D4Life

Big difference between dominating against a weak North VFL team and playing the Swans tonight. Harmes has finished top 5 in our B&F, proven he can do it at the level, play him in the right position and he will find form. Sparrow looks promising, but needs to earn it - ANB dominated at VFL a number of seasons back, and has taken quite a while to become a solid player. Petty like for like - tick! Melksham highly skilled, uses ball exceptionally well into forward 50, three tackles last week is probably all FD are looking for from him. He is frustrating at times, but his good is quality!

As much as I dislike Pies, Treloar missed almost halF season, Philipps hardly played, Stephenson had a poor year! playing wise they will be ok, culture wise who knows the impact

Cats got Brown for free, but when Demons were going to get him, I wasn’t overly enthusiastic! Would have much preferred Philips or Polec, both significantly younger and not on the slide! My only disappointment with draft is would have really liked Philips. BBrown for pick 30ish vs Cameron 3 firsts is a huge get for Demons. I think BB will be worth 10-15% on our percentage that translates to 3 more wins. I also think Weideman will be a better CHF than FF so am really looking forward to seeing our forward line fire in 2020! If one of Pickett, Spargo, Bedford, ANB, Melksham really lift in 2021 and Fritsch kicks straighter we will have a great forward line! BB - FF Picket FP Fritsch HF Weid CHF Spargo & Viney FP Melksham & Petracca HF Hunt either FP or HF Jackson a bonus We have a heap of talent, Ollie could do a little in forward line, TMac, plus more as backups! Trac, Oliver, Brayshaw 23-24 a year older Backline solid, Aside from a Lockhart make someone else a lockdown small. only spot I feel we are soft is wing, Baker? I look at 2021 & 2022 optimistically, we have huge upside! Go Dees!

Give it an A. So great work. Brown will be a terrific addition, compared to what Geelong paid for Cameron, almost makes it deal of the trade! Had we have picked up one of Philips or Higgins would have gone to A+.

Del Santo also said breaking out of centre, Brown was a great presence and you couldn’t help be drawn to kicking towards him, gave Brown significant praise! Craig Jennings the strategist another to really rate Brown and how much time Melbourne spent on trying to stop him. Brown is a huge get for the Demons, getting him for a draft pick or picks in 2nd round is a big win!

One year at $500-$550k supposedly what he is on at Pies, then three years at around $350k-375k. $500-550k less 25-30% For salary cap drop! He would do a great job on other wing To Langdon, running up and down the “G”!

If the cap is dropping 25% roughly $3M, and only dropping 4+-1 players, least paid players, it must be tough balancing books at most clubs, and those who back loaded deals, expecting cap to rise are doubly screwed (Magpies)! This has likely had an impact on what clubs can do, with exception of a few, who perhaps had front loaded a couple of players. Brown is a big win for the Demons, would really like to see one more player to come in to cover small forward or back, or a wingman! Then your only looking at a few players to step up, of which small forwards we have a few options, wing not so much, small back not so much. Maybe we can fill a hole in the draft, or rookie draft(unlikely)! Disappointed we couldn’t get Higgins, but getting rid of TMac salary or most of it, probably key to bringing in a Philip’s, Polec or Higgins type. Then again supposedly had money for Isaac Smith, I Wasn’t mad on Him As at 32 don’t need much to go wrong, to drop off perch, Jetta and N Jones examples for Demons! Hoping we can pick up one more player before This draft stage ends! ?

Coaches like bosses all have favourites, it’s part of life! Melksham seemingly the standout this year, as he rarely got out of 1st or 2nd gear!

If you want to keep midfield defensive pressure To a high level you need to rotate the midfielders. It’s then how you use them off the bench and in other positions for it to really work. Petracca, Oliver, Harmes could all rotate HF, Viney, Oliver FP, Brayshaw a little more challenging for other role!

Geelong has so many advantages: -Major GOVT financial support - benefit of rural/Coast lifestyle & much lower property prices - coastal football nursery - largest home ground advantage - least away game disadvantage They should always make finals!

Agree with your comments, with a few minor differences Small Lockdown defender is the real hole, reliant on a Lockhart making it, who is next in line. Running backs Salem, Rivers & Hibberd is okay. Wing a Phillips or Polec would fill the hole, relying on Baker because he kicked two good goals against GWS seems a major risk. One more small pressure type forward, I do like Higgins from Tiggers! With confusion over cap and list size, Demons likely hamstrung unless one of Macs traded out. Maybe OMac plus 43 for Polec Less some salary may work! If Brown does happen as seems likely will be one of the best trades of the draft for impact on team performance!

