Lucifers Hero

The Academy (and Father/Son) player 'points' draft system has changed the value of draft picks. Last year pick downgrading proved that the academy clubs only care about 'draft points' not draft pick position. (Which we benefited from). GWS have 3 or 4 academy players in 2016 draft. They have already stockpiled 2016 'draft points' from 2015 and are looking for more in 2016. So 'a nothing pick' round 3 will be very valuable to them especially as it carries good 'draft points' given Freo's low ladder finish.

This year we have been competitive for whole games and fall away late in some due to fatigue not because we give up. An incentive to see the year out has to be show improvement. Right now only % separates 9th and 13th (Port, Demons, Rich, StK, Carlt). To show improvement the team's goal has to be to finish as high as possible to be seen as finalist contenders in 2017. As we play 3 of the 4 that is in our control.

Agreed, I read an article that GWS are preparing to accept Freo's 3rd rnd pick (similar to Freo's 2015 2nd rnd given ladder postition) for McCarthy. This article says Freo unlikely to trade 1st rnd pick (pick 4) http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/fremantle-dockers-chief-executive-steve-rosich-says-the-club-is-unlikely-to-trade-its-firstround-pick-ahead-of-novembers-afl-draft/news-story/dd24c3e27a78fc0dd58cb39fc2e7af41 It could be a smokescreen but it might also suggest they are giving up on Jesse. As you say they don't have a 2016, 2nd rnd pick and if they bounce back up the ladder next year trading 2017 picks for Jesse will be nowhere near enough. Freo might be able to offer Jesse big $$$$ but I don't think they have the quality picks/players (Fyfe & Neale being 'untouchable') to trade for Jesse so like yourself I'm optimistic of Jesse staying.

I reckon that once his manager started playing games and kept shopping him around looking for more money we took our offer off the table! And, then sent him on his way to GCS as part of the pick upgrade package. He had little option until the Pies gave him a lifeline (to stay in Victoria).

...and from Treloar when traded: “Playing in front of 90,000 at the MCG week in, week out was something I couldn’t pass up on”. Like Jeremy, Treloar was obviously sold a lemon by the Pies, in more ways than one...

Something to reflect on, on this miserable, cold, no-game weekend: The sad demise of the Fitzroy Lions: "Like a sick dog," said Matthew Rendell, a former Fitzroy captain. "It was almost like 'please put us out of our misery.'" http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-06-25/the-moment-that-began-fitzroys-long-slow-death?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS+feed%3A+AFL+Latest+News A sliding doors moment: "I just wish we'd gone to Brisbane at the end of 1986," Paul Roos said. "Everyone wanted to go. The players were told. And from that moment on it was the slow death of the club." What might have been, eh? And here is a roll call of the old 'Roy Boys' players as current day coaches: Paul Roos (Melbourne) Ross Lyon (Fremantle) Ken Hinkley (Port Adelaide) John Barker (Carlton – senior assistant) John Blakey (Sydney Swans – senior assistant) Alan McConnell (GWS – senior assistant) Ironically, AFL history repeats itself: 'The AFL didn't lift much of a finger to save the club...The priority for the economic rationalists at the AFL was also to establish second clubs in South Australia and Western Australia'. So, so similar to recent history where the AFL was so busy setting up GWS and GCS that it completely forgot about the Lions, Demons and a few other lowly teams who have recently been or are on their knees. A fascinating read but I couldn't help but think: '...there but for the grace of God, go our beloved Demons...' It could so easily have been us 3 years ago. I shiver at the thought! No matter what happens from here, I will be eternally grateful to Bartlett, Jackson and the old Roy Boy himself, Mr Paul Roos for giving us a chance and breathing some life back into our club.

Zip!! Its bye week - any distraction, especially if witty is welcome...I think All threads may get derailed this weekend as we all suffer from severe 'no-game' withdrawal symptoms...I think

Very profound and clever, RandB

Anyone else feeling a bit 'lost'...this thread should be bouncing by now... ...waiting for team selection announcements and remembered we ain't playing this weekend!! B-gger!!!! Boring!!!

Always enjoy your words, mr hemingway so A Very Big Thank You for putting paragraphs in your posts. My enjoyment of your posts has gone up immeasurably as a result.

Love that pic! I reckon Jack Watts would have loved seeing Jack Viney go after Rance - the 'smallest' guy in the team sticking up for him...birds eye view of physical courage and mental fortitude. Probably helped to get himself into games more, physically. JV is such a terrier!

And that is the real criteria for elite. For a season and then another season, then another. Roos described Gawn's Collingwood game as elite but qualified it with something along the lines of "but he needs to do it week in and week out to be an elite player of the competition". I don't think we currently have an 'elite player of the competition'. Gawn, Viney are our candidates in the next few years (given my criteria of performing at an elite level, season after season). Watts and Petracca are potentials as well.

...Trengove vs Blease was in response to jnrmac's specific question. You have posed an agonising question as Trengove has always been a fave and I have been a huge fan of Hunt since I saw him throw himself at everything in the Hawks game. He has fabulous attack on the ball and plays with intent and relentless aggression, virtually 100% of the time...a bit like Trengove when he started and was fit. I would have to go with Hunt

Good point, jnrmac - Easy choice when it is Trengove vs Blease!

