D4Life

Medi sub being Smith or Tomlinson probably makes more sense as already a tall down with Melksham instead of TMac and we got caught against Freo, Swans and Pies mid season with mixture of May injured/missing, Max injured, Petty injured leaving us 2 talls down in each game for at least a half! Harsh on Bowey with Salem to come in!

Spot on re accuracy, Trac should always play on and go with instinct as he seems a much better shot on the move, same with Oliver!

I like your outlook! Games against Swans are rarely blowouts, will happily take any winning margin, even though the heart would prefer 30 plus points! You need to follow up with Pies vs Cats smash one another and either lose in extra time. Love to see Pies lose anytime (2018 GF was great), and to see Cats lose another final after being pumped up by everyone would be awesome! Dogs lose to Freo with free kicks 30-10 in Freo favour and Beverage bleating about frees would be highly enjoyable!

It was a tragedy that he hurt his knee, will never forget the 9 goals against Sydney, just sensational. That he still finished with a good-VG career makes you think with two good knees would have been one if he greats of the competition!

Hoping LJ stays: There is no way Melb will accept pick 14 & future first rounder. Jackson was pick 3 is a premiership playing ruck, rising star and proven he can do it in finals in the ruck. Not a pocket or flanker! Lever costs us too firsts in higher positions than what is suggested, with a knee injury in his past. Jackson says I want to go home, get $xxx and go to Freo. Melb will be talking to both WC and Freo to keep Freo honest! Demons have a record of equitable trading, Freo not, but our list managers will get something smart done! Re delistings: Daw gone. Baker to go - just not quite good enough, close! Hibberd - keep on cheaper one year deal - his best is still very good, smoked Charlie C, great record against Dusty, just a competitive beast. Also Godwin knows exactly what he brings and their Essendon history sees him getting another year! Hunt - sign, speed, courage, break lines, disposal improved, defending is getting better each year. Mitch Brown - delist but keep at Casey maybe forward coaching role. Bedford - try keep but looks like he will go. Thats 4 gone. Melksham - thought was done but last 6 games has been really solid, lesser salary one more year! If one more needs to go, would let the weakest of kids go!

Hopefully LJ stays. If not: Grundy at $650/700k Pies paying $300k gives you an ex All Australian(?) who has had many close battles with Max over the years. Means we have two elite ruckman with different styles and likely extends both careers. Grundy also covers a lot of ground so fits into our all team defence. Look at the midfield combos: Max/Grundy Trac/Brayshaw Oliver Viney/Sparrow Harmes Would still provide an awesome midfield with high level of flexibility.

Lions are slow learners, believe by taking cheap shots at the demons will put us off our game. Let’s see after three flogging whether they continue with their tough guy act next time we play!! On another topic would be delighted to see Lions & Tigers belt the heck out of one another this weekend!😃

When I reflect on media fawning over the Tigers last few years, aside from the line trotted out that “Demons best is the best”, so many pundits trying to find flaws with what we have done. Crush the Lions at the G and Gabba, the Lions played poorly, more often than the Demons first half was sensational and that should scare the sh.. out of other finalists. Then when it comes to how the game pans out, its if Swans can tag Oliver, stop Petracca, take May out of the play etc. they win! Whereas the H&A champion Cats, just get they are so good but nothing mentioned about their repeated failings in finals and they have it all to prove! Demons don’t get a lot of respect, after last years finals campaign!

JVR has a real crack and looks good. FD must have been tempted to give him a game during the season.

AFL are really weak cleaning up cheap acts, until someone gets really hurt then they act. A bit like concussion response. Cox takes lots of cheap shots and is being let off Scott free! Max gets hit in head so often it’s embarrassing - he must have a hard skull - he is given zero protection.

Last years flag brilliant watching a 2022 in the flesh, might even go one better!! Go you mighty Demons!!

Ditto, just a brilliant win!

Huge thanks to Andy & co, Demonland is terrific, the podcast has great analysis, and some posters are just funny! I spend more time on Demonland than all other footy sources combined! Go Demonland & mighty Demons!

Most enjoyable thread ranging from: - Try harder - weak forward line - David King statistics highlight xx with little real analysis or any depth - Occasional TV analysis highlighting some specific points - Daisy, Bartels among better analysts - I missed Craig Jennings on the radio as he was pretty astute, this year Brenton Sanderson is okay - Realistically most analysts get a light touch view of the 18 teams across the season, so don’t go into depth on any team - Fortunately at Demonland courtesy of Andy we get Binman and George weekly, supported by Vipercrunch and a few others. They provide really good analysis and look behind what is in plain sight - Friday highlighted that Demons have been loading and started their build towards the finals 6-7 weeks ago. Demons were dynamic, speed of covering the ground, ball movement, skills were just fantastic. At half time Fagan must have just gone it f……. Happened again, they just blitzed us, no way we beat the Demons this year. We head into the finals: - Looking ready to peak in the finals, having torched the 4th team - Fit list with TMac possibly ready by Prelim final - Goodwin having kept a few tricks up his sleeve - Other contenders will have looked at that first half and gone oh crap, we ain’t winning a flag without beating the Demons who just destroyed the Lions in a half, not beat but massacred them - We know Trac, Clarke, Gus, Maxy, Frittata, Viney, Salem, May, Lever, BBB all big game players, look at Rivers, Hunt, Hibberd, Harmes, Langdon, Dogga, Petty, Sparrow all coming into form, Kossie firing on all cylinders, Spargo, Melksham using ball well and defending hard, ANB running till he spews(with a little help), and medi sub options galore - Forward line kicking over a 100 points and really we stopped in the last quarter - When it comes to TACTICS and timing looks like Goody and co. Have timed our September preparation perfectly with a few surprises up our sleeve GO Demons with just a little Lady Luck we are ready to March onto a back-back flag!!

He played well tonight and his drive in last few minutes won us games against Blues! He is definitely in!

Electric first half destroyed Lions! They went for a lot of cheap shots early in the game, we just shook them off and smashed them. Great win by demons!!!!

Lions playing man Demons playing the ball keep going Demons

There are shades of grey!

Opposition have either of interstate travel on same day - or sleep in different bed. 95% Lion supporters- umpire influence. Look at Basketball court same dimension, but major home ground advantage.

If we lose Jackson? Would be great to get Naughton, would be a huge addition to our forward line.

We kick 2 more goals rather than points we win. Pies kicked 15-4 and two rushed, they kick 13-6 and two rushed, still very accurate they lose! Season isn’t over yet!

He is getting the ball a lot, but has limited vision! Basically goes back ignores his first option, hesitates, waits for defenders and Max to roll back, then kicks it long down the line, every time! Perhaps under instruction, but in 50% of cases ignores someone 25-30 metres in front of him on their own. Ignores chance to go quickly and open up opposition. Aside from distance gained, the other stat that would be beneficial is metres gained that goes to a teammate.

If I hadn’t of seen the game and just read the Demonland comments you would think we lost by 6-8 goals! It was 7 points - yes, poor to lose, but not all is lost! Forwards have to tackle all game and we need to kick the easy goals.

Elliott got three goals from frees from good tackles. Ball also went quickly into the defence on too many occasions, so pressure built, and tackling by Pies in forward half was very good! Still they kick 13-8. we win. We miss two less shots, we win! Problems in addition to ordinary backline performance: 2nd half we got overrun! Pies tackling pressure terrific, we need to match next time, particularly in forward half. Jackson has been ordinary. While Melksham has played his role, I can’t see us winning with him in team, I’d like to give JVR a crack!

After half time umpiring all one way!