Lucifers Hero

This game will give a good idea of where we are at. We are evenly matched: only Jetta and Melksham of our best 22 out; Coll have 3-4. Lever and May will be rusty but so may a few of the Pies players. Pies haves smashed us with the same method in the last two games: Beat us on the inside, get the ball outside and run it fwd. This is partly because they take Viney out of the game as he has no right side. Since this game last year they have adopted more of the WCE 'controlled' kick/mark game, a style which continually brings us undone. Win or lose this will tell us how much our game plan and tactics have evolved in the last 12 months. But we have had plenty of time to prepare for them so really no excuses for not winning today.

Take Yeo out of the middle and Hurn out of defence and Eagles are half the team - they can't get the ball into their fwd line and no-one marshalls the defenders. And McGovern is lazy, he refused to chase Buddy and kept asking teammates to do his job. That 'straight line' drop punt goal form an awkward boundary position by Buddy after the siren was a thing of beauty.

I think it is time to put that 'folklore' to bed. Without checking exact dates, in 2018 key injuriy outs were: Tom Mc out for most of the first half of the season, Viney out for 2/3 of the season, AVB out for 3/4 of the season, Lever for all of the second half, Hogan out on and off. KK and May weren't on our list so they are 'virtual' outs in 2018 when compared to this year's 'missing' players. Undoubtedly, injuries and interrupted preseasons have have hurt us this year. But I believe that card has been overplayed and a review of 2018 injuries/outs shows it was also a bad year. Certainly the 2019 injuries/preseason have caused us to lose games but it alone cannot be the reason we have lost so many and why we have an appalling %age. And, our game plan is no longer the same as last year. The 'brand' Goodwin talks about is still contested footy and still manic/chaos but our structures changed from a attack to defence focus after the St Kilda game when to quote Goodwin: we are too easy to score against. In the next, Richmond game we went all out defence to stop the bleeding ala Roos style when he first arrived. Since then we have been refining that defence focused game. If we believe that all our 2019 woes are solely because of a poor preseason/injuries we run the risk of papering over other issues that lie beneath.

Not so silly. When Kyle was drafted his dad was asked who he would barrack for if the demons played bulldogs and both sons were playing. He was a bit surprised and said something like 'maybe one day they will play for the same team'. Dad has opened the door! Either way, I'm delighted we have young Kyle. And we got him for zip!!

The telecast starts on Ch7 in 20 minutes.

Please link to where Goodes said 'Invasion Day' on or when referring to Australia Day.

I think the campaign is to change the date from January 26 rather than eliminate the celebration. But unfortunately the campaign was politicised as Invasion Day and Goodes became the lightning rod for a campaign which he had nothing to do with. Federation of the existing 6 British Colonies comprising the Australian continent, occurred on Jan 1, 1901, our first federal election was on March 30, 1901and our first Prime Minister elected. My view is March 30 would be a very fitting Australia Day as that was the first time we had self rule, true independence and our democracy as one nation was formed. For mine it is more fitting than Jan 26, 1788 being the day Cook hoisted the British flag on our shores and claimed us as a British colony.

The HS website shows an article of a Max Q&A with May. Can someone who can get behind the paywall summarise the gist of it please? Edit: Should have posted this should be in the Rnd 12 thread. Nonetheless, would still appreciate it if someone could post summary. Cheers.

For those who do not recognise Lily's name: The Mithen name is MFC Royalty. mithen-name-lives-on-at-melbourne Her grandfather’s cousin is Laurie Mithen – a Melbourne great: won back-to-back Melbourne best and fairest awards in 1958-59 was a 5 time premiership player in 1955-56-57 and 1959-60. played 153 games from 1954-62 topped Melbourne’s goal kicking in 1962 named in the club’s team of the century. I believe she lived/s in the Geelong area. As another post said she had the chance to join their inaugural AFLW team but turned them down to stay with the Dees. That is loyalty. Criticising Lily for going to the football with her Geelong following friends/family is churlish. Didn't Nathan Jones go to the last Swans grand final to barrack for his brother's Swans? He certainly wasn't their to barrack for the Bulldogs!!

Shameful by that president and that club. Makes a mockery of the AFL + 18 club apology. On your friend's experience it was 17 clubs at best + 1 dissenter but the majority won carried the day. Furthers my view that the apology is shallow and opportunistic. I wonder how many non-anglo people were in the room watching the video. The president's excuses would have stung them - one doesn't need to be indigenous to experience and be hurt by racism.

We might find out on Monday how much our coaches have learnt from the way Cats, Pies and WCE play. If we stick to our manic 'chaos' game we will be in strife. Pies beat us in rnd 23 2017 and QB last year using that style. I will be keenly interested in the respective styles employed on Monday.

Tigers were certainly undermanned but were they an 11 goal worse side? I suggest not. I suggest it had more to do with a superior game plan. Tigers won the GF two years ago with manic 'chaos' football. The Bulldogs did the same 3 years ago. A lot has changed since. Geelong's win is imv a big statement on how effective the kick/mark, slow tempo, control the game style is. Geelong has always been a 'defence first' team. After their semi final loss to us Scott said he and the club would sit down and revisit every aspect of their list and how they play the game and their game plan. In effect saying to devise a way to counter a manic 'chaos' style. WCE showed them the way. They have copied the WCE 2018 Finals methods (and Hawks) to perfection. May have even improved it. Both teams have shown that it will beat the ballistic and manic 'chaos' style that Tigers, Demons and Bulldogs play especially if the latter have some key players missing. The goal:behind accuracy of Cats and WCE is a direct result of controlling the ball and opening up the fwd line to allow fwds to mark in good positions. It was a masterclass in the slow 'controlled' game plan. Hope our coaching staff were watching.

