PaulRB

Hey Sue, I hear you and agree we should be cautious, humble etc... however when close games consistently go your way, and open up to solid wins, you are the better team. If thats happening more often then it used to you are also getting better quicker than your opposition and this is a reason for genuine optimism... I felt nervous in every game, but, increasingly not worried, especially after the Rd 23 comeback. That game was our step shift game when we realised we were genuinely the best team in this competition, and never out of the game. Take that shift, plus the sheer joy we just experienced winning the Big one and the non-22 players wanting in, into 2022,... and we shall be very hard to beat. Harder to beat than we were in 2021. In my opinion, significantly so.

Our improvements that came late in 2020, continued into 2021 and put us into top 4 and minor premiers, with scalps for most top 8 teams over the year. Late in 2021 we stepped up another level, and that level put us well above our top 4 peers, each of which we dispatched by good margins in the finals. There's no reason to believe we can't carry this new level into season 2022. No reason to believe we'll backslide given the last few seasons we've gone from 17th to 9th to 1st... in fact given that improvement we should be 1st by a good margin in 2022. So to answer your question... "No, no team will catch us next year. We will have a season like the Dons in 2000. Dominant, hungry, bloody hard to counter and at its best brutal, sublime and unstoppable." Not being arrogant, just looking at what's just happened and extrapolating on the form lines... Go Dees.

Does Taj and the club need to lodge the father-son papers today to make this happen?

Watching replays of the GF and especially the burst periods we had in the third, you realise how out of touch the commentators are with the actual game going on in front of them, with weirdly disconnected ramblings rolling over our next push to goal. with them then scrambling to catch up with their role as commentators. It's like they are so eager to apply their own "narrative" to what's going on, they miss calling what's actually going on... or only call what's going on later, when it's become glaringly obvious, and their calling becomes (even more) irritating. Plus they rarely know how to use silence. Is there some sort of media award for best/worst commentary in AFL?

I liked that they played deliberate out of bounds a couple of times when Doggies had no options and tried dump kicks… thought umpiring was great, loved the JJ mark was paid, highlight of our game.

Dunstan, Tomlinson, Hunt, Jordan and Smith provide a boost of skills and talent to our Premiership 22, and most importantly they're all mature, hardened and hungry. Welcome Luke, make a spot yours and we'll be an even better team in 2022.

You're a weird cat Ash, a Bombers fan posting on a Demons site... Had to google about Davey's twins, then realised you weren't talking about Aaron's kids, but Alwins.. What happened, did they kick you off the Bomber forum for talking about the Demons too much? 🤪

To my mind the benefit of swapping next years 16-18 for this years 17 is that the kid we pick will have a year of growth and development under their belt. Taking Bowey as an example, we gained 6 games and know he'll likely be better rolling into his second year than a first year player...

Reminds me of Stephen Powell.. Welcome aboard Luke. download.jfif

First goal: Petracca Norm Smith: Kozzie Most goals: Ben Brown Margin: 7 goals

“Dogs Gawn! Demons kill the curse in a boilover!!”

While Goody coaching us through to the GF warrants the accolades, what I’m loving are all the things in motion now to further improve us in the future… Things like giving the whole squad a taste of the GF build up and sense of inclusion, resigning Weid, trawling for Cerra, etc… He, and the club, are intent on building a dynasty, and one facet of our history that’s been overlooked with the focus on the 57 year drought, is that when we win one 🏆 we generally win several. very impressive by Simon and the club. Fingers crossed for Saturday, but should the gods not favour us, I’ll be content, as Simon has led us across the Rubicon and further good times await. Go Demons!

Glad that was cleared up. Maybe that was why Eddie was keen to come to WA, and watch his investment at work..?

So in this era of salary caps, equalisation and a supposedly "level" playing field in footy, how do the Doggies get an additional $300,000 in player payments on the field this saturday? Treloar's deal has us not only playing the Doggies in the GF, but also the 1.5 million (over 5 years) the Pies are tipping in to assist them... Not in the spirit of the game, i'd suggest. Funny at the time, less so now. Thoughts?

Any chance we can get Freo to pay part of his salary going forward if he comes to us..? ;) aka Treloar at Doggies..

Until the Blues appoint a coach, he'd be wise to hold off committing, especially if a Grand Finalist with the "Coach of the Year" is a possible alternative. A problem for next week.

Uncharted water for me and the Demons, and after 50+ years, it will be a welcome surprise. I suspect I'll feel bulletproof, proud, optimistic and that anything is possible for the next 12 months. Thats what it always looked like for the other supporters whose teams won in. Go Demons.

Given our ruck stocks are pretty solid at the moment, and for the next 3-5 years with Max, Luke and Bradke, and we appear to be in our premiership window, recruiting another prospective ruck whose unlikely to impact for 2-3+ years seems unwise, especially if we need to spend most of our draft capital to do so. I suspect he may drop down the draft order if only for the idea that a 70kg ruck has probable 20+ kg required to be added to be able to hold ground in that position... Trust our team will make the right call on Mac.

Leave it alone. The premiership is won by winning the last game in September (against the second best team of the season). This win is scared, rare and special, and for every player, winning and performing well in this game will be the pinnacle of their career, and the realisation of something they’ve dreamed of since their childhood. So can we please honour the players who win this game with the premiership medals, and the legacy. The club that gets these 22/23 players to the final game get the cup and legacy. The club honours it’s list in many ways. On those who miss out, get close, should have been, but weren’t… that’s part of the drama of footy, and for every Nathan Jones there’s a Jake Bowey. Life is not always fair or flat or able to be made sense of, it’s an adventure with highs and lows. If our team of 22/23 players win us the flag next week, they will be immortalised for achieving something very special for the club and us. Let’s not profane that special achievement by trying to spread the awards so thin they become meaningless, or more tragically, ordinary. Go demons.

Jack Viney looks primed and ready to deliver on two generations of desire to win this game, and his brand of hard, hard pressure and body work should fear no repercussions on GF day. Shall hunt and hurt Libba and pop up for three clutch goals from contested ball in forward line... plus digging it out to Trac and Oliver to run riot.

New club, work on rehabbing his body over the preseason could work wonders for Jake. If he decides to move on, ok with it and thankful for that great goal vs Hawks to finish them in 2018. Much appreciated.

Wait till you see him holding the Cup up next to Max (should we win)..!

I don’t think you can play all four of those down back as we’d lose too much with only having two/three of Salem, Rivers, Bowey, Hibberd, Hunt… and Smith.

AF do you see Petty, Tomlinson, Lever and May in same backline come 2022?