Agree with your comments. He has speed and if can up his presence and tackling pressure on his quiet days, will be able to perform small forward role similar to Tigers smalls! This applies to a few Demons, lift intensity when they don’t have the ball, on their quiet days! If Brown can add two goals a game, we only need another 1-2 goals out of rest of team on average and we make top 4! I look at Pickett, Hunt, Oliver, Fritsch kicking straighter, Jackson, it’s a minor improvement! Aside from Hunt all players under 24 listed here so reasonable to expect them to get better!

Terrific news for Demons, will make a significant difference to forward line! Add 40-60 goals!

Demonland constantly highlights how we see players through a different lens! Hore to me is slow In speed and decision making, fumbles but can take a grab. Personally I would delist him, but can just accept him as a rookie, would prefer we rookie a young kid this year, as if there is a year for a player to slip through the cracks in the draft, it will be 2020!

Kevin Bartlett was small and light! Give him another pre season or two and then judge him!

100% correct that’s he’s off to theCats. Much better result for Demons to get Philips or Polec!

It was in the podcast, just can’t recall whether it was after Freo or Swans game, but one the Cairns games.

I also want to add thanks to Andy, George and Binman, For the season but particularly your analysis after the Swans or Freo game, nailed our weaknesses in structure and players!!

Thanks to all at Demonland, adds to my enjoyment of following the Demons! Not necessarily good for my sanity! But a side benefit is Following the Demons does build resilience!

There are a few players who you can’t play, as you could see Tigers intensity and backline structure faultered with Vlaustin missing in the first half, they regrouped at half time and their defensive wall was back, big part of their forward defensive structure being so successful is implied pressure from Martin, defenders panic a bit, also he makes them pay, then you get Lynch & Riewoldt tackling pressure plus their other forwards and midfield. You only need 1-2 players in the team not maintaining pressure and it falls apart. Melbourne Carried Melksham almost zero pressure, Jones limited pressure due to being slow, defence needs a small lockdown defensive player. Also young guys in Pickett & Jackson will be better pressure wise another year on. Fritsch can do it, but needs to target a player as he fix last two rounds. Brayshaw needs to lift his intensity. The other factor is Demons need to rotate midfield more, so they can keep defensive intensity up! I liked Melksham one on one ability back half 2018 and parts 2019, but watching Tigers last night can see if you don’t bring defensive intensity, creates huge holes, so would drop Melksham until he does it.

Replace Brown with Ben Brown and replace Melksham with someone like Higgins from Richmond, and get Harmes to tag best opposition defensive playmaker and it’s a different dynamic, with Petracca spending 40%- 60% forward like Dusty and it’s a Totally different Forward line.

Agree with your standouts, but intensity or pressure from all players is the biggest, it just wore the Cats down last night, overwhelming them in the last. Dusty just does it when it matters most. Makes me look at Demons and go what do we need: - FF Ben B fits the bill - Wing Phillips from Pies, can bring run and pressure - Forward Higgins from Tigers - Small defender not sure but someone relentless in tackling pressure Looking at majority of team below, reinforces the above changes to me. Melksham misses due to lack of pressure, Ben Brown FF instead of ex Bomber Brown, Weideman to CHF. Add relentless pressure, Petracca lifts one extra cog for big games, Oliver the same, we can be not that far away! Strategy - Tigers are about holding defensive structure and relentless pressure. Structure dropped and pressure while getting stabilised with Vlaustin missing and Tigers vulnerable, reset at half time and the pressure squeezed the life out of Geelong. Demons, have the core of what is required, just a few missing pieces to be filled, and a lift in intensity can propel us into a top 4 position!

Smith would be an improvement on current 22 and as a FA costs nothing. 3 yrdeal where maybe only get two good years is okay. 10 guys on bottom of list give you next to nothing each year!

Respect Wells obviously excellent recruiter! Cats have major salary cap advantage, probably 20% - 40% house pricing plus lifestyle. Add huge home ground advantage, should almost never miss finals!

Spot on. Go through the top 30 goal kickers In the league and check their ratios, expectations of many supporters are unrealistic when it comes to number of goals players should kick per game. Fritsch gets potted by quite a few on Demonland, but few 2nd or 3rd forwards kicked as many goals as he did, and if He improves his goal kicking Will be more than handy for many years.