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Trusty Demon back after AFL moves goalposts

Aaron Davey (knee) - test Brad Miller (wrist) - test Isaac Weetra (wrist) - test Matthew Whelan (foot) - test Adem Yze (groin) - test Clint Bartram (knee) - 1-2 weeks Daniel Hughes (groin) - 1-2 weeks Mark Jamar (foot) - 1-2 weeks Brent Moloney (groin) - 1-2 weeks Ryan Ferguson (thumb) - 2-3 weeks Jared Rivers (back) - 2-3 weeks Moloney and Rivers are a bit of a worry!

Did last week's VFL bye count?

Love your optimism Sam. Thanks for the stats as well. They really bring home how much injuries have contributed to our poor season thus far. And to think that at one stage just before the Nab Cup started we had virtually the whole list on the track with the exception of Colin Sylvia who was always set to return in the early rounds.

Glad you gave due recognition to Simon Godfrey who has lifted a cog in the past two games.

Great read as always and it's good to see that Newton followed up one good performance with another. 11 goals in 2 weeks must have him close to AFL selection.

Agreed although I think that the personnel who were doing it last year are either not around at the moment or, as in the case of Pickett, not fit enough to carry out the task.

Oops. I stand corrected. Miller leads with 6 goals but he only kicks them every second week and besides he'll be down back on Barry Hall so he doesn't count.

Oops. I stand corrected. Miller leads with 6 goals but he only kicks them every second week and besides he'll be down back on Barry Hall so he doesn't count.

The forecast for Sydney tonight is rain. That should overcome one of our deficiencies of this year, anely the ability to score goals. I was stunned whe I came across the following list of our top goalkickers after four rounds of competition:- 5 Brad Green (out injured tonight) 4 David Neitz (ditto) 4 Russell Robertson (ditto) 4 Brent Moloney (back but suffers from a groin problem) Perhaps we can win on points tonight?

Unlikely that either one of them will play if Neale Daniher sticks to his usual policy. Last year he delayed Matthew Bate's debut by a couple of weeks till after the Sydney game because he didn't want him to play his first game interstate.

Brock is right on the button when he says the Dees must make a stand!

NEALE DANIHER'S MATCH REPORT "We have a long turn around until round two against Hawthorn and have a lot of work to do to get our game back on track. Hopefully Friday’s loss has stung our players sufficiently to produce a more honest effort next Monday." I think that there seems to be a disconnect between the responsibility of the players, the way they play and the way the coach instructs them. It's got me worried a little bit!

Only six players on the injury list plus Daniel Hayes AWOL and no word on Daniel Hughes who hasn't been seen playing at Sandringham in recent weeks. Lynden Dunn (cheek) - 2 weeks James Frawley (stress fracture) - 4 weeks Brock McLean (foot) - 6 weeks Byron Pickett (hamstring) - test Jared Rivers (hamstring) - test Isaac Weetra (hamstring) - 2 weeks I've cleared up the mystery concerning Nick Smith. Our old 4 to 6 is now playing at Box Hill and I'm sure we'll get a chance to see him one day (if he doesn't get injured that is!)

I object!

The injuries to Brock and Wheels are apparently not as bad as was first thought - Injured Demons cleared. Radio reports put Brock's injury at 4 - 6 however.

It seems to me that the Super 8 system being used in the Cricket World Cup could be applied to the AFL to iron out some of the inequities in the competition - especially the fixture. Here's how my proposal would work:- Rounds 1 to 15 - a fixture in which all 16 teams play against each other. After fifteen rounds the top eight move into a Super 8 competition where they take only the scores and premiership points earned against fellow Super 8 teams. The clubs have a week's break and a new fixture is worked out whereby the Super 8 teams play each other once and the top 5 teams then move into a finals competition along the lines of the final fives in the 70's and '80's. Similarly with the bottom eight which move into their own competition and play against each other for a further seven rounds. Under this system, it's fairer on the clubs and the luck of the draw is minimised. It's also fairer in terms of teams getting priority picks because all of the weaker sides play each other twice.

According to Michale Gleeson of the Age, the Demons sre burning up with high expectations "Melbourne has finals experience, a core of talented, experienced players, and an exciting group of youngsters: why don't more fans think they can win the flag?"

