Lucifers Hero

MELBOURNE MVP: Max Gawn, Tom McDonald, Clayton Oliver Most Courageous: Neville Jetta Best First Year: Bayley Fritsch They select themselves really. Great to see Nev get this recognition. So many times he has been knocked around in a game yet bounces back the next week.

That means we have sold 721 new memberships this month! Great response by supporters to the likelihood of making finals! Would imagine there will be a very good crowd on Sunday: good weather, winning form, big game!

Just as there is a lot at stake in ladder position for the top 8 there will also be jockeying for position outside the 8 for Draft position. eg 3 teams are on 44 pts so they can shift 3 spots in the draft. Ditto a few spots for teams further down. I doubt the likes of Freo will try too hard to beat the Pies, or North try too hard to beat the Saints. Adelaide may even let Carlton win to lock in draft pick 7 - critical for Adelaide in a draft top heavy with SA talent. A very interesting round...

Like others I would like Geelong in our first final - time to get even on their close (lucky) wins this year. I heard this morning that Geelong have lost their 11 games after a bye! They must be mental demons for them to deal with. And, they will need to deal with the 18 red and blue Demons running rings around them on the G! ?

And Jones' toepoke kick at the centre bounce that resulted in a goal to put us back in front in the dying stages of the match. Not pretty but damn important!

A 50/50 choice. After this game someone needs to make way for JV7. In the meantime my theory is to keep the team as stable as possible. Hence opted for Spargo but hey, small diff. It will be interesting to see where we play JV7 on his return. Our midfield is ticking along beautifully. Do we start him in the fwd pocket to give him a feel for the tempo and let Gus and Clarrie continue on their merry way or does he go straight into the middle and who does he displace... ?

The squad is in: Melbourne squad: round 23 B: Neville Jetta, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis HB: Christian Salem, Sam Frost, Michael Hibberd ? Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver, James Harmes HF: Jake Melksham, Tom McDonald, Aaron vandenBerg F: Bayley Fritsch, Sam Weideman, Alex Neal-Bullen Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Christian Petracca I/C (from): Charlie Spargo, Dom Tyson, Dean Kent, Mitch Hannan, Cameron Pedersen, Jay Kennedy Harris, Tomas Bugg, Josh Wagner In: Pedersen, Kennedy Harris, Bugg, Wagner Out: - No change I think...everyone did their job last week and deserve to stay in the starting 22. So i/c: Charlie Spargo, Dom Tyson, Dean Kent, Mitch Hannan

Here is the info on buying finals tickets. http://www.afl.com.au/tickets/finals/finals-ticket-on-sale-dates Week 1 – Elimination and Qualifying Finals (September 7-9) Competing Club Members 9am - 1pm Tuesday August 28 (venue local time) General Public 2pm Tuesday August 28 (venue local time) AFL Members 9am - 1pm Wednesday August 29 (venue local time) Also worth noting is the ticket outlet depends on which ground the final is held: Ticketek for MCG, SCG. Ticketmaster for Optus Stadium, Spotless stadium (if GWS???) Etihad not metioned. We will know more on Sunday night. Not sure if tickets can be purchased in person at nominated retail outlets. I called a couple in the Bayside area and they didn't know too much about them... So watch this space on Sunday night.. I can't believe it is happening... too happy for words...

Does this thread mean we can 'take the lid off' now!?

Interestingly, Jones said the celebrations on the siren were because they had rid themselves of the 'not beaten a top 8 side' monkey off their back and not because they had made the finals. I had the impression that dawned on them a bit later. Lewis mentioned that people need to understand the noise at that cauldron with a hostile crowd and winning. But by the time the plane took off (3 hours late) on Sunday night they were ready to move on to the next game. So Judd has has misunderstood the initial reason the players celebrated. The supporters, however are over the moon happy and showed it. Nothing wrong with a few man-hugs and a robust rendition of the Grand Old Flag. I have no doubt the team has their feet planted firmly on the ground.

Virtually cost his side a run at finals this year when he stepped on the chalk for a kick-in and gifted Hawks a goal in the last term. Ess lost by 4 points ? Fails the NDH test.

I would still like to hear from the op to support his claims: - which supporters have jumped off or are not supporting the current crop of players and coaches? (The evidence of support during their current reign of the last 5 years overwhelmingly shows the opposite). - Is he only referring to DL? (Players or coaches don't read it and it is not representative of the 40,000 members and 195,000 supporters who do not post nor read here). If only DL the fix is easy - delete the threads/ban the posters who show 'poisonous negativity' (and ban their antagonists). - what supporter behaviours he is looking for? One more question. Is the op using the 'Goodwin...' thread as the basis for this thread? Then best to refer directly to it rather than window dress it in a round of 'supporter bashing'. Perhaps the op is a shot across the bow to DL posters... I find it bizarre that such a thread and op is written when there is so much euphoria on DL, in the media and around the team.

If that is the case why wasn't/isn't the thread closed down? Or offending posters banned? TBH I thought 80% of the commentary in that thread was reasonably presented. The other 20% was/is a slog fest between the doomsayers and the fanboys. The op called for support of players so maybe the negative threads about individual players should also be shut down? It is sickening sometimes to read the vitriol directed to players. It is often the same posters who bag the same players over and over again.

I don't think it is about tagging Whitfield but keeping him in honest and accountable for his forward - Melksham to him for mine.

