Maldonboy38

I reckon the commentary has been good. The interviews before the game and during half time were a bit cringe worthy but the actual game commentary is fine.

GWS

Curtly Hampson will be a gun. All the silky skills with a bit of grunt

Townsend. Really tough and reminds me a bit of Jordie McKenzie in the way he is so dogged.

Ward, Junior, Cornes, David, Rhys Palmer all doining really well.

Backline is good

Forward line is non-existent.

Swans

Some good signs from some younger players.

Lewis Jetta tore GWS apart

Goodes is a superstar, even when he plays an average game.

However, if this is the best they can do against GWS in the first game, I reckon the Swans could take a big dive this year.

Tim Mohr looking strong and composed - did the Dees ever seriously consider him?

I have 4 GWS players in my Supercoach team who have all done well

RIP Jimmy Stynes. I give thanks for your sincerity, your warmth, your glowing example of humanity, and your commitment to the welfare of others.

I've met a lot of people - leaders and followers - from many walks of human life. But few demonstrate the instrinsic goodness that Jimmy had. Even when his life circumstances were horrible he radiated a goodness that few people ever reach. No, he wasn't "perfect" but he made it possible to believe that people can be good, kind and generous.

He didn't teach life, he modelled Life with a capital "L".

Our club, city and nation is the lesser for his passing.

This is harder to gauge than it has been for many years. We have not seen anything like our best 22 in any one preseason game so far. I reckon we will be 3-8 or 4-7 for the first half of the season, and then a strong finish with 6 or 7 seven wins. 9th or 10th probably. However, if the gameplan kicks in earlier we could be a lot stronger than this.

Gerard Whately by a mile. He is a professional commentator and it shows.

Bruce was great once - too sugary now. That horrible interview with Dane Swan at the Brownlow last year. Shudder!!

Dennis Commetti is still the b est of the TV guys but I also miss Sandy Roberts.

For pure enterntainment, Rex Hunt. Yeah, I often had no idea who had it or where it ws going but Rex, Huddo and Robert Walls were a great trio.

And I also wish Kerry O'Keefe had played footy. His cricket commentary is very good when he sticks to actual commentary.

I really liked the presentation of this video - I reckon I will try and watch all of them as they review each team. It was great to see two sport journos simply talking, without trying to be stupid, without trying to promote their own presonal profile, and without any egocentric predictions.

Their insight into where we are was right on the money. Actually, the way they described us was about the same as I described Carlton about 3 years ago. The midfield youngsters with potential will begin to emerge as genuinely capable midfielders and then our win/loss ratio will improve.

Blaming the umpires is just another excuse . I haven't seen enough decisions yet that I would question but then again I never blame umpires . I see it as a cop out .

We lost the game last night all over the ground and on the scoreboard . We're so far behind the top teams in so many aspects it's not funny . But ..................we're not on our own in that area and I reckon we can match it with the most of the other teams .

Neeld has a lot of work to do . Last night I saw so many fundamentals not adhered to . We've been taught to play a certain way in the last 4-5 years and old habits die hard . We did win the contested footy count which is most pleasing .

A lot of our players don't know how to position themselves when they've got a chance for a free kick . And we often tackle in a very clumsy way . Again , Neeld has a lot of work to do .

Umpires just call it as they see it . There's no bias against us .

Cheers

Sorry, Macca, but I disagree. I don't reckon we lost it all over the ground. We matched the Hawks in contested ball so we had our chances of winning a hard ball and getting it into our hands. First - in our poise and disposal we shot ourselves in the foot. Second - we could not find a way to stall their accurate kicking and possession game.

I haven't watched the game yet, but it sure has been an interesting read here on Demonland.

If many of us reflect on our main frustrations over the past 3 - 4 years, one has been our intensity at the contest and our lack of ability to physically stay in a contest. Against the Hawks last night we matched them in contested possession. In the midst of a big loss I reckon many are missing what a big achievement this is by Neeld adn the coaches. Think about it - we matched a top four side in contested possession! Once we can maintain this new standard of playing the contested ball well, we can then begin to develop the poise and polish as we spread and deliver forward.

Our defence is still our strength and I like the way we set up forward. The coaching effort has to now bring some class and poise to our midfield. Grimes, Trengove, Jones (at times and it gets better each week), Watts all have this poise and class, and I reckon by about round 5 - 6, it will begin to emerge. Yes, at this stage, we definitely lack the A-grade midfielder but we are not too far away.

One step at a time.

I want to get a good look at Kel Lawrence as a possible small forward and am glad to hear he is training and ready to have a run.

I am not too worried about Jack at the moment but he does need to show more urgency. However, I have just watched the Tony Modra highlights video on the AFL website and I want Jack to attack the ball in the air like Modra did. No, I am not after mark of the year each week but I forgot Modra's manic, confident, aggressive attack on the ball in the air. If Jack can attack the ball in air like this and not hang back, our forward line could be very dangerous.

