Balance Demon

Mahoney's professionalism through some of the worst periods of the MFC history has been outstanding. He and the recruiting team have been ahead of the game when it comes to obtaining the best possible draft position each year. He and his team have not gone about drafting the best available. They have chosen the best available for the Melbourne Football Club and the team. I believe he will be missed. Essendon have gained a very good strategist.

I spent a week at Bleasdale one afternoon. We were asked to help ourselves. The result was not pretty. Great wine though, I still buy there Malbec.

Spot on Redleg!

NO, No and no.

I am confused. Is this a thread for "trolls". Most of these comments are straight from the "Trump" twitter play book.

Has been played out of position for a number of years. Leave him at half forward and replace Melksham.

Decided I would have a Scotch before the last quarter and went to bed. Not much change from the Bullies game; other than they played more man on man football to stop the Saints run. This is why the Saints were held up so often in their attempt to move the ball quickly. Smashed in the centre again. Nothing new in that space. I would simply say to Gawn don't bother jumping mate and be the additional ground ball player. The midfield group have very little ability to move/release the ball to another player with and prefer to try and barge through (Viney) when it is in their best interest to knock it forward. River's, he is a good player. Loved the way he is able to play the ground ball. Rather than drag it in and lay on the ball. He hands it to the opposition then knocks it out of their hands and repeats until a ball up is called. Once again the ball carrier is not protected with blocks, and is constantly in danger from own fire because everyone wants to get a touch. Why not tackle or run into our own players? Seems like a plan. We play a much better game when Jackson is in the side. As far as I am concerned is a much better and smarter footballer now than the King brothers. The commentators were having some form of erotic verbal moment every time he went near the ball. Taylor got this selection 100% correct and the Rivers well, as I mentioned before, the boy has an IQ and can play!

I went to the game last week. One of the floors to our set up once the we had kicked a behind (our own) was that the team or coaching panel could not stop the opposition full back from pin pointing a pass into the pocket to a loose doggies player. Who would then pass it on to another doggies player and then they were out. Sitting in the stands it was so obvious and yet rather than man up in forward line so as to stop this transition, they were happy to let it go and each time this was an easy exit with at least three goals coming from this play. It was horrible to watch. I am pretty sure the forward line coach had no idea what was happening. I feel for big Sam, in any other team he would kick four to five goals per game. It is horrible to watch the shear waste. Our speed in transition was as like watching a slow motion train wreck. Once again handballs going backwards and if not going backwards six meters into the air with the opposition standing right next to our player who was standing still or running backwards to try and make a contest. The back flankers (Hibb) butchered kick after kick going into the forward line and was one of the doggies better players. The center bounce / throw up. What have our ruck-man to do? Once again tap after tap direct to the opposition and they easily moved the ball in attack with out a hand being laid on them. Our mid field if first to the ball would cough it up with ease. They simply do not know how to move the ball by tapping on to a player in a better position. Once again the mid field did nothing but fight each other for the ball. Hibbo should have been dropped not Lockart. Tomlinson is not a defender nor is Harmes. Harmes can't hit a target and nor can Hibbo. Don't get me started on Melksham. How does a senior player kick it into the man on the mark from 30 meters out?

In my living memory the number 2 was the best player in the VFL. My friends and I (who all followed other teams) would go only to watch the number 2. His quickness of mind, body and skills were something to behold. I went to a game and watched Steve Smith kick out, after a behind was scored 17 times to a contest on the wing, and the number 2 would either mark it or bring it to ground and still be able to win the contest. His freaky ability to run towards a marking contest and then turn to face the ball and leap, vertically, in-front of the opposition just as the ball arrived is a skill that I have not seen any other VFL player or AFL player emulate. He had the most amazing ability to read the flight of the ball. I think you are able to see this skill in replays. I remember watching WOS (Sunday Morning after all the Saturday games) Sheedy was a panelist. He quoted on TV that he thought number 2 was the best player in the VFL at the time. The beauty of this is that it is on tape.

