Demon Dynasty

Adding my palm to help with the record attempt PF. Peace out brother

Fair point but again.... we ain't playing finals and much of this is on the mids / HBs (Nibbler a rare exception on occasions) who often just hack the ball deep instead of looking for holes to kick into leading lanes for a forward to run on to. And those holes have been there on occasions during the seaaon. Our mids / HBs just don't pull the trigger very often. Maybe they have no confidence that any regular forwards will hit up at the weighted ball? Not sure why with Melk in the side although he hit the wall post the Bombers performance. There's JVR and Turner. I've seem Turner push into these spaces on occasions and take a grab. JVR also ...at least when he ain't getting smacked up at CBs! Maybe it's on the forward coach. Or maybe this is also how they're trained by Mcqualter/Simon (ie; umder instruction) Either way this ****show as you call it needs fixing. We are now three seasons on from 2021 and the ****show rolls on unabated.

Balanced post. Played a few good games but he WAS playing as a forward and rarely kicked goals. Highlights yet another massive fail at the selection / player management table from Simon this year. The year of the Petty obsession (up forward... just send him back if you aren't going to stint him at Casey). Has cost the team badly in so many games. The Petty obsession effectively had us playing a man down up forward for most of the season!! And we wouldn't have been the only ones that noticed. The players have a brain, eyes and only so much tolerance / patience.

Assume we're bringing Bowey in to cover off McVee for a heavier stint (2nd week after a 22% CBA last week) in the middle PF. 1. Is a fabulous point and this is where Simon misses the boat. Jeffo is probably another pre-season away from handling the next level but who cares. ONCE YOU'RE OUT OF FINALS CONTENTION WHO GIVES A FF. GET HIM IN FOR MELK AND GIVE THE YOUNG BLOKE A LOOK / SEE AND LET'S SEE WHERE HE'S AT. GIVE HIM SOME BLOODY HOPE ALSO TO PUSH HARDER FOR NEXT SEASON! THIS IS WHERE SIMON LOSES ME ALSO. 2. Nothing against Melk. Great servant of the club and can turn it on when fully fit and in form but HIT THE WALL TWO WEEKS AGO! WHY CAN'T SIMON SEE THIS.?? BLIND FREDDY! 3. Chandler. Laundered for his defensive work and scrapping. Has a major tank and gets to plemty of contests. But as you say doesn't bother the scorer very often and gets caught with ball quite a bit so offers not much with ball in hand. Not sure why you couldn't bring in Brown Dog as sub and at least show him the work rate required then give him a quarter or slightly more in a swap for Chin! about half way throuvh the third? Again what do we have to lose? LEARNINGS SIMON! Woey's had a few looks this year as has Laurie. Not fussed on those two. Woey i'd give one more run in 2025 but needs to start taking his chances. Laurie... still not convinced he has what it takes to make it at the next level. Bedford a big loss here ugh!

I hope you don't mean the rooftops of the new $60 mil development of Tax Payer Park Dr.

This is part of the reason we've stagnated as a club and many no longer taking much interest imv. Simon's selections have, on many occasions this season, been mind bogglingly more of the same olds that don't offer up much in terms of any weapons that will bother an oppo or impact in some way on match day.

Hawkins just retired. Would bring a wealth of knowledge & experience also.

In the clip above, Simon also suggests this to Yze in the box as an option before consulting with Burgess and informimg Max. Keeping in mind we are only hearing snippets of the miced up stuff. There was alot going on lol.

That summary is spot on. Max was due to rotate on in that last 5 - 8 minutes (or thereabouts) and Burgess got hold of Goody (or Simon might have asked ...not sure which) and Burgess felt LJ was (at that point) running hot. Max has quite often mentioned that he was wrapped with the result and happy to take a back seat and defer the ruck duties for the remainder of the quarter to the young colt. What a pitty Luke didn't honour our faith and follow through with a short contract extension. I still believe we would have won at least one more flag in 22 or 23 if he had. After about Rnd 10 in 2022 his body was running around but his brain had long departed out West (with a couple of exceptions...neither of them in finals unfortunately). Simon or someone in the club must have had wind that he was on the way out not long after he agreed to go so i'm not sure why we continued to play him in the second half of 2022. His abscence and missing moments (yes avoiding heavy contact / 2nd efforts non existent etc) was very costly and basically left us playing a man down on many occasions. As much as i love that he helped us win a flag i will always hold a grudge with his 2022 cut and run dufuss moment as i truly believe it cost us at least one more piece of silverware. A very good player at times, but not the sharpest tool in the shed.

I have the same issue during quarter and half time breaks...

Another great post and i've often thought the same thing. The AFL obviously don't care either otherwise there would've been a red card system brought in many years ago. You knock a player out you also miss the rest of that match with the total weeks off also in synch with concussion protocols (or longer depending on the injury eg; fractured cheek bone, jaw etc).

Good summary. That's exactly how i see things now.

Looking and finding for those two specific role replacements would be a task for sure. No harm in trying but we also probably need to consider the change in style aspect. Skill set is also badly lacking this season. Big attention needed in the off here. The FD (Lamb etc) meed to ensure anyone we recruit is tough over the ball but also skilled with ball in hand from here on. Since 2021 we seem to have picked up too many hackers. Speed & agility on the ball also muchly needed. Then there's the ever illusive (for us) tall dangerous KFwhich the MFC never seem to land. JVR might eventually get there. Even Turner. But JVR needs to go to another level in 2025 imho. Not having him play a part time ruck role in the middle might help also.

It certainly is. It's not the first time he's been impressed with them either. The article below goes back to 2021 but shows he was on the money with what they were doing back then, even if the coach at the time wasn't to be. https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/06/24/the-three-big-ticks-leppitsch-has-given-essendon/ Is it just coincidence that he's been at clubs during periods of ultimate success? This would've been a great get for us. Albeit a different role but not dissimilar to the way we landed Choco just before our flag.

I'm with you on this Chook. I've never looked at the game the same way since either. That day and outcome changed the way i see the entire AFL. I now just see it as a conpletely fabricated / massaged competition where the outcomes and general direction are being pushed by the authorities to produce preferred outcomes wherever possible.

Correct and this could also free up McVee (albeit at diff defensive playing role) to start gradually playing more minutes through the middle.

This should be on the table if he's carrying anything and even if he isn't for an early reset / insurance purposes going into the off season

Yes there is that minor problem

This might sound strange but i'll also miss his media interviews. You could feel the pride and joy about representing the club oozing out of him. A stand out fella. While i umderstand nothing stays the same, it's hard to believe we've lost him and Harmes this side of three years post the flag. This one cuts deep and i'm sure a number within the playing group would also be pretty upset over this.

Can't agree more SU. I also felt ill with the lack of public fight on this. The MFC to often takes the softly softly route. Certainly didn't work on this occasion. Need to be more proactive and aggressive where needed. The Pies & the AFL, lead by their outsourced (tied) media circus, were all out to get their mate Bruzz into the prelim and a GF. They got everything they wanted and more! Job done.

If it works L why not! I avoid driving now whenever possible.

We should start a new thread on the pitfalls, potholes and joys of road travelling around Melb. Sounds like you need a heavy duty electric bike L

Is there any chance an in principal deal's already been made in a Houston swap?

Yep a season to forget and just got worse as the weeks rolled on. Back to the old mantra "there's always next year!"

Endurance yes but im just thinking about Nibbler's running speed over distance. As in his ability to quickly get from contest to contest. Charlie seems to lope along a bit but is that just his running gate to the eye? Regardless, finding a replacement equivalent or better than Nibbler wont be easy. He also grew into this role and mastered it over many seasons.