Good thread and I remember well most of the players. I immediatley think of the Crpws 97/98 teams. They were no full of A-graders they simply had an amazing team ethic. Even the outside players like McLeod (what a rolls royce this bloke was) ran hard off the ball to help the team set up in both defence, attack, and through the middle.

The Dees team listed above never seemed to gel. They just turned up to play footy, had a beer and went home until Tuesday when Barrassi would rant and rave at them again.

Also, the club beneath the team were totally resistant of the professional era that was upon them. They wanted Barassi to shape a 1950's team, when Barassi huimslef was trying to lead them in a different mindset.

I have just watched the DeeTV interview with Max Gawn and I have a problem question that needs answering.

I know there can be physical differences between brother and sister, or sibling to sibling - with one being tall the other short, one being fair skinned one being tanned etc.... but is it humanly possible that Ellie McKenzie is really Jordie's sister?

AFL

Judd

Ablett

Franklin

Pendlebury

Cox

MFC

Grimes

Frawley

Jamar

Trengove

Moloney

None of us like what HWMNBN did in taking the money and running out on the club who gave him his chance. But Jeesh, we need to take some chill-pills here boys.

I only listened to the Hawks v GWS game on radio and it sounded like he was in the play a fair bit and doing OK. Let it go! He is gone and he will probably be an OK footballer.

Unfortunately for his sake I don't think he will reach a high level until the 5th or 6th year because he will be playing alongside other developing boys. He has basically stuffed up what could have been an elite career but he chose the $.

It is great that this is becoming more difficult the closer we get to Round 1. So here goes:

B: Bartram Frawley T McDonald

HB: Blease Garland Grimes

C: Bail Moloney Jones

HF: Green Martin Sylvia

F: Pettered Clark Howe

R: Jamar Trengove Magner

IC: Watts, Gysberts, Bate

Sub: Davey

At this stage I am not fully convinced about Sellar, Couch, or Nicholson

I am totally unconvinced about J MacDonald and Jamie Bennell.

I am convinced that Jared Rivers will find it hard to get into our best 22

I have changed my opinion about Jack Fitzpatrick - he looked better than OK last night but couldn't find a place for him.

Didn't see enough of Troy Davis or Josh Tynan to form a good opinion.

Lots of others will be pushing (Tapscott, Jurrah etc...)

I hope Kel Lawrence can develop as a crumbing forward - we need one desperately. Any other suggestions for this spot???

This is a really good thread and has got me thinking. Most of us would remember that period of weeks when we found out that David Neitz would have to retire due to a potentially serious neck injury. When he stepped down we had Junior McDonald, Green, Davey and Rivers. But when it came down the crunch the only person of experience, with on-field ticker and the ability to represent the club in public was Junior McDonald.

What I am getting to is this: it is in the last 2 - 3 years of Neale Daniher's reign that the leadership development stalled. Once Neitz stepped away there was Junior, then a huge gap to anyone else. With all due respect to Rivers, Davey and Green none of them inspire people to follow them - at least not from the point of view od supporters.

Further to this, Bailey demonstrated a mindset that he was coaching boys rather than men and so the leadership development in his years was also basically zero.

And this is one of the main reasons MFC went after Neil Craig and why Todd Viney was retained - they can develop leaders. From what we see and hear about the club we now have a decent leadership development program in place and the right people to lead it through.

I can't tell you my relief when Grimes was appointed Captain. I reckon he is a beauty. With him, Trengove and Jones involved we are at last on the right track after 5 years or so of leadership development stagnation. At least I hope so!

The more I reflect on the last two week's NAB cup matches the more I am convinced that clubs are using them as extended intraclub games. They practice certain things such a positioning, discipline, set-up at specific points of the ground. The Dees hugged the boundary line last weekend and I am beginning to think this was a discipline and structure test. Could they follow this instruction for a whole game? They also bombed it mercileesly into the forward 50 - did the forward players do as instructed?

So I hope they practice three things against the Colliwobblers:

How to bring the ball out of our defensive 50 if Pies employ the full press

How to spread from a contest without leaving us exposed to the one over the back if we turn it over

Our skills at full pace.

Apart from this - no more injuries, please!!!

If we are talking champion players like Judd, Ablett jnr, Matthews, Hird, Voss etc.. no we do not have one on our list who is showing that kind of potential. But as has been mentioned by billy2803, the last two premiers have no had no players of that quality.

However, I believe that Trengove, Gysberts and Bail have the greatest up-side, and I want to see more of Blease and Tapscott. We have ther bread-and-butter players already in Moloney, Jones and Sylvia (who should be an elite midfielder by now) but we need some class coming out of stoppages, or running the lines and breaking forward. Our desperate need is a Burgoyne/Pendlebury type player who is tallish and whose skills in traffic rarely let them down. We do not have this quality on our list currently as far as I can see.

Also, Josh Tynan has shown a bit of class and courage in the intra club, then the NAB Cup. It could be 2 years away for him but he might have a touch of class. Anyone know what his disposal is like under pressure?

