Demon Dynasty

Eye Eye Captain! All ahead full steam!!

What the hec are WE worried about? Storm in a tea cup at our end. Especially after reading this on the AFL website, this has been well covered on Demonland already surely yes as i haven't heard a thing on this before? Not that i'm a believer with anything Dank says but ...... ....."The ABC's 7.30 program has published text message exchanges purporting to be between Goodwin and controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank. In the texts, from July last year, Goodwin reportedly asks Dank to supply him with "the good stuff" and "good gear." "Don't forget the good gear mate," Goodwin reportedly writes on a text sent to Dank on July 5, 2012. One week later, Goodwin reportedly writes: "Sorry mate forgot to see you yesterday. Am heading to Adelaide today can you please bring some of the good stuff in buddy." AFL Media has been unable to independently verify the text messages and subsequent allegations reported by the ABC. Dank said Goodwin was referring to Hexarelin, a peptide that stimulates the release of human growth hormones, the ABC said. "

Ladies and gentleman..... finally after much toil, hair pulling, tribulation, amazing results on the training track and a last minute Danking.....we've found the most important missing ingredient that this club's lacked (on the field) since Neeld's appointment..... BELIEF! And with belief ..... the only way from here is UP! We're off and running fellow demonoids. Enjoy the ride, its not gonna be easy and i'm sure we'll hit a few more potholes along the way, but the turn around over the next few year's is going to be bloody sweet. Stick it right up 'em Demons!

Biff u weren't the guy up the back of the punt road end (behind the cheer squad slightly off centre towarrds the southern stand side) screaming and starting the chant "lets go Melbourne lets go!" were you?

He just doesn't want it mentally from what i can tell. No point playing someone with that mindset as it can be very damaging to the rest of the defensive team's confidence and, Lucifer forbid, may even effect the rest of the playing group if it goes on too long. Cant be good for his confidence either. Needs many weeks at Casey trying to hold down a key forward role IMO. IF, and it's a massive IF, he finally shows a hunger for contested footy and is willing to hit the contest hard without shirking it and play some real hard nosed footy up forward, as well as defenisively trying to pressurre his opponents when he hasn't got it and close check them (unlike now when he just waltzes around with a CGAF attitude once he hasn't got it) then maybe you bring him in for one last role of the die in the last 6 to 8 rounds or so and see if he's turned the corner courage wise. At the moment he appears to have no appetite for the hard contest. The above might seem harsh but honestly, if he doesn't or can't change his present attitude, we'd be doing him (and us) a favour by moving him on to go and play some other kind of sport with very little body contact, such as cricket. As i've said before, unless Watts can get his mind around the "Physical" aspect and committment that's required at this level of team sport then i'm afraid his time in this game will be short lived. If he finally gets his mind around the physical part, then he could finally fullfill his much lauded potential and end up being a damn good AFL player.

6. N. Jones 5. Howe 4. Byrnes 3. Evans 2. Jetta 1. Sylvia Honorable mentions to Gawn given his first game back, Terlich (love his attack, run & hardness at the contest), Garland's refusal to accept mediocrity and fight his way through traffic to turn defense into attack, Chip for his close checking and ability to read the ball in flight and body/pressure his opponent out of the play over 4 quarters and Grimes for his creative play and will to get to another contest.

We only got our act together off the field financially around 2011. Moved in to new training venue around middle of that year too. We've only had 2 pre seasons there with an untried coach. Just moved on to a proper footy oval at Gosch's next to that facility after sharing the front paddock with soccer peeps etc. Not looking to make excuses and current on field 4 quarter effort and skills are deplorable. Haven't won 1 quarter of footy. However, I cant see an experienced proven coach knocking on our door to take over from here unless we pay massive overs and I doubt we can afford that. No choice but to rally around the flag this year and give Neeld and the boys at least 1 more pre season. However, the board would need to lay down some very clear benchmarks for Neeldy to be there for the whole of next year given our pitiful results since he arrived. Today is one of those hurdles. More experienced team, older and bigger bodied. Nothing but a win today is acceptable IMO. Today is the day that determines whether the players as a whole have any beliet in the Neeld mantra/and where he's taking them. Unfortunately we are in such a poor state on the field, Neeld's ongoin tenancy is almost a week by week proposition from here.

