DeeSpencer

I think they might, but it's worth noting GWS kicked a big score with Cadman (5 touches, 1 goal), Gruzewski (9 touches, 2 goals) and Callum Brown (7 touches, 2 goals) and those goal totals outweigh their actual impact on the game.. We kicked 11 goals 24 playing a similar style in a lot of the Freo game. It's a trend across the league now to get your deep fowards as deep as possible to draw defenders and for the scoring to come from the half forwards. In which case we don't need to keep trying key forwards, we need our half forwards to be more dangerous and finish better.

Do we try to run with GWS? Or do we create an extra back by dropping Rivers from the middle in to a back 7 or sweeper role. Rolling an extra mid on ball and living with 5 v 6 at our end (knowing scoring will be very hard). I suspect we’ll start out trying to play with them. Not sure how long it will last.

He’s never done anything at Casey to look like he deserves a game and has spent a good chunk of the summer recovering from a hamstring. If he plays well at Casey then I agree, sometimes you got to chuck a guy in and see what happens. But you don’t pick a guy when others have trained more often and better all summer. That’s just asking for a miracle.

I’m pretty sure it was the form on the wing that saw him get drafted, rather than some traits as a forward. We’ve often played him as a lockdown back pocket due to lack of other options which might not suit. But he’s hardly demanded to play as a half back, yet alone anywhere else. And back is the easiest place on the ground to win the ball and rack up disposals. If he can’t do that part where it’s easy I struggle to see how he makes any impact forward.

Very strange that we all got used to hands in the back then it changed. Either to boost scoring or boost Tom Hawkins! Not sure which

Cameron was only trying to brace but with his size and momentum Briggs was shifted forward. Left him in a terrible spot. There’s been no penalty for any of them this year, they won’t start with a pies player. But they probably need to go back to hands in the back. Use your forearms if you want to hold space.

FB: Petty May Adams HB: Windsor Lever Salem C; Lindsay Tracc ??? HF: Langford Disco Sparrow FF: Fritsch JVR Jeffo Foll: Gawn Oliver Viney Int: Bowey, Chandler, Langdon Rivers? Billings? Sharp in the seconds, replaced by a third tall in Jeffo. Adams in the 1’s as part of a 4 tall backline and Howes out for Petty (although there’s Petty’s in both sides) the changes from the Freo game. Could we play 4 talls down back? Maybe, but it would probably be designed around May getting the Toby Greene match up. I still expect pace and pressure in the forward line with Sharp in especially if he was a strong performer for the grey/whites.

Roos did a very good job for us but if we can change from 14/15 we can change from now. We were 61 and 72 points per game back there. Now scoring is lower and we were still 78 points per game.

Collingwood pushed really high but kept at least one defender (generally Moore but sometimes Quaynor and Murphy) back and would often get bailed out of 1 on 2 or 2 on 3 because they'd be sitting deep and have a clear run at the footy So often we'd bomb it long to Moore and have a guy running free in the forward pocket. Their pressure dropped just a smidge and teams started to find that spare guy last year. Geelong are always staying at home. Brisbane fairly at home too. Both of those sides use kicking to make the ground big once they turn the ball over and slow suck up forwards and midfielders to chase down uncontested kicks. Then go forward in to open forwards lines by spacing their forwards out. I reckon with Hipwood/Morris and Neale/Cameron they've both started to hit leading CHF's in their ball movement too which is something that went way out of the game. Skills are a factor, but neither Geelong nor Brisbane have amazingly skilled backlines. What both teams do have is midfields and forwards that are drilled like soccer teams and know how to move off the ball for each other to create spaces in the zones. Both teams as failed in finals for multiple years because they mucked around with the footy, weren't direct enough and would turn it over in high pressure moments. A big question is whether our bash and crash big 3 mids are willing to add smart unrewarded off ball running to their games after they've had years of getting to the feet of the long down the line kick.

We didn't have the key backs or a deep 2 way running midfield but Goody took over from the most uninspiring Paul Roos footy and built a very strong attacking side in 16, 17, 18. I don't think that was ever the plan as the finished product but our attack was building really well. And in 2021 whilst we were more boundary focused it was always quick movement. We seemed to regress in 2022 as everyone got tired. But 2023 had flashes of change and last year they absolutely tried to change but didn't have any players to adapt. The big factor this year is whether we have the players to adapt. We've certainly moved magnets but there's some old dog, new trick guys that concern me. Mostly in midfield skill and backline run. As well as the bandaid that is Max Gawn that holds us back at times (not blaming Max, just our players know he's there).

I think it’s 90% psychological but I also think he has an across the body motion where as Choco coaches everyone in straight lines. I’d be training Jack to allow him to swing out more

He’s spent all preseason on the wing. Rotated at half forward because we had Taj and Lindsay fit for the first preseason game and not a lot of half forward depth. Did the same in the last quarter v Freo when Taj was subbed on. Obviously wingers do have shots at goal but it won’t be expected to be a major part of his game.

Absolutely, even if it contradicts my desire for a fired up run out song and the demon time button. No flashing lights or music between goals and especially quiet time at quarter and half time breaks. It’s break, you’re there to catch up with friends not have [censored] pumped in via the speakers

Ahhh I knew something had changed but couldn’t pick it. Time to change or even change back

Love it, the club should do more to reward the most loyal of members.

