Demon Dynasty

It's been 40 years since they kicked us off the G SPC. Hell will probably freeze over before the above me thinks

Waverley in the short term if Caulfield is on but 4 + years away can't be a bad thing yes? It's at least a home under one roof even if temporary and within reasonable striking distance for most. Better than the Casey marshlands surely.

Gerard hates the MFC. I'm not saying he's wrong but i can't see how he'd have much inside running on this.

As individuals the best 22 on our list is presently rating marginally ahead of the 2021 premiership team rating during the 2021 H&A season. That tells me, that we have a decent base to go on. Does it need tweaking, adjusting to suit the fast transition / skills side of the game and to address some of the pitfalls forward of center? Fitness possibly also an issue in terms of running out games plus capability of bringing AFL levels of pressure for three to four quarters? The bulk on this playing list haven't lost their ability.... yet. And for many that ability took us to the holy grail. The basic ingredients, no doubt with a few personnel additions/changes needed at player / FD level, are still there. Make no mistake.... with the right coach / coaching crew and some changes / additions per above, we can absolutely bounce back within two seasons and barnstorm our way into a prelim imho. And who knows from there. Never say never. Some new personnel, tweaks to game style, a return of confidence and belief. Change can be an amazing tonic.

I've heard they aren't so keen on nor'-nor' westerly hurricanes

Well said Andy ty

Round 21, 2025 Marvel Stadium - Demons vs Eagles Well a win's a win. Unfortunately too little too late to save the coach but that's the way footy goes sometimes. We had more than a few seasons of experience above that of the Eagles across the park which stood out at the end and we produced an efficient return on the scoreboard for a change. Great to see Jai come in and have an immediate impact. Hope we can see him cement a spot from here as a regular 22. Plenty of upside versatility here both as a strong big bodied mid and a medium-tall dangerous forward. His wing role also handy but that might change into the mid/forward role as his time in the seniors progresses and he gains more experience / confidence through the middle. That was our third best team rating for the season. Our best was Rnd 11 vs the Swans (77.6) and 2nd best Rnd 7 vs The Tigers (74.1) Viney appeared to be on a mission in this match. And even though we weren't playing much i thought that was a vintage performance from Clarry. He was in everything and his hands were so much cleaner, with more purpose / thought than we've seen of late. Old cool hands Clarry was back, running amok in and around the packs scooping up the loose ball and distributing to players in better positions with a bit less turnover and panic gives to players a few feet away under pressure etc. Let's hope he brings this level more often in 2026. The biggest worry for me on this performance is Sparrow. He's generally had a pretty 'meh' season as they say so far. What role is he playing for us now given that he seemingly under-performs a fair bit? Does the introduction of players like Cully and Lindsay make it harder for him to retain his spot going forward? Assuming those type of players are able to produce on a consistent basis going into 2026? While i'm not writing Sparrow off either he surely has to be on a bit of a 'watch this space' status yes? The other that has to be under even greater scrutiny for 2026 surely, especially now that Simon has departed, has to be Spargo. I'm just not sure what he brings to the table going forward. * Apologies for the poor formatting on these tables. Not sure why but they just haven't loaded / presented as they usually do. Scoring Efficiency Demons Eagles Disposals Per Goal 18.38 39.00 % In50s Goal 36.20 17.80 Conversion % 61.80 50.00 Average Attributes Melbourne Attribute West Coast 187.1cm Height 188.4cm 85.9kg Weight 84.3kg 26yr 1mth Age 24yr 0mth 123 Games 71.7 Total Games Played Melbourne Games West Coast 6 Less than 50 11 5 50 to 99 6 3 100 to 149 3 3 150 to 200 2 6 200 or more 1 Player Rating Rank 2024 Season Rating % Change vs 2024 J Viney 5.025 1 3.178 58.12 C Oliver 5.000 2 3.364 48.63 J Bowey 4.900 3 2.755 77.86 C Salem 4.625 4 3.421 35.19 C Petracca 4.475 5 4.476 -0.02 Max Gawn 4.250 6 4.132 2.86 K Pickett 3.650 7 2.433 50.02 K Chandler 3.575 8 2.223 60.82 T Rivers 3.525 9 3.391 3.95 J Culley 3.325 10 - 0.00 H Petty 3.325 10 1.701 95.47 J V Rooyen 3.250 12 2.026 60.41 B Fritsch 3.175 13 1.746 81.84 C Windsor 2.850 14 2.275 25.27 D Turner 2.825 15 1.393 102.80 H Langford 2.650 16 - 0.00 B Howes 2.425 17 2.341 3.59 T McDonald 2.375 18 2.967 -19.95 J McVee 2.200 19 2.816 -21.88 Ed Langdon 2.125 20 3.089 -31.21 T Sparrow 2.100 21 2.517 -16.57 J Melksham < 64% 2.050 22 1.850 10.81 H Sharp > 18% 0.450 23 - 0.00 Team Rating 73.70 65.17 13.09 Top 6 28.28 22.53 25.50 Bottom 6 13.28 14.04 -5.45 > Subbed out TOG % > Subbed in TOG % Stats courtesy of footywire.com and wheeloratings.com