Giving some honest views on where we're at, Dank issue and why he joined. Can't wait to get him into this team!

I think we'll win by 8 goals or a tad more tomorrow OD. But even then it's only against a very under manned GWS. But at least we'll be off the bottom. If the worst happens, maybe you should go watch Casey. They play an attacking/creative brand of footy and they actually win sometimes. Just BYO your own seat or maybe you can park at some venues and watch from your car with a nice thermos of coffee and a few donuts! No buglar pre match either!

Sends the playing group a pretty poor message IMO. Tank in a game and you get a weeks rest then straight back in!!!?? Might play well tomorrow but i think most of the boys will against a very under done GWS in only its 2nd season at the G. We win by 8 goals or more i reckon. Regardless, a foolish decision by Neeld and the FD. Then again maybe Wattsy has already found form doing some visualising techniques with the Dalai! B)

Thanks for the report Bananas. My only issue here is that Neeld knew this when he recruited him. If he didn't want his flashyness and brilliance with not much on the defensive side (from a Neeld view point) then why did we (he) recruit him? And when was the last time a player at the MFC was able to dance through 3 opponents? We are in desperate need of some creativity and ball skills (footy smarts) at this club period, let alone the mid field. If he uses the ball wisely, is fed it/or gets it enough and creates forward attacks for us (in a pretty quick fasion at that) AND he has AFL premiership experience and an AFL bod, i say put him in the seniors and leave him there for the rest of the year! As for Neeld's defensive mantra, sometimes the best form of defense in any competitive professional team game is attack! Just ask anyone who's played the Mighty Cats in the last 6 years and so far this season. And if you have "too many" defensively minded players or you're too hell bent on making every player defensive in his mindset and general play, then i don't believe you will be capable (as a team) of taking the game on and attacking the opponent in a bold enough manner, making it very difficult for you to win a game. There's also no other options putting their hands up (or able to ...eg., Magner on rookie list) through the mid at this point and we are way under done on numbers/rotations/quality through there as it is. Hence why we're getting smacked after half time in every match so far. To leave Rodan out (other than for injury reasons) is, IMO, the mark of a very foolish (or stupid) Coach, especially given my first point.

Agree on the Jordan/Barrasi influence but need to add Swooper in there too. Most players were willing to put their life on the line for Northey. He bred the toughest most disciplined unit (at least on the field) i ever saw in his relatively short stint. Even average players played above themselves and were willing to put their life/body on the line on game day for Swooper. He managed to have the boys playing a brand of "win at all costs" footy that has rarely been seen around the MFC since his unfortunate departure. Swooper also opened the club and club rooms up to the supporters and had a warm genuine likeable manner about him post match. He loved the idea of the fans coming in and pumping the boys up after a win, or just being there for them if we didn't. And the fans LOVED it!! He managed to bridge the connection between the player group and the fans and i have a feeling many of the boys enjoyed the banter and feel of the club during this period. The club had a great feeling about the place and an amazing "Belief" that we were capable of going anywhere. This period (1986 - 1995 ish) was the only time (for me) where the club actually felt like a genuine footy club that truly connected with it's grassroots supporter base. The Northey culture continued for a few years under Balme with many players from the Northey era. However, as they matured and moved on that special feeling Northey had managed to garner (along with the "open door" grassroots culture) slowly dissapated. This was a hard act to follow for Balmy IMO but I also think he deserved a few more years and was cut a few years too soon. Not one of Diamond Joe's greatest decisions.

Brian Royal

You might be on to something here. How about we put our decent AFL ready and AFL "potential" footballers in at Casey permanently and every 2nd rate player we can get our hands on into the seniors until the worm turns. Then we bring the other guys back. At least we'd be protecting them from further mental carnage!

I've heard he's going to take over Dr Bate's role

$cully so impressed with our midfield (after Sunday) he wants to return for less money (but not much less) !!!

That's interesting because I heard from a reliable source that Greg Denham is in line to take that over from Peter Jackson in 6 months !!

I'm calling BULLTISH on this one.....the big journos are no doubt under such a pump from their bosses to keep coming up with a BETTER "controversial" spin story in order to out do their counterparts... that they'll put any little bit of hearsay out there. And as far as i know they're saying this was heard through the grapevine.... by a someone who heard it from someone who heard it from...... Hardly rivitting solid sourced journalism. Not even worth a thread IMO. Time to close this one Mods

Really DeeZee? What exactly is making you feel this way hmmmm?

