binman

But have you reviewed the 2018 prelim?

To be honest i was expecting a better mark than a two grabber where he didn't get far off the ground. Soaring across the pack is a bit of a stretch!

But surely you don't actually believe they didn't review the game?

Yes, 100% agree. I think Langdon and Tomlinson will prove to he very important in this respect.

I agree we didn't have the list. That said we over achieved in 2018 and came within touching distance of a flag. But goody's first two years were all about embedding his game style, making it second nature and part of the teams dna the way Richmond have done. In 2019 they started the same way but by mid season had significantly modified their game style. As I posted a few days ago I'm not sure that wasn't a mistake. But I think they did so for pragmatic reasons, primarily to avoid huge losses (which by in large we did). With a solid preseason and 90% of the list getting more than 80% of sessions completed and a full list to choose from we will return to goody's preferred model.

No he didn't. Unsurprising given where we were at that point in our development phase. And most of the players he did have at his disposal were babies in AFL terms. And we came up against a side laden with experience and talent, who finished top 4, were coming off a week's break, playing on tjeir home deck and who went on to win the flag. Being cooked didn't help, and we played very poorly. And the result could not have been more deflating. But we also shouldn't lose sight of the fact that we were beaten by a much better team. My main point about that game is that I disagree with the oft floated belief on dl that our game plan was exposed. For whatever reason we simply could not execute it. The hawks tried the same approach as wc did - stretch the ground and maintain possession. expose our defensive running and lack of leg speed. And failed - despite us not playing that well. Those who hold the belief our game plan was exposed by wc will have to get used to seeing that very same game plan (though with some tweaks no doubt) employed next season.

Not sure if this is one your comedic posts or not

An interesting factor for the dees atm is the number of young players we have who have potential but are still in the development phase. In addition to bradtke we have neita, Sparrow, Chandler and Jordon. And id inlude smith in that mix (and possibly spargo). Add the three players we just drafted and we have a solid group of young players with potential.

We were physically cooked half way through the first quarter. None more so than maxy, who was visibly struggling in the heat (it was really hot at the ground). The hawks has spent the entire semi smashing him so that had to have an impact. But I think we were also cooked mentally, a related but still different issue. The eagles jumped us and we simply could not stop their momentum. And we made some howlers that fuelled that momentum. So yes we absolutely played poorly, no question. The discussion about goody supposedly not reviewing the game is just so silly. As if he didn't. However I think his focus would not have been on issues such as game plan, game style and strategy. And why would it? As he pointed out we didn't play anything resembling the 'Melbourne way'. Our game plan had got us there and we had beaten the eagles on their home deck with it only a few weeks prior. A game style i might add that is very similar philosophicaly to that of the tiger's who easily could have won the last 3 grand finals. We simply could not execute it on the day. In this respect that game was a microcosm of our entire 2019 season. No, his focus would have been on why we were not mentally ready. And what he and the players can do differentely next time we are in an analogous situation.

Many more downs than ups unfortunately. The 70's was one long down. I think all the downs is a factor in why I have hasa fondness for particular players over the years.

I am definitely one who bemoans our lack of outside skill, scoring power and 'x factor'. And it remains a huge issue for us, which is why i really love the drafting of kozzie and jackson and the chance Benell might play for us. That said as much as much as i was a huge jeffy fan he lost his will for the contest somewhere and his delisting was an inevitability.

As someone just over 50 he was one of my all time favorite dees. I just loved the way he played footy.

The odds might have been tiny has would not take green, but clearly they did not want to take ANY risk of not getting jackson. And didn't. The question of whether that was the right decision is a different one to the one you initially posed. I think. And it wasn't Taylor would answer they are backing their judgement

I'm not being smarty pants but i woulkd have thought the reason is clear. They wanted Jackson and ran the risk of not getting him if GWS called our bluff and letr us have Green. A secondary reason would be as good as Green might be we have plenty of inside bulls and no athletic freaks capable of playing as mid, forward and ruck.

Sums up my relationship with the dees 'You're my only friend.....and you don't even like me God

I know you do. That's ok. Each to their own. On Oliver, when 16 of the best 22 players have surgery pre season the best and fairest becomes a little easier to do well in.

May well be. The ox would be close too.

Close to my best football memory. I posted the following not long after i first started posting on Demonland way back in 2011 (by the by it was in response to a fantastic post from Whispering Jack about the wiz - well worth a re read): I will never forget the game Farmer mentioned by WJ where he kicked 9.1 (so close to perfection) in the second half against the maggies. One of my all time favourite footy watching moments, perhaps even my fav I was sitting at the top of the Ponsford Stand (city end) and there was a magpie fan in front of me who in the first half was absolutely giving it to Farmer. All half he was bagging him whenever he went near it. His vitriol tipped over into mindless racist drivel. I think he must have thought himself quite witty as his insults were along the lines of "typical, always looking for a handout", "hoping for easy welfare" and other such rubbish. The fella was absolutely relentless and as Farmer barely got a kick in that first half he had plenty of opportunities to have a go at him. What made it worse was he was with his son, who was probably no older than about 9 or so. It was for this reason that i elected not to say anything (and a sense that it would have been pointless and perhaps he was trying to provoke something), as there would have been some sort of confrontation and more than likely violence. That said i really i struggled throughout the first half not to say anything to him and with the tension of thinking i should. Well Farmer answered such rubbish in the best possible way. 9 goals in a half of footy and it could have easily have been 10. Awesome. With each goal i was able to go wild for the Wiz and was able to "respond" to the dill without ever having to do so directly. I yelled out stuff like "that's it Jeff, do it all yourself, go hard", "you don't need any easy frees or handouts from the umps" etc etc. As the Whiz lined up for his 9th at about the 15 min mark of the last this fella (having barely said a word, little lone an insult, since about half way through the 3rd quarter) slinked off, leaving his son with a mate of his (who funnily enough had not at any stage yelled out any abuse). He was a beaten man. The Whiz had seen to that. There had been no violence and perhaps his son had learnt a lesson. A great day and a great talent.

