Demon Dynasty

While I agree that Sellar has done nothing this season i still notice that he manages to draw to players every time - something Martin can rarely accomplish. martin has had a shocker of a season though.

And those saying that we showed nothing today are exaggerating. Morton nearly took the game on and broke out of the midfield and nearly kicked a goal from 55; Mitch Clark gave us a reliable option up forward when really our delivery was pretty ordinary. i was at the game last year and I can tell you it was FAR worse.

But it was like the cats were just mucking around at times and cutting us apart.

He wasn't our worst and tried hard, but he needed to kick this (or find a target who could) in order to make up for the blunder he had just made (which resulted in the centre bounce which resulted in him getting the receive and run out of the middle for the shot at goal) on the wing, giving one of the worst cough ups of the day straight to a Cat when we were running the ball, cleanly till that point for a change, out of defense and were within 3 goals of the cats. His turnover directly resulting in a Cat rebound goal to give them the extra breathing space and power on from there. I agree his contested ball and tackling efforts were an improvement on what he's dished up earlier in his career so he is improving his game slowly and surprisingly.

This, and Grime's poor decision to play ring around the rosey out on the HFF earlier in the game (eventually losing the ball to his opponent), instead of a quick kick to the danger spot.....cost us 2 rebound goals and any chance of getting within striking distance of the Cats. 2 huge team deflators.

2 of the softest umpiring decisions in front of goal to Bartel and Pods didn't help our cause either. Standard fair at the Cattery though.

Probably all we can ask for at the moment. Will be interesting to see what/if any changes for next week. Sellar/Fitzpatrick, Bail/Couch? Wouldn't mind Bennel given another chance, has had a couple of good games at Casey it seems, and we could use some leg speed. Sylvia? Has been ordinary for his first two games, but he's exactly the kind of player we need doing well.

Same for me. Sellar has no idea how to play forward and had no impact at any stage of the game other than some occasional half decent ruck work (compared to Jamar anyway) in the centre bounces and a one off contest on the ground at HF at one point in the last.

Jurrah into the middle to provide some evasive skills, a little run and some clean ball handling. Although i fear he'd be a week or 2 away from coping with a full game at AFL level. I would replace Davey with a small classy crumbing forward...if we had one. At this point i'd take Bennell for Davey until we can find a replacement for Bennell. And hopefully that'd be within a few weeks as i don't rate Bennell at all at this level. Davey is a shadow of his former self and it's too sad to watch him play at this level any further. Time to hang up the boots IMO.

And if i see Jamar give off another handball to the advantage of our opponents, to a player standing still, to the feet of our players, or to no one in panic, or to someone who's well covered...i'll spew up. The opposition must be gathering around Jamar like vultures, waiting for the scraps he gives off. His disposal by hand and choices once he gets the ball are not AFL standard at this point other than an occasional quick kick around his body out of the middle into the forward line or out wide, and who can't get that part right. Pitty we don't have a decent replacement pushing up.

I also hope Neeld doesn't persist with Howe, Morton, Bate and Trengove rotating through the middle. We'd be lucky to win against GC or GWS with that set up. Although i guess he doesn't have too many alternatives at this point. Must be tearing his hair out on this one.

Unbelievable. Viney & Gysberts in the one match and first up game for Jack. Smithy's curse strikes again.

We now know that Neeld will not play anyone who does not tackle or go in when it is their turn. No matter who it is.

Finally this club has woken up.

JOY.

You can say that again. Maybe 1994 was the last time i saw anything like this at the MFC.....and i'm not even sure we had a mantra like this under Balme. Northey yes, but that was 20+ years ago. Been a bloody long wait but we're finally seeing some baby steps towards the emergence of a real hard edged, hard nosed footy club on the field of battle.

