SwissDee

All things considered, I think Oscar has been quite serviceable this year. His kicking has improved and he does the one percenters as well as anyone. We haven't had the most defensively minded midfield, and I think that's made our 'seconds' backline look worse than it maybe has been. First backline for me at the moment would include Jetta, May, Lever, Hore, Hibberd and Salem. Frost is the unlucky one. Most have them have been missing in action this year. As some of these guys start coming back, would there be any harm trying Frost or Oscar further up the ground? Honestly, I couldn't have imagined TMac playing as a forward a few years back. (I must say though, less optimistic about Oscar up the ground, can imagine Frost though)

Spargo is too small to offer any real pressure (any of those tackles actually stick?). He's great when he's got the ball in hand, very smart and good skills, it's just that he gets pushed off it too easily. The second for goal assists shows his smarts, but probably shows more so how bad our kicking for goal has been this year.

The game plan seems to be 'win the contested ball and kick it to a contest, create chaos'. I wonder how good the skills would be if we played a more possession based game. I remember watching the Saints and the Swans games at the back end of last year and how they just had one less player in at the contest. I think it was a deliberate ploy, the idea quite simple. Don't worry about winning the ball, just knock it out to where the outside player is positioned. And they then killed us with outside run. The Eagles basically used the same blueprint in the prelim (plus they're a much better team). I think chaos works for patches of games, but it can't be the main game plan. Players can't be expected to show off great skills when chaos is the game plan. And forward 50 entries are too easy to pick off when chaos is the game plan.

It's remarkable that after such a poor start to the season we're one game off 9th ... ... and percentage. That's the big worry. I think we're a really good chance to win the next couple and then things suddenly look a lot different going into the Pies game, but I don't see us beating the Crows by 90 odd as we did last year

Footy is like any industy. People who excel in their position want another challenge, sometimes rightly sometimes not. Rawlings was a great backline coach but wanted something more, got it, and is excelling. Maybe McCartney also wanted something more, which prompted the change but so far hasn't worked so well. I don't understand this idea clubs need someone on the boundary to convey messages, as was Neeld's role at the Dons and seems to be McCartney's now. That's just crap. But McCartney is an asset in development, as long as he's happy to stay there

I actually thought it was the games against Sydney and St Kilda late in the season that exposed us. West Coast followed the blueprint. Our players all get drawn to the contest where it's difficult to get a meaningful disposal. Other teams just need to leave someone on the outside, more often than not it will come out and they're off. And if it doesn't come out, they can force a stoppage

Lockhart played really well the first few weeks, small and quick, and makes his presence known. Assuming he's OK, he should come in for Spargo. I'd like to see Petty get another go, maybe that will come now with Oscar getting a knock? Jeffy played well in the resies from what I read, just don't know whether he will need another good game or two. If he comes in, would have thought to replace Stretch. Leave Lewis for the Tiges, make sure he's right.

Fine by me - raw footballers that play as a team I will always favour over talented individuals

What happened in the second half? The first half sounded like the same leaky defence, the second half they couldn't score. I need to ask, did not see the game, only listening on the radio. Did they change to man-on-man?

Seems strange that after we've been done for pace they replace a quick mid-size (KK) with a lumbering ruck (Preuss). Still, looking forward to see what the big guy can do and what structural changes they may have planned

When playing well last year, TMac and Hogan were interchanging off a wing (later Weid). The forward line was much more open, but also quicker, meaning that the ball didn't get out so easily. So why not put TMac to defence (he's a proven defender) and leave Weid as the lone tall up forward? Then, why do we have slow players on the wings? We need smart, skillful players who are quick and can defend - alla Fritch and Salem. So now we're suddenly quicker in the forward line to keep the ball in, we're quicker in the middle with better ball usage, and we've a strengthened defence with TMac back there. I know this is all theory and we don't really know what is going on inside the four walls, but surely they need to try something.

Only joined Demonland today, wish I'd looked into this, I've been paying the AFL pass for years but only ever watch the Demons' games. I'll make sure I look out for it next year.

Lewis, Lever, May not out there. Gawn for sure. Really not sure in the forward line. No doubt they'll grow, they'll evolve, but many of our leaders I'm not sure are game day leaders. Great leaders on the training track or away from footy, for sure, but on the field? Happy to be proven wrong (well, hoping to be proven wrong)

Trac would be great as a leading forward if there is a good forward structure. His reaction time however doesn't seem to be great, and with the chaos ball theory they seem to be going with it doesn't seem to suit him (actually, not sure who it suits, the definition of chaos is it's uncontrollable :)) Has anyone ever thought of Trac in the role of the great Allen Jakovich? Same height and build, and capable of anything

I haven't had the chance to see the Geelong game, but it seemed to me watching the Port game that they are struggling with the no runners rule. Being in the bottom third of the competition as far as games played, I always thought this might be an issue at the start of the year. We need some leaders to stand up and become coaches on the field, can't wait until quarter time. No need to panic just yet, but they need to learn how to do that