Lucifers Hero

Roos should know - he devised that game plan. It is exactly what he did when we beat the Hawks last year. In the press conf after that game he talked about getting the ball in around our 30m from goal arc. Worked a treat vs the Hawks and in a few games thereafter until the team ran out of puff. That Hawks game was played in a very similar way to the last 3 qtrs on Saturday. Same result!

I really hope they do bb - we play there 3 more times this year: Cats rnd 3, The Cheats rnd 6, Bulldogs rnd 13. I so desperately want us to beat The Cheats more than any other team.

I nearly put that rider into my post. od, I just knew you would be the first to say that

Agreed. I look forward to the day when DL drops the need for a 'whipping boy', especially of kids in their first few years. While some posters enjoy potting players it gets tedious. And I can hear those posters say 'don't read it'. Its hard to avoid a sniping comment when it is slipped into the middle of an otherwise interesting post about the games.

Correct. Goodwin said the Saints 'isolated Oscar'. He had a wry smile which suggested it was good experience for the young lad and let him deal with it as best he could. Big learning experience for Oscar. It wasn't ideal as it meant we couldn't get a third player to the contest quickly enough to help Oscar which at this stage he still needs. He is not Talia or Rance and may never be but he will get to the stage where he can win the contest in his own right when 'isolated' by the opposition.

As long as the players don't drink their own bath water anymore od the lids (for supporters) can go off like blown pressure cookers! This year I want us to bury all the teams that have seemingly had the wood over us! And revel in the joy! The day of the demon is nigh!

The EFC win just proves how badly they tanked last year. Their 2016 season and the #1 pick were a complete farce. Worsfold had form! In 2010 he tanked WCE to the bottom of the ladder collected the top draft pick then played the prelim final the next year! Only difference is last year he had the AFL's blessing. Didn't see much in the media after the game about Roughy's comeback! Nauseating media coverage of last nights game!

Hawks supporters may be smug and arrogant but nothing like that of Ess supporters. Can't stand either club or supporters but at least the Hawks earnt their smugness from 4 premierships. efc get theirs from some misguided sense of entitlement. Have absolutely loathed efc since the 2000 GF. Their recent years have only added to that. Forever and a day I will barrack against efc - even vs Collingwood.

The players certainly kept a lid on it - no fist pump, arms raised or smiling faces at the final siren. That reaction or more correctly lack of reaction is what gives me confidence that we won't get ahead of ourselves for next week's game vs Carlton. We have a score to settle - @ MCG next Sunday 4.20pm!!

Richardson didn't wake up to it either. Or if he did he didn't do much about it. It looked like they expected us to play the 'normal zone' defense which they drive trucks thru and get easy goals out the back. It didn't happen and they didn't know how to handle it. They looked as if it was all too hard until Roo went off and they came out of their shell. Seeing him go down must have stung them into action.

If Paddy is out they may play Longer to help Hickey run Max ragged, as we don't have anyone else who has rucked since last August. They probably subscribe to the theory 'beat Max, beat Melbourne'.

They do now - Hankook. http://www.saints.com.au/news/2017-03-24/hankook-join-saints-team Hankook, the sponsor mfc peeved off a few years ago In a moment of MFSCSness I thought it could be a terrible omen for today.

Agreed, TGP. I would add that the pies don't have much of a forward line: Talls: an inexperienced Moore and part timers White and resting ruckmen; Grundy/Cox. Small: Fasolo, Blair, Varcoe. They outplayed the dogs with i50 and marks i50 and worked hard defensively to keep the ball in but they just didn't have the players to goal and eventually the dogs got it out and the pies were opened up a few times out the back.. Had thought we could pencil in wins vs the pies this year but not so sure now. The pies have improved a lot and will get better. Have we improved more? Time will tell.

A fascinating insight into our new coach, some new news, some things we already knew. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/melbourne-demons-coach-simon-goodwin-living-the-dream-despite-painful-memories-20170323-gv4y5c.html I hope that one day when everyone is retired we learn a lot more about the transition from Roos to Goodwin. It goes like this: Goodwin: "I'm sure I was bloody frustrating at times but he handed over training really early and deferred to me in so many ways – list management, trade decisions – and we spoke at length about strategy and our different views. He'd always challenge me but he showed a lot of patience." Roos explained it this way: "There were a few meetings where I'd just say: 'Mate I believe in what you're doing just go your hardest.' And he knew that. Its easy to underestimate Roos' impact in the successful transition. Goodwin could not have had a better teacher. Tomorrow, Goodwin stands on his own two feet. Hope the team give your reign a better start than the farewell game they gave Roos at Kardinia Park last year. Good luck, Goody. Go Dees

We have 6 members, the second highest behind Brisbane who have 9. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-03-23/aflw-six-in-all-australian-squad Ours are: Karen Paxman Elise O'Dea Daisy Pearce Mel Hickey Lily Mithen Jasmine Grierson Thought Mifsud was unlucky to miss out - a very consistent performer. Well done to the girls that made the squad!

You are quite right about the issue really being PE drugs. My post that you quoted was in the context of the posts before it about the WCE grand final, not EFC saga.

