The heart beats true

Looks a player. Really helps with pace out of defence which we certainly need.

Good luck with pushing that agenda Frankie. Did nobody tell you it's Dustin Fletcher Appreciation Year this season. Seriously, the bloke stretches and the commentators go into fits about how he's the greatest stretcher they've ever seen. Greatest thing about last night was BT and Richo having to pay attention to our players in the last quarter. They rabbited on about Essendon blokes that did nothing all game. They've got half a dozen blokes that wouldn't get a touch without Watson and last not they got really exposed.

I actually think its a bit of both. I think you can play certain structures against teams that clearly won't work against other sides. I think last night our defensive set up worked really well and it was much more reflective of a flood at times. It was this that actually gave me real faith in Neeld. I felt like earlier in the year he was too rigid in his structures, and perhaps now he feels like he can have more finesse with it. The longer we compete in games the more the players can show a defensive understanding the more the coach will feel like he can tailor the structures. It's a cycle that hopefully we can build on.

Good to see Lingy go to Jack at the end of the game. Some instant recognition for the kid. I thought he was really good at controlling the tempo of the game early on when Essendon tried to pick up the pace and create turn overs. Jack is going to be one of the most highly regarded players in the league in 3-4 years. Let's not compare him to anyone but instead appreciate him for what he is.

I thought Sellar looked much better running in a straight line out of defence. He seemed to judge the ball better and used his body more efficiently for 2nd efforts when he did go up. I suspect Tommy Mac's form may have pushed him up forward.

I love this bloke. He's not going to die wondering.

This comment has all the psychological scarring of a closet Melbourne supporter.

I hope the next generation can start to believe and ensure the Demons have a bright future. Made me really happy to hear that he got behind them!

Enjoy the win boys, and all the Demonland folks. I gotta say I've been critical of Neeld but he did a great job tonight. I was so happy for him at the siren because you began to understand the pressure he was under. Good to see Don give him a big hug in the rooms too. Grimesy was a real leader in that last quarter. Watts was good. Col Garland up forward was inspired. Beamer and Sylvia tried really hard without a lot of reward. Best of all we played like a team. That song of ours is alright isn't it? ;-)

It ain't a bad draw is it? Footy is all about confidence. Our boys might get some real self belief. Get behind em. Go the Dees!

SCOFF! (please let my days be numbered, I can't handle much more of this)

Keep an eye out for the amount of times Bruce McAvaney calls someone with a 'good kick' that manages to miss the mark or even be turned over to the opposition. He does at least once a quarter. I think he likes the kicking action more than the result sometimes. I do think the AFL needs to get involved with the relationship between commentators and player managers. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Ditto with anyone that sits on a board. Pick a side and then be as good at it as you can be. It's why a lot of the best callers historically haven't been players. They understand their role and people trust them for it.

I love that list, but if Stephen Milne comes to play for the Dees I couldn't cope. I love to hate that guy. What would I do at St Kilda games? It's not the same hating on Riewoldt.

Not to beat a dead horse but Sylvia coming back in without playing a game just proves what a joke the VFL comp is. While on one hand I think it would be character building for Davey and Sylvia to be playing footy in the suburbs it really does nothing for the club that is their employer. Davey has missed 2 games this year so far from being omitted, yet not played the game of footy he really needs to get himself up and going. Hopefully he gets that this weekend.

Absolute bullsh#t Jose. Potential Free Agent players, player managers, sponsors, and 17 year old draft picks don't get a chance to hear what is said behind closed doors. All this club trades on is how it plays every week, and the way it acknowledges those efforts to the media.

