Webber

The reason Gawn was ineffective, particularly with his marking, is that he's making NO advantage of his height. He had a very odd method of dropping his body against his opponent, thinking he was keeping him off the ball, but just making it easier to spoil over the top. He doesn't trust his body strength yet, and becomes too passive on account. Stand tall and reach skywards Maxy. They can't get to you that way.

The only similarity in their injuries were that they were in the midfoot. Both Egan's and Croad's were far more complicated. Nothing to do with medical advance, just different pathologies.

Looks like Demonland has decided on Brett Kirk. Just remains for the club to announce it then....

You'll always be undervalued if you come close but don't get the cigar. Cruel but true, and often taking the chockies on grand final day, or prelim final day comes down to luck and intangibles. The world loves winners. Not so much runners up or nearly men.

Viney, Stretch, Lovett...... Hmmmm :-)

Most remarkable month of footy ever for a Dees fan born in the 60's. My only ever trip to the western oval, and the next two weeks were even better. The self belief in that team was the thing that allowed very average footballers like Dean Chiron, Bret Bailey, simon Eishold, Tony Campbell to be part of a 19 goal!!! thumping of North the next week. But we, and John Northey loved those journeymen as much as we did our stars. I can still see Robbie Flower floating across the pack at the city end goal square against the Swans, a la Jeremy Howe, to the manic delight of the cheer squad. What I mean is that it's burned onto my retina. Happy Days!

Dunn was very good last year, and better this year with a better coach/team supporting. All down to the maturity that comes with age and experience. Late 20's are the peak performance years. Few supporters can go the distance to this end when inconsistency and lack of leadership cruels good players in their early twenties / under 70 games experience. Also the big boys take just that couple of years longer. Patience.....

Or, just have him provide run ALL game, as he has every game this year.

You're right. He's on the list til season's end.

Nathan Jones is a culture setting footballer. On field and off. As is Jack Grimes. And then along comes Jack Viney, launched into the spotlight with 'bump-gate', and he couldn't be a better example of the new MFC. Dom Tyson also is a very impressive person, and don't forget JKH, first ever indigenous captain of a TAC team, and who draws huge praise from all who have coached and worked with him. Chris Dawes, Dan Cross. There's a current and future culture right there.

Yep. He's a great player, without the Buddy factor where you risk paying for the profile on top of the ability. Any club with the means to afford him would be crazy not to grab him.

Melbourne is one of the great 'silent supporter' clubs. Just watch them all come out of the woodwork as we improve. We get some flack for it, and probably rightly so, but there are generational MFC families who go quiet when we're not winning. As for building support, Jeremy Howe in form, Jacks Viney, Watts, Dom Tyson, and particularly JKH as his profile grows, will draw in a new generation.

I'm sure JKH will end up being a goal kicking midfielder. You don't limit someone that good at hunting, securing and disposing off the ball, with instinctive reading of the play, to the 'small forward' role. He will be a Shaun Burgoyne type, just better.

Seems some on here don't quite get how highly valued Matt Jones is by the coaches. His work rate in providing run and linking from half back is singular in this team, and it's very hard to remember when he didn't come away with the pill in a 'one on one' contest. He is the kind of competitor and role player that PR loves. Yes, he can turn it over, but this is a diminishing weakness, and matters much less than his qualities. However, that appears to be all some see.

Out: Pederson, Bail, Watts. Wait, that was last year.....

In the AFL?!

The holding decision against Terlich in the last in Richmond's goal square was one of the most gutless examples of umpiring for the crowd I've ever seen. Woeful and weak, rather than just simply incompetent. I do wonder why the media don't put the blowtorch on umpiring standards. There has to be change, whether it comes from making them full time, increasing pay to make it more attractive, setting up an umpiring academy, or whatever. It is quite plainly the worst aspect of our game, and MUST be addressed by the new CEO.

I almost popped when the green idiot gave that decision. The 'holding the ball' interpretation is the closest thing to a random outcome you can get. It's simply not good enough, and an utter embarrassment to the AFL having that standard of adjudication for our great game. Something desperately needs to change in umpiring, because it's getting worse season by season.

I almost popped when the green idiot gave that decision. The 'holding the ball' interpretation is the closest thing to a random outcome you can get. It's simply not good enough, and an utter embarrassment to the AFL having that standard of adjudication for our great game. Something desperately needs to change in umpiring, because it's getting worse season by season.

This kind of stat, which gives us an insight into what the coaches look for, who they value and why, is a perfect foil for the superficial judgements we make on players here on Demonland. Like it or not, the things the selectors value in building a better player and better team just fly by most of us on here. (Matt Jones, Shannon Byrnes, Cam Pederson, etc, etc) I'm not a fan of Rohan Bail, never have been, but I fully admit that I have NFI really when it comes to appreciating his real value as seen by the coaches. Basically, we should all be thankful that none of us here are responsible for team selection!

He's a 'pure' footballer, I guess meaning that he seems to make all aspects of the game look as though he instinctively knows what to do. They're rare these blokes, and in Tyson, Kennedy-Harris, and I believe Salem, we've picked up three in one year. We know Hogan has that same quality, and I think Toumpas is learning to apply it, and there you have pure 'ball talent' as a nucleus. Add the pure culture setting physicality of Jack Viney, the competitiveness and personality of Max Gawn, and those seven alone will carry the immediate future of this club. Of course we're a way off seeing all seven of them fit and first choice, but when they are, this is going to be a formidable team.

Yep. He kept Dahlhaus as quiet as I can remember seeing him. A good game, played his role and beat his opponent.

Just watched this game for the first time, obviously knowing the result and therefore without jumping to rash emotional judgement. Firstly, we really are leagues better than last year, and the best thing about it is the competitiveness at the contest and for supporting teammates. There's a palpable sense of solidarity amongst the players, they're becoming a unit. Secondly, there were no passengers. Yes, that includes Shannon Byrnes. It makes me laugh when looking at the posts put up immediately post match calling for heads to roll. Nobody deserves to be dropped based on that game. Would we get more from Kent or Riley, would big Maxy give us more forward/ ruck flexibility? Don't know, but they're tactical changes, not for form. Thirdly, our recruiting from the off season just looks better and better. Tyson is going to be a star, and is clearly loving his new club. Cross, Vince, Salem.....all good. Jay Kennedy Harris is a revelation. I still can't quite believe I'm looking at an 8 game 19 year old. He works his arse off, runs to all the right places, has one touch skills, elite agility, and his defensive pressure is exceptional. The footy world hasn't quite woken up to this kid yet, but it's coming this year, and he's going to be a marquee drawcard, just dragging people along to watch him. We lost, and were unlucky, but there's a new spirit and a new quality at this club which is exciting for the first time in a long time, and its hard not to love it...

Great stuff! Have you sent it to Greg Champion at the Coodabeen Champions?

We're just not dealing with the application of logic and fairness in respect to this ruling. As so many have pointed out, deliberate elbows to the head can get 1 week, high profile players/clubs get lenience, Jack Viney was bracing and had no option for avoidance. The game is a heavy impact sport and injuries will occur, unfortunately even the occasional death. All indisputable facts, but irrelevant when it comes to the application of a dysfunctional law, and a broken system of arbitrating that law. Logic has taken a holiday with this, and justice is the victim. I'd be amazed if common sense were applied tonight, and the game will continue to suffer. The saddest part is the blindness to reason from those in charge of the game, but if ever there were a chance for the new CEO of our sport to win the hearts and minds of the football loving populous, it's right now.