Demon Dynasty

I wouldn't Cowboy. I wish Mitch all the best as well and i'm sure he has some issues to deal with. However, if i were to see him settle up with us and step out of the game for the remainder of the year, only to see a miraculous recovery towards the end of this year and a return to AFL with the either the Dockers or Weagles in 2015 kicking ass, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

ENYAW i think there is much truth to this but i also think it lies somewhere "between the ears" and what OD is alluding to ie., that you can't make a silk purse etc. Apart from their inability/lack of coolness/awareness under heat to execute under pressure, there are some major issues the bulk of our team just hasn't shown, not since at least 2006 or so anyway. There have been some minor break outs, where i've seen signs, like the first 15 minutes or so of the first quarter against the Saints this year and one other match where we almost beat the Saints going back a year or 2 (can't recall which year or round but it was under Neeld's nightmare reign). We haven't been able or capable of producing the shear all out animal aggression and attack on the ball and ball carrier that we see from many of the top teams on a regular basis that pressures them into regular turnovers (this could be a youth issue but hey, i feel that's a cop out...the Saints were as inexperienced as us!). This is very much linked to the above, we just don't hunt the footy or opposition in numbers like other top teams do, nor do we run in waves from the back half, nor spread quickly enough from stoppages, nor lead up and back enough to provide targets further up the field like top teams do over the course of a match for at least roughly 3 out of the 4 quarters (ie., enough of it to ensure they have a good chance of staying in a game or winning it). We don't take enough risks in play generally. That is, we prefer to try and maintain possession. There's very few desperation acts ( such as punching/kicking/slapping ball forward along the ground or at a ball up contest). Nor do we run the ball (bouncing) and drawing the opposition to create the overlap all that often (the stats so far this season bear that out). Given we don't yet have the precision skills by foot when looking to break the press, this usually results in most possessions being either a switch kick to an easy free man, either sideways or backwards in the back half, or a quick panic handball (often when under little or no pressure) to basically anyone within cooee, even if he is standing still or about to be wrapped up, often resulting in a turnover and quick fast break goal/score to the opposition. We seem to rarely cover the sweeper (+1) effectively in the center bounce, which usually allows that free man (should he gain first possession) an easy first disposal, which will then more often than not result in a quick pass, bomb or running play forward into our defensive 50, placing huge pressure on our defense too often when there's a center bounce. The opposition often manage to knock it towards (or we knock it towards) their sweeper. I have yet to see us effectively cover the +1 through the middle. This scenario also plays out in ball ups/stoppages around the ground at times (but not all the time, sometimes we manage the +1 or +2 and win the contests around the ground, but not very often and less so through the center bounce). Usually we just don't match up effectively at stoppages and lose the numbers game, often resulting in first clean possession/clearance by the free man or men, and hence sometimes an easy score by the opposition as they run away from stoppage. I would suspect most of goals scored against us are from center bounce clearances, and turnovers in our back half. The mental area that concerns me is our inability (seemingly) to convert the mind. To become the HUNTER.... and not the hunted. We have done nothing in the last 7 seasons and now 2 matches, to warrant being the hunted, so i'm not sure why they appear (at least from what i can see) to be in that mode on game day. Maybe some of them, with the usual exceptions like the Jones Boy, just couldn't give a damn and are happy to take their pay cheque each week? One thing i know for sure, unless we somehow mentally switch on to become the HUNTER and Roos/Jones somehow bring out the animal aggression in this mob, this team will remain at or near rock bottom. P.S. IMO we also lack one more extractor in the stoppages to assist Jones, Cross and Vince on the rotations. Hopefully Viney can become the 4th man here. And to pull off a Geelong fast break overlap style of attack we're going to need some decent toe and passing by foot in this team. Hopefully the changes this week will help a little in that regard. Once we're playing this overlap style effectively and for approx 80% or so of game time, instead of possession style from last 2 weeks for about 80% of game time and we get a Hogan and Dawes into the mix, i believe we will start to show some major improvement on the scoreboard and might even win the odd match against lessor opponents. Maybe even one or 2 surprises later in the season against the odd middle rung team.

There was a full hit out scratch match for over an hour at training today DP so your wish might be coming true.

OD i noticed that a "MACCA" has liked your post....purely coincidence i'm sure

I think the best method to break this is to speak with the ghost of Norm himself and ask him if it's true and if so how we can lift it. Who ya gonna call??? .....

Guys this is very sketchy and light on as i was on the job, but there's plenty of time to peek when in heavy traffic. From what i could make out.... Training started early for a smaller group around 10ish. My understanding it was those involved in the clearance work at the center bounce as there was ball up ruck/tapping drills (positional work?) going on with a group in the middle. One player involved in the rucking side had heavy knee or thigh padding on. Couldn't make him out but looked too slim for Pencil. Tom McDonald lol? About 10.30ish i noticed some regular kicking/passing drills happening with all players involved including the outs, Toump, Michie and Trengove. On my last trip, about 11ish, there was definitely a scratch match on. Seemed like a full hit out and lasted till about 12.15ish or 12.30 Sorry for the lack of details, and the exact times are very loose, but that's as good as i could see from where i was.

