wisedog

What a petty thing to bring up in a radio interview. Wouldn't be surprised but sounds like something someone made up to make our demise even sweeter. We were flying mid-season and there was finally a bit of swagger and bravado about the Dees. I really don't think the football world enjoyed seeing us succeed. Part of me wonders if the players were chastened and embarrassed by the attacks and criticism of media and past players and if this contributed to our shaky form at the end of the season. Who knows.

I have to admit there's something strangely likeable about Bugg. I gather in these comments, even before this incident some posters see him as representing a kind of culture shift. Obviously, no one wants to see a repeat of what occurred on Friday. It was ugly. I think the incident deserved for 4 - 6 weeks. I'm not entirely convinced he was aiming for Mill's head, but not even Bugg has said anything to the contrary. What I don't like is the the cliche-riddled sanctimony from past players, even those with a record of committing similar acts. They then try to conflate this incident with a wider 'culture issue' which they raise in the same breath as Oliver's 'dive'. In truth, the culture at Melbourne hasn't been this healthy for 10 years. I think there is a willingness in some sections of the media to keep us down, which is often evident in the in-game commentary (particularly BT). We probably are being too defensive, but I think we have been down for so long, some of us are afraid this media gang attack, will send our players back into their shells and we'll stop playing with confidence and flare.

Exactly my thoughts. I just can't understand why a player would spontaneously punch an opponent in the jaw without any provocation or niggle - particularly after the Houli drama. Unless, of course Bugg is an absolute madman. I too give Bugg the benefit of the doubt and think he was only trying to make contact to the shoulder/upper chest - which made Ling's sanctimony a bit grating, especially as he then to utterly dismissed the next hit on Bugg as playing for a free. Perhaps I'm being too defensive of a demon player. 4 is right, I feel.

I wasn't referring to people who believe the only crime was getting caught. I was referring to the people who retrospectively condemn individuals within the club for pursuing a policy they had themselves supported.

On a side note, 'tanking', prior to our experience was not quite seen as the evil as it is now. The AFL were wilfully blind to the practice after Collingwood and Carlton's efforts. I even remember commentators urging us to take to take full advantage of our position. As alluded to above, most supporters were also in favour of it. Then after Brock McLean's comments, the situation changed and the football world discovered their collective outrage.

Yes, and I think if you went back to the threads from that time, quite a few posters would find it awkward to see what they were posting back then. You might for instance, find an interesting response from supporters after an unexpected win against Port Adelaide in round 15 2009. And a similarly interesting response after losing from a kick after the siren against Richmond in round 18. What happened, wasn't some evil plan devised by few crooked high-ups. There was a significant push from the supporter base in favour of the policy in order to set ourselves for the best chance at long term success.

The injuries in 2007 were horrendous. I think at the time, we had even set a record for the amount of players we used at the half way point of the season. I also remember Gary Lyon declaring how fortunate the next coach was to be inheriting a list like Melbourne's.

I always enjoy seeing players who don't hit their straps until their mid or even late 20's. It gives you hope that the players you've picked that haven't shown much in the first 2 to 3 years will come good eventually, as was the case with Jetta last year. Most years on Demonland, there's a Youtube draft sensation we all hope we'll nab as a rookie. Most of the time, they don't come to much i.e. Casey Sibosado. I remember there being lots of talk about Hall in 2011 and I was disappointed that we didn't grab him. You can add Rockliff to the regrets category and perhaps Papley as well. However, I'm not even sure the Melbourne environment could have drawn this form out of Hall.

Count me in again. The Eggmen in the Stynes League. Appreciate your work, Deevoted.

I assume you mean a separate section of Demonland, not a new website entirely? I see no reason why Melbourne Demons - Women's Team couldn't be added alongside Melbourne Demons, General Discussion, Fantasy Footy, etc.

A high risk trade, but I pulled the trigger on Gawn. Downgraded from an underperforming ruckman and banked around 175k. He scored 147 on the weekend, hopefully he stays out on the park.

Speaking of creative/stupid, has anyone noticed the scores Gawn's put out lately? I wonder.

Not a great year for me so far. After holding firm, I'm now in panic mode, burning through my trades and thinking of creative/stupid ways to make the money to fix my team. Half the premiums I've picked just haven't come on which is really they key to the whole thing. Selwood, Bontempelli and Sloane killing me.

