Demon Dynasty

Pates If he gets half way to that amazing outlook I would be a happy Demon. Having said that I do think he will be one of 3 future champs for us provided we can seal the deal with Hulk post 2017. However, being a wounded warrior over many decades I tend to take the "seeing Is believing" route nowadays

On 90 HD / Chanel 9 now

Petracca on Channel 9's 'Future Stars' show at some point.....on now. 90 HD if you have it for a better view of our rising champ!

Havent done the numbers praha but we probably have the most Inexperienced and possibly the youngest backline atm. Frost and Omac are far from dead set "next decade" 200 plus game lock Ins IMO and are still not up to holding down a regular spot at AFL level accept with us (see below). Especially Frost. That's not to say they wont get there but the litmus test Is... could and would these 2 get a regular game with most other clubs not sitting rock bottom? The honest answer Is of course no. Frost and to a lessor degree Omac, would be depth players at most other clubs, learning their craft and building an AFL body at VFL level, getting the occasional game In the seniors when needed (Injury/suspension/horrid form) and slowly working their way Into the senior team If performing and doing all the things the FD were looking for upstairs. Unfortunately at the MFC we see things differently and do things differently for some reason. We need a serious Injection of quality/experience for next year with at least one key defender IMO If we are to take the next step (might be Melksham). The only thing I'll be getting used to If your opinion becomes fact (and It might!) will be more losses to most teams above us for the next few years until/unless those two turn Into the players we apparently have already decided they will become. The balance of this list Is too skewed towards youth. If we don't fix this Imbalance, starting this year for next, we will not take the next step IMO and will be unlikely to see much Improvement next year (maybe one or two extra wins) and probably regress the following year. To hang on to guys like Hulk we will also need to see linear Improvement next year. Aint going to happen with current "Skewed" list with Roos/Goodwin and Co. going pretty much "all In" on youth over experience. Agree that some or most of the more senior options down back are not the answer going forward either, but that Is what makes next year's draft/trade even more critical for this club. If the club goes with experience over youth we are on track and should play finals next year. If not then we better get used to more years being added to our decade of no finals appearances and the likely loss of our more experienced/talented players to top clubs continuing. And if that happens where do we go from there? More youth as replacements?

Jack If we trained on the G and were the only club to train there AND the only club pushing a style that wins on a similar ground shape/size to the G then we might have an advantage here. But we dont and many other clubs would be doing the same. Worth doing but doesn't give us a head start or edge IMO

Common Chook look on the bright side. You could feed some of that hot dog bun to the seagulls on Level 3 and lose a few pounds while you're at it! (if required!)

Stretch out? One bad game against the Swans, according to most (as i didn't see it), but he is easily rating top 10 stat wise this season (have him ranked at No.6) on comparative averages. And most performed well below par apparently, apart from Jones, Vince, Gawn, Tracc and maybe Tmac in patches? The worst performer on the entire list so far this year, on balance, has to be Frost. Also ranked the worst against the Swans. Clarry gets the rest this week and is easily in our top 10 effective disposal and clearance getters. By all accounts Tyson had just as poor a match, maybe worse, and i can't hear any calls for him to go. Stretch in our top 5 (EDs). Drop those two with a weeks rest under their belt? All are getting a rest and we can't see any KC options this week either and there were no real stand outs in the loss to the Pies with the exception of maybe Grimes and M Jones. Pedo didn't have a stellar match against the Pies either but would be more versatile and reliable option than Frost against the Crows on the big stage IMO. Maybe Grimesy for Jetta who has had a couple of ordinary matches now and may need a week back at KC to find his mojo and touch again. So, one definite change of Pedo for Frost. Sitting on the fence with Grimes for Nev for one match only to give Nev a breather and find a bit more touch back at KC. Put a bit of pressure on Nev to up the ante a little also knowing he isn't a dead set certainty every week. Hopefully comes back as good as (or slightly better) than ever the week after. Doubt the FD would roll with the Nev/Grimes option though, probably preferring to try and play him back into form in the seniors.

Should we move there also and try and create a genuine home ground fortress like Norf and to a lessor extent the Saints/Doggies have done on a fantastic contract with the AFL, making sure we retain more home games there? Take the ALice & NT games back to Etihad. Lock in a few Friday night games while we're at it. We don't train on the G and most Vic clubs play regularly there now so it offers no advantage to us nor any challenge to our opponents. Hard to park and get to the G now with the Car parks often closed and no local parking spots available now. More pubs/eating/meeting places close by Etihad also to meet/greet pre/post match with friends/family. Just putting it out there

If the Dockers kick 5 goals they'll win by a point. Go you good thing! ?

Am I being negative in suggesting there's only one 'optimist' on all of D'land?

...... "Get your filthy little hands off me!"

Thought that was our last match ?

