Dappa Dan

Yeah. I've been having this discussion all week it seems. Have to agree to disagree of course, but if "working out" a forward, he still is in the top 5 in the Coleman the whole season, then I'll take that. And a lot of this "he's been worked out" stuff has come since he hurt his foot. Before that he was smashing everyone. And anyway, do you think they won't work out Weed and TMac? Both aren't nearly as versatile as Jesse. As you say, no need to trade him, but I'd love to see him wander far and wide. He's so good at all facets of the game, even when the ball hits the deck and he needs to evade/deliver to a team mate under pressure. That skill is so hard to find, especially at demons where we still want for skills. Get him where he can get 25+ touches regularly and watch him HURT teams. If he turned into a rich man's Tom Lynch (Adelaide version) I'd be pumped.

Sorry to butt in to your discussion... but where has this come from? He was taking pack marks game in game out his first few seasons. This year he's been playing up the ground, and hasn't been able to jump or lead at a ball since the bye. He's been cleaning up 3 players in packs and bringing the ball to ground since he debuted 4 years ago. Have people completely forgotten? Also, yes, I'd like to see him wander to the part of the ground he's needed in the most. If you take a close look he has a serious claim to being our best field kick.

Really good post. The key word there is RATIONAL. It's not just Jesse. They should be considering player values from the top of the list down. Every player has a price, as they say. What I object to is fairweather supporters who call for his trade after one bad performance, as though he's not a huge part of making finals this year. He's shown virtually no sign of wanting to go home. The only question mark was when he signed his last contract, where he said he considered it but knew he couldn't leave the club in the state it's in. We really are a destination club. So yes, always field offers. What if you get a Godfather offer? What if it was something ridiculous like Lynch and a first rounder? They'd be mad not to have some serious meetings about that. Overall though, if you DO take a rational approach, Hogan is probably second only to Lynch in the pecking order of the young KP forwards going round in the game right now. You don't SEEK to trade a guy like that. If he comes to you and says I need to go home, then fair enough... but that's different. That's damage control. Your second point I quoted above... I'd just point out... If Lever is worth back-to-back first rounders, then Hogan is CERTAINLY worth the same. He's a forward, and he's a better player. Lever was pick 10 last year and pick 11 (or later depending on how well we do) this year. If Freo offered 6/7ish pick... they'd better throw in a LOT more.

I believe the club I follow did, yes. Interesting. You'd have been up to your neck in success when Rodgers won the superbowl a few years back. Was that not a much more impactful thing? I'd never seen an MFC OR NFL flag until 6 months ago. I don't really have that much experience with what I'm supposed to do, it must be said. One of the BEST things about being in playoffs/finals... is you get to enjoy sport for weeks longer than you would usually. Just yesterday's game means I can read the Age and the Hun for the entire two week break before finals, and really see MFC get some press. That sort of thing is a gift. Was the same for Eagles... They got the bye, then some luck against Falcons... and it just meant you got a whole month more than you would have gotten otherwise. I still don't know what to do with myself. lol

In the pre-season diatribe he was very subtly pushing our case. I got the feeling he didn't want to have to argue the point, as he knew people would scoff at him picking a side who's been so disgraceful for so long. But he was using his stats nous, and list build theories to put forward the case that we're a side built for finals. Not a perfect side, but a contested/clearance side. Has love us for at least 18 months. G'day Kingy, if you're wandering through here. Appreciate the support.

I have to say, even with all the MFC joy of the last 24 hours... Is it just me or is this pre-season really dragging?

It was at its worst during the Steve Smith debacle.

Wouldn't it be nice. He could kick 80 and win a coleman and you'd see "sell high" threads starting about him. Interestingly, even in the wake of some joy for Melbourne and their biggest fan in the media, it seems Kingy has been on the D'land boards... https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/08/20/should-melbourne-entertain-the-thought-of-trading-jesse-hogan/

Yeah it was ridiculous. During the AFL off season I have "The Fanatic" playing which is Philly's SEN equivalent. It was hours of joy every day last year. There were seasoned old 30 year radio veterans in floods of tears for weeks. Was amazing.

Four Yorkshiremen I believe is the one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7wM0QC5LE

That is true. And an interesting perspective. Nah. Makes it all the sweeter for me. I reckon Hawks fans would have a slight yawn on with how they're doing right now. They'rs so used to success. For us, I love to think of how hard it's been, because it's in the past now. Having said that, I'll forget about it pretty quick once finals actually start.

Oh mate. We've been copping it for a long time as demons supporters. One of the reasons Philly's fans are known as psychos is cos they were at their wits end with the abuse. I dunno if you can say dominant unless you're talking about just Divisions. The superbowl vs Division thing was an obsession in all Philly sports and has been since I discovered the sport. You have to remember they've been beating up on the Cowboys for years, and every time they did, the 'boys would remind you they've won 5 and Philly have won none. And their were in recent memory. So dominance is a matter of perspective I think.

Not demonland's best work. But more entertaining than some...

