Lucifers Hero

by or buy - it can happen so easily to all of us. No matter how hard I try I find that often a small grammar or spell error slips past. We are both but human.

Tragic for a family to be shattered like this. He also spent a long time at Port fc so they must be hurting deeply like Adelaide fc. Unexpectedly reunited with his very good mate Dean Bailey.

The ins/outs might show Garland replacing Lumumba. But from the list it looks like Toumpas is the on-field replacement and will have the 'run and carry' role. He runs well, is developing poise and in the St K game showed he has a good defensive game. Expecting Jimmy's role to be like Salem's early in the year, when Lumumba was in the midfield. Looks ok to me.

Micro-doping! Its a new phrase to me! It means: "players using tiny amounts of performance-enhancing substances such as testosterone and human growth hormone, which were undetectable". Its the next big AFL issue and the AFL have no idea about it! http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/microdoping-next-challenge-for-afl-warns-player-agent-peter-jess-20150702-gi3tet.html An interesting comment from Judd quoted in the article: "Therefore, the next generation of drug cheats will be caught via surveillance of gyms, anti-ageing clinics and internet purchases, not by urine or blood tests." His reference to anti-ageing clinics brings the whole EFC saga back into focus. Maybe the players were getting their micro-dope fix there! The performance improvement for an athlete is significant: "The micro-doping in the VO2 max [fitness] test, on average, improved the athlete's results by a massive 6.1 per cent. In the 3000-metre run, there was an average improvement of 2.8 per cent." It must be tempting for footballers (and other athletes) if they can't be found out. EFC aside, before long we will be assuming that no sportsperson is clean. A very sad day that will be.

Agree. GCS and AFL would have known. This saga may give insight into why McKenna was sacked and why a high-profile contender didn't get the gig. This week Mckenna and Ablett have said: they had no idea!! What the hell were they and their Player Welfare staff doing? Head in the sand! The AFL dropped the ball! They have fessed up to being so busy with the Ess saga to notice the Lions were imploding. Looks like they didn't act to stop the Suns imploding. Can the GCS recover? Possibly not. Maybe they then merge Lions and Suns? $100m down the drain!! Wasted top draft picks and the codes more talented players. Sour taste for us and other teams stuck at the bottom of the ladder!

You may be right in all that SWYL. My point was solely about the appropriateness of the HS 'exposing' one player. The 12 should be treated equally: Give the protection of confidentiality to all or to none.

Apparently 12 GCS players were named by Hunt. The HS have 'coincidentally' found 'incriminating', 2 yr old photos in their archives of one player. Thereby implicating the player as one of the 12. This is a very shallow and transparent way of getting around the AFL request for player confidentiality. They have set this young man up to be pilloried, humiliated and to be the fall guy. I wounder what else the HS have in their archives on AFL players and why they chose Harley for special exposure? Yes, he is talented, controversial and one of their best known players so makes good headlines. But the cynic in me wonders whether they would do this if he was not an indigenous player. Harley deserves the same protection as other players. Shame on the HS for 'exposing' him or any player. I hope my cynicism is misplaced but I wonder about the HS agenda.

Misson injury interview: - Newton, Garland & Hogan available. (Hogan was ok just being conservative with back and hamstring tightness) - Kent 3 weeks, starts training next week - Vand 2 weeks, did fast running yesterday - Salem 3 weeks, they are being cautious with him - Frost 6 weeks, first run tomorrow. Bursting to get back - Trengove has next scan July 24 which will determine if he can run - Petracca. been running for a week, no sign of a limp. I wouldn't be surprised to see those not available now, come back via Casey given that they would have lost match fitness. Forgot to mention they fly up today to train tomorrow and adjust to the heat.

Thank you.

That will be even better as a new 2 year contract signs him up till 2019! Be it to end of 2018 or 2019 it is another good sign that our young brigade are happy to sign up for several years, post Roos as coach.