If you believe in this present board so much maybe you should put your name up Stuie. Like serious...get involved mate. Be good to have a few grass root genuine supporters on the board. This present board (and most before them) seem so far removed from what it is they're actually there for and the FD/game itself, need some real footy people there other than just poor old Greg

Great. So the Toiges fans get a chance at a $45,000 car just for turning up....and we get to run on to the G for free! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! (i actually love running on for a kick with me son....shhhh....don't tell anyone!)

I reckon Dr. [censored] is an AFL/Bummers' plant. They built him up and helped enhance his CV a little, then tossed him out to us as soon as they (the AFL & The Bummers) got wind of ASADA on their ass. No doubt the Bummers went to the AFL with this problem. Vlad came up with the idea, the meeting went along the following lines.... "Hey Golden Boy, get him down to Demonland through a back door quickly. Get him to contact that ding bat Dr of their's ... Man Dates. Don't worry, just offer him a few sweetners, he'll take the Bate! Besides, they're a catfish (bottom feeder) club so it will take the heat of you blokes and make it look like 'Other teams' are implicated. No one cares about 'em anyhow so they can cop the rap and act as a distraction. We'll make sure they go down in a big way with drip fed text leaks to the press from our mate Dr. [censored]. It's all sweet Golden Boy. And don't worry, if you need a leg up you can call on your mate Bill anytime for a chop out. Just pick up that bat phone in your office at Rooty Hill and we'll send him over in the Vlad Mobile pronto!".

Drill Drill Drill hand and foot skills into every player from the ruckman down, including marking practice, until their effective disposal % during a match (in an average team sense) is at least equal to the benchmark (Geelong/2nd Quartile) of approx 72%. We are presently running at 69% (3rd Quartile). Drill Drill Drill tackling skills into every player as above versus some sort of par/standard benchmark. Bring in Melbourne Storm expertise if needed to make this happen (or more of it if we've already done a little previously). Our tackling methods and effectiveness has to be some of the weakest i've seen of any Melbourne team in the last 4 decades. Bottom quartile (17th) versus the rest of the comp with only Richmond sitting below us. However, Richmond don't have to tackle as often as they're one of the best effective disposal teams in the AFL over the first 3 rounds, sitting 2nd only to St Kilda. The Toiges are also much quicker across the ground and in their general ball movement. Who knows, it may be a lack of burst speed as well but our turnovers/clangers are certainly confidence sapping for us....and a confidence turbo boost for our opponents! IMO the key here is technique during training and don't overtrain them in terms of heavy bag work as they'll have little left in the tank for match day. Offer a reward or something to incentivise the playing group.... eg., who gets the most tackles gets something. Maybe a day off laps/tackle training the next week or a bag of Wizz Fizz! Recruit at least 2 ready made AFL (or near to it) inside Mid Field players from the VFL, SANFL and/or WAFL that also have great ball skills (also adept at SHUFFLING/FLICKING the ball quickly to our players or out to their advantage in a tight contested stoppage), a quick change of direction and solid burst speed. There has to be more undiscovered Pridduses, Kerr's and Blacks around in the West that are waiting for a chance. Some of whom may have been overlooked in recent drafts. Maybe even a few mature age ones around the 21/22 mark. As above except 1 outside Mid with silky skills that can run both ways all day and is prepared to lay a tackle that sticks and knows where to run and position himself around the stoppages and isn't a "ooo look...there's the ball, lets get it along with my other 2 inside mids". Ie. football smarts. This could be Kent but we'll have to wait and see. Has a burst of intiial speed/laterall movement who can break lines, generally taking the opposition on and able to hit a lead up forward having a decent knowledge of when /where to release taking advantage of the forwards running patterns and favoured side. Recruit some speed and more skilllfull players by hand and foot to play off half back who are willing/able to QUICKLY find a man/or close one down and run with him when we don't have the ball but who also run laterall and forward of the ball quickly once we obtain (or look like getting) possession, playing on at all costs when we do, breaking lines, generally taking the opposition on and able to hit a lead up target with speed. Find 1 or 2 goal kicking dangerous smalls who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty and get in the face of their opponents. Ie., white line fever but extremely talented a la Milne, Betts or Rioli (sorry to bring up that name) A high leaping ruckman like Nic Nat/Ryder to take advantage of the new "1 meter no contact" rule in the ruck contests (ie., tapping more often than not to our preferred drop zones) as well as being reasonably quick/mobile (for a ruckman) and a decent overhead mark.

