the fork

From the crows afl page: "Recruiting manager Matt Rendell agreed he would be an onlooker next week and with the quality of the Crows' current list and the perceived weakness of this year's draft talent pool, that's not a bad thing. The weeks leading up to trade week have become renowned for the seemingly endless rumour mill with 'Player A' linked to 'Club B' or 'Player C' desperately homesick or disgruntled. Knights and Douglas have somehow managed to creep into that category this year, though Rendell isn't about to test the market. "They're both very happy where they are," he said from the NAB AFL Draft Camp in Canberra on Thursday. "Obviously Dougy was a bit in and out this year, but he's very happy to stay and loves the joint. "Knighter probably struggled a bit early in the season, but found his niche in the forward line where he was outstanding. "I'm not saying other clubs aren't asking about them, but we're not letting them go because we're very happy with them."

Interesting article and throws up some things our recruiters I am sure, will consider.

Standing vertical jump (cm) 1. James Craig 76 2. Sam Shaw 75 =3. Tom Hill 70 =3. Aaron Black =3. Andrew Hooper 6. Lewis Jetta 69 =7. Ayden Kennedy =7. Kane Lucas 67 =8. John Butcher 66 =8. Sam Reid Kicking test (six kicks scored 1-5 points) 1. Gary Rohan 23 points 77% efficency =2. Dustin Martin 22/73% =2. Jordon Gysberts =2. Ryan Harwood =2. Simon Potts =2. Aaron Black =2. Matthew Panos =2. Nicky Winmar 22 73%

Televised in Alice... stoked!

"Tom Scully says he would love to play for Melbourne..." http://news.realfooty.com.au/breaking-news...90930-gc2u.html

I am really glad to hear this. probably part of the minority though. It seems it is he who is seeking the trade, desperate to continue his career elsewhere. Andrejs could slot in as a key defender and realistically release Garland into the forward line. We can't forget also that when we're having a real tilt at the premiership Warnock will quite possibly not be part of the team. The other upside I see is his capabilities in the ruck. None of our current rucks have the ability to hold down a spot in either the forward or backline alone. I'm all for it and given the supposed lack of depth in this draft would consider trading Pick 18. Which is probably above market value but what other options do we have?

I wonder if anyone here felt the same, but after getting three picks inside the top twenty in 2008 I really thought; great we're off now, stacked up with some talent, some deadwood cut from the list, we are away. I was happy, whilst still knowing we had plenty of holes in our list, a season or two of pain and plenty of hard work ahead of us. Then heading into the trade/draft period now, we have four picks inside the top 20! I'm just thinking wow! Imagine the talent we are going to acquire in this draft alone! It's really exciting, I'm so happy with the direction of the club at the moment. I have suspended my desire to rule the competition just for the moment, although I will be expecting a few wins especially in the second half of the season. I know we have a long hard road ahead, but it feels good even in the throws of an emotional period for the club, to be supporting the club. 7 top 20 picks inside 2 years. I don't know what this equates to exactly, but I bet it is going to be an exciting and certainly fascinating time for the club and the tragics like myself that love it. Go Dees!

Cheers, especially for the honesty. means a lot to me this signature.

You sure on this Benny? Love you if you are.

Somebody kick these geezers out of here. Please...

I think I am going to vomit...

Mixed feelings about this. Mixed feelings. Have agreed with the sentiment that having Jones boy, Brent and Brock was one too many. Carlton fans will know they are getting a bloke who will give it his all, we don't have the assurance that the bloke we draft will do the same, but lets hope. Thanks Brock for you love of our club, I am baffled by your decision but know you've done it with the best of intentions. Onward and upward Dees. This will bring with it more short term pain, but we're pretty tough I reckon. Another year of what we've just had on the way I reckon. Prepared to back those at the club that we will draft well. Go Dees !!!

Mixed feelings about this. Mixed feelings. Have agreed with the sentiment that having Jones boy, Brent and Brock was one too many. Carlton fans will know they are getting a bloke who will give it his all, we don't have the assurance that the bloke we draft will do the same, but lets hope. Thanks Brock for you love of our club, I am baffled by your decision but know you've done it with the best of intentions. Onward and upward Dees. This will bring with it more short term pain, but we're pretty tough I reckon. Another year of what we've just had on the way I reckon. Prepared to back those at the club that we will draft well. Go Dees !!!

