Demon Dynasty

Looking at our last three finals losses. One of the common themes here is Viney well off his usually high level H&A performances. Basically when Viney's well off his best we tend to struggle. He's our version of Libba in the sense of giving us a stack of first use clearances when he's on. The majority of our first use pretty much left to him and next in line... Max. The oppo are probably putting significant time into stopping him just as they do with Max. So whatever we do tomorrow we need a strategy to counter this as well as the barrage on Max. Plenty of blocks for both. Use JJ and Sparrow as alternate extractors in place of Viney (albeit inferior ones) for short stints with Viney maybe spending a bit more time on the bench or forward? Goody and the FD have surely seen the light by now and have come up with a cunning plan!?? I'd be interested to hear other suggestions from you guys.

Quite possibly or... he just needs to be managed... or he was left out for match up reasons. Risky to toy with form at this time of the year imv in terms of 'saving' him for that one role. I also feel he's a key spiritual character that the boys love to play alongside so not sure this is the greatest timing from that POV. Especially risky for Hibb as he is reliant on us winning to get on the park again. Not that coaches tend to take these factors into account at the pointy end. Just whatever's best for the team on the night/day as we witnessed with chunk with the GF selection. No matter the reason in a round-about way it does give the players even more incentive to get through.

Seems to be one week on then the following week or two he hits a physical wall or something. Compromised pre-season no doubt impacting. Not sure where Hibb is at here either but if he was right to go i'd probably be putting him in ahead of Salo for this one. Keep in mind about 2/3rds of the team did not show last week. That surely can't happen two weeks running. If it does then some big questions will need to be answered as to the why. Fingers crossed we don't have to go there.

No there's enough quality defenders down there and Salo's experienced enough to handle some time higher up the ground. While i'm not saying you don't play him in his usual role for a fair chunk, we need to role the die a little here in order to kick a winning score and get him higher up the ground a fair bit. As long as it isn't Salo doing the kicking for goal that is! Clear instructions that he must pass it off when the options are there! Unless he's 25 meters out (or less) and not much angle to speak of.

So a complete 180 from last week. Not asking for much Wod.... seems reasonable. At least from where i'm sitting! 😂

Correct. Same as LJ. We were a man down much of the time from about Rnd 12 onwards and even worse when we hit finals. Goes some way towards explaining how our second half of the year was so shizen.

Only via a dubious goal line review. In a general sense you are correct but on his day JJ is up there. The question is will he bring it for three quarters or more on the night! If he can only manage a quarter or two at his best then yes we might be in trouble. Another big watch for mine is Viney. His last three finals haven't been his greatest performances vs his usual VG or better H&As. We need Kozzy to play more mid field & stoppage minutes along with Tracc to play substantial time inside 50.

Viney might shark the odd tap. Kozzy also but would need to ensure he's attending CBs when Max is resting. Kozzy should be playing significant minutes in there vs his usual average times anyway imho. We didn't play him through there enougb last week. He's finally learning the ropes there and becoming quite effective. Not sure why Goody didn't persevere with this. Might also help him shake off any tag and get involved early. Then drift goal side of the stoppages around ground. Be can also use his elite skills and pace / agility out of stoppage to hit up a few targets insside 50. An area of the game where we are usually pretty shizen. The Pies showed us up in this area (last kick inside 50) last week.

Highly unlikely we ruck T-Mac at CBs. Joel Smith. T-Mac as the solitary tall forward although they might rest Max there on occasions.

I don't listen any more but a very poor replacement of KB. But better at fence sitting which suits the AFL agenda of "wherever possible don't upset the apple cart, keep the status quo pls" Jumps on band wagons every other week and a huge Carlton fan boy which usually over rides any neutrality when assessing their performance etc.

Absolutely... i thought the Chardonnay sipping set was supposed to be Adelaide (or us with the cheeseboards). He'll be up at the snow next...

The AFL will never implement a sin-bin , red card style system as it would relinquish their ability to determine which players and clubs are to benefit from their preferred (internal) narrative of "let the stars (from select clubs that we wish to see at the top, wherever possible) play on" regardless of their indiscretions. If the AFL was serious about protecting the head and ensuring some form of fair "eye for an eye" on game day itself so that the offending team doesn't gain a significant advantage, it should introduce one. But it won't. And will use the theme of "our game is unique and "we don't want to become like soccer or rugby" as the nonsense reasoning for not doing so. Many of the fans and media also fall for this stupid mantra coming from the corrupt AFL circus masters and would rather see one team continue to have a ridiculous advantage on game day, even in a final, as we witnessed last Thurs. If Mayfart knows he has a good chance of being binned or red carded for the entire match were he to commit that act, there's no way he's lowering the shoulder. He's catching Gus on the way down, arms extended and both players would more than likely have played out the game. Gus would also not be considering his future in it, as we speak.

