Skuit

Remember when Tomald and Viney had a dust-up one pre-season? Awesome.

Question. I'm confused by this notion that clubs would be scared off by his salary. A club brings him in and they would negotiate a new contract, right? Maybe we pay a portion to satisfy all parties as best as possible - but failing that he stays at Melbourne as an outsider and doesn't get a game. I know this isn't ideal for us - but if he's grumpy and wants out he can take a pay-cut. Like employment decisions normal people have to make.

Working overtime in the silly season . . . Fact-check: the Demons are facing a salary-cap squeeze. We all seem to be working under the assumption that our cap is tight, but where did this notion come from? I recall maybe something mentioned in a recent tweet? Also, are we tight now, or are we banking cash for expected big future in-house re-signings e.g. Oliver and Jackson - and to lock Petracca in on a longer-term deal? Or are we just being conservative in our cap management, looking toward longer-term success, or perhaps waiting for a raid when we feel we're close to the peak of our window? So many things we don't know about our cap management approach. Have we been paying 100% of our cap - is this factually verifiable by delving into our annual reports?

The players can suck it. Get us over the line kids. If anyone can point me towards where Simon did wrong with Clarry then I'll go and rearrange my garden gnomes.

To be honest, I would just love to ruffle my hands through his fuzzy hair if given half a chance. Indeed, with further restrictions likely into next year I think clubs need to get creative in what they can offer their membership-base. Given the chance to play with Ben's hair and I'd probably buy a membership for both me and my Jack Russell. His name is Jack. It was meant to be a pun but it's not very creative. Still, you should see him with a scarf on. Squee.

The last three Coleman medallists vs. Ben Brown at the MCG. The lack of sample size for Brown at the venue is crazy. This is via https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/B/Ben_Brown.html Jack Riewoldt: MCG average: 2.22 goals. 158 games/ 235 goals – 66 behinds (insane accuracy). Ben Brown: MCG average: 2.1 goals. 10 games/ 21 goals – 13 behinds. Tom Hawkins: MCG average 1.72 goals. 76 games/ 133 goals – 91 behinds. Josh Kennedy: MCG average 1.58 goals. 36 games /57 goals – 37 behinds. The question is invalid and also doesn't stack up.

What is Taylor saying about this year's draft?

B. Brown and I. Smith are great early targets for two of our priority areas. I don't expect that Smith will leave in the end and I reckon there will likely be a late higher bidder or two for Brown. Good that we're apparently putting in the legwork now. Would also like to somehow hold onto pick 23 as the AFL have confirmed a two-day draft and early second-rounders now come with an added gold-lining. In a muddled draft we could parlay that into a slightly later pick for JT and a bonus second-rounder next year. We are still likely to get in some extra trade cookies and there are a lot of opportunities for packaging picks this year. We can always package up and then sell off as well. I'm thinking we'll end up with a second second-rounder. From there another mature running small defender (missing Saad was disappointing, but eased a bit by the reported cost and what the Dons would ask in return) and a another dynamic small forward and outside mid. Tippa and Merrett would be the dream, on top of Brown and Smith. Don't know how that gets done but we'd have to sell out of next year entirely and probably lose one of our core inside mids. I want to keep them together but for Merrett see you later to Gus or Harmes. Unfortunately some of our trade points will seemingly come from losing Preuss - and to a lesser extent one or both of the Mac's - which means another back-up ruck and some tall stock becomes another priority. I'll leave it to Werribee to post up my dream 22 with said inclusions but I think the trickle-down effect of these few would be huge and instantly premiership-pushing. Along with seriously aiding the development of some of our youngsters. Imagine Tippa and Kossie running amok together. What Brown would do in terms of releasing Fritsch and Jackson into space. A starting midfield of Merrett, Trac and Oliver, being fed by Gawn. Rivers alongside another defending runner and Salem let loose. I'll keep dreaming.

I like your conservative approach to starting new threads.

Just to be clear - I love Ben Brown. I've loved him since day one. I love his hair, and I love his fifty-metre run-up. I love how he kicks goals and I love how he catches balls with his long outstretched arms. I've often compared him to a labrador puppy, infinitely trainable and a no-fuss footballer and evidently stand-up guy. I love how the umpires love him and take pity on him as well and give him free kicks when the backmen do mean stuff to him. It pained me for a long time that we overlooked him in favour of JKH. I can't believe we nearly have him in our team - a dream I never thought possible. The narrative on here that he can't play football outside of being a lead-up forward and other grumbles are ridiculous and I have no idea where that psychology stems from. We may be gifted the most solid goal-kicker in recent times and people say no. Okay. Go TMac yay!

Game has changed dramatically since those days though. You don't get a free shot on goal when you catch the ball on the full anymore and football grounds have shrunk by at least 30 percent.

Gets way too many cheap free kicks and has this habit of leading up to the ball. No thanks. Also, this technique of taking a long run-up and kicking through the ball on a set-shot - wtf?

