Deemania since 56

It all depends on who butters your bread in this AFL game!

The work and effects of the umpires will be interesting in the Weegals and Essendrug game.

Stats are great and in many cases these show what was expected and what was dreaded. It also has an inbuilt variable that defies what we may expect in terms of contributions that we have unwittingly been satisfied with - or appalled by - but also shows some areas of improvement that could be implemented. Great for analysis, Rusty, thank you. It is also interesting to note that on the whole, DL posters are rather good analysers of our game and personnel - particularly of those dominant players that we like or particularly remain ambivalent towards. Great stuff.

Ok, thanks, and to your question, I just dunno at all. If TMAC did negate and interview wiht characteristic style, all I could say would be: Bluddy Weldun, Sport!

Not sure that I understand this question: link? Doorstop ambush? What do you mean, Timbo?

Like that interpretation and dismissive brevity. There should be more of these types of responses. We must remain 'mysterious' and largely 'unknown' on the inside by the 'outside', as a Club. For too long have we allowed the media and all of its idiot factions to sensationalise, tell half-truths and drum-up negativities into 'stories' that impact the masses and in turn, the umpires, the players themselves, the coaches and football departments, and common sense, particularly that of the AFL itself. Interference in our game from these means is absolutely unacceptable. ONYER, TOM!

Good defence is layered defence. Without height, regardless of most other footballing categories other than taking big marks and/or effecting big spoils, and kicking accuracy over shorter distances, we ain't got nuffing. Midfielders are not the last line. One decent opposition kick or set play bypasses midfielder involvement and remediation of the attacking pressure. We need backmen who are tall, and some very good runners capable of sound close checking and capable of ball-carrying to good team effect. Good, mobile defence is the first line of attack. We are playing footballers who are not capable of this and who are reliant on using a kicking mantra only to progress the ball forward (Vince, Lewis). We can do better.

That would be my strategy. However, we still need speed out of defence, real speed that has consistent contributors. Another KPD would be very useful on the height/strength issue.

The very reason that we are baffled by such newborn umpiring decisions. We, keen observers of the game over many years, watch and interpret all decisions yet consistency of application is never achieved by the white brethren. Where is the modern-day Nash or Beitzel? They always communicated with the public on decisions without apology or intent. We are totally baffled. The players must be freaking out over 'what to do' in 'decision-based circumstances' onfield. Baffled they are: just recall last week's game when someone '...didn't care that XXXXXX was bleeding...', '...why the free kick?'

Must be pond life, Febes. Don't worry about that one. Anonymous nuisance missing the point of a forum.

Normal people in normal enterprise have been scrutinised for less! The world is a richer place because of such practices.

I don't know so I would hope someone could find out...and reasons for or against seeking clarification. It sounds ridiculous in some areas but none of these are as ridiculous as the levels of mysterious umpiring decisions and behaviours that we have seen so far this year.

Great, the game needs this amendment. Fully support such a move.

With the current state of play, your suggestion of TMac at CHB is probably a good one, should the Weed be allocated as a 2nd ruck with main duties at FFwd. The FFwd position would be just fine for the short Gawn relaxative moments if this occurs. HOpefully, we can overcome the bombs we waste our time on so that Hogan doesn't have to watch a rocket pass over his head many metres away. Hoges needs the ball passed to him or into a position to which he might be leading. It's unfair indeed to say that he had a bad couple of games - his team let him down with rubbish kicking. Deez Nuts suggested bringing in Kent straight away and I personally like this idea to occupy a flanking role with stints goalward. Petty can be trialled off the bench at any time, possibly the sooner, the better. Trac also needs to be benched for some rapid deployments onfield rather than be a luxury cruiser on Casey's winning set-up; this would also be sufficient to let him know that we expect a form improvement and that he would have to fight for a more permanent position like everyone else. Down back, we need Frosty/Pedo/J.Smith with Tim and Baker available on the bench. The more one reflects on the teams of the past few weeks, the more it seems appropriate to sacrifice Lewis and Vince for a short while as the pressure is just slightly off and those two can recover more fully as preparation for a finals series guarantee. Jones needs a flanking role at half back. Recovery is his difficulty at present as a roving midfielder. Viney, Oliver, Bryshaw and Stretch can do much in these midfield roles with some outside work from Fritsch on offer through the wing. That way we have one aerialist/runner on one wing and a shorter, playmaker in Gus on the other. Both have unique skills to be exploited. Tyson just is not needed with his lack of proprioception (unawareness of himself and his opponents in the processing of ground space and ball delivery). Spargo and Garlett, to me, represent a double-whammy deep in the fwd line that must be trialled across the next three matches, with Hannan's presence not too far away; the latter uses the flanks well to dip quickly into the congestion or behind, and his noted reactions are worth one or two goals at least, each game if given the responsibility. HIbberd is a superb half-back flanker and must stay there, just as Jetta is the best modern-day interceptor and tagger/rebounder from back pocket that I have seen for years. He's nearly as good as Frank Davis was years ago, and Brett Bailey, too. We need sorting as you say. Let's keep the ideas, no matter how fanciful, ticking over.

