Lucifers Hero

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.

Not sure of exact numbers but Geelong are playing a lot of Home games at Etihad as their ground is not available, and their members probably won't go up the highway. North play a few Home games in Tassie so their Vic members don't travel there. That deal is probably pitched to Tassie members. In both cases they are not giving much away. We will probably offer that sort of deal in a few months when we have played a few Home games so there is less value in a full membership.

Clearly I missed that little word 'not' but the context would have implied it .... Hird is still not contrite.

While not directly related to pay equality there is some meddling by the AFL that doesn't bode well. All AFLW player contracts were for one only year and will shortly expire so all players can move clubs, including marquis players. Also, it seems the AFL will mandate that 8 players need to be moved from each list - either traded or delisted. This just doesn't make sense to me as there are only 28 players on a list and each week a club fields 22 players (16+6 i/c) so effectively dropping at least 2 regular players. If they want to give more players a chance to play AFLW then make the lists bigger. 28 is ridiculously small - look at the decimation at Freo AFLW from injuries. And surely it isn't fair to delist players who after only one season have been injured or not settled enough to show their talents. The benefit of enforced high player turnover and one year contracts will only be for the powerful and wealthy clubs by them poaching talent with lucrative jobs at their club/sponsors or other promotional roles (which at this stage appear to be outside the AFL standard pay). So a club can use top draft picks, develop talent only to have them poached! There will be trades but we all know that a good player for a good draft pick are rarely equal Some promotional jobs are clearly legit (Pearce, Harris, Hope etc) but the high turnover and one year contracts just encourages 'jobs for the girls' designed simply to get a player to a club. The AFL should allow longer contracts so that a club can keep good players for a few years and stagger the end of contracts to reduce risk of losing a lot of talent all at once. The AFLW has the potential to be a fabulous competition. It won't be if AFL meddling, club politics and powerbrokers start exerting their might. Rant over...

@george_on_the_outer Thanks for adding the dates to the table in Must have taken eons to get the past year data. It really gives another insight into how we are tracking. Thanks for the efforts. And, congratulations Ethan T. A budding AFLW champion, I hope!

The AFL gave away the TV rights for zip for 2 years! Yes, zip! Channel 7 is getting record viewing audiences - at times well above AFL games and is making squillions from advertisers. The AFL and AFLW get not one brass razoo! Not even from the Grand Final!! If the AFL are dumb enough to do that, it is no reason why the players should wear the cost. I'm not suggesting equal pay or anything like it, just noting that the AFL have played this badly. There are also are direct financial benefits to the AFL eg 1. the Brisbane Lions has for years tried to get government funding for new facilities with zero results. Now with the AFLW team the Qld government is literally throwing money at the Lions and can't wait to build new facilities with a boutique stadium attached. http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/womens-afl/the-ladies-have-it-queensland-government-keen-to-invest-in-new-facilities-for-lions-because-of-aflw/news-story/64dad464744125c2d3073bc17fa9ac95. This saves the AFL having to foot the bill. And, it enable the AFL Brisbane Lions, with elite facilities, to be a more attractive club to male players and have a better chance of keeping their young talent. 2. And from a demons viewpoint. I just love seeing the NAB ads during games which feature Daisy and kids (a little boy in a supermarket and a little girl who kicks a goal) that are decked out in Melbourne gear. I reckon a lot more kids will be going to their school 'wear your footy jumper day' in the red and blue. Many will have #6 on the back and I doubt it will be for Lewis. The spinoffs from this exposure cannot be measured in dollars and cents but it makes me more proud to be a Demon supporter and to encourage people to take out a membership. Again not suggestion equal pay, just saying that the Brisbane and Demons exposure are examples of a direct financial benefit to AFL teams, so looking only at what AFLW 'pulls in' doesn't give the real picture.

Your mate is dreaming DA! If a team ever needed a pp it was Brisbane last year. They got one but it was end of first round. That was the first pp since the new (at AFL discretion) pp system came in (to stop tanking). So can't see the AFL giving pick 2 to the bottom team, in a hurry. And, Carlton recent history: 2016: 7 wins (14th) 2015: 4 wins (18th) 2014: 7 wins, 1 draw (13th) 2013: 11 wins (played finals and finished 8th... 9th if Ess hadn't been dumped) Bottom 4 only once in last 4 years (...didn't they tank their last game vs Brisbane in 2015 to make sure of 18th...) They can tank again (after all they are the masters at it) and they might finish last but their recent history won't get them a pp and certainly not pick 2. And as Mike Fitzpatrick is no longer Chairman they won't have as much clout.

Bit of a surprise that Hird suddenly turns up in the media. The AFL pulling some strings? I don't begrudge him a path back to good health but I really hope he doesn't use his column to preach about the drugs saga - a column of 'Fake Facts! Interestingly, EFC have scaled back the round 1 comeback campaign of 'welcome back our 'heroes'', walk to the G, etc. Maybe they recognise they aren't the comeback story of the Haw vs Ess. That honour belongs to Roughhead. And/or, the fanfare last week around the Wallis/Elliot/Gatto allegations have forced them to pull their heads in!

Contrast that article with the real comeback story of Jarryd Roughead: “I don’t think it will be emotional. It is a little bit about me (coming back), but I don’t really want it about that either..." http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/jarryd-roughead-doesnt-want-the-attention-to-be-on-him-ahead-of-his-afl-comeback/news-story/b385bddf1ef71429d793533db02da1b5 Roughhead is humble. Hird is still contrite. WE all know who the real hero is! It is sickening that Ess are still harping on 'comeback'!