Whispering_Jack

Blacktown Bulls in honour of their inaugural coach. Going on some of the stuff he's been writing lately, he's full of bull!!!

Scoop Junior was at the game and at the Pineapple. Read his report HERE

The good thing is that like all good supporters, they're taking it one binge at at a time. Sounds much better than the time I last ventured out there (2005) and we were flogged by 13 or 14 goals. The German Club was like a funeral parlour after the game and the players stayed for five minutes.

VFL website has the game down as starting 1:10 pm.

The Jacks was disqualified for this effort - "Binell to be our leading goal-kicker with 4" - we have nobody in the team by that name plus the closest name to that was a bloke who who didn't kick one goal let alone four.

I went with this a fortnight ago but it obviously didn't happen because Jack Trengove wasn't ready to come back. With Jack in sparkling form yesterday for the Scorpions, I'm predicting he'll be back this week and Tom will be given a rest. I saw Beamer at Box Hill yesterday and he said he was raring to go next week. He shot me a nice look when I suggested it might be hard to fight his way back into the team. Only kidding Beamer

And the winner is ... over to you Joeboy (you're the judge)

Dear The Boss, We at Demonland are a pretty laid back lot. We believe in democracy and free speech and we're pretty tolerant. Over the years we've tolerated the small minority of keyboard heroes who come on here and breach our code of conduct and the common rules of civility and good manners and generally make complete fools of themselves. We've banned a few idiots but mostly, give people like you a second chance to show they have the capacity to understand when they've done the wrong thing. You've done that here. What you've written is not just false - it's defamatory - and because we have the means to identify you we could sue you for it. In fact, I'd love to serve you with a Writ right in front of my fellow Demon fans in the Olympic Stand during the Melbourne v Richmond game. Thanks. [Note: the proceeds of any legal action undertaken against The Boss will be donated straight to the Debt Demoltion]

Congratulations JACKATTACK. It sounds like you've found the recipe for a successful and harmonious union - a partner so accepting of your religious beliefs that she's willing to honeymoon in the actual place where your team's playing and, on top of that, even spends an evening with you at the game. Sheer wedded bliss! I only wish I would have taken my bride of 38 years up north for the game this weekend on a second honeymoon. She used to be a Bomber fan but over the years underwent a conversion to the Demons as her children and later her grandchildren took up the red and blue religion. Unfortunately, she can't stand the game and prefers the ballet, Dancing with Stars, MasterChef and other similar tripe. Hence, we have more than one TV at home and that was my problem last night. I hate watching the footy on television and, as a result, I'm thinking of taking the bride accross to Adelaide in a few week's time for a second honeymoon. How far is the Ramsgate Hotel from the Gabba?

We're at the stage where we need to take the positives out of our games and the fact that we won a tight one on the road is enormous. In many ways we learned a lot more tonight than we did last week against the Swans. That's what it's all about at the moment. Learning to play in all sorts of conditions and in all sorts of circumstances - and learning to win games exactly like these. I don't know how far we can go this year but we've now won more in this incomplete season than in the previous two combined and we're being considered contenders with only four rounds left to play. Of course, we take things one week at a time so let's inhale, take a deep breath and think about next Sunday v the Tigers!

Word from Mrs. Redleg who is in Brisbane with Redleg and Scoop Junior (whose match report will appear on Demonland on Monday night): Reminiscent of the last time we played interstate on a Saturday night. Hope the result's the same!

Agreed. It was almost shameful from a Melbourne supporter's point of view, the way Casey went out with one senior AFL listed players in the final against Collingwood that was chockful of Magpie listed players and they proceeded to thrash us. There are many who don't give a continental about our VFL affiliation but I believe that it needs to work well and provide successful VFL teams if you want your AFL list to be strong in the long run.

Max was ill during the week so he wasn't risked last weekend. He should be good to go in the Casey reserves on Sunday against Box Hill Hawks.

What great memories. Everything fell into place for us late in the season with Sean Wight and Brett Lovett memorable for their run out of defence which lifted us above the levels to which we had previously aspired. That last game against the Bulldogs and the tension as we waited for the result of the Hawthorn v Geelong game that determined our fate, the two sensational finals victories and the deadening impact of that run across Buckenara's mark in the Preliminary final by who ? It's an absolute long shot this year but wouldn't it be great if Jimmy the President could extract his revenge on Hawthorn at last by beating them in a final this year? If not we'll wait till next year to finish them off.

