Little Goffy

I think we'll go all right in 2026. The whole new broom thing. The change of coach allowed a moment where we could remove two players who, for all their merits, weren't cogs in the machine that we were trying to transition to.

It is interesting to think that part of King's appeal is that his overall plan for our way to play is very close to what Goodwin and the team were working towards already. King has just been able to come in without the baggage and with a mandate to make the brutal changes needed.

Nil predictability for 2026 Demons.

On the other hand, you have to laugh at Essendon's mark being 10 wins. "Just keep being what you have been for the last nine seasons, we all love it."

Collingwood's mark being a grand final is presumably on the basis that it is 'win or bust' for them. When your best and fairest top 10 has more players over 33 than under 23...

I'm stunned that anyone thinks merely 'avoiding the bottom 4' is good enough for North Melbourne. Alistair Clarkson has barely outperformed Mark Neeld despite coming in with as much authority and credibility as any coach could hope for, and a mandate to do whatever he felt necessary to turn things around. Maybe I just don't like Alistair Clarkson? Who knows.

We have another winner!

@poita has threaded the needle and his prize will be to select any player named Brown to be returned from history and added to the Demons list as a Category Pi rookie.

I'm going to put the answer out for everyone at 3 o'clock. The agony must end.

@Timothy Reddan-A'Blew is going to absolutely spew because he did everything short of describe the answer without being able to grasp it.

1 hour ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

Ergo, Viney x 2, Lyon, Healy and Flower are also not eligible?

Correct. Although Flower was surprisingly close - I believe, like Jakovich, he can blame his own brother for exclusion.

21 minutes ago, demon-4-life said:

I may be first. But it won’t LAST

At this stage you are both the first and the last. Maybe you should be on the team?

One last clue and I promise to put this to bed this afternoon if everyone else promises to record themselves going 'What? JEFFERSON?"

Max Gawn is in the team and is the first eligible Demon Captain since David Neitz, and before that all the way back to Ditterich. On the other hand, Green, Jones and McDonald are each about as far from eligible as it is possible to be.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

@demon-4-life comes through with the breakthrough.

He also got there just moments before the Allen Jakovich clue was given so gets to feel extra smart.

As reward he gets his choice of any past or present player named Smith to revive and add to the Demon's 2026 list.

Since Allen Jakovich came into the conversation, it could be a powerful clue to mention that Allen has yes another thing to blame on his brother - if not for Glen he would be on this team for sure!

Of course, like most brotherly quarrels Glen might say the same thing right back at him.

58 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

It's curious that no one has cracked it (as opposed to cracked it, as I think we all have done or are about to do!) I hope we're not going to find there's been some flaw or transgression in your construction or clueing @Little Goffy. It's been too much 'fun' for it to come to that end!

I'm getting pretty anxious about it, to be honest. But I swear I double checked them all.

8 hours ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

'Common' isn't a tricky word. So, unless the team all live in different English villages, each having community open green spaces, DG's clues, having 'common' in common, mean 'the feature' is something they players are/do/have that is the same but they each are/do/have their own, yes?

Consider the gauntlet thrown, LG!

3 hours ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

@Little Goffy, is there anything you can share with us that supports your contention in your OP that this is 'so obvious'?

The worst you could do is finally make it just that.

When that gauntlet was thrown, I saw it flying directly at me and thought I was about to get smacked in the face with an answer, but no, somehow it sank... soooo... close...

In this team, indeed the uncommon thing is the thing they have in common, though as you say they do not have it in common with each other. The individually unique is the collectively unbiquitous! But the confusion of the inclusion of Jefferson may be iniquitous!

Oh, also, were I to play at AFL level, I would in fact be eligible, though only by the narrowest shave to another who, it turns out, could also be on the team. But I don't like him even though he grew up as a Melbourne supporter.

I've only got one more clue coming, and if that doesn't give it away it is every man for himself and each to their own.

In a wild coincidence, George Margitich is also eligible. I checked only when he was mentioned here but I was not at all surprised.

