Little Goffy

Yep, Sylvia is definately improving. Unmistakable over the last few games. Good signs.

You'll be delighted to know that as of the weekend Brad Green has entered the Melbourne Football clubs top 20 list of all time goalkickers. Ta Da! I'm a big fan of Green spending solid stretches of time in the forward line. I can see a future where Bate, Green, Morton, Davey, and hopefully Sylvia, are all rotating through the forward line causing match-up hell. We really should be aiming for a (dare I say it) Geelong -style forward line with numerous players capable of kicking three or four a game, but working their way into the rest of the play as well. Did anyone notice that last year Geelong didn't have a single player, in any game, kick more than five goals, even when they had a scoring frenzy?

If we'd traded Yze, you'd prefer to still have him. Bell puts in the effort every week, in a tough role. And he has a hundred games left to go. I have huge respect for Daniel Bell and I'm stoked that he's now a deserved regular in our 22, and will likely make it to his 100th game in about half the time it took him to get to fifty. GO BELLY!

Yep, one win does not suddenly make Carlton a superpower. There still about as far off as we are, frankly, and I reckon we can take them. Despite the fuss, they do still lack depth and they need ALL their better players to fire at the same time to get a win. It's true, we are in with a serious chance on Sunday. It'll be nice to stick it up those gloating bastards. (what the hell do they have to gloat about?)

I was really annoyed by Caroline Wilsons totally idiotic comment that 'our home games had only drawn small crowds'. We've only had one, Hawks Round 1, yes? 40,000 ish? Now Carlton, and we're looking at 40,000+ again. And I'll be there! Finally getting to make the trip, and I'm stoked.

I'd just like to add that I actually prefer the way things turned out, despite all the Carlton gloating. We would not have Cale Morton (definate player), Jack Grimes and Addam Maric, as far as I can see. Maybe we would've traded someone like Dunn or Sylvia instead of one of these. (note Grimes=pick 14=Johnstone already) Maybe it would've been the easy ticket to income security and media profile. Maybe we need to just get it together as a club. As someone above has said, let's MAKE some champions, not sit wishing we had everyone elses. Besides, with all the salary cap space about to open up, Jonathan Brown is practically in the bag already!

Given that it has become clear (in that murky, underworld way that anything becomes clear at Carlton) that Judd did not seriously intend to move to any club other than the tank engines, the decision to prance around visiting each of four clubs, have them open up their facilities and make sales pitches to him, was reprehensible. For him to suggest that he didn't want hype is also grossly disingenuous. He played us along. I don't respect that. But for what it's worth, I wont be booing him personally. What I will be booing is the disgraceful Carlton culture which chose to tank, both because it is shameful and because they have received material rewards for it. Though we missed out on an extra draft pick (no. 17 in 2007 draft) I'm comfortable knowing our honour is intact. But damn we'd better win a few soon because I really don't want to even have to think about what that one win in rnd 22 could cost us (pick 17, 2007 + pick 1, 2008).

All I can think of is that it's a very long and indepth press conference and no journo's are allowed to leave to break the story until it's actually finished. Which makes me edgy. Long press conferences are almost never good news. Either that, or AFL Journos are pathetic... let's see which it is.

Hmm.... so let's see. Cameron Bruce, despite not playing every game, is at the higher end for - Posessions, tackles, clearances and 1%ers. And at the low end for -clanger kicks. Brad Green third in tackles, behind only Junior and Mclean, for what it's worth. I'm thinking maybe some people need to review their vendetta list. And also, 'how about that Cale Morton, ay!'

Hmmm... Retirements, with due respect: Neitz, Holland, Yze, and of course others who may decide it's their time, such as White, Mcdonald and Whelan. Delistings: Warnock, Bode, CJ, and possibly Weetra and Garland if neither make progress. Jamar also a possible. Miller becomes a more valuable commodity as a stop gap, given departures of Neitz and Holland. He may yet play a couple more seasons on a dozen games a year. That count means at least 8 new players coming in. On top of just as many kids last year. P.S. I'm generally not keen on trading.

I saw that 'effort' from CJ and nearly puked. Sick, empty feeling in the guts. More like I had just puked, actually. That and a couple of other half-arsed moments from him today have ended my patience with him. Makes a mockery of stats, because this was possibly his highest ever number of posessions but one of his weakest games (and there's been a few)

Hmmm... I'm not keen on Bruce as captain. And I'm damn sick of these foolish media comments about how 'we can make the finals'. There's a reason 'just taking it one game at a time' and 'focusing on the process and letting the results come' get said so often. It also doesn't do anything for getting people to turn up - people don't want to hear about how, in the abstract, we can theoretically accumalate enough ladder points to be in the top eight. We want to know that when we turn up next Sunday, we are going to see a firey performance from an angry side with a point to prove. But to be a little constructive - what I want to hear from the Demons, in the media, around the club, anywhere, is what they are going to do to specifically address the real problems. Eg. Bruce says 'I'll be headed off now to work on my kicking' Neitz says 'I'll be spending an hour every day doing nothing but practicing my leading and marking to work myself into some confidence and form, and I'll be bringing James Frawley and Tom McNamara along to cover me so that they get some one-on-one practice as fullback" Then Bruce says 'Oh, well, how about I come along and practice my kicking to a lead?' Meanwhile... Newton says 'I'm going to visit a proctologist"

Yeah, I started to keep a count. Kangaroos had seven shots a goal from either highly dubious or totally inappropriate free kicks. (counting one failure to penalise a Kangaroo for a complete non disposal... in the goal square no less) It always bugs me that Melbourne seem to react badly on-field when umpiring decisions go against them. It unsettles the team and our concentration seems to slip. Ah well. I guess we're all just lucky that we didn't bump into any of them in the hours after the game. Potential ugly scenes.