It has been noted before but poita - and therefore you also - are taking Goodwin's 'We just weren't prepared for what the game was going to demand' comment completely out of context. He was talking about the number of players rehabbing and the resultant impact on players fitness level, preparation and practicing set ups and tactics. I'm not sure if you are deliberately trolling or you are being sincere in the comments quoted above (and for that mater most of your posts). If the former then hashtag what ever floats your boat. If the latter then i'd suggest you follow things a bit more closely. The coaching staff did in fact make significant changes to the way we played. Anyone actually watching us play could see the change during the season to a much more defensive, chip and hold, tempo model and we set up much deeper than we would normally do. In fact to be honest i wonder if that was a mistake and they might have been better off just sticking to the preferred game plan - the plan they will play with next year ie attacking, contest out, move it forward at all costs, attack on the player with the ball, forward half pressure, front half football (you know a very similar style that has won 2 of the last 3 flags). I suspect they did not do so because, one we didn't have the cattle and two we were simply not fit enough to execute that hectic game style. But i also think they looked to minimise the scale of the losses as we simply did not have enough defensive run and cover, particularly late in quarters and games and our preferred game style requires that sort of running as it exposes us to sling shot rebounds and the ball out the back..

Agree on all counts. Jackson could (i stress could) be a generational player. Young is very unlikely to be (but also could). But either way as you note we could cover young in the draft - and we might well have with rivers - but we were not going to land someone with Jackson's size, skill set and potential. Not sure how long he might have to wait for a senior gig given he is a skinny bugger, but by all accounts he has something I know you value very highly pd - want, desire and competiveness - so I'd back him to force his way in.

He is pretty solid young fell too so i suspect he will play seniors next year.

Love these highlights. Because: They are all from one game - i presume a seconds game, but against men (i think, could be under 19s I guess) The last bit of the clip is an absolute screamer - not sure if he kicked the resulting shot but if so that would have been his seventh He had kicked 3 of the first 4 goals for his team (you can see the scoreboard just before he kicks his 4th - so 4 of the first 5 goals) - a spark plug His third is a set shot that shows a nice neat action off one or two steps (i'm amazed so many players have such long run ups) He is a complete natural small forward who reads the ball beautifully, gets to the right spots and plays on instinct Loves a goal and does not hesitate to pull the trigger Can kick right and left foot But most of all i love what he does just before he kicks his sixth and last goal in the clip - after reading the ball super well and completely losing his defender he roves and after a nice shepard from his team mate accelerates towards an open goal. However just before kicking he turns his head to see what is happening to his teammate as i presume he could see out of the corner of his eye that he was being scragged. Or maybe he was looking at his defender to see how much space he had, but i don't think so. Either way most players have blinkers on at that point and eyes only for the goal. Not Kozzy. He has time to either check on his team mate or the space on his man (or both) and then kick. Only the best players have that time. And if we was checking on his team mate that is evidence of a team first player who looks out for his mates. Love this decision to draft him.

Agree on the fact we filled needs well. To your list I'd add: An elite kick - in my opinion our greatest need, so thrilled to read how highly River's kick is. Some x factor - every club needs a spark plug and x factor player. Creates excitement pumps up fans and teammates alike and most important of all such players (e.g. Wonnna, jeffy, the wiz, jurrah, davey - remarkably all Aboriginal) can win games wirh flashes of brilliance. In kozzy we have that player and if benell gets fit we have anorher. A sense we might have one our of the box - there is nothing more exciting than the thought of drafting an out and out future champion. Hogan footed that bill for me and oliver too, but you have to go back to watts (who didn't make it to that level), neita (ditto) and the ox. It is clear they think jackson can get to the rarefied level of champion.

I was on the fence a bit with petty but he convinced me once he moved forward. Not because he was a natural forward or anything (though he is certainly did not look out of place), but because his competiveness and great hands really became apparent. Agree that he is going to become a very good player Goody is talking about using petty up forward but obviously he can play back if and when required. Which is a really useful attribute in terms of flexibility and options for goody, particularly as tmac can also be be a swing man (and perhaps Smith as well).

I agree on Smith. Curious decision if that is how they go. Potentially makes it harder for him to cement a spot in the team. On a related note in the Sen interview goody made it clear they have petty pencilled in as a forward. Curious also given I think he played all his junior footy and first year with us as defender. But as goody notes he has great hands and can really clunk them, which is a pretty important attribute for a kpf.