Fitz Fitzpatrick

I don't agree lumba offers anything to the side. With ball in hand he's as erratic as a crack head in a drug bust

2 minutes ago, Pitchy said:

Frost is a natural attacking defender. Tall, strong and lightning fast. If we lose sight of his real strengths and relegate him to VFL as a failed forward it would be a huge shame. I know H was explosive on the weekend, but he is too small to play on the taller breed of forward. Frost is a defensive weapon we must deploy sooner rather than later. 

 

 

 

Exactly, backman or Casey for mine. 

On April 10, 2016 at 2:17 PM, dazzledavey36 said:

Please can we stop with the 'Frost adds forward pressure [censored]' The bloke can't lay a tackle to save himself. Its literally like playing with 21 blokes with him in the side because he adds nothing up forward.

Drop for Pedo. At least with Pedo he can take a decent grab and create a contest.

Garlett for Bugg would be my pick.

 

Frost is Hogans closest mate at the club. Look forward to hearing he's been offered a 5 year extension at the end of the season.

Can run but offers sfa and may as well be running the tan while the games on

On April 10, 2016 at 9:40 AM, Deeoldfart said:

Frost or Pedders ....... that's a major dilemma for me.  They both bring totally different things to the table (crockery & cutlery) but we desperately need the full setting.  It's pointless chopping and changing them week about, so I'd probably keep the faith with Frost.  He is more the 'future' than Pedersen, and hopefully playing forward and back-up ruck will 'click' for him soon.

Will Vince earn a holiday(?) ..... and if he does, will he be replaced by ANB or Brayshaw? .... another dilemma!  

Jeffie should be an automatic inclusion if he's fit so Bugg or Vanders might have to give way.  Down to likely match-ups I guess, but I'd prefer to give Vanders another week, because we know what he can do.

Frost isn't a forward's Ars*hole. Play him as a backman or at Casey.

On April 10, 2016 at 9:39 AM, big_red_fire_engine said:

In: Garlett, Brayshaw

Out: Vandenberg, Bugg

 

Bankers trimmed a lot of weight off in the preseason and I think he's a lesser player for it. He's gone away from the bullock ing style he played with last year

4 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

No we haven't. That is the point

An improved team would have smashed Essendrug in front of their filthy delusional supporters. 

An improved side has no issue with "being tired" or not "switched  on"

This club has absolutely no right to spruik such arrogant claims. 

We have not improved. I am not about to walk away but last weekend the alarm bells were ringing...

Garland was on the ground that night in 2013 that the bombers smashed us by 146pts. He should be as hungry as F&*k to smach them every time we play them. He was insipid. Leadership group my ar*e.

14 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Wow finished playing footy for the day and i hear that Collingwood get rolled by 30 points against the saints..

Were the pies that bad or St kilda that good??

St Kilda's run was really top class. transitiioned very easily from D50 . entertaining footy

23 hours ago, bandicoot said:

Seems like we will be fighting for last spot with the bombers...

I dont know what you guys expected this year? apart from the GWS win rd 23 we were shite at the end of last season. I said numerous times that too many people build up the list capability through the off season reading training reports. At least now that  the rose coloured glasses seem to be off, I can finally read some honest and insightful discussion on the team.

The stuff being written about making the 8, 12 wins etc , through the pre season and NAB was just ridiculous. Blind freddy could see that nab cup exposed some real concerns. 

Ill be praising the side when they are improving but im not going to sprout bulltish becuase its deemed by others to be negative to say otherwise.

From now on lets be honest in our critique of the club. Its much more useful discussion

11 minutes ago, nutbean said:

extraordinary - so because a player won't re-commit with 2 years left on a contract  you suggest he isn't invested in the future ?

How about we resign him at the end of the year instead ? Not an option for you ? 

  

if he wants to , yes. if he delays then trade him

1 minute ago, Django said:

Surely McCarthy is basically a lock to go to Fremantle at the end of this season. That makes it harder for them to sign Hogan too, doesn't it?

Thats just something demons fans say to make themselves feel better. i would trade him this year, get some great compo and move on with building this club. he would know the effect on the club by delaying talks this year. he would know that him signing on would help the team and the sponsors/ members etc. he isnt invested in the future. get some picks etc and move on i say

i was called a troll the other day for thinking he was gone . i cant see how you could see it any other way. people will refuse to see it but watch his training presser again. the discomfort he had at that line of questioning was palpable. he has put off talks. CBA excuse is bollocks, lynch just resigned as have many others. if he didnt want distractions then he wouldve wanted to be signed up before the season starts, he misses Perth. connect the dots

41 minutes ago, 3183 Dee said:

Boo Hoo

Boo fookin Hoo, you lot.

