btdemon

Stumbled on this the other day. http://www.heraldsun...d-1226038084647 The article was written not long after Essendon had belted us in the pre-season comp and Hurley was having a great patch. It would be interesting to see what the poll result would be if taken at the end of 2011. I suspect much more even.

You're right. I forgot Luke ball. DOH! That aside, I still think Geelong's midfield were physically stronger and knew how to win the big ones.

I agree with this. Geelong has "star" mids, but more importantly, they have depth and strength in the midfield. Colingwood have Pendlebury, Swan and Thomas (who, despite his courage and determination, is an outside mid). After that they fall away pretty quickly. Wellingham's OK but had a shocker in the big one. Geelong "bat very deep" in the midfield, have more strength and very rarely have shockers in big games. They are the smartest midfield in the comp by far. Even without young Gazza. They may not be as explosive as the Eagles were with Judd, Cousins, Kerr etc., but look at their last five years. The mids have never let them down when it counts. Hawthorn are also smart and strong in the midfield, and IMO are the closest to matching the Cats in this area. In their case, they are not stars, but smart and strong around the ball. We need to draft strength, size and brains in the midfield. Explosive speed is fantastic too but you can get by without it if you get the ball first (Geelong and Hawthorn). From all reports, Viney will be crazed accumulator of the ball (like Selwood), but possibly will lack real class with the ball. In 2012 we will have to work with what we have got. Trengove is going to be a huge asset. We know we have an effective combo in Jamar and Moloney. Moloney and Jones are frustrating, but they are also improving incrementally. Both had useful years and should improve under the new coach. McKenzie will continue to do what he does, and hopefully progress. Sylvia is going to have to be used more in the midfield for his explosive strength and speed. He needs to build his engine (and smarts) further. It will be interesting to see if he trains with the forward or mid group during the preseason Gysberts is interesting. Despite his height, he doesn't have much strength. His kicking lacks penetration too. He does gets the ball a lot and generally makes good decisions. All the talk is that Grimes will also move in there. I just hope his body holds up. I'm reluctant to push Howe in there as some posters have suggested. He could be such a potent forward. Possibly a "star" forward. Again, I would be happy if he became a very effective mid. Blease, at this stage, doesn't have the complete toolkit for the midfield. he would have to build his engine considerably. I also think he is too valuable as a line-breaker off half-back. I think Bail may come into the midfield more next season. He is still learning the game but has explosive speed, desire and guts. Bate is still there. I can't see him being an effective mid due to his lack of mobility. I'm happy to be proven wrong. Nicholson and Evans may both step up. Nicholson especially. Both are goers with speed. I would expect to see some fairly significant structural changes in the midfield next year. Exciting times!

I must say that I liked the look of Evans also. A bit rough around the edges and lacking experience but a real goer.

You do have the best name of all the posters.

Some posters have taken a real set to Davey. Yes, his sense of self-preservation overtook him in an incident earlier this season. What player has not done the same? Those who never consider their own safety end up getting very hurt. Aaron Davey is 5'9" and 74 kgs. That's a very little guy by today's football standards. I suspect those who condemn him for being "soft", would not be prepared to put themselves in the same physical danger. Footballers are human. This guy has given us some of our most exciting highlights of the past 7 years and is one of our few real class players. I look forward to him playing this year, less encumbered by injury.

It would seem that Mahoney is respected at the club. He was replaced as forward coach but retained in the football department. It must be the perception that he is a quality football person with a lot to offer. I think that is the most productive approach to getting a great team together. Use the best people in the roles that suit them best.

I mentioned in an earlier thread, in relation to the obsession with trying to recruit a power forward to solve our problems, that what we need are classy powerful, big-bodied mids. Grannies are won around the middle. Geelong and Hawthorn both showed the value of brute strength around the ball. We have our own Jimmy Bartel (trengove), but need to augment the mid crew with some more big (and tall) mids. Moloney and Jones will both serve us well in this department but I'm not sure that Tappy, Sylvia and Grimes can be true onballers. Gysberts was recruited as a bigger mid and will be a good link player and ball magnet. But he'll never be strong. Pendlebury stated how they were effectively pushed aside. A power-forward alone won't solve our problems.

A senior player with a great attitude, experience and real guts. Why would we let him go unless there was someone of real quality I exchange? I would see quite a few others go before him.

Are you on crack?

Gee, Chris Dawes didn't really impress me tonight. I also learnt that the most goals he has kicked in a game this year is three. I don't know if he is worth chasing too hard.

This might explain your rudeness.

Thanks for the advice.

I don't remember telling you not to watch it. I was merely stating my own misgivings about the program. I stand by that statement and I definitely find it a depressing aspect of our culture. I don't regard myself as sanctimonious or precious. You may well have a different view.

