Lucifers Hero

Morning after the game and it is very refreshing to not see a single new thread or resurrected thread to put angry boots into a player. Of course a win helps but also that all players played their role and some really shone keeps the naysayers at bay. May long it continue!

Loved Gus' tackle on his little bro. Brought him to ground, kept him there and won a free. Gus: 1. Andy: 0

Goodwin and the team weren't too happy with the Jones bump on Walters. Goodwin spoke to Jones at the last break and said "about 20 of his teammates" did as well... "He knows that's not how we play and the importance of those things in a game," the coach said. "He made a mistake but what I did love about Nathan was his ability to respond in the last quarter… "It doesn't matter who you are in your team. You need guys who keep each other accountable – and whether you're the skipper or you're a younger player of the footy club, the expectations are the same." Good to see the team also holding Jones accountable. It was a tough guy effort by Jones but could have cost us the game. Deserved to be called out on it.

Happy for Lever or Hibberd to come in for Wagner. If both available then Petty may miss. Doesn't really deserve to but Lever and Hibberd will give us more. ANB will be lucky to stay in - no one better at the moment unless someone stands up at Casey.

He makes everyone down back stand taller. Natural leader.

Did anyone notice if Macca was on the bench as usual? In the coaches box? Not at all?

Had a poor day. Had easy ball with just 3 of 15 possessions contested. Gave up the chase a few times. 5 tackles but some were 'stacks on the mill' rather than causing turnovers. Can't see him cementing a regular spot in 22. Will be out as soon as Melksham is available. Lockhart has already gone past him. Will be signed up as a depth player.

Every time our player had a set shot, he took his time with his set-up routine. No rushing and the goals/points reflects the calmness. Was rapt for Max to kick his 4th qtr goal. He always sprays it left and I was praying for him to steer it right. He did but at one stage it looked too far right but it managed to squeeze thru. Nearly all our fwds did good things. Great for their collective confidence. Sam's marking was very good as was his shepherding and competitive play and took a superb mark in the last qtr.

We were very controlled coming out of defence. We slowed it down and did the WCE precise kick/mark thing. It worked well a lot of the the time. Yes, I think it is a new direction. The coaches seem to have accepted the stats that the 'slow play on'' teams are at the top of the ladder; the fast at the bottom. The players have been trying to do it for a few weeks but haven't got the balance right until today. Today our ball movement was much more precise, still fast at (the right) times but more deliberate rather than manic go. go, go. And we lowered our eyes! This 'controlled' play shows up in the scoreboard: more goals than points.

I don't dislike Alex at all and not trying to pot him. He has improved in his careeer but that doesn't mean it will continue. He has had one good year in five and in my view has plateaued/reached his peak. Haven't said/implied Alex is responsible for our dysfunctional fwd line nor commented on Kent/AVB/Hogan. If we are going to improve, some players with poor skills/turnover merchants should not be in the best 22. From your list is it Jones, Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw that is left out? We just can't carry them all. L. Nev, we will just have to agree to disagree on Alex.

This. He has one attribute: tackling. Has no particular football skill. In 5 years has not added more strings to his bow. We can't afford such a one dimensional player and we have plenty of his 'vanilla' type. Better to get a fwd who can kick goals then teach him to tackle. Or develop one from recruits of the last two years. He isn't going to improve and will end up keeping another player out of the team (teacher's pet syndrome) or playing at Casey.

AFL And Racing Victoria Monitoring Software While on face value trying to catch 'dodgy' bets in 'real time' is a good thing, the AFL has taken 50% ownership in Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Ltd (SWIM) and a number of its executives are directors. imv this goes a million miles beyond monitoring AFL player and club official bets on AFL games - I would guess <2,000 people. Yet this monitoring program reaches across all aspects of betting in Australia. My read is the AFL is in this to make money ie other sporting codes and racing codes pay to use the system. This would give the AFL access to information about millions of people not just the ~2,000 involved AFL clubs Apparently, the AFL contract with Bet Easy is about to expire and it is negotiating with other companies to determine who its 'wagering partner' will be. My head is racing (excuse the pun) with all the possible conflict of interests that come into play if this monitoring system happens. Not to mention access to private data about citizens the AFL has no right to access. imv such a system should be developed and run by the government regulator without involvement from any sporting body. How is the AFL Commission taking the AFL (supposedly a sport) so far outside its remit? If it ever had a remit it is now a law unto itself! Gill already has serious conflicts of interest with broadcasters, wagering etc. This system would entrench the AFL further into the gambling quagmire. Would prefer to see the AFL invest in developing the game not on 'new revenue streams' that have nothing to do with the great game of Aussie Rules.