This extract form rfpc's 'contract tracking' shows Tyson's contract to expire end of 2016 so 2 years takes him out to end 2018. 2019 Jones 27, 2018 Brayshaw 19, Petracca 19, 2017 Dunn 27, Hogan 20, Viney 20, Lumumba 28, Kennedy-Harris20, Salem 19, 2016 Trengove 22, Dawes 26, Grimes 25 (RFA), Watts 24 (RFA), Michie* 23, Vince 29, Tyson* 21, Kent 21, M Jones 27, Spencer 25 (UFA), T McDonald 22, Terlich 25, Jetta 25, Garlett 25, Stretch 18, Frost 21, Newton 22, Neal-Bullen 19, O McDonald 19 2015 Jamar 31 (UFA), Garland 26 (RFA), McKenzie 24, Howe 24, Gawn 23, Fitzpatrick 23, Toumpas 21, Pedersen 28, Hunt 19, Cross 32, Bail 26, Riley 23, Harmes ® 19, King ® 19, Vandenberg ® 23, White ® 18 The great thing about this is that most of our high end talent will be locked away for at least 2 or 3 years. A few more of our new kids and other talented players to sign up and the core team will be there for some years. It will be great when they get a full season to play together and really start to gel as a team!

For those questioning of Roos: "Assessing the performance of Paul Roos must be made in the context of his main objective which is to hand over a strong list, culture and team in 2017 to his successor Simon Goodwin. On that basis Roos is performing well. The side is more competitive, the players are being developed steadily and performing well when stepping up to the seniors and the team is functioning as a unit more often than not. There have been lapses – such as the last minute of the St Kilda game or the second half against the Magpies – but these can merely be filed into the valuable lessons category, particularly on the back of the win against Geelong. Roos is unlikely to mention the past again as the team has steadily built respect and is now a formidable opponent capable of kicking a winning score". http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-07-01/midyear-coach-ratings?utm_medium=RSS At the risk of sounding like a 'broken record'...Roos is doing exactly what he said he would do: Build the team and develop his successor! When he goes, at the end of 2016 it will be a shame to see him go but we will not be disappointed in the legacy he leaves.

For those asking how Goodwin might go here is a take from Bernie and Jack Watts :http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/simon-goodwin-shows-similar-traits-to-melbourne-coach-paul-roos-says-bernie-vince/story-e6frf3e3-1227422365467 Goodwin seems to be the yin to the Roos yan introducing a more attacking game to complement Roos defensive game. And Goodwin is doing great work with player development. This is exactly how year 1 of Goodwin's development as a coach was described when he joined the club. As Roos stated when Goodwin joined and again last week, he will do more as time goes on. But Roos is smart enough not to rush it. A big job for Roos is to take the heat from the press when we go thru a loosing patch, which we will. Roos will stick to the original plan when he signed up for the 3rd year: he will be our senior coach thru 2016. And, he will continue to give more to Goodwin behind the scenes and on game day. That is as it should be.

Anyone can be right 5 days after the club puts the story on the website!! Maybe 'partyboy' has been on vacation, heard the news and thought it was a scoop. The transition will probably be: - Goodwin to do less player development and take more training/coaching sessions this year. - Goodwin to play a big role in the 2015a trade/draft process - Goodwin takes a chunk of the pre-season coaching work. - Goodwin to probably coach the NAB games in his own right, without Roos in the box (or even at the game). - Roos starts coaching from the boundary for part/all of some games towards the middle of 2016 (depending on our wins/losses) - Goodwin does more work with the board, sponsors and the press in 2016. - In Sept 2016 Roos walks away. Roos has made it clear he will not be at the Demons when his contract expires. He will make damn sure he leaves the players, the list and the coaches in the best possible situation he can. He will have done the job he was recruited for. No crystal ball, grapevine contacts are needed when posters read our website regularly.