Kicking to position or advantage. There has been so much written about this skill or lack of skill. The game on Sunday and the previous loss kicks from the midfield or back line have been average to say the least. The number one priority for kicking to advantage is that the player you want to kick too is playing in front, running to a position in front of the opponent. I would like to count up the times that our forwards were not in front, but waiting behind for either the ball that comes over the top or to try and take the big pack mark. In most of these instances the ball just dropped to front and we had no one around the pack. Then look at Richmond's movement forward. I would count that at least 80% of their licks went to advantage. The player could run onto the ball. Our back once again played from behind. If you are in front you always have the advantage. To many times we had three and four players competing against one or two players and we had no one on the ground to mop up. This happened in the forward line as well. Don't get me started on the half meter hand balls to someone standing still or going in the wrong direction. It is true the players are trying to play to fast. The simple matter is why on earth did the player who is half a meter away not provide a Shepard. I noticed how Richmond did this often in close to provide the ball carrier with more time. Such a simple skill but the Dee's not smart enough to understand. I believe it may be about possessions and not the team thing.

I was happy to donate to this cause. I am a rusted on supporter. I fortunately have not been impacted by the COVID 19 situation and I feel for all of the individuals that have been and more importantly for those that have lost the battle with this decease. Perhaps gentleman you should think that you are lucky to continue to support the club, which in many ways supports all of us with joy and frustrations. I have not been happier watching and listening to the optimism and closeness shown by all those involved in the club from the Board to the male and female players. They have embraced the desire to do well or be as good as they can be. I do not often comment on the discussion boards, however I am do comment when I feel certain members are once again playing in the wrong game. The club is the most transparent I have ever known it to be in my 50 odd years of support. We must retain our optimism, or all is lost.

The only downside to the changes is that we have a small forward line, with Tommy being the only tall.

Thanks and much appreciated.

I have been an avid reader of Demonland.com since its inception (I think). We should always praise contributors to the site, providing their contributions are legible and not bullying. I enjoy reading all contributions and always had a giggle at Yzemagic's wonderful sense of mischief and imagination. He/she did get a few readers quite excited. We should all be great full for everyone who contributes to the site whether it is on the mark or not. We are humans, that have passions, emotions and varying forms of skill. Some not so good and some that are masterful. personally I dislike reading a training report ( of which this is the topic) and noting "Trump" like responses which are divisive and ruin what should be an optimistic conversation. I praise the wonderful contributors as we all should by being respectful to how they contribute to this forum. If you are not sure what this means, "Play the ball not the contributor'.

I introduced myself to Peter, when the Dee's played the Lion's this year. My desire was and is to say thankyou for what he has achieved for the club, coaches, players and supporters. A good man and and should one day be awared legend status once the team wins its next flag. Well done Peter Jackson!

Sean Wight was one of the very best half backs I had seen. Amazing leap, so he would often be third man up and punch the ball thirty meters in the correct direction. Speed to burn. Great vision and always correctly placed placed his body to block oposition. A true club man, absolute shame that he left us to soon. I am still sad to this day, that such a good bloke was taken to soon.

I have to admit that the beautiful girl who quoted "infinity" as a number is a budding Eienstien, No way I would have had that consept at that age. In fact I am struggling with your common mutiplication. Brilliant video.

I am lost as to why any a game last year is mentioned at the start of the new season. Learn form the past but move forward. This is a young and skilled team. There are players that are injured and I believe should be walk up starts, however such is our depth now that we can cover them. Secondly the most important aspect of the style that we are trying to develop is that the midfield must look to leading forwards and deliver it appropriately. The team clealy has the learnt its defensive tactics, but it is the number of times that it tries to find a leading forward or correct option, and then misses the target, that is frustrating.

Hi Guys, you left out Warren Dean. He was fantastic. Fast, prodigious kick and a great mark. Truely a shame, that he had a degenerative knee problem.

I only have one thought on Toumpas and that is that under pressure or not he struggled to hit the correct target under pressure or not that would open up the game for the team. I was at the game in Darwin last year and I had to tell my son that the team will be off if they did not give him the ball at all. I am sure he is a great person but would not cut it under Paul and style of play the coaches are developing.

Thanks for the updates guys. I was hoping to pop up there this morning from Brisbane, however the kids and wife stole the cars! Keep it going.

Thanks for the images. I hope I can help out next week. I intend to go and check out the training at Mooloolabah on Saturday. Cheers!

I think the new look is great. Much easier to read and navigate. Well done!

Thanks for the welcome. I agree, I have been reading the Demonland for approximately seven to eight years and I can definetly agree that there have been some very strange post and threads. Cheers!

Great picks. This is my first post. I hope it works!