The Cats vs The Demons Round 6, 2012 – Team Stats

Total games played

Cats - 2,408 (Last time they played, Rnd 19 2011) 1,981

Demons – 1,573 1,394

Games Average

Cats - 109 90

Demons – 71 63

Height Average

Cats - 188cm , 188cm

Demons – 188cm , 188cm

Weight Average

Cats - 88kg , 90kg

Demons – 88kg , 86kg

Number of players by category

0-49 Games

Cats - 9/17 (number of players/average games played), 3/16 (Last time they played)

Demons - 9/24 , 12 /24

50-99 Games

Cats - 3/86 , 4/80

Demons - 6/80 , 4/73

100+ Games

Cats – 10/199 , 15/201

Demons – 7/125 , 6/136

Stats courtesy of footywire.com

On side note, im thinking about Saturday and im worried. Tell Moloney he is not thinking about a zero possession game last yr. If he gets 10 or less than 15 possessions this year, it will be seen as a failure, or result of last year. If we lose by 100pts, it will be seen as a result of last yr. Any thing less than 10 goals will be seen as par. I get the sense that the club is on a hiding to nothing this week. If we are thrashed, the media will go crazy. If its an honourable loss, the media will leave us alone. If its a good loss or (god forbid) we win it, it will go down in club history (the win). Im not holding out for a win, but hope we get within 6 goals, at best.

This week is a week that could be the making of a club, or the continued culture of 47 yrs. Pls Dees, stand up!!!

Don't worry too much Gid. This is gonna be a last man standing arm wrestle...right to the final siren. The Cats will know they've been in a massive battle to the death....that's IF the Cats survive, and if they do i'd say about 4 goals max.

A break out "line in the sand" game for Neeld and most of the boys tomorrow and a paradigm shift for the Melbourne Footy Club.

We could also lose a few players at the tribunal. I'm prepared for a trip back to the 80's as far as the biffo goes for this one, i just hope they keep their eye on the footy after they stop brawling lol.

This game will be spoken about for many moons by Demonlanders, footy scribes/journalists and ex players ... as much as, if not more than 186.....for entirely different reasons.

Get ready for one all almighty battle Demonoids!

Give the teacher Neeld some time to work with the troubled student and we might see some lifts in grades. He has already dished out one suspension, and I assure you if Sylvia is caught smoking on the oval or graffiting the boys toilets again he will serve a heftier suspension. The point is we don't expell him because he may just become an A grade student. A rambunctious A grader. Maybe.

It's a good point Strawb. My only problem is, where do you play him? He doesn't come across as an A grade anything position wise atm. Not saying he wont be A grade. He's had flashes of brilliance in a few odd games that's for sure. So i reckon if anyone's able to get to A grade in this team, apart from Jones & Mitch, it's Sylvia. Just trying to work out where he does that.

Can be a bit of a selfish player at times (goal hungry i mean).....so maybe FF is a good place to start? Mitch would have to move out to CHF, which i reckon he's been doing in small patches in some games anyway till now (or just being asked/pushing himself to play high from FF maybe).

Whatever happened to e25, Lutz & Artie Bucco?

Aren't Bucoo & the Dr one and the same?

If there is even a wiff that he would look at coming back to Victoria then we must have a serious crack.

As an aside, does anyone else see the irony in Dr Who having a crack at our 'old culture' whilst adopting a pseudynom form a 1960's BBC sci-fi character. What a hip cat! Tells me he is a troll, just not a clever one.

Nice post RR.

Would be a major asset in the midfield and could help take us to some extraordinary wins and seasons during the Neeld era.

Might make up for missing the Judster a little too and give us that extra hard edge and run through the middle.

Gotta go real hard on this one.

Cons

Unless you've trained as a ruckman before, your chances of doing a serious injury are very high.

Watts is no ruckman, never was, never will be. Why waste his development learning a very specific craft he'll never use long term?

Kthanxby.

Agreed. He'd be smashed in the ruck at AFL level by the bigger crash and bash blokes and still won't learn much.

FB or CHB is the only option for the remainder of this year IMO, whether that's at Casey or in the seniors (if a place arises). Preferably the seniors when there's 2 talls to match up on, like this week....Pods & Hawkins. Replace Tom for Watts or Garland for Watts. Not this week obviously as Tom & Garl have earned their place. And Frawley is too important to leave out down back. But for the future, in a similar twin tower set up if Tom drops off or needs a rest at some point, or maybe Rivers injured etc.

Needs to learn 3 major aspects of the game.....

1. To be accountable and play a close checking game on his man when we (or he) doesn't have the ball. Playing him on some of the AFL's solid or great forwards will show whether he's capable of doing this (given enough opportunity).