If making a negative comment or saying something critical of a player or coach means 'jumping off' the club we love, have supported all our lives then we may as well shut down DL or stipulate it is only for the fanboys and fangirls.

A few points, if I may: 1) What supporters have jumped off? In the last 5 years our membership has been growing. We had record attendances at games last year. To me that shows great support for the current generation of players, coaches and staff who in the main have arrived during those 5 years. So imo supporters don't deserve the label of burdening the current players with 'posionous negativity'. 2) Some have volunteered, bought memberships and made donations for decades regardless of our on-field performance. Some go to every single game. All of us stick up for our beloved Demons when anyone outside the 'demon family' criticise us or our club. We proudly wear our colours even after we lose/get thrashed. So, I would say demon fans have shown incredible resilience and loyalty for our beloved Demons. 3) Re the last para. Everyone on this board has supported the club and will continue to support 'through thick and thin'. In recent times through a lot more thick than thin, really. Why do you think they will stop supporting the club? 4) Perhaps you want DL posters to write only jolly stuff? Maybe you want them to never question? TBH I find the constant optimistic posts as boring and robotic as the constant negative ones. Neither group of posters will change nor be objective and it is really annoying when they bog down threads in [censored]-for-tat insults. Both groups give as good as they get. I enjoy the posts of reasoned commentary, reasonable questions and yes at times criticisms when done respectfully. Along with the humourous ones is what brings me back to DL. And DL helps people vent once in a while. If you would like to see Demonland sanitised then maybe the moderators can delete relevant threads and posts. Not that it matters as players wouldn't read DL anyway. When Paul Roos was on DL podcoast he had never heard of it! Mostly, I would like to understand what type of supporter behaviour you are looking for. Edit: didn't know t*t-for-tat was banned on here ?

I assume the 'Minor Premiership' is ending the H&A season on top of the ladder? So, is it time to add 'Win a Premiership'?

They didn't even look at the Crisp 'incident' nor should they. Probably because a heap of commentators called it out as: bizarre, ridiculous, worst free kick of the season, umpire clanger. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2018-strange-decision-against-aaron-vandenberg-costs-melbourne-a-goal-v-west-coast/news-story/e0ccf00f994635e97d6fa13f713e7c00

Yes, can buy on line. To get both tickets simultaneously during the member priority purchase period: 1) Use finals ticket details from a member not going. 2) buy him a 3-game (or higher) membership before August 24 (Cost $105+). Or, buy both when tickets go on sale to the general public ie after member priority period closes.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/sunday-session-afl-open-to-four-mcg-finals-in-week-one-20180820-p4zyjv.html "... it’s understood the AFL are contemplating playing one final on each of Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday if the four MCG tenant clubs finish 1st, 2nd, 5th and 6th. This would allow the MCG to host all four week one finals. The AFL won’t confirm its week one finals fixture until after the top eight finishing order is confirmed. ... The Hawks are aware they would be the likely candidate to again host a final at Docklands if the AFL opted to head down that path. We have won on every stadium (except Geelong) we played on this year so I don't fear any arena. But how good to see the red and blue at the G in September.

I think the rule changed last year: if a player does not play in the last H&A game they can play VFL in the bye week. Viney has barely played in 18 months so I reckon it would be a good idea to give him a VFL run, even for 10 minutes a quarter. Partly to get a bit of match fitness and partly to see how the foot goes. If he is going to break down again I would rather it be at Casey than in an Elimination Final. Edit: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-03-24/prefinals-bye-forces-vfl-into-new-eligibility-rule Quote: The relevant clause states that 'if an AFL club's VFL team is playing on the bye weekend, any AFL-listed player who did not play in the AFL club's AFL team in the final round of the home and away season will be eligible to play in the club's VFL team.' The provision is only applies to the VFL final on the bye round and not subsequent finals.

Some fair comments from a member view. I suspect the club is happy to get the revenue and importantly have another member to sell next year's membership.

I just bought my niece as a membership so I can take her to finals?. Regarding finals ticket purchase the club email said: " We will be sending an email to members with their barcodes and full details about how to purchase finals tickets on Sunday, so as long as she has that email it will have the barcode she needs to use on it. The barcode is different to the member number, it is on the back of the card but we will confirm it via email as well. I also need to let you know that all new memberships need to be purchased by 5pm on Friday, 24 August". Clearly the club was taking no chances of repeating last years trauma of finals ticket details sent before we made it. Good move to wait till our last game. But importantly, if anyone wants to ensure a finals ticket then it is worth getting a membership. A 3-game membership will be sufficient to have member priority ticket purchase ie before the general public. Priority purchase may be important if we end up playing at a smaller ground or at the MCG vs a big member club like Rich/Coll/Hawth. Go Dees!

What 12 years means to past and current Demons: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-08-20/the-social-media-reaction Examples: I like September ?? — Jeff White (@JeffWhite34) August 19, 2018 Love the Demons #finalsbound ❤️? @melbournefc — Brad Green (@bradgreen18) August 19, 201 I love my big friend Max ? #cuties claytonoliver13 (Accompanied by a delightful pic of Clarrie crying on Max's shoulder. Happy tears ??

That would be an almost dream run. We avoid the teams that had the best game plan to beat us: Hawks, Rich, Pies. We have improved a lot since those three losses but it would still be a dream to avoid them until the last Saturday in Sept. As an aside, did anyone notice we effectively knocked Port out of the finals race? They need to win and the Cats to lose. Don't like the odds so its bye bye Port!