At first I thought this was going to be another one of those 'stoopid demons why shd I care it's no my fault' posts, but I like your attitude. Agree 100% - we need to face the hard truths that we need to build some very basic things up to an acceptable standard. A number of our potentially great players have been held to just good or less, because they have done the 'ordinary' to an extraordinary level. Good post.

I wasn't aware that "Yze_Magic's Ego" was a footy team.

Dunno, mate. Maybe you should go barrack for Collingwood. Or just quit asking idiotic rhetorical questions as if the club somehow owe's you an explanation for every loss. Have one less beer, that might help.

The game plan is a game plan designed to win intense games, and maybe even a premiership. Our skills aren't good enough to win a premiership. If our skills were good enough to win a premiership, this game plan would be good enough to win a premiership. Winning a premiership is my goal. Therefore... Bring the skill level up enough to win a premiership. Which takes time. Sorry. I understand that, while waiting, it suits you to.. uhh.. "leave you finger in", but in the meantime I'll be content watching a few kids like Morton and Wonaeamirri develop, while Davey, Mclean and Sylvia all find a bit more form, Whelan, Bartram and Rivers gradually work their way back from injury, Bate returns... etc.. etc.. We will be winning games as often as not, by the middle of this season. I don't doubt it.

A lot of ho hum in this thread. Something in the way it's written - cliche after cliche and just piled on together, with an aggressive negative position and thought of positives or even changes that need to be made. Yeah, this is some idiot trolling. Or drunk and lonely. Buddy, you're not going to get any respect by pissing on other people's windows, and the glass doesn't stain - it just rinses right off in the next shower and all you're left with is smelly shoes.

Ben Cousins has a lot at stake if he does make a return. If he screws up again, then he's a loser for the rest of his life. If he holds steady, plays decent football for even one year, and doesn't go off the rails and onto the lines, then he's Ben Cousins the AFL star who was laid low by drugs but put his life back together and finished a winner. And for Melbourne? Worst case for us, we give a guy a chance, at a pretty low salary, he doesn't pull through, we ditch him and that's the end of it. We can't be accused of failing in a duty of care, or creating a problem, and by dropping him we assert our determination to be drug free. If the story goes well for Cousins, it goes even better for Melbourne, the club with the cheap as chips player who makes a good contribution, and we'll be known as the club where Ben Cousins turned his life around. Keep the fanfare to a minimum, play down his value, play down the tabloid hype as much as possible. Can't go wrong - let's face it, which young AFL player is gonna join in on the drugs with someone who the whole world is watching and who is a frickin case study in "drugs are bad, nh'kay". I'd support a low-profile drafting of Ben Cousins.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl...0-19742,00.html Jimmy Stynes has publicly expressed an interest in getting involved at the MFC Board level, and has not ruled out taking the presidency if it were on the table. Another one of those little bits of news that give you a momentary rush. To have someone this humbly effective involved at the top would be sensational. And remember that while Paul Gardener has been a solid president all things considered, the oft-repeated story is that it would actually suit him to step aside sometime soon. So no need for gross politicking should a handover be the option taken. Very positive.

I agree completely. I guess I was just wrapping it up by saying - 'here's the others who didn't look so good on paper', but they're obviously not in the 'could be dropped' category. All three played heavily defensive roles, and did so with discipline. Their return to our team is a soure of optimism, particularly as they each get some more run in their legs and more comfortable with AFL intensity again (Bartram and Rivers have both missed a year, after all).

Hmm... you posted that immediately before the good competitive effort against the premiers at their home ground. I'm feeling more positive than that. We can even give the Kangaroos a tough battle, maybe even take home the four points next week. Still Bate and Whelan to come in, at the least. What I saw on Sunday was the coach giving the team more freedom to kick, and the team also doing a little better on the run-and-carry passages. We also are yet to show any reliance on stars, which is positive... ...compared to Carlton, who have their two 'marquee' players BOTH play absolutely blinders (Judd/Fevola) and they STILL lose. Guys, I think we can stop worry about the priority pick order. We'll win at least half a dozen over the season, no doubts.

We'd need to know the status of Bate, Moloney, Frawley and Whelan before we can really make the call. I'd say Frawley in for Garland. Or simply Garland out and select from the above. Other players who should be nervous - C. Johnson - out for Whelan, Moloney or Bate. Poor CJ just hasn't been able to stand out. Robertson - out for Bate, though there still seems to be a wait on Bate. Maybe just out, with Miller as filler. Sylvia - Better perform soon or people will start throwing things at him. Bate and Moloney are both better options, if fit. I disagree about dropping Davey - while weak so far this year, he has started to put it back together again - a half step closer to slamming into his prey, each game. Not far off being 'back', I reckon. Rivers, Bartram and Dunn are other statistical low-performers from Sunday. All returning from injury, all putting in the effort, all likely to be better next week. Sounds good.

An interesting call by the AFL to line up a bottom four team from last year against three of the 07 top four in the first four rounds (Hawks, Cats, Kangaroos). We can now say this was never going to be a cruising start to the season. And also, I'd love to hear how this arrangement was supposed to 'maximise attendences and viewers'. Throw in the Bullodgs, who do seem to have made some improvement, and it's just abit of turd luck for us I spose. Still, a win against Geelong on Sunday would bring the house down, wouldn't it.

This is the best post ever on Demonland. Start a thread on this - it would be nice actually to have a debate on who the most deserving player is. To keep it positive, just ask people to nominate a first and a second, with reasons. No insulting other's choices or paying out players, just the honest statements of respect. Whoever can go into a game against these odds and still give it a red hot go, deserves the nod and every other accolade we can hand them.