Brock McLean is our third most rated player by Hun listmaker Mike Sheahan. He comes in behind Cameron Bruce and Aaron Davey in Catch Judd if you can SHEAHAN'S TOP 50 1. Chris Judd (West Coast) 2. Barry Hall (Sydney) 3. Jonathan Brown (Brisbane Lions) 4. Dean Cox (West Coast) 5. Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) 6. Adam Goodes (Sydney) 7. Brad Johnson (Western Bulldogs) 8. Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) 9. Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) 10. Chad Cornes (Port Adelaide) 11. Brendan Fevola (Carlton) 12. Simon Goodwin (Adelaide) 13. Scott West (Western Bulldogs) 14. Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle) 15. Daniel Kerr (West Coast) 16. Brendon Lade (Port Adelaide) 17. Ryan O'Keefe (Sydney) 18. Luke Hodge (Hawthorn) 19. Matthew Lloyd (Essendon) 20. Brett Kirk (Sydney) 21. Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) 22. James Clement (Collingwood) 23. Simon Black (Brisbane Lions) 24. Adam Hunter (West Coast) 25. Luke Power (Brisbane Lions) 26. Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda) 27. Matthew Scarlett (Geelong) 28. Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn) 29. Scott Lucas (Essendon) 30. Nick Stevens (Carlton) 31. Cameron Bruce (Melbourne) 32. Paul Chapman (Geelong) 33. Luke Ball (St KIlda) 34. Dustin Fletcher (Essendon) 35. Andrew Embley (West Coast) 36. Lindsay Gilbee (Western Bulldogs) 37. Craig Bolton (Sydney) 38. Joel Bowden (Richmond) 39. Darren Glass (West Coast) 40. Brett Burton (Adelaide) 41. Luke McPharlin (Fremantle) 42. Andrew McLeod (Adelaide) 43. Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide) 44. Aaron Davey (Melbourne) 45. Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs) 46. Tyson Edwards (Adelaide) 47. Daniel Wells (Kangaroos) 48. Ryan Griffen (Western Bulldogs) 49. Graham Johncock (Adelaide) 50. Brock McLean (Melbourne) With Bruce our main man at # 31 you can understand why many in the media don't rate our flag chances. And why is it that we don't seem to be able to produce any top 10 players?

By me the best footballer in the land by far is Chris Judd. He's kidding if he thinks he has any dirt on him, isn't he?

Melbourne Weekly Bayside Newspaper has a special feature interview with Demon skipper David Neitz in this week's edition. The interview was conducted by David Bonnici who asked whether Neitz ever dreamed that he would be up there with some of the game's greats. "Not really," he replied. "As a kid you just hope that you're good enough to get a game, but I can look back and say that I've been pretty happy with my career up until this stage." Neita doesn't really compare himself with other Demon greats like Robbie Flower and Garry Lyon but "the thing about football and leadership is that you bring your own unique abilities, and failings, to the table, so you've got to do it in your own way." The best thing about being skipper of the club has been "having to confront things about yourself that make you grow as a person and enable you to lead the team better," he said. Neitz is not sure whether he will remain in the captaincy role much longer and has every confidence in the younger up and coming members of the leadership group who will follow in his footsteps. Neitz believes that the difference between this year and the past few when the club has made the finals only to be beaten is "a combination of belief and the spur of our recent disappointments," and adds that the team relies on an even contribution from all players. Of the young guns likely to burst onto the scene, it's a case of "who knows? No one really predicted Clint Bartram last year." He hopes that players like Matthew Bate, Nathan Jones and Lynden Dunn can take the next step in 2007. Having finished a PR degree, Neita is looking to do something in the communication/branding/leadership field after football. Melbourne Bayside Weekly readers can also enter a competition to win a free MFC membership.

This is the "official" injury list:- Lynden Dunn (fractured cheekbone) - TBA, James Frawley (stress fracture) - 6 weeks, Byron Pickett (hamstring soreness) - available, Jared Rivers (hamstring soreness) - test, Matthew Warnock (ankle) - available, Isaac Weetra (stress fracture) - available.

The worst possible news for any Demon key forward - four to six weeks:- YOUNG DEMON SIDELINED WITH CHEEKBONE

Scratch Bruce and Pickett from the squad.

The injury list has been pared back a little and the good news is that Brock McLean is available this week and Clint Bartram is also available after a long lay off due to that ankle injury suffered in round 22 last year. Jace Bode's back however, seems to be deteriorating:- Clint Bartram (ankle) available Jace Bode (back) 3-4 weeks Brock McLean (thigh) available Nick Smith (amnesia) 4 - 6 weeks Colin Sylvia (groin) 1 week Matthew Warnock (ankle) 1 week Isaac Weetra (hamstring) 1 week Any news on Daniel Hayes appreciated especially by dazzledavey36. Last week's injury list was:- Clint Bartram (ankle) 2-3 weeks Jace Bode (back) 2 - 3 weeks Ben Holland (hip) test Travis Johnstone (foot) test Brock McLean (thigh) 1 week Nick Smith (amnesia) 4 - 6 weeks Colin Sylvia (groin) 2 -3 weeks Matthew Warnock (ankle) 2-3 weeks Paul Wheatley (ankle) test Holland, Johnstone and Wheatley all made it through their tests and played in practice matches at the weekend.