3183 Dee

Before all the negativity starts, we are a side with little depth at the moment, with 7 of our first 22 out. Not making excuses, just stating the facts.

Unfortunately we still have a couple of tough years to go, whilst we build the required depth to be a finals-competitive club. Whilst it's undeniably frustrating to watch, we have to bide our time as the processes are now in place for the future.

We also play at the MCG for 5 weeks in a row, cant have everything.

Agreed. The draw is the draw - look at it another way: we could have come out of these three games having lost but taken these teams to the wire - physically, at least, giving us a springboard for the next group of games. Instead we appear to have rolled over.

Now that the game is over, cue the half hearted 3Q comeback before rolling over in the 4th.

I hate negativity, but this just gives me the shits. I realise we're several players down, but it's as if some of those players have had these last 3 weeks chalked up as inevitable losses. It's not the losing that gives me the shits, but the lack of grunt, mongrel, effort...whatever you want to call it. There are a few that are trying, but most of them...ugh.

Jetta not available again? He must have really been knocked about. Was hoping that he might have been back this week.

Thats fricken awesome, love the pfffttt every time he disposes of the ball...lol

Me too - loved it - like a boxer getting in a quick jab. We're very, very lucky to have Nathan Jones at our football club.

I hope things will start to swing back our way before long. There are a lot of people trying very hard to put some respect and greatness back into our footy club. I like this ad - I don't usually like them, as they're often full of puff, but this one hits the right note between humility and ambition.

I am of the opinion, we will struggle early then the back half of the season I think it will start to click with players then we will see the list start to grow.

I concur.

Our Red is still living in 1964 for some reason.

Lucky barstard!

I think Praha makes a valid point - the fans (certainly the die-hards) do not need to 'buy-in': we have already bought-in. Schwab, in my opinion, was appealing to the die-hards. His vision was one of nostalgia and symbolism, but ultimately without substance. It was fuelled on history and high draft picks, who were chosen, it seems, for their table manners and not their hunger. What I took from Peter Jackson's message is that we've acknowledged a lot of these issues and the consequential mental fragility of the playing group, but it's time to move forward and not falling into negativity and despair every time something goes wrong - the Petracca moments.

Thanks mate - appreciate your efforts.

My first time at a Demons training session - I took my five year old, who is so one-eyed he would've waited another hour! I was struck immediately by the change in physique of some of the players, as noted by other contributors. I thought Jamar looked about 4 or 5 years younger, whilst Dawes looked really good - the puppy fat has all gone. Jack Watts is another that has undergone a transformation - boy to man. I enjoyed the drills - I thought the intensity was spot on, although you can now see a difference between the new recruits of the Roos era and the old guard. I think we'll still be carrying one or two this year, but the competition for places is going to hot up. As the guy next to me said - there are going to be some disappointed lads come Round 1, which is something we haven't seen for some time.

A quick note on the PR front - the wait didn't bother me too much, but it should have been announced on the ground. A previous poster has asked whether there was a skeleton staff because of the holiday - they still should've had someone on the ground running things, as it was a flagged event. Likewise, I think they missed the boat with merchandise etc., but maybe had their sights set on next weekend's Family Day.

Brilliant news - I thought the AFL had put the kibosh on this one when it was brought up last year.

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What a legend.

Now reports that Adelaide may offer pick 10 for Trenners to trump Tigers. What's that you say? Trengove and Pick 2 for Dangerfield?

7/7mate have very successfully telecast all SANFL rounds this year including finals. Games are archived on Plus7 so you should be able to view the GF replay early next week.

7 and 7mate are also going to be broadcasting VFL from next year.

contender for post of the day, well done Young Dee

Erm...Whilst I agree with your sentiment, Kennett is, in fact, chairman of Beyond Blue!

Essendon were in the finals. he is getting choosy.

Just what has Eddy McGoo been up to this past 11 months. Has he been fiddling in our nest? It was obvious last September that Cloke choked without support up forward.

Send him to the PSD. Then bid Pick 3 for Darcey Moore. See how Edward likes that. Time to stop bending over MFC

I'm loving the irony of Brendan Goddard complaining about clubs targeting certain Bombers' players while there is unrest at the club. How can he say that with a straight face while Hird is sniffing around Clark?

