D4Life

Expected score is an indicator, Melbourne had control of the game from late 1st through 4th quarter, didn’t look like losing. Last week against Giants should have been 5 goal win, that’s what it looked like!

Saints are well disciplined, with a solid backline, within a goal per week of the best rated backlines. They definitely brought their best effort. Demons below their best, down a little in confidence, but some positive signs: - Trac four straight, - May rock solid, - Saints only scored 58 points, our defence is finals strong, - ANB strong start to game, - Langdon a bit more involved, - Sparrow, Rivers, Brayshaw, JJ through the middle, providing options particularly when Oliver gets back, - Major room for improvement across the park. Kossie, Spargo, to lift, BBB show some positive signs, - Max/Grundy combo can improve, but not as bad as many make out, - JVR to come in with a little extra output for last 6 weeks, We’ve got 6-7 weeks to bring it together!

You look at our team: - Backline looks fantastic, - Mids even with Oliver out, still looks incredibly strong, like seeing Rivers in the mix, - Forward line, not as strong, still Kozzie a top small forward, time for BBB, Spargo & Melksham to shoot the lights out with accuracy, and big Maxy and Grundy kick at least one goal each. Best of luck to young Woey all reports indicate he is highly skilled, if he can deliver could quickly tie up a spot in the 22! Headed to the Marvel morgue tonight, hoping to see Demons salute! Go Demons.

What I think will happen: Outs Ins Fritsch - injured. - JVR Chandler - out of form - Spargo Harmes - played poorly - Oliver Goodwin rarely makes more than 3 changes. Melksham sub maybe Jordan in. But with Fritsch out I think they will give Melksham another game as backup forward. Tomlinson in wings for Petty forward if BBB doesn’t get going in next three weeks or if Smith totally inconsistent! I’d rest Max in goalsquare Pickett next to him. Get BBB to be leading rather than pack marking FF. Also have Trac playing 50% in forward half.

So have you compared him to small forwards in the league. Go look at the stats per game.

GWS scored 7-5 47! 5-15 with more misses is the problem!

How many small forwards have kicked more goals than Kozzie this year, have more tackles etc.

On the round ball theme, if it’s wet this afternoon I’m hoping the Demons kick it off the ground a little more and handball a little less!

We won a flag in 56, hopefully a good omen!

Binman you use to much logic, stats, facts, and examples! You need more blind emotion! Of course winning every week and focussing on the tactical each week at a time is of paramount importance vs who in their right mind would look at the season strategically with the flag in mind!! Have a look at yourself man! Don’t you realise footy is an emotional game! PS: Keep up the great analysis! Go Demons!

It’s still June - I haven’t seen a AFL premiership flag awarded until September and on the odd occasion October! Our injury list is small, assuming Oliver’s hamstring comes good and Hibbo recovers, we can hopefully hit August and September being very close to having a best 23 available. We improve the forward line 10-20%, kick straight for goal and we are in this years flag hunt up to our eyeballs! Pies are a very good team, but high risk might not stack up under PF/GF pressure! Port on fire at moment, but how will their young guns in Butters, Rozee and Horn Francis be travelling in September and they don’t get home ground umpiring favouritism at the MCG on GF day if they make it that far! Brisbane game style and having to play any finals in Victoria, sees them falling short. Coming from position 5-8 is unlikely, no matter who it is! As long as we stay relatively injury free and make top 4 we are right in the hunt for the flag, that will be won in September!!!

Unfortunately at times people hear what they want to hear, and see what they want to see. No amount of proof, logic, stats, facts, sound bites etc. will matter. Injuries killed the end of 2022 for us, and no injuries worked for us in 2021, plus loading kicked into our performance levels at the back end of the season and finals! Injury is the biggest factor, Moore and or Nick Daicos go down for the Pies and their flag hopes would be significantly reduced, in fact if both were out they would be done! The query I have on loading is when you play other teams who should also be loading e.g. Cats, Port, Freo, Pies in the last 5/6 weeks can we still use loading as an excuse? I know we beat the Pies, kicked it away against Freo, stopped to a walk against Cats, and had Oliver been fit might have got home against Port. Also home town umpiring in the last helped Port & the Cats. Other issues apparent: - JVR well managed will suffice at CHF or FF but we definitely need one of BBB/Petty/TMac to get up & going. - Our forwards are playing too often from behind, not leading enough, and when they lead those leads need to be rewarded. - Oliver fit. - Tomlinson back shored up the defensive structure, Lever looked miles better. So seems like either Tomo or Petty must go back. - Bowey needs to play.

Let’s get a petition going from Demonland - Demons only have to play at Kitty Park every 2nd year!

Losing to Geelong at Geelong isn’t a big surprise. At the Cigar shaped ground, they clog up their backline better than someone with constipation! The fact we’ve played at 💩stadium 20 times since 2000 more than Pies, Bombers, Blues, Hawks & Tigers combined is an absolute disgrace and the club needs to do something about it! It gives me the 💩💩💩💩! Club members should set up a petition if the club won’t demand change! Last night more than half the Demon players played poorly, so to just lose is surprising! If you were rating out of 10 there would have been 5-6 1s & 2’s, 5-6 3/4/5’s. Rivers, Salem, McVee, Grundy, Hunter, Viney & Lever were good/okay, but not much outside this group. JVR will be a VG CHF but tough to expect him to lead the way at present. Personally I’d prefer stick with Petty CHF and JVR FF this season! Maybe they are trying to get BBB fit to come in from round 16/17 onwards. I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water just yet! All teams have weaknesses and off weeks, impact of loading, byes etc., finishing top 4 is still possible. If we can stay top 4, kick straighter and relatively injury free we will be in with a chance come finals time!

Geelong at Geelong always a challenge, funny shaped ground and crowd 95% Cats supporters influencing the blind mice - even if four now rather than three! The big difference from last year at Geelong is Selwood, Dangerfield and Guthrie not in the middle. This should enable Demons to win this battle, even without Oliver, plus we are also stronger in the ruck with Grundy in the team. Expecting to win but always a bit nervous at the cattery!

The whole team caught a mixture of Covid, the flu and diarrhoea (that’s only the coach), so if the Demons win, that’s why - but no we’re not making excuses!

What were the coaches votes?

Be fair to the umps - only one player wearing a helmet on the field, so that helmet getting hit a second late would be really hard to notice! Particularly when it 20 metres directly in front of you!!!!!!!!!!!

Correct, but Moore is a protected player, like Hawkins of Geelong!

Great win , kick straight it’s a 5 goal win! They jumped us with 3 and we dominated the rest of the game, other than last 3 mins where umps changed rules! As mentioned by others Tomlinson very solid game, looked close to his early 2021 form, and backline looks better with him in it!

A loss would be disappointing today, but not season ending, just that we have a lot of work to do before the finals. A win today would be fantastic because we all hate the Pies! Giving us a better chance of top 4 and some hope for top 2, but flags are still won in September (most years 😃)! Whatever the outcome we have a lot to do this season, staying injury free being number 1. Go Demons!!!!!!!!!

Irrespective of what win or loss for the season means, would be great to beat the blxxdy Pies! The greater the margin the better!!

Fallback scenarios: - West Coast Eagles 2018 (We are the Eagles) - Swans prelim lose last year - Giants prelim lose 2017 - Demons 2021

One big difference between GF and today. The 60k Magpies criminal supporters will sway the umpires! But we will still prevail! GF day only 12k of the criminals get in and anti Pies sentiments and generally having best umpires means they don’t get an extra player via supporters influencing umpires like during H& A! Demons by 5 goals today!

Just wait till we sort it out!!