I wonder how many clubs have won games, finals or premierships with players under the influence of illicit drugs? Maybe even won premierships with players on one or two strikes. Wasn't it Robbo who this week last year wrote an article about the high percentage of Collingwood players testing positive to illicit drugs. I saw a table posted on DL before it was taken down (appropriately) by moderators that showed some very prominent teams' players being right up there and higher than Collingwood on that list. And wasn't there a case where medical records were found strewn in an Ivanhoe street that implicated some neighbouring AFL players about 10 years ago? And who was the Sydney player around that time that claimed illicit drug use was rife in the AFL. Andy D canned him big time in the press and his reputation never recovered. Just can't recall the players name but I think it was around the time Sydney won the GF. I don't condone drug use at all. But the bluster in the press about WCE 'tainted' premiership is just bluster. It is naive to think it hasn't happened since. Unfortunately for WCE they have had some high profile, very tragic fallout from that era. I would bet my bottom dollar they aren't the only team to have won a premiership with players taking illicit drugs. The others have managed to fly under the radar.

I respect your view Pro Dee but I'm too tired too spar with you because if I do we will go round in circles. Good evening.

Yes, I do. Perhaps driven by not having a Fagan nor a CEO in place at draft time, to harness Clarkson's impetuosness. But consulting the leadership group has been a basic tenet of that club until this draft period. Clarkson has the runs on the board to be unilateral. Goodwin does not. I will be over the moon if Goodwin is the coach we are all hoping he will be. But for mine he needs to earn the stripes and I'm not sure he has, yet.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/jack-vineys-promotion-to-melbourne-demons-cocaptaincy-was-coachs-call-20170321-gv3an0.html Definitely a captain's call by Goodwin. Telling the leadership group and the incumbent captain after he made the decision is quite different to how top clubs like Hawthorn and Geelong operate. Huge accolades to Jones for how he has moved forward from the deflating news.

Are you sure that is what she said? I heard it as her asking Garry if he "thinks the Demons are getting ahead of themselves" to which he replied that "he thinks they are a bit". I doubt the Saints being so cocky...lots of unknowns for them in this game - both theirs and ours.

WOW, That is awesome! 4 from 7 rounds! Any idea who votes for the RS? Would be great to see one of our girls take it out. Taylor Harris might be the one to beat. Very talented and eye catching player and has performed consistently. She is an honourary Demon in my book as she wore our colours with distinction and pride. So will be happy to see her win if ours don't.

Could post this in any number of threads that relate to Watts but it is primarily about selections this week. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-03-21/watts-happening-no-clue-from-demons-coach Goodwin makes an interesting comment about whether to go with tall or not so tall forward line this week. That will determine whether Weideman and Spencer play. Garlett, Watts, Kent, Smith in the mix. No mention of Jetta so I would guess unlikely. Coach not particularly upbeat on Watts '..he is slowly improving...' The troubling part of the club's preseason Watts commentary is there has been precious little public confidence in him. Not sure Goodwin's big stick of non-selection is the way to motivate him (or any player). He could just say Watts is in the mix and leave it at that. Why add the 'slowly improving'... Can't see the benefit of Goodwin persisting with his public 'slow burn' of Watts.

JONATHAN BROWN’S TOP 10 FORWARDS AS OF ROUND 1, 2017 1. Tom Lynch (Gold Coast Suns) 2. Lance Franklin (Sydney Swans) 3. Josh Kennedy (West Coast Eagles) 4. Eddie Betts (Adelaide) 5. Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn) 6. Taylor Walker (Adelaide) 7. Toby Greene (GWS Giants) 8. Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn) 9. Tom Hawkins (Geelong) 10. Jack Riewoldt (Richmond) You haven't misread it, there is no Jesse! http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/jonathan-brown-nominates-his-top-10-afl-forwards-heading-into-2017-season-with-some-notable-exclusions/news-story/a3231c9890b044ea022b5100fcbd1350 I think the top 4 are about right and I would put Greene a few spots higher than 7. But to include Roughead who plays upfield and hasn't played for a year, and include Hawkins and Riewoldt who had ordinary seasons for a couple of years is stretching it. On 2015 and 2016 form Jesse should be in the bottom half of that list. I look forward to Brown 'eating his words' when Jesse has a huge 2017season.

Jones was not a happy camper about it “... he said losing sole leadership felt like something had been ‘taken away’ from him. I think initially — and I’ll be completely honest — I guess through human nature, I was disappointed, frustrated,” Jones said...“At the time, being a super-competitive person, I felt like something was being taken away from me". http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/nathan-jones-opens-up-on-being-told-he-would-be-melbourne-cocaptain-alongside-jack-viney/news-story/6e9281471d36921b053a23c25f20652d A bit surprised Jones would give so much away - usually this stuff is kept in-house and players give platitude answers and say not much. Also surprised Goody told him while playing golf, usually these things happen in private especially as he knew the news would be deflating for Jones. This was a 'Captain's Call' made by Goody. Goody has made a few big calls on players before even coaching a game. I greatly hope he has them right and are not 'rookie' mistakes.