No. 31

Whoever would have predicted I woukd be cheering Jessie Hogan to have a big day out so that Carlton's season is still alive ... footy is a cruel mistress 😁

Dees are definitely in this. Viney not looking like someone dreaming of Arden Street. Rivers had a poor first quarter but improved later in the second quarter. Carn the Dees!

LOL ... the Norwood Demons 😈 It is a loss that ANB wants a trade to S.A. he is one of those clubman types that always puts in. But in time, someone else will step up to fill his shoes. Given he stipulates a trade to S.A. it is not a question of him leaving due to behind the scenes issues, sometime we have personal circumstances where family has to come first. Good luck to him for the rest of his footy career!

Against Collingwood when he came off, Carlton's attack actually improved because it was no longer a one dimensional open book and players were looking who is free rather than the default setting of bomb it on top of Charlie's head, when he is always surrounded by multiple defenders. I was at the MCG today, it was a trainwreck for the Blues! Worst performance in quite a few years. The Hawks were awesome BTW, playing like Carlton did late last year. If Carlton can't beat West Coast and St Kilda, they have no place being in the 8 in 2024, simple as that. Then its a case of licking wounds, culling some of the list (and football department) and going again in 2025. It is still a squad that has the core of a potential Premiership side, but it won't be happening this year. The perpetually injured players simply need to be culled, some of them have talent but they are list cloggers due to to availability issues.

True 😁

Wouldn't mind a draw tonight ...

I thought Chol was a good signing by Hawthorn at the time, whenever I saw him play for Richmond or GC I felt like he had something more to offer if he could get a good run of games.

A very good re-signing and indicates that MFC isn't in as much disarray as the media and and portions of Demonland claim it is.

Was at the MCG tonight, Blues kicking off with 8 behinds in the 1st quarter, playing disjointed, safe, no risk football until 32 points down in the 4th quarter and then going hell for leather in a powerful burst but McGovern botching the after siren set shot. He really should have gone off after that head knock and the kick given to someone else ... The Blues have botched a golden opportunity over the last month sitting in 2nd spot and now have to fight tooth and nail for the last 3 games just to make the 8. Carlton got what we deserved tonight, you can't play 10 minutes of football in the 4th quarter and expect to win games. Still, it could be worse, I could follow the Swans 😁 They seem to be imploding in a big way. In this crazy season maybe the Blues continue that 4th quarter form and go on a run into September. My expecations are low but you never know ...

Hoping the Blues' can ruin his party ... on my way to the MCG 🙏😁

That was the modus operandi decades ago, these days they are precise, careful and play by the book and have become quite adept at managing the cap. The consequences of not doing it by the book are too drastic today.

Some players like Martin, Williams, Marchbank etc have heavily front loaded contracts and they are on much less in 2024 than they were a few years back. Of course the football media doesn't report this and just bandies about their year 1 salary numbers. Players like McKay, Curnow, Cripps & TDK all took deals below what they could get elsewhere in the hope and belief that they can win a flag together in the near future.

McKay is a different type of player to Curnow, don't see them as direct competitors even if both are key forwards. I actually think Harry has been having a better season than Charlie this year (in terms of contribtion to the side and team play). Yes, he would have been a handy player for the Dees. I think Harry genuinely likes it at Princes Park and believes he can win a flag with this group of players who he gets along well with. Harry is back in the side tonight so hoping he can help stick it to Collingwood and get us back on track for the finals by kicking a few goals tonight 🙏

I wasn't trolling. I don't think there are any question marks about the 2021 Flag, the Dees were easily the best side that year and convincingly won the Grand Final. It being a Covid impacted year is no factor in my mind, same conditions for all Victorian clubs. My point is that it was achieved with what objectively was a mediocre forward line and not addressing that weakness is why the Dees sit on one flag instead of being a dynasty team like Richmond were recently.

Why is it condescending? The Dees have a flag from 3 years ago and the Blues have zilch in 3 decades.

I think some Demons supporters get too carried away with the 2021 Flag. It was a season where at the right time everything clicked in terms of lack of injuries, form and momentum. We all know that that the 2021 to 2023 period the Dees had a class defence and a quality midfield but the real question mark was always up front, and continued reliance on Ben Brown and TMac was hoping that lightning strikes twice again in the same spot. In 2022 all energies should have been put into trading in an established key forward. The Gawn/Grundy experiment was worth a shot but it didn't work out. The recent trading in of older NQR players like Schache, Billings, Hunter etc has been a real fail whilst I think the drafting of younger players has actually been decent. The loss of some depth players like Harmes, Bedford and Jordon was unfortunate and more rotations may have kept some of them at MFC (perhaps?). Still, there is a solid core of quality up front with Van Rooyen, Pickett and Fritsch. I would go all out to secure one of the King twins from the Saints or the Suns. I think the Dees need new blood and new approaches via fresh assistant coaches. They really need to stop with the Petty & Turner up front experiment, it is just not working. There is still a very good core at the Dees and some promising younger players, just need some fresh blood and ideas in the football department and a bit of savvy trading and the Dees coukd be contening again very soon ... my wine glass is half full 🍷🙂

The Blues can win it. If Carlton were to hit the form we had late last season it is definitely possible. Will we regain that form? ... remains to be seen. Giving the Pies a pasting tomorrow night would be a good way to start! 😁 Essendon probably won't make the 8 and if they manage to scrape in will be bundled out straight away IMHO.

Footscray's profligacy in front of the sticks is keeping the Dees in it. They may well tire and the Dees can snatch a win!

Have some manchego, wholemeal sourdough, Croatian olive oil and a bottle of tempranillo at the ready, Kayo tuned in ... Melbourne by 17 points ... Carn the Dees!

Whichever club can go on a run from now on ...

Agreed. If anything, a season like this where the Dees dipped in form shows that the membership base level of around 65K is quite solid and a springboard to build upwards from.

Ah missed it, was on holidays abroad for the last month. Anyways, my Kayo subscription is via MFC so that is my contribution to the Dees for this year 🙂

Last year I got a $36 MFC (3 game) membership when Kysaiah Pickett re-signed but $1 is bit ridiculous.

https://blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Pre VFL Fixtures

The MCG allowed occasional football matches to be played there but there were no regular football tenants. MFC initially played on another oval just north of the actual MCG (the MCC fearing that football will damqge the turf for cricket). Carlton become an MCG tenant in 1885 (until 1891). After MFC became formally affiliated with the MCC then they left their oval to play on the MCG proper from 1891 onwards.