Out - Sellar, Green, Dunn, Bennell In - Martin, Sylvia, Davey, Bartram Sellar isn't up to it and has proven it at 2 clubs (thanks for this dud Neil Craig). Greeny will be too sore, but I loved what he did and he really deserves to come right back in when he's fit for it. It sends the right message to the playing group. Benell offers nothing and looks lost. Ins - Stef deserves another crack and has more potential than Sellar. Sylvia and Davey are both in as they at least draw better opponents than Pettard and Bennell warrant. I also think that Colin Syvia is playing for his career. If he doesn't make it work in the next month it's highly likely that he won't get picked up by anyone. I know we've been harsh on him but I think his injury undid him more than we assumed. If he can light it up then we look a lot better than we do with Dunn trying to kick miracles from the boundary that even his mum doesn't think he'll kick.

If you watched Ross Lyon's press conference today he said that they are evaluating the list and will be cutting players if they don't perform by end of year. He also said that the coaching group can get better and can get more from the players. Has Neeld ever said either of these things? I'm not being sarcastic. I'm actually interested if he has. I felt like Lyon put the whole club on notice. I'd LOVE Mark to do the same thing but I fear he doesn't have the experience and history of success to fall back on.

I think the playing group need to take some responsibility for this bullsh#t that happens once an opposition has kicked 2 goals in a row. I'd love to see our stats once a team gets a run on against us. It's outrageously bad. I'm tired of watching press releases with blokes trying to explain why they didn't show up for a quarter every week. Surely we instigate a team rule that throws players behind the ball or clogs the game up to stop the demoralizing loses. It helps nobody.

Whatever it is he needs a rest. He's painfully slow and he cant kick passed 30 metres. I think he's injured and opposition clubs know it. Carlton really took him on today and exposed him.

I'm over these threads. The kid is clearly trying his hardest and is coming along. If your a supporter then support. This is helping no body. If however you want to make dumb arguments about Nic Nat you are free to go barrack for the WCE. Go Jack! Go the Dees!

Agreed. I've started to vehemently defend Jack at games. So called opposition fans love sticking the boots into him, but it's the Melbourne fans it really annoys when I champion for him. I encourage all our supporters to applaud him every time he does something good. I think you'll see he's coming along well. Also I think some people need to understand his strengths. He's not a pack splitter. The club hasn't developed his body for that. The fault lies with the club if they wanted him to be that player. If you don't agree go and have a look at Buddy Franklin in the U18 championships. He's a scrawny little kid. Now he's a giant. Jack is being bred for something but I think it's changed a few times since he was recruited.

Just got home. To be really honest I think Neeld might be onto something. At 3/4 time I was marveling at how we could be in the game when I could easily name 12 players that had barely touched it. We have a really poor midfield and a really poor forward line today yet kept in it for 3/4s. We have 10 blokes that wouldn't be in any other side (I'm looking at you James Sellar), but at least we looked quicker with Blease and Nicholson. Pluses - Nicholson, Blease, Tommy Mc. Our young blokes are coming along. Minuses - Beamer, horribly out of sorts. Trengrove, he's either injured or just really poor. He looks a shadow of himself from the last couple of years. I really felt like Carlton players looked back and saw him chasing and so took him on every time. He's becoming a liability.

In terms of skill when Buddy is on fire he is incredibly exciting. Reminds me of what Ablett Snr. and Carey used to do in terms of becoming the sole focus of a game. For endeavor I love Ablett Jnr, Bartel, and this year Lenny Hayes. I also love to see the mature aged recruits do well. It's good for the game and flies in the face of some of the over thinking that goes into player development. Some blokes just have the desire. Pods, Tory Dixon, our very own Mitsubishi.

I hope Davey, Morton and Sylvia have performance based contracts. This could save us some money to help entice someone with a heart muscle to join us next year. The double bye in the VFL is a joke and couldn't have come at a worse time for us. Davey and Sylvia need to run around in the suburbs and understand that it's a big fall from the top. (Off topic but I don't understand the incentive for the VFL affiliation. At least allow the AFL clubs to have all the Casey listed players on the Rookie list. Might put a rocket up a few blokes. It seems like it doesn't really work for the AFL clubs, and has ripped the soul out of the VFL)

This made me laugh so hard.