Jaded No More

Don't waste all that sarcasm on practice games... make sure you save your energy for when the real season starts and you really need it Great news about Moloney. faultydet, any ideas how Petterd is going?

Who was on him before?

Thanks for the report 77. Very worrying signs for Whelan, but great news about the other guys.

Really pleased to see Ricky back in the swing of things. He really does deserve all the luck in the world after what he went through last year. Fantastic news for Moloney too. I'm going to assume that our senior players (e.g.- Robbo) will be played on a rotational basis until probably the last week of practice matches where we will try to get a full side together. That goes for anyone who is not 100% either (Brock, Dunn etc...).

Yes please! Note to everyone: print this paragraph, hang it on your wall and memorize it, because you will probably never read a better explanation of what this pre-season is all about. Thank you Old! :D

It's a short term view taken by those who are impatient and nervous, and just want to see a victory so they can lay rest to their own self- doubt. Seriously, you can get McLean or Neitz or Rivers to play one practice match before Round 1, and they might be a bit rusty come the first match, but they have all played enough footy to get back into the swing of things fairly quickly. As I said, I rather we have kids losing by 12 goals, than senior players getting injured and missing 12 weeks. We all know that a horrendous injury list will see us dwindle at the bottom of the ladder again, as we don't have the depth to cover multiple injuries to key players. So if there are any senior players who are not 100%, than they should be rested until such time as we are playing for premiership points. Of course if they are fit, than they get to play in the practice games, but I rather be safe than sorry, especially with those players who have had long injury battles (Moloney, Rivers, McLean, even Neita).

It's not so much the skills that bother me, but the stupidity with which they are executed. No wonder Bailey is putting them all through school. So far it seems as though many of them don't understand the concept of handballing to advantage. They handball for the sake of moving the ball quickly, but if your teammate is not in a far better position than you, you have to KICK the damn thing and at least get the ball out of the danger zone. That was my biggest issue last season. I don't mind the run and carry game plan, but in order to execute it properly you need 22 smart footballers. It's not good always taking the 'move it on at all costs' option, and hopefully what we saw on Saturday is Bailey trying to get it all out of their system, before trailing the real game plan.

Buckley has what we desperately need... PACE! Even if he doesn't make the greatest decisions out there, at least he can outrun the opposition. Hopefully he continues to back himself and his pace, and with time he'll learn how our forward line operates and his decisions will become smarter. He actually has a good kick on him, so he's half way there already. As for Garland, he just lacks the dreaded C word (it's confidence ). He definitely has a nice skill set, and with time and backing from the coach I would love to see him take up the FF/CHF position.

Any chance it's going to be televised on Foxtel?

The biggest silver lining is Injuries: Melbourne: Nil Sydney lost a player for the season with a knee yesterday. All the pre-season victories in the world are not worth losing a key player for the rest of the season. I rather they keep all our key players in cotton wool until Round 1, and let some inexperienced rookies get smashed and earn some much needed time on the ground. It's a win-win, even if there are no actual wins.

The only thing that's pathetic is that most supporters wanted Daniher gone, and wanted to clear the list, and now they are crying and whinging because oh my god we like totally lost to last year's premiers with half of our side not playing. I guess I should be used to the extreme mood swings we experience on these boards after every game.

Yesterday's result is no indication of where we're going this season... unless of course Bailey wants to field a VFL line- up each week. I don't need to repeat the number of regulars who missed yesterday and how raw their replacements were. I was more interested in the quick ball movement, which yes, we did struggle to implement (again, you can't expect players who have never pulled on the boots to execute such a plan perfectly), but at least it's going to help our forwards when we get it right. Also interesting was that Bailey was not afraid to experiment and try first gamers or second gamers in important positions. Sure, many of them struggled, but it's a fantastic experience for them, and it gives Bailey something to work with. I rather see McNamara than Ferguson, I rather see Buckley over Godfrey. When you clean out your list the way we have, you will not have 44 players capable of competing straight away. It's a short term sacrifice. The good news is, that with Neita, McLean, Rivers, Bruce, Dunn, Frawley, Davey, Petterd etc... we are no longer a VFL side, and we are no longer short on experience in key positions. I also wouldn't be surprised if Bailey is keeping his cards close to his chest in regards to implementing a specific game plan. No point revealing your hand before the season has even begun.

Finally, my two great loves are coming together! :D I love the silver design personally. It's classy and unique and it won't clash.

Ha, there is little to no chance I will be conscious at 7am on Sunday morning Taping is the way to go it seems.

Meet Graz- the voice of reason! Thank god someone is catching on

Awesome read to start the day :D He has made some truly idiotic decisions lately, but his strength of character to own up to those mistakes and go out of his way to discuss them with his coach, is a great indication that as a whole he is so much better than these individual incidents. He clearly loves the club, and he clearly knows what he wants to achieve. Maybe in certain moments his age catches up to him, but I don't know many 21 year olds who are as passionate and as focused as him. The day he is appointed to be the captain of the MFC, is going to be a very good day indeed.

At least he's come down to earth and is realistic about where his career is heading. His time is running out and he absolutely must make the most of his opportunities this year, or he may not get another. For him to finally get a full pre-season under his belt is fantastic. No doubt we could use someone of his talents, especially now that TJ is gone.

What time is the replay on Sunday? I won't get to watch the entire match on Saturday as I have to be in the city at 6:30, so Sunday replay might be the way to go. Stupid AFL planning, as if you can't work out that it gets hot in February and properly schedule games to begin with

Round 1 of the NAB Cup... could there be a more meaningless game? All of our older players, or anyone who has been on a modified program throughout the summer should be rested for this one. If we progress, and as we approach the season, more and more players will start to get a game just to get them prepared for the real deal. If all goes well, everyone but Wheels and Bartram should get at least one game under their belt between now and Round 1. I can't think of one team that is fielding a full-strength side this week. It's just not logical.

"Dunbar replaces Barry Prendergast as Innovations Coach after Prendergast was appointed to the role of Recruiting Manager at the Demons."

I would say that, in doubt for Round 1 are: Bartram, Whelan, Bruce, Wheatley and maybe Rivers and Petterd I think Bartram and Whelan will both be lucky to sneak in a few games in 2008, as it really doesn't look great for them. On the other hand, for Moloney, Sylvia and Brock to have done a large chuck of the pre-season (Brock's injury seems minor) is absolutely fantastic! I wouldn't worry too much about that. A lot of players were rested or not risked. If anyone has a niggle at this time of year, and many do after a full pre-season, you would not risk them in a practice match (which from all reports was pretty rough and tough). That does not mean that the players who did not play are not fit, it simply means that they are too high risk. Certainly I wouldn't want Neita to have a training injury like Bartram had last year and still has not recovered from.

You can get plain scarves from the Demon Shop for $10.

Hey, don't discriminate against us young cynics I must say I've lost my patience with Yze, but I'd be thrilled if DB manages to change him. There are not many players more talented than Yze,and if his skills are applied in the right way than we'll be a much better team next year. He could easily kick 40+ goals from the pocket in 2008.

I am willing to wager money that we will not finish last.

The same figure has been up on the website for well over 2 weeks now. I'm sure it has increased in that time, but they haven't bothered updating it.