Stress reactions are pretty common, clubs have a good guide on how long they take. The big issue is he’s done the easy part of the rehab - sitting around doing non or low weight bearing stuff. The next month as he builds back up to full loads is the time where things could be really straightforward or face set backs.

So given we're in a bit of a holding pattern this week with only the 2 games now and the Demons hopefully out of the headlines I thought we should put the Demonland brains trust to use to see if anyone can come up or improve on some half baked ideas (no matter how big or small) to improve the club. The idea is a rip from Bill Simmons pod where he brings on Kevin Wildes to discuss random ideas. It's pretty self explanatory. Feel free to add your own, no bad ideas! 1. Demon Time (bash boost button rip off). The big bash this year had kids come on the boundary and smash a button when teams took the batting powerplay. Not all that exciting when you've seen it 25 times but nice for the kids who get a great moment. Obviously footy has the auskick kids and the kids running through the banner, but why not make the day for 2 more kids by having them on the boundary at the end of half time? 3rd quarter is always the premiership quarter, so let's just rebrand that demon time. So they smash a light up button, bit of noise, bit of lights and animation on the scoreboard saying 'Demon Time'. Costs next to nothing but it's a great moment for 2 kids. 2. A Tracc MFC tiktok collab. I know there's probably still some mending of relationships going on here but it remains that Tracc has 390k and the Demons 90k follows. It's frankly embarrassing. We've got a club nutritionist who could go round to Tracc's and cook with him. We've got 45 hungry players and coaches. It seems crazy that we haven't leveraged this additional social media power. Hawthorn 290k and they turned their entire club in to a freaking tiktok machine that plays footy every now and then, Collingwood 270k by the way. Tracc has them both covered. 3. New run out song. So we run out to Hells Bells right? Before switching to the grand old flag. And don't get me wrong, it's pretty cool, fits with the demon theme. But sometimes you need to try something different. I've recently discovered this song: Wolf Totem by Mongolian folk metal band The HU and to me the combination of heavy and traditional instruments and throat singing, it's what we need. The other team aren't messing with wolf totem.

JVR is a good set shot too. But really I’m suspect on expected score from non set shots, especially when it’s wild kicks under pressure.

It’s not a surprise that we’ve pushed Pickett, Riv and Langdon on ball, put Windsor to half back and drafted Lindsay. Half forward class is probably the missing piece. A healthy Spargo, see what Kolt and Langford can do and, hopefully Jack Henderson offers something. But it seems wishful thinking.

Not for me, I maintain our issue is we prioritise volume of inside 50’s over quality. How many marks in the big scoring zones (inside 20 or inside the corridor within 40) do we get per game? How many runs in to an open goal plays do we get? We need half backs who kick to space and run, we need mids who find the footy in space and we need to use the corridor and diagonal plays using half forwards to get deeper entries. We have to attack in a way the good sides do to trouble our backline.

Congrats on waking from the coma that you were in during 2022 and 2023

Kemp played full back most of the year, went forward when they had injuries. I'm pretty sure their win/loss record with 2 rucks was awful and even then TDK has some genuine forward juice. Tom Campbell in a forward line in 2025, come on now, be serious. And what on earth is Jeffo doing in a side with 2 rucks and 2 key forwards and Fritsch? May as well play him on the wing. Right now there's only 1 decision for match committee and it's whether they throw out their summer plans of just 2 talls and go with 3 for some extra crash and bash. Tom Campbell won't be remotely in the selection frame.

Disco really doesn't lack much height and he's moving beautifully at training. The instructions for our forwards especially our deep forwards is to get deep, they're just spreading them out with width as well now. The challenge for our mids and half forwards is to use that extra option via half forward and/or just delay their kicks until the forward has established depth and then come back up at the ball. Tracc will definitely play a good chunk forward but thinking about it now if he really is putting up big time fitness numbers he'll want to play midfield. He's always wanted to be a midfielder and a Darcy Moore knee to the ribs will only further cement that I believe. So far it's been mostly Sparrow, Langford and Sharp across half forward and mixed results if they've been used.

3 tall forwards and a second ruck to roll out for 15% of game time. Try again

Yeah I'm starting to lean towards leaving him out too. It's hard to justify centre bounce time when they've got the 3 big guns, are rightfully trying Langdon to get some much needed run and speed and are right to keep going with Rivers on ball. I'd hope he gets time on ball post centre bounce, that would be wise that he's the guy to swap with Tracc after the clearance. But whether that's enough midfield time is worth asking. If you believe in 3 tall forwards and Fritsch it's very hard to justify another bigger body who doesn't provide any tackle pressure or speed up forward. And even if like me you think 2 talls is fine he still has to make an impact across half forward and it's such a tricky position. Made even harder if there's no flow to our ball movement. Even harder again when it's 35 in Mandurah and you get subbed out at 3/4 time. I think his greatest strength this year is his around the ground movement, not ball winning or overhead marking (both are skills but they're much easier to use when you're 21 not 18). He has natural instincts in how to accumulate the footy. But to play as an attacking half forward at 18 you need to be freakish at that. I'd be happy to try him rotating as the 3rd winger for those same reasons, it's just an easier position to do that in, but they haven't done that. Of course the big question is who comes in and just purely on attributes Jack Henderson is the standout if we assume he bought his Werribee form to Casey, but it seems we'll seemingly never know if he did!