As is the case with every other Demons supporter, I have suffered through this deep trough of defeats, mis-starts and off-field disasters that have besieged us in recent years and, like every other supporter I arrive in the new year with a sense of hope that this season will be different. I look at training reports and the media and look for any glint of gold amongst the dross to indicate that there is hope.

Well this year I am going to approach it differently.

I am looking at the team as a clean slate. No history for each player. what you see is what you get. No more "so-and-so needs to do more of this" "What's-his-name can't do that" "Blah blah blah cost us a game last year and he will do it again." I will judge them afresh from their performance at training, in pre-season games and in each game they play be it for the Dees or Casey. This is their second year under Roos, there are a bunch of new players and the team structures and game plan are bedded down more than last year.

I want to give them all the opportunity to convince me that they are players I want to watch in my team.

It will be hard to set aside the prejudices that the many losing seasons have ingrained in me but I will try. I will still judge any player harshly if they do not step up when required, I will still criticize if they make mistakes but I will not let the players history colour my view of them this year.

All are first years players as far as I am concerned.

Any one else want to give this a go?

I would love to, but I know it's impossible.

What I would add to your post is to lose all memory of what draft pick players were taken at (particularly Watts and Toumpas)

  On 05/01/2015 at 11:13, Curry & Beer said:

I would love to, but I know it's impossible.

What I would add to your post is to lose all memory of what draft pick players were taken at (particularly Watts and Toumpas)

Not lose memory.... set aside prejudices that have been built up over the last few seasons.

oh gee sorry

  On 05/01/2015 at 11:13, Curry & Beer said:

I would love to, but I know it's impossible.

What I would add to your post is to lose all memory of what draft pick players were taken at (particularly Watts and Toumpas)

Agree...

A great man once said; "But you're living in a world of make-believe. With flowers and bells and leprechauns, and magic frogs with funny little hats."

This quote was the first thing that entered my mind after reading the OP.

I'm happy for all players to start with a clean slate this season aside from N. Jones and D. Tyson who both get a gold star on theirs

I can see where you're coming from, I think, but the first time Grimes kicks out on the full, or Dawes drops a simple mark, or Watts goes to ground when he doesn't have to, it will go out the window.

Players build a reputation based not only on their strengths.

  On 06/01/2015 at 02:07, P-man said:

I can see where you're coming from, I think, but the first time Grimes kicks out on the full, or Dawes drops a simple mark, or Watts goes to ground when he doesn't have to, it will go out the window.

Players build a reputation based not only on their strengths.

If any of these things happen in the NAB rounds.

I'll lay money on the fact they wont be playing Round 1.

With the amount of talent kicking around the place, it wont take long for Roos to replace them.

  On 05/01/2015 at 11:12, CHF said:

As is the case with every other Demons supporter, I have suffered through this deep trough of defeats, mis-starts and off-field disasters that have besieged us in recent years and, like every other supporter I arrive in the new year with a sense of hope that this season will be different. I look at training reports and the media and look for any glint of gold amongst the dross to indicate that there is hope.

Well this year I am going to approach it differently.

I am looking at the team as a clean slate. No history for each player. what you see is what you get. No more "so-and-so needs to do more of this" "What's-his-name can't do that" "Blah blah blah cost us a game last year and he will do it again." I will judge them afresh from their performance at training, in pre-season games and in each game they play be it for the Dees or Casey. This is their second year under Roos, there are a bunch of new players and the team structures and game plan are bedded down more than last year.

I want to give them all the opportunity to convince me that they are players I want to watch in my team.

It will be hard to set aside the prejudices that the many losing seasons have ingrained in me but I will try. I will still judge any player harshly if they do not step up when required, I will still criticize if they make mistakes but I will not let the players history colour my view of them this year.

All are first years players as far as I am concerned.

Any one else want to give this a go?

While we are at it cn we offer DL memvers a clean slate too. I'd also like to hand out an olive branch to Enyaw and the Bugler.

This is a good idea except I would prefer it if we exclude Jack Watts from this scenario.

  On 05/01/2015 at 11:13, Curry & Beer said:

I would love to, but I know it's impossible.

What I would add to your post is to lose all memory of what draft pick players were taken at (particularly Watts and Toumpas)

with out trying to get in to a drawn out debate (which sadly will happen) I just found this part amusing.... of all the draft picks you've chosen (Scully, Blease, Strauss you know the list) you've picked the more successful picks....

Successful I will hear you laugh - if you look at the MFC picks in isolation I reckon Toump and Watts will probably combined end up playing more games then the above failed list put together (including Trengove and others)... surely that makes them somewhat successful picks even if they haven't set the world on fire - at least they are AFL players

Rating Toump is clearly too early - if you want to compare him to Wines go ahead but I am not going to wast my time comparing apples to bananas

Anyway continue on - i am not saying your opinion is wrong i just found it amusing

  On 06/01/2015 at 08:01, Unleash Hell said:

with out trying to get in to a drawn out debate (which sadly will happen) I just found this part amusing.... of all the draft picks you've chosen (Scully, Blease, Strauss you know the list) you've picked the more successful picks....

Successful I will hear you laugh - if you look at the MFC picks in isolation I reckon Toump and Watts will probably combined end up playing more games then the above failed list put together (including Trengove and others)... surely that makes them somewhat successful picks even if they haven't set the world on fire - at least they are AFL players

Rating Toump is clearly too early - if you want to compare him to Wines go ahead but I am not going to wast my time comparing apples to bananas

Anyway continue on - i am not saying your opinion is wrong i just found it amusing

mate I am asking people to forget their draft pick which is the opposite of what you are accusing me of. In your example you picked 3 blokes that no longer play for us. Nice job

I think a lot of people partied hard over the festive season because it has been a tough week in d'land

  On 06/01/2015 at 08:16, Curry & Beer said:

mate I am asking people to forget their draft pick which is the opposite of what you are accusing me of. In your example you picked 3 blokes that no longer play for us. Nice job

I think a lot of people partied hard over the festive season because it has been a tough week in d'land

True u did - should stop reading on the train

Anyway in the end i ended up agreeing with you

  On 06/01/2015 at 07:36, chookrat said:

While we are at it cn we offer DL memvers a clean slate too. I'd also like to hand out an olive branch to Enyaw and the Bugler.

This really is asking far too much!

  On 06/01/2015 at 07:36, chookrat said:

While we are at it cn we offer DL memvers a clean slate too. I'd also like to hand out an olive branch to Enyaw and the Bugler.

ENYAW needs no forgiveness. I view him a lot like Brick Tamland from the Anchorman movies. We all view him as an endearing goofball.

From memory, the Bugler turned up here once. Not a bad chap but his act clearly needed to go.

I have already forgiven Saty in a previous thread. Perhaps it's time to forgive Tonatopia, RobbieF and BenHur as well?

On second thoughts, scratch that.

I won't be forgiving or clean slating anybody. I'll happily continue with my carping, sniping, sexual innuendo and backstabbing. Happy New Year.

Clean slate affter 50 years of failure.....

No way.

  On 07/