the EH wagon, filled with beer and good blokes, and there were some good little spots to put up the marquis, light a campfire and toss around a few director's chairs for some serious refreshments and malted nutrition. Sunday night return via the pubs along the Nepean Hwy for good tucker, and for dessert, some nice eye-candy. The Dees were starting to go downhill, after the '65 Grand Final back then ... but fond memories of that environment are hard to cast off.

Simple, isn't it? Good ball users win games. We need more of these types of players who resist bombs and look up to where the ball and receiver should be on the ground. Clarrie and Salem - it's a great start to what is required.

The Tiges wore us down and ran very well with their game plan. We brought onto the field some refreshments to have a 'bang' at them, to gain a sense of belonging to the MFC and to evaluate the recruits' skills and onfield bearing at that point - and this was all that we could have asked of a small group of apprentice footballers in the red 'n blue. It was a very strategic act and I was pleased that the coaching team / selectors approached the game this way. Interesting that our efforts were maximised with good scoring accuracy and was relentless; they never gave up against a power team on the day. Brisbane seem to be a rising commodity with improved player profiles and preparations that will test us; however, we do have a stronger team selected than that utilised against the Tiges just one week ago. We will win this one just the same, but we must bring 4 quarters of desire and thought to achieve that win. This is the start of the Demon 'roll' towards a great September.

Food for thought, good comments. The season must start - seriously, energetically and powerfully - we are good enough to take all three games to set up the following games.

In that team, JKH is a justified choice and I was thinking, how good it is to see him starting to do a phoenix resurgence from the closely proximal ashes, similar to that of Nev Jetta some years ago. Was impressed with his run and carry in this pre-season ground time. Kicking was improved, as well. Wish him all the best for the season to come.

Very good reason to pick our strongest side - no sheltering of our 'remediating', pre-season injured/recovering players. Go the Dees.

I guess I meant that: we need more forward players to seek out space to run into (even directional changes) to receive the incoming ball as a clear mark it is so often 'guesswork' if we are going to take clear mark, and percentage-play for such a mark is low in our pack habits near goal our short passing is poor, unreliable and risky, at best we need 'eyes-up' entries via accurate passing and good leading into space from our midline and forwards - so that we have clean marking habits in the forward zone area 40 metres or less from goal - so that we increase the percentage of goals that are kicked this way from 'close' range Other than just one or two particular forwards, most of our forwards have developed a 'crowding' habit near goal. More of our forwards need to be running, circling, mobile and anticipating opponent-free areas on the arrival of the ball coming into our scoring zone 'bombs' high with excessive ground clearance to a crowded pack, blindly delivered, hope-and-a-prayer executed are low percentage in terms of ball retention and should be struck from our skillset.

Absobloodylutely!!!

There is that continuum-to-constant alarm with the Dees' passing and shorter footwork, resulting in so many uncertain retentions inside the 50m arc, and scoring at a higher percentage of entries 40m-or-so out from goal. Address this alongside the 'bombing' and so many static forwards not prepared to find space by plan, and in realistic terms, the flag is ours.

Wise idea with Gawn, but who is going to tell him that he doesn't need to play a JLT? Surely he'd feel that the wheels were coming off?

Some commentary these days is very good and I still enjoy that of Brereton - his analyses are thought-provoking and usually, very analytical. Some commentary these days is very bad - bordering on the sensationalist and false matey-matey associations with players and clubs. Some commentary these days is attempting to appease Eddie Maguire - in fact, quite an amount of it - as if his approvals lead to longevity within the commentary jobs. Most commentary these days is far superior to those of the 3 monkeys: Jack Dyer, Bob Davis and Lou Richards, a breakfast in football terms upon which most of us were regularly ill. There is a funny moment, though, within commentary, when (as admitted as his greatest embarrassment as a commentator) Tim Lane was calling a Tasmanian game for the ABC radio and meant to describe '...an up-country punt kick...' that unfortunately '...turned out all wrong ....'!

Salem's transition from backman to a spot on the wing is a good thought; it could be very productive and perhaps, just perhaps, producing more value from his kicking accuracy and 'read of the play'. We suffer in games from reduced accuracy and deliberate hits into the forward line - Salem may well be one series of teeth in the cog for improved forward penetration and delivery. Whilst not often a wingman, this need reminds me of Rodney Grinter, feeding with accuracy (albeit a far longer and more forceful kick with an ability to self-pr0tect) into those spots and players on the forward line who could convert. The re-signing of Salem adds stuff to our future success.

Ken Oath! Big difference these days and it has been so important. Another playmaker stowed away.

We are a static team on the forward line. I'd reckon Preuss would be better utilised as a straight-line forward with both mass and momentum into spaces - who'd get in his way if their heads were screwed on? He'd draw a defender, he'd then lower the eyes of our feeders and would be most likely to enable our other talls to avoid 'blocking', screening and overt contact from opponents. Melk stands out as our main Mr Mobile down there and does it really well, in all directions. A big fella like Preuss just needs a straight line and just enough distance to build 'his level of speed' in that direction. He has an intention, too, other than marking the ball - and by hell, he can kick! I reckon he can body slam, too.

Agree that this 'bombing' is still a tendency and it must stop. The thing that makes Clarrie a champion is that by hand and foot he looks for options - usually more than one or two - and delivers. His real skill is getting the ball and doing the 'option bit' very quickly both prior to taking the ball and in using it. Our forwards tend to congregate, still, massing a pack of teammates all competing (usually in the air) for the ball - whereas percentage play will dictate a better spread of receivers on-ground and thus, unsettling the opposition's gather and rebound capabilities. Preusse came in several times a little later but in a direct line on-ground, taking good chest marks in his momentum. He could be a real force, as a straight-line and leading forward. Ruck duties for him are really secondary - you seldom saw big boy forwards like Lockett, Dunstall and others relegate and waste enormous, moving mass for wasted, futile pack elevations. It was more common to see defenders and utilities stay out of their line of intent to avoid seriously unfortunate impacts. As for the bombing, it is a low return strategy, wasting the efforts of those who worked so hard to bring the ball forward.