Alex No Fancy-name

Liked the new pod - and as @Deeoldfart mentioned, the way the stats are linked to what we've seen was valuable. I felt the stand alone pod probably was easier to digest than having the stats deep-dive competing with time / focus of the 'main' podcast. Looking forward to future episodes unpacking the reasons we won! (Not looking forward to an episode that says, basically; "according to all the metrics, we should have lost by a lot more!")

Not sure what I expected today. Junior Demon was trying to convince himself that we'd lose and he just wanted a good contest (so if we did lose he wouldn't forefit his "composure"). Watching Latrelle's goal enacted in front of us was worth price of admission/membership; it was like watching a replay as it felt like we all knew how it would end! Great to see the Max love here... there was just something about his demeanour (deemeanour?) in the 4th that said he would see us over the line. Since I've been bemoaning the experts and their round 0 pronouncements, I am going out on a limb to say we're "a work in progress" with a lot of cobwebs to deal with in the next week or four. If I have to stand for an hour on an over-loaded train (with another hour to go before we get home) I'm willing to pay that price for a darn good day at the footy.

Many years ago, when they arranged phone calls for junior members Salem called my little demon... it wasn't the most flowing conversation (not C.S.s fault), but he has been on our radar ever since. Just such a natural with the ball, maybe makes it look a bit too effortless. I will be making a rare visit to the game tomorrow, with my little demon (who's now taller and too invested for his own good). One of the things I look forward to, watching live at the ground, is to not hear a certain commentator butcher his name; surely after 200 games a memo might have made its way to the studio?

It felt like the Saint came out "breathing fire" with a plan to keep the ball moving forward. Was it too much adrenalin (noting the number of times they got in their own way), which is something that might easily be addressed in a week, or do they not have the skills to deliver this game plan (which cannot be fixed so quickly)? The black and white team did well to stand back and wait for the poor/panicked ball to come to them. I very quickly turned off the noise of the broadcast... was there much salivating around the "chaos ball", or has that been binned for the time being?

...something something something... die_in_a_ditch.com (just thought, at the end of the day, that I'd jump on Demonalnd for a bit of light-hearted banter. This was not what I had come for. ...new Robbie Flower highlights... Stephen May kicking Goal(s)? ...anything)

Maybe photos with players are allowed, but not match sims etc. Anyway, glad I got along; day one of long service leave and I got to go full mfc-nuffie! #kickinglifegoals

First time at a training session (other than kids' clinic) so don't really have any insightful insights to share. CJ has been mentioned a few times; I liked the footwork and evasion, but was especially impressed with his delivery of the ball, he got it out of the back line and it kept going. It was great to watch Kozzie (and Latrelle and Ricky) kicking goals at the end of the session. Worth the price of admission! Final comment, I enjoyed watching the match sims, flowing footy without umpire interference, and no administrative 50s! Another final observation, on the way out I was going to take a photo of the Melb Victory training for my "other" son, and was told by their staff that photography was prohibited. I couldn't be bothered arguing the point, but if you're part of a league trying to build a supporter base I am not sure this is the best attitude.

Is it just me, or does B.Smith seem disinterested?

Meh. I'm just waiting to watch the highlights from a couple of 2018 finals (after which my memory gets a bit fuzzy)

It's the small wins: B. Smith has a free and the cat supporting son (sorry) predicts it will go to a hawk. TRIH

In a zero sum game, happy for us to watch the hawks go down, as long as we don't get a shot of the cats coaching box.

Last night seemed so empty. I totally endorse Andy and the team's mandated break. But how about some "conversation starters" so I can attempt to engage with the family again?

Would love to have a player like ANB in the red and blue. (Not a dig or a winge. Solid player and leader, good on him)

Some deep analysis would be most justified. However the evidence of the past 48 hours is that the current media blowtorch consists of the usual buffoons (aka AFL accredited media) spouting further ill-informed speculation on who should be sacked or traded. Nothing of substance; nothing showing any insight or analysis.

One and a half hours of the best footy analysis you will find. Then half an hour of Kenny G.

Viney may well be cited, but the point was this was announced as a fact. At the time we had two players out of the game with concussion, but neither incident (and both may have been incidental) received any attention from the broadcast. Which of itself might be just another moment in a pretty miserable afternoon's footy... were it not for the impression that the match review does seem to respond to the "newsworthy incidents". (Note that the goal review which happened to highlight a throw on the goal line was forgotten the moment after it happened; not to say (as the rules stand) that it should have been recalled or a free awarded, but if this happened to the club currently at the top of the ladder you would expect multiple replays, ill unfurnished comments from the host broadcaster ("you'd hate to see a grand final decided...") and a grovelling response from AFL house.) And I agree 100% with this point. It cannot be acceptable for the organisation that it charges with running the competition to run on its official platform opinion pieces. It compromises the actions of the organisation across the board (if they were not already compromised).

I had the facebook memory come up this morning - with 9 News assuming they'd only need to prepare one headline!

Still getting my head around the win. Want to watch the replay but "we have to watch eurovision." Speaking of things European, loved the round ball practice paying off big time! Without watching the replay (see above), does Bowey get easy possessions, or does he just make them look easy?

Listening to SEN and the melt down from Collingwood fans who have just discovered that the umpiring in this game is inconsistent!

Can we have a discussion re what Ed Langdon is giving us this year? I feel when he came to the club we saw him as a "bit player" with the running capacity his one wood. This year, I feel like he is one of a few who've provided a consistent contribution, and we're seeing him evolve into a leadership role that was probably not expected.

On the train home, nice to see all the Freo supporters (who probably came expecting an easy kill) head to the Quiet Sulking compartment. And amazing to read their carry-on in the Twitters re how hard-done-by they were by the folk in green! (Or did I have my red and blue glasses on?)

In the last quarter, the blood pressure dropped whenever the ball made it across to Bowey.

First chance to get to a game this year, and with MFCSS-junior working I just get to chill and enjoy the game (really!) Hoping to see some genuine effort, a few moments to get excited about, and maybe some insight into what's going on outside the camera focus. And if it all comes crashing down, at least I just have the sound of the crowd and the voices in my head, rather than over paid smart-[censored], kick you when you're down 'experts' calling the game. (Oh, leaving Bendigo there were more Freo supporters than Dee's at the station... maybe the rest of the Bendigo contingent were on the early train, making sure they get a good seat at the game?)

Probably not the thread, but there are signs of things coming together. Or at least not being as dire as some folk imagine or expect. There was a mark in the forward line we didn't get, and if May was a forward they'd have given him that mark in the last quarter. Then there were a couple of last minute goals which weren't really reflective of the state of play. Basically, I have an overly invested 16 year old who flies from "we are the greatest" to "we are the worst team with the worst players ever" - he's been at work tonight, so will want a report on the game: I'll tell him that we had our moments, found our shape in the third, but aren't the basket-case some folk (internally and external) are wanting us to be. I watch Langdon's game and am reminded of that run of his in the '21 grand final, I watch Gawn and think, while there are 17 up and comers in the competition, he still finds a way to dominate and/or just lead, I see CP5: a slight adjustment and he picks up a couple of crucial goals. At the end of the day - I put my Dee's socks on on game-day and wear my MFC retro jacket when I walk the dogs. Soon it will be cold and I will pop on the scarf - prob 2021 but maybe one from the other years that #werentsogood. It's never as bad as you think it is. And for those folk who think it's the worst of the worst... meh, it's a dumb game we watch once a week for half the year...