Was completely thrilling to see Liams game today. To see all that extra stuff he does around the ball and even given his lack of core fitness his willingness to push himself, he looked hungry for the ball. I'm proud of the bloke for making it so far and for presenting himself in such a strong manner on such a big stage, just being himself I feel safe to say. What I find most interesting is that he seems almost impossible to match up on. The free kick he recieved infront of goal was a perfect example. Gram caught out one on one with Liam just panicked, knew that he wasn't going to be able to move past, around or over Liam so just held him. His reach, his athletisism, his big hands and that pure talent is going to put fear into opposition coaches and players for years. Go Liam you good thing. Ps. Loved Sylvia's huge smile after Liam kicked his first, he was in awe I reckon.

I'm onto it, waiting for a call from Mt Theo.

I love reading Demonland, taking in the views of others and reading all I can about the club and team I love, but the one thing that I know I am many others despise about this place is the unruly treatment the players, established and emerging, recieve by so called "supporters". I'm all up for discussing the merits of players, identifying their weaknesses, using my limited football brain to suggest what might improve the side, but the simple minded, "gutless" player bashing that goes on this and other sites needs to stop. It's just too easy to be a guttersnipe and right others off from the safety of the keyboard. I'm not saying players can't be criticised, but as the popular advice offers, it should be constructive and not slanderous. Please read the comment below from one Russell Robertson who I believe has offered us an inside view, from a player who has copped heaps on Demonland of late. "One thing he doesn't love are people who use nom-de-plumes to write contemptuously about footballers on blog sites. ''I tell young footballers not to go looking at those sites, but you don't have to go looking for them to find you. What they say on those things can cause depression. One day, they're going to lead to a young footballer doing something - drastic.'' He sees anonymous attacks on football blog sites as ''gutless''. ''When people speak to me face-to-face, they say they enjoy my footy.'' From Martins Flanagan's recent article in The Age.

Great news, love Morts, with a bit of bulk and another season under his belt his versatility will be a weapon in this side. Looking forward to more signings as this season draws to a close. Go Dees!

Without having witnessed all of the games that has played well in, I have gathered enough to know he has taken a huge step this year. I have been a bit of a critic over the years and I don't apologise for this. He has been the focus of some frustration and perhaps I was distracted by his draft position, but I believe he himself has instigated his transformation. The penny has dropped because he was ready for it to. I would also like to think that our coaching staff and playing group can take some responsibility for it also. Great to hear that Morton signed on for another couple today, really looking forward to Colin doing the same. Two very important players I can seeing playing a significant role in a premiership tilt! Go Dees!

Newton has shown little in his career so far. But we have to ask what that career consists of. 17 games, and yes it has taken him nearly 5 years to earn those games, but we should remember that the majority of his time at the club was under a coach unwilling to experiment with youth. I believe that Newton is being written off a little early, much like other fringe players of the past, think Garland, Warnock and though yet to prove themselves Jamar and Meesen. His time is now, he must start to function as a leading forward. He has the remainder of this season and thankfully next year also, to prove himself. I say thankfully because I believe under Bailey, he deserves this time. (Bailey will play him on merit, I believe this differs to Daniher) I have held great hopes for him but have become down on him of late. I listened to the game on the weekend and punched the window of the Troopy everytime he missed an opportunity. I once spoke to a friend who worked with him closely and spent time at the club. I commented on the high hopes I had for him. He replied "The blokes a loser". (the only reason I repeat this is because the person who said it to me I trust, and it explains much when he offers little).

Whilst I fully agree with the sentiment that perhaps Robbo should retire, I dislike supporters lack of respect for the player themselves and the service they have given the club. It is frustrating on Demonland that in the passing stages of a players career, some supporters memory flies out the window. Even on a small, though public forum like this, players should be spoken about with a certain amount of respect. It wasn't that long ago that Robbo turned down the opportunity to play for a club heading toward a tilt at serious finals footy. He chose to stay and battle on with us. Yes I agree his form has been horrid, yes he appears to have lost interest. Yes we forget about the enormous effort he has put in just getting back after injury. Yes some choose to forget about his love of the club we love too.