Both have points but the cupboard is bare as BBP has hinted. Over to you floody

Replaced as sub with either Woe or AMW. Smith is the option here but then someone would need to replace him in the 22.

Finally someone in the media has the guts to call this for what it was. Well said. Unfortunately we lost a player (easily in our best 5 this season) for the entire match. He also misses this week and may never play again. But that's ok.. apparently it was 'just a football act, an accident and he flinched, what more could he have done!??" I hope the boys are channeling any anger and frustration into a huge opening quarter on Friday. It's a fine line between harnessing that and losing the plot but Goody def needs to tap into this starting this week. US AGAINST THEM! Smash the [censored] lot of em. GO THE MIGHTY DEMONS

Ins: Tomo, Turner, JJ, Spargo Outs: Salem (omitted), JVR (susp), Gus (conc) & Chandler (omitted) Tomo comes in for Salem to cover their resting ruck. Allows Lever to play in his preferred role. May to Curnow no brainer. Hibbo to stay in playing a defensive role on Owies. Turner for JVR JJ for Gus. Hard tag on Crippa. Don't care if he only gets 5 possies. Keep Crippa to 16 or so and a goal (max) and we should win. Spargo for Chandler Sub: AMW or Woe

I feel your expectations are not in line with reality Super. This comp and those that lead it has shown itself to be completely compromised for decades now. Absolutely nothing has changed on the inside in terms of its leadershiip style / culture, the influencers from club land (those now participating and other ex offcio power brokers) and no doubt others who have a say in the outcomes and pull some strings. For as long as you follow this comp and support a team that doesn't sit within the AFL's circle of influence you have to expect more of the same biased outcomes, iniquities and corrupt decisions such as we witnessed last night. It is not a fair nor equitable competition and probably never will be.

Yes but i doubt they will as all clubs have their head in the trough. Nothing will change unless the club's stand up and shout. Which they won't. They all just fall in to line behind the Circus master. Same with most of the media morons. They know who butters their bread.

Some ppl are easily fooled. So Azz you're saying that as Gus ran off the square and came towards the 50 (with no one immediately ahead of him at that point until he was about to launch), Gus should've anticipated that, as he landed his first step on the same foot he kicked the ball with, his landing step should've been a half meter over to the left to send his body in that direction pre-empting and missing the now lowered shoulder of Mayfart? (where hands were originally in a raised position to spoil). Oh dear. Might wanna take a bex and go have a lie down son. Quite possibly the 2nd worst post of the year (behind a couple from that rollo bloke threatening to bash ppl which would be No.1 x two or three).

Red it wouldn't have mattered what Mayfart said... The circus act was already in play as soon as the siren went. He was always getting off. It was just a matter of how and then coming up with the script / screenplay.

I'm the last person to know if he has a case or not but as a pub test i would think he'd have a fabulous case of negligence and derelict in duty from here. The AFL have effectively condoned a form of head high impact & resulting concussion using 'a footy act' and 'no other choice but to protect oneself' as their argument.

Never trusted anything coming from them going back to the VFL days Macca. The corruption set in fron the late 60s / early 70s when the VFL renegged on the country zoning rotations after some of the clubs, who originally agreed to the idea, went back on their word. I've been saying for decades, including on here, that it's just one giant circus lead by a few masters that pull all the strings. Some of those masters are either in cahoots with the big clubs or were at them at some point and are now pushing the barrow either via their connections within the AFL or are imbedded within. Our decades in the wilderness ensured that we missed the boat in terms of getting our fair share of representation / influence into the halls. The rats have long been in command now and we are well and truly still on the outside looking in. A bit part actor if you will. I'm not sure becoming a big club, in terms of an increased following, will automatically change this much in the short term until or unless we get some ex club officials/players imbedded into or influencing the day to day there. That could be decades away yet.

Yes that is also true but would depend on the club/player in question. Regardless no one knows who will be favoured and who wouldn’t so again, the act is now legal in the eyes of the AFL.

100%. Bar Viney the response was shizen. There's no other enforcers unfortunately