spirit of norm smith

Harmesy 💙💔still love ya Great stuff. Harmesy and JJ. Harmesy and Grundy. Dees bond always there.

Derksen. Yes. He can play key forward or key defence. Would bf good alongside Turner in defence. Dees will likely go again this year to get him. Trade a future 3rd and get Giants 4th round back. Just a dry biscuits trade. Gruzewski. Yes. Though I think Giants will try to hold him

17 AFL Dees listed. Powerful line up. Only missing Spargo , Johnson & Sestan. 6 Casey listed - Deakyn Smith, Baldi, Hardie, Bonner, Sruk and Craven. Unfortunately Cross is injured as he has been very good and kicked crucial goals Tough game actually as the VFL Suns hold a good record at home but expect Casey to get the win.

Ok Lever out … certainly not 100% right So bring in Tmcd who was in good form before he was squeezed out … and Suns have three tall forwards in King, Walter & Read … but no ?!?!!?! is he now done and heading to retirement Ok Windsor out … needs to return to the wing. Get some run and run at Casey. He’ll be back !! JVR out?? Why ?? He needs to be played. He’s playing 2nd ruck so a puzzle why he’s out. Jeffo in … ok. Needs a go (but I would prefer JVR, Petty and Jeffo to be given a chance together) Kolt in … ok. Unlucky to get dropped after the Pies clash. Perhaps we’re looking at the future Sharp in … hmmm maybe he is in for matching up to tag one of the Suns half back runners like Rioli or Noble or likely he’s the sub again. My call would have been Out Lever Windsor In Jeffo Kolt Mcvee May Howes Bowey Turner Salem Lindsay Riv Langdon Chandler Petty Fritsch Kozzzy JVR Jeffo Gawn Trac Clarry JV7 Langford Melksham Kolt Sub Sparrow

Tough calls now!!!

The AFL gave Geelong an informal warning today after Max Holmes had stern words with on and off field umpires over the standard of officiating on Friday night. The league reminded the Cats of their expectations re player behaviour. No sanction. AND NOW WE WILL SEE THIS ACROSS ALL THE FOOTY SHOWS AND THEY WILL RIDICULE HOLMES AS BEING IMMATURE AND DISRESPECTFUL… or won’t they?!?!

I think one impressive youngster for the Dees to consider is Sam Cumming. He’s a midfielder small half forward type. In the bits and pieces that I’ve seen in his games for South Australia, he shown the skill and good running through that translates to AFL. Made good decisions with the footy and yes he hits targets inside forward 50!!!

Dwayne Russell Anthony Hudson Gerard Whateley Rebecca Madden Jay Clark 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Patrick Voss key forward Bombers VFL to Freo SSP pre 2024 season after missing out on the draft for 3 years Archer May Key forward Sandringham Dragons 2023 premiership forward alongside Calser Dear, ignored in 2023 & 2024 drafts

FREO 13.3. Yes 8.0 from set shots. Confidence. Technique. Dogga 3 straight and not easy shots !!

May. Salem. Gawn. Trac. JV7. Clarry. Lever. Langdon. Fritsch Like the core group for the future … Pickett. McVee. Windsor. Turner. Petty. Rivers. Bowey. Throlstrup. JVR. Chin. Jeffo. Howes. Sparrow + Langford. Lindsay. ?question marks … Verrall Woey Brown Sharp Laurie Adams Sestan Kentfield + AMW. + Mentha + White + Sinnema

Definitely. Sinnema is a very good young player. Not ready to go like a Langford or Lindsay but he’s one to add to our list and develop. Has the kicking ability that the MFC list needs.

McRae on Daicos being tagged: "Watching it back it caught me off guard how much he (Daicos) was getting tackled off the ball early (on King's Birthday). But I think he got some reasonable free kicks in the end to balance that out.”. Tackled off the ball. [censored] off !!! Langdon corralled and bumped and chased down Daicos so he didn’t get soft disposals under no pressure. McRae manipulated the media and indirectly the AFL. He’s the chief filth!!!

The AFL fixture or “FIXED-ture”…

@dazzledavey36 I just don’t think it’s necessary to call it out. Just my opinion. Amongst all the news worthy things for on the weekend, this could’ve been a pass. I think Tracs kicking (especially kicking inside 50 entries) and his handling/fumbling are bigger concerns for me and worthy of the focus !!

Another NICK RIEWOLDT cheap shot “At the moment, it looks like he (Petracca) is unsure about his own body in that contested situation." ☠️Nick Riewoldt on Christian Petracca Trac had every right to be protecting himself He had a very intense internal injury and has to be careful!! In my view, it just looks like he reads the flight of the ball wrong.

