Dees2014

I sympathise with your sentiments here, but I think if the women’s game is to fulfill its commercial potential (which is growing every day) we do have to face commercial reality: media coverage determines media behaviour i.e. eyeballs, so you will expect traditional media to support traditionally powerful clubs. I think the exciting thing about this demon women’s side, is that it plays such an attractive game style, comes from a traditional club with a substantial supporter base, it could well develop into a media hit in a similar way to the US Women’s soccer team did when they became about 10 years ago the premium world team and a media star. We clearly are not the US, but in the local context we do have the opportunity through the women to be more of a premium brand than we are at the moment. Consistency from the men would certainly help, but I have no confidence that is coming soon. As I have said in recent posts, as someone who has supported the Demons from boyhood (including sitting in a mezzanine stand as a 12 yo in 1964), I believe I am much more likey to see (maybe multiple) flags from our women than from our men. They are very classy. It may also be a very limited window, with North and Geelong coming in next year and another four clubs coming in the year after. They will surely rape our very talented playing list - unfortunately!

As I said in a post earlier in the week, this Dees womens’ team is a classy outfit. I watch them with great satisfaction partly because I rarely have that sinking feeling that I have watching the men that their game all of a sudden will fall in a heap. i think more more than anything else they have some outstanding leaders in Pearce, Paxman and Hickey as well as some class in Hoare, Cunningham, O’Dea, Cranston and Newman. Mithen is pretty good as well. I look forward to watching them for the remainder of the season. They are a step above the rest of the competition at the moment, and play a great brand of football. I hope I will not be proved wrong for the remaining hopefully six weeks. I don’t think so!! The Dogs will be the crunch game IMHO.

We seem to forget that we absolutely dominated possession against GWS. Our midfield and backline performed well. It was the forwards who were below par with the exception of Cranston of course. I think this will be addressed this week with the inclusion of Mifsud and Paxman. This women’s team is a good football side, and deserve their early favouritism for the flag. I expect us to win comfortably.

Will be happy to reload this thread in September - and I will!!

Doc, interesting post in the light of a telephone conversation I just had with a fellow demon fanatic of 50 years. At the end I said something to the effect “how good are those demons”. Silence....when I explained it was the women, we both agreed in our lifetimes we are far more likely to see the girls win (possibly multi) premierships than the men. Personally I am investing very little emotional energy this year in the men after being so disappointed in the last two years. I am predicting a 12-14th finish for them. As I have previously posted, I think we will very much regret our trading this year with Port Adelaide finishing in thr top four off the back of the demon players we have given to them in the last two years. It will be a tough year, but go girls - they are a star studded outfit!

Looking at our end of year trading, and the draft tonight, I get the over whelming impression that we have decided we have a premiership list and all we need to do is to wait and it will mature into a champion team. And by the way, we can give away a couple of first round picks who are not only potential champions, but provide us with experience and leadership, something which over the last couple of years we have desperately needed in close crucial games which we usually lose. I really could not understand tonight’s trading. We clearly prefer smaller fast runners, when what I think we need is more physical strength a la a David Neitz. Instead we go for smalls, or lightly built forwards. I suspect we will go backwards in 2018 - unfortunately!

Yes.....big time!!

Let me be clear here. I would prefer to keep Watts too. From what we are hearing so far in the draft we have: - watts given away for a second round pick. - Lever being paid more than Max, Viney, or Jones, plus our first two picks in the draft - Hogan going home to Fremantle for not very much. - Trengove, Kennedy and Spencer being given away for nothing when each has potential currency. Doesnt look too too good to me. I am prepared to call it now that to me the Lever trade will have the destabilising effect on our young list which will see much of our brilliant midfield and the best big man in the league walk out when their contracts are up. I think it is that serious. This Post was supposed to bring that to a head, not as a serious suggestion re Jack Watts, but under these circumstances Tippett might have some value and won’t destroy our young list at the same time. At least he has played some good football in the past, and we could get him for very little. This trade period for me is looking like we are going back into the pack as a perennial mid lister. It is not looking good!!!

watts IS going - it is simply what we can get for him (listen to Trade Radio if you don’t believe me). They report the MFC have indicated they will accept a second round choice - I think remarkably, but we are where we are. I find it remarkable that we say what we will accept before they explore options. At the moment there are at least three clubs looking at Watts (including the Swans - hence the suggestion), yet we say second round is ok.. In my my business career we have always practised you play one off against the other, to maximise the outcome. We are giving everything away... Another example is delisting Spencer, and we now know a couple of clubs are after him. We need to monetarise these opportunities!

