Little Goffy

Cale did look taller, and did look like it was his first game back from injury. Wonaeamirri didn't look taller than I remembered but also looked like he was in his first game back after only a brief VFL stint following over a year off. Jetta... didn't look taller AND didn't look like he'd had any time away at all. So many quality tackles! So many young players and so many players coming back to AFL level in those conditions - we all saw the effects tonight. All three of those guys will be fitter next week, provided recovery is done well. From the top end to the erm... bottom end. Skilled Stadium next week to find out if we're genuine contenders for the 2010 premiership.

Poor Miller. 5 goals, no love. At least he's set himself to stick around a bit longer. Deep down, we all want him to tear it up, but we're snarky because we can't let him under our guard for fear he'll let us down again!

From under a concrete umbrella? Those catters are gonna be mighty upset when they slip up against a bunch of no-hoper 'should be relgated' 'don't deserve to be in the AFL' 'club is gonna die off' losers like us. I don't know where that outburst came from. But it was fun.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa We've got them both. Cop that, everyone else!

Getting back on topic - I bet Jack Watts knows a whole lot more Latin than Nic Nat.

I'm just feeling all the love tonight - GO AUSSIE!!

I just... I'm all teary Seriously, Ricky Petterd is one of the great images of the Demons. Not particularly big but his intelligence using his body, the little hip/butt bump at the last moment of the marking contest, the unquestionable general effort and the visible courage, the solid skills and continuous improvement. He is the exact kind of character we want at our club, at every level of talent from star to fringe. 22 Rick Petterds! Unstoppable!

Rivers did claw his way back into the game and did a couple of classic Rivers marks from opposition kicks. Jury out. Would I be speaking for everyone if I wrapped the various opinions into - "Concerned about River,, he is looking vulnerable, I'm really hoping he adapts and refreshes, I'd be really dissappointed to see him have to try again at another club because I believe he is genuinely devoted to the Demons"

Some interesting names, for PSD or token trade. Top of my list would be to steal Ricky Petterd from under the Gold Coaster's noses! Watts, Jurrah, Petterd, Bate... then the horde of midfield/HF players and a variety of crumbers. Nah, I don't think we need a forwardline Joel MacDonald.

Yeah, been worried about Sylvia ever since I snuck him into the dream team. I thought he would be good for the occassional massive game with a few goals for icing, while delivering regular solid standard games. Hasn't done either for a few weeks and, yeah, it's a concern. Still, a slump ain't a collapse. (or pick your own platitudes)

Hair pulling... Might not be a dangerous as the head-on bump or as violent as the punch in the head, but I think we can put it on the list with scratching and biting as just not what is supposed to be going on out there.

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.