D4Life

Score update please

Debut of our next flag is what I’d like to watch at the ‘G’.

Hunter just may be great this year!!

JJ is looking promising Hunter won a B&F yes I know 5/6 years ago but Hunter been there done that, hopefully JJ gets to that standard! We overrate our own, particularly those who have never done it at AFL! I’m not referring to JJ in particular!

This take looks pretty good: - Pies 0 - Blues 0 - Bombers 0

Pies played last year with nothing to lose approach, soft draw, and some luck with close games. Daicos junior improves, but Pendlebury, Sidebottom and Elliott closer to the end! I think they make the eight, but wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t! Cats playing list no worse, enough home games, they make top 4. Swans hard to call but we’ll coached and make to eight for me. Lions list looks better, top 8 for me. Pies as above on the edge!! Demons list improved make 8 should be top 4. Freo list looks weaker, also Jackson big money may create angst, so are on the edge! Dogs list looks weaker Dunkley, Hunter out, Jones in will help backline, Darcy, Ugle both improve. Right on edge! Tigers look better with Hopper & Taranto providing cover for Prestia and Martin fitter, makes them look better, make 8 push for top 4! so Pies, Freo & Dogs vulnerable! Contenders: - Blues have star power Cripps, Walsh, Curnow, McKay & Weitering, small forwards weakness, but will go close. I’d go finally make 8! - Gold Coast lose Rankine, but will go very close if King back & fit! -Port with a bit of luck make the 8! - Saints no King, don’t make it, also Ryder a lose! - Hawks bottom after cutting too hard! - North will improve but bottom 4. - West Coast will improve but 13-18 - Crows 12-16 - Bombers finish 10-14 will take time to learn to defend! - GWS list looks weaker losing Hopper, Taranto & Braun, seems like 13-18 place! Bit of fun to guess how it turns out, but always a few surprises on the ups & downs, as long as our Demons are top 4 that’s the key result!

Is AFL finally moving towards the round ball football approach where a player is recruited as left or right side specific! Example being at Celtic where Postecoglou recruited a right back specialist from Canada - Johnstone to replace Juranovic who they sold!

Beat me to the punch on Rivers! I think quicker ball movement also makes teams look faster! Sounds like the Demons are doing this in training from our track watcher reports!

LJ may turn into a star, but definitely not in top ten ruckman and being replaced by 2nd best ruckman in comp at present. In short term Grundy is a better player than LJ. Jackson form was below average last year, especially last half of the season, maybe he was carrying an injury.

I liked Jay Lockhart, but no other club picked him up when Demons let him go, and while very good at VFL level, big difference between being very good at VFL level and making it at AFL level. Who would you pick Lockhart in front of - Bowey, Hibberd, Rivers, JJ? I don’t think so! I also like Chandler, is great at VFL level but has struggled when given AFL chances, limited though they may be! Would be great to see him get half a dozen AFL games in a row in 2023! Then at least he gets a decent go! Laurie showed some glimpses at VFL level but needs to do a lot more to get a crack at AFL level. Bedford at least showed glimpses at AFL level, but would go totally missing. The 2nd small forward role is tough to play. Some on Demonland over rate VFL performances, there is a big step up to AFL! Sounds like from training reports ball movement into the forward line will be a lot quicker this year, making the life of small forwards and forwards generally easier. As fast ball movement give’s opposition defenders less time to get set! 2021 GF our ball movement forward accelerated from the point Harmes went to Fritsch and goal. If Demons play will that level of speed and decisiveness going forward, and we get a good injury run, we can expect another flag in 2023!

Agree Hunter is a lock, B&F winner at Dogs and has really hurt the Demons in multiple games over the last 7 years! I can’t wait for the season to start and have Hunter and Langdon on the wings being fed the ball of half back from Salem, Brayshaw and Bowey, and then ball moved quickly into the forward line!

Daisy is just incredible, insightful, considered, empathetic, a terrific leader and modest. Hearing her talk to Gerard Whateley who is also very considered, was always a delight, I’d almost go Daisy for PM! 😃 Hopefully she comes back to the Demons before too long!

