Maldonboy38

6. Moloney - great game again 5. Rivers - Best game in years 4. Jurrah - match winner 3. Jamar - controlled the game 2. Jones - we would have been tampled without him when for a period in the second quarter (I think) he alone stood up. 1. Gysberts - we waited a while and he didn't disappoint. Great stoppage player. .

If you are over 15 and don't understand a simple, well-known phrase like that - you need help. Perhaps you would fit in better with the Collingwood fans whose age is usually higher than their IQ and can count to ten using their teeth. .

I don't have all the info and understanding of the FD but Petterd being dropped seems unfair. He wasn't great last week but he wasn't Robinson Crusoe either. Jones and Dunn VERY lucky to hold their places ahead of him. There is a huge upside with Petterd - he can take a contested mark inside 50. Morton for the sub. He lacks match fitness so wouldn't last a game out, but can really go for it for 1 - 2 quarters, barring injury to one of the starting 21 prior. .

You learn to win by winning. We have to start by getting a win, and part of me doesn't care if it is by 10 goals or an ugly 15 points. What I want to see is a red hot go, some genuine ticker, onfield leadership and some sign that our structures can work, especially in defence. Yep, I would love to see a 10 goal win where our very best is on display. But 2 of our best midfielders are out injured - Scully and McKenzie, Frawley is slowly on the return, and Cale Morton is coming in for game 1. It is highly likely we will thump the Lions but a win is a win is a win. As for the Lions, do not underestimate them. Voss has made some really bad list errors, but his list is now where ours was in 2009 and I reckon he is the kind of coach players will play for. If we expect a VFL side to turn up it is likely we will play VFL standard footy and get beaten.

Davey has been needed at halfback because of the ordinary skills of our defenders coming into transition (Rivers, Joel McDonald, Bartram, Grimes)over a number of years. When he is placed in the midfield, opposition teams know if they tag him hard we have lost his kicking skills and our stoppage work crumbles. At the same time we have since 2008 been rebuilding our midfield. If, and it is a big if, but IF we can get Trengove, Sylvia, Moloney, Scully, Grimes, McKenzie and Gysberts to be the main midfield framework, and then IF we can get players who can kick into our halfback line (Strauss, Blease??) then Davey can return to the forward line and be given license to murder oppositions with his kicking skills, pace and defensive pressure. On the MFC website they ar running the "choose your best 22" and I have had Davey at halfback. Get him out of the middle and let him play that quarterback role. But I am changing my mind rapidly about this. Half forward for mine. Imagine the defensive pressure he and Wonna will put on in our forward 50. This all depends on Scully and McKenzie getting back into the mix, and our backline showing some kicking skill. Frawley is usually a reliable kick (Sunday night was a shocker) and Tappy is showing something special. 2 new backmen need to be found and developed in 2011. All the above will then free Davey up. .

Selectors have done the right thing here. Naming Martin at HF and not Watts, naming Grimes in the middle, and keeping Warnock's name in the mix as insurance for Garland - who I expect will play. This slight shake up at the very least communicates that no one player is a rock-solid guarantee for a position. Disappointed that Bennell is given another chance and not Maric. Both were really ordinary last week but Maric had 1 quarter when the game was over. Stoked to see Gysberts and Wonna. Our weakness at stoppages will be interesting to watch as this is best area of Gysbert's game. And Wonna is magnificent at helping keep the ball inside our 50 metre zone. For mine, I would love the bench to be: Watts, Morton, Dunn and Petterd, but I reckon Jones will keep Dunn out. .

Great post Bhima - good research and interpretation. Bailey seems to have put a real development plan in place and the following steps have taken place: 1. Delist players who cannot deliver Dees to a flag (White, Yze, Robbo etc...) as difficult and sad as this was 2. Draft players based on skill and potential, knowing and planning for no short term fruit, just long term. 3. Put body size on these young bodies and game time, rotating these young kids through the 22 4. Build team in 3 sections: a) backline b)midfield c) forwards. the forwards are the last drafting piece of the puzzle. 5. Use transition as the basis of a game plan Sunday night was a poor skills night in our back line, and poor game regarding intensity at and over the ball. But this can be rectified simply via coaching and the players having a red hot go. Now, can Bailey develop steps 6 and 7? 6. Our midfield bodies, positioning and skills so that we win at stoppages and can defend against opposition spread, and also spread from a clearanance ourselves with pace, structure and skill 7. Forward line structure, inlcuding 1 really big body. We have the skills (Watts, green, Petterd, Maric), we have the X factor in Jurrah, but no power forward just yet. Cook? Martin? Fitzpatrick? I reckon by the end of 2012 this development plan will be completed and the Dees will begin to be strong in 9 of every 10 matches they play. The development plan becomes a premiership playing plan. The potential, the plan and the players are almost all there (Other new kids like Viney etc... to be added). THEN comes a huge question. Can Dean Bailey coach and inspire the list he has developed to a premiership? I can easily trust him all the way through to point 7, and people calling for his sacking are sufferng from a lack of vision and understanding of the task agreed to be Stynes, Schwab, Connolly, Bailey and the Board. So, with all this in place and a developing game plan, between now and September 2012 I will be watching his coaching, and Green's captaincy to see if they can produce the intensity and gameday nouse to led us to where we should go. .