Which ended in Dee-saster!!! Melksham missed as well

What’s his tally now. 2.14!!! 16 shots …he spins the ball endlessly then sways it left to right and left and right Then his hook which is now systemic Goalkicking is shout straight levers and minimal fluctuations!!! How it fix it? Biomechanics Confidence Practice

@adonski thsnks. Yes watched it and he moves like his dad. Of course he needs 3 years in the gym and lots of protein shakes. But the AFL quality moves and traits are there … that leap looks familiar. Let’s hope he likes wearing red and blue. 💙❤️

Brownlow. 3 - RATUGOLEA 13 marks 2- Georgiades 7 goals 1- Rozee 32 possessions I thought Ratugolea was playing for us. We seemed intent to kick it to him. @picket fence

@Demonland Why? Why?? Why do we bomb it inside 50 to a pack so so many times… the opposition often marks it (Howe, Wilkie, Ratugolea in the last 3 weeks) or spoil it and we have no crumbing forwards. It’s bombed in high … each time with the same result !! It’s mindless. It’s either the coaches or the players. So after 3 1/2 years, who’s accountable? @binman Q1. Burgoyne goal 32 min mark Q2. JHF goal 29min mark, Georgiades goal 31 min mark Q3. Rioli goal 31 min mark do we have any stats on our Junk time goals against? Watching the Dees is a nervous experience as we miss easy goals, but ALSO I get anxious as MFC leak goals each week in the last 2 minutes (sometimes last 10 seconds) of quarters? Sure two were umpire clangers that killed us but it happens as a weekly event Do we switch off… it must be as it’s systemic each week !! @george_on_the_outer Our goalkicking. I think it’s time for a big rant. The 3rd quarter was a horror show. Six chances. 4 behinds. Petty. Gawn twice. Sparrow (Eishold like miss) and the two from Trac and Clarry snaps from 15 metre out that didn’t make the distance. (Whilst I’m a passive person normally, the swear jar got a few coins added in that 3rd quarter) . Do you have techniques for passionate fellow DLers to keep calm during such times? 🤣😊

I think it’s the corporate speak that is really frustrating “The learnings…” “The pivot…” “It’s the process … not the outcome” Footy can be a simple game. But the definition of madness is repeating the same thing over and over again with the same result!!! Our mids bomb the ball in high. Our goalkicking is horrible. Yes on the players, but it’s on the coach and coaches too. 3 1/2 years of poor conversion has to have consequences. If not, we accept mediocrity and accept weakness.

Ready for it … blah blah blah … what is really needed is to call out the goalkicking and the poor really poor kicking inside50 (bombing it in) Simon Goodwin talked about a reset, but it's one that's meeting with some resistance. The Demons sit in 15th spot with five wins and nine losses, their season on life support as finals become little more than a mathematical possibility. "We have changed a lot in the last 12 months, we certainly took stock at the end of last year," Goodwin said after the match. "We've made some progression in the last eight to nine weeks after a really slow start to the season, but we've never looked at outcome as where we want to be as a footy club, we want to look at our process, make sure we keep building. "We've still got work to do to be the team we want to be, and to be consistently challenging all teams in the competition, and we won't waste a day, we won't waste a week in our pursuit of doing that. "Ultimately, our challenge is to be a really strong footy team again."

Changes. @Demonland Make a statement !! Sparrow. Rivers. Melksham. Sparrow needs a new role He’s had a very hot and cold year On dry days, he fumbles constantly Riv is one of my favourites This hurts me but he’s lost it for now He turns into trouble He misses tackles He fumbles He kicks high high bombs into 50 where is his run and carry and strength and ability to bullet a pass He had it! He’s lost it We need him to rediscover himself Melksham He is struggling to move and compete against bigger bodies We cannot play him v key defenders He was killed by Wilkie and Ratugolea Was is Goody thinking ? Time to change to get a taller forward in If Goodys fair dinkum, they go out. Ins. Jefferson, Woey jnr, Verrall We need marking power. Jeffo We need more run and skill. Woey in. We need to give him his chances over 3 or 4 weeks. Not in, out, in, sub, sub, out. We need a 2nd ruck. We need to keep JVR forward and not allow a small forward structure to consistently get out marked. Verrall in. Give him a go.

I’m so so angry and frustrated. So so disappointed. 100% heart and effort. At full strength. But … We lose games We beat ourselves We miss chance after chance We are like a cricket team that cannot catch the ball One of the most fundamental skills is being butchered by professional full time footballers Goalkicking !!! It’s a skill. Probably now the most important skill for the Melbourne footy club Today’s 3rd quarter was the prime example The Dees had all the momentum Dees got within 5 points and had 3 goals in a row But had butchered opportunities to get in front The misses … Gawn (hooked it again, 2.13 so far , and a miss from 25 metrs out), Gawn a running shot from 20 metrs out, Petty miss from 20 metres dead in front, Clarry left foot snap from 15 metre out (no score) , Trac a snap from 20 metre out (no score), Sparrow a miss from on the behind line that is a goal probably scored 85% of the time … such basic errors SIX chances … four behinds … no excuses … none !!! No breeze , no moisture !!! (Sure Ports two goals were umpiring favourable to Rioli & Georgiades) Zero scoreboard impact is DEMORALIZING for players and supporters It’s depressing !! Port got in top and took their chances What to do? @Demonland thats a 3 1/2 year question to Goodwin, Choco and all the professional coaches Goalkicking … the ability to score is the most crucial part of our game