bjDee

Saw those passages and loved them, as well as 2 others down the Punt Rd end where Watts singled out the Walpirri Warrior and slotted the ball beautifully down his throat. Those were grace and poetry in motion - and a little bit of why I just love this country and its culture of equality (sniff). Watts is coming up nicely - I even saw him sprint hard after the ball in a 1 on 2 contest/chase late in the game (!!). Jurrah owes some of his return to form in this match to the accuracy of Watts' boot, the quality of his vision, and at least in those instances, the intelligence of his decision making.

6. Frawley 5. Dunn 4. MacDonald 3. Davey 2. Green 1. Scully I shudder to think what our future team would have done in Q3 without Davey slicing & dicing across the halfback line. Will anyone truly be able to replace him? He kept us in the game when we were under a lot of pressure in defence. Wish we could clone him, or put him in a time machine so he is guaranteed of playing in a Demons team in the GF in a few years.

Sylvia Frawley MacDonald Garland McKenzie Bartram A game for the backmen to earn votes. Afraid we got smashed in clearances and up forward, so Sylvia & Jordie were stand outs for us in the middle. Geez we missed Beamer. Good to see Watts up there in the possessions. Dunn & Ossie were also good to see. Loved PJ's confident goal from a tap.

Sitting there late today, it crossed my mind how much Jordie is beginning to remind me of an early Simon Black. An under the radar player in his early years, but a very instrumental influence on his team. Getting way WAY ahead of myself I know, but a great win can do that to you. A week at work is always better after a win.

6 Sylvia 5 Frawley 4 Bartram (Nasher - I agree with you in part) 3 Green 2 Morton 1 McKenzie Lots & lots more I would love to add to the list.

I was hoping to see some Debt Demolition volunteers outside the gates on the way out, but didn't see any at Gate 3. Thought it would be a great time to put the hand out for more donations. Such is the power of a strong win.

The best game I can recall seeing the Dees play - ever. Big call i know, but blame a fading memory and many years in the wilderness where I did not go and see them play in person. Best for all round the ground efforts, tackling pressure, not being reliant on a few stars as we have had to do in the past, running, attacking through the middle, chasing hard (Chip & Watts down the outer wing), playing on, taking chances, running into goal, piling on the scoreboard pressure from the first minute or two, seeing young players continue to lift a notch (Morton, Watts, Bartram, Jordie, Bennell, Wonna), seeing some lambasted players step up (PJ, Bartram, Watts for a while there), seeing another new one on the track in Maric (acquitted himself pretty well for 1st game this year I thought), shutting down key opponents, kicking straight, getting a good run from the umpires.....it goes on and on and on. So many players got applause as they ran to the bench today - a mark of how widely the boys spread the effort. Bono sang it right: "It's a beautiful day!"

Billy, Roost It, Jaded, you all make sense to me. If you disagree with each other - well sort it out between yourselves. The reality is, there's usually not much between most opinions here when it comes to selections, but the one or two differences become very contentious, and IMO probably get blown out of proportion. But that's a forum for you! I reckon the PJ / Cheney / Maric / Morton / MacDonald differences at the fringe will drive most debate this week. Bail & Warnock seem to be in more favour with the majority, and me too. What seems to happen is the debate conjures up a ship-load of changes, while the reality dishes up just one or two. Good luck to the one or two this week, and the other 21 or 20. And even if the selectors aren't there to win, the team and us sure need to turn up like we are. If you step on that field, make sure you intend to win or die trying!! Go Dees!!!!!

6. Green 5. Jamar 4. Moloney 3. Bruce 2. Sylvia 1. Dunn Gutted I can't fit Garland into the 6 - or Trenners, Chip, even Rivers (welcome back to form after the 1st couple of kicks). A good day to be a Dees fan.....

6 Davey 5 Jamar 4 Bruce 3 Dunn 2 Cheney 1 Watts Apologies: Macdonald, Green, Jones, Beamer, Chip, Garland I just like the fact that they gave a damn, showed spirit and fought (at least or 3 quarters). Cheney alone showed more hardness than we saw for the whole game last week.

Apologies D666 and WYL - in hindsight it brings down the noble tone of your original posts...