Could make sense, if Tippett passes the fitness test!

Suggest either ANB or Hannan, but probably depend on how they and the team perform on Saturday. There is no doubt that team is strengthened by Viney who makes Max twice as good. If you had to rank the team above, I would certainly put ANB and Hannan 21 & 22, but we are getting to the stage where we have an embarrassment of riches which is obviously where we need to be...

Partially agree. The rumour I like is the one that says Kelly stays at GWS on a two year contract, wins a flag, then comes to the Dees on a five year deal (after we beat GWS for the 2019 Flag)! Oh happy days!

In: Watts. Salem (Assuming Viney unfit) if fit: Viney Out: Stretch Wagner (If Viney fit: Hannan) TEAM B: Jetta - T Mac - HibberdHB: Hunt - O Mac - LewisC: Tyson - Jones - VinceHF: Watts - Pedersen - MelkshamF: Petracca - Hogan - GarlettFoll: Gawn - Oliver - VineyI/C: Salem - Brayshaw - ANB - Harmes. Substantially better side side than last week IMHO

The principle is the same whether in finals or home and away!

Although a hard fought win on Sunday, we seem to give away far too many unnecessary 50m penalties. I counted five 50 meter penalties against us on Sunday (Tyson (2), Hannan, Hogan, Wagner) and none to the Lions. That is a hell of an advantage to give away. I know we have to play the game hard, but there was nothing hard about these penalties, simply sloppy and undisciplined. It is hard enough to win games at the best of times, without deliberately handicapping ourselves. We simply can't afford this in finals.

It would be interesting to know. somehow they may have more relevance. I suspect a few, but let's see.....It would give a lot more relevance to their understanding of the game. clearly there are doctors and lawyers who post and they often reveal themselves, why not AFL experts?

I thought it was a bit more than soreness. At some stages yesterday he look absolutely spent. I think a rest is a good idea, even if it is only a rest from heavy training. The week off will help him enormously...

I agree. Just finished watching the replay again. We lookED really spent in the last half. Reminds me of the last few games of last year. I know this is a symptom of young sides but we won't give a peeps in the finals if we can't get our mid season spark back. Hopefully we will make the finals. The bye before it will do us a huge amount of good IMHO.

Who do we think will be the most likely winner of the Brownlow from our current list. I'll start the ball rolling: 3. Oliver 2. Petracca 1. Viney honourable mentions Gawn - (I know unusual for a ruckman to win recently, but there was Stynes, Moore, Dempsey). Tyson (if he improves his kicking) Hibberd TMac (left field choice) Brayshaw - yes he is that good folks when he is fit

I have them not making it.....their form is dreadful, and have some challenging games ahead. I agree it will be a big fall. I also think they are in termoil over several of their so called stars wanting to leave at year's end.

Agree sorry. It was bulldogs, swans

Just did a ladder predictor, with us winning four of our last five games and finishing 3rd. The eight is Adelaide Geelong MFC Richmond Swans Bulldogs Power Hawthorn We beat Geelong at the MCG, then Hawthorn in the Prelim, and play the Swans in the granny which we win by 40 points. Perfect!

Think the game is in Hobart...

I meant from credibility, not ladder position!

I am intrigued by Essendon's defensive PR about Hibberd (and to a lesser extent Milksake). Tim Watson, who I am sure speaks for the Dons, has said on a number of occasions something along the line as "Hibberd was found out at Essendon. We cannot understand why opposition have not applied the same processes against Melbourne". Well Tim. Maybe it might just be the Demon's game plan perfectly suits Hibberd's style and their back structure. Their back structure both protects him and allows him to flourish... Essendon's defensiveness knows no bounds. They are a long way away!