He will surely get Under 18 exposure next year irrespective of whether the family stays in SA or returns to Victoria. After that, if he is able to join Casey as part of a programme designed for his future integration into the MFC then his situation would be no different to that of the Gold Coast 17 year old's like Swallow, Matera and co. One would imagine he would share his playing times between his school and the VFL team and, by committing to the Demons, he would be reunited with his old schoolmates Jack Trengove and Luke Tapscott. As far as the actual decision to nominate father/son with the MFC is concerned, legend has it that when Todd Viney was being looked at by the club, his father negotiated a pretty hard bargain with the Demons. I have a feeling that this tradition will continue with young Jack as well but, in the end, some things are destined to happen. Just as RDB played for his father's team under the f/s rule, it's only fitting that Jack does likewise with us.

Grant of the Bulldogs might be a chance if he's of the right age.

They're obviously missing big Maxy!

We will be reintroducing our trades and drafts board when our season ends and I'm sure that it will become one of the sticky's when that happens. The second part of Different Draft should appear at that time. Cheers.

If he does decide to commit to the MFC , he would not be available until the 2012 draft but would there be any reason why he couldn't become a Casey Scorpions player in 2012 and cut his teeth with the club in much the same way as Sam Blease, Luke Tapscott and others are doing this year? He would of course be only a 17 year old but given his apparent maturity and the fact that he's already starting to play at an equivalent level in the SANFL, I think it might suit his development and help his transition into the MFC ranks in 2013.

Good get. I used my moderator's hat to make the necessary amendment.