2. IF we're earmarking or considering him as a forward at any point from here.....he needs to learn where to run, how to run the patterns and the most important part....the timing. In addition he'll also learn how to use the body to move his opponent in the marking contest. Playing him on some of the AFL's solid or great forwards will hopefully show/teach him this.

3. Courage, hardness and commitment at the contest for extended periods of time (sometimes referred to as intensity). If he doesn't find this he'll be in trouble and it'll be there for all to see when playing a key position down back. There's no where to hide. On the positive front, if he does bring that side....it'll also show and he'll be rewarded accordingly and learn while doing so.

Yes, he'll get some hidings on occasions in a key defender role, but he'll hopefully learn and grow. And if this still doesn't help him to learn how to play forward and to be accountable/bring the intensity up forward.....then he might learn how to play a solid role in defense as a fall back....maybe. He might even be able to go both ways and give us some run and good ball use out of defense etc eg., Scarlett. He's been doing that as a loose man across HB for a while now to some degree.

Edit: Playing him in the ruck for 2 to 3 weeks or so at Casey wouldn't be such a bad idea to start with. Might harden him up a little before his key defender stint. Preferably AFL level as defender though...not sure he'd learn what he needs to learn from many of the opponents' forwards at Casey...apart from the accountability aspect.

6 key match ups that we'll need to break even in if we're to have any chance IMO.....

Jordie to Selwood

Beamer to Chappy

Tom Mcdonald to Pods (initially....swap with Frawley at some point if it's not working)

Frawley to Hawkins (see above)

Bartram to Stevie J

Trengove to Bartel

Carn the Mighty Demons!

We rarely clear the ball from the centre bounce. This failure is important in our poor results.

One of the four Demons in the centre square is low-skilled, slow, and has no spring. He is invariably shorter and slower than his direct opponent.

We blame the midfielders for their inability to clear the ball. Perhaps they receive less assistance than their peers.

We are too much influenced by the hit- out statistics, though against Richmond they did highlight the lamentably low efficiency of ours. Forget the hit-out stats. Watch the game closely. We are rarely hitting the ball to our advantage. Perhaps Spencer or Gawn will one day be able to knock the ball to our advantage.

No. 2 in average hit outs in the comp over the first 5 rounds. Only bettered by Sandilands. Mumford a close 3rd. Tom Bell-Chambers sitting in 4th but with about 9 (on average) less hit outs per game so far. Jolly in 6th with about 10 less on average.

Hit outs to advantage efficiency might not be up there with some others, but the middle is seeing some pretty major rotational change ups through there atm while Neeld and Co. filter through the players to trial, try and train them.

I wouldn't worry so much. Once the efficiency goes up ie., Everyone learns where they're supposed to line up in the structure and when/where they're supposed to run into the regular Jamar hit out "zones/spaces" you'll find it'll slowly get better, as will our clearance work. Currently ranked 10th in clearances.

We don't just need more clearances though.....it's the disposal efficiency that's letting us down big time IMO. We're sitting last here behind the Cats and GC. Once this goes up substantially you'll see most aspects of our game improve, including better quality of entries inside 50 and more goals.

Dumping Jamar at this point would be a huge error IMO, unless you replace him with someone of similar quality or better and who has a ready made AFL frame. And other than Sandilands and Mumford, at this point we'd be taking someone of lessor value IMO.

Build up Fitzy and Gawn as back up etc sure....but a big mistake losing Jamar (if we have any say in it) for mine.

Would be wasted in the ruck. Jamar can handle that bit provided he's fit. Hawks won a GF in 2008 with a pretty average ruck set up.

A great CHF clunker/goal kicker/leader up forward in the making....and will be way more valuable to us here (unless Jamar gets injured).

Once Bennell earns his spot back i reckon he'll be a good player for us. He has pace and skill which would help our team balance at the moment

What do you reckon old dee?

Pushin' your luck there WA

just stay within 40 points will do

4 goals or less for me.

IMO The Neeld game style will suit our the boys on any "skinny" ground, like the Cattery, the SCG and yes....you guessed it ...even Etihad! More so than the G at this early stage of the Neeld era.

At least until Neeld completes the reno to lock up, at which time we'll start winning most of our games at the G as well (at least against teams 6 and down anyway IMO).

