The heart beats true

I bet he's miraculously ok to play with it though. How annoying is it that clubs like Hawthorn and Geelong have been doing this stuff for 10 years and the AFL shift focus to it and make an example of us.

I thought he got us going in the last quarter. He didn't do much before that but he was just a live wire for a 10 minute period there and we looked dangerous. We need to find better link up players though half forward in general though. Jeffy likes to (and is clearly told to) play close to goal, so we need those link up half forward players to have a bit of X factor that can break a line. Maybe Kent can be the one.

Gees some of you are in for a long season based on what I've read here. Ultimately Carlton played a very well coached game style that could only win if we let it get to us. We didn't, and so we won. That in and of itself is a step in the right direction. They got an top of us mentally, and we adjusted and hung in and came away on top. We are the team being coached against in game like today's now. We dont have to negate and drag clubs down to our level. Our level can be a step above, so that means clubs they'll try and block us up like Carlton did fairly well today. Some credit needs to go to them for that. As for the other comments potting blokes let's not forget that we now have 8-10 players that can move through the midfield at varying times. Blokes like Viney, Brayshaw, Petracca, Salem and even Jones, Lewis and Vince (when available) are natural midfielders making it work, or learning, as half forwards and backs. It's a work in progress and they'll feel more or less involved depending on the game style and opposition structures. BUT if they can play 50 games together we'll have a rock solid team for 5-6 years after that.

I think our guys are over thinking it. Brayshaw makes a mistake and then works too hard to rectify it and loses his positioning. Tom McDonald stuff ups a kick and takes it out on Cripps resulting in a free. we just need to get the ball into the right players hands and trust and we'll get the momentum back our way.

This Eagles game feels a LOT like our game their last year when we did everything but win. Eagles getting some very soft free kicks when the game is in the balance.

Someone needs to tell the AFL that they can't overturn goals in telecast games if everyone at home and at the ground CAN'T see the touch. They just overturned that goal and showed nothing to show why - as it didn't show conclusive footage to overturn the goal. If I was a St Kilda official I'd be asking for that footage.

Paddy McCartin looks fat. He's got no definition at all. I guess nobody told him the scrutiny No. 1 picks get? Im sure Christian Petracca will remind him when they next catch up

Getting beaten at the clearances which I can't imagine is our game plan. Oliver is a ripper but we need someone else to step up around the contest. Tyson looks out of touch which is understandable. There is a cleanness around the way the eagles are moving the ball around the contests that we are struggling to compete with. Let's not forget 18 months ago Shuey, Priddis and Gaff played on Grand Final day. They are very handy. Dont think ANB has the skills to go at this level. He just looks a touch behind everything. Gees our kids look nice though. Oliver, Salem, Brayshaw, Petracca, Hunt and Hogan. Wow.

Let's not overreact. It's a very small sample and the conditions were unbelievably difficult. (Who am I kidding? It wouldn't be Demonland without a post game melt down. I guess this is equal opportunity 'supporting'. Welcome to it Ladies!)

Random question - if we upgrade a rookie do you have to state who is moving onto the injury list and why? I'm wondering if H is holding out to be placed on an injury list - as it would gaurantee him income under some kind of AFLPA agreement. Anyone know if that's the case? And if so does it limit our ability to upgrade until this is resolved?

He's 19, and 18 months ago he would have been psyched to get invited to the draft combine, or grab a rookie spot. Some people forget how far back he was. He wasn't a certainty like a lot of other kids who go through Academies and are in a system from 15. He's had a big 12 months. He made a mistake, the leadership group will deal with it, and then like any other citizen who has been punished by the relevant authorities he deserves a chance to be able to get on with. Remain calm folks.

Gees if we get Hibberd now we look good. Add Melksham, Hibberd and Lewis into the squad and competition for spots dials up to 11. With this and the Hogan signing I couldn't be happy with the clubs handling of the off season.

It seems oddly like their strategy is save Buckleys career - which could end up going horribly wrong. Fingers crossed!

You mean something that all the locals hate when it's originally built? I think they did that the first time

One of my least favourite things on DLand is when someone says 'I said it 3 weeks ago...' BUT when the Eagles said they were keen and talking to Jesse's management it smacked of a last minute media plan to get the Dees to add another $100k onto the deal and get it done. I said it 3 weeks ago. Is there anyway I can block myself?

Honestly, it's a ripping spectacle. For all the AFL's effort to make footy prettier it's quite great that the biggest game of the year is just 40 blokes running at each other as hard as they can. Both clubs supporters should be proud so far.

And the winner is... The AFLPA for forcing Free Agency onto us all.

I thought it was Neil Balme in an Elvis wig.

I'm watching Fox Footy. How does Mark Robinson hold a job? He speaks like someone who has had a substantial head injury, and he asks questions that are so flawed that most interviewees just look at him like he might be joking. It's painful.

One of my least favourite things about this forum is how even a loss in, what amounts to, 'the Reserves' turns into a rant about how the entire club has the wrong game plan, had no leaders, and will never be a good team. Most of these guys are in the two's because they aren't good enough. Lets not read TOO much into it.

Agreed, but they've skew their list to one ground which is always played under one condition. Lets see if it catches up with them next weekend.

Remember when Roos spoke about the 'veil of negativity'?

Good to see Heath Shaw, with his pathetic dummie spits, stepping up to fill the shoes of Boomer Harvey as my least favourite player.

Jon Ralph was just talking up West Coasts interest in Jesse on Fox - saying their footy manager stated they have been in constant contact with Jesse's manager for a while and that this looked 'ominous' for Melbourne. Has anyone here ever negotiated for anything of value? What's the first thing you do? Make it look like there is a lot of interest in the market for what you're selling. Did we hear about Sydney offering for Buddy? Nope - because the offer was great and favoured him so much that they didn't want it to get out incase GWS withdrew and decreased Franklins value. This doesn't make me even slightly nervous. It smacks of a market value offer on the table from the MFC that they (Jesse's manager) are now trying to increase. I reckon Jesse will be signed long term by the Demons by the start of season '17.

With these injuries if Isaac Smith kicked straight Hawthorn would be unbackable favourites for a 4th flag.