Hi Miller The cost of the jumper has been covered, as has it's eventual framing and the transport of Susie and Liam's Grandmother to Melbourne. An amazing result and as others have stated a wonderful thing to have been involved in. The presence of Liam's Grandmother has topped it all off, what a moment it will be when she recieves the jumper. Demonlanders we have made this happen. Mt Theo have intimated that they possibly would like to spend any access money raised at the club on footy gear, so really any further money raised the club and the young people at Yuendumu will benefit from. I would like to think that this effort will be the beginning of a strong and meaningful link between us supporters and the Yuendumu community through the Mt Theo organisation. Let it be so. Anyone attending the Long Journey event who wants to post and let their fellow donors know how things went would be most welcome. Well done all round. Luke

Fantastic Back Page story for the Alice Springs local, the Centralian Advocate: Jumper story full of passion By: Max Bennett 
 THE guernsey Liam Jurrah (pictured flying for a mark) wore on debut against Essendon will rest in its rightful home thanks to the efforts of a passionate group of Melbourne supporters.
The brainchild of Alice Springs-based Demons fan Luke Scholes sparked what can only be described as an avalanche of support, to bring Liam Jurrah's debut guernsey back to Yuendumu.
Scholes' idea snowballed into something far greater and meaningful than he could imagine. He said: ``Being from Alice Springs, I've followed Liam's progress pretty closely and when I saw the jumper being auctioned off I thought the best place for that jumper to go would be Yuendumu.
 ``From there I put up a post on the Demonland and Demonology websites hoping to get about 30 people to chip in $20 each, but then it went crazy.
 ``We had people who haven't even blogged before pledging money, we had supporters giving money, people contacting me anonymously pledging money. It was just amazing.
 ``There are people out there really battling and they are still pledging money. It shows the generosity of the supporters in helping us make this happen.''
From humble beginnings the concept grew with the football club and the people at the Mt Theo program jumping on board.
 He said: ``When I saw we were bidding against the people from Mt Theo I suggested we join forces and they were very keen. We kept bidding and eventually bought it for $3100.''
The winning bid of $3100 was the highest amount fetched for a guernsey on the club's auction website, even ahead of the legendary David Neitz's 300th game jumper.
Susie Low from the Mt Theo program praised the efforts of Scholes and the Demon faithful, believing the jumper will have a profound effect on the community. Low said: ``Liam is a role model and we're absolutely proud of what he has achieved.
``Having the jumper hanging in the Mt Theo office will be an inspiration to everyone who comes through.
``They will see it every day and say, yep there is hope.''
Low, along with Liam's grandmother Cecily, will travel to Melbourne on Thursday with the football club to conduct a presentation ceremony at the MCG's historic Long Room.
Here the bloggers from Demonland and Demonology will present the jumper to Jurrah who will then hand it over to his grandmother to return to Yuendumu.
 Quickly establishing a cult following among Melbourne supporters, a slightly embarrassed Jurrah was happy to see his jumper return home and hopes it can help inspire generations of young people.
He said: ``It's really exciting to see everyone help get the jumper back home.
``Hopefully it can help the young guys and get them to work hard.''

Tower your right. The response to this is perhaps even bigger than most possibly realise. I have had people contact me who aren't even posters wanting to donate. The small mention in the paper has spawned a new flood of people wanting to give. It sends shivers up my spine. As Tower mentioned Judee and Jack are the representatives for the formal presentation and more media is planned, but if anyone has contacts I think they should point them toward the Long Journey event. For those wondering it is not too late to donate, any excess funds are going toward ensuring that Mt Theo aren't out of pocket getting representatives from Yuendumu to the presentation. Beyond that it will go toward getting some Demons gear out to Yuendumu. There will be a full wash up of how all funds were used after the event. The club and the Women of Melbourne committee have been great about incorporating our efforts into the Long Journey event. My thoughts just roll onto how Liam and his family must feel about this...

Only heard the game on the radio, but just loved the sound of his game. Love young Jack, leadership potential written all over him.

Agreed. Just a wee bit of house keeping. Can everyone who has donated please ensure that they post a receipt # on the forum as I will be contacting you directly with some fantastic information. Details of the forums representatives will be posted soon. Thanks again each and every one of you.