Demon Dynasty

If we are that stuck in the mud then we will mostly likely stay there OD! The Hawks are the benchmark and 4 premierships out of there says its fine as a potential interim option once they vacate. We need to wake up and Waverley, subject to a feasability on facilities / potential upgrade / Cost benefit... should be a serious contender in the mix if not the No.1 priority on the list.

Thx DJ. It may well be the summit but will need major development spend. We won't get that 'At this point' IMO as we just aren't seen as a player. Get to base camp first under say a 5 year + 3 option (or similar) at WP from 2022...then go from there. Assuming success follows with a cup (or more) or via a very solid team/club that's a regular finals contender.

There is Zero parking for public at AAMI SK. Some limited zoned parking for admin/FD out back i believe. I've been to WP a number of times and while it is limited there is some parking for the public. The 900 bus drops you outside also on Wellington Rd and intersects with Caulfield, Oakleigh and Huntingdale rail stations which Hawk supporters have been using effectively for years to go visit/watch training etc. Even one of their trainers catches the 900 from Stud Park (or used to) to get there and back for many years.

We do not have the member base / success / sponsor / backers that the bigger clubs like Essendon and the Hawks have to attract the interest/funding for that sized facility George. It will never happen. I would much rather see us have a home in the medium term than none at all. Waverley, subject to a decent refurb spend, post the Hawks in 2022 makes complete sense as an interim until we achieve some on field success that pushes us towards the supporter base of the big 4. Ie; 75,000 plus members. You don't climb Mr Everest without going to (& setting up) base camp first. We have no chance of getting to the summit without the interim option. Waverley is the obvious best interim option within striking distance of the CBD and gives us plenty of time to plan and raise the funding for the refurb & move. It also has it's own oval and a decent sized one to train on. None of this nomad nonsense between different sized grounds, one of them over 50kms from AAMI... a 100km+ / 1.5 hour round trip! What a waste of valuable time just travelling (and that's off peak...add another 30 minutes during most, respectable, hours). Waverley or bust.

Well said Balls & Norm. All of that AND the ultimate professional. Love watching his reaction after kicking a goal. Has dragged me to many a game when i've been on the fence during tough times. Go the Jones boy! ?

I hear you Dub but I'm not gloating given they beat us only a few weeks ago and how we've been travelling till last week.

Bomberblitz in meltdown also. The carping on here after a loss pales in comparison. There's even a reference to a softening of hatred towards us lol... ?? It’s getting harder by the week to give Melbourne ■■■■ for under achieving. ?? 2-6 last season, 3-5 this season. We’ve learned nothing. Get ■■■■■■ Essendon. ?? This loss has tipped me over the edge. I think I’m done. Zero progress in over a decade and I’m severely tested. Enough is enough. ?? Seriously, dumbest ■■■■■■■ footballers in the country. Bombing long didn’t work the first time, didn’t work the 31st time didn’t work the 51st time, so let’s just try it one more time and see if it works hey Dys. ■■■■■■■ idiots. ?? ■■■■■■■ over it what a bunch of ■■■■■■■ criminals. ?? Heppell should lose the fxxcking captaincy over this photo. It should be front page of the HS. ?? I’m done. Never been so despondent after a game in the last 15 years. The talent is there. Captain and coach have to go. Two years in a row of being the best / worst team. #$%& this team. Never felt this way but I’m done. Glad they’re all mates and have fun together. Hodgey was prob a !@#$ of a bloke but got them flags. Heps isn’t the one to lead us to the gloryland and neither is woosha. ?? Tonight has confirmed,as Essendon supporters, we have absolutely no right referring to other teams as 'peasant loser clubs

When they say 'Test' in the injury update...is that just lip service? Surely they put them through a series of tests and if they pass those it'd then come down to a trust issue PF. The way i read it Goody is putting it out there in public effectively saying to Jack "FCS Jack...do the right thing by the club and your team mates and call it if you're in any doubt".

Essendrug have hit the wall....again

Heppel the habitual professional chucker! What a wonderful throw that was to get them rolling from congestion. Gill must be loving the 'No rules Football' there

Only the Swans dl4?

Can anyone explain why the umps are not recalling the center bounce when it has clearly gone outside the circle? 3 times so far

That's some achievement Mq!