I think the word he used was 'unethical'. Which is the first club that springs to mind when you hear the word 'unethical'?

Those that think MC should play for us, no matter what we offer him, are living in dreamland.

I would be pretty certain that not one Demonland poster including myself, know exactly what the settlement was.

Given that scenario, how can you logically expect him to play for us at whatever we offer him.

Yes he does owe us for our help in his situation and if nothing else, he has said through his Manager that he would want to be sure we were compensated IF he left.

I am sure everyone would agree if our offer was $1000 for season 2015 he would have every right to refuse that and look elsewhere.

So then the question becomes how much is not enough? Since none of us know what he got in the settlement or what we offered for 2015 I think people should stop abusing MC and let the whole thing go to its conclusion.

Think of it as if he was your brother and not your big hope to save this club.

Good points made - there's been too many abusive posts and hearsay about supposed financial arrangements and sums of money which I don't think many of us on Demonland (if any) have actually been privy to. Also, the notion that a certain amount of money disqualifies you from having depression is nonsense. The black dog takes many forms.

I think the issue that has me confused is the expectation - possibly by MC management - that a person can retire from a career for a period of time (for whatever reason) and then return on the same terms as before. To use an analogy - I work in the building trade - if I went off the tools and into a different career for 5 years and then decided to return as a sub-contractor, I could not expect to immediately command the same rates as before, until I had worked my way back into the groove, which would take some months. I realise that we're not talking 5 years here but, as we're constantly reminded by the AFLPA, football is a short, compressed career (which is apparently why the wages are so high) and a year completely out of the system would set a perfectly healthy player back a long way, let alone one with associated health problems.

One of the reasons mooted for Mitch's retirement, was the amount of pressure he felt being on a large contract and not being able to fulfil his part of the deal because of injury. Surely then, a good way to relieve any re-occurrence of that pressure, would be to begin things slowly on a small contract for a year or so, until he'd played his way back into the game. The financial expectations are low and to a certain extent performance level expectations are realistic, as he's on a path to recovery.

This situation needs to be looked at very much in the long-term, both in Mitch's recovery from physical and mental injury, and the long-term benefit to the club having Mitch back on board. It seems to me that Mitch's management, by shopping Mitch around on the open market is looking at things very much in the short-term.

I wonder if it's this that has reportedly angered Roos so much - that club has been looking at things very much from both sides and invested a patient, holistic, cautious approach with Mitch over the year. Now, in direct contrast, it seems that his management are only interested in how much money they can get. Very jarring for Roos, I'd imagine.

Yes just like we got the good oil from Malthouse on Neeld.

Touché! I trust Roosy's divining skills a million times more than G Lyon and C Schwab tho'.

Edit: speelling

Think he's from Colin Young's stable.

Don't know much about Goodwin as a coach, but you can be sure that Roos would have all the good oil from Bomber Thompson regarding Goodwin's ability.

My two penn'orth as I see it:

- MC was legitimately depressed and needed to get away from footy.

- MFC did the right thing in assisting him in whatever way they could with his recovery.

- MC says to MFC, "I'm feeling good, there's a chance I may want to come back and play."

- MFC says to MC, "Great, we'd love to have you back at the club if everything's good - let's put you on a plan to get back to fitness."

- MC, according to his social media and whispers around MFC going well.

- MFC keen to look at getting MC back, but need to do due diligence for both MC and MFC (possibly suggesting rookie spot to start with?) as we are now a Roos/Jackson-led "buy in or get knotted" organisation.

- MC manager sees his golden goose getting duck eggs for a while and puts the word out, leading to interest from 6 clubs (note interest and not clamouring for services).

- This puts MFC on the back foot as they had assumed that there was an agreement that they'd get first refusal after doing due diligence.

- Roos now having to decide about talking MC up for possible PP or talking him down to stop other clubs sniffing.

Will be interesting to see how it plays out. I'd assume Roos feels pretty let down and that may be enough to assume MC will be traded.

On SEN today, David King said he'd heard that Port were going to make a massive play for Walker ($1m a year over 3 years) to sign at the end of next year, when he, Sloane and Dangerfield are all out of contract.

Great news - would have liked a little longer, but good enough for now.