Quite something to see a player kick 267 goals in just 5 seasons, at over 3.5 goals a game. Perhaps a precursor to the fabulous Allen Jakovich, who is definitely not in the team.

Time for a close to home clue. There are a few more 2025 Demons who are eligible from the current team but really it is quite a surprise for each one;

I was straight-up shocked that Christian Salem, Bailey Laurie and Harrison Petty were in.

Judd McVee is in but that's probably a lie anyway, and Jai Culley I was also a bit surprised to see.

Kolytn Tholstrup... actually not so much a surprise.

Historically, I found a 1-game Demon (Fuschia?) from 1930 who was eligible and I just have to give him a nod because the poor guy kicked two goals in a team thrashed by then powerhouse Richmond, but still didn't get another call up. So raise a glass to;

Geoff Frood.

Righto, I am surprised that people are stumped, but I guess it is a case of 'if you know the answer, the pattern is clear'. Time for another clue. Perhaps a very helpful one.

What they have in common they also do not have in common!

2 hours ago, deemoralizing67 said:

can I get a hint? absolutely no idea. only idea is missed a whole season but that cant be right

Whole season missed is something I tried to skew towards to confuse people, so for removing a distraction the reward shall be a clue!

The shared feature is something which (without grinding statistics) I'd say has become more common in recent decades, but is still far from normal.

Well, here goes. This one is so obvious I made a point of finding as many other things the players have in common as possible, just to cause some confusion.

That said, I was absolutely amazed to discover some of these players were eligible. Even as I was posting the final 22, I was going back to check muttering "Really? Him? Really?"

All of these players were playing in 2025. It is an extraordinary team which would crush all before it. So why is Matthew Jefferson there? Is he a red herring? Harrison Petty would also be eligible and is a 'ranga' which would make him a Red Harry, and almost as surprising an inclusion as Jefferson. Bailey Laurie is also apparently eligible but I simply refuse to believe it and nobody sensible would.

So, what is it that binds this incredibly powerful best 22 together?

As always, answers in PMs. Unless you have checked and they are definitely wrong in which case blurt on the thread to vent your rage.

Bear with me. I've evacuated my work-from-home arrangements while half a dozen guys have an obviously [alleged substances] tinted rave / removal of scaffolding party on the rear side of my apartment block. Y'know, I've never seen scaffolding being removed by free-fall before, but I guess the 'woooo hooo' calls are an optimal safety guide.

Unfortunately that also means I'm away from my best procrastination space.

Fun side fact? The Pleiades cluster of stars within Taurus is known to many cultures as the seven sisters. In widespread Australian indigenous tradition there were originally eight sisters but one went away. In unrelated work, astronomical assessment of the movement of these stars has found that from about 15,000 years and further back there would indeed have been an 'eighth sister' visible to the naked eye, which would have faded from view as it moved behind other stars. The oral history tradition has held so stable that this change is still recorded.

Also, Pleiades is only 440 light years away. So if the spaceships launched from the pyramids were travelling at 1/10th light speed, they would be arriving by now.

Ugh. Thought I had it, again. Noooooo. It was another good theory but I'm not even going to hassle D-stone's inbox.

I'm producung the next one of these so I don't have to feel like a flailing [censored]. And I'll make it easy so everyone else can get it and feel good too.

55 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Onley is a big boy. As tall as Lever and built much bigger. 

Does that make him Wrench?

50 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

I told Wheels about this photo and he said he hasn’t seen it.

He said, “Oh if it’s on Demonland I’ll see it anyway.” 😳

I bet he drops by anytime he wants to be reminded he's a legend. Couple of people who cracked the sulks on here about drafting Latrelle had better wear shoulder pads when they visit training.

43 minutes ago, Demonland said:

JVR off to the rooms to get what looks like his bottom lip stitched up. 

Geez, people are going to learn quickly not to talk back to this new coach.

30 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Heath playing forward on TMac

I like this. Feels like Heath being challenged by a smart and dogged veteran with experience as both forward and defender and who even understands ruck duties. TMac given the classic defender's challenge to outpoint an opponent a little bit taller and faster than himself.

