The Demons 2009 season thread.

[chadjaja]

Another hell of a year??

Can't say I was disappointed in the Dee's effort and commitment on Saturday and had the umpires reviewed the goal that bounced on the goal line but back into play and called a point it would of been a win.

In all our first outing deserved a win as we clearly attacked the ball and contest much better than Hawthorn and more than I've probably seen in two years.

Spencer looked great in the ruck early and had good tap hands and got a bit of the ball too. Can't kick but he at least is a different sort of ruckman compared to Jamar and Johno who will miss a few games between them this year surely.

Still missing a few like Buckley, Rivers, Maloney, Robbo, Jamar, Wheatley, Watts, Maric and yet to see the likes of Jetta and the other rookies.

Robbo will change our forward structure even more and for the better drawing a better defender away from Miller, Green and Bate.

Chaney looked alright in his first game as well. Damn he and Bate stand out like dogs balls

I'm well aware this is a very very young team and all I want is the effort applied last saturday. Excited about our backline that should mature into one great unit.

What we need the most is a sponsor

If we don't get something soon and with the amount of low gate take games on Sundays we could be in BIG trouble by seasons end if members don't sign up and we don't get some more sponsors. At least the AFL let us change our clash jersey.

Just good to have footy back

 

[chadjaja]

Well its seems we can't get a bit of luck.

In HS today on page 83 there is a small article "Grimes back woe"

Article details that Grimes has suffered another back injury this time in a different spot to the one that prevented him playing the majority of last season.

States that he will miss the start of the season!

Grimes will be a star and had fully firmed in rising star betting in the last few weeks after his performances. We really need the type of player Grimes is as Macca can't do it all by himself.

At least since I posted we announced a new co sponser of Hankook tyres for a few years. We still need a major sponsor for the back of the jersey though and we are led to believe there are a few things in the works for that.

The BEST news is.......this time last year we had 18000 members signed up.

Currently we have nearly 24,000 signed up already and we will have over 30,000 members this year for the first time in the clubs history! All this after finishing last in the 2008 season. Hats off to the members that are standing behind the club in these tough times.

Few injury worries still but round one will still seem some players that should be selected miss out due to simply matchups and position.

Fingers crossed todays meeting goes a long way to getting a better stadium deal. The MAJOR difference between Victorian teams and interstate ones that clean up with smaller crowds.

Only a week and a half till footy starts and hopefully I get to post that term about my team called the demons, wearing red and blue and based in Victoria for my lifetime.

 

[aussie26]

Hopefully the Dees have a better year this year, alltough im not expecting much in the way of results since melbourne are still rebuilding with a high turnover of players and personal in the last few years. I dont mind if melbourne only wins one game this year as long as its against Collingwood haha

 

[chadjaja]

From what I've seen we will win a lot more games than last year and be a lot more competitive. These kids can play and finally we are rebuilding rather than propping up vets with a trickle of kids that finally get selection.

Our defence will surprise a few but we lack midfield strength when the hard ball is to be won.

 

[aussie26]

If Mclean. Moloney and Jones can still fit that will help the toughness of the midfield. The Foward line is a big concern for me with Robertson's struggling to stay fit and healthy and no real full foward to speak of.

 

[chadjaja]

We have to wait for the wonder kid to finish school first. Robbo buys us that in between period and miller is finally starting to look decent. Bate up forward will kick a lot more this year too. We need goals from our running players though to make up the shortfall as you are right.

Still if we play some sort of shutdown footy it gives us a crack at least. All I want is a decent effort and I clap the boys off.

 

[nenjabin]

Well it wasn't all bad yesterday...for 3 quarters Ran out of puff it seemed in the last.

Really liked the moving of Petterd forward. He can run, makes contests, and puts in. The 4 debutants looked great too. Really liked Cheney, and Jetta and Bennell showed sparks. Spencer held down the ruck rather nicely, even though McIntosh seriously killed us...though most of the time I saw him running off it seemed Johnson was playing ruck...

Unfortunately it looks like the Roos arn't going many places this year either...so could have it'll be interesting when we come up against a contender. Though they could have just had a bad game.

Really liked that we were hard at it and wanted it for 3 quarters.

Pies next week. Apparently Malthouse was sitting 6 rows back behind my sister scoping us out

 

[chadjaja]

Well watching our game its obvious we are going to play heart in your mouth footy for 2009. Our using the ball by hand and running it up the ground rather than find targets off foot takes care of that.

