Deemania since 56

Yep, Northey was a great coach.

Brayshaw, with good skills at his disposal, was earlier considered to be very cool under pressure and found a way out of tight corners with good effect. Since returning to the field and this level of competition, this coolness has not reappeared. He has been away for a long time, so hopefully it will return as he settles back into the mix. His pace is not great but it is an avenue for him to do those things in traffic that he used to do. Head injuries are still a prime concern and just maybe, he was tentative for this reason. I'd still reckon that he is one of our best players in terms of determination so let's get behind him as a confidence booster.

Baker has tons of pace, agility and drives long with accuracy. Can he play the gameplan and create? He might be a good second fiddle to Jayden Hunt on the flanks; both are great runners and pacemen. Worth a try, young Baker, surely. The Toigs are a fast side full of runners.

Gotta try something if the coaching panels cannot come up with effective means to be more competitive...

It doesn't seem as if it is a matter of our players being useless across the board. Recognised depth proves that to a certain point of surety. It seems to be a stagnation at the coaching level, combined with a persistence for mediocrity as the learning tool. Well done, Petraccattack, you are correct - someone was gonna do it and you posit the idea so clearly.

Some good ideas in this modification and is a whole field recommendation. More talls in the fwd line might be an advantage yet at this point, I cannot see Weed doing anything creative if he is moved into this area - he may in time but not yet. That leaves Pedo to play his role as a support to the fwd line to help turn the tide when things get tough. Hunt must surely be required to run himself into the play, now. He is a good 2-way runner. Lever may just turn the corner but a week of reflection with Casey may do him some good to figure out his role in the back half. We have many midfielders that have had the ball kicked over them by the opposition/s that we have played - particularly in their attack - and unless we re-focus and achieve 2-way running, it will continue to occur. Just thoughts .

I would hate the think that this was true from Razor and Coy; but I certainly believe it is the umpires' 'secret' attempt at equalisation and have seen this occurring in many forms for many years. Football has become - against the wishes of the general public - a very dirty game of official deceit.

There is merit and evidence to this effect TPF39.

Painfully true, that last sentence, Shorty.

We cannot have weekly changes so that our players are continuously re-orienting to the new set-ups. Our players need to hold down positions, responsibilities and varied roles in our game plan. Uncertainties arise from our alleged depth both at the individual level and as a team performing in some harmony. Having said that, I agree entirely with what you posit, FT, in completion and in sequence but this has to be implemented for change and longevity, with subtle team changes as required by injuries, suspensions and major form losses - plus balanced with only those great performances of those players ready to move to a higher level than the VFL competition. Coaching 'favourites' should no longer apply. As for Goodwin, a Mark II game plan is a must to save us from smarter coaches that can 'read'.

Very true. Within two games and the results from each, all in the same round, we went from 3rd to 11th, then at the finish of the round, settled at 12th. What an achievement. Re-man the team with youngsters capable of learning. Take advantage of the few experienced players that we have. Take a quiet word with Lever and Lewis - amongst others - about form and responsibility. Prepare to change options on game day, during game day, at training each week. Oh, stuff it, start again completely. Is Goodwin up to it?

It is a dichotomy of suitability for the team. He cannot take all of the blame for the result against Whoreform, however. He does need to practice with thousands of kicks at goal week in, week out as he is pathetic at this skill - my grandmother could do better and she passed away over 30 years ago. Bugg adds nasty to the team, Bugg irritates other teams, Bugg gets into interesting positions to receive the ball some of the time, Bugg stuffs up nine out of ten times and fumbles. It just isn't too much to ask. A few weeks, at least, back at Casey and a bit more effort to address these mandatory football skills at training and away from training.

One of a thousand pre-requisites for the whole team. It just must be done.

SIX OR SEVEN CHANGES - AT LEAST

A good array of descriptors for the performance. I shook at the fumbling and the widespread lack of match readiness. We needed more big personnel with courage, sticky hands and strong necks to see what is ahead. We are too 'readable' in our play and there is no modification of that play coming from the coaching box. There is no real sense of teamwork coming through the clinches - just an errant handball or close-in tap, on a hope and a prayer. There is no protection for our crumbers or systemised feeds. This is going to be a sad year if this performance is any gauge.

Sorry Wiseblood, I like this guy's style, stealing a game a month from any opposition. DeeZone knew what I meant.

Best wishes to all Dees fans today ... geez it would be a great win if it came off. I'd think we have an edge, at this pre-match point; it is possibly going to be a season-defining game for us. Carna Dees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pedo you little ripper, once again. Going down in history, this bloke.

Sounds like we could have done with a couple of talls in the AFL team against Whorethorn, to me.

Yep, with the slightest doubt on Salem's readiness or minor worries of an injury, get him out of the team, immediately, to recover. He has had enough interruptions and we cannot do well without his lasting skills.

Next to impossible to compare some of our 'centremen' with Clarry. However, never forget that Brian Wilson was exceptional, too. As for Greg Wells, with different and advanced skills on display most of the time, that man was an absolute champion with 'the lot'. I used to really like Denis Clarke, as well. We have had a few really goodies...

If it were your mother in law that was a Richmond support, there'd be no need to '...hold on a minute...'

It is so tiring to have the 'experts' dismiss, ignore, not consider, comment detrimentally, castigate and flagellate the Demons, year after year to the extent that we have seen. Maybe 2018 is just going to be another of those years of insignificance for the Dees despite all of those obvious improvements that have been achieved. I would think that this will be the case even if we sit in the top quarter of the ladder come Aug-Sept. After two wins from 3 games, before the Hawthorn match tomorrow, we sit at third position on the ladder until the rest of the round is completed. That is rarefied air - well done, Dees! Then again, if we keep up this form ...

Blud oath. The distal tap-on seems gone these days but there is still room on the ground.

Aside from noticeable skills improvements and reading the play more intuitively, Wags has become a far better team man, hitting up targets and feeding teammates with regularity. Great improvements, actually, and ones that may well see him blossom quite quickly into a very strong backline asset. With a bit more conditioning, he may resemble HIbberd, very closely...