Maldonboy38

I wasn't/am not a Neeld-hater but the more I read, the more that comes to light, the more I am understanding that Neeld was very heavy handed, and the players were struggling to want to play for him. It sounds like there was little unity, and the defensive mindset was robbing the players of the enjoyment of playing.

That was enjoyable to watch again. With the ball we were dynamic - but the tackling was horrendous. But I loved the stuff with Bruce and Dennis enjoying themselves - very, very funny - made my morning. "Ooooohhh, the Demons are going to be something, aren't they?" Pure gold.

Frawley was a total spud early on: couldn't kick straight and could not pick up the ball below his knees. Garland was a brain fade specialist who played loose. Neitz had concrete hands. Cam Bruce was a pretty boy. Flower was too skinny. This kid has played 28 games and is improving at a faster rate each month. Stick him on Hannebury and let's see what he does. Plonk him on half back and give him license to run and carry. He might be a total waste but that is not proven yet.

I have been a huge critic of Nicho, but he was really good against the Doggies. He had a couple of turnovers but his kicking was actually spot on for most of the game. If - and it is a very big if - he can get his kicking right we need his energy and pace off half-back not up forward. He is a classic defender who "responds" to what happens rather than initiates it so ican't see him having the creativity or initiative to thrive up forward.

Blease expected to be fit and will play Grimes being referred to as definitely playing Language regarding Jordie McKenzie sounds like he is available - same for Joel MacDonald Could be a very interesting team selection this week. There is no way there will be more than 2 changes after a win. Grimes in for Dunn Hopefully they don't drop Nicho (can't believe I just typed that but he was really good - even his kicking was good) and bring in Jordie.

"- Neeld had the team playing with a very defensive mindset, which has had us chasing the opposition around all year and not getting enough of the ball in our own hands. Whereas Craig has encouraged a more attacking style of play, i.e. get the ball and keep it off them." I haven't heard the interview yet, but if the above quote is even close to verbatim, it is astonishing that Trenners has been so open about Neeld. To say that your coach had the team "chasing the opposition around all year" makes it very clear that they were being discouraged from attacking. Now we know that under Bailey, the team could attack well but could not defend to save themselves, and now Neeld is the exact opposite. Massive over-correction. Huge pat on the back to Trenners for saying it how it is. I wonder if this is the influence of Peter Jackson? Jones, Garland and now Trenners have been much more open to the media and really answering questions - a great change. Is it beginning to sound more and more like the players are loving Neil Craig - similar to Sydney wanting Terry Wallace but the players pleading to keep then assistant coach Paul Roos?

There was a great interview with him on Sunday by the ABC 774 Sunday Inquisition team. I don't know if it can be linked at all but it was a great listen. I am stoked every time he gets a request for an interview because he actually answers questions without the "we just wanted four points" or "Neeldy this and Craigy that". He is intelligent, articulate, passionate, a club man, and seems to understand how footy works from a planning point of view as well as a player. He and Dawes can do the interviews every week for mine. As for his football, there were some serious rants early this year from Demonlanders about his brain fades - some of this was probably deserved because when he has a brain fade it is usually an absolute beauty - but his consistency and effectiveness have been really good. However, can't see him beating N Jones for the Bluey but will be fighting Terlich for 2nd spot I would think. He has been beaten this year a few times, but it is his leadership that is beginning to grow and the growth in confidence across the 22 over the past 2 weeks might be because his leadership ability is coming to the fore and his influence is starting to spread.

My initial read on Grimes is to definitely play him at Casey for one game, but Casey has a bye this week, so I would use Grimes as a sub bringing him on half way through the 3rd quarter if possible. We can't have him with no game time this week. Blease looks like he might play - I hope he does.

I have seen Bell a few times and is definitely worth a look at him. The only thing that concerns me is that he looks the perfect prototype of the modern footballer but never quite produces to his potential. I have never really seen him destroy a game. I still don't get the Strauss hate on here. He might not be the hardest at it, but there are many on our list we should delist/trade before him. e.g. Dunn, Pedersen, Davis, etc...

Betting agencies - as much as they annoy the daylights out of me - are rarely wrong when they alter their odds this much in a single change. Looks done. The question remains:- is he really up for the fight?

6. Terlich 5. N Jones 4. Frawley 3. Watts (his half-effort, unsuccessful one handers were the letdown for me) 2. Trengove 1. T McDonald

Strauss or Tappy in to replace Blease.

Yep, spring in the step this morning. It's a good feeling that I have missed.