3 to 4 goals i reckon (subject to getting Clark and Chip back). That's about break even for me, as this is approximately what most "away" teams lose in "Crowd Influenced" umpiring decisions at a genuine "home ground" advantage such as the Cattery.

If, by some act of Lucifer, we see some fairly neutral and consistent umpiring, i think we might even win by 1 or 2 goals.

This is gonna be one massive slug fest with no prisoners taken!

Carn the Mighty Demons!

"I've got a coaching mantra: Everyone has a role in our structure and when it's their turn to go, they must play their part."

Neeld and the boys wont except under performers for too long from here, regardless of whether it's a No.1 draft pick, No. 8 or No. 30. I have faith they'll sort this out (including Watts & others) in the next few months and seasons.

As Neeld said, when it's their turn to go, each player will have to play his part. I'm not worried about past reputations anymore. All players, including Watts, will need to step up or they'll be asked to move aside for those who show that they're fully committed to what's being asked by Neeld and the other line coaches.

Unfortunately it was very obvious last week that Watts appears to have missed the boat....for now. I'm pretty sure Neeld and the boys aren't blind. Question is, where to from here for Watts?

One thing i do know. He'll have to find the "Half Ahead" button pretty quickly. Find some hardness of mind and body, and find it real fast, if he wants to play his part in this new crew going forward. A crew that's already in "Full Ahead" mode.

The rest of this season will be a huge sorting out of those players who are going to meet and make it under the Neeld mantra, and some who unfortunately just wont. Hopefully Watts will be in the former. If not, he wont be the first No.1 draft pick to not make the grade at AFL level.

Stevie J reckons he's gonna be a cracker.....at least that's what i heard anyway

Scrap, scrag, pressure, tackle, annoy, spoil, niggle off the ball, shepard/block (for a player in a better position to clear or find space from his opponent ), in and under when needed, quick kick forward to advantage when the opportunity arises etc. 2nd efforts after initial disposal/contest. Occasional 3rd efforts! Willing himself into the contest!!

A great example of what's needed but has been missing amongst too many within the team for too long until this week, and parts of last week.

Whatever it takes! That's Jordie for ya

Well done mate. Keep it goin!

Can someone update on these jumpers? I have one purely for the reach logo but with the EW disaster no longer want it what are my options don't really want the new jumper with new logos either?

War office called Demon Shop yesterday. They said they'd have replacements in around mid May and that a notice would be posted on the website.

We will win some unexepcted ones, maybe this week.

.....WOW....big call Dandee. Let's hope you're right. At Etihad we'd be a slim chance of an upset i reckon. Not at the G and no Clark

Joel Mac , Tom Mc , Bartram ,Morton cannot play in the same side .

Too much butchery .

Unfortunately they are though. Pretty much every week. Our bottom 6 would probably rank as maybe the worst in the league outside of GWS and GC in terms of disposal efficiency with the ball and poor decision making.

And i'm not sure how our top 6 would rate against other clubs or even who they are from week to week apart from say the automatics ins like Moloney, Jones, Howe, Jamar, Sylvia and Clark (not saying this is our only top 6...just that these would probably be our auto ins at this point if fit). And none of those are either meant to be amazing with disposal efficiency (Clark, Jamar), or alternatively all that good at it once they get their hands on the footy (maybe Howe an exception). Although this is only an opinion, i might be way off on that view but i doubt it. Would love to do a comparison of our top 6 (whoever we think they are) and bottom 6 versus other clubs. Maybe looking at.... disposal efficiency, clearances, contested possessions, uncontested possessions, play on percentage and clangers if the data was available.

There's also issues like intensity and attack on the ball carrier, pressuring the opponent, carrying out the game plan as instructed (fitness levels, footy smarts) etc that stats don't cover.

I think if we made an error or judgement this year, it was putting the 2 youngsters up a year or so too early.

I'm an old fashioned bas^%3d and for me it was Beamer all the way as Captain (if he wanted it), Clark as VC and Trengove as DVC. Grimes wasn't even on the park last year so i'm not sure how they arrived at him being joint Captain even though he's a courageous bugger.

Bit hard to drop an "out of form" captain too and the reality is that being so young in their career and so under developed physically, especially Grimes given he missed the latter part of last year, at least one of them, if they weren't captians, would probably have needed some time in the 2s at some point in order to freshen up and regain their form and confidence.

