Dappa Dan

The great man! Absolutely deserved.

This is gonna be a sneaky big crowd. There's literally never been this much good favour amongst demons supporters in my lifetime, outside of 2000, where we snuck up on the comp. Dogs will at least benefit in terms of the gate.

This is amazing.

I'm ok with Carey's comments. Came out on Monday and admitted he's a "dingbat" for saying we won't make finals after the training camp story. Took it on the chin, and in fact roasted himself in his own segment. Also... he's right from a certain point of view. You can only play the opposition that plays on the day. An injury riddled list can still play like champions and a champion list can still get slaughtered by garbage teams, much like Saints did to Tigers last year. You really do have to use your eyes on the day and make your assessment that way. We played like the best team in the comp on the weekend. We would have smashed any of the other 17 teams playing like that. BUT... Crows were witches hats like we haven't seen much this year. If you go game by game, they were the worst opposition we played (on the day) in these first 10 weeks, besides the Blues. I reckon if I'm Carey, and I have no vested interest, I still want to see what the demons are like when it gets clutch. Get us into a slippery contested ball game, as I think we'll see on QB like we did last year, and win by a few goals, and you'll see him throw his criticisms out.

Some on here will yawn, but this is one of those handful of areas that the American's have a lot to teach us. They have a league where you can fire your coach, bottom out, and win a superbowl within 2 seasons if you make the right calls with your list and drafts. IMO the priority picks should never have been taken away. The Blues got their double dip before us, and then after we got ours the Eddies of the world chucked an all-too-predictable hissy fit and they were gone. Meanwhile the Blues did nothing, and the Demons went ten years before even thinking about finals. The above posters are right when they suggest good leadership is what clubs need. But there's only so many leaders around that are bona-fide the way Roos is. And of those, some are off to jail and others know coaching bad clubs will put you in an early grave. There's no doubt in my mind that to get supporters in on the ground floor, early draft picks are a great thing. We should know better than most. I never saw a problem with a list in as dire straits as the Blues getting ONE pick to improve their outlook. Especially if it's after the first round. Something I think people are forgetting is that with such a low draft age, picks aren't much more than a pot shot, even in this day and age of clever recruiting. It's why we gave 2 (late) first rounders for Lever. They get to roll the dice twice, we get an All Australian. The NFL take their players at 21/22ish after they've had longer to prove themselves. Players who get taken out of high school as 4 star recruits VERY often do nothing in their College years and miss being drafted altogether. Our draft, by comparison, just isn't as big a deal as people make out. Scully and Trengove were absolute certainties when taken, and look what happened there. A couple more shots at what amounts to not much more than a lucky dip (after the first round) is exactly what the league should consider throwing at these basket cases. If for nothing else, they can use the pick as draft capital to trade for mature players.

Let's get to the Swans-style when Roos was coach of playing about 28 players for the year and letting a 22 settle. But if Goody wants to get clever, TMac's toe could use a rest. Dogs fans would be thrilled to see him out though, and given how we've gone with him back, it wont happen. Spargo had a brace on his knee I don't remember seeing in the past. Salem made a few blunders in an otherwise very good game. Vince was absolutely superb all day, but given advanced age could he take a break? Ditto Lewis? In other words... No changes. I mean... literally every other player had unbelievable games. The only reason I'll look with interest is the extra paces they put Pedo and Hunt through.

Hell yeah. Sometimes I get stuck watching youtube clips of highlights, and a classic is the Dons game that Salem kicked the winner in. Cross kicked it to him, and I always smile when I think about his time at the club. Was a terrific pickup.

