Mel Bourne

Seven players out there between 18-21 years of age. Tanks don’t get built quickly.

I don’t understand how anyone could have watched that footage of Petty and Fagan and thought there was any animosity there.

I told my Dees-supporting buddy to prepare to have their heart broken at the start of the last quarter. Not because I thought we were going to “soil the bed” (which thankfully they didn’t do “literally”), but because I felt we had just one too many young fellas out there without the necessary tanks/mind-sets to complete the task. But I drew a helluva lot of positives out of that match.

Big lift from Clarry tonight.

I don’t mind that. We’d be a far lesser team without Lever and May, so if bickering is what makes them tick, please keep ticking on.

My comment on game day thread: “My gut-feel is that we get a lot closer than many here are saying we will, but a very much in-form Lions will do what very much in-form teams do. Just want to see some fight and improvement. Go Dees.” So I really can’t complain, and I won’t. Thought our team showed the kind of grit and cohesion we thought might have been lost. And was really heartened by the young players’ efforts.

My gut-feel is that we get a lot closer than many here are saying we will, but a very much in-form Lions will do what very much in-form teams do. Just want to see some fight and improvement. Go Dees.

I’m in favour of the push for our young players to be given time on the big stage this season, and I’m sure they are too. And they must all realise that entails not having any expectations when it comes to selection, even after a solid showing. There are only so many chairs at the table. While some here are expressing disappointment on behalf of Pup, I’d guess he’s somewhere else feeling pretty chuffed about how things are going so far.

He needs to get good psychiatric help throughout all of this. Ideally not club-appointed, so he can process freely. And maybe he can seek some comfort in the law of averages. 400-odd AFL players (and thousands in lesser leagues) risk what happened to Trac, happening to them every weekend. If something similar happened to him again he would be one of the unluckiest dudes to ever lace up.

Dangerfield got off because the club disputed it, and I feel, rightly so. The only argument in favour of suspension was that Walsh’s arms were both pinned, thus preventing him from being able to brace. In a sling tackle that’s fair enough, but Dangerfield’s tackling motion was pretty textbook. The tackling rules have found themselves in a bit of a nowhere land of late. The unusually-tetchy argument that broke out between Lyons, Riewoldt, Buckley and Jordan post-game was an illustration of this. Pinning the arms in a sling tackle absolutely needs to be phased out. But in most other situations, not pinning the arms provides the opposition an opportunity to dispose. Which is completely at odds with the intent behind a tackle in the first place.

Maybe it’s my well and truly lapsed Catholicism or growing up with too many saucy British comedies on the TV, but I don’t think too many AFL players would want to be known as “The Vicar”! I’m going economic: “Mon”.

Our Trac is one of the most raw, candid and charming AFL players that front up to the cameras, and seeing him so emotionally affected is tough viewing. The love for the guy from all the neutrals over at the AFL Reddit page has been heartening. I genuinely hope I'm reading too deep into this, but I couldn't help but notice that when asked about the support he'd been receiving he said words to the effect of "the support from my family, friends, fiancee and the footy-world in general has been amazing". No specific mention of the MFC. I'm just going to assume it's because they don't start with an "f" and move on. Rest up, champion.

Tear it up Mon! Love it Wow, five debutants in one season. And with nine rounds to go, could that number increase?

I don’t doubt her intelligence. But if she thought she was going to get softball-questions, then it was quite naive. Anyway, tomorrow is another day…

Look, I’ll concede “appalling” might be too strong an adjective. But to say she hadn’t even seen it…I’m sorry but I question the honesty here. It’s very disappointing at most, and if true that she hadn’t seen it, most weird at the least. Her role may be administrative, but when she chooses to go on the radio it extends to “publicist”. And a good publicist doesn’t front up to the media without doing their homework.

If the club were to go to the MRO with the argument that there was enough inertia, or as you described it: “like when people don't wear seatbelts the continue to travel after the car stops.” …to somehow warrant the May’s action, we would be shamed by the public. As it happens, the club don’t believe your theory either. I seriously question your claim

And how do we feel about Chris Scott saying such things?

I know the side’s form is currently in a downturn, but does the collective intelligence of Demonland have to plummet with it?

She can’t watch a five-second replay of an incident she’s about to be asked about on national radio?? There are ways to handle a question you’d rather not answer without being dishonest

As President, it would be wise to not convey to the supporters of your club that you have better things to do on a Saturday night than watch the game. “We’ve copped the fine, and we’re moving on. Next question”

I’m talking about the posts trying to defend his actions, and others that are drawing an equivalence to ducking.

Friend texted me and said Kate Roffey was just interviewed on the ABC. When asked about this her response was “I haven’t seen it so I can’t comment”. Can someone here confirm this? If true that is an appalling response. Further to this, I was at the game with two Roos supporters and was genuinely embarrassed when the replays were being shown on the screen. I love Maysie, but this was one of the more blatant stages I’ve seen in recent times, and some of the “whataboutisms” and excuses being hurled around on this thread are borderline delusional.

There are people in the side who are literally a decade younger than him.

To be fair, at eight wins and no losses, they WERE good at the time. And so were we. This season’s been a wild ride. And there’s still ten rounds to go.

Can definitely see this kid getting better and better, and he’s most welcome to do that with the Demons.