Kingy started on us on 360 before last season. When we missed in round 23 last year he was disappointed but flew our flag again and again. He's basically a demons supporter now.

Yeah but the joke was that the Eagles made a lot of playoffs and did squat, never won a flag in the superbowl era. Demons also played more finals than anyone in the 2000s except for Eagles I believe. So we had a relevant but mediocre period, much like the Eagles. You're right though. Winning your Division is fun in a different way than winning superbowls. I wish the AFL would bring it in, but the footy media would be unbearable about it.

We all know everyone loves to hate the range rover driving Melbourne supporters, so I was expecting oppo supporters to grumble at us that we're acting like we just won the flag. But so far that hasn't happened. I really think most fans are cognizant of what we've been through. I watched the game one-out with my WC mate and even he said he was as pleased to lose as he's ever been.

Good fun. He's been on us since early last year.

Now's the time to tune in to SEN for Gerard's backpedal. Kingy taking his victory lap.

Since the bye, by my count, he was hindered pretty badly. I watch him closer than many as he's my key player in every form of fantasy footy I play. Interestingly, in that time he's had three games where he went over 100 in supercoach. Weak oppo, of course, but still. Yeah, perhaps he is on a journey to a better destination. I dunno though. If we get what he's producing now for his whole career, can we complain? Was in the top half dozen in the Coleman for most of the year. I think he's second or third in marks for Forwards (many on the list are waxing defenders like Howe)... He's putting up some gaudy numbers. And the thing is he's done it from his first game through to now. 2015 = 44 goals, 2016 = 41 goals, 2017 = 20 (from only 10 games) and 2018 = 47. He's been a gun literally from his first game through to now. He didn't take 3 seasons and 15 games to have a positive impact on a contest like Weed. He's had far more good games than bad. I feel like if his journey's destination is where he is now, I'm fine with that.

I'd like to see Bugg given one run before finals. I dunno if Viney will play again this year, and noone else jumps out from Casey. The big ifs are guys like Weed and Spargo. Spargo since he didn't do a whole lot, and Weed as he might not be the matchup Goody wants. Man. The week off before finals, the media, the fact our season extends by a fortnight at least. What an incredible time to be a demons supporter.

Nothing this guy can't do on a football field. Attack, defence, midfield, handball receives, gets his own hard ball, marking target, crumber, press forward, can take a screamer, kick it from 55, touch kick, shut down small defender, rebounding small defender, 4 quarter tagger, has enough pace to run and carry and does it often, and at full pace can find a leading target even under tackling pressure (as he did today to Melksham on fifty). I've even seen this guy play in the ruck. He's done every one of those things and had halves/full games where he dominated in most roles. As far as specific skills, and the athleticism needed at AFL level he's got the lot. Could really be our Stevie J. There's an argument to say he's our most talented player. Well... Maybe not most talented, but most versatile. And all this from a rookie. The one thing he's never had is consistency. And he's now found that, too. And at age 22 after just ticking over the all-important 50 games. THIS is why we blood youth, folks. Harmes is already a success story. Now if we could just get ANB up to this level.

If we're going to play the "we would have... " game (I know, I know, I started it) we can argue that he hasn't led at, jumped at or attacked a ball in the same way after mid season as he normally would have. Many of your complaints you raise certainly weren't even a suggestion in his first few seasons, and weren't at all when he was up and flying early this year. I'm looking for a fit Hogan with two legs operating properly. He would scare the pants off any side. And this idea that we're less predictable is always the thing footy lovers say after a change in personnel. Give it a few weeks and we'll see how predictable we become with a stay-at-home FF in Weed and a far-roaming TMac and not much else in tall stocks. It's so easy to game plan against a side that has a settled team. And almost impossible to gameplan against a side with 5 critical ins that utterly change their structure. Even moreso a team who's never played on the ground you're playing them on. But yes, for now, and into the last few weeks Weed has to play every game even if he struggles, and he's the correct in under the circumstances. I just can feel a "play Weed over Hogan" conversation coming on, and you know how those bug me.

As a demons supporter there's only one player more legendary than Ronald Dale. And he was the central figure in the 1987 final round success that saw us get in and usher in a brief period of success. This isn't THAT. Obviously Jones had a couple of finals early in his career and has had a long wait. But it's not too far off it. This will be one of the most legendary days in recent MFC history. That's why it feels like some sort of dream. We're always looking to the NEXT thing, but only a handful of times every decade you get to sit and just soak it in. What a day to be a demon.

Just taking a leisurely stroll through bigfooty (I don't recommend it), and many impartials claim Eagles got the rub of the green... presumably with the Avb free and a few non calls. I thought we got some help. But it's maybe the third time this year. Umpires have crucified us. Certainly lost one more game (and a shot at top 4) because of them. Probably a couple more if I look closer.

It's a concern. But very much more deserving of a finger point at the coaches. Jesse was in every media pundits AA side at mid year. Foot injury happened and now everyone's off him. He produces a ridiculous amount of work for us when fit (and sometimes when unfit). We'd have won by 5 goals with him today.