Notorious D

We are smashing them. 3 reasons I'm swearing at the TV - Shite umpiring, Huddo commentating, and our kicking for goal. Should be 30+ in front.

Seems like a lifetime ago he was drafted with Bate, I've always been a fan. Takes a certain man to sport a dirty mo like he did. Will hate seeing him in black and white.

Really hope you're right. Will he be happy being a fringe team player who has to rely on injuries to get a game?

Can't believe the lack of love for Pedo. I really enjoy his physicality and attack at the ball. Feel more confident with him in the side and think he works well with Hogan. Agree on Oscar Mac. At the start of the season I was nervous as hell when he went near the ball, now he's looking safe as his brother. May end up the better McDonald?!? Would love to have seen Trenners make it back into the side but at this stage he'll likely finish his career elsewhere. I'll take Garlett over JKH for now - he knows where the goals are.

It shapes for an exciting year with so many 'potential' surprise packets. 3 & 4 yrs back it was Watts or Sylvia. I loved Salem's work last season and think that Roos managed him really carefully. Another preseason and he should be primed to spend more time on the park. Just needs fitness to run both ways for a regular game in this team but he has elite skills and smarts.

This weekend will say a lot about where we're at. We were well beaten by the Kangas, have been lucky against some poor kicking teams and are really struggling going forward with poor decision making leading to painful turnovers. Based on the Demons I've been watching for the past 7 years I give us no chance against the Dogs at Etihad. But...this is not the same team as recent years, the Dogs are coming back from a hiding in Perth, Cooney isn't playing....so I say another lazy 40 disposals to Bernard will see us carve out a very overdue win at our bogey stadium.

I watched the second half again tonight. So many highlights , but what stands out is the repeat smothers by Cross and Salem. It's such a good indicator of effort and desire.

Yeah, I suppose Hawthorn have done it with Tassie. If we're going to be a top team we should be able to win anywhere.

First 10 minutes and last 10 minutes we got beaten....rest of the game we were the better side. I can't help but question why we're playing a home game in Alice Springs. At the G....we likely win.

Jeeez, Matt White has some wheels

C'MON DEMONS!!! GET HOME!

Ridiculous umpire...so inconsistent

Looking forward to Toumpas coming on and crunching Wines in a tackle....

AFL not giving us a priority pick clearly got it wrong. Our list may look ok on paper but we're simply terrible.

...and Dunn is my new favourite, rarely makes a mistake these days.

We'll get better, the forward line was missing, Byrnes is no good blah blah blah... I'm just so so so so so sick & tired of losing..... But I'll be back again and again cos there is something clearly wrong with me.

I've been trying to work out who we could possibly snag for pick 2 and it's tough to see a deal happening. As others have said, why would a club trade a known 22-24yo gun for a potential 18 yo gun? Would only be because a) they have an abundance of talented mids and want to manage the age dispersion and/or b) one of their players want to return to Melbourne and they want to get some value for them. So the likely candidates are from interstate clubs; hence the rumours of Sloane, Rockliff, Shuey and Swallow. Sloane signed an extension for 3 years in 2012 and is club champion (not likely to go anywhere), Brisbane apparently rejected our offer for Rockliff, leaving Shuey and Swallow as candidates. I think Swallow is the most likely as he ticks both a & b boxes.

I'd be happy for Grimes to keep it on his own. Think Trengove should focus on his footy for the next couple of years. Dawes needs to focus on getting his body right, but he should still be in the leadership group.

Does this scenario work - Martin nominates for PSD with his terms and a preference for Melbourne - GWS can't fit him into their overszed cap (especially if they have Buddy) so he comes to us without losing a ND pick??

I don't get the argument that says because we haven't done well with past early picks we shouldn't get any help. It's not the fans fault that we've been a basket case, why punish us. We have changed administration and coach, surely the new management should not be disadvantaged by past incompetence. Based on performance over past 2 years we should get a PP. If not us this year why even have it as an option for the AFL.

I'd also prefer Sloane, but is he available? Don't think so.

Our midfield has been so poor, we need some quality in there quickly. I'd definitely have a crack at Martin. 22yr old guns don't come available too often! What's he done off-field that is so bad? Hasn't set fire to anyone has he?

The reason it's important to discuss who this will be is that Roos has mentioned how he sees his senior role more as a manager, leader of standards and cultural change. He alluded to the senior assistant being the hands on football coach who is more in touch with today's trends etc. I'm very interested to see who it is - will it be someone Roos already knows and has confidence in being able to step up in 3 years or will it be someone untried where there is more risk that they won't be ready to transition so soon. I'm confident he won't be passing the reins across until he has confidence in them delivering success. I like Ling but really have no idea if he has the attributes to be a senior coach in that time frame.

Long time stalker, rare poster. It's info like this that keeps me checking in on this this site. So much crap in the media that doesn't actually tell you anything new. This post has more content than a month of HSun articles. Thanks RF. I'm quietly optimistic about 2013 for us. It's hard to keep getting up after so many poor seasons, but I have faith in Neeld & co to make the right decisions.