Miming a spear and charging towards opposition supporters seemed like quite an incendiary act. What if that in turn provoked Carlton supporters to mime a rifle and point it at Goodes? You could have a very ugly situation on your hands. Goodes challenges conservative Australians, using his position to claim things such as "Australia was built on lies." That's partly why he is booed. It's probably related to being Aboriginal, but it's not just that. If Scott McIntyre were running on to a field today, he'd be lucky to make it out of the ground alive. The fact is, most footy players just aren't political animals and most people don't want them to be. Goodes' treatment, the booing, is unfair. I think he does have many admirable qualities, but I feel he needs to be above things like that. I sensed he felt the same way after the game.

Haha, I mean a little more complexity in the gameplay, not just flashing stumps and fireworks.

I agree - it would be nice if there was some added nuance, perhaps winning or losing a bonus point for a big win/loss. Still, I suppose there are games of footy that are over by half time. One other thing I'd like to see is a best of 3 final. Because it's such a short format, I think there's far more potential to get a result that doesn't reward the best team of the season, but I suppose all sports with a 'grand final' have that issue. First year, I've really taken an interest as well and I quite enjoy it - really benefits, like the A-league, from the novelty of the 'marquee player'. I still vastly prefer test cricket, but it has its place.

Count me in, as well. Thanks for your efforts, Deevoted.

From Sydney's perspective, I understand their reluctance. Why they would entertain the idea of losing their best midfielder - after losing Malceski in the same year. They've just played in a Grand Final... their time is now. As others have mentioned, Kennedy may well be 30+ by the time we're in a position to seriously challenge for a premiership. Pick 2 and 3 is too much to give up in my opinion, but realistically, it's the only thing that would get the deal done. Looks more like a lose/lose trade to me, but that's just my opinion.

To give Mitch the benefit of the doubt, I would assume that in his mind, he can't disassociate Melbourne from the darkness he's experienced in the past 18 months. I think we've all been unhappy in jobs, schools or towns and can understand that well enough. The question is, how different is one football club from the other, really? If the emotional and physical demands are the same, if the same triggers are likely to exist. If he is this vulnerable, should he be considering a comeback at all? If however, he is strong enough to play in the AFL again, is it morally excusable to treat Melbourne as he has or does his condition make any further decision beyond scrutiny? Ultimately, no one knows what he's experienced and he has to look after himself, I strongly believe that. If he said, "I need to be with my family and friends", took less money and played for a W.A. club or even had a year out of football, I think we would all understand that and say, "good luck, no hard feelings." However, skipping out on a club that had made an enormous investment in you and showed such respect and care in your recovery, only to spark a bidding war among powerhouse clubs in Melbourne. Well, I think people would have every right to be sceptical of that.

There are many people who value the site a great deal but will only donate when there's a call to action like this. I wonder if we could have a donation progress bar, that gives users the target to reach every 6 months or every year. At least then, we'll know where we all stand.

One of the glaring differences between Neeld and Roos seems to be the decisions made at the selection table. Under Neeld, the starting 22 seemed at times seemed like a revolving door and for the most part, he was making the decisions that most of us would have agreed with. Neeld felt the pressure. Roos has held his nerve. If most of us had our way, then Watts would have been dropped last week. At various points, we probably would have cut Grimes, Pederson, Byrnes, Terlich, Bail, Howe, JKH as well. Jack copped it from all sections of the media, but Roos refused to single out and humiliate a player who's been maligned for his entire career. Of course, players should earn their place, but I wonder if we're witnessing some of the benefits of playing a more settled line-up - in the cohesion and camaraderie of the playing group and the confidence of these players individually?

I know you were trying to keep similarly experienced players in each league, so maybe we should create another league for stragglers like me. Either way... Edit: Thank you for the invite, DeeVoted.

Hmm, I tried to do the Google form, but I must have missed something. Could you PM me a league code? I've played as The Eggmen for the past few years.

Yes, wary of Blease, too. Unlike Watts, he's never been a good Supercoach scorer. At 179k, it would be easy to save 50k on a true rookie. Still, from intraclub reports, he would appear to be firmly apart of Roos' plans. I'll wait to see how he performs in the remaining challenge matches.

Who else is loading up with Demons? I know it's a cardinal sin of Supercoach, but it's not without merit. Last season I selected about 5 Port Adelaide players and that delivered in spades. Watts has now come into my calculations after the intraclub hit out. I was burnt last year, but at 411k, in a new midfield role, I think he's definitely worth the gamble. There really aren't many reliable forward options this year, anyway. Grimes, Tyson, Blease (M7), King (R4), Watts and Kennedy-Harris are who I'm starting with. Would like to fit Minchie in, but Blease's dual position status gives him the edge for now. I also think Trengove is in for a big price rise, but for me he's too expensive for a midfield gamble.