Altona-demon

What is the reason that the membership portal is done through Ticketek? It is beyond abysmal sign up experience. And working myself in digital, I often wonder what the drop off rates are in that membership funnel? Do the Demons get access to that data, or the meta data like when and from where these people are signing up to better inform our marketing activities? For example, if it is (as I suspect) that people sign up post game - probably makes sense to do targeting e-marketing in and around that time (ie promos etc). Just a thought...

Agree @DeeSpencer he's not a pressure forward, that is not what he brings to this forward line. At the moment based on watching the Casey games his role (in that system), is more of CHF roving quite far up the ground. His work rate was more impressive (in terms of Ks run) in the 2s then Ben Brown was in the 1s. However, that can be system related. His efforts to get up the wing and then back to the square to split contests where a notable part of Weid's game against Norf. I wasn't seeing similar efforts from BBB, and I am not sure he has that tank and speed anyway to do that. Second thing I think that Weid probably does slightly better than BBB is protect the drop zone of the ball and body up on a defender a bit better - but again small sample size to see whether BBB can do this. For now Sam probably stays in the twos. Only change I can see is Petty coming in for Tomlinson and Sparrow should play. Cannot state enough for those who watched the Casey game last week how good Sparrow was - not only is he tough on ball, his entries into forward 50 where bullets to advantage. The comparison watching Oskar Baker enter forward 50 this weekend was stark. Not only that, he is silk inside and outside - with his decision making, he is a real Viney replacement. Would love to see him get a game.

Hard to judge BBB on one game at AFL in this set-up - a better sample size of three-four games will tell. An early observation was that our inside 50 entry was not good enough to use a lead up forward like Ben Brown. Reminded me of the last two years watching our players sit the ball on top of Tom Mac's head time after time. Oskar Baker, Clayton, Christian, ANB, all wasted un-pressured forward entries by being unable to kick to advantage. It seems that Charlie Spargo, Kozzie Pickett, and Melksham (one beautiful flat entry) are the only forward of centre players who can be trusted... I couldn't believe how incredibly lack-lustre and poor some of our players where in this game - especially vis-a-vis Richmond. Max was terrible - and so is the umpiring, you cannot continually whack him in the back of the head, the club needs to raise this with the umpires as per Clarkson, it's not on to protect the head in some situations and yet ignore it in others.

Weidemann is a 5 year plus forward for us still building into his frame. His forward craft running patterns, marking above head, team first etc i'm a very big fan. I think we are flag contenders two years from now, and Sam is a large large part of that.

Weidemann was very good and did all the team things. He could have easily kicked 7 if he was more selfish. He'll play - but let's see him play more and more footy consistently. He is so clearly far too good for this level though. It can't be good for his long term development to keep beating up on part time footballers.

So the powers that be maybe have decided that Melkshams ongoing lack of tackle is analagous to playing a deep full forward and having a three headed monster in Tmac, LJ and BBB. Wow that's a tall forward line - not quite WCE tall but still v. tall. Granted BBB plays more as a leading forward. Excited to see how this affects the balance.

Wow surprised that the dropped Jonesy - very brutal move. very brutal. Sends a pretty clear message.

Link fellas?

That is exactly how I felt - just proud, been so sick to death of the "meek" Melbourne - pretty winners mentality and culture that seems to have been around this club for so long. Now when one of those cheap Richmond hacks put on a shot, there were players streaming in to settle the score. And with Kozzy we finally have an aggressor and not in the Jack Viney way - we can hold our backs up straight and let's bully some teams.

Ditto - was pretty absymal watching the Casey Richmond game on the livestream....looking forward to this Thursday night game. Wowee - so good watching some of our AFL boys go at it, and then some of the up and comers.

Loved that too @DeeZone it's very impressive how LJ can spread from stoppage, and somehow beat midfielders to their first touch. Often that second touch following a tap out to advantage, really gets us driving forward and seems to let the midfielders to sit on the outside.

agree with that, didnt like Sparrow on the bench.

this might be a weird way to think about this question, but what would Richmond do if they were in the same situation? Or what would the Hawks do? How does Melbourne, build depth, insurance, and put games into our younger players? Some sensible hedging could be: 1. Sparrow in for Jones. 2. Chandler and Bedford come in for Kozzie and Spargo. 3. TMac and Bayley Fritsch both rested for Ben Brown and Sam Weidemann.

Oh yeah - Hunt's run off half back was SOOOO good. Riewoldt is such a [censored].