"As a coaching group we wanted to look at ways that we could improve as a footy club. We think development is a really big part of our footy club and we are going back to the core of what we think really drives the development of our team". Begs the question: With such a young/inexperienced group why did we stray from 'our core' of what drives development? Virtually no player has improved this year. Someone dropped the ball!

I heard Mahoney say they were 'consulted' but not sure it referred specifically Macca. And 'consulted' could be 'this is the plan guys, any problems'; as distinct from player discontent causing the move. Especially, as there had been no whispers about player discontent but lots of whispers about Macca and a coach(es). I recall Jennings name being mentioned. I guess we just need to wait and see if we get back our finals level of ferocity which doesn't need talent or skill. I can't get behind the pay wall, any chance of sending a PM with the content? Cheers.

That is consistent with @Earl Hoodtraining report on Monday that Macca thought players weren't working hard enough. If players are behind Macca's move (which I doubt) I'm worried. Players called the shots in the Dean Bailey days and we went no-where. Players have lauded Macca for years so I wonder whether moving him was relationships with coaches rather than with players ie move a 'dissenter' or the 'fall guy' syndrome. I would concur with Mooney as imv we are playing 'softly'. We were ferocious in the finals but have seen very little of that this year. While injuries have hurt us, any player on the field, regardless of talent or skill can be ferocious. We need that ferocity back, urgently

I don't mind it if Fritsch actually lines up as selected in the forward line. Great mark and very good kick for goal. Will do a lot for his confidence as he looks a bit lost as a defender. He will be at least one player back in his natural position. Now to put Gus back where he belongs in the middle. With the change of coaches our line ups and positional changes during the game will be interesting to watch as will our ball movement. Hopefully, more control than manic play on. And hopefully if Oliver gets 25-35 possessions they have an impact and gain more than 55mts! We need him to get much more value for his work.

No injury report this week. No mid-week coach press conf. Is there anyone home?? Maybe they have all gone to the snow??

A few hours from team selection and no injury report this week. The new guy forgot??

Starts tonight. After this round the ladder will be meaningful again. Good to see Roughy is back for the Hawks - a bit of sentiment by Clarkson perhaps. Allow him to play vs one of his best mates, Buddy one last time.

Not so sure. There are all sorts of drills to teach people to use their non-dominant hand or foot depending on the sport or activity. It eventually becomes instinctive even if not as 'natural' as preferred side. I'm not suggesting proficiency but it would be nice to see him turn to his right and bluff the opp rather than always turn to his left and get caught or forced into a rushed kick that bombs forward and comes straight back again. As a minimum he would be a bit less predictable. And his dad was a coach! But didn't teach him?

Did May tell a little porkie (on Fox) that Lever had foot soreness to deflect attention from an on-going knee problem? The Fox show was 10 days after the QB game, one would expect May to know which it was. If Lever was sore (knee or foot) before QB, as May said, and we played him it is up there on the stupidity stakes. QB was a big game but not significant from a season view so with his injury history, and just 3 qtrs of football in a year, why take the risk. Just stupid.

