Monbon

I had such high hopes for Weidemann - I can't see how Schache is not an improvement - he can take a mark at least.

Wikipedia is saying Schache is a Melbourne Demon. Also saying Weidemann is a Bomber. Schache has played 69 games for 77 games, Weidemann 59 games for 62 goals.

I was there at Box Hill that day. He was magnificent - pack marks, long goals. I've been a fan ever since. That he has only rarely lit up as a Demon Forward - a la 2018 Finals - is a great disappointment for me.

Can't say I was impressed with his admission that he was 'gone' after the Bye, that he flew to his mum and checked out the Eagle den as well. Um, doesn't that mean that focus has evaporated? Doesn't that mean that from Round 14 he was going through the motions? I wonder whether his stats curved negative from that point on...

Oedipus, Schmoedipus: as long as he loves his momma.

This debate is typical of Demonland: the 360 Degree gamut of Opinions. It reminds me of the famous Yiddish observation that you get three - in this instance, we'll call them Yekkes - in a room and in an instant, you get five different opinions...

Most blokes are teenagers till they get to 40...

Just because you had good experiences with your church does not mean that there were/are issues and major problems with what we call Religion. To pretend your experience is universal, then to put down people who have differing experiences and points of view is, dare I say, rather unchristian of you. It's exactly the problem people like SWUL and millions of others have, myself included. 'Sweeping ignorant statements', indeed.

How often has Sheedy fallen on his sword? he is either invincible or has access to the best surgeons in the land.

The Demonland judges are so discerning: all year they've poo-pooed Sparrow and Spargo. Tonight is their comeuppance.

Mainly cos most had no legs...

Hindsight, JNM. We wouldn't have finished second had we not won three crucial games: Geelong had the benefit of games up their sleeve, plus many games at Geelong. They also had a dream run with injuries. When injuries hit us like a tempest, life ain't ever going to be easy for selectors or game plan strategists.

I predicted the Geelong slaughter of the Lions, and in my heart of hearts, though I wanted Sydney to win, the wilderness voice said, No Way, it will be another slaughter.

And, in passing, I just saw the ladder at the end of the home and away games: crocks and all, heavily weighted Draw, we still finished second with a Percentage of 130.5. Sure, the crocks couldn't get us over the line in the last 2 games: I'd rather praise their valour than veil myself with woe and misery.

Geelong had a different draw though, and many games at Geelong...

Metinks, as dey might say in Ireland, dat we are talking at cross purposes. I was speaking - in a manner - to those who believe we should have not played the 11 players in question and replaced them with the Casey names I mentioned. There were also the consistent calls throughout the year to replace the players I also mentioned with Casey players. I was implying it wasn't as simple as simply 'blooding' the newbies.

I wasn't talking about 'managing': I was referring to the many calls on this site to drop Spargo, Neale Bullen, Melkasham etc to 'blood' new players.

Agree, however, please confirm when you would have replaced who with whom, if you get my drift. We won the first 10 games, then were placed in the Draw from Hell, and as I recall, every time there was the possibility of 'blooding', it would have been unfair to drop the player the newbie would have replaced. Go through it week by week, compare the relative performances at Casey. For example, Dunstan had 5 chances, Bedford a few, Chandler only limited. Van R was still groping around, showing plenty but not quite enough to be thrown to the wolves - recall all of the last 12 games were against Top 8 contenders, and the days of Queens Birthday Watts sacrifice were over...

Why blame 'Goody' for this? Recall, if you may, that 2021 was a year when, whoever the gods of football are, granted us a virtual free pass. Some on this site believe god was called Burgo. I'd rather believe the god was called Serendipity, the same god who spins the wheels of fate and the result has absolutely zero to with Burgo, Goody, or the fact that Melbourne played with 11 injured players. From what I've read, those 11 players should, according to some, been replaced by 11 fit and able Casey players. Yeah, sure. We lose and Goody gets the buckets of poo poured over him for playing Turner, Van R, Brown, Howes, Baker, Tomlinson, Chandler, Bedford, Moniz-W, Weideman, Laurie, Dunstan and Woewoddin. I rest my case.

Given that 'The big Fella from SP' was carrying a belly or two extra to requirements - like a lot of us, no doubt. Not to detract from The Weid.

Does anyone have any news or inkling of who will stay and who will be pork copped?

A good pre-season may alter that...

Yep, the hidden injury list has not been taken into account by a lot of gloomers and doomers on this site.

There were many more than 7...

Surely the 'May Issue' has been overblown. No matter what the sport, what the circumstances, if you get a bunch of blokes together, when alcohol is involved, there is and always will be a potential for fireworks. It's hard enough to get a man and his wife to not niggle the bejesus out of each other during their 'team' internment, let alone a room full of Catholic Bishops from different diocese's, let alone a bunch of young blokes, all from different backgrounds and cultures. You imply that all 'Happy' teams contain no friction or personality clashes. May and Melksham are mates again, from what I gather.