Deemania since 56

He owes us one, a blinder. He must concentrate on his roving, not be left in a one-on-one situation or worse. A rover like him is an asset to run clear to the ball, with the ball, accurately disposing to advantage, and repeat. He has these skills and we need these skills more than ever. Go Spargs! Give 'em a bit of short-Rs magic.

Time travel was discovered simultaneously at different points in history - however, for the Demons fanatic, maybe we don't want to go there? A win would be great - and we might travel back to something familiar that occurred in 1964. Then again ...

Things are such in the forward line that do not mean panic, just finer adjustments. Daw, playing such a role (as you suggest, "Hello..."), is a strategy that many of us DL fanatics have considered, repeatedly, as a roaming fwd pocket tall because he can kick them accurately and is a mighty presence, and is a fine mark. BB will have his role with greater support from the smalls; this frees both Fritta and TMac to do their things in a mobile mentality - all occurring each and every time the ball enters the forward line. Such an arrangement is not confusion for our overall attack but it will be for any opposition defenders - no matter who they are or how good they (and the media) rate themselves. The smalls' roles are vital and should be well-populated. I'd go for Viney out of the midfield and into a steering role from the other forward pocket with the likes of Kozzie and Spargo roving the hell out of opportunities, with Melksham and Hunt (the latter two from the HFFlks) and, from the bench, a mobile and now-fit JSmith. This function can be fortified by the addition - week on, week off - of the likes of our newbies with such talent until these younger players adapt themselves more fully to the rigors and experience levels required within/of AFL standards. We can do this.

Straightforward, top question, isn't it?

Inclusions are good, but it could be said that there is not a great deal of change - more 'same old, same old' in reality. The inspiration might well have come from the emergencies, the medi-sub and some positional realignments between backs and forwards who, down there, are relatively new to that confined environment. Brown should lead his opponent down the brellow-yick road as often as possible and some young smart Rs Demon should rush in nearby to whence he came, and Fritta, TMac and Gawn/Jackson should offer leads, as well. They all need the goal-kicking practice, anyway. I want you Demons to freak out, all game, at 100kph with a mongrel attitude and presence. Hear?

Williams has made a big impression on us all; however, my money and faith rests more heavily on Yze to direct us to a GF, a winning GF, and onward to greater success in terms of several seasons of great performance.

Bluddoath.

Wrecks my footy day tomorrow if he isn't on the ground against Port. I wanna see AVB go through Dixon, wahhhhhh!

Joel should play forward - if he has the opportunity. The backline is relatively fine and still borders on 'fabulous'. Petty could be let loose on the fwd line at some stage, as well. The two could swapsie-tango as both can mark, intercept, spoil, shepherd, kick, run to space, lead out, kick well and true. Then again, I may be the only person who thinks so ... perhaps it is something that I should keep to myself, in hindsight. Go on, abuse me!

Must agree. There were some impassable fullbacks in those days - far more than now!

Radical moves, these are needed, we have the weapons. Give Yze the call - please!

Spot on!

Nope. But sometimes - rarely - he does so once or twice to ensure a guernsey, next week.

It is noticeable that he is an enthusiast of the 'kick it to me' syndrome; if this is done in a fast series of plays, Viney will stop that flow as he receives the ball (from a mark or free) to make sure the crowd realises he has the ball (well, congratulations) and thus, we lose that initial flow/run/ball movement speed just long enough for the opposition backs to run back into position - advantage of 'team' excellence and forward innovation wasted in his hands.

Umpiring in Adelaide against a SA team is one of the biggest hurdles Melbourne will ever face - particularly if a finals berth may be waiting for the 'home' team. Never tear us apart: umpire decision-making and Port free kicks. Gawny is in for an series of unseen bashes. Oliver is in for a series of unseen bashes. Bring in AVB, I say, to ease the pain and test the manliness of back-of-the-head harm maximisation. Dees, by 3 hospital visits to none, I'd reckon.

We manage players, like all teams. Why can't the umpires be 'managed' as effectively?

Logic supports this thought,

The reality is just that - it is definitely over to G and Co to sort out the forward potency that we all see as an enormous, dormant asset and to strategise what they could produce. The timeframe for the development of finals readiness is perfect, right now and highly necessary, right now. Favourites, anticipated experiential form and a host of conventional thoughts have seen us dip. It's time to change, producing another 'new' strategy and more bang for the buck.

I keep saying to myself: '...why don't we pick up a Caleb Daniels ... there's lotsa blokes playing footy who are not built like Adonis, who play hot footy that astounds other players...', so maybe you have just hit the nail on the head in mentioning Bowey. I saw him interviewed and he seems a smart young man, very 'learnable' and keen to do realistically well. Worth a try, particularly if he is a good ball handler, disposer, ground action man and is aware of what must be done,

Interesting the word 'panic' is used instead of 'action' in which there are plenty of resources to deal with an our form slump - some are so obvious it angers quite a few of us that the FD has not taken these, nor predicted such needs. Crunch time will come as a consequence but could be avoided entirely; show us the light, Chocko and Ooze.

It's a possibility that we are 'pretenders' as we lack the courage - reliably - to blood new and fresh talent and opportunities - where our 'leaders' in the FD play and replay the same old, ever-hopefuls in preference to real-time alternatives. Our talent bases do not flourish as these should. The processes applied wear out our highly skilled into various extensions of form losses and player fatigue. Our match day competitiveness - even in good times, such as now - diminish and wither on the vine - even in good times, such as now. The talent pool and its generation wanes, so we resign ourselves to starting again. I always thought that the pheonix was supposed to rise from the ashes?

Underperformers receiving the passed buck - to diminish their own poor efforts - through disguised credibility to comment in the first place.

Worthy of consideration.

All good points - some very valid and worthy of action. These are difficult decisions and even more difficult to admit as observer comment. I think that the coaching staff have decided across the past month to ignore experienced observational comment.

We know our selectors will not make changes or improved performances. Perhaps, a flogging by Port Adelaide will help.