Absolutely agree about Kent - got the 'nasty' written all over his game - kicks well, tough (prior to shoulder injury), far ken fast, a one-look for heads up or goal shot, team player, motivated. Needs another runner nearby, such as Stretch and Trac, to create a loop of forward thrust across shorter distances than the intent of the long bomb.

Absolutely. Now, play him in the back deep, alongside the fullback and Nev. Have a 'when possible' tall to assist OMac move in - even a resting ruck, and we are near impenetrable.

Basically, the ridiculous efforts of the umpires to be seen, 'in- charge', developing celebrity umpiring status and plain, ordinary bias that favoured Port Adelaide at the expense of dominant and skilful Demon football. Violations on the interpretation of rules ran amok as the only means of assuring a Port win, in graduated stages across a whole game. I look to the MFC to make an official complaint about this recurring tendency as a measure of the AFL corruption. End of statement.

The bombs just have to be past history - it is such a low percentage play to bomb it long. Most of our forwards can kick and score from outside the bottleneck; Hogan, perhaps, is the one who cannot kick from further out. We must look for short entries with players displaying football nouse by finding space to receive. Hogan can then play his game for a conservative return. TMac can take the screamers or the running receives. Garlett perhaps is needed - he must hit form; happy with the contributions and pace of Hannan to score or to sneak a score in space. More can be made of Spargo - he is a goer and has the required pace but he should not be seen just as a poor tackler as he is capable in the right company down forward to apply very effective forward defensive pressure. Melksham cannot be overlooked in his movements to space, his general marking and scouting for that snap. The trio of intial feeds from the in-form Stretch, to Harmes to Melksham, for example, is worthy of thought. The backline needs Frosty at CHB, as well. Even Pedo might be considered as a spoiler in pack marking duels in that position. Petty might be a solution as well. Here is my team for StKilda, pure fantasy it may be but it interests me after the two current losses: FB: Jetta OMac JSmith HB: Jones Frost Hibberd ? Fritsch Oliver Stretch HF: Melksham TMac Harmes FF: Spargo Hogan Garlett R: Gawn, Weideman, Viney Int: Pedersen, ANB, Petty, Hannan

Bluddyoath. The return of the bomb means indirect across the whole game.

Good evidence of pre-match collusion and a higher order from uptstairs...then there is competing between four umpires for status, recognition, actually seen to be making a decision oneself - albeit fanciful and wrong, and still not making up the ground to be in position to adjudicate where necessary and thoroughly - unlike the single umpires' talents of the past. Frigging amazing.

Pepper needed a dose or two of his own medicine; attempting to cause severe injury across a game particularly when a player was on the ground, immobile, unprotected and already smothered by another player. No video review? Why? Very well put description of our observations!

This is an example of my points about umpires: the game is now fully corrupted and incompetence is just fine when managed (AFL) in a non-descript manner for the unspoken net outcomes. Time we let the AFL and the umpires board feel the way we do about this creeping cancer on our game. I will partake in this season a little longer but not next year if there is the slightest hint of favoured outcomes against any team in the competition.

1. Our whole team lost the sniff when the umpires decided to interfere with the talent flow that we were exhibiting. 2. Creative yet still incorrect decisions that nobody could imagine were sustained across the game as each of the 4 umpires decided that they needed to be seen and heard by the crowd in a favourable light. 3. The crowd gave them a favourable light as a consequence and those violations of the codes of the game were sustained. 4. The FD is letting the players and supporters down with team selections, inconsistencies and 'stabs' in the dark at the expense of conditioned experience and more perfect player deployments.

Vince is not as lethal as he was and is noticeably slowing to be at the contest. Lewis is just slow but has great kicking skills and heads up to find 'local' opportunities in other players. Lewis skirts the contact or hangs outside, too. Yet his game was good against Port, not great, but good. A firmer opposition will completely negate him, now. Both need to be at Casey and one week at a time, create space for younger animals to move up to the ones. Petty, Frost, Baker and Stretch come to mind in those positions occupied by Vince and Lewis but there are others. With Lever gone, Frost might be a great support in the back pocket to assist OMac and simultaneously release Hibberd and Jetta for some downfield backline magic; Petty is possibly a good stand-in at CHB in that scenario; Baker has pace and could use it on the wing or just outside the midfield if moving into position; Stretch needs confidence and ball winning determination and he, too, could run out the ball from the HBFlank to wing - he certainly could set up some action for the talented Fritsch or even Petracca if he wanted the ball. For me, Vince and Lewis have been handy but it was always going to be a short-term arrangement.

Is he playing well with confidence, getting the ball from own efforts?