He's a very relaxed media performer and I'm sure TFS people can see that, but the last thing I would like to see is Watts becoming a regular on that 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink', mindless piece of carp. I watched the first twenty minutes last night to see how he went. On the odd occasion that i watch it I feel a mixture of shame and embarrassment (that I am watching it) and anger at the culture it perpetuates.

If according to one poster on this site, that Scully made the jump after considerable pressure from his family, I can't help but think that the $2 million up-front payment was an insurance policy against not being able to claim all of his match payments. If he was fit and well, then staying at the Dees on $600,000 a year would have been quite attractive. If he is not sure of his "long-term-gevity, as the Ox would put it, then the up-front guarantee that he was free from all further financial worries, would be hard to ignore. Although initially upset about his move, I am now thinking we did alright.

Maybe he is looking at that $2 Million up front as his insurance against his dodgy knee. Maybe he won't reach his potential and could see that he should hedge his bets by taking the money now.

You talk some sense here IMO. I, like most of us here, am very keen for him to stay because he has the potential to become a very influential player. We need to build an A-grade midfield. My concern is his knee. He may actually be doing us a favour by leaving. If he ties up a large chunk of our salary cap and he is constantly hampered by his knee then we will look back at the compensation picks that we missed out on. If he goes, we need to recruit a replacement for the future. I know Jack Viney is being touted as one, but despite his hardness, i don't know how quick he is. We should do our very best to draft good mids. PS. While Tom was obviously approached by GWS some time ago, I do take him on his word that he would do his decision making at the end of the season. The various offers and counter-offers would have been discussed and considered, and maybe he has been leaning towards one or the other, but I don't believe he ever signed a heads of agreement or anything like it.

+1

Yes that is true, we need a big guy up front but, the reason that Hawthorn was able to match it with, and even beat Geelong in the first quater, was that they had a midfield that was tough, strong and skilful, with a good ruckman giving them first use. Hawthorn were totally "Buddy centric" and predictable also, and maybe this cost them. In the grand final it is not usually the big forwards that dominate, but midfields and people like Stevie J, Cyril etc up forward. Like I said in my earlier post, its the strong midfield that will get us there.

In reflecting on "The Liam Jurrah Story" over the last couple of days I think we demon supporters owe "Rudeboy" a great deal. Apart from being instrumental, along with Rupert Batheras, in making it possible for Liam to be drafted, he has provided Liam with a stable and nurturing home base for his time in Melbourne. Liam Jurrah is a rare jewel. He is the that player that comes along very once a generation. The type that we go to the game just to watch. During the late seventies and early eighties I went to watch the Dees nearly every week. The player that made it worthwhile was of course, Robbie Flower. Nowadays I live a couple of hours from Melbourne and get to about 6-8 games a year. The player that I am always most excited to see is Liam Jurrah. The likelihood of of him staying with the Dees with would be slim indeed, had Rudeboy not provided this base. If he went back to Yeundumu tomorrow, and never returned, we would still be talking about him in years to come. Rudeboy has also reassured us via Demonland when concerns have arisen about Liam's fitness, form and wellbeing. Thanks again Rudeboy. Above all else, the book gives us a much deeper understanding of the indigenous environment. I suggest that those on this site think the book was premature, read it as soon as possible. It may well change your view. Thanks Rudeboy

This may have already been covered in another thread so feel free to merge, but I just finished the book. Apart from being thoroughly impressed by the work of Bruce Hearn-McKinnon, Rupert Betheras and those from the Melbourne Football Club who have assisted Liam in his journey, I was constantly thinking about those who have complained about the on field efforts of Liam and Aaron Davey this season. I strongly recommend that you read the book if you haven't already. It sheds a great deal of light on the challenges to Liam becoming an AFL player in the first place, let alone what he has already achieved. It also points to the leadership shown by Davey amongst the indigenous players. Those who would criticise their efforts this season should realise that their recently poorer performances* are not due to either a lack of effort or commitment. Often the form slump that players experience is ue to a number of factors, be they injury or personal hardships, that we, the supporters have no idea about. Both players have exceptional natural ability and I have every confidence that they will delight and excite us in the future. * I use this term advisedly as Liam is our leading goal kicker for 2011 with 40 goals at an average of 2.22/game

Time to trade me: Warnock I wonder if he has any value. Probably does as part of a package Warnock/Dunn/Bate?

Bartram is stiff. His ranking in no way reflects his contribution.

I agree with this also but I am warming slightly to Viney, especially if, as I said on another thread, we surrounded him with innovative and canny tacticians. I do like his straight forward approach.