The Pies are beating themselves up something terrible. And they reckon the Tigers eat their own!! Nothing better than to see the Pies supporters turn even more feral than normal. Here's a few quotes from http://www.magpies.net/nick/: "I have had enough. I just dropped $50 on a Pies jumper for my 1 year old today. Someone explian to me why I would subject him to this time after time after time after time... I have had enough. This team is insipid. Diamond Creek reserves would've kicked straighter today. It's the same ol' story and nothing ever changes. Memo the coaching staff: It's no use whinging about how Melbourne seem to get themselves up for this game every year and how it's "their grand final". Here's an idea - how about WE *&^*(&%$% treat it like it's a grand final?? Will we actually make the *&^*(&%$% last day in September and whinge about how the other team were playing as if it was a grand final? Bunch of softcocks and [censored] we are. This current team has no hope of winning a premiership. None. We are all living in la la land." "any chance we could play a fwd who at least leads towards the ball carrier? just a pathetic fwd display by the boys, fraser can NEVER be allowed to play in the seniors again and if he does, mick needs to be sacked, fraser is a liability who we can do without, no doubting that anymore people." "I love our zone. It so effective, especially when the opposition kicks out from our behinds. (that was sarcasm). Mick, your time is up." "We were just giving Melbourne the 2 points we owed them from round 1." (I know - they can't count up to round 2) "I reckon the Socceroos would have beaten us today. How did we pinch 2 points?" "another [censored] poor effort. we are not a serious contender for the premiership. i still rate the 2 top teams as the saints and geelong and we cant compete with either of them. hope we dont meet the dees in the finals, they'll be a good chance to roll us next time. i've lost all confidence in our side." I think the honour goes to Jamar to throw another Molotov on the fire....

I'm not into Supercoach, but I was keen to know at least what Jamar & Beamer scored. Couldn't see anything in the papers today. Can anyone give us the scores from yesterday for say our top 6 Supercoach players?

Can I add one? Demons' Hands - sharp, clean, decisive Almost any time the ball was there on the floor to be grabbed today, we took it. Cleanly. And shot it out to one, two or three teammates. It was a delight to watch the clean hands and run-on play today. Goals on the run were great today. Dunn looked so much better when he played on quickly instead of doing the prancing-horse set shot. Others who played on as I recall - Bate (as usual) and Morton. Great to see - no chance for the Pies to get back in position.

6. Moloney 5. Jamar 4. Davey 3. Scully 2. Jones 1. Garland I can see why the Brownlow has become the midfielder's medal....

Maybe I was looking through a different pair of glasses on Morton in the first qtr or 2?? Don't get me wrong - I want to see him continue developing - but there were 2 or 3 times when handballed or kicked out of the backline or on the wing to a player under huge pressure and we turned it over. The guy will benefit by raising his eyes and seeing or even planning the play that happens after he has disposed of the ball. I thought he was our weakest link down back for most of the first half. After that though he came good - happy to see that for Cale's sake and ours.

Love this boy's approach. Seems to be channeling Ronald Dale... "If it is to be, it is up to me"

6. Gysberts 5. Green 4. Jones 3. Morton 2. Trengove 1. Jamar

Wot he said... I was apalled today at Jack's general game sense. Forget about being young bodied etc. - his head is in the wrong place. Giving up on a chase while appealing to the umpire for a free... running (loping) towards goals slowly with your head down, while the play is developing in our favour through the middle of the ground behind you, and you could have broken left or right to be a free player in space if you had only turned to look... Didn't you hear me yelling "Turn around Jack!"? I'm not quick to give up on players (really slow in fact), but for the first time today I heard myself thinking "trade bait". Am I alone?

No movement ahead of the ball to give the kicker an option?? So many times our kicks went to a tight 1 on 1 contest. Did we not have the ability / endurance to run into space?

6 - zip 5 - zip 4 - Bartram 3 - Jones 2 - Gysberts 1 - Green

Oops - see edit below...

Please please please Miller......don't have me yelling at the screen (again): "Just hold the (effing) mark!" Last throw of the dice - please prove us wrong. Agree with previous poster he has the worst hands. Not a good time to try them out in the seniors in Darwin. Anyone know what his ball handling & kicking accuracy skills have been recently at Casey? Re PJ - I have also been a long time loyal PJ supporter - ever since he put his shoulder out in a really courageous lunge along the ground near the members at the G - hugely selfless act for a big man. But finally after last week, the little flame I have held for PJ (in a wholesome man-love kind of way - bugger off Akker) was blown out for good. And Ozzie - so what if it's a marketing exercise? - just don't blow another gasket!

Michael Long, 2000 Grand Final. Ask Troy Simmons. And I can't believe no-one has mentioned Robbie Muir. Seem to recall he played something like 66 games and was suspended for a total of 22. Sorry - just saw R Muir was mentioned earlier - 1st by Hell Bent.

We have an excess of capable tall defenders, some of whom also seem likely to make for good options up forward. We have a shortage of tall forwards - at least in the short-medium term this year. But here is my key point: a good defender moving forward as an option does not have to become the key target to replace Ricky P. The 3rd Q on Satuday proved that. DB made a move by keeping Green & Sylvia in the forward 50, and we got instant results. Cleared up the middle in a small ground, gave us more than 1 option forward, and broke up the kangas' stranglehold through the middle by clearing out the area. Can't explain the 4th Q though! At least DB made a move mid game - unlike Daniher who was almost always out-coached all game. I like the option of Rivers or especially Garland as a 2nd or 3rd key forward option. With Chip, Warnock, JMac and the other of Rivers/Garland down back, we can cover Ricky's absence and not be lacking tall defenders. But it's not just players that will do it. It's also coaching tactics to suit the ground and the opposition, as we saw after half time on Saturday.