DemonWA

Freo? Surely the Eagles are happy with Cox and Nic Nat??

Im indifferent about either of them leaving. Still trying to get my head around weather we are about to begin another rebuild of the list or weather its just a matter of adapting to the new coaching style. In reality its probably a bit of column A and Column B, but loosing Beamer or the Russian would probably push it into the Rebuild side of the scales

In: Couch, Watts & Bennell Out: Tappy, Sellar & Bail

Have a look at your signature RR. Dangerfield fits is the type of player that recruiters love - pace, nice kick etc etc, but hasnt been consistant over his career to date. Untill he completes this season consistantly and then has another season of the same ilk i'd put him in the sylvia bracket. Kicks 3-4 and gets 30 touches every now and then and then has a few games where he does nothing

Dangerfield offers nothing more than sylvia. He's a younger version. Has great games and then has quiet games. Dont know why people want him on board so much Same goes with Prestia. Looks good amongst the kids at the Suns, but wouldnt offer us anything that Moloney cant

Jamie and Harley are distant relatives at best. I believe Jamie doesnt even know him

Not really. Every side needs someone to be calling the lines and marshalling the lads. Especially when you're playing a press. I'd expect Rivers does it from the backline and Moloney from the midfield. So the pointing and barking is probably more constructive than anything.

Who though? Name the player we should go after? I bet we couldnt get them with what we're offering. We might be able to get a young gun for them but we've got plenty of them and show time and time again that it doesnt help us.

I mean BOTH as part of the same trade and even still i cant see it happening. Us: Hey Brisbane, we'll trade you sylvia and moloney for Black and Rockliff? Brisbane: No thanks Us: Hey freo, we'll trade you Syliva and Moloney for Fyfe Freo: No thanks US: Hey Richmond, we'll trade you Syliva and Moloney for Cotchin Richmond: we'll give you matt white and Sean Grigg

Who would we get for Moloney or Syliva? My guess - b grade midfielder who would go missing without having class around him. Everyone wants/unfairly expects Moloney to do for us what Ablett does for gold coast or Judd does for carlton - find the footy, leads from the front and drags their team along with them. Theres only a handful of players in the comp that can do that, and we'd have to trade moloney & Sylvia to get them

Yelling and pointing the finger at others is marshalling the troops IMO.

thanks mate, will my GA membership admission get me in there?

This friday we take on the Hawks under lights on the big stage. With GCS & GWS playing this round we could easily find ourselves in last position after this round. Need a big effort from the lads. A win would be nice, but i'm just hoping for a 4 quarter effort that does smash our percentage below whoever looses the new kid on the block derby! As an interstate member i don’t often get to many games at the G. Where would people recommend that i sit for a good view and to be amongst the MFC faithful?

I dont have a problem with your point of veiw on this one RPFC. I understand the frustration - we have no player who is in the competitions top 10-20, but as supporter i think we should support guys like Beamer who are probably getting the best out of themselves, rather than saying we're waiting for a breakout game. If Gysberts had a 30+ possesion, 10 clearance game we'd be singing in the praises. Beamer did it every other week last year (albiet against the weeker sides) but people still want more from him.

WTF? Get a grip man. Moloney might not be in the top 20 players in the comp, but his form last year was very good and he had plenty of great games. What more does this guy need to do for people to rate him?

Sellar has been picked at CHF infront of Watts - IMO this could be the wake up call he needs. I get the feeling that Neeld wont be in any rush to get Jack back in the side whilst we're playing the tougher teams in the competition. As he said in his first address, he wont pick player if he doesnt think "they'll go when its their turn". It'll be interesting to see who comes back in if Cook kicks a bag for Casey this weekend. As Sellar can tell any of our young first rounders, draft position doesnt mean anything once you actually start playing

I'm growing tired of your attitude. You start every post with a backhanded insult before making matter of fact statements like your opinion carrys more weight than others. I dont see any reason to go for a conference model in a competion with 18 sides. End of story

I just dont see why AFL would want to follow suit when they have a great competition allready. I've been to live NBA, NHL, and MLB games in the US and the atmosphere at feels sterile and contrived compared to an AFL match. Not saying they arent good sports but are you saying the AFL "doesnt work?". From my experience the atmposhere at a US game during general play is nothing on AFL. Only when the big screens light up with "de-fence" and other chants does the crowd get involved, and they do it like brain washed robots calling back whatever the screen tells them too. Inbetween periods in NHL they show computer animated Zamboni races in an attempt to keep the punters amused. They clap along with the organ player inbetween innings.

