Deemania since 56

TMac loves the Demons, the side that his brother plays for, the side that turned him into a champion, the side that allowed him to recuperate from injury for a very long time, the side that gave him focus and allows him to speak his mind publicly. It is also the side going places with him contributing to the max to achieve that end. Tom will get a very good offer. He has no love for other teams - he plays for the Dees. He will not be greedy; he is already a successful farmer, I believe. Tom ain't going to go anywhere on re-signing with HIS club. The sooner, the better for him and the Club. Win, Win situation of mutual interdependence.

I'd seen him try to break free in his games with Essendon. Several times there were 'Brad Green-like' bursts with kicking skills to match yet it was an alien play for the Essendon team and players. With all that was happening at Essendon, I hoped that our recruiters could notice him - they obviously did. He is going to get much better, you realise. With his head up, he is going to be a gun asset. When he brings into the game his hidden big marking skills, we will sit back in awe.

He is a driven, Melbourne player; tough as nails, works hard and is a solid improver. Terrific in a utility role and does not shirk the responsibilities of maiming opponents.

Rebound is the key to turning this talented backline into a fortress. This must be steered through the midline and then the flanks, possibly through run and carry by the fleet-footed smalls. With improving game form, I can see Harmes/Hunt combinations in my mind to achieve this with physically tough resolve, enabling roving smalls to move fwd into penetrating positions. TMac and Hogan would be key utility fwd targets with Petracca, ANB, Hannan and Garlett exploiting their pockets.

Could win us a few frees, as well.

Tex is now close to useless - injuries, etc are common - as it looks like his slowing body is catching up to his slow brain. He was a great player but his advertising ego over here in SA (sold himself for money, as he accused Lever of doing when transferring to the MFC) has got the better of him. I hope he plays in the Alice match as he is lucky to get a kick, and represents 1/2 a man missing on the football field, based on his recent 'form'. We should take this game seriously to boost percentage even further across 4 full quarters. I would be interested to see if Talia is pinged by the umpires for his man-handling and holding of marking forwards - so far this season he has got away with it time and again, as if it were a skill of the game. It could be tough for the MFC if we do not have an abundance of talls at our disposal against the Crows; however, I would expect us to exploit the dwindling present form of the Crows , and take the game by about 5 goals. The difference in form between the two sides is, at present, around 10 goals to the MFC. With those talls, we need pace, pace, pace from the smaller fellas, finding space and building team momentum. Enjoy the game, folks!

Well, if the Crows have a few coming back after injury, we can fix that with a bump or two from Pedo.

Agree with this in the first quarter - it wasn't working and a reliance on long bombs made us relatively pedestrian. The inside 50 and behind deep fwd pressure and penetration changed all of that - where the hard work of the rest of the team - particularly midfield - was rewarded with abundant scores. With space finders across the forward line, the kicking and passing improved to a target within range. Garlett knows how to play that game, it is what he did when he first joined us, albeit with limited success with our genetic 'bombing' that was so prevalent. He'd be our best 'crumber', too and has frustrated the Crows in the past.

More deliberate kicking across shorter distances, to a man finding space - the team triangulated a little, providing two flankers for every lead - and that was tremendously difficult for Carlton's youth to keep pace with - and it provided double the options we had to receive fwd set-ups. The backline pressed on, drew Carlton fwds out and also found space about the ground; their opponents also had difficulty keeping pace, manning up and winning the ball.

Interesting you say so ... he is adapting to this level really well. I'd like to see him given some protection, at times, otherwise he is likely to get hurt - but rebounds quickly, so far. His skills are elite.

Very subtle ... this fact proves to be an eternal question. It is a bad as touching umpires and getting away with it.

It was just a matter of waiting for his game to return such are his skills and endeavour. This year, he has turned the corner in the last two weeks, and this is far earlier in the season that it was last season. And, I ask, how good and valuable was Melksham's end to the 2017 season? It was bloody excellent!

And the Hawks are down on their game this weekend, as well, despite incredible coaching. Reckon the injuries at the Crows will be highly significant in our win next weekend - and it is time to play Garlett for that one.

Why do the umpires (supported by the lip-flapper commentators) continue to award inappropriate free kicks to players like Cripps, Dangerfield, Ablett, .... and so the list goes on. How many times were the MFC players held when contesting, pushed in the back, screened when positioning? I gave up the count in the first quarter yet it continued all game.

Maguire cannot think straight with worry - Queen's Birthday is going to be a Demon rollercoaster and he knows it! These are the best possible images for supporters that watched the game. Highly commendable across the field, all day.

Viney's little mid-week speech to the press helped in this regard: celebrating every goal and hurting for every score against the MFC.

Fully agree. Smith was good, three times. Pedo has more in that fwd utility role.

Still, Bernie was a little out of sorts today and his kicking in from fullback was nerve wracking. Salem did some good things but could not handle the physicality very well - hung back a few times. Give Bernie a rest for a week; put in Pedo if this is the game plan we intend to persist with as it would suit his utility function in the forward line. Maybe, just maybe, bring in Hunt for Salem for one week of his own redemption - his pace is still needed. Garlett might be needed now that we have discovered deep forwards behind the defenders.

You are forgiven. I worked it out last night and expected an 8 goal win with the 4 pts - blew my percentage arithmetic away.

Everyone contributed, enormously and we really went for the ball with a 'biff'. Melksham and Harmes never gave up. Gawn was brilliant and so was everyone else. Feel sorry for Pedo, as his game would have been a highlight today. Garlett, too. Still, we needed the percentage and we blodddy well went out and got it!

Sounds like he did another 'save the game' effort for the team - as he has done in crucial moments of games in the firsts so often. He does give, doesn't he? Low profile, great skills, dependable and there as a team man.

The Sunday morning hangings in Changi, Singapore, were bad enough! The Frankston game will be too much to bear. oops, game over - hadn't noticed - and it was a slaughter! Carna red n blue.

We all did, we knew the outcome in advance - saving face for the AFL and keeping Carlton strong as possible. Full stop.

Adelaide weather this arvo is cool, sunny, clear after some early morning rain. Should be fine in Melb tomorrow for the game.

Succinct, though.