A fresh start! Players rested after the bye. Some coaching shuffles. Lewis hinted at some tweaking in game style. Would love to think those factors will get us over the line. But Freo are playing ferociously like we did in the finals. If we can find that again we will be competitive and cause turnovers for us. And it will energise the team like Hunt did vs Hawks. But Freo know the formula to beat us: match us on the inside then beat us on the outside and/or let us win the contests, Cp's, i50's and watch us turn it over and they head for goals. If that doesn't work for them they will beat us for speed. And they have their tails up. Walters is scary good. Mundy usually plays well against us at the G. And then there is Fyfe to contend with. All are match winners. Nonetheless, looking forward to see what changes in our game plan and ball movement have happened over the break. And, I look forward to Jessie gracing the G again but hopefully no goals for him. Round 14 Melbourne v Fremantle Saturday, 22 June, 1.45pm AEST MCG 11.30am: MCC gates open 12.00pm: AFL + Public reserve opens Members As a home game, access Members can scan in with their Membership card or Digital Card in the club app. General admission Members can upgrade to a reserved seat via Ticketek. General admission Tickets to the game can be purchased via Ticketek. General admission seating Great Southern Stand M1 (Rows A-Z) M2 (Demon Heartland DRY) M3-M12 M13 (Rows A-Z DRY) P5-P7 Q1-Q15 Ponsford Stand M28-M32 M33 (Rows P-NN) M34-M36 Q29-Q36 Olympic Stand M53-M54 (Rows A-Z) M55-M57 Q49-Q57 Please note the general admission areas are subject to change. Look out for the screens displaying the map of available general admission areas on a match day, located inside each entry gate. Cheer squad allocations Melbourne: M3 Rows A-T Fremantle: M33 Rows A-G Public transport Train The ground is located in proximity to Jolimont and Richmond train stations. Plan your trip to the game and view potential disruptions on PTV's Journey Planner. Tram The MCG is serviced by trams along Wellington Parade (Route 48 and 75) and the Olympic Park Light Rail (Route 70). Car parking The following car parks will be open on game day in Yarra Park: Gate 3: 9.30am Gate 5: 11.30am Gate 6: 10.30am Gate 7: 9.00am pass holders only Deck out in red and blue at the Demon Shop located under the MCG concourse on Brunton Avenue. The shop will be open from 12.00pm on game day and will close 30 minutes after the match. TV times All broadcast info in local times. Melbourne: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Sydney: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Brisbane: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Adelaide: Fox Footy – 1.00pm Perth: Fox Footy – 11.30am + 7mate – 2.30pm (Delayed) Tasmania: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Canberra: Fox Footy – 1.30pm Darwin: Fox Footy – 1.30pm For all other regions and radio info, refer to the AFL Broadcast Guide. Mobile app Live scores, stats and match highlights are available at the tap of a finger in the club's mobile app. Download it for iOS or Android. Social media Match hashtag: #AFLDeesDockers Follow the club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live match coverage and a behind-the-scenes insight into match day. VFLW Round 7 Geelong v Casey Saturday June 22, 11.30am GMHBA Stadium, Geelong VFL Round 12 Coburg v Casey Sunday June 23, 12.30pm Piranha Park, Coburg Admission prices Melbourne/Casey Demons Members: $5 when you present your card on entry Adult General Admission: $10 Concession/Pensioner General Admission: $5 Children Under 15: Free Coverage Social media Follow the Casey Demons on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for behind-the-scenes + live coverage of the match. ORWELLIAN by Whispering Jack Please permit me to begin this rather tragic pathetic preview of Melbourne’s forthcoming game against Fremantle with some personal reflections. Two years ago, we had visitors staying with us who are all sports fans so we arranged tickets for the entire family for the Melbourne vs Fremantle game at the MCG. The Dockers were struggling at the time while the Demons were on the up and up so I was fairly confident about the outcome. Naturally, we all left the ground bitterly disappointed. The Dees picked up their game and came perilously close to making the finals that year and would have done so had they scored about 10 points more over the 22 rounds or one goal more in that particular match against Freo. Naturally, we were bitterly disappointed. Things were better last year. Our American friends from Philadelphia celebrated a Super Bowl victory and the Demons made the finals at last. Naturally, we were bitterly disappointed when they lost the penultimate game of the season - the Preliminary Final. Still, we thought things would get better in 2019. After all, we had the best ruckman in the competition (now supported by another monster sized tall) and a powerful midfield that was capable of bullocking its way through opposition defences and causing havoc in the competition. We had picked up a strong key defender with experience and leadership qualities who would be joined by an elegant key defender due to return early from a season ending injury incurred in the middle of last year? Whatever could go wrong? Melbourne certainly hasn’t lost the ability to move the ball into attack. The Demons have won the inside 50 count in nine of its 12 games to date which really says something. Indeed, if a team’s percentage was determined by its ability to get inside 50 metres from goal, they would be well ensconced in the top four with a healthy percentage of around 130. Naturally, we are bitterly disappointed that the team’s efforts have been translated into only 3 wins with a measly percentage of 76. In the immortal words of the late Professor Julius Sumner-Miller, I am moved to ask the question, “Why is it so?” For starters, they have scored a goal from just 16.98% of inside 50 entries so far this year which is the lowest figure ever recorded by a team in an AFL season since collection of such data began in 1998. And while they haven’t fared well with their kicking for goal in scoring 118 goals 130 behinds, their opponents have been making hay by scoring 166 goals 106 against the hapless Dees. That statistic has been even more pronounced in the latter stages of games. In the last six games the opposition have kicked an amazing 27.4 in final quarters to 16.26 (and that includes Melbourne’s aberration of 7.2 in the last against GWS). With these things in mind, I took my grandkids to the Queens Birthday game at the G against Collingwood and at half time commented to my oldest grandson that there were some signs of improvement in the first half but a turnaround in fortunes in front of each team’s goals was needed to provide a confidence restoring win. As it turned out, the Demons did perform better everywhere but in that particular area of the game. They won the inside 50 contest but Collingwood scored nine straight second half goals to Melbourne’s four goals eight behinds. Naturally, we all left the ground bitterly disappointed. I was relieved when last weekend’s fixture gave us all a break from the AFL and the Demon yips so I set off to the grandson’s Under 15 game where his team played against an opposition which apparently gave the coaching reins for the day to Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson (his son is a member of the side) because their regular coach Trent Dennis-Lane was unavailable. Grandson’s team led from the start but faltered in the final quarter and lost when a goal was kicked in the game’s dying seconds. The winners scored four straight second half goals to two goals five behinds. I just can’t get away from this. Naturally, we all left the ground bitterly disappointed. So on Saturday, Melbourne faces a Fremantle side on the rise chasing its fourth win in a row. The Dockers have beaten the Dees in eight of its past 10 games. Fyfe and Walters are on fire and Jesse Hogan is starting to hit form. Despite all that, I’m impressed that the Demons have finally done something to alter the pattern of the season to date. They’ve changed their coaching structure and we all know what that means in football. Prediction: Melbourne by 2 points failing which we will all leave the ground bitterly disappointed and most likely in the hands of the game’s Orwellian Behavioural Awareness Officers. THE GAME Melbourne v Fremantle at the MCG Saturday 22 June 2019 at 1.45pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall: Melbourne 15 wins Fremantle 22 wins At MCG: Melbourne 7 wins Fremantle 7 wins Last five meetings: Melbourne 2 wins Fremantle 3 wins The Coaches: Goodwin 1 win Lyon 1 win MEDIA TV - Fox Footy Channel live at 1.30pm Radio - Triple M SEN 3AW ABC LAST TIME THEY MET Melbourne 13.24.102 defeated Fremantle 7.6.48 at TIO Stadium, Darwin, Round 16, 2018 The Dockers were struck by injury and only avoided a complete slaughter because the Demons, well ... they kept missing shots in front of goal. THE TEAMS PLAYER INJURY LENGTH Jeff Garlett Shoulder TBC Jake Lever Knee TBC Corey Maynard Concussion Test Michael Hibberd Collarbone 1-2 Weeks Jake Melksham Foot 4 Weeks Joel Smith Groin 4 Weeks Aaron vandenBerg Ankle 4 Weeks Neville Jetta Knee 6 Weeks Tom Sparrow Knee 7-9 Weeks Guy Walker Shoulder Indefinite Aaron Nietschke Knee Season

