Deemania since 56

Correct, but watch the umpires; at many opportunities for more rapid progress out of the backline, the umps permit delays invoked by opposition teams (of the many that are attempted) and are quick to invoke further delays and uncertainties should the Mighty Dees get the ball out of the danger zone quickly and appear to be well set-up to progress to score at a rapid rate. Across this season there have been many such examples and enormous disappointments. Opposition numbers and zones are treated to adequate time to get their desired possies, creating 'assisted' defensive zones and even separations to advantage away from the ball itself.

These are not flattering statistics for Brown. Watching him play (with hope and reducing expectations), he seems to be the epitome of a 'lazy' player - one who is also scared of stopping opposition backmen with something as simple as a tackle. According to many observers, if he wishes to keep playing then it is past the perfect moment for him to enthusiastically improve.

Nice summary of the ills of our game.

Agree with this observation. It almost appears to be irresponsible, at times.

All eyes on the target - a report would help after this match.

Stop it! I keep getting pleasant visions of Kevin Murray! Teeth out!

...and there is not a great deal that can be said..

No, it's not. It is punctuation. Correct grammar is terrific. Proper grammar is variable; it depends on who is using the grammar with merely a plum in the mouth.

The key for us is to demonstrate adaptability in our game plans and strategies - surely we have had adequate insights into what is going wrong in the application of our now 'mundane' game intents. The variations that are now required against oppositions who have analysed and exploited our weaker points are clear, and have been addressed by Demonlanders (above) quite well. It is again up to the coaching staff to re-ignite the team, man by man, to add variance to set plays, set connections, set team back-ups where we truly can be seen to play for one another. Pressure means that we rush. Such rush is not pace, it is last-resort efforts - often ineffective. The only way to address pressure on the footy field is to apply greater pressure on the opposition, more frequently, more collaboratively and more sustainably. These are the three things that have knocked us rotten in several games this year. Surely, it is our turn to fight back?

He obviously has some real footy smarts, young Jordan, and real footy skills. I am sure his distribution of foot-passing will adjust to improved performances as his game-time experience increases.

You mean that the team puppeteers have not yet examined the back of Gawny's head for mushy dents, corrugations, internal bleedings and bruising, aneurisms? They certainly should and then forward the results to the administrative 'experts' at the AFL to see if the sources of such trauma can be eliminated, reduced, acknowledged, prevented - including the mandatory eyesight testing of field umpires!

That is really laying the matter of 'form' to the test; perhaps, Jackson can assist up there; perhaps not. Worth a try but it will affect our rucking strengths enormously now that Gawny seems to be waylaid for a few weeks with his ankle issue. Daw and Joel Smith would be my preference but I also reckon that is my opinion only, not that of one other person. TMac will be resuming soon so perhaps, forwards leading for the ball is not a figment of the imagination. BBB has a real load to consider, adopt and deliver in all matches to come.

His head, particularly the back of the head, must be mushy by now. Every game, he cops a half dozen straight jabs and flung elbows without umpires noticing - he is more than a martyr for us.

Petty has been great but given too large a role when injured/sore. The bye, and a week up forward would help. Familiar faces need to be built back into the backline in general. As for the forwards, it is time to get JSmith fit and raring to go in front of goal. Daw needs to reduce the overwork of Gawn and Jackson, but particularly, needs a spot as a fwdpocket ruck presence who leads to space and utilises tap-downs to the crumbers. BBB needs a rocket and should be encouraged to re-evaluate his role and FFwd contribution early before the long bomb descends. Fritta can lead, kick and scramble groundwise - and a pronged forward line approach needs consideration every time the ball enters the 50m arc. Spargo one side, Kozzie the other, with Bedford up the guts to interfere with any opposition rebound. Game plan adjustments all around. The only surprise packet from the Filth game was the performance put in by Jordan - and it was a beauty!

Attitude, bravery, faith, positivism ... you have it all, praha. Well done. Time is our partner in the struggle to win the Premiership this year.

Props to our magnificent captain who couldn’t walk and was still out there fighting. He is a rare gem. We don’t deserve him. We do deserve him and we are very grateful for what he has given us, time and again, and what he will give us in the future. It is the players who don't deserve him when they allow lesser teams to beat us on the field.

Too often, the ball carrier does not have a back-up presence running past and making space - from deep defence all the way to deep forward. Our ability to work for each other has faded badly in this regard. Oliver and Trac, and Max are looking for that link but instead, have to bomb the ball forward unsupported. Linkages maintain possession; this creates forward spaces and leading. Teamwork is everything and is now seldom seen.

Sadly, both tend to delay disposals or spot the correct targets. Across the board, too many bombs allowing the Filth players to make ground to spoil, intercept or block. Gus played well inside a team that lacked cohesion.

Given what is missing from the backline, I LIKE IT.

Something in what you say rings a bell in my thoughts: '...to give Oliver a hand out...' in conjunction with, perhaps, 'give a hand out to Trac and Gawn' (as these three a left to pick up the crumbs and create the plays with others so that our 'team' can fire). We seem to have lost a little control over working '...for one another...' and this is starting to have major ramifications on the progress of our game, and down the line, our forward and deep forward opportunities and related execution without turnovers. Gus does the most to help the trademark ball carriage and created plays. Langdon - coming back to form - is also critical to this mass of positivity; Salem - also returning to form one hopes - is going to be vital. Spargo and Kozzie must also be sought in nearly every forward-line entry either as pacemaker carriers or one-touch crumbers. We have the talent, the aptitude and the ability to return to our gladiatorial best - flogging the Filth - and providing downward pressure on the latent rises within top six positions on the ladder. Think, boys ... do, boys ... execute.

Yep, we are really missing reasonable rebound and eyes-up midfielders.

Now that the one-match ban has been awarded, let's hope that Steven is not ostracized by any sector of the Club beyond a recognition of wrong-doing - and enabling them both to rapidly move forward to a more harmonious team/environment. Same for the Melk, who is competing against a considerable talent array within the Club. Both players have been under immense strain and pressure across a considerably long journey, overcoming injuries and doing their best to meet the needs of the Club, the Team and the fans.

There you go, Hibbo, target No.1

That is a simple comparison between the Weed and BBB. It really indicates that both are not up to the great - yet experientially reasonable - hopes that the fans and the football department have for each of them. Sometimes they break-out for some games to the team's benefit, mostly they break-up at the individual (and team) performance levels across the majority of games for which they were chosen, in the roles that we all expected and hoped that they could fulfil. It truly is time to select two others, preferably young, budding and switched-on forward enthusiasts who see the advantages of leading for the ball, finding space and presenting to the team's advantage at every opportunity. There are several who might fill such a profile. There are others who have been played largely 'out-of-position' so far in their footballing careers at the MFC.

Jack's impact has improved, too. If ever there was a Demon capable and willing to create havoc with the Filth, it would be Jack. I wonder who his key targets will be?