A DIFFERENT DRAFT by Whispering Jack It's amazing what the passing of twelve months can do. This time last year (and also the year before) Melbourne fans were probably more interested in what was happening at suburban parks where junior football was being played than they were with the events at the MCG. The prize of the first pick of the best young talent in the land was an alluring one and the fact that last year, the second best young player might also be included in the draft package made it all the better. The end result (decided months later after the trade period) of four picks in the first eighteen was the icing on the cake. However, this year we're all travelling to the beat of a different draft. The fact that the Demons are gradually moving away from the bottom of the ladder (partially a result of the infusion of recently drafted youth) has much to do with the difference in attitude to this year's festival of young talent but the main factor has been the impending introduction of the Gold Coast Suns to the 2011 AFL roster. The AFL wants its new franchise teams to have the best possible chance of achieving early success in the competition so the concessions available to the Suns and to Greater Western Sydney next year have been far reaching. The Gold Coast already fields a team in the VFL comprised of young local talent, a handful of players picked in last year's rookie draft led by Daniel Harris, zone selections like Liam Jurrah's NT cousin Liam Patrick, a clutch full of 17 year old talent (all now 18) picked up by way of special nominations and some odds and sods from here and there in the form of ex-Cat Nathan Ablett and rugby's Karmichael Hunt. They already have one AFL premiership player more that Melbourne in young Nathan and are hoping to collect more of them in his brother Gary Junior and possibly Hawk Campbell Brown through the rule which gives the Gold Coast the right to take one uncontracted player from each of the sixteen existing clubs. They say they plan to pick up eight players this way and it will cost them nothing because the AFL is picking up the tab and doling out compensation by way of future draft picks to the affected clubs. The Coasters got a big push when they were allowed to preselect twelve 17 year olds (turning 18 by 30 April this year) after last year's drafts. This gave them first choice over a swag of talent including the likes of then bottom age stars Joshua Toy and Brandon Matera whose removal from the draft pool has weakened the list of players to be drafted in the forthcoming drafts. Some of these youngsters are already getting VFL games to accelerate their development programme. One of the nominated 12, Demon Premier cricketer Alex Keath has opted out after deciding on a different career path in the world of cricket. Then come the draft concessions that give the Gold Coast the first three picks and more in the November draft. Not surprisingly, the draft meeting will be held this year at the Gold Coast Convention Centre at Broadbeach and one can only ask the other clubs whether it's all worth their while turning up (it is - see Part II coming soon)! Well, here is the order of selection for the first round of which Gold Coast Suns gets nine picks:- 1 - Gold Coast Suns, #2 - Gold Coast Suns, #3 - Gold Coast Suns, #4 - 16th, #5 - Gold Coast Suns, #6 - 15th, #7 - Gold Coast Suns, #8 - 14th, #9 - Gold Coast Suns, #10 - 13th, #11 - Gold Coast Suns, #12 - 12th, #13 - Gold Coast Suns, #14 - 11th, #15 - Gold Coast Suns, #16 - 10th, #17 - 9th, #18 - 8th, #19 - 7th, #20 - 6th, #21 - 5th, #22 - 4th, #23 - 3rd, #24 - 2nd, #25 - 1st. After that comes the priority pick (if the Eagles decide to tank fail to add to their current four wins) and then Gold Coast Suns get the first pick of each succeeding round. The AFL concessions to Gold Coast franchise reached an inane point last year when they were permitted to nominate their first selection for the 2011 draft before the 2010 draft took place. Melbourne already had picks 1 and 2 locked away for the latter after trade week in October but the Demons were not allowed to announce their picks prior to draft day. Go figure? The Gold Coast Suns selected 2009 Larke Medallist David Swallow (brother of North's Andrew) who has been learning the ropes in its VFL team. They have also announced that this year's winner of the same award for the best player of the Under 18 Championships, Harley Bennell (cousin of Melbourne's Jamie), will be one of their first three chosen players. If SA's Sam Day chooses footy ahead of basketball, then he's the likely third man. So there we are. It's a different draft and it leaves me wondering how Footscray, Hawthorn and North Melbourne got by 85 years ago when they entered the competition. Oh, that's right, North fans had to wait half a century before they saw the skipper of their club lift up a premiership cup. KEY DRAFT DATES Friday October 1, 2pm - Father/Son nominations lodged with the AFL. Monday October 4, 10am - Father/Son bidding meeting (Gold Coast Suns not entitled to participate). Monday October 4 - Monday October 11 - AFL exchange period (In addition to normally permitted exchanges, Gold Coast Suns may exchange players nominated as 17-year-olds in 2009 who have not accepted a contract offer, players nominated as rookies in 2009 who have not accepted a contract offer, the right to list a player who has previously nominated for the Draft under rule 35.5 and the right to list a priority zone selection from Queensland or the Northern Territory under rule 35.6). Thursday October 7, 2pm - Gold Coast FC may include on its primary list up to one listed player from each club (or more than one if the other club agrees) provided the player is uncontracted for the 2011 season. Friday October 29, 2pm - List lodgement one. Rookie promotion to primary list, retained second year and third year rookies, scholarship player transfer to primary list or rookie list; international scholarship player transfer to primary list or rookie list. Gold Coast players contracted under rule 35.2 (local talent) may be included on the club primary list or rookie list with their consent, Gold Coast FC contracted nominated 17 year-olds included on the primary list, Gold Coast FC nominated 17 year-olds who have not accepted a contract may be included on the primary list, Gold Coast FC 2009 rookies who accept a contract offer may be included on the primary list or rookie list. Friday November 5, 2pm - Out of contract listed primary list players draft nomination deadline. Friday November 5, 2pm - Draft nomination deadline for new or expired (after three years) nominations. Friday November 5, 2pm - Nomination of use of compensatory selection by clubs that lose an uncontracted player to Gold Coast FC. Wednesday November 10, 2pm - List lodgement two. Friday November 12, 2pm - Delisted primary list draft nomination deadline. Friday November 12, 2pm - Non-retained rookie draft nomination deadline. Friday November 12 - Priority zone selections, Queensland and NT. Thursday November 18 - NAB AFL Draft selection meeting, Gold Coast Convention Centre. Tuesday November 23, 2pm - Out of contract primary list draft nomination deadline. Tuesday November 23, 2pm -International player inclusion on rookie list deadline. Tuesday November 23, 2pm - Players not registered for three years inclusion on rookie list deadline. Tuesday November 23, 2pm - NSW scholarship player and international scholarship player inclusion on rookie list deadline. Wednesday November 24, 2pm - List lodgement three and TPP estimates. Tuesday November 30, 2pm - Delisted primary list draft nomination deadline. Tuesday November 30 - Previously listed players or draft nominated players deadline. Gold Coast FC may nominate up to 10 players whose nomination is current for the 2010 draft but who have not previously been on a club list or a primary list. Tuesday November 30, 2pm - GWS zone access. Team GWS to nominate up to 16 draft-eligible players from NSW/ACT outside the current NSW scholarship region. Tuesday December 7, 10am - NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft meeting (Microsoft Live meeting). Tuesday December 7, 10.10am - Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast FC and Sydney Swans pre-selected rookie nominations. Tuesday December 7, 10.15am - NAB AFL Rookie Draft meeting (Microsoft Live meeting). Team GWS have selections 1-8 and Gold Coast FC has selection nine and the first selection in each subsequent round. Friday December 10, 2pm - Team GWS to nominate up to 12 17-year-olds born between January 1 and April 30, 1993

MAX GAWN Q & A

I have a feeling that the Bulldogs had no choice. If he kept opening his trap when he was constantly warned not to do it, then he forced the Dogs to act. Of course, it could be for something completely different but I think the leadership group has had a gutful.

I like Maric and I thought he played very well at Casey last week but faded at the end of the game. At this stage with no prospects of making the finals and a huge injury list, I think it's time to give him a try. His last couple of games have been good so why not play him?

Incredible injury list out at Collingwood: Anthony Corrie (knee) - 1-2 weeks Brad Dick (shoulder) - test Nick Maxwell (calf) - test That's it! If Dick and Maxwell pass their tests only one player will miss out on a game this weekend ... and he's not a best 22 player ... and he could be back in a week anyway! How do they do it?