Little Goffy

So in summary... Bruce has a questionable hamstring for a few weeks while Gysberts is tearing up the VFL, and the forward line is looking worn out and short of repeat-lead marking targets and Miller is BOG in the VFL. Depending on how Bate's ankle goes, it could be as direct as Gysberts for Bruce and Miller for Bate. Has Miller been doing any ruck-helping at Casey? Because PJ hasn't added too much. Thinking out loud, the players most likely to come in this coming week would be - Miller Gysberts Morton Plus Aussie in for luck up North. Which might make Maric cry or might make him get some traction at last.

Cheney a spud? Ho hum. Sometimes I think that when people have red hair it makes it hard for some people to remember their age. Cheney goes alright and may yet take another step. I'm not gonna go over the top because there's no need or point to. He's alright, worth keeping an eye on and giving a run when others are out of form.

Give it another 18 years, there'll be Matthew Jack Green coming into the list. I swear, the middle name must have been picked just to make sure the kid became a Demon. Looking forward to seeing James Jack Neitz, Harry Jack McDonald, David Jack Whelan, and in particular Jack Jack Robertson.

Can't blame a man for only kissing an arse when it's clean. Ewwwww... Yes, he's not doing his dignity any good. But if our current resurgence brings all the past players back to the club, and gets the media tone back towards proper respect, that's fine. Especially if we can shape the way people 're-imagine' the club in the same way we've reaffirmed our heritage within the club. Side note, I watched the Freo-Pies game last night and some Freo player or other was running around in the number 31, and I saw the number and was instinctively excited. Doesn't take long for a symbol to mean something new!

Jamar to ruck then go forward, forcing NicNat to follow him. Then kick about five goals. Watts at HFF delivering a few team-oriented goal assists, laying a couple of tackles. Nothing spectacular expected but just the 'core' respect. Plus a few little flahses of spectacular might be nice. Scully and Trengove to have exactly as good a game as eachother, as part of a midfield that just smashes the clearances. Hmm.... looking at the sheets, I can't see an area where WC are stronger than us. It makes me nervous saying that, but that is how it looks.

Trengove and his best mate Tapscott signed on for three years, as a commitment to the club and to eachother. Club is currently looking at giving Scully an extention arrangement just to be sure and to set a clear path.

Cam Schwab, Melbourne Football Club CEO and troll-slayer. B)

We've got A LOT of aces up our sleeve. Brad Scott tried to comment on how they had all these kids and were a younger team than us... That's because most of our kids are still that young and skinny/raw/injured that they aren't in the squad yet. The solid if unspectacular performances of guys like Dunn and Bartram, and the older heads, this year have been an unexpected bonus. Let's face it, most of us were genuinely worried that McDonald was running out of time at the top as we went into this season. The depth of our list means kids aren't being played ahead of good time, and will have a longer career for it. And then of course there's the OTHER ace up our sleeve. The last piece in the Jack puzzle.

DEEEEEMONS!! Come on, it's that rare thing - a name with a story behind it. 'Lift Your Heads and PLAY LIKE DEMONS' When was that, '36?

Giant Billboard on the highway in from the airport. The standard Red and Blue symbol with "Melbourne, Birthplace of Football'. Nah, wouldn't really grow the numbers too much. But it would be a lovely 'here we are deal with it' statement. In a way, that really is what is needed now, and I think what is happening now. For Demons everywhere to be able to say 'we are here, we have no fear, and we are aiming to be the absolute greatest because anything less doesn't fit with our story'. Deep down, I don't feel a need for a mass mass mass supporter base. I like the idea of 50,000 Demons turning up to every game and 25,000 of them being complete Demon whackos who hardly miss a game.

If those decisions had been in finals, there'd be hell to pay. The goal umpiring decisions were 50/50, though it was fairly obvious that in one of them the goal umpire had made up his mind, the field umpire tok a difference of opinion and just kept asking everyone 'are you sure, are you sure' until they said no. The rushed behind OBVIOUSLY was and the AFL should be ashamed to have knee-kerked around with the rule based on the error last week. Chicken#$%^ so-called leadership from HQ. Both of the 'out of bounds on the full' decisions where the ball had been knocked over the line were CLEARLY, and I mean TOTALLY FREKAIN OBVIOUS YOU MORON, not on the full. Throw in the stupid shirt problem, and it can be said without doubt that the impact of the umpiring was greater than the final margin of the game. It's just as well Danny Hughes slotted the shot after it was called back instead of play on with Green(?) one his own 15m out, or that would have been another one chalked up for the umpires. Ah well, Dogs have Sydney, Brisbane have Geelong, Carlton have Port at AAMI (and Saints still to go this round). A solid win over the Weagles and we're likely in the 8 anyway next week. But these one-goal losses to Collingwood and the Bulldogs could end up costing us a spot in the top 4!

