bush demon

Part of the problem is that little separates most teams in the competition. It's going to be trench warfare for the next 2-3 years until we can establish a pathway to the big sticks. at present we are putting a lot of energy into getting goals. so disappointed with jack watts when he dished off on saturday (early) instead of doing what he's paid to... have a shot.

Guide to Watts 1. Comments should be constructive; he will be a gun. 2. He turns his back on the play too often once the immediate contest/clearance has occurred; 3. He lacks confidence to impose himself and demand leads. 4. He should take set shots. On Saturday he went sideways on the forward line resulting in a turnover. At the 50 metre mark for Casey he can slot them through.

I thought that too, but don't underestimate the importance of the break freshening these players up mentally. The level of concentration needed could easily leave them jaded later in the year.

that philosophy would quickly lead to robber-barons stripping melbourne of its players and heading to one of the franchises or vic. gorilla clubs once free agency gains a hold.

Kelly will come to regret that moment, because the video will be played endlessly and become part of the way other clubs rightly or wrongly see Geelong. It cannot help Geelong and I would say that Thompson regretted that it was caught on T.V so clearly.

i don't know why i don't hate collw'd. i like it when they lose. i respect their on the road record, and the fact they can sit two on the ladder without draft concessions. i also love the fact we have a 15 out of 16 (thereabouts) win/loss record against them in finals dating back to the late 30's. i am glad when they run hot in april may june and as cranky franky would say, 'shot down in july', or september as the case may be.

essendon carlton hawthorn richmond carlton can all stay at/go to the bottom of the ladder. geelong, i don't hate them. this is the shortlist of teams that supplanted the legendary demons of '33-'65. they got all the glory when our boys folded. collingwood, i don't hate them, i pity them for all the grands they lost in a row. i even barracked for them in the wayne harmes final. ('79)

No point in hating the cats, like hating a new car. they play with courage and represent afl at its highest. they have managed to defy the draft to get to the top,,, gary ablett aside. now all they have to look forward to is a lousy premiership and gentle slide into the middle of the ladder as their top players drop off / go to gold coast bears.

Probably carrying a "T".

I'm Melbourne at this stage, Tony. I'm Melbourne. I'm Melbourne and to talk about anything like that would be against these principles that I mentioned. I am Melbourne and I'm Melbourne through and through. - Norm Smith. I have always been fascinated with this excerpt from The Tony Charlton Football Show which Dappa Dan uses on his posts. "Red Fox", p573, quoting Norm Smith goes further: "Winning is important - it's damn important - but it's not as important as sticking to solid principles. If you deviate from the principles you deteriorate quickly." In this case Norm Smith was paying out on Neil Crompton's refusal to follow team instructions in the dying minutes of the '64 grand final. Of course he was referring to Crompton's decision to wander forward and kick the winning goal that won Melbourne its last premiership.

Well I don't wish the guy that kind of bad luck. He is a young, elite sportsman in a cut-throat, competitive world. Unlike internet typing.

He is a gutsy player, slippery as an eel and very evasive almost floweresque in heavy traffic. as simon cowell would say, 'and now for the bad news'... his release is extremely high and the gap from hand to foot is far too great. so by the time the ball hits his boot it may have changed direction. he is like miller in that he is unable to guide the ball onto the boot with the right hand. His round-the-corner kicks are usually much better ie 2000 final v carlton. Earl of Spalding was the same. Ditto Warren Dean.

Totally agree. Rivers played courageously and used his body brilliantly in contested situations. i think a lot of people just make things up to suit the prevailing fashion.

Every Friday morning Peter Keenan gives his footy tips on ABC radio. In the past he has been a serial critic of his former club, always talking up his beloved North Melbourne. I noticed in the last couple of weeks he has changed his tone. this morning it was, "Melbourne, the team I played eight years for".

If Jurrah and Watts can make some impact later in the season then our conversion rate will zoom. We still have to work hard to manufacture goals.

That is so wrong. His thinking and acting in real time is brilliant... his use and sharing of the ball on the forward line for Casey on Saturday was nothing less than elite. like champions he may look half-pace but this is deceptive.

It was amusing to see the "Customer Service" Staff creating a human shield to stop patrons from accessing ground level seats, for which an (approx) $20 premium has to be paid. In the section I used adjacent to the demon cheer squad hardly anyone had paid the extra impost, but there were hundreds watching from behind the Etihad staff. Even these 'premium' seats don't let you see if the ball has gone through the goals at height because the compacted upper level blocks the view. VFL Park Waverley was a brilliant ground, and would have made the AFL very wealthy if they didn't firesale it for the benefit of private operators at Dockland.

I upgraded from Country Membership to Trident earlier in the week. When I got home from work last night I found my email ticket for Saturday's game, also discovered that you can't print the ticket out "AFTER 7.00pm". I am hoping that the club will provide a ticket for SAturday's game! I also discovered that the late father of a work friend actually started the Tridents Group, I think in the 1960's. She still has Trident memorabilia of his from the 60's. Looking forward to catching up with any crazy demon supporters in the Northern Stand. Bush Demon

I upgraded from Country Membership to Trident earlier in the week. When I got home from work last night I found my email ticket for Saturday's game, also discovered that you can't print the ticket out "AFTER 7.00pm". I am hoping that the club will provide a ticket for SAturday's game! I also discovered that the late father of a work friend actually started the Tridents Group, I think in the 1960's. She still has Trident memorabilia of his from the 60's. Looking forward to catching up with any crazy demon supporters in the Northern Stand. Bush Demon

Jacobs was a 20yo k.p.p in a premiership side who then fell off the pace when his team fell off the pace. Same as Hawkins.

Does anyone remember Graeme Jacobs? He was centre-half forward in Melbourne's last premiership team and may have kicked four goals in the semi-finals, two in the grand. Kind of disappeared after that. He may have transferred to South Melbourne. Does anyone remember him?

Deleting Melbourne Storm's points for 2010 is a decision in stupidity rivalling the secret deals which got them in this mess. the nrl are pointing a gun at their own head. if the big picture is a national competition then storm should have been given some small chance of continuing on in the current season. as things stand they have been gunned down like ned kelly. i have never enjoyed this code, but am not opposed to the pleasure it gives to locals and expats who follow melbourne storm. is the nfl going to pull down the new stadium as well? they might as well retreat to the confines of sydney and just do the head-banging thing there.

When I was 14 and bored with things i made up a game called marble football. i still have the record book of the seasons. (the coodabeens said i should offer it up to the museum of sport). the teams: clarinda ballarat mildura shepparton springvale springvale north dandenong clarinda westbridge one missing can't remember this was called the VFU (Victorian Football Union). i kept over 200 marbles in ten kool mint jars. every marble had a name. the game was played on the carpet behindthe couch. i used batteries for goals and a chinese checker for the football. at the end of the season i threw all the marbles over neighbouring fences so i wouldn't be tempted to go into season '71 playing marble football. still, my brother like balloon football. ps why relegate the dees into a divisional situatin when we are looking at ten years as a possibly top ranking club. the lesser teams would draw minimal crowds, have no finance, no sponsors no tv, and players would use free agency to get away from them. bush demon

you obviously didn't see his king-hits on giles and stephen smith.

Crackers Keenan, serial bagger of the dees said we would get slaughtered and that his beloved North would play with shinboner spirit against Saints. Could be a cold winter in your wet North jumper crackers. Don't forget your Melbourne jumper is still lying under the bed where you left it.