Bate is the classic example of a footballer versus athlete. Paul Roos' stupid comments about the Sydney Academy delisting 16 year old kid because of aerobic capacity points straight to Matty Bate. He has a huge cumbersome turning circle, is slow off the mark and has iron hands in easy marking competitions. But when it comes to the basic skills and awareness of being a footballer I reckon Bate is above many on our list. For whatever reason Bailey did not rate him but he is too good not to be in our best 22 and he is as strong as an ox. I still cannot beleive that Lynden Dunn got played ahead of Bate last year.

It looks like bruise-free footy might be a horrible memory now but everyone please take a valium. There is no way that Neeld will fill the midfield with only grunt players. We can't fit all of Couch, Magner, Nicho, Moloney, Jones, Sylvia and Bate, into a side that also needs Trengove, Gysberts, Bail, Blease and maybe even Grimes also as a midfielder. Grunt is important, especially considering 2011 but it can never be everything. We need outside runners like Davey, Morton, Blease, Kel Lawrence. Just sit and watch the next 2 NAB Cup games and the preferred Needl team makeup will begin to emerge.

I too am a great fan of this bloke and see him as similar to Paul Williams from Collingwood/Sydney Swans. Hard as nails, poise, very quick but have to disagree with Hells Gates - his kicking is his downfall, especially at the end of one of his blistering runs. In the intra club he put three out of bounds on the full, and two of these were not under pressure. If he gets his kicking skills improved he will be an invaluable asset.

1. No injuries

2. Bringing the ball back into play after an opposition behind.

3. Who excels in our midfield (Couch, Magner, Gysberts, Moloney, Grimes, Sylvia, Bail, Petterd, Green, Grimes...)

4. Grimes leadership

5. Our forward line set up.

.

I went along to the intraclub match today, and though it was very interesting to watch, it had little to say about our game plan etc...

There were a lot of long bombs into the forward line - actually I only saw two forward line leads honoured for the entire time - but feel this was to practice something that was planned beforehand. Sometimes it was a long blind kick to a very packed area. It looked like there was a direct practice of pack marking and crumbing, but I could be way off.

There was a lot of boundary play, and the corridor was often ignored even if two players were unattended in there.

Highlights:

Watts pass to Tom MacDonald, at full pace, on his left foot, across his body. BUt I agree with a note above that a few times Watts seemd to hold back.

Blease was magnificent, whether running away from congestion, running through it, or breaking through the wing area.

Morton was very good. Poise, control and he went in really hard at some stoppages. Looked very comfortable down back.

Bloke in front of me said "Fitzpatrick looks like a young giraffe" and got a general laugh. Very accurate too!

Clark's pack presence. Chucks himself at it and if he doesn't mark it, he splits the pack and creates something at ground level.

Jones, Moloney, Bate, Couch, Nicholson having a red hot crack and showing stoppage toughness.

Tynan. For a first run he showed intensity, ability to read the play, and could think on his feet.

Lowlights

Fitzpatrick injued. I think it ws his ankle but difficult to see.

The amount of players who could have had a run and didn't. I know the intraclub is a part of the training program, but once again the club has missed out on an opportunity to build supporter enthusiasm.

No one can question Bartram's endeavour, application, heart, willingness and toughness. He has these qualities in spades and usually beats his opponent each week. Also, he usually is involved in a few plays that break out of our back line with linking, multiple kicks and handpasses. It is in this setting where his main deficiency is demonstrated - his kicking efficiency.

It is not only about landing it on someone's chest, however he does miss easy targets when running with little or no pressure. For me, in some games, I have put his disposal into the Darren Gaspar or Ben Holland category. I simpy did not want him to get the ball because the team would run forward according to plan and his kicking would not be effective enough for that plan to work.

If he gets his kicking game right, he is absolutley in our best 22. If not, he will come in and out of the team according to the opposition on any given day.

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I have really enjoyed all the uploaded youtube videos of some great footy memories. As I was watching a few I noticed a certain B Wilson flash through the footage and wondered what Dees people think of him all these years later?

I remember so well the year he won the Brownlow medal - the channel 7 commentators were a little bit dumbfounded as it was a complete surprise to most footy watchers. A few of mates bagged me at the time that such a "nobody" could win the greatest individual prize available in footy. As I watched those youtube clips I was reminded that he was a bit slow, but he was amazing at getting to where the ball was. His reading of the play seemed as good as any others at the time.

I always thought he was better than a one year wonder and that he was an important part of what happened under John Northey, but he rarely gets mentioned in the same breath as Stynes, Lyon, Greg Healey, Grinter, Sean Wight etc...

So, how do you remember him?

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Has to be out of Grimes, Watts and Trengove. I choose Trengove. If you put a scale together of every skill and quality required of every footballer, regardless of position or size, Trengove would rate very highly in every category. I see him as a cross between Bartel and Gibbs.

Smokey: Jordan Gysberts. He just keeps getting to where the ball is. A few more kgs and a bit more aerobic capacity and the sky is the limit.

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