Here is a pretty fair assessment of our year so far and expectations for the rest of the year: http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/melbourne-midseason-report-card-can-the-demons-notch-10-wins-in-2016/news-story/8ce0d3056ac192539018a67fd3feb688 Their conclusion: IT’S vitally important Melbourne continues on its current trajectory in the remaining nine games. In the past two seasons the Demons have fallen in a heap after the bye period, but they can’t afford to do after making such progress this season. Games against Fremantle, St Kilda, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide and Carlton should provide enough opportunity to hit 10 wins. With so many young guys there is a risk of a fade out but the return of Lumumba; Kennedy and Bugg in the side; a rested Brayshaw; Viney, Tyson and co with another year under their belt and judicious resting, I think we can avoid it.

Yes agreed, much more enjoyable than 100 pt defeats! Re our defence being our biggest issue. That is true and hopefully will be remedied this year. Having said that our back 6 are a lot more effective when the other 16 players upfield do their job with team based defensive work and contested football ie the learnings from Roos' Year 1 and Year 2 plan.

In one of Roos recent interviews he said his initial plan was: Year 1 - Defence (22 player team defence, not just the back 6) Year 2 - Contested Ball (by 22 players) Year 3 - Attacking Football (Starting from HB) (And I recall at the beginning he said something about handing over an AFL ready list to a new Coach). We were 22 players running around doing their own thing with no semblance of team work let alone contested football (remember the 'bruise free' label). That is why it is taking Roos longer than other teams. That it is taking so long is an indictment on where we were not on Roos or others now at the club. Improvement not fast enough for some? Fair enough. But Roos did not have much to work with and it had to be done in stages. Roos wasn't able to get experienced players so he had to (I think reluctantly) play kids. It is easier to train them from scratch than to 'teach old dogs new tricks' especially if the latter aren't able/willing to learn. Roos has implemented his plan. Yeah, he has made some mistakes but I thank God he came to the Dees. Where are we heading? Onward and upward! Only the players and Goodwin's team can decide how far!!

An article about GCS OOC players. . http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-season-2016-david-swallow-keen-for-a-longterm-deal-say-gold-coast-suns-20160621-gpod3i.html#ixzz4CC8iSusG The article says both Swallow and O'Meara have been unhappy about the medical advice and rehab respectively. Tough situation for talented young guys trying to make it in the AFL. Motivation to leave? On Prestia it says: "Prestia, averaging more than 26 disposals in 11 matches, met with his manager Marty Pask last week, with money not the primary concern over a new deal. He has been linked to Melbourne, Richmond and Carlton" I find that encouraging because of the three clubs we offer the best prospects, if he decides to leave GCS!

Scott Fine $30,000 North Fine $50,000 More than a rap over the knuckles so AFL is saying lay off the umpires!! This might stop the Scott bros whinging all the time. The other Scott bro is smarter with his words but still implicates the umpires... Not a good week for North. Both coach and president had a severe dose of 'foot in mouth' disease.

I feel we need to put Jack's performance (be it measured in disposals, speed or whatever) in context. In 2011 when he had the 29 disposals he was in his second season and just 19 yo. He was not slow and showed a lot to be excited about! But at some time in 2012 he suffered his first foot stress fracture - I recall he didn't go to the Dec 2012 camp because he was in a moon boot? Had an interrupted pre-season and never fully recovered so played injured in 2013 and couldn't run (because of the foot problem). 2014 and 2015 he was off injured and in rehab. The 2016 pre-season was hampered by lengthy times in rehab. I would suggest he has not been fit since sometime in 2012 so he hasn't been able to perform by any measure and to compare him to another player is not comparing 'apples with apples'. Will he get back to his 2011 pre-injury, achievements? We simply won't know until he has another pre-season and has a consistent stretch of games. As someone else said, this is a conversation to be had in a year or two.

If Eddie meant that wouldn't he have said 'jump in and bomb her' instead of 'stand around the outside and bomb her'? I'm not trying or wanting to be semantic as the whole issue is what Eddie actually said. His choice of words point to people throwing things.

That may be your interpretation of what 'bomb her' means but it is not what Eddie said. He said: '...everyone to stand around the outside and bomb her" - nothing about 'jumping in and making a big splash'. Many (most) people would interpret 'bomb her' as throwing things at her. I asked the question what he envisaged would be used to 'bomb her' and I'm not sure everyone would agree with your interpretation of rocks, ice, water bombs, sticks being weapons. They were examples of things that can be thrown (to 'bomb her from outside' the pool). In truth it doesn't matter what might be thrown to 'bomb her' that he even suggests it, is abhorrent.

This is a 3Aw transcript: Dwayne Russell: We’d have to sell tickets for those who want to push you, Caro, I reckon. Caroline Wilson: That’s very funny Dwayne. Hysterical. Tony Shaw: And hold her under Dwayne. Caroline Wilson: Oh, boys. Caroline didn't laugh in a "I am amused" way. It was totally derisionary. As soon as the guys realised that, they stopped. Compare to MMM comments here: http://erinriley.com.au/archives/2912 They did not stop. In fact Eddie added: "I reckon we could charge ten thousand for everyone to stand around the outside and bomb her". That sounds positively medieval to me. Bomb Her! Does that not sound violent to you? Not sure what he thought the bombs would be: rocks, ice, water bombs, sticks? They all hurt! It is not ok to 'bomb' or hurt anyone with anything at anytime. Eddie was completely out of line.

I believe there is no link. Like many abhorrent behaviours in our society the person can come from any part.

Start by taking away his knighthood!! He can become 'Why You Little' again! On a serious note. As a female poster, I am greatly heartened by the number of men on DL who get the issue and are standing up for what they believe (and by implication for the women in their lives).