Demon Dynasty

BB you are certainly unconventional at times ....but you are also a realist. Only 2 quarters you say!? Have to agree ...better than one!

I doubt Goody would bother holding Pruess back on Sunday and taking him up if 'T'- Daddy was a goer. Along with the strategy of chunk playing off one wing ? Goody has been rusted on bout Maxy going it alone for some reason since start of season so he aint taking Preuss up as 2nd ruck. 'T' - Daddy's 150th on his return...whenever that might be. Hopefully against the 'Aints'.

According to Champion Data we were the number 1 pressure team last year. You might be on to a significant part of why we've dropped so far this year DS. Allowing much more space / time to our opponent? Forgetting the reason why we got to where we were last year and instead just focussing on manic ball movement foward maybe at the expense structure and 2 way running? When you say we did alot more "skill development craft stuff" would you mind expanding on what you mean pls?

Yes been hoping that might happen since around this time last year. Goody says he's much more valuable off a wing though ?

Have a feeling we might pull off a miracle! ZERO expectations!

Common DD he is obviously using the term "Quick" within an MFC context!

Hopefully the whole bunch can make their prescence felt Pates!

Any chance we can ignore 666 and bring back the flood!?

Stats Predictor has the Swans winning by 26 Points (excludes allowance for umpiring bias!). Top 6 ranked players (weighted statistical composite) last round Demons Swans Bottom 6 Demons Swans *Omitted for Rnd 4 2019

Clangers and Turnovers would probably go some way towards it Optimus. That's all we have at public level. Champion data may have something more specific we aren't privy to.

Such a complex and difficult game Praha. Hoping it's more an under done fitness/tank issue that's impacting the defensive two way aspect. The outs are definitely impacting also. No point being too harsh at this point but at some stage those who seem to be way off it vs last year (trend wise) need to start lifting their output/form. If we had a few more knocking on the door at Casey it might help also.

✌? cheers Skuit and Buck. I took a sneak peak straight after the Swans match ....lets just say it wasnt exactly warming ? Although they were playing the Blues so maybe, just maybe, things are out of whack on their numbers. I'll try and adjust for Ins / Outs (where possible) after tonight's announcements before hitting the prediction button and posting on here.

Normally i would not post any weighted average rankings till at least round 6 as the amount of data to go on just isn't robust enough. And in this case the same principle applies so best not to take too much notice of the table below, especially with some players having played only one match and others coming in under done etc. However, thought i'd go a tad early due to the less than stellar beginning to get a very rough idea where some players are at, even at this premature phase, versus their entire 2018 season averages. Will revisit this again after Rnd 6 vs 2018 and also compare the block of 3 games from tomorrow evening through to the Tigers and compare percentage & rank changes vs the first 3 rounds. Whoever it was in the press who said Clarry (among others) is a bit off, needs to have a rethink IMHO. May be a tad up and down (who isn't / wasn't in the first 3 rounds) but over the 3 matches so far he has started pretty much exactly where he left off in 2018, and that after surgery on both shoulders! This is the stuff legends are made of....get around him boys! Premierships are won off the back of great players with courage such as Clarry, as long as everyone pulls in the same direction (and most gaping holes filled with solid recruiting!). Carn the Mighty Demons! Note: Big M's stats do not include hit outs to advantage. His ranking would obviously be altered if there was some way of including this stat specific to ruck work only.