Now, don't get me wrong - I was there yesterday and very frustrated, especially because Essendon irritate the [censored] out of me with their arrogance and self-righteousness. Yuck. I left frustrated and annoyed that we were beaten in all aspects of the game, especially since I was also at last week's game and saw the pride and spirit that forced the Demons across the line.

What I don't get is all this rushing about with skirts over heads, crying about this being the darkest day in Melbourne's history, how this is it! Tearing memberships up, never coming back to the G, had it with Melbourne etc etc etc.

Now, I've not been following the Dees as long as the vast majority of you - I came to Oz at the end of 2005 and have been a die-hard Demon ever since. That's one year of finals in 10 years of football - surely I'm statistically better placed to call it a day than most people ?. I won't though, because despite the performance yesterday, I firmly believe that we have the nucleus of a great side. However, in the build up, we are always going to have these days, just like we are going to have the Geelong victories and pull Richmond and Collingwood's pants down. Days like Saturday will get fewer and fewer over the next few years.   

I find it laughable that on these forums last weekend, we were bragging about our new young guns and this week, we are hanging them out to dry. Despite some putrid performances yesterday, I saw Jack Watts hit up Hogan with an inch perfect pass from the wing and also get right into the grill of some Bombers players; saw Angus Brayshaw bang one through off one step from outside 50; saw BenKen run all day, saw Clayton Oliver tough at the ball and with clean hands; saw Jeff Garlett run half the pitch to smack the ball right amongst the Bombers fans.

I'm proud to be a Melbourne supporter, proud to be part of the vociferous 30k that lifted the roof of the G last Saturday. The dark days are gone now: we are heading the right way, but we are going to get these sort of inglorious days along the way. Onwards and upwards, I say.

 

 

  

2005? Really?

that's yesterday

3 hours ago, Mondê said:

At the end of the day we are still a youthful squad prone to the occasional off day. Yes I am disappointed by the performance of the team yesterday but in all honesty we were due for a lapse, and I was not the slightest bit surprised by what was dished up yesterday.

We threw everything at the NAB challenge, in which we scrapped our way to a couple of wins against mediocre opposition. Someone earlier mentioned the alarm bells going off in the Bulldogs match, I couldn't agree more. They were severely depleted and taught us a lesson about intensity all over the park in that first half. I'm going to see how the next month pans out before I hit the panic button, but my hopes for anything more than 9 wins this season are relatively low given the state of our list.

The nab performances disguised some big issues. its not all doom and gloom but we are still a bottom 4 side. What will kill us is our percentage will take the odd clobbering this season which will keep us in the bottom 4

3 hours ago, Moneider96 said:

If Hogan is gone (whether it be this year or the next), I would prefer it if he just left now. It's not like he's part of our long-term future. I know I'm in the minority here.

I want it done this year. We need to get back in to the first round. The list isn't even close to ready for a climb up the ladder. If it's not built properly the club will end up doing a nth and be destined as also rans

5 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Agree with everything you just said Steve. I too was worried after the doggies game and knew right after that match we were always going to get exposed badly for our lack of speed on the outside. But you spoke up about this exact issue back then and got absolutely howled down for it because it was a 'practise match'.

Your also wasting your time on Garland.. Been saying it for years what a liability he is to our team.. but apparently he has good leadership blah blah blah.....

DD and Steve are always a good read on here. They call the footy as they see it, both good and bad. And don't sugar coat it. 

9 hours ago, mo64 said:

Ascobar, maybe your problem is that your expectations are based around training reports and match summations from supporters on this forum who wear blinkers. Or maybe you just like to read all the positive things that posters write about the players, and ignore reality.

Blaming the "state of the game of the game" is a cop out.  Your anger should be solely directed at the coach and the players. Actually, also direct your anger at the forum posters who write crap about how good we are, and have falsely set your level of expectation.

 

Bang on Mo. The pre season and training reports are just ridiculous. Optimism one thing but reading demonland in January is like Alice in wonderland . I want to read facts, not rose colored shite

I tried to say a few times over preseason that too many posters talk average players in to superstars over pre season. Too many posters ignored out horrible finish to 2015. Too many distort reality to feel optimistic. Adding Oliver, Bugg and Kennedy doesn't change the fact we were shite last season.

some call me negative but what sort of discusson can be had when reality is distorted just to feel better.

we will get better but stop jerking yourselves in to a lather everytime we fall over the line in a nab cup game. We aren't even close yet. When we are ill be first to say so. 

