Skuit

Can't wait to take on the Cats next week. We have them covered. Hope the boys feel the same. A 40-point win in the taking.

Yes.

Yup. Just keep winning. Not completely convinced but just keep converting for now. Love the maturity.

We've got this. Completely up to us.

Can't stop watching Kozzie's goal. Mesmerising, and the footwork is almost impossible to break down in full speed. Reminds me of a surfer entering a barrel. They disappear for a second, emerge, tack, and then disappear again, before magically coming out the other side. Sublime stuff. Edit: plus sharks.

Knew of Rami a bit while he was based in Port Douglas for The Pacific and loved Mr Robot until the final season - but his turn in Bohemian Rhapsody was for the most part middling while also demonstrating a growing maturity. Not unlike the Demons of the past two weeks, just to keep things on topic.

I finally watched Rami Malek's Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury last night and now it's just a big mental jumble when Jake Lever goes to fist the ball away.

I've been doing my best to refrain from posting but there's a clear connect-the-dots being missed here. As many may recall, Alex Neal-Bullen was one of three AFL/AFLW players recently awarded a full scholarship. It was from Torrens University, as part of their partnership with the AFLPA. A nice pick-up in alignment terms.

I had half signed off by then but mostly recall some poor entries in that period, Harmes being one. The clearance-bang-it-on-boot-forward issue wasn't as evident. Acknowledged that we didn't have Viney out there or as many centre clearances, but everyone has been complaining about it for years and so should acknowledge that we seem to be making a concerted effort to address the issue at the start of the season rather than after a poor loss mid-way through. Fixing that may also be causing some of our clearance and other issues to an extent, such as Clarry holding onto the ball for too long (likely another response to a common complaint).

Some familiar issues but I only recall one or two bombs into the forward line all day.

Extending two of our highest paid players right now suggests to me a deal may have been reached with Oliver and we just have to move some stuff around. Probably wishful speculation though.

Any chance Austin's old man was down for the day to teach the boys some offensive blocking moves?

I think 'premium, members-only content' is the intended meaning when translated from Twitterish.

Still lurking on occasion mate, but keeping the opinions to myself. That said, I've never really been inclined to open any potentially racially-charged topics on Demonland in the past until you basically summonsed me here. Haven't and won't read this thread back. You can't change small-minded bias on an internet forum. Meanwhile, "Free the Darwin 15" - something to properly rally around. That's me 'virtue-signalling' on here and every day on the fence of the local detention centre.

Appreciate the suggestion guys (and others). But have had enough. I support free speech but if Demonland doesn't want to shut down obvious trolls or deliberately destabilising influences because it drives traffic then I'm out. See you in the soup. And please keep up the good fight. Go Dees!

So yeah - I'm out. Disappointed that @Demonland didn't curtail the constant negative influences on this site during this season. Otherwise big respect to the moderators of this site. I just don't want it in my life anymore with all the pervasive [censored] and no facts rhetoric. Also big-ups to the many posters that fought for the truth to the end, and even those I battled with on a respectable basis over the years. No need to name names. When we win a flag, I would just be pissy and in vengeance mode on here anyway. Be well fellow travellers.

God I feel the need for speed. Tom Cruise is the MFC and Kelly McGillas gets to replace our current Macs as Ben Brown with a fantastic perm.

From what I can recall his issues started in 2017. Missed the first five rounds of 2018, with a foot and/or toe problem which carried over to the next pre-season. Remember the rumours and footage of him with his boots or shoes off, both at training and in social settings? I can't recall exactly if it was both his foot and toe? Nevertheless, then throw in a knee injury as well. His lower body is shot, which means even less agility than the limited amount he had to begin with. Then add a lack of confidence. Done.

To highlight his versatility as a forward, I just did a quick cheat-sheet for his early purple patch in 2018, where he kicked consecutive bags of 6, 4, 5, 4 and 4 (with just the single behind in each match). How often do we have players kick six goals in a game, let alone just four? Nth v StKilda Out the back on a long run. Roved and snapped inside-out off a marking pack. Free in the goal-square for a receive. Free-kick for a one-on-one holding 15m out. Contested mark on the goal-line Lead-up mark with pressure and goal from outside 50. Nth v MFC Holding against Omac and goal from 50ish out. Soft ruck push-out vs. Max and goal from 45m out. Easily shoves Omac out of the contest and marks 15m out. Down-the-ground free. Slots it on the 45 degree angle. Nth v Blues Breaks out the back. Outside of the boot on tight angle. Handball in tight and quick inside-out under heavy pressure. Easy one-on-one mark with extended arms 20m out. Gets in behind the pack in pocket. Banana from tight angle. Holding call in run towards a pack. Nth v Hawks Well-positioned one-on-one, 20m out. Behind the contest in the tight pocket again. Perfect banana. Miles of space on the lead and goal from 45m. Even more space on the lead and another from 45m. Nth v Port Holding the man and yet another arrow from around 45m. Soft high/push-out in a pack and straight in front. Extended arms in crowded forward line, straight in front. Juggling one-on-one mark. 45M out straight in front.

Now that it has been suggested it's a done deal, I urge the reluctants to go back and watch some highlights and get excited. It will be far more enjoyable than hoping for failure so that you can be proven right. I think the 2019 and 2018 highlights have been posted before, so here's 2016:

Hoping Brown can pass on some tips to Melksham and Fritter on their run-ups.

I don't get this just a 'lead-up' forward business either. For starters, so what, if he's kicking 60 a year? It would imply he's the best lead-up forward in the game. I'll take that for pick 23, in a team constantly criticised for not kicking to leading targets (which is a two-way street, and requires the ability to offer a lead in space). But more importantly, he does have a well-rounded game by most measures: a great mark and set-shot, and can bend and snap the ball. Can also ruck. Then there's his aerobic capacity. I left a reminder in another thread - but it's worth repeating for the record here - that he also averaged the most kms of any AFL player last year, at 15.6km per match. That's how you fit Brown, Weid and Jackson into the same team. Another mobile roaming tall who can mark a ball would be a godsend after the exit of Hogan and decline of TMac. I think people just see him as a bit soft-footed as compared to a big traditional one-on-one KPF, and so come up with any reason to say no.

Ben Brown covered the highest average distance of ANY player in the AFL last year, at 15.6km per match. Also recorded the third greatest distance covered in a single match (17.3kms). Admittedly his ridiculous run-up accounts for some of that

Since 2018 Brown averages 7.1 forward-half pressure acts and Hawkins 7.4. But TMac averages 8.8 so we should probably just keep him instead.

Not sure how serious . . .?