TBH, we'd have taken Parish and probably be grumbling... but not as much as we were with the Wines/Toumpas one... I reckon football supporters always are glass half full on their guys and glass half empty on opposition ones. Wait 4-5 years until he's more decorated by the external footy public, and then you'll see the recruiters get the credit. Another comparison for you. The 6'5" Paddy Cripps. Blues supporters are thanking the heavens for the Docherty, Cripps, Curnow types to balance out their current nightmare. Most clubs would kill for Cripps as he's a star. Blues supporters point to the ridiculous contested ball numbers he regularly puts up. Now I'm not saying we wouldn't take him in a heartbeat... but the thing is, we've already got one in Clarry. Two, really, if you count Viney.

Remember when Scully was recruited the talk was he was a professional athlete with Simon Black hands. He's a good player, but his hands in juniors didn't come through to seniors. He's just a hard running distance machine now. Clarry though, somehow went to another level once he started playing with the grown ups. You could see he was good in tight, but no-one could have seen he'd be THIS good. I'd love to sit down and chat to the recruiters and actually get them to walk me through the last two weeks when we had Parish earmarked, and what EXACTLY they saw that compelled them to take a late flyer at such an early pick. Was it what they've seen from him as an MFC player? Were they projecting? Was it his "type" as an inside ballwinner? And as another side note... we made a bid for Mills... Imagine if they let us have him? I know many say Mills is a star, but I have Oliver ahead of him by a mile. In fact that draft year, I have only Curnow threatening him as best of his class.

Two things. Still no-one's talking about how good of a kick he is. This isn't a "get Clarry to kick it more" post. Moreso I'd just love to see folks talk his footskills up more. When he does get boot to ball to go inside fifty or to kick at goal, he is as good as you would ever want a kid to be by foot. Second thing... We should really scoff at the AA selectors. Averaging around 30 touches with a truckload of tackles and clearances. He'll do that (or better) his whole career, and still will get shunted to the bench, or even onto the squad for the AA side. It's a joke he wasn't in the team last year, so if he gets in this year, it'll only make that decision more ridiculous, as he's had an identical season.

This is the best it's been for us since the Crows game last year. I had a sneaky look at that game, and at a couple of other highlights, and the thing that struck we was it's clear to the naked eye that in the last 5 weeks we're playing better than we did at any stage last year INCLUDING the Crows game, which was probably our best win of the year. And by "better" I mean our game plan is way more lethal. Since Goody swung a few changes and allowed the side to spot up leading targets and get over the back, not just go up the line Neeld-style, we've got the whole footy world talking about us, and for good reason. Can we just play the Crows every week?

Crunch the numbers folks. Win these next two, which we'll be backed to do, and we're 9-3... With Saints, Dogs, Suns in the back end of the year. A healthy list, an effective gameplan, a willingness to switch. Playing for each other. No weaknesses over the whole ground. The best Ruckman in the league. The highest scoring offense. One of the best, if not the best contested ball winners. Obviously it won't stay this great for the next few months. Noone will make it easy. But we're a serious side. Even the great football unwashed has us as a top 4 side with Sydney, WC and Richmond. Strap yourselves in folks. The time is now.

I'm picky with my puns. There can't be that much work in it. There's a fine line between a great pun/wordplay and just a dad joke.

Check out the amount of "likes" on that one. D'land loves a pun.

People will laugh at me for this... but... I'd give up a third round pick for Darcy. An early one, too. He's not Tom Boyd.

NOTHING WRONG... with a bit of Weid.

20 goal win?

What's that now 15 quarters in a row we've won?

23-8 is crazy accurate in the current climate... We've had a lot of play ons though I guess.

Hogan. Who I've got in every fantasy comp I'm in...

Yeah. That would be Suh much smarter.

Hang onto it til Feb I reckon.

Interesting the overwhelming Weid love here. I was expecting much more anti-weed sentiment.

I'd take him in a shot. Fills a lot of needs for us. I was banking on us getting Prestia who was the same, and apparently we very nearly did. Gaff probably the priority, but failing that, I'd take Dylan. Not that we have much to trade.

Yep. And then McCartin vs Tracca as well is looking like a mistake for the Saints. Parish will work out ok as a player. Clarry though... hoooeeey.