Diamond_Jim

Thanks DA the second line worries me given the natural ruck dominance we should have over the Saints

Ah... our boy Bugg ... when he kicks 'em you know everything is good with the world

Have not got a video feed How other than the 2 goals is Brayshaw doing BTW the 2 goals are great I suspect that Gawn was not in the ruck for the third quarter from the stats. (No problem but where was the game plan to counter that loss of ruck dominance.)

Our first Demonland meltdown for the year and it's only a practice game ... wowo

remember ... no negatvity We have had a great pre season.. the boys have been training the house down.. we have key additions etc etc This team has to prove itself and this is not how you do it !!

worrying stat from AFL website: "After an efficient first half inside 50, the Demons are struggling in this third quarter. Melbourne lead the inside 50 count 10-5 this quarter, but have recorded just one shot on goal, from a free-kick. " Game plan?

We are leading the hit outs 23-13 but are only ahead in clearances 20 -18 Imagine if we could take advantage of Gawn's dominance Would be very interested to see the stats on hits outs to advantage etc

11-5 (71) to 6-4 (40)

see where you are coming from but 8 goals to 1 ..game over 8 goals to 4 ... game still very much on. We need to put teams away when we are on top

So good was the AFLX that we are all off to Hong Kong for a jolly good time at seasons end ... Better book those airfares soon. Are you staying Kowlooon side (my favourite ) or on the island?

I would like to think that is an understatement.

Oh what difference a strong pre-season doth make... Sorry if I've heard that before Most of the players in Round 23 had been back for 4-6 weeks ... about the same as a pre-season Just saying the jury is quite rightly out on this team and its coach. Had we made finals last year we would probably have another 5,000 members at this time... we would probably have had a better draw from a FTA exposure viewpoint. By the way for a club struggling like we are, merely making the 8 is not a great thing in an 18 team competition. Time says we have to hit it lucky some time. Success is needed at a high level over a sustained period. PS... and of course we had a great game against Carlton in 2016 when the future was on the line.

It's pretty well the same team as that which played Round 23 and let's not forget they didn't exactly cover themselves with glory against the lowly Bears the week or so earlier. Ask me at the bye how we are doing and hopefully I will agree with you. Remind me by the way of the season .... I think it was 2008 or thereabouts under Bailey where we were glowingly reviewed as the next best thing. Lost badly to Brisbane in the first round and it was all downhill thereafter. Hate to echo SWYL but this team has a lot of proving to do before it gains the confidence of its supporter base let alone the general public.

but can we have both the Suns and the Roos in Tassie?

Tigers v Roos tonight at Princes park. Both team near full strength on paper . Tigers by 50 plus unless North play a defensive game and then it's Tigers by around 30. Caveat.... Tigers "stars" may only play around half the match which would impact the scoreline.

Amongst others we have Wagner , Kent and JKH on their last contract year with the Dees. Hard to see any of those three being on the list next year. If I had to pick in order of those likely to make it my picks would be Kent, JKH and then Wagner. I say Kent simply because on 2106 form he showed he can play to AFL standard whereas the other two have been tried and showed little. Good luck to them all and let's face it there is nothing to be ashamed of in not making the final cut as long as you've given it your all. Would love to see Spargo play. If he has the footy smarts anywhere near Caleb Daniel he will be a very welcome addition.

Cannot see the VFL coming back as the curtain raiser but the double header with the AFLW is a real possibility. AFLW can still have the early start to the season and then they come together etc to bring the season to an end up until say end of May. Grounds will be in good condition etc until that time. Not sure how you deal with AFLW finals which have to move next year to a final 4 at the very least.

Agree with sentiment but after losing a nephew to heroin addiction I am not sure I can agree with the analogy. Let's challenge the clubs and the players to using the next increase in TV rights to eliminate sports betting and pokies. I believe the clubs know they have a tiger by the tail in the form of pokies and are desperate to find a way to get off their addiction. Not so sure about the AFL and their new found friends at the betting shops.

Excellent point but the cynical might suggest as follows: Pokies benefit some clubs and the victims are the "Aussie Battlers" who the AFL pretend to support while lapping at the corporate trough.... betting benefits the AFL through endorsements and increased TV rights etc and while perceived as a problem is not as insidious as pokies. (Given time it may well become so.)

Have no issue with the four emergencies IF the VFL games are reasonably co-ordinated to allow the emergency to play in the VFL game. Not as though ruckmen grow on trees. The other moves I assume are for television purposes .. ad breaks etc. In the main I don't bother with the pre-game anlaysis but if you think about it the TV stations would consider it prime advertising time

Have given it a afair bit of thought. 7pm on a week night with all the traffic on the freeway and zero ability to use public transport given the distance etc. Sorry ... would have liked to come along but even a game at Ballarat or similar on a Saturday would be much preferred. Alternatively we could borrow Port's oval for the night or similar. Casey just doesn't work for me and I am sure it is the same for many many others. Will continue to watch Casey when they come to town to play.

Interesting half time scores between Cats and Suns with Suns 22 points up. Hard to gauge this match as it's in Townsville and I suspect the Cats are far from best 22. PS make that 40 points to the advantage of the Suns after 5 mins of the third quarter !

350 in front with 6 wickets in hand. Touch wood but I think we have this one ....... about two mins after I post this we lose a wicket so I will shut up !!

Understand your sentiments DD but I am trying to avoid MFCSS for 2018. On a serious note though our destiny will always be shaped by others. For example Richmond last year got a home final in the first week. It could so easily have been an away final against Adelaide or GWS.

Great post To me GWS play in the classic mode (call it old fashioned). Like Adelaide they are susceptible to a team that harasses them and forces them to the boundary line. Carlton showed that they can be closed down at Docklands last year if you want a great example of game plan beating talent. GWS need a small forward. Stevie J when he was on song added enormously to that team. They have two monster forwards in Cameron and Patton. Greene could probably play the role but he would be wasted up forward. The MFC game plan worries me simply because we press too hard which has the dual affect of crowding our own forward line and making us easy to score against on the rebound. If we have a winner in Lever that could make the game plan a lot better.