Lucifers Hero

I agree but the vast majority of the players at the end of the 2017 season ie what Goodwin refers to as their 'first footy heartache' have been their for a number of years and certainly thru the 2016/2017 heartaches that we supporters endured in that time. Lets hope they have learnt their lesson to not listen to the external noise (about finals and 'elite' talent etc) and instead knuckle down and fight to get respect and success and reward us long suffering supporters.

Spot on Rocky. I think 'straight bat' has become Goodwin's om - not necessarily a bad thing but it gets a bit boring touting out the same sort of stuff. Here is an article which rehashes major events of last 6 months. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-14/day-from-hell-spurs-goodwin-to-greater-heights Interestingly, about round 23 he says: "Goodwin describes the brutal end to the season as this group of Demons' first footy heartache..." WOW! I can think of a few 'footy heartaches' for success starved supporters with this group of players! Have to wonder what makes the guys tick when they miss finals in 2016, then in 2017 lose to bottom teams (Freo, North x 2), let games slip from their grasp (Geelong, Richmond, Hawthorn) and not feel 'footy heartache'. Goodwin: "It's what you actually do. As a playing group, and as a coach, that's what we want to go and do. We don't want to talk too much." Couldn't agree more - talking time is over! It is time to deliver!

I cant get behind the paywall but the headline contradicts the quoted text which says: The AFL has joined ASADA in fighting a Freedom of Information request made by a member of the public seeking access to doping control forms Why would the AFL side with ASADA to fight release of info and at the same time threaten to spilt from ASADA if info is released. Is there something in the article that explains the apparent contradiction? If not pretty dumb of the HS to run with it. Anyway, who is the AFL supposedly threatening? It is up to the courts to decide what to released. A confused and not very logical person wrote that headline - Robbo perhaps?

Ladder after round 6. Basically any of the top 5 teams can make the GF (if I have the logic right). From the Top - If: Bulldogs win - in GF at Home Demons win - in GF at Home Crows win can dislodge loser of Bulldogs vs Demons and into GF as they have extra points for drawn game GWS win can dislodge loser of Bulldogs vs Demons and go into GF as they have extra points for drawn game Both Crows and GWS win the one with the higher % will go into the GF Lions win go into the GF if Crows lose and their % is better than loser of Demons vs Bulldogs. (This is the only scenario in which our % counts). We must win next week! Or we rely on Lions to beat GWS (by just a small margin) and Pies to beat Crows. We might look back and rue the game we lost badly to Freo after having the proverbial 'unassailable lead' at the end of the first quarter Again we hold our destiny in our own hands! Go Dees! Thanks to @dl4ethere is another outcome - a draw with Bulldogs will see both teams into the GF

Quite right. There aren't many win/lose combos next week when our %age will come into play - see the 'Run Home' thread after the siren.

We are thrashing them all over the park except the scoreboard. Must convert the advantage in the final quarter.

So you are happy to read the derogatory comments (useless, downhill skier, pea heart) even when he plays a good game but can't take a few positive comments? Well that's your problem.

Firstly, I didn't read the main board much over the last few months and then only the training threads. Anyway, I thought he had a serviceable game last week. On what basis was his game last week 'useless'? The published stats perhaps? Compare his stats to those of other Port forwards, not the mids. Hinkley plays him as a forward and so far he rarely gets beyond the centre square so he won't get mids like stats. Watts was just as effective as any other Port forward, probably bettered only by Dixon. Dixon got more goals, one of which was from a Watts play. Watts had more possessions at 88% efficiency. So his game last week wasn't great but it was quite serviceable, especially considering it was the first time he had played their game plan with those teammates.

I'm not taking the bait of your first line! Giving Jack credit for his good performances and being happy with Fritsch and how we are going are not mutually exclusive. Open minded people can do both - of which you are one but there are many on here that cannot do that and delight in potting him. To me Jack will always be one of us and I will delight in his successes.

Except Lever it was mainly the Crows GF defence. Watts played very well, even if some on here don't want to give him credit. He fought for just about every one of his 17 possessions and his goals were pure class. I agree, he is needs consistency for the whole year but he deserves credit for his match winning performance, not just a cameo. It will be a long year on here if posters delight in potting Jack's good games for Port.

Do I hear an echo of the lead up to the 2017 AFL round 23 game... We are Melbourne, anything can happen...

Bit close to call - a giants win will bring the dogs back to the field but give the giants a leg up and compete with us for second spot. But I would still go for the giants tonight (by a very narrow margin like 1 or 2 points) as they have the lions next week. We win tomorrow and the field is wide open. Knock off the bulldogs next week and we shut the gate on everyone else!!!

You clearly didn't watch the game. Most of his possessions were in a contest of some sort and he took 4 or 5 marks! 6 goals + 3 goal assists. Maybe this coach knows how to use his talents to best effect...

Can never trust those damn Pies - let lions get 3 junk time goals and protect their %age. Grrrrr!! So, it is up to the team now - win next 2 games and we are in the GF. How fitting will that be: a Bulldogs vs Demons GF - the two original teams playing off.