Roundabout 2004, maybe 2005, Malcolm Blight was co-commentating on a Melbourne game and we were getting flogged (I can't remember against who but it was a shocker, possibly 12 - 15 goals) His response was really penetrating and it has stayed with me as a means of measuring the effectiveness of players. He said something like, "have a look at all the games the team has played in which they got flogged. If, in each of those games there are a handful of players who always play really badly during a flogging, de-list them" This was part of his reasoning for cleaning out the Cats and Crows when he took over at both clubs. I am hoping there might be a stats nut somewhere on Demonland who can look back over the Bailey era (in which we have received a heap of floggings) and see if any player always plays badly on those occasions. I reckon the following names might come up: Cam Bruce - no need to worry here Nathan Jones Russell Robertson - no need to worry here Aaron Davey - I hope I am wrong. Any stats fasn want to take up the challenge? Thoughts? .

The word and name of Michael Newton, Juice, Newts, Mick, or any other derivative should never ever again be mentioned in the same sentence as the phrase "starting 22". Sorry Snoopy but he is a living, breathing example of the no-grunt malaise that has affected the Dees for far too long. He neverseems to hurt or bleed for the ball or for the jumper. Next. .

Re the enquiry about Strauss. James Strauss: Straussy was good. He was an emergency for round one and didnt play last week. So James was a little bit rusty, but still did a good job. This kid has obviously got something and the coaches like him. But we can't take too much from this assessment. One Dees fan who went to the game said the backline, including Strauss, was impassable for a good stretch of the 2nd half. I hope he can make it because we need good kicking skills to become an expectation, not a bonus. .

Quotes from Melbourne website: "Jordan Gysberts: Jordan had 14 clearances and 30 touches and was outstanding. He was really good around the stoppages and he used the ball well to set up the game. Jordan was the architect behind the game." Tom McDonald: Tom took six marks and had eight spoils, so he defended really well. He kicked and used the ball well. Tom rebounded strongly. Austin Wonaeamirri: I played Aussie as a midfielder and he had seven clearances up until three quarter-time. He finished with nine for the match. He showed a different type of fitness, which was good. Aussie is a smart player and it was the best game I’ve seen him play for Casey - from a consistency perspective. It was a really big game from Aussie. Sam Blease: Sammy started a little bit slow. I had him on Shannon Byrnes, who had five touches in the first 10 minutes. I then moved Sammy off him and spoke to him about my expectations of him and then he was very good. He started to play tighter - defending first and then attacking. Sammy showed plenty of run - some players looked slow around him, which is quite amazing. He got better as the game went on. Michael Evans: Michael is a very impressive young player. He looks like he’s a real chance in the future. He had 21 disposals and showed composure. Michael’s a good kick and is clean. He knows where to go, so for all Demon supporters, he’s one to watch coming through. If these players played as well as stated, there is now some serious pressure building on our starting 22. Gysberts MUST play this week. Wonna MUST play this week. The other three need more Casey time but will place pressure on our 22, especially our backline. Thoughts? PS. It also rated Newton highly but I can't, I just can't bring myself to ever consider him again. It might be unfair on a player showing form but he has played this trick numerous times before. .

I am sick of re-inventions, starting again, rebuilding. I am sick of hearing from mild-manered coaches, players and leaders. I am sick of mildly going about our business like some 1950's MCC ladies auxilliary. No, I do not want thuggery - turns me off our great game. I reckon the last coach/leader at our club who wasn't mild was John Northey!! I want some ticker. I want us to play angry AND smart and not be sorry for it. I want to see my coach using negative psychology (a good rant or spray) in the face of a player who would respond to it. No short steps to packs, light-legged outside runners or tiny-thighed waiters dominating our team structure (yes, I know, we need some) Sitting behind the goals on Sunday night, it was great to hear some genuine anger, grunt, abuse and hot-headed-fan ranting from Melbourne fans. Too long we have golf-clapped our way through seasons!! Boy... I really needed to type that. .