Master this is spot on. Melbourne are WAY behind on this part of the game as i've been harping on for nearly a year now. A BIG part of the way top players train (and others around them within most of the present day top teams ie., copy cat, do as i do) involves this half flick/toss/scoop/shuffle throw. The idea is to clear congested areas and opponents with a much faster disposal by hand versus a technically correct handball (in the traditional sense ie., by AFL law) in order to gain that first posession or multiple quick possessions to someone spreading latteral, forward or even behind the contest and escape that contest or opponent. But usually it's to someone very close and latteral to or behind the disposing player as often a traditional handball is the best option when moving the ball some distance away, forward ot the player's general motion. No, It's not used every single time a handball is on, but under the pump/in congestion (especially in close) it is being used quite widely and consistently and has been for the past 3 to 4 years now in a professional sense. And no doubt much longer in an accidental/unconscious sense by a few individual players prior to it catching on. The half flick/shuffle throw, demonstrated by Stratton in this passage of play, is technically illegal under strict interpretation of the hand ball law under AFL rules. It constitutes a shuffle throw and incorrect disposal in that Stratton moves/pushes (technically throws the ball) with the hand that's holding the ball (his left hand) just before making a "motion" to hit the ball with his right clenched fist. The ball is guided/pushed/shuffled in the direction of Buddy (ie., to the side of and behind Stratton's body) and only after this movement has commenced from the left hand, does Stratton just manage to connect with the fist putting a little extra air on the ball. So there is a connection with the fist but only AFTER Stratton has managed to push/shuffle in a throwing motion with the left hand in the general direction of the oncoming Buddy. I'm sure if the umpire could see this in slow motion under video review, or he was positioned under Stratton and whoever the Pie player was tackling him (laying prostrate on the ground lol) and had a perfect view, he SHOULD deem it a throw and penalise Stratton. However this is live/fast motion. There's virtualy no way an umpire would be able to call this in a live play situation. Hawthorn knows this, as do many other top teams and they've perfected this and a number of other scoops/shuffle methods so well now that the umpires can't see or call many of them. Especially in congestion with many bodies obscuring clear viewing. This is exactly what Melbourne (and some of the lessor) teams MUST learn to do effectively if we're to have any chance of moving the ball/spreading/clearing congestion quickly away from our opponents as well as move the ball quickly i50 for our talls if we're to have any chance of competing against the top clubs. We are already way behind in this and this is a significant part of why we are unable to spread and move the ball away from stoppages and our opponents quickly, like they do to us week after week. Part of it is talent yes, part of it is fitness yes, and part of it is drilling practice during training. But a large part is drilling practise using these flick/scoop/shuffle methods. If we don't start doing it you can forget about ever moving the ball away from the stoppages as quickly and as effectively....and (at the very least) as often....as many of our opponents are presently doing to us. At least those clubs that have mastered it (including many within their respective playing groups). The clubs that have so far gone a fair way to perfecting it include Collingwood, Geelong, Essendon, Hawthorn and West Coast. Sydney i haven't looked at enough to focus on this appect of their skills but more than likely they've probably caught up somewhat as well. Neeld and the boys better get moving with the times or we'll never catch them!

I heard from a reliable source who was there and this is apparently how it went down guys.... Frawley was boasting big time that he had a beard and Col didn't ...this was in front of a few lasses they were chatting to at the time. Sylvia responded "you can keep your beard Chip.....nobody can match my smooth looks on the field or the dance floor mate!!". Chip then stated that he could take anyone on the dance floor anytime including Col "smooth as" Sylvia!! Some bloke called 'Rick' happened to be near them and overheard Chip boasting and challenged Chip to a dance off! Chip foolishly accepted, Col tried to stop Chip from embarrassing himself and this is where a little push and shove occured between the two of them but nothing too serious. This was caught by a patron on a smart phone and posted on you tube this morning! Check it out guys!!! ........