I hate the conference idea purely because it reeks of USA sporting comps (NHL, MLB, NFL etc etc). First we call the draft camp a combine, what’s next? Organ players over the PA and the crowd chanting “De-fence, De-fence” when the ball goes inside 50?? – spare me. Keep the AFL what it is, leave the rules and the scheduling alone.

Once Bennell earns his spot back i reckon he'll be a good player for us. He has pace and skill which would help our team balance at the moment What do you reckon old dee?

The demons are heading to skilled stadium this weekend to take on last year’s premiers. It’s a tough road trip for any side in the competition, let alone for the heavily scrutinised Demons who were pantsed by 186 points in the corresponding fixture in 2011. Every player who gets an opportunity this week will be driven by the humiliation of last year. None more so than #22 who, in a year where he polled exceptionally well in the Brownlow, couldn’t manage a single possession in a half of football. He and the others will be keen to atone for last years effort. If the 31 goal loss to Geelong was to have any silver lining, it is to be the subsequent introspection, and overhaul of the clubs footy department. This fresh start and direction looks to have galvanised the club as a whole. Lead by Mark Neeld the demons are working on a game style and culture which is intended to get the Melbourne Football club back towards being a quality, consistent AFL side. Egos have been battered as home truths have been told, the leadership group has been overhauled. Inconsistency from week to week and questionable endeavour will no longer be tolerated. Gone are the days of Melbourne playing top picks for the sake of development. It’s obvious to all that the transition from the past environment to the current one has not been an easy one for many of the players. 5 losses in 5 rounds has been a tough start to the season, especially with 3 of these losses coming against the lions, tigers and bulldogs. However the signs are starting improve as Neeld picks through the list to find a core group of players who will give their all in implementing his game style for four quarters. A four quarter effort which will be required this weekend if the demons are to be any match for Geelong at their home. A competitive effort will also set the side up for the coming weeks where the demons will play the majority of the form sides in the competition. A win during this period would do wonders for the confidence of the playing and coaching groups and set the side up for more victories in the second half of the year. I think the demons will show allot of heart again this week but will be hurt on the scoreboard by a polished Cats outfit. Cats by 6 goals, 25 less than last year.

the issue i have is that IMO Thomas is more worried about getting the ball than he is about garry rohan, let alone deliberatly taking out his leg. He sides in and uses his body to protect the ball / win the contest. If he gets weeks, then people will have to stop throwing themselves at the contest becasue if they hurt an opponant they'll get rubbed out. We will end up with Gaelic football, but without the soccer net and with the behind posts. If this was friendly fire, like Barlow and Palmer people would be saying how corageous they both were. Becasue they play for different teams they say how reckless thomas is.

The match review panel are used to push the AFL's adgenda to mould the game into somthing else entirely. They shouldnt give Thomas weeks for this. If they want it stamped out, send a DVD to the clubs with similar footage and say "this ttype of thing is unacceptable etc etc". You cant make some poor bloke the fall guy just becasue someone finally got hurt by an incident that happens regularly in the game with no consiquence. It was an accident IMO

Its frustrating that our players do seem to spend a fair chunk of time on the injured list. I wonder how many are niggles and how many are injuries that actually prevent them from playing? Beeing held back by medico's would be frustrating i reckon, i wonder how many players dont present to the fitness team with niggles inorder to keep some continuity in their season?!

I heard the incident referred to as a "slide tackle" - you have got to be kidding me, he slid in to collect the ball, it wasnt a tackle and their was no intent to take rohan out at all.