Good discussion post. Most of us Demonlanders are patient. The strength of our posting after last night is absolute frustration that we served up the kind of game the whole club is trying its guts out to leave behind. And we are right to question Grimjes kicking, Jurrah's defensive game etc... But our main focus has to be midfield. We were monstered last night. The five great midfields mentioned to start this post all have big bodies and experience. For mine, Davey back to a half back flank to give him that quarter-back role as in 2009. Grimes into the midfield to use his decision making and game reading skills. In Gysberts, out Bennell. ASAP. In Scully or Morton(when injury allows), out Jetta In Jordie if Jonesy has another poor game. I am undecided here. There is a part of Jonesy's game that we need, the in-and-under game that our other recruits don't have the body for. I love this bloke but hislimitastions are getting bigger and his resourcefulness lesser. Then, barring injury play them in the same team, week in week out just like Carlton did with Gibbs, Murphy, Carazzo, etc... .

Green - is captaincy suiting? Jones - we need him Bartram - necessary but limited Watts - Get some mongrel (copied from above) Bennell - Front runner. Casey Frawley - will definetly improve Trengove - classy but intermittent Sylvia - gun needs help Dunn - lack of involvement Petterd - getting better weekly Grimes - kicking needs practice Garland - lost without him Moloney - one poor game Jurrah - learn to defend Rivers - good backline leader Martin - rising to potential Tapscott - grunt and poise Davey - half back line Jetta - Casey Maric - one more game Jamar - stuffed without him Bail - great run and carry

I have used outback toilets with more substance than this post. Reading the play is not his weakness. He is often in the right position a the right time. He now needs to learn to throw himself at it. As for playing deep - this is not his go at all. He can run all day and has a huge engine - let him roam a bit, including being deep, but don't stick him deep. As for Juice... please no-one type his name again as an option. Imagine the score from yesterday if he had been in the 22. Shudder. .

Would have loved to have shared the single malt with you. Your post is a cracker, Old Dee, and spot on in most places. I am not going to judge my whole season on this game, but when young fellas like Martin, Bail and Gappy can lead the way against a really hard unit like Hawthorn, and only Sylvia and Ribers show glimpses of onfield leadership, I reckon we are 1 year behind expectations. I have had a sleep and a couple of coffees, but I am still as annoyed, angry and jacked off at our attitude last night. Front runners who couldn't toughen up with little or no concrete shown by our leaders, and a tactical numbness shown by our coach. I hope this mongrel feeling wears off by the Lions game. .

This bloke is a gun who is not a reliable kick. Actually, he is a poor kick and this needs to be stated clearly even by those of us who love him as a player. He reads the play better than most, is courageous, can mark in a pack and runs into the right paces at the right times. But a coach needs to pull him aside at training and do kicking drills with him over and over again. He is too good to be making fuindamental errors, especially when not under pressure. 1. He should not be responsible for kick-ins. 2. He should be in our midfield but we need a large mobile skilled defender to take his place. We do not have one (yet). 3. He had a howler tonight but is the kind of plager who will rebound from this quickly. Look out Brisbane, Grimes will be BOG next week. .

This is the best post I have ever read on this site. 100% accurate. What's that definition of insanity: repeating the same action but expecting a differnet result? Please Dees, show some nouse. .

You've written my post Stuie. I do not want him sacked at all but there seems to be a lack of leadership at present. When will someone at Melbourne get angry with the heartless tripe we revert to so often? I want to see Bails coach us out of this coasting, pedestrian limp football. I have had a gutfull. I do not expect more than 10 wins this year but I expect some ticker and some grunt. .

6- Bail. Officially my favourite Dees player. Love his pace and hard work. In those horrible oments of the 3rd adn last quarter he was the only one still running. 5- Tapscott. Great to have himn in the team tongiht. Yep, a few clangers in the 3rd quarter but kicking to stationary targets is difficult for anyone. 4- Martin. Contested marking, running down smaller opponents, kicking vastly improved. 3- Rivers. Some of the Hawks misses in 1st half came from his defensive pressure. Not creative but worked really hard. 2- Sylvia. He is the best footballer at our club but he cabn't be on-ball for four quarters. Only help was from Bail. 1- Watts. ran all night. Led with class. Crashed packs and tackled well (at times) .