I would think a full pre-season without any foot interruption issues will bring that power back again BBP. We might see it in patches this year but wouldn't be expecting it regular given the interruptions. Personally i think this year is a bit of a write off. For reasons already mentioned umpteen times. I reckon we just have to get more games into those we think might continue on the list in 2020. Get those we know are required who aren't fit back on the park (obviously) and into the system firing a little again, learning whatever system it is Goody is teaching and finding some confidence in their own game, the game style and slowly finding the trust in one another again. Severely lacking especially down back at the moment. Get May back in ASAP and hopefully cement his spot, learning to gel with Lever and the other regular backs we settle on. Omac and Frost need to go back to Casey once these 2 are both back. Frost to learn to make better decisions on the run and clean up his disposal to an acceptable level before returning. I would put Hunt in that category also if he can't improve his disposal by foot substantially in the next month or so (provided we have a replacement to cover). You can't win footy matches without a solid defence and at the moment this is our weakest point, closely followed by the forward line and a sever lack of speed and finishing skills on the outside. Fritschkrieg/Salem & Stretch/Harmes off both wings is a non negotiable at this point. If we are playing Jones or anyone without a bit of toe out there from here you have to really question the judgement of our coaching panel. There's not a huge amount we can do up forward other than bringing Jeffy/Spargo back, waiting for T-mac to get over his injury and find form and hoping that the likes of Lockhart (Chandler at some point?) find their way as the season goes. Then there's the Jones conundrum. Personally i think we can still play him through there, just in very short stints or more of a run with role on the right match. Alternating between these roles and resting in the forward pocket/bench. Avoid putting Jones AND Viney into the middle at the same time and we'll be ok IMO. At the end of the year we must throw everything at a genuine KPF and at least 2 serious speedsters on the outside who are able.to work their way through traffic, make good decisions coming inside 50 and at AFL level with their foot skills. Ideally we also need a genuine small crumber with bjrst speed who has the hunger to run both ways (defend) and knows where the goals are. From there Goody needs to take us to another level so we are capable of playing man on man and up in the face of opponents with a full ground style press similar to what we saw from the Eagles against the Pies with intense pressure, not just zoning. Then there's the other side. Being able to maintain possession and slowing the game down, switching multiple times and looking for that eventual free player to start off the next link up play inside 50 on the overlap etc. At the moment we are all straight ahead attack attack like a bull at a gate (whose brain has left him). Bombing also results at the end of that attack on most occasions. If our disposal skills by foot were generally better across the park this constant attack style might be more damaging (maybe we were more accurate last year?) But at this point our.disposal and decision making is so horrid vs last year, bull at a gate is nowhere near as effective, especially with a leaky backline on the sling shot once we turn it over or the Opp cleans up in our very ordinary forward line.

Missed a goodin there LT. Nearly spat out my toast! Thanks for the article.

Floweresque! What a joy to watch. About the closest we have to someone like that at the moment is Jeffy in our forward half, Nev and Fritshkreig in patches (when running hot). Didn't realise he was that good. His 45 kicks and ability to see what's on up the field in the heat of the moment, not.to mention evasive skills. And there's the finish and polish with ball in hand. Must watch him more closely from here. Football at its finest.

Richmond JLT we were slaughtered down back for most of the match after the 1st quarter and a half dazzle. Only other AFL appearance i recall was against the Saints last year and I'm not sure if he got injured but i seem to recall he had pretty much zero impact in that match.

He started off his career as mostly a HFFer from what,i recall Wise but obviously had youth on his side back then. Forward pocket?

Maynard's about the only direct replacement mid available though SW. He might be worth rolling through there at some stage but can't see it unless one of the main 4 that run through there go down with an injury. I still think there's a part to play for Jones but as you say, old father time is against him.

This is spot on Wrecker. We can't afford another Junior Mac episode. I'm not writing Jones off for the year either but it's not looking great. Prefer to revisit this about Rnd 8 - 10 and see where everyone is placed with a fair chunk of matches behind us.

So is that a slow tag vs a soft tag Soi?

While this is probably true Demon who do you bring in to replace them that will match or improve on either's performance (this year) ? Our stocks at VFL level (+ injury list) are extremely low. We should be blooding replacements this season (and a little in the 2nd half of the last) but where are they?

I also think we are in for a huge reality check in the years to come AM sadly. Our results should improve as we get into the 2nd half with the better players returning but given they're coming off a very interrupted pre-season i don't feel their impact will be as significant as some might be hoping for. Goody and Co. have a mountain of work to do in the next few seasons and would want to be getting most of their selections from here on the money or we are looking at a significant renovation of our list.

Thanks Rjay. Yes their professionalism and general talent spotting seems a fair way ahead of us at the moment.