Finally I got one. They are all background characters in a bar in Mos Eisley.

Although I suspect that is more than 10% of Demonlanders.

2 hours ago, Demonstone said:

Well, nary a nibble let alone a bit. Time to cast a little burley on the waters.

This may help to steer you in the right direction.

28 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

Still no responses. It would appear that more visual assistance is required.

I'm gunna have to go with 'wut?' and 'huh?'

I'm in a cranky mood because I had a theory and it was very nearly great and because I was embarrassed about firing off a dozen guesses for a recent quiz, I wanted to check it thoroughly which meant I wasted about half an hour figuring out something which could only be shown wrong once I had the full set checked.

You [censored verb]] [censored noun]

I think I'm just reiterating what multiple people have argued already, but I'll point to an analogy;

In the current game, Fraser Gehrig would be a borderline liability. It would be a balanced equation between his contested marks and his goalkicking accuracy on the one hand and the sheer number of easy rebounds made possible by his lack of agility to chase, and lack of versatility in how to create goals. Mark on the powerful lead or mark overpowering a one-on-one... then dust. Even Jack Darling, whose strengths are superficially similar, became a dramatically more mobile and flexible player who could get involved in other moments.

The contrast with Gehrig would have to Tom Hawkins, whose sustained a decade of top quality football when he parked the traditional 'forward ego' and became a really effective, smart team player. There are multiple seasons where he was the standout lead in score involvements and he never dropped out of the top-10 of that rank, alongside and ahead of the likes of Bontempelli, Petracca, and Martin.

The only other key forwards to get into that range include Jeremy Cameron consistently and then Taylor Walker and Charlie Curnow when they are in good form.

Fun fact - there are multiple seasons where Hawkins and Cameron went 1 & 2 for score involvements at Geelong. In the premiership season they went one and three for the whole competition, with peak Petracca slipped in between.

A well organised system with players who believe in it will get you the results. It helps if they are athletic beasts but it is not crucial. What matters most is that they are still useful when their proverbial one-wood can't be part of the play.

As a side note. Tom McDonald's successful, premiership-crucial, foray as a forward was built on second efforts and chasing and staying involved. He led our 2021 goal assists, was third in score involvements, in the top handful for tackles inside 50 (as well as Ben Brown which is unexpected and supports the argument), and was our highest ranked non-defender for 1%ers (again with Brown in the vicinity).

Get tall forwards who can play like they aren't only tall forwards, and you're going to do well. Get medium forwards who can also play like they are tall when needed, and you are going to do well.

[rant over] [apologies]

Oh no Demonstone has hired a social media hype agent.

The optimal result long term for Australian football is that West Coast win a majority of their home games to keep the fans entertained, but then lose everywhere else to ensure the Eagles never again soil finals with their presence.

Also, if west Coast consistently have an early pick and use it on local talent, it really helps other clubs with the 'go home' problem

I little voice in my head says this 'one day or half day each week' will be taking the form of a long lunch and Cook provudung Guerra with a series of well lubricated introductions to a procession of power players.

14 hours ago, Bobby McKenzie 2 said:

Not guilty! Just expressing a fact.

That's the most Picket Fence thing you could possibly say!

There's a solid chance that Clayton will do very well at GWS.

What we know about him is that the one thing he's good at in life is football. It's not just his job but his vocation and solace.

As we've seen, when that goes wrong, he comes a bit undone and it takes a ton of effort and love to get him out of the spiral.

GWS will likely get some top grade football out of Oliver, but the risk is that even as he does he'll chew up the time and energy of coaches, leadership players who could be doing better things.

Who could Gawn have been mentoring instead of babysitting a 27yr old?

What revitalisation could Goodwin have been doing instead of being stuck holding his stars by the reins?

It's sad we had to move him on. It's not a mistake.

He had only marginal interest from only a few clubs, even with a discount of half his salary.

I'm posting here just to bump the thread because I'm interested in any updates people have about Lever, AMW, and our general health, but... Surely at this point we can confirm that Essendon is just straight up cursed?

afl.com.au

As they should be, but it's pretty rough on the kids forced to go there.