Not sure what all the fuss is about. Its been on the club web site for a few days: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2015-06-25/goodwins-role-could-increase-this-year and was discussed in the 'Roos stop making excuses' thread. http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/38437-paul-roos-dont-give-us-more-excuses/page-13?hl=%20roos%20%20excuses So nothing to talk about folks! My prediction in that thread was that Goodwin would coach NAB games. Then Roos would start to take a step back as the season goes on in line with the article on the website. Can't imagine Roos stepping back when we are still losing games and at the bottom part of the ladder.

The final installment: Mid-season Review: Spencer to White Another frank, no frills assessment from Roos. If all the players in this report (except Terlich and White) play at least to their recent standard, we are in for some good football for the last 10 games!

Roos would already know Howe's trade value and exactly if/where he is going. No need to wait till the end of the year! Recruiters talk to each other all the time. By now the cards for Howe are on the table. The best thing to increase price is his performance...actions speak louder than words. By playing his role (and showing discipline and another string to his bow) his price would be enhanced. Doesn't need Roos to add spin. Roos' mid-season reviews on all players has been refreshingly honest without spin. Roos is neither a genius nor seem to have Machiavellian tendencies!! You guys seem to believe your own spin!!

Except that P E D's are a no-no!

Its good to see some highly respected people (eg Mitchell, Brown) call Hird and the players out for the hypocrites they are. I recall 14 of the other 17 coaches did not attend an AFL arranged dinner late last year to welcome Hird back. No love lost with other clubs, clearly. To top it off they keep losing! This is sporting theatre at its best!!

Howe turned a corner in the Geelong game...Roos said it was his best game since he joined. What he left unsaid it was Howe's most unselfish, team oriented game ever! Hence the high praise in is press conf for Howe's no touches in the first half. Seems like Howe was told: don't even try to mark, let alone take a speccie! Howe (finally) listened, sacrificed 'his own game' and brought the ball to ground! Howe may look lazy but it may well be he plays to have fun doing his own thing. ie rather selfish If he and the rest of the team play unselfish football and we win a few more Howe might want to stay. Altho if Sir Paul Roos is right the orange people to our north may get to finals faster than us and he may go. Either way, if Howe continues to help us win games rather than play his own game, I will wish him well.

Here is installment 3: Mid-season Review: Lumumba to Salem Roos seriously rates Lumumba and gives him a big wrap. Along with the Garlett for steak knives trade the 3 way transfer to get Lumumba is great for us especially as Mitch has had injury problems again. I fear we may not see Pederson again...Roos' comments were short but not too sweet. "Pedos season has finished, due to injury, which is really disappointing. He played a couple of important games and really good games, but unfortunately were not going to see him for the rest of the year." Not critical but I just didn't see much hope in there for a contract extension. Other comments from Roos are as would be expected.

Everyone has their own view which is fine. Kevin Bartlett and Patrick Smith just said on radio the AFL should look at it so it may not be so silly. They are usually neutral and have well reasoned views on general footy matters. The point was if offensive behaviour happens on field it is appropriate the AFL be consistent. There are other recent examples eg alleged sledging of Mitch Clark, the Dusty cross-arm prison gesture etc. etc. Whether there is any action or penalty is an entirely different issue. I didn't suggest that any penalty should apply. Consistency was the point of the post.

The press reports that the AFL is investigating Mitchell's offensive gesture to Ess players? Shouldn't the AFL/MRP investigate Goodes' equally offensive squeeze on Hunt? The Stevie J swing on McVeigh was looked at by the MRP (no action taken). Goodes' incident of similar intention but looked even more deliberate. Caught red handed, you might say. Should be looked at by AFL/MRP, IMO

After 10 years of not being in finals, I don't get how anyone would want to wait a minute longer than necessary! In 2016 p l e a s e! 2017 could be a fizzer for Goodwin whether we make finals in 2016 or not. 2017 being pretty or not, it is for him to take his opportunity. ps 2015 finals would be even better but I know I'm dreaming there.