For so long, poor Fitzy looked like a camel recovering from knee surgery. Totally unco, and on top of this he could not kick at all. But he has come on in leaps and bounds this year. Has earned his spot and has earned the right to keep it for a few weeks. His kicking now is really good, he can take a contested mark, and is the quickest at the club over 20m, 50m and 100m. If it was up to me, leave him one-on-one inside 50 with his opponent and play him like Pagan's paddock. He is seriously quick and could cause a lot of damage given space to run.

I watched most of the match on ABC tv yesterday. Very impressed with a number of the Dees boys. Tappy was wonderful. His first half was just ok but 2nd half was excellent. His attack on the ball, 2nd and 3rd efforts, and physical presence was brutal at times. Magner. A really good game (bone crunching tackle/bump on young Buckley) but I don't reckon his kicking efficiency would be good. Couch. A stoppage machine who keeps going like a duracell battery but he misses easy targets far too often. Strauss. I still prefer him over Dunn in the Dees team. His run and carry was outstanding and his kicking stood out on a day when there was a fair bit of bad kicking. Jetta. When involved in the play he looked good but wasn't in the play enough. Taggert. Like Jetta, looked good when involved but it didn't seem to be his day. Has a decent crack at it though. Tynan. I liked his game. He looked steady and sure. Faded out of the game a few times. Hogan. He is as good a contested mark that I have ever seen at 18 yo. Just magnificent. Barry. Super quick off the mark but two pre-seasons away from being big enough to handle the physical nature of AFL. Davis. This bloke is a good footballer. Reads the play really well and at times his skills are fine. But when his skills let him down they are often howlers. But he gets a heap of the ball and is a big, big boy.

I am choking on humble pie today. I was a big fan of his for so long even when he was playing poorly. About round 6 or 7 I jumped off - and concluded it in print here on Demonland - that "Jack will not make it". I am only too happy to say how wrong I was. He isn't a world beater yet but what I am seeing now he is looking very much at home. Please, please, please keep him in the forward line. As for the future forward line: Option 1. Clark, Watts, Dawes and Hogan Option 2. (if Clark does not make it back) Watts, Dawes Hogan and Fitzy.

I love the English language, and enjoy a bit of grammar, but please.... we just won a game for goodness sake.

thanks, Chook. If our forward press worked, and it has rarely worked all year, how bad were the Doggies in the first three quarters?

Getting that much ball at 83% efficiency is an amazing result. Great recruiting. Remind me very much of Martin Pike - 4 flags for him would be good!

I didn't see the game tonight and have had only a passing look at the stats. Where did we actually win the game, if we got flogged at centre bounces? It sounds like Dawes, Watts and Fitzy did well - was this where we won it?

We won!!! At last. Almost threw my phone through the wall in the last 10 mins - the AFL app was the only access I had tonight. But we won!!!!

I agree those things were really good and have posted about it before. But they fooled me into thinking that the management team were doing a good job across the board, when really almost everything else was dysfunctional.

A charismatic and capable President. Let PJ complete his razor-gang work on our management structure and business model Roos or Choco for coach 1 (maybe 2 if possible) quality mid fielders. Daisy Thomas but I don't reckon he will come near us. Sign Watts, and Gawn. Work butt off to sign Frawley when the time comes. Book a huge venue and put out lots of chairs for the next AGM because all hell could break loose. Get ready for the anger and frustration of hundreds, maybe thousands of members.

How messy and dysfunctional does our football department structure sound in the middle of all this? Lots of little chiefs with great titles sharing roles with each other causing horrendous and clumsy overlap, with no-one quite sure where the boundaries of their job meets with the next bloke. On top of this, a reporting structure that reminds me of all the muppet characters asking Kermit questions at the same time, expecting clarity and decision making. And on top of this, as the layers are unfolded, we see our most recent CEO being revealed as a management dunder-head. I was really sucked in. I thought with our moving to Aami park, venture into Darwin, initiative into Casey to build a new supporter base, that our management were making good decisions, but the more PJ reveals the more angry and astounded I get. It all seems like a cross between the Goodies, Yes Minister, the Marx brothers and Sponge-bob Square Pants. What a debacle. 2013 is gone for me. Wimbledon tennis and the Ashes cricket will have to do me until next year. Shame, MFC, shame.

I don't know what to think and feel today. My emotional responses and my rational ability to discern seem to be so worn down by the amount of turmoil in season 2013 that I've got nothing left. Are we a chance today - absolutely. Can we get beaten by 70 points again - absolutely. Can Watts, Trenners and Blease fire - yes please. Can Dunn, Nicho, Terlich and Tom McDonald turn it over 100 times - oh yes they can. One thing is for sure - I reckon players like Blease, Watts and Syvlia - possibly others - might sense a shift and feel released to attack and take the game on, take some risks and attack with flair. But that is about the best I can do with my battered expectations.