Demon Dynasty

Nice eyes and delivery from Spargo there

Our play around the ball ups / bounces has been bog ordinary. Very few clean possessions / clearances. Max looks a bit unfit or off the pace for mine

Kozzy you ripper son

Is he keeping Fyfe a little quiet though? We don't need to see much from Hunt as long as he achieves that. Harmes looks much happier and more at home back up forward again. I would not mess with the 'present' winning set up. Unless Fyfe manages to get off the hook

May with 500 meters gained to half time! Has to be a record in there somewhere surely

Probably take a few games for most to reach full match fitness with the longer quarters and run off a few excess gym kilos of muscle (for some).

Couldn't agree more. Needs to get first option away quickly once he finds space. Playing as if there's no opponent out there at the moment and lairising a bit too much

Tracc looks like a tractor ? running over opponents!

Woot...better entry Jordan

Find the short man when outside 50 instead of mostly bombing pls

Nice work ANB, Clarry & Tracc...Fritta dangerous as usual

Sloppy/costly from Rivers

1st clearance from Clarry...nice delay handball from LJ

7 game rookie opens with the first goal of 2021 ??

Early days but clearances 9-0 after 8 minutes is a bit of a worry

Not unless Cam snuck in through a rear door somehow and has us wearing Fitzroy's maroon colours again!

Clarry is still the No.1 player at the MFC IMV and has been for a few years now. Tracc is icing when he is on and does take things to another level in patches but not as consistent in general or as effective at extracting/spreading the pill as Clarry. Yes he may not ever be the extractor that Clarry is at present nor need to be. He is a great foil/spreader and finisher slightly more biased towards outside play/work and generally a more effective /.dangerous player when pushing forward. But he still has a way to go in the consistency stake to become a genuine champion and over take Clarry at the MFC, assuming he stays. And i would argue the same vs Robbie. Robbie was almost always "on" and in most cases no one could touch him in his "standard" game form let alone when he was firing on all cylinders. Robbie was super elusive, had both sides covered including by hand and finished off most of his good work by foot. Could also take a great over head and the odd specky. Pure silk. Tracc is close when he is on but still a fair gap IMHO.

Bingers you must be a footy romantic. I feel no joy at all from anything i watch in black & white. Not even a reunion party.

Kent you are being facetious yes?

Will need more than one session i would think DD

Surely pigs can fly Mr Old!??

We are miles off it IMHO. While there's a few exceptions. May & Clarry in particular. To a somewhat lessor degree Big Maxy, very good player but a little too nonchalant for mine. There are still too many pretenders and Hollywood types who look the goods when all is going well but turn up their toes too easily or just go missing completely when the chips are down. That's been the case at the Demons for decades, bar the period mentioned previously between 87 and 94. The never-say-die ferocity, serious hard edged 1%er footy, elite skills to finish off the good work and a selfless culture on the field continue to elude the Demons 56 years on. We have been a destination club for the near retiring and NQR for as long as i can remember and the team often feels a little like a shadowy poor cousin image of the St Kilda "play hard but party up afterwards / couldn't give a FF" era. At least they had a sprinkling of some genuine stars throughout that period to enjoy however, such as Buckets, Plugger, Riewoldt, Milne and Harvey. When this changes it will be apparent for all to see i reckon. P.S. VERY strong leadership combined with a genuine champion or two will be needed before this club turns the corner IMHO. Does this exist in the current list? Not really sure at this point. With the MFC it always feels like we're a bridge too far.

Where did you get the replay from Pates?

Haven't seen any of this but wondering how much of this result came down to coaching well before and during the game. Eg; the differimg game styles / skill sets of the two sides. Bevo would appear to easily have Goodwin's measure at this point. Last time we played them in a H & A i felt motivation may have played a big part in the result with Bevo using a motivational rev up speech (video?) just before they ran on to get his boys to rise to the occasion. Meanwhile Goodwin appeared to stick with the same old 'sticking to the processes' method.

Is any ruckman worth the cudos of being a 'key component' in today's game i wonder CB? Especially at the bounce / ball ups? No doubting Max is one of the best going around but he hasn't 'consistently' connected with our mids or visa versa since 2018. Emphasis on consistently. They have their days of course where we look like we could beat anyone. However, other mids seem to be reading him a bit too easy of late. He also often gets the hit out but hits to no one in particular!? Neutral outcome / no man's land if you like. Alternatively a bit too often into the bread basket of the opp. I realise that's going to happen from time to time as luck, bounce and so many variables come into the game. Not a perfect or easy science by a long way. Personally, while i still believe a good ruckmen is handy, i would swap the best of them for a classy Bont/Pendles type in the middle every day, even if it meant giving up a few more hit outs. Ruck position at bounces a tad over rated by some in today's game style imo. You could almost put any tall in there as long as he can neutralise the contest most of the time. It's more what they do at ground level and around the ground now. Maxy certainly gets much of this aspect right as far as a ruckman goes anyway and not too much wrong in this regard.