The above highlights that we have better depth going into 2023. Grundy as extra ruck. Tall forwards with JVR close last year and now another pre season of improvement and Schache better back up than Weid. Hunter coming in gives greater flexibility around usage of Brayshaw & Jordan. Looking at backline options, it looks rock solid. Tomlinson will be much better this year, so if one of May, Lever or Petty unavailable he will provide better coverage. Smaller backs look well and truly covered with Brayshaw and JJ available if multiple unavailable. The challenge is for two of ANB, Spargo, Sparrow, Harmes, Chandler, maybe JJ to find 10 goals more a season, so basically a goal a week combined to boost the forward line. Our midfield, wings, ruck also need to be adding a goal or two a week, you look at the talent - Gawn, Grundy, Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Brayshaw, Hunter & Langdon is the best in the league and they need to also step up their influence going forward. Trac kicks straighter and there is 10 plus to start! Across the team find 2-3 extra goals per week, defence maybe a goal tighter and percentage is up 20~25%, and we won’t be losing too many matches in that scenario! 17-5 or better season, top 4 likely 2 finish and a red hot crack at the flag in September!

Geelong get a tick on culture but it is their location that gives them an advantage in player retention. Come live by the beach or in the country and real estate way cheaper than Melbourne! They also have a strong footballing region that players are happy to come back home to live.

Agree, as Binman mentioned many other factors come into play. As reigning premier and top of the ladder as we were for 12 or so rounds, teams prep and go harder for you. West Coast and North exemplified this last year, both putrid the week before playing the Demons, then both had a red hot go against the Demons, bashing and crashing into us as Langdon ribs unfortunately found out. We had a worse run with injuries and pushed a few players when obviously not ready Salem and Max immediately come to mind. 2023 seems like: - a bigger break after 2022, and we are in better shape, - a few new players who add to our strength in Grundy & Hunter, - better looking draw, - with a slightly modified game plan going forward, - TMac and BbB fitter, JVR stepping up a notch, - hopefully better goalkicking after Choco’s pre season work, - add a slice of luck, - to top it off for this KOZZY thread, he looks in great shape! Demons looking good for a top 4 finish and a crack at the 2023 flag

The willingness of Gawn to do whatever it takes for the team to succeed will be a big factor in Gawn/Grundy working. Hate to be opposition try to negate both Gawn and Grundy, different ruck styles, will be hard to stop!

We are so lucky to have Oliver, tagged every week, seems to never play a bad game, if he starts kicking a few more goals, will go from great to fantastic!😃

Someone finally identified how good Fritsch is as a goal kicking forward, only behind Hawkins over last two years, plus 6 in GF. Fritsch all class!

Agree 100%, Cats to get negative COLA of 10%, in fact let’s go for 20%! They could absorb the Suns player 700K into premiership team????? They have more advantages than any other team by a country mile! While we all have a natural negativity for the Pies, Tigers, Bombers, & Blues, I’ve got a special disdain for the Cats!

Pies lose 11-12 matches by two goals or less! Blues 9th! Cats walk under a ladder!

Agree Jackson was average and felt like his 2nd half of the season was poor, not sure if he was carrying an injury. I think Grundy will be a major upgrade on the output we got from Jackson last year. The Demons now have the best two ruckman in the comp or at worst 2 of best 3/4 rucks.

Agree and how fast the ball went into the forward line in the GF from 19 point down. Just became too slow going forward in 2022!

Do you live at Gosch’s paddock? Under a tree by any chance? Or just within binocular distance? You are a star on your training reports, greatly appreciated.

Lets hope JVR plays plenty, as may mean he is picked ahead of BBB or TMac, not due to injury would be great! Kozzie might go for money, but hoping he stays, just fantastic to watch some of his moves, goals and tackles! Gawn & Grundy will be in ground for 80% each, so that’s 60% together. Hitting the wall = fitness & injuries, possibly opposition adjustments at half time.

Whatever the reason, injuries or fitness, or a combination of the two, we stopped to a walk in the 2nd half of every game we lost after our 10-0 start. Fully fit or maybe just 20% better, who knows how we would have performed in the finals!