I love odd details - like in the photo of Warnock flooring Brown, the Brisbane supporter in the background facepalming. "Tough - you're doing it wrong, Jonathon Brown"

heh heh. Now that I'm able to think again at all, I'm having two recurring thoughts... We're closer to a premiership than they are. and Poor West Coast.

I'm ambivalent about TJ. He never wanted out, but he never 'came in' properly either. He let us down because he didn't commit. I don't like that.

It's really happening. It is really, really happening. Another major step towards being the undisputed lords of the universe... er... sustained excellence in every aspect of our club and team. Meanwhile, they might want to consider auctioning off some of the 'junk' from the 'Junk'tion oval. There's always a market for odd-ball memorabilia, and it adds a touch of ceremony.

Is there anthing less manly than finding a colour upsetting? Dude, it's for CURING CANCER.

I think the 3 game membership is aimed primarily at international students on a tight budget, part of the promotion to the market. $80 is still a membership, it's only a little less than a distance membership for 5 home games. On that international student note - if it gets traction and Demons games become a stable part of the 'community activities' and 'get to know Melbourne' programs for international students, it'll be worth many thousands of attendences each year at the same time as making the Demons known in all the corners of the world that international students come from and usually return to.

Yep. Saw it, loved it. It had a bit of a talking up by the commentators, too. Trengove is definately something special. Hird-like? Bartellian? Who knows, but he's handy. Scully I still can't figure any equivalent. I wouldn't say Judd. Some have said Cousins, but not really. My favourite so far is 'The Drafters' original comment that he would end up like 'a zippier Simon Black'. They also reckoned Sam Blease, if delivering on potential, would be like Peter Matera. That'd be handy, too!

The only general 'issue' with women commentators is that for generations it has been a male voice that we're used to hearing. There will be an adjustment phase, then it wont be a problem. Of course, it would help if the only current woman calling 'big time' games was at least above average. There are men who are considerably worse, but when people are trying to adjust to the different tone poor commentary gives them an excuse to gripe. Denise Commetti, come on down

I think the final amrgin was a fair representation. North definitely deserved the win, and 4-5 goals 'feels' about right. The umpires gave us hell, it was appalling. A bigger margin would have reflected that, more than reflecting the contest itself.

Bruce definitely has a problem with sending the ball to people who promptly get crunched. In the last few weeks we were spreading better, working into more space and his instinctive 'take the first option' was a winner more often, because the first option was the best more often than not. I like him better playing a hard tag role with occassional bursts of attacking running. On their own, his high possession game and handball chains aren't good enough. At present he'll be looking over his shoulder at Morton and Gysberts, wondering 'how long do I have?'.

Good call on $%HEAD Stadium being easier to bottle up and close down our game style. North did it well, and it cracked our nerve a bit. Mind you, even then we still managed to put in a six goal burst. BUT When 'The Time' comes, 'The Place' will be the MCG.

Rivers made his well-deserved name taking the third opposition tall and knowing when to zone off to help out the other defenders who were often struggling. In any given week, he was minding 'one and a half' opponents. Two things have changes - 'The third tall' position barely exists anymore! The other defenders aren't struggling. The effectiveness of Warnock and Frawley has basically allowed us the luxury of one less tall/one more runner, and the proven versatility of Garland means we have a even more options and structures to work with. I have no doubt Rivers is and will continue to be a gun - a player with that level of courage, leadership and football awareness doesn't just drop out. BUT it may take a while, including time with Casey, for him to develop the running attacking aspect and the ground level game that he will need. My biggest concern, paradoxically, is that at Casey his most valuable role is his traditional one, and he is killing them all back there. Hardly reinforces the lesson that he needs to build new habits.

Grimes did well. North managed to combine a full zone with continuous pressure once there was a tangle going. The defenders had little choice but to try to switch play back and forward in the hope of gaps opening up. North did very, very well and bringing our attacking, corridor game unstuck and highlighting the loose edges that, of course, the team is still showing. Credit to Brad Scott as coach, he had a great day / week. Shame about the draft pick sooking before and after the game!

I think the Demons tag is a good one so long as the story behind it is told - that we were getting beaten badly in a game back in the 'old days' and the coach gave a spray, telling the players to 'Lift their heads and play like Demons'. It's a deliberate statement of ferocity and energy. A bit of pre-game talk-up while explaining how the game works, a bit of colour and history. Chinese superstitions only go so far; they aren't crazy people. They'll get it.