So you are wanting our new coach to have a nervous breakdown on commencing? One thing i do know, if it's Horse then Kolts getting promoted into the middle!

Hard to go past Horse. Three GFs in 12 years. Almost always in finals Yes he had COLA & academy i realise but all you can do is get your team in to a granny. A bit of prep and strat leading into it of course but the rest is on the playing group to deliver on the day. There aint a heap of stuff the coach can change on the day to win it for them other than minor tweaks. That's IF he still has the fire in the belly? If not then fingers crossed the club gets this one right. There's still a prelim or two (or better) left in the bulk of this present group with a few tweaks i reckon.

Thank you for the flag and the amazing year that was 2021. And the amazing 2018 finals efforts / results. Forever a legend of the club and forever grateful for all that he and his team achieved during his tenure.

He was managed very well indeed. They helped build his tank and two running up in the early part of the season by playing him off a wing for the most part. He was then switched into the middle / pushing forward (similar to his work on the wing in this regard) a fair chunk of the time in the last 6 weeks or so (don't hold me to the exact timing or % of time spent in the middle vs the wing during). I believe the fitness / tank plus defensive focus on the wing plus the ability to push forward and impact there both in the air / and pressuring inside 50 really helped. He also looked much more at home (at Casey) when being played through the middle and whenever he pushed forward. His height and size a huge asset when playing forward. He's a big boy on the flesh and ready built for the riggers of AFL.

P.S. DZ We also can't handle much pressure once the oppo turns things up a notch And we seemingly are unable to sustain in for long enough periods either. That was something you could pretty much take as a given in most matches from 2021 - 2023 Now mostly vanished into a very brittle group. With some sustained individual efforts from a few on the day, the exception. Same can be said in the upstairs dept. As soon as we are looking like a fairly strong favorite to win, we appear to mostly turn our tails up and lose too many of those very gettable 'going in as favourites' matches, with some exceptions of course. Having said all that, maybe i am totally wrong on the reading of all this and we are about to miraculously turn things around from here and launch into next year storming our way up the ladder and into a serious finals stint. Simon might be correct. Mine is just one view / opinion and an amature keyboard one at that. Stranger things have happened but i won't be placing my hard earned on it. Love to see it though. Seen too many years / decades of MFC crappola in my lifetime.

There's some great individual efforts no doubt DZ. What the stats don't show unfortunately is the other defensive running / work rate side, selflessness, footy smarts, conversion of entries inside 50 in terms of how we bring it in, general abilities of some in terms of forward craft particularly the two talls that appear to be in Simon's favourites list in JVR & Petty who have both been mostly woeful options. Yet Simon keeps going back to them. Turner, while playing most of the season down back and showing he is well versed and accomplished here (albeit still learning) and can be switched back there to play whenever required. Should have been given a serious trial as a forward, at least once any chance of finals was gone which is now weeks ago. Would Turner make it as a dynamic mobile marking tall forward that converts pretty accurately? Something severely lacking for us over many years now. Under Simon we will never know the answer to that. He is unable to throw caution to the wind and trial these things (seriously) for more than a half of footy or so before reverting back to his old standard of preference for as many 'dour' defensive types we can put on the park. Unfortunately the mids aren't what they once were. They can't cover two way defending often enough or long enough. They aren't as commited / desperate over the ball as they once were bar Viney. We are slow as a wet week in general through ths middle other than Kozzy. Can't hit targets often enough coming inside. Constantly turn the ball over and cant get slick chains of footy going in transition often enough. Terrible style to watch even whem losing which happens as we know. No grit to find a way to win. The list goes on DZ We are bottom four for a reason. We are a woeful team.

Sorry where am i going Dr?

Team & Player Ratings to Rnd 20, 2025 vs H&A Season 2024 * Played less than two full matches < Subbed out at least once or more > Subbed in at least once or more Stats courtesy of footwire.com & wheeloratings.com

Hasn't he said same or similar on numerous 'shiiite the bed' during red time occasions already?