Yep or E.Betts ...we have Jeffy but not in the same league. Fyfe's contract up this year or next?

Haha the experience top up wish is merely that SW. Oh, and while we're on wishes! ...... it's a pipe dream but within that more senior/experienced top up I would love to buy in a champion player who may be on the verge of retirement but with at least 2 years of solid play left. Highly unlikely and fictitious I realise but we do need a champ who can really be the icing on the cake and occasionally win a tight match or turn a game off his own boot. AKA Ablett Jnr. a few years back

I think we have leadership on the field already SW. Some lead by example, like Jones, but aren't all that Vocal. And as great as Jones is and has been through the horror years (and now...a great club man who has done everything in his power to lift this club) he does have limitations but still in our top 2/3 most weeks. A great leader by example/effort. We have Dawesy up forward provided he stays fit. Effort is there and he knows what good forward structure and pressure looks like having played in a Premiership team. He is also pretty vocal. Can't see him having a huge impact on the scoreboard but offers the vocal organising/education side and a big decoy body to take the 2nd string defender away from Watts. At least until another develops at KC to replace him such as Weids or Huilett (spell). Big M is also very vocal and leading by example this year in the middle and around the ground. When he's ready to return we also have H. Also vocal, does his best to lead by example and also a premiership player who would also know how to organise the troops, get the structures right on forward press/zoning etc. In short we have four solid leaders. I would also add Mr Vince in there. No doubt he is also vocal on the field and a huge help in defence and around the ground generally. i think the basis of leadership is there across the lines provided they're on the park and in form. Personally we just need to top up with experience/seniority now to finish off the Good work by the youngsters as well as knowing when to slow things down/correct their mistakes where possible and just having the bigger bodies to handle the riggers against the top clubs. If they also bring leadership qualities then of course that would be a bonus but not super critical IMO, provided they get the job done.

If wishes were horses Pro. 7 or 8 is the most likely if being realistic

This cycle can only be broken by bringing in quality leaders/experience (who are amazing by foot, preferably lefties!) next year SW. If Simon, the club/FD are still promoting their 'games into the kids' policy for 2017 I would be extremely worried about any significant improvement on this year. With such a young/inexperienced list (overall) there is a ceiling on how far the young fellas can take us with the few experienced seniors we have at present. By continuing to do so In 2017 this will also offer an easy 'out' when the losses are flowing with "it's still a comparatively young list, we have a long way to go and there'll always be some ups and downs" mantra. Only by breaking the 'youth' nexis in the coming drafts and balancing out the list from being too "youth" heavy into a balanced mix of youth (sub 50/60 games), some mature developing players (60-100) and more experience/veterans (100/150 plus) will we start to see some break out wins (including away matches) against the likes of the Hawks, Port, Weagles, Swans etc. If we don't act on this and get some serious experienced talent in then I would be expecting only a minor improvement on this year. If I'm being completely honest I'm penning in only one more pretty certain win against Gold Coast at the G and a 'Maybe' against the Blues at the G after that. That's a possible 2 wins for 8 wins this year (max). But It also wouldn't surprise me to see us only get the one more against GCS for a total of 7. If we had a more balanced/talented top end in this list I would be much more optimistic. Maybe next year!

I'd be feeling a bit jaded also

You sure that was only last summer's ('Watts') prediction Mr Leg? ?

Saber this is arguably the most important post (in an overall AFL sense) all year. At approx the half way mark the top 8 is, baring a major miracle, already settled and as you say not much has changed bar the Tiger's miraculous run into last year's finals which was the first time ever a team entered the 8 from such a long way back. GWS one of the AFL's favoured expansion clubs the only difference. The Demons played a solid outfit y'day and were well beaten but boy does it help to have one of the top forwards in the AFL to have come across under a skewed 'Free Agency' system (that allows top teams to pinch lessor clubs or in this case other top clubs, best), kicking a lovely 4 crucial goals (one of them at a critical balance point in the 3rd quarter) throughout the match. It appears the AFL's level playing field is working beautifully...provided you were a top club already! We are coming from a long way back I realise but how can you take the next step when your most experienced players are able to be poached by the top clubs when we all know they are already strong enough and don't need any further help. AFL and all of us (all Clubs/Presidents etc) just plod along as if everything is rosey (bank balance wise I'm sure this is correct for the AFL overall!).

Trenners was speedy at one point!?? o_O

Didnt see the match but that makes sense. Might have suited Dawes also as I seem to recall he prefers to mark on his chest. Something to do with hands becoming 'brick like' when he attempts to mark overhead?

So you're saying If I watch this game I'm likely to go potty?

I would prefer a hearty soup to a Kilkenny....oh wait

Much needed In today's conditions where yardage/possession are even more crItical. Something we dont have enough of. H may have been handy although he can also be choppy with the ball In hand.