That is it fndee. If lions lose today it is wide open for us. We must have a big win tomorrow vs Blues to build a % buffer but even that won't be enough if we lose to bulldogs next week and Crows beat Pies. Nail biting games await! Go Pies this week and next week vs Crows!

Its called 'monopoly pricing' jr! If it wasn't for sports I doubt if many would buy Foxtel, especially with Netflix around. After a 2 week trial period I have found very little on Foxtel worth watching. Programs are nearly all reruns and reruns of shows that were aired on FTA years ago or second rate shows that didn't make it to FTA. I finally relented to sign up to Foxtel only because I didn't want to miss any part of what is hopefully a great season for us, when I can't get to a game live.

Yes, it works right up to Galaxy 7 (and Tab 4 Tablet). Forgot to mention the recent Samsung devices will stream to a Samsung TV but not to other brands. Its a ploy to force people to buy Samsung TV's. I just wish they would say this somewhere in their specs rather than have purchasers waste money on their devices. I will look more seriously at non Samsung brands for future purchases - not happy when producers take away functionality and not disclose it adequately.

Howdie @MarkMacca After much searching I found a link to what I purchased (first with 2 week free trial). It is here https://www.foxtel.com.au/now/shop.html On a related note my Samsung Tab 4 10" (2016) Tablet and my Samsung Galaxy 7 (2017) phone could not be streamed to a TV because Samsung have removed the MHL facility on those devices and made them non compatible with Chromecast (which was a bit of a shock). When I contacted them they rather curtly said 'you should have checked the specifications before buying'. Hopefully, the Foxtel link above helps you find the service but check that your mobile devices can cast to your TV - this is where the two weeks free trial is handy - there is time to iron out technical issues before having to pay.

I don't know where we will finish but I think player experience is important - not just # of games played but Finals experience! I can think of only one club that has got to the Prelim (Port) or the GF this century without some finals games behind it. Yes, even the surprise packets of Hawthorn (2008), Bulldogs (2016) and Tigers (2017) had had some finals experience (with mixed results). The finals wins and the losses were invaluable for their coach and their leaders to build on. I think we will make finals but not sure how far we can go this year because the lack of finals in our players, coaches and the club will shorten the odds considerably. Hopefully, Macca, Lever and Lewis' experience will go a long way to help once we get there. Note: With natural growth in developing players, the proverbial 'drover's dog' should get us into the finals - if the players want it badly enough.

See this thread.

Updated for Petracca and Hannan recontracting Other important re-signings for this year: Jetta, McDonalds, Brayshaw and maybe J. Smith and Harmes. Hope Balic has a good year and gets a few more - it will be good to see what he can do if given a good go at it. As much as I love all the players in Red and Blue many of the others will need a bit of luck to continue.

SWYL - you trot out that line on just about every thread! I agree with it as a team/club but this topic is about individual players so I don't see the comment as being so relevant in this thread. Take another look at the list - there are two players from the Lions. The Lions haven't achieved anything yet! It doesn't stop AFL players seeing Hipwood and Harris in the 'breakout category'. Lots of non-successful teams have star players and players on the verge of breaking out. I believe we do to even even if those outside the demons cannot see it.

AFL Player Tips: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-06/players-name-2018s-five-biggest-breakout-contenders Image deleted I'm reading a 'breakout year' to be one which goes beyond having 'potential' and beyond 'announcing oneself' to 'arriving'. Really expected Petracca to be up there!! Also no Hogan and no Oliver (maybe 2017 was his breakout year). I am rather shocked to be honest. In a way it shows other AFL players don't really rate our rising stars - are the negative labels of recent years (bruise free, mentally weak) still strong in the minds of AFL players and all our players are tarnished with that brush? Clearly to us Dee supporters we have a heap of starts in the making. But others in the AFL aren't seeing it (forget the dumb commentators). Still some respect to be earned... Hope our boys show their peers what they are made of!!!

https://twitter.com/AFL/status/897379049281957888 There is some video on this link In one of yesterday's JLT games the commentator praised a ruckman for 'fending off the ruckman with one hand and palming the ball off the other.' I immediately thought of that StKIlda game and of those 5 free kicks against Max! (One of the many 'what ifs' of our season that cost us % and the finals). Paddy Ryder was pinned for a few ruck fend offs as well Will be interesting to see if umpires enforce 'The Max Fend Off' this year. We play the saints this week so it will be a good test case (as apparently it was they that complained in the weeks leading up to the 2017 game with us). Max has changed his technique. Hopefully, umpires enforce it against other teams in 2018. I suspect it was the 'rule of the week' for a fortnight and they will forget all about it...of course, only until Max thinking it is safe, tries it and they pin him again.

The poster misses the point that as an FA Lynch is 'free' to the receiving club - unless GCS match the offer then they give up picks/players ala Dangerfield. Re the principle of chasing a 'big fish' - if he is a 'free', I say go for it. Excuse me for asking WJ - what on earth takes someone of your renown to reading a Pies forum.