Cheeney has been great all pre season and impressed me the times I've watched him. 22 touches on debut and he spent and eternity on the bench it seemed as well. Jettar looked very dangerous but his efficiency off the kick was woeful but he and Bennell look quick and read the ball well.

Rivers in the first 5 mins gave me flasbacks of 4 or so years ago :-D

North with their flood was always going to strangle us yesterday as we went inside 50 to no one really being a target.

Ricky P played a great game in the forward 50 and really made the Roos nervous as he uses his body well, is quick and goes in for second and third efforts. That experiment worked. Sylvia was sorely missed yesterday the ****er.

We gave NOTHING in the last though and even Nth's final score might not win matches. But like I said we may fair better on teams that don't flood us and we at least get a smaller contest as we won most of the contests and hard balls. Good signs when we debut 4 kids and they do just fine AND we still have the number one golden boy pick to make his debut and start a long career and another top pick in Blease to come in as well. 6 kids that should be good players and beyond.

And once again.....Can Brocky run at any decent pace my mum can't match???

Ahhh how good was it to be back at the G :-D

 

[nenjabin]

Hahaha yeah have to say Brock was missing yesty, but then I think he was tagged out of it. He did a couple of good things, but man is he slow!

Was actually suprised to see my pick for softest player in the world, Cam Bruce, put his head over the ball a few times yesterday and go in and get it out for us. He still can't kick...but it's a start. And man I nearly when I saw what Trav did for Brisbane the night before...yet we still are stuck with Bruce

Have to disagree with Jetta's "speed" though...he made Brock look quick a couple of times. Doesn't have that fleet footedness that you see alot of Aboriginal players with (including Bennell).

Lets hope we keep playing hard at it and with heart like that throughout the year, see Rivers and Molony stay fit and continue the way they played yesterday, and may Petterd's breakout up forward mean we never see Michael Newton play again

 

[chadjaja]

Juice can rot in the VFL awaiting delisting.....His effort and attack at the ball would of stood out yesterday...or his lack off it that is.

Jetta is quick but I think is still adjusting to the speed of AFL footy. He will be fine I think.

Bruce must of been taking a few lessons off Green and I think he was the one that took our only contested mark for the day? ONE contested mark, that says it all really although I don't know how they do that stat as I'm sure even in our defensive half we took some.

But for now our young guys are getting games under their belts and are simply just POW's for now.....(Pre our Watts!) We will struggle to kick winning scores even if the goalkickers is spread out list like it was yesterday. Still the return of Aussie, Robbo and Sylvia bolsters it a bit but it still not up to scratch without a tall forward.

And Brocky still isn't used to getting tagged?? As soon as he started attracting taggers he struggles, lucky for him last year Jones got most of them but then he struggled. Jonesy was impressive yesterday though so unless teams want to strongly tag both we at least have one at the bottom of the packs along with the captain.

 

[nenjabin]

Yeah he should be used to getting tagged...but I don't have much time for Mr. "I'm a smoker and don't care" Mclean. Greatly over-rated IMO, so if someone wants to tag him out of the game and free up Jonesy, I'm happy

Jones was good yesterday and at what...20? I still see 'Captain' written all over him in the future.

Will be hard to kick a score...I think it was said best by a couple of guys who had had a few sitting next to me yesty. "Why can't we just have some giant guy that stands in the goal square like this *hands up for a mark*. Some giant russian or something. And he has to be ugly..." (and his mate now chips in) "Yeah with scars and **** all over him". (Back to the main guy) "Yeah just some giant that doesn't move from the square." *Enter rolling laughter*

It's a little crazy, but the underlying theme is there. Plant someone in the goalsquare to be forced to be manned up, make us kick long and straight, give a never ending target instead of all pushing up the ground so when we come back we have squat to kick to.

 

[chadjaja]

I hope they didn't mean Jamar LOL

And yeah Brocky can't shake a tag and with Beamer rampaging thru the middle daring anyone to get in his way its all good anyway. Some of these guys like him and Rivers have bought extra years as they haven't played much footy the last 3 years.

 

[chadjaja]

Garland out for 4 months with a stress fracture is pretty devestating for our defence. He would of had such a great year. Now we have less a selection problem with Martin in who brings a lot of athleticism, that kid can out and out run. Or we go smaller when Wheels is good to go or drag back Pettard.

Would be great to stick it to the Pies today!

Membership is nearly 28,000 already and we apparently have more members than the Saints, Roos, Swans, Power, Lions and Doggies. Thats friggen great!

Spewing I'm not there today to see the game and have to watch it on the idiot box and miss half the action :-(

 

[nenjabin]

You didn't miss much Chad...man was that 2nd half frustrating. First half was awesome! 2nd half...38 inside 50s to 14 says it all...