This. I would be grumpy by default if forced to live full-time in the laps of my workmates for the past five months, no matter how much I like them. Plenty of tensions and some flare-ups, I bet. Young, immature team, partial boredom, and a more challenging season for us than most. Everyone probably just needs a good defrag and some time apart.

Most pressing external needs imo (shared with many others) are a key forward and another solid winger (while we continue to develop the latter in-house or plug for a year or two - and the trickle-down effect a genuine KPF will deliver to our forward-line). Have to work out how to juggle that in the immediate-term as to trade cookies and salary cap. Paying up on Brown (for pick ~23 and a sizeable but depressed salary) and bringing in Smith as the two priority players we're most closely connected to in the media suggests the club has identified what we need in line with the fans and have found the best compromise as targets.

Love how everything that actually comes out in the media messes with the anti-Goodwin narrative. Yeah, sure, people are graceful in a small industry. Read the article. Jack's words are above and beyond in terms of simple courtesy.

Been saying a similar thing for years now. I agree that Max is the best tap-ruck I've ever seen, but that conception allows opposition mids to prepare to counter it from a negating perspective. When a Pedo or Preuss comes in it's back to a 50-50 contest and the pure ball-winning dominance of our mids get to shine. I honestly don't know the solution - but I hope we can come up with a way to capitalise on both having Max and the likes of Trac, Clarry and Viney in the starting midfield.

I would like Isaac Smith to come to our football team. But part of that depends on one's perspective as to where we sit on the 'premiership clock'. I personally believe our window will open next year again and peak in the next two to three years beyond that - covering the length of Smith's proposed contract. I think it would be beneficial to have him on the list during this period, whether playing full-time or not. But if you're in the anti-Goodwin/club-is-a-mess camp then it would make little sense.

For the record - this is the @titan_uranusand @binman exchange from another thread. Titan: I've seen this 10kg thing a lot. Is there any evidence at all to support it? Is there anyone on Demonland who claims to have a source who has said this? Or is it just a rumour with no real base to it? Binman: It was stated as fact by a poster around the time of the blues game. The poster's name escapes me and I don't recall them posting for some time, though was prolific poster at that point. (Note: Coq au vin appears to be the sauce. Not sure if he or she was posting under a different name at the time). We had a number of back and forth posts about it as in the immortal of Sy Richardson's character, Lite, from Repo Man 'I called [censored] on that'. As if the club in this day and age would ask an already big, 27 year old power forward to put on 10kgs to play deep full forward (which as i pointed out to said poster they didn't even play him in that position against the blues, or subsequently as it has turned out). .......................... Anyone else got any links to the source of this contention? TMac apparently saying he wants to drop some kgs (I don't know that source either - Foxfooty?) adds some weight - forgive the pun - to him being heavier than normal, as do the eyeballs. Any confirmation though that the club wanted him to get heavier? It seems counter to all of our mobile talls having been asked to slim down in recent seasons: Gawn, Hogan, and Pedo off the very top of my head, with obvious results.

Hey OD. I don't mean to pull you up specifically but in a post-truth world we should all do our bit. Since the Roos-Goodwin era the Pies have qualified for the finals at a rate of around 40% - with them shading us by half a game this year (one goal in one game to us and they drop to under 30%). It's a small sample-size but Buckley has also been granted eight years at the helm to date, having taken over a grand-final-quality team with a pretty decent list balance.

MFCSS flaring up like crazy. Either Trac is fat again or will be eaten by a crocodile. Failing that, he clearly looks unhappy about his first placing in the best & fairest and will seek a trade to the Trinity Beach Bulldogs.

Now that this thread has turned to official unmitigated garbage I'll bother to note that I wrote 'interneting' as opposed to 'interesting'. It's not interesting at all. This thread or a particular poster should be culled.

Continue backing self into a ridiculous corner. Then pretend it was trolling. Nice interneting.

@titan_uranusworking overtime and binman putting in some work. Contention: TMac was told to put on some weight by the MFC. Seems sketchy so far. @binmanappears to have got to the bottom of the origin (a certain Coq on this site). He does however look bigger. Confusing if he took that decision upon his own, as has been vaguely suggested in the media. Contention: TMac will only play if his brother is selected. Sounds like complete bs on the surface. I did however once suggest that OMac's contractual status might come into play when signing Tomald. I hope I'm not the origin of these rumours because my post was complete speculative nonsense. Contention: Simon Goodwin is obstinate and doesn't listen to his assistants. Spend a week off this site and on return this is given as fact. I don't think we can get to the bottom of this one. Inside info on contractual details e.g. is one thing, but workplace rumour is another. Jennings would probably tell anyone he comes into contact with that Simon doesn't listen. One is factual, the other is opinion. But where did this idea come from? Contention: Both Trac and Clarry are disgruntled. I know the first was via @goodwindees, but the second? How much validation do either of these contentions have? Let's round-up the original sources and backing.

It's nice to watch both the Kangas and Essendon implode. And I'm generally not the vindictive type.

Very odd footballer. Quite ugly in his posture and movement but then executes a lot of things very naturally. I don't ever think he'll be a fan favourite but if he can hold down another wing . . .