I think when Neeld looks back on this year this will be one area he'll wish he could revisit.

It's quite obvious to me who the men/leaders are out there and it isn't Trengove and Grimes at this point in their careers . Maybe later, but not now. Hindsight is a wonderful thing though.

I wish them luck regardless and hope they do well but personally i'd rather see the both of them just focus on their footy skills/development for the next 2 or 3 years rather than being burdened with the Captaincy at this early stage.

I understand your points Rusty, really I do but him being dropped is way out of line IMO......

As I said he is not immune to criticism, but I wouldn't be dropping one of our few bright spots on the year for a half a game of under-whelming football.

You seem to think that he should go before anyone else, just to teach him (and everyone else?) some kind of lesson that dropping a mark is bad.

I find that to be a bit akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

And while I have said here that he needs to play a lot more consistently throughout a game, he is about the last that gets the bullet this year.

Thanks QC. Hear what your saying. It's a natural instinctive reaction by most supporters to take it as a cheap pot shot against the player under discussion.

But i don't see it as punishment. Not suggesting he be whipped & caned over a few errors from week to week. Otherwise most players from most clubs (in particular ours atm lol) would end up in their 2nds affiliate every week and we'd have no players to play seniors lol. And certainly not over 1 or 2 dropped marks as you're suggesting. In fact i'm not sure how you arrived at that from what i wrote. I don't think he's alone either. There's a few others that could do with a stint and others that probably wouldn't even get a look into the seniors at the top 8 to 12 clubs. We just don't have the depth or quality pushing up so generally we don't have the cattle to fill the gap while they're absent for a few weeks.

As you would know, in top teams, younger developing players are quite often given an opportunity to further develop and improve their game in the 2nds on occasions before coming back in again to perform a role etc. Then there's the "horses for courses" matter of choosing certain types/size of player/s to match up better against certain other teams. Unfortunately we don't have that luxury atm.

Maybe i see it differently to most, but to me this is a short term opportunity, not a negative. Gives him (or any other young developing player who needs it....or a more senior player who might be badly out of form or returning from a serious injury) a little more time (with the pace of the game not as frenetic or the pressure) and space and find the composure and confidence lacking at times with his disposal and decision making. Hopefully while there he can bring his intensity levels and attack on the ball to a point the FD might be looking for a tad longer during a match as well.

By allowing him a little more time and space with just a few matches downstairs, i think he'd come back even more confident and raring to go when he returns, hopefully improving his efficiency, composure etc. And it might be corny and old fashioned, but it might also give him a little shot in the arm to lift even a tad more on his return. Maybe a little prod (challenge) to his internal burning desire and ego to improve himself, the best motivator of all IMO. Not that i'm doubting this side, he seems to have it in spades atm but you never know, there might be even more where that's coming from and maybe he has another level we have yet to see, even this early in his development! I reckon that'd be something worth seeing! And i believe he'll get there too, one way or the other.

It won't happen anyway due to the lack of depth issue so i wouldn't worry. Then there's the argument of where he's best played on the field, and on it goes. Personally i think he's a forward all day everyday. Boy's a natural there to a point. Loves a mark and to goal and i'd hate to curtail that. Send him to play FB for rest of season....learn from the best and lift his contested/defensive/pressure skills. Ready to go for next year, bigger and better and raring to be unleashed from the shackles (i hope)! Having the 2 pronged forward set up of Clark & Watts, with a classy/speedy small forward (wishful thinking) crumbing off the spills would be super for us i reckon.

Ahh yes, lets rid ourselves of one of the few bright spots of the season after a couple of bad plays......

Honestly, while he isn't immune to criticism (and is due some), this is utterly ludicrous.

Not at all. It's an important message to Watts, and others in the team, that half a game of intensity and effort isn't acceptable at this level, particularly against such poor opposition. More is needed and should be expected from a No.1 draft pick at this stage. And don't give me the "oh he's only a kid....give him a break line" pls Q C. (see Dahlhause....far off a No.1 pick....14 games). If he can't play out more than half a game then he needs build his tank up further and also learn how to maintain his composure under moderate pressure downstairs (as do others....but unfortunately not enough decent replacements available) and play out a full game or 2 there.