I hardly know where to begin. I am not expecting mircles this year but game plan improvement and at least a red-hot-go. Bailey's mantra has been "win more quarters than your opposition". His mantra failed tonight. We were thrashed in but one quarter. TEAM Backline structure at kick-ins was embarrassing. Repeating the same sequence six times in a row in third quarter and not working once. Backline coach needs a rod hot poker shoved somewhere. And how SLOW do we get our kick-ins started??? We were murdered at ground level. First, not one forward roved a pack well all night and we chose to use our known small forward as a sub. At times a player was in the right spot but standing bloody still and the mobile Hawks carried it away with disgusting ease. Second, so many times tonight, Jamar got his hand on it and it was instantly two Hawks to one Dee player, and within one second it was three Hawks to one Dee or four to two. The stoppages showed we do not know how to set up against a strong midfield and we don't know how to play out from a stoppage. Front runners only on a fast break. Endeavour. Do you remember some of those really light, no-grunt games we played under Daniher where we showed our skill but no ticker? Some of our players tonight ran OK, and the second quarter was thrilling, but that gut running, team building, " I wanna run through wall" feel was never there tonight. This was the saddest thing. No ticker. Watts and Jurrah led well at times tonight but our mids seemed unwilling to kick to a 50/50 involving these guys one-on-one. When they did kick it to them the kick was of such poor quality possession was impossible. How many times tonight did Jack Watts lead well to be ignored, or to have the ball delivered to him 1 metre from the boudary line after there was time enough for two oppenents to close his space? The ease at which the Hawks got it out of their defence was also embarrassing. They used the southern wing as if it was a desert - no Dees plays within Cooee, often overlapping in waves of three on one. INDIVIDUALS Jetta - too many errors at vital moments. Needs a number of weeks at Casey. Frawley - a really bad game from a great player. Needs match fitness desperately. Bartram - outclassed by Rioli (actually Rioli outclassed every Dee opponent he played on) Grimes reads the ball so well, has great courage and marks brilliantly for his size. But I am beginning to conclude he can't kick and this could place a shadow over his effectiveness. .

Maric barely had a chance and actually did a couple of good things with some hard running in the last quarter. Can't drop him on the basis of tonight. Whose stupid idea was it to use a forward pocket as a sub??? Out Jetta - made too many mistakes at crucual times of the game. In - Gysberts or Wonna if either fit enough. If Garland is injured how about Tom MacDonald? Please, pleae, please no Juice!!! Icouldn't stomach this. .

I was at the game tonight and the kick-ins were embarrassing. My wife, who is British and does not understand all the nuances of the game, asked me at the end of the game "why in the 3rd quarter did we keep kicking it to the same spot for the same bad result?" My youngest boy is 10 and even he was yelling out "they did it again". And, as much as I love Jack Grimes, his kicking needs work. His kicks are either ill directed, or so easy to read that other teams cut them off. Do we have an option "B", or is it kick it Jamar and hope it ends up no worse than 50/50? However, to give Grimes, Davey and Tappy a bit of a break, if someone would run and make a lead rather than waving their hands in the air like Kieren Perkins in the milk commercial, it would at least give us a chance. The only real constant lead was from Watts. I was really frustrated tonight. For me to be silent at the footy is rare but I spent most of the second half grumbling into my beard about our lack of kick-in planning. .

Very funny Wrathchild - didn't see it coming and a good description of a person in front of a computer with Rose coloured glasses.

Col G to Buddy. Col is beginning to show signs of Dustin Fletcher in his younger days (without the kicking and elbowing of opponents). However, I don't reckon this matchup is the key to the game. Frawley to Roughie. If the Dees can get this matchup this is a huge + for us. Roughie can be brilliant or foul with no in-between. Frawley's run and turning defence into attach could really show up Roughead. Martin to Hale. Stef to continue his great 2011 form. Bartram to Rioli. Does Barts have enough quick-thinking and quick-stepping to match Rioli? I am not too sure we have a good match for Rioli, but maybe Jetta. In the Guts Burgoyne could cause us problems in a similar way to how Goodes always does. Burgoyne is a tall-ish, powerful midfielder and will be too tall for Bail. Pity Jordie ins't playing. Jones to run with Mitchell. Mitchell gets a lot of ball across Hawks half back, andif Jonesy can get a few touches could mean 2 goals for us. This is a great matchup for us except that Jonesy MUST have contact every time Mitchell is on the ground. If Hodge plays half back maybe Dunn to make him accountable. Yep - agree with this. If Hawks don't do something about Sylvia and Trenners, this duo could seriously damage them. Both in good form and are a cut above Bateman, etc... To win this game our half forward line must be super-aggressive and hold the ball in, maybe even play on them man-on-man. The Hawks love their half backs to get heaps of free ball and set up play. Green, Watts, Dunn, Petterd, Maric, Bennell are the key for us scoring enough to win. Tappy on Bruce. Show him what he left and is missing out on. For the record - I hate the Hawks. They have stuffed up so many of our first rounds, and their 2008 arrogance almost matches Essendon's 2000 arrogance. I am sick of average footballers like Ladson, Young and Ellis carving us up without pressure or pain. Not this year. .