As some posts have mentioned gambling it may be worth noting that on FC this week, Matthew Lloyd said bikies turned up at training at an AFL club. He didn't name the club but suggested their presence was a 'shot across the bow' type message for a player(s). The panel went on to discuss how rife gambling is among players and is a major concern to clubs and to the AFL. Of course, the concern is not just the impact that gambling can have on someone's life and family but fall into the wrong crowd and who knows what pressures may be applied. Not suggesting this relates to Gibbs or anyone else, just that gambling is increasingly an issue in the AFL and any club can be affected.

Yesterday the AFL released an Apology to Adam Goodes for not standing by him. For the final years of Goodes' decorated career they receded into the background and did nothing while he was being vilified by crowds at games and by 'personalities' in the media and effectively hounded out of the game. The AFL has had 4 years to apologise but has not. This week two docos are released on Goodes last years in the game. They are docos in which the AFL and some key people in the industry, by their own actions and words are complicit in and added to the trauma Goodes endured. I haven't seen the docos so can't comment on them. But I will say they AFL should be supremely embarrassed that it has taken 4 years to apologise. Its hard to think there is much sincerity let alone contrition in the apology and its timing suggests it is to preempt the docos tarnishing of its 'reputation' and divert attention from the docos. The AFL are controlling 'the optics' as usual!! Whatever one thinks of Goodes or how he played the game its hard to accept how he was neglected by the AFL and those it can influence. I find the belated apology shallow and opportunistic. I would have applauded the apology had it been made when Goodes retired. Not saying the AFL should be the moral flag bearers of our society. But it should stand up and be counted when it comes to any of its players let alone one of its champions. How does the saying go: the standards we walk past are the standards we accept. Now, the apology is, imv too little, too late.

Yes, it had more meaning in context of MB's comment. Quite funny, I thought.

I liked the popcorn gif that disappeared too quickly ??

Crows gave him a 4 year contract and gave up picks #10 and #16 +/- later picks to Carlton. At this stage it looks a disastrous trade. But there may be some solace. Crows hold Carlton's 2019 1st and 2nd round picks! ? Some weird dealing going on between those clubs especially when last year's McGovern, McAdam and live-pick trades are factored in. On topic. Gibbs? No way! He is 30 with 2 years to go on his contract and can't get a game. A club would have to pay the Crows 'overs' to break the contract. After the Crows pigheadedness on the Lever trade don't want to deal with them again.

Delighted to update this for Weideman's 2 year contract extension until 2021! Oskar Baker next!!

A very open, frank interview with Sam. It is really sad he went thru all this The dark side of AFL About his early form drop off: Weideman’s form, or lack thereof, came as media associated an enormous price tag with the former first-round draft pick. “There was a point where I didn’t really want to leave the house too much because I was probably thinking about what other people were thinking of me,” he said. He wasn't our worst in the first month but he took a lot of heat and I think largely because mainstream media went burko over his supposed contract claims. About Social media and some supporters: “I think there’s a lot of passion coming out in their comments and I don’t think they understand the power it can have on the players and how much effect it can have,” Weideman said. “We don’t go searching for these sorts of comments­­­­ but sometimes they’re quite direct and unavoidable. It explains why he deleted his twitter and instagram accounts a month ago. To some extent I blame mainstream media for kicking up a frenzy about a vague report of what his manager supposedly wanted for this next contract. Then social media 'heroes' went to work. We have already lost Tom Boyd from the game. Sam seems to be made of stern stuff but would hate for him to be engulfed by the dark forces that made him 'not want to leave the house'.

From our newsbreaker @Dee Zephyr Fantastic news. Weight off my shoulders From Sam: “I’m a Demon through and through now,” he said. “I love the club, I love the players and I love the supporters, so it’s a team that I’m going to be barracking for the rest of my life, so I can’t wait for the years to come.” Hope that Eddie reads that! It sounds like the contract negotiations have taken a real toll which might explain why his form has dropped off this year. Now that the load is lifted he can just focus on footy! Really look forward to his development and being a major cog in our team. Time to get behind him!

This deserves its own thread. Would you like to do the honours or shall I?

Fanastic! More details please! Can't find it anywhere on line!

I know that teams rarely line up as selected but I do like Salem and Baker on the wings. Both have nice kicks, have composure and aim at targets rather random bombs. And add Fristch as the attacking defender and we should see a marked improvement in delivery i50 from all three.

I think he is just very emotionally invested in the club eg In yesterday's video his voice gets shaky when asked about Lever's return. A few weeks ago it became shaky when asked about the return of key players. Both times it sounded like relief. His emotional reaction to the Sydney win (choked up a little) and (iirc) the Hawks win which is uncharacteristic (in a good way) of the usual calm persona. He said after the 'dizzy' spell a few weeks ago that the people around him advised to take it easy and look after himself. Maybe he has just been working too hard, too selflessly. Last week Mahoney and Chaplin took the pregame radio interviews in SA. Pure speculation but it looked to me the club was trying to spread the workload. It is not unusual for clubs to do this. Thompson at Geelong and Hardwick at Richmond come to mind. He will be fine. I'm sure the bye will be a welcome break, especially if we are really competitive vs the pies.

I noticed that at the beginning then it settled a bit. iirc, he usually does his mid week presser standing up. Hope he is well.