I know that this will be discussed at length during the weekly list of Demon's podcast, but I thought, would love to see a thread of what people thought was their main highlights from the game. I might be going over it a bit too much - and maybe should move on - but gee got to celebrate the great wins! Watched the replay yesterday, even better on second watch. Anyway my top 3 highlights from the game: 1. The Trent Rivers spoil to stop a certain mark to Riewoldt. Just the look on the face of Riewoldt, it was an act that I think captures perfectly the changing nature of this side. It was almost as if Richmond just kept expecting us to fold, and in that moment Riewoldt expected it to come to him - think again. This moment, plus the notable involvements of Dogga and Kozzy, excited me because it showed an "unburdened" young brigade coming through who know winning and don't have any baggage. 2. The Kozzy Pickett no backward steps - let's be honest, like the hawks last week, Richmond tried to bully the Dees. We have always had a perception of being mentally weak (- for example when Port got after Max a couple years back). I certainly have never seen us be the aggressor. Nice to have an element of bully in our team as well. Kozzy scares defences more and more each week, just opening up more space for Tommy Mc.... 3. Charlie Spargo's tackle on Houli. I could watch this over and over again. He's quickly becoming a fan favourite. Love it!

I want this to be the breakout game where Christian buries Dusty, and all the talk is about Petracca and how quiet Dusty was. Whether or not it is that career defining game, i'm not sure, but I hope so. Similarly, I feel like Kozzie has been on the edge of a 5 goal performance for a long long time now (hitting posts, missing gimmes etc), I feel like he could go very big here on the big stage. I am tipping him to explode in this game.

Tend to agree @binman it will be a good barometer of the systems strength, and also the strength of belief that the team has in the system. It was notable that when presented with a tactical puzzle against the Hawks, the nature of our ball movement seemed to revert (through the middle of the ground - and also entering forward 50), I wonder what will happen on the weekend. Any views on a "weakness" in the Richmond gameplan or personnel?

Bumping this topic to see what the collective thinks is the strategic approach to this weekend's blockbuster. Can we take anything from the Swans game - if so, what?

Apologies gents if this has been mentioned already on the thread, but how about that spoil to save a goal from Lever running back on the goal line, when the score was something like 46-41. That for me just felt so un-Melbourne to get there, and make that play, and had we not, in years passed I would be convinced Hawthorn comes over the top. We all know that defensive efforts aren't recognised perhaps as attacking ones, but that one for me was a game winning moment - and at the moment Jake Lever is winning games for us.

His spread at stoppage is incredible. The way he follows the ball up elite. He also seems to pop up and link so well as well - definitely in a way that Max doesn't (different sort of player of course). He is one hell of a player.

Agreed v. good indeed.

Also Kent's bang on with the tag, we have too many players now that can get off the chain. Was fantastic watching them to try and put a tag on Oliver and watching Tracc get off the chain - in past years Tracc wouldn't have been able to expose that. Now he can. Then they removed the tag from Oliver and he exploded. Please footy gods keep this midfield injury free. Although having said that, the depth we are building by rotating Jordon and Sparrow through there is very encouraging. I think Yze is doing a GREAT job at changing the One dimensional nature of our midfield unit. Anyone else been noticing how Max has suddenly started smashing the ball long out of clearances and also grabing the ball himself? Stops all the sharking that has been going on for years now (i'm sure that this is yze influenced as well).

The combination of the surfer bros Hunt and Langdon is a generational joy to watch. Hunts dare and speed puts your heart in your throat, and Langdon's endeavour is an example to the entire team on effort. And now he is more settled in the team culture you can see that starting to disseminate across the team

Is anyone else having trouble with ticketek? I enter my members barcode, choose general reserved, and it is still trying to charge me? what am I missing dl’ers?

@binmanI suspect the theory of kicking forward for territory into forward 50, is just a product of disciplined data analysis and understanding the key drivers of scoring. For example, if we outline the series of outcomes that could occur from such a kick (assuming the ball hits a contest): Defensive Outcomes: 1. Defensive Mark 2. Defensive Groundball Get - required exit 3. Defensive Free Kick 4. 50/50 - stoppage Vs. Offensive Outcomes 1. Offensive Mark - with opportunity to score 2. Offensive Groundball Get - with opportunity to score 3. Offensive Free Kick - with opportunity to score 4. Stoppage - with opportunity to score Clearly the impact of the game of the offensive outcomes is greater given their ability to impact most important stat in the game - points scored. So which of the offensive outcomes generates more points? If we believe Richmond - stats tell us 2, and 4. I think its interesting to reflect on whether they generate more 2 and 4s through having Lynch, or just defensive players taking less clean marks (which raises a different question - should defensive players EVER try to take contested marks? - consider for example Max King's third goal on the weekend where all three Melbourne players tried to take a contested mark, which was easily crumbed by King). It's clear from the outcomes that defensive players have absolutely more to lose from missing a contested mark, than the offensive player - in my view this should shade the way that umpires view the behaviour of "marking" forwards in the modern game around the contested mark. For me, this means that for real success (in terms of points) in the territory model you described, a couple things are crucial. The ability to create contests - either through personnel or midfielders being able to get the ball inside 50. I know we disagree on this, but I still think clearances, and by extension inside 50s are paramount in this way. A tall forward line up able to split contests, and small forwards capable of driving high numbers of 2, and 4. Either through locking the ball in, or getting groundball get like goals. Alternative to this is to create separation and hit leading forwards and rely on goal-kicking accuracy. This appears to be Tom McDonald and Ben Browns M.O - but does rely on higher skill and nullifies your small forwards potency to an extent.