Of course he isn't the magic bullet but sure as hell he needs to be the main part of the solution. There was a hint of disclaimer in 'not the panacea'. Rawlings' role is more than to guide players. His job is to analyse the problems, develop solutions and communicate them for players to implement. The players can only work to solve problems if he gives them a plan and process to follow. I didn't suggest he promise wins but to say fans will be happier with a better conversion rate shows lack of awareness of fan expectations. He is better off not referring to conversion rate at all if that is the best we can look forward to. Find something more positive to say. Do you really mean this: "All our coaches need to do is spell out what they want from the players and hold them to that". What if what the coaches want is not what works? Players have played their hearts out and 2019 certainly looks like what the coaches want doesn't work.

Would have preferred he kept the "I'm not the panacea to the success of the forward line" to himself. Everyone is looking to him to fix the forward line problems but he thinks he is not the panacea ie not the solution. Isn't it his responsibility to develop and implement solutions. He also said: “I’m looking forward to working with the players and try to have a higher conversion rate. If we can achieve that in the back-half of the year I think our supporters and people in here will be much happier.” Someone should tell him that there are 52,000 members who will not be much happier with a higher conversion rate if we don't win games. But hey, sounds like it will make the club (the people in here) happy. Possibly, just poor choice of words but I find those comments deflating. These are difficult times and it would behove club reps to engender some positivity and confidence for fans, if for no other reason to get them to go to games.

The AFL are dragging the mighty game of Aussie Rules into a cesspit!