He also doesn't hit the scoreboard and can't kick beyond 35 meters or so. At least put a dynamic player in as sub who can have an impact off the bench and brings some sort of dangerous asset to the table. A dour plodder is the last person you want as sub but Simon seems to think otherwise.

That's the only place he should ever play from here Dazzle A very handy 2021 contribution and will always be a flag champ but imho the game's well and truly gone past him now. Absolutely perplexing selection last week by the SC with no integrity based on performance vs the Blues the week before. The SC is watching a different Casey team to me of late. Either that or Simon just refused to even look and just keeps going back to the 2021 well most of the time expecting players from then will somehow miraculously find their 2021 form if played at senior level often / long enough.

Thanks DZ There are often exceptions to generally very poor quarters / matches and appreciate hearing about Riv & Salo's efforts. Some playing with pride and able to finish off four quarters then. While too many are often dropping right off? Surely the fitness / HP side has to come under severe scrutiny at season's end? (among plenty of other aspects of the club & FD!)

Round 20, 2025 MCG - Saints vs Demons Unwatchable and have not watched anything v the Saints. So i can't comment at all on who did what or who didn't. So glad i chose to follow Casey and avoid the seniors from the week before this disaster. I'll always appreciate 2021 and Simon shall remain a legend of the club for breaking the drought. But i'm done and dusted from here and can no longer watch a SG lead seniors group. They just keep finding new ways to shiiite the bed! What a contrast it is watching the way Casey goes about its business. While they are far from world beaters they at least turn up most weeks and quarters. The gut running, overlap work, the desperation, the ability to maintain structure, the semblance of decent forward method, the slick forward handballs and decent finish in front of the sticks , the leading up at ball carrier etc....is so refreshing to watch. All lead by a very proficient Tom Campbell in the middle and beautifully coached by Whitford. TC can play (at least at this level). I'm sure he'd do ok as a back up against some lessor lights at AFL level if given the chance for a managed Max. No he isn't the future but for his age he is very effective and influential at VFL level. His influence is even more evident once Verrall is switched in. While Verrall isn't all bad and does win the odd contest, he just isn't a patch on TC and the team tends to lose momentum anytime TC isn't about for lengthy stints or resting forward. Even resting forward, TC has an impact at times and a handy target / spoiler that will at least get the ball to ground if he's at the drop. Let's hope Casey keeps its mostly winning streak going and gets either a wild card birth or maybe even slips into the eight. They have the third best percentage in the comp which might help their cause. > Subbed out TOG % > Subbed in TOG % Stats courtesy of footywire.com and wheeloratings.com

Bloke knows where the goals are that's for sure. He also manages to find space and mark on a lead / in space somehow. He has that natural forward craft knack that Chin & Spargo don't have. Sharp also knows how to find the goals but so far at senior level he just doesn't get enough of it. If he gets another season and ups the ante next year. Who knows. But will he? He's been ok in patches at AFL level but super disappointing alot of the time as well. No worse than Spargo though who keeps getting the call up after showing no serious form at senior level all season.

The club has history of knee [censored] re-signings both at coach and player level that are oft too early and oft based on short-term upticks in performance. Too easily impressed / satisfied with mediocre and / or promise / hope vs patience / reality. And they too often sign overly lengthy unjustifiable contracts. They should have waited to see what transpired in 2024 after the twin straight sets exits. This is a very poorly managed / run club, not necessarily in all aspects but far too many, that STILL has no home base after 40 years. The rot starts from the head.

This is def a contributing factor in us going from a flag to a bottom 4 club in under four years. Great post SPC. It's been said so many times by so many, particularly in the last three seasons (inc. this one). Almost zero accountability and selection integrity is almost non-existent under SG. That is partially on the SC but bottom line the coach has the final say. Ultimately the problem goes all the way to the top and he has shown no signs of changing his ways with plenty of opportunity to do so. The selection of Spargo & Petty ahead of AJ and *multiple alternatives to Spargo this week was the ultimate proof and the final nail for me. He owns the flag with all the kudos that comes with it ... and deservedly so. But so must he own the subsequent debacle we are now witnessing.

Absolutely Ox. I suspect some players are taking the pizz and need to be moved on but there is no way in hell we are this bad. The outcomes we are seeing are largely a result of what is spitting out the other end of the coach's sausage machine. Ultimately it's his recipe and cooking. The players are the ingredients. With some past their use by and a few others are rotting and a few replacements needed via some visits to Aldi.

The phone line (a.k.a. the membership hotline and the only one publicly available that standard nuffies like myself can call) was down and still on the standard "our business hours are" recording when i called at 10.20am All's well at HQ then yes