Turn it up Cards, he'll be so worried about a clip from behind he'll be 10 metres in front of any opponent, on the lead for the easy chest mark!! Oh shyte...hang on

I don't look at them but hey, might be my only 2 for the year BZ ... cheers!

I would only be concerned if we had a person at the helm without runs on the board. While i understand some players might be carrying scars from recent sagas they are also getting paid well to play at AFL level and some of them paid very handsomely. As long as you don't hold a grudge with any one player afterwards and make it clear that the non-negotiables apply to everyone, and move on and be professional in your application thereafter. I believe Roos is more than capable of doing that and mending any nose joints as the weeks roll around. I also believe him and team are capable of sorting out the wheat from the chaff and filling the gaping holes over the next few draft periods. But it will probably take more than a 2 year commitment for the players to understand and respect that Roos isn't just another MFC fly-by-nighter either and he really is here for a decent period before any handover. 2 years is probably not quite long enough to convince every player to get on board the Roos train IMO (see Frawley). PJ needs to get at least one more year out of Roosy, and quickly.

Excellent point Colin. Our leader's stepping up and it would seem Roos has provided him that voice. My hope is that this is our Geelong "2006" line in the sand year. Enough is enough.

UH if Dermy's rumour is on the money and there's a good chance it was, i can only hope that Roos follows through with actions and not just words. If so, it won't be the club that's f'd .... it will be those players who are unable, or unwilling to follow Roosy's non-negotiables.

This is on the money We tend to go for the out wide easy options when trying to move the ball forward and more often than not do not even look forward or lower eyes as first option when we gain possession. Most players choose the easiest pass off by hand or foot generally sideways or backwards. Classic example was Frawley running through the middle towards the City end y'day. Had a paddock in front of him coming through the front of square and no pressure whatsoever. Could have bounced and drawn opponent in front then try and spot up the loose man or kick to the danger spot top of square. Instead he runs without bouncing not wanting to risk taking on an oncoming player in front, spots the low percentage lead from Watts to the 50 meter arc near the boundary and kicks it to him. Crazy thing was, Watts didn't want the responsibility of a shot at goal (or thought he was too far out) or attempted spot up pass from there either. Frawley had so much time and space, Watts then kicked the ball straight back to him. I have a feeling we turned it over at that point and the Coasters fast breaked it over our heads for a goal. I could be wrong here as i saw so many of those plays yesterday from our turnovers. That piece of play summed up our "Save My Skin" way atm by most players IMO, with few exceptions (the usual like Jones boy, Dunn, but also some newbies to our club yesterday like Mr Bean, Cross and youngster Terlich and in patches Bail). No doubt having a tall genuine forward (or 2 if we got lucky lol) might straighten us up somewhat, but i still think we play "SMS" panick footy far too often and take the easiest, but quite often the worst, option when moving the ball. This occurs pretty much everywhere on the park at this point and once one or 2 players start to do this it becomes contagious. The SMS "no risk - no responsibility" attitude by most players and a generally slow/timid mid field & half back line which refuses to take opponents on with run and carry overlap football (probably because many can't or know they are just too slow across the park) is slowly killing this football club. We need a severe injection of toe and players that will run and carry and take risks moving the ball forward quickly. And if the SMS style can't be trained out of the main culprits, then they need to be weeded out of the team before it kills the club forever.

I think the more important question is who is AFL "Ready" right now? (and likely to play more than a handful of games this year even if injured) In other words, based on their history, who gives us complete confidence and certainty that they will be up to playing the game at a level required to match it with at least middle of the rung teams NOW? Who can we put on the park and know they'll be able to compete and give us a decent contest regardless of who they're up against from week to week and at least see us in the game for most of a match with a chance of winning? I'll give it a stab.... Nathan Jones Dawes* Frawley Dunn Garland Vince Howe Terlich *Assuming he returns this year and plays more than a handful of games. The rest are either; fringe players trying to find there way in the game, rookies or players who haven't truly convinced that they have made it yet ie., the jury is out. The only other player i had a question mark over as i haven't seen enough of him yet was Cross. Excluding Cross, that's only 8 players from 22 that are put on the park each week who we could rely upon to give us a decent AFL standard contest. That's just over one third of the team. No wonder we're getting smashed against quality opposition and most teams find us a fairly easy pushover. We need to find (either from current list or outside) approx 12 to 14 players from here on in just to be competitive against mediocre teams. And that's assuming we can keep the above (Frawley, other?) beyond this year. Roos and Co. have a HUGE job ahead of them and we are at least 2 more drafts from putting together a reasonably competitive AFL unit.

