The Reverend

I'm with you TU. It's not great just yet, but geez, it's better than last year. There is improvement there. There is also still some rubbish at times but it's pretty clear the rubbish is lessening.

Someone has too much time on their hands... school holidays?

We've got this! We'll get home by 14 points in a tough, close fought game. Watts will shine brightly, Dawes will continue to marshall the forward 50 and Chip will dominate the GC backmen. Our midfield will have a battle but will come out on top. Hallelujah - our journey out of the wilderness has begun.

On Sunday, my wife noted, during the singing of the song, that Jake looked a bit like Jimmy. It caused my beer to become agitated to the point where I needed to put it down. I wasn't sure if I was shaking from laughter or from shock. I suppose there is some sort of resemblance in terms of physical appearance but this is where the similarity begins and ends. Jake was good on Sunday but I don't see him as a Brownlow medalist any time in the next decade.

I know what you men. With six minutes to go Carlton needed only three goals. I found it hard to believe that they wouldn't get them and leave us flattened again. I will try not to doubt the boys in close situations again, but history burns deep into the psyche.

Which would have been about par for the course if we're being realistic. On a handicap system, we would almost have gotten over the line.

I understand the despair. I was there and witnessed exactly what you all saw. This is where I'm confused. I can't understand why I was able to sit and not feel as disappointed as those around me. As 14 goal losses go, and we've seen enough in recent years to be able to compare, I thought this was not as bad as some. Our players were always going to be outclassed. Anybody who seriously thought we would be challenging WC for a win were deluding themselves from the start. I sat and watched as the predictable outcome played itself out. Strangely though I was not angry. I was not frustrated. I was not all that disappointed. As a teacher, I know that sometimes you get a class that really struggles to grasp the basics. There's no point in getting annoyed with them. It's just as Roos said, they need to be taught the basics and work within a set of minimum expectations. I hope Roos and his assistants have the patience to do this. At the end of the year it will be pretty clear who can and can't meet the grade levels required to continue on to the following year. So, whilst I was not happy with the ease with which we were beaten, I thought I saw signs of hope. There is a game plan and they are trying to stick to it. When they get better at executing the skills required, we will start to be a challenge for a few sides. When we have a forward line, we might be able to combine the good work done in the midfield with some sound defence and actually kick a few goals each quarter. I think we can still turn this around and suspect that the second half of the season will see some improvement. Having said all that, I'm not sure I want to sit and watch too many more games like yesterday's. In the meantime, I'll stay as positive as I can and look for the small steps toward lasting improvement.

Bring back Rodney Grinter.

That would be his "reward" to the faithful.

Just remind me where Terlich finished in the Bluey last year....?

This is right up my alley JJC. I can safely and confidently predict that we will triple our winning total from last year. We have recruited strongly and made a significant difference to our potential to get the ball out of the middle and into fwd 50. Our defenders will, as a consequence, not be as pressured as in previous times. This will allow them to play a more attacking game and support our midfielders as they pump the ball inside to our forwards. Whilst our forward stocks are a little shaky, I'm confident Roos will build a game plan that allows a larger number of goal-kickers to share the spoils. We will have players prepared to run both ways to create opportunities. The days of midfielders looking up to see no-one ahead of them are past. We just have to be significantly more competitive than in the past. Whilst we might not win enough to threaten the final eight, the top sides will now know that they have to take us seriously if they want to cement their positions. I predict that at least a couple of our wins will be upsets over more fancied opposition. We will shake things up a little this year. No more easy-beats. There may still be the odd thumping but it won't be happening on a weekly basis anymore. How's that JJC?

I'm getting to you OD. This is the most optimistic post I've seen from you in a very long time. It's a pity you let yourself down at the end, but small steps forward are better than standing still.

To use an ironic turn of phrase, "whatever it takes."

A small flaw in an excellent product. Cheers and thanks again for all you do.

All good now. Just had to sign in again and all is working.

Just plain sad. Time for Hird to go away for good. His contribution to the game is forever tarnished. He should walk away quietly and leave a note of apology on the desk.

Hmmm... I don't have the "Use Mobile Version" button. I still seem to have ads on the site using the mobile but not on a PC. No big deal as I don't use the phone version that often. It's probably a Windows phone issue.

Just a couple of questions about the mobile skin. How do I access this, and will it work on a Windows phone?

At this stage, I don't feel like we've lost much. We've been without him so long now that I know what life is like without him. If he does not return, we will survive. We will recruit wisely and replace him with new talent. Life goes on. The club is bigger than any individual and, whilst I will miss his fearless attack on the footy, we will soon be attracting players who want to be a part of the new powerhouse of AFL. They come and they go in this business.

Signed up for life today. Thanks for all your great work on Demonland. This place adds a little something to my life and provides a refuge when I just need to stop thinking about the important stuff and focus on the absolutely crucial, indispensable, compelling core of human existence.

I grew up in Hawthorn during the 50s and early 60s. My family were all Hawthorn supporters. The Hawks were hopeless and never won anything and I couldn't bring myself to go to the footy with my grandpa any more. I told everybody I was dropping the Hawks and following Melbourne who were winning everything. Since 1964 it's been a very bumpy ride and the tables have turned. Even after all the pain of the past 50 years, I could never just drop my team and change allegiance. I've paid my dues and want to be a part of the celebrations when we return to the glory days.

Really?

My wife would say something less kind. She would tell me how stupid I am and that I should just stop watching football or "change clubs for goodness sake." I don't listen to her because she is English by birth and lacks that part of the brain that understands AFL football and the nature of the supporter. I do find this strange given she's from Newcastle and should be infected by an unshakable faith in Newcastle United. Maybe it because she's a woman - I don't know. You'd reckon after 37 years I'd understand her, but no, I'm still struggling. A "mental shell"? Maybe just mental!

I'm with you Bossdog. This is a crazy environment. I would hate to be working in this quagmire of pessimism and gloom. Bring on the season and let's see what we can do. We are heading in the right direction.

You know, in every adversity there is an opportunity. If we are without our tall forwards for a few weeks it means we have some extra time developing our defensive structures. We get to understand really well how to counter the rebounding attack out of our forward line. This will stand us in good stead later in the season when we do have a fully functional forward line. I'm sure PR is planning to use every game as a learning opportunity as he builds our capacity to deal with a whole range of game-day eventualities. Remember how, in the past, we have not been able to counter shifting momentum in a game and how there has never been a plan B or an ability to adapt the strategy to meet needs quickly? It's going to change. It's unfortunate that we are not starting with our best 22 but the reality is that very few clubs have their best 22 on the ground every week. It's just that the good teams are able to adjust and deal with the gaps left by injuries. This year will be about building the team and its ability to respond in any given situation. Next year it will all come together and we will win more than we lose.