Sydney's personel & style much more suited to the smaller SCG than Essendrug's

I hear you DC. This was the case last year to Rnd 3. After that there were some downs and ups. This year he seemed to start off ordinary then went dramatically downhill from there before being dropped for the trip to Sydney. I would say with Nibbler it's more of a week by week proposition and that's where part of his problems might lay eg., from a 'trust' POV with Goody & selectors. AFL a tough gig and very easy easy from here of course. These guys have to get out every week and bring it so hats off to any player who makes it at AFL level. Every week is also different depending on what sort of role is asked of him and the quality of whom he is matched with. Using average weighted composites (obviously Rnd 1 a snap shot as we have no averages to go on) comparing the first 7 rounds from 2018 to 2019 as a rough guide to trends in form...

That is spot on Titan... No.2 in contested behind Port and No.4 for clearances (averages). I'll revisit a form indicator on those looking at the last 3 weeks after Rnd 9 and see how we're trending. Early season form was a tad off and might be skewing those rankings right now. My question Bin is ...if there's a 'ground ball' why isn't there an 'aerial ball'? My understanding is it is winning the contested ball away from stoppage Buck. As you say, we haven't been winning so much of the one on ones in the open. The first 5 rounds, Sydney probably an exception, we were probably smacked up in this area. Would like to see the rankings from 2018 to see where we were last season. What we do with clearances (from stoppage or center ball ups) is a separate factor of course, with effective disposals covering that aspect of play in some regard and DE% a fractional reflection of overall disposals, obviously also including ineffective ones. Ideally we need an effective disposal & DE% stat that also includes pressure factors but at the moment we are stuck with mostly very rough indicators, such as those two. The FD would no doubt be getting their hands on some of the top level pressure stuff. At a price of course!

Ditto. Eddie occasionally blubbers on a little and puts the odd foot in it but mostly rolls ok and has good intentions IMO. Some just talk the talk (yes Eddie does that with aplomb) but Eddie walks the walk.

At least we have one spot under pressure. ANB was badly out of form prior to his short stint at Casey. What a great return considering where he was coming from earlier in the year. I don't understand why some D'landers get so offended when posters suggest (in a nice way) that a short spell might be required at Casey, regardless of who it is. If you're badly out of form week after week it's a great opportunity to turn things around under less pressure/spotlight. ANB a great example.

Round 8, 2019 Suns vs Demons (Metricon) Pure Stats Predictor has the Suns winning by 5 points Team weighted score (includes best estimate for official Ins/Outs) Suns 55.80 Demons 54.88 Top 6 ranked players (weighted statistical composite) last round Suns Demons Bottom 6 *Omitted this round Hard to get a gauge on all the changes at the Suns in terms of what they might bring. For example if three out of the four 'Ins' don't step up the Demons are marginaly in front. If all four bring a half decent level then we see the above outcome. If Viney goes ballistic and somewhere back to his 2018 standards and the four GC 'Ins' also perform to a decent standard we are talking a draw etc.

Thought Hardwick held his own very well in a (generally) poor backline last week. Strong as in the one on ones and took some nice goal saving contested marks.

Ah...there's the answer ...tribunal can look at prior. Thx LD

Can't argue against that Nelo. The only trouble is i seem to recall the AFL threw out the good behavior records when they set the new system up along with consideration of similar incidents for precedence didn't they?

Can't see Tracc coming out but you never know DV. The only player i could see ANB replacing would be Stretch. Weid injured himself at Casey didn't he? Can't see how he would be ready by next week if he doesnt play and play very well at Casey this week. Someone else would need to part for him also which will obviously depend on performance this week.

In a team balance (inside/outside) sense, not purely rating as players. If you are doing a pure comparison of course you would say Viney over ANB. But they aren't playing the same role. Horses for courses, niggling fitness issues, given who we are up against this week....ANB was a keeper. Viney managed in prep for the trip West (assuming 90% or better). From the outside, and of course knowing very little of what the hec is really happening at ground level (ie, flying blind) it appears to be a no brainer (for this week against GCS at least).

Also...a great opportunity missed to manage Viney for the Eagles and send a huge message to all in the group that we are back on track and it's now going to be much harder to break into the team if you're omitted (for whatever reason!). Solid follow up performance against GCS needed from the 22 as well with Viney pushing up.