Brock Mclean...were they seriously considering him for Captain? Because if so, it must have been idiot week. The guy did squat today except trail his opponants all round the park.

And what the hell is with Bailey's kick in from behinds plan? Or lack there of. The guy is standing waiting for something to happen, everyone mills around a little nearish the top of the 50 and then stand there until the umpire calls to play on and we rush it and stuff it. We don't even put a player in the pocket to kick to!

Did I mention Brock Mclean is a joke?

On the plus side, Spencer is a good hard worker for his size. Can run that boy and puts in 100% all the time. Cheney fell back to earth with some poor disposal, but Rivers' courage and Martin showing some good signs at least in the first half is helping.

Liking the Petterd to forward move still, even though it wasn't as effective this week. And it seems now Davey is being re-invented to play as almost a sweeper in the back half. At nearly every opportunity they gave a little handpass to Davey to work it out of the back and it worked well because he is smart, can use it, and forces guys to come to him. And 31 possies to show for it!

Green is tireless, and Bruce while still possessing his ever shonky "skills" seems to want to work harder and get the ball more. Bate did some nice things and Morton look full of poise, thought and willingness to carry the ball.

However, with Richmond now showing some fight since they took it to Geelong, I'm not sure where a win will come from yet this season...

Please more of the first half stuff Dees!

 

[mrwhite11]

WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CCCCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
HHAHHAA lol

 

[nenjabin]

WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CCCCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
HHAHHAA lol

If you're not going to contribute something to the thread other than being a fool, kindly leave it alone.

BTW, good win by your team

 

[aussie26]

I went to the game and was dissapointed, the disposal was really good in the first quater, but then it went down the toilet not sure if it was collingwood lifting there intensity or melbourne not being able to maintain quality possesions.

Also melbourne need to stop bombing it up foward and hoping for the best(last 3 quaters), its going to be a lonnnnnnnngggggggg season for the dees.

 

[chadjaja]

Yeah first half was great alright. Just goes to show like I said we can't hit targets off foot unless the pressure isn't there. Bright points though were our contested marks, too bad we don't have a lick of size up forward. Bombing it forward when its all gone to the crapper is the only way to go though. Most teams get numbers back and our guys don't stand a chance with a 1-2 or 1-3 that happens after we show we can kick goals when Miller and Pett get a chance 1-1 out.

Great that Davey can play the sweeper off half back but when the forwards can't get it done and the ball goes over the back or to ground we miss Davey as the goal sneek ready to sweep. Fingers crossed Aussie is back this week and in that role.

And really happy to see Martin play well, I'd rather him in there instead of Frawley for the most part. The kEY player missing is Wheats! It showed this week just how much we miss his kicking in and long kicking to a better contest.

And Brocky.....well......people are finally starting to see what we already knew ages ago.

In all the kids hung their heads and when you do that in AFL that could be win down by 20pts quickly gets out to game over 35pts plus. They will learn.

Still can't complain a whole lot, the areas we need to improve on are the ones we don't have the players to fill them as we know. We will get a win and sruprise someone when the forward line has Robbo, Aussie etc etc. Robbo can have a day out that any of our current forwards are incapable of at the moment. Talk is they are trying to make Martin a forward as well. I say if he can't hold down a spot in the backline when we can also pick Wheels, Wheats, Garland back etc then what is their to lose by having a look at it when the matchups suit.

Most deplorable part of the day is 3 feral Pies fans bashing Nathan Jones old man outside the ground after the game! May they rot in jail for a while for forgetting how us Aussies handle harmless footy banter.

 

[chadjaja]

JACK WATTS TO DEUBUT NEXT WEEK FOR THE SCORPIONS!

Dang and its on the same day as the AFL game.....What to do, travel for hours and hours to see the Messiah play his first game or watch and cheer on the Dee's....

IF Casey was closer I'd prob give up for a week and go watch the kid play.

We get a look at Meeson at AFL level today too and Jetta was lucky to keep his spot due to Macca being out. Wonder how far Wonna is away.

Next week Robbo might still be at Casey in tandem with Watts!

Maric was unlucky not to get a gig this week too.

Dunn in simply as a tagger on Chad Cornes and free up Bartram as well.

I hope we win today big, I act like an ass and my wife the Power supporter sends me to sleep on the couch in the man room in reach of pouring a beer on tap to celebrate LOL

 

[nenjabin]

Ins: Newton....urgh....At least Wallace will keep his job...