Whispering_Jack

For a team bound for the finals with pretensions to a top four spot, GWS’s waving of the white flag last night was shameful.

Can a game against our long time traditional rivals breathe some life into this team?

It’s Draft Power rankings time and here are two of them - Knightmare and AFL Draft Central

Their fans will still complain. There are reports today that Mason Cox is out the year with a damaged retina, Ben Reid out with soft tissue concerns, Darcy Moore still out and. Jordan De Goey will also miss.

Nor is ANB although he could be the player held back as an emergency for tonight’s game. Who knows?

Game on tonight, I believe.

Less than 10 MFC listers = 0.01% chance of a win against the top side.

I don’t believe that injuries alone explain the team’s fall from grace this year but I recall last year’s two home finals against Geelong and Hawthorn when we had Tom McDonald and Sam Weideman fit, firing and available. I don’t think we had a problem with “brand” back then - why is that an issue this year when we are bereft of key forwards. I think Roos’ comments are fairly superficial and quite frankly, dumb.

The great 60’s rock group Buffalo Springfield has this song called “Something’s Happening” that opened with the lines- “There's something happening here What it is ain't exactly clear” It was a song about paranoia in the days of the Vietnam War but it comes to mind when I look at what’s happened with this week’s team selections. The first two players on the injury list are declared available and they go straight into Melbourne’s team for tonight against the Saints (Tim Smith actually played for Casey last week after already recovering from whatever ailed him the previous week). Jack Viney and Harry Petty pass their fitness tests and remain in the team for that game. Jake Melksham (after several weeks of wavering from 4-5 to 3-4 miraculously became a “test”), Marty Hore, Sam Weideman and Billy Stretch all pass their tests and are selected for Casey. So does rookie Austin Bradtke who was presumably rested last week. So just when we have what should be a season low injury list of a mere 8 players, there’s also a season high of up to four “mystery injuries of the week”. A day after the injury list is issued, Steven May misses with a hamstring injury. Well, we knew he might have had an issue there because in the game against the Eagles in Alice Springs he went “into the rooms during the third quarter with a tight hamstring but eventually returned”. Another player injured who returns to the ground only to miss at least the following game. Then there is the strange case of three “outs” from the Casey team - Mitch Hannan, Corey Maynard and Charlie Spargo - none of who were listed as injured. So, if that was really the case, were they rested from a must win game for the Casey Demons (they have to win every remaining game to have a chance of making the finals) when their inclusion would given them a season high of 16 AFL listed players? There's something happening here. I just can’t figure it out and nobody’s telling us what it is even if it probably doesn’t matter.

On the basis of our pattern of play throughout the entire season, this is one of the few games left which we could possibly win. However, if the Saints dictate the way the game is played as they did earlier in the season and we do nothing to resist their style, it’s going to be a long evening.

It was really disappointing for me to read this thread this morning. Not so much because of Casey’s loss which was half expected due to the sheer lack of AFL experience. I think Scott Selwood has more AFL games under his belt than the 10 Melbourne listed players who took part. My disappointment was due to the fact that a number of posts had to be deleted by our moderators as a result of the unnecessary derailing of the thread for the purpose of chest beating and preaching when it wasn’t warranted or relevant. People come here to read the thread mainly to find out how some of our younger prospects and our out of form or players returning from injury are faring. We want to know if our VFL partner can make the finals. Demonland is not about individual posters. It’s about our club and it’s players. A great deal of what I read was crap and was rightfully removed. We won’t tolerate it here so before anyone thinks of posting “I’m better than you” posts, think again because they won’t be visible for very long.

It’s hard to fathom exactly what’s gone wrong since the last time that Melbourne ventured into the red centre when it comprehensively demolished Adelaide a week over recording that 100+ points win over Carlton (we sit today behind both on the ladder). I suppose the troubles began immediately upon our return home when Jake Lever twisted his knee at the former Etihad Stadium but, apart from a couple of wins late last year and the euphoria of those two home finals, it’s never been the same. The win against the Eagles at Optus Stadium in Round 22 last year was in the minds of many, our finest achievement of the season. Here’s hoping we can reach those heights again in the near future and provide them with a contest today.

What happened to the honourable tradition in football of taking things one week at a time?

After witnessing the winning performances in this round of two other clubs heavily affected by injuries - Collingwood and Essendon - all I can say is the time for making excuses is well and truly over.

Young Tiernan Stynes played for South Metro JFL side Port Melbourne/South Melbourne last year in the Under 13s and was also in their interleague team. I checked on the league website and it appears he’s not playing for them this year. The fact that he’s at Wesley might have something to do with this because the schools in the APS play their inter school matches on Saturday mornings which often puts pressure on young kids backing up for games with club teams on Sundays. I believe that Jeff White’s son is showing some promise as a sportsman and is perhaps a year or two younger. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a young Stynes and a young White combining for the Demons in around five or six year’s time after Maxy retires?

Put Cooper Sharman down as a smokie - Balwyn forward Cooper Sharman attracting AFL attention Perhaps somewhere later in the draft?

Both Carlton and St Kilda have made the finals during the current decade so what are they complaining about. Melbourne also did it once but are now languishing in the bottom four and is a game and %age behind the Saints. Had Jayden Hunt’s shot at goal on Sunday gone the way of most of his team’s set shots, we would have been behind the Blues on the ladder as well. Therefore, we have as much right as those two teams to a priority pick - and it would correct an historical wrong as well. #prioritypicforDees2019 ?

Some more serious reading about the 2019 crop of draft prospects - AFL Draft Power Rankings: State MVPs make a run up the board Under 18 Championships: 5 AFL draft prospects who elevated their stocks AFL Draft Wrap: Unique defender with booming boot looms as a first-round force

Fox Sports “If Match Review Officer Michael Christian grades the incident as careless conduct, low impact and high contact, Lewis would receive a fine.”

Zac Fisher played out the game and appeared unaffected. Low impact. Lewis cops a fine at worst despite his record.

No room for T Mac?

Is there any danger that just for once, we kick straight in the second half and our opponents muck up easy shots and kick atrociously? Just once!

Max is Gawn for this week.

Two of the oldest clubs in the competition playing in a game that can’t exactly be called the match of the round. Please allow Max the week to rest the ankle.

This is a tough industry. I suspect, judging on how some are playing at this level, that a few have already been told that their cards are marked.