I would add Jetta, Barry and Clisby into that mix as well. And regarding talls it's Gawn or bust for mine. The others just aren't up to it at this level. I'm not even sure Gawn is but i'm hopeful. Max King is too early obviously. Fitzpatrick is seasons at Casey from being a possible AFL footballer at this point. I wish him luck though. It's time to look outside Grimes, Trengove, Pederson and Watts (and i say Watts as he just refuses to man up when he doesn't have the ball nor tackle, contest or hit a pack hard from behind when the opportunity is there) and anyone who can't catch a slow moving Ferry and who continually turn the ball over in their 5th season or greater. When we introduce some speed with AFL standard decision making/disposal, accountability across all lines when we don't have the ball and a Geelong style "fast break overlap" game 80% of the time (see JHK goal / passage of play for example) we will start winning games against some teams in the AFL. Continuing to persist with slow plodders/thinkers/disposers and an 80% possession style of game, similar to that we played today, will only see us 0-22 at seasons end and going backwards at a steady rate of knots and the club more than likely being bailed out in perpetuity by the AFL.

Of course he is RP, but why the need to voice it in public, even jokingly. While he's part of the playing list he's part of the team and it would surely be better for everyone concerned (particularly for the club) if he kept it in-house. He can still voice his opinion to Roos the FD if he wants and his voice is then heard by the most relevant people 'within' the club.

It's very hard to play anywhere on the field in today's fast break end to end running game without a turn of pace or the ability/agility to find it or work your way out of a tackle or congestion. You also need it to quickly find your opponent once the opposition gain's possession and close down space when working a zone/press defence / forward press. Even KPPs and KPFs need a turn of pace to get a break on their opponent on the lead, or to make up ground on a KPF when defending in order to kill the ball. About the only position where it isn't a must is the main ruck role. But even if ruckman don't have pace the quality ones who survive and prosper at AFL level, more often than not, have to have some sort of weapon. Like ..... a great pack mark (eg., Cox), a significant height advantage ( eg., Sandilands) or great athletic ability/agility (eg., Nic Nat / Ryder). Grimes and Trengove would have to be seriously considered in any end of year trades in this regard and i think Bail/Strauss would also need to be considered. We desperately need a speed injection on the outside and off HB going forward or we will not win a game this year, even if with both Dawes/Hogan on the park together and fully fit. We are playing a "slow tempo" stop start style of possession footy off HB and through the middle once we gain possession. This style is ok for maintaining possession (when we don't produce a panick clanger, which is far too often) and protecting a lead in the last 5 minutes or so of each quarter or preventing the opposition from scoring 2 to 3 cheap goals in overtime or to hold on to the ball to win a match. Playing this possession style for 80% or so of match time is not the answer. All it does is ensure we will have most of our possessions in the back half, chipping the ball around from one side of the ground to the other as the opposition has had so much time to push up and press and also set up a wall one kick behind play. Then if we manage to push it past center, the movement is slow enough (generally side to side) it allows the opposition's defence enough time to slip an extra number or 2 back (from the mid/ruckman) to crowd out any potential lead up through the middle. We are then forced to look for targets out wide. Low percentage shot on goal resulting more often than not in a point or out on the full. To easy for most quality AFL sides to counter. In short, the possession "keepings off" style of game we are presently playing should be the 20% rule at the correct game time during a quarter. We need more players off HB (Garland) and through the middle fast paced enough and hopefully skilled enough to instead play the fast break/run and carry (yes that means bouncing the ball and sometimes having opponents run at you, sometimes baulking them, sometimes tacking the tackle but keeping your arms free to handball to next free player etc... ie., creating the free man and overlap) "Geelong" style of game 80% or so of game time. Only then will we see a team that can truly start to compete against mediocre AFL teams who are already doing this and doing it quite well. When our forwards (if we finally get them fit and ready to play) then start to click in, this will also then straighten us up much more often when coming in (instead of low percentage out wide attempts to pass). Yes, it's easy to sit back behind a keyboard and say these things. But this is what needs to come to pass if we're to ever see this team truly become competitive against mediocre teams. When it does, player's will feel it, their confidence will slowly return. And believe it or not folks, this club will actually start WINNING games!

Sorry, i must have been seeing things, did they play today Titan?

I never said he was. I'd just like to know when our highest paid (and arguably our highest rated) player is likely to return or whether he will return at all. And if the club doesn't know the answer then say so rather than sugar coating it with expressions like "extended period of time" and "may require some time to overcome". This could be any length of time....from 426 till eternity. Maybe i'm expecting too much for a professional football club in 2014. I should just expect to turn up and not know who is playing from one week to the next. Under your regime we should just bend over a barrel and take it up the clacker then....we could even play this bloke in our line up and i should be happy as long as i get to pick up my Schwab inspired retro (Fitzroy marooon) scarf each year ....

Yeh yeh....that just proves how much weight i carry on here ... just you wait Henry Higgins just you wait!

T is your Demon emblem sitting down and crapping up there? Maybe on us demonlanders as we spew forth a myriad of.... well....

Some of those would be nice too

Love your optimism RTG, can i have some of what you're having?

haha i forgot about that incident...nice

Which sporting club Leon?

Given our fitness record i think i'd rather see him swimming laps