2 hours ago, Maple Demon said:

The Bombers are better than most people give them credit for. Yes, 12 players on their current list were suspended, but not all of those 12 were in their best 22.

Bang on. The VFL side stuff is a myth. Zaharakis, merrett, daniher et al are good players. Kelly, cooney, Crowley are better than a lot of our blokes. Parish is good already. 

I think they will struggle with depth but at the moment they have their best 22 for 2016

Wonder what the bookies were paying last August for hogan to be d'landers 2016 whipping boy?

53 minutes ago, Earl Hood said:

Should get in touch with his manager, better sign up now while Hoges still had currency. It could be all down hill from here. But seriously this kid should sign up for some extension now, one extra year or two if he is unsure. That way he can stop the speculation and we can have a better look at him to guage his true worth. I am not fully convinced he is as good as many say he is. 

The post closest to my line of thinking yet. The media as always is like a dog chasing its tail. It latched on to an opinion and goes in to a frenzy, thus self perpetuating that opinion. he will be pretty good but I don't see it as any more than that. I'd swap him for Daniher, Cameron or that No30 for the pies tomorrow. 

I'm not saying he's not going to be any good but I'm calling bushit on the once in a generation player label.

12 minutes ago, boydie said:

I think there would some merit in games like today when we're clearly not switched on that seen as we have a coach in waiting in the box for Roos to go to the bench and address some players when they come the bench. I would have pulled Garland and McDonald off and said OK which one of you is playing on Danniher? Once you work that out, hpw about you actually use your body so he doesn't get a free run at every high ball bombed in to him?

watch next week. Roos will be on the bench

7 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

i definatley would have put Dunn in against what seemed to be a forward line that was too tall and taking so many marks,

The dons took this game much more seriously even making their fans all meet before the game and bringing in all the old stars to meet and great the young team.

We got ahead of oursleves and were half asleep.

As for next week at least we wont be so cocky.

Hope the umpires dont try to stuff up the game next time. They were clearly affected by the huge essendon supporter base. It was a poor display from them.That said...we were just very very weak todaay nd there must be quite a few changes. Hopefully we have some fit players to replace garland, bugg, kent, pederson

 

Dunn plays much taller than his height suggests. surely theres somthing going on that we dont know about. hes emergency so must be fit. dropped from leadership group. overlooked as an obvious selection. we need him back. he gets dismissed far too easily on here.

12 minutes ago, Moneider96 said:

Hogan is overrated. There, I said it. 

Yes he is. but still good. hes being played out of position and his attitude absolutely stinks. Should be at CHF taking one on one contested marks on the lead and out in space. his field kicking is exceptional and could be hitting up leads inside 50.

Perhaps a spell at casey to straighten his attitude out. as ive said elsewhere, i believe he will move on next year and if he doesnt have any personal success this year it just makes it more likely.  It will be a "needs a fresh start" kind of thing.  personally i'm not as bothered as some by that thought. time and time again we all get shown that AFL footy doesn't reward teams with an individual gun as much as teams with an even spread of talent. 

im sure the club isn't tip toeing around him out of fear he will leave. his attitude needs to change big time. daniher made him look 2nd rate today. he is on the path to becoming another sook who couldve been more. lets hope the club can turn him around so at least we get some good currency next year

8 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

The fact is, if we can't convert more inside 50's into shots on goal/goals then we will find ourselves in a dog fight.

I have absolutely no concerns over our side at the contest, but it's what happens after we win the ball that continues to concern. We simply don't have the footskills accross the board to be really damaging going forward but our players can definitely be smarter and I think that's what I'm most looking forward to seeing.

As a poster previously said, we're kidding ourselves if we think the answer isbanging it long to a pack situation where Hogan is a one in 10 chance of marking it. Last week we were ranked 18th for inside 50 conversions and we nearly lost the game because of it.

'4-quarter effort' can mean a variety of things. I don't think our effort at the contest dropped off last week. We were always on top. But our 'effort' going forward wasn't where it needs to be. Effort includes smarts, discipline and decision making. 

That particular side of our game remains a work in progress and will improve over time when we start adding some class and outside run. But this weekend is the perfect game to try and execute this side of our game and if we do it well we should have them on toast.

best summation of round 1 ive read

3 hours ago, Peter Griffen said:

How about the bench

Bugg, Brayshaw, Oliver, Kennedy... few hard nuts, any year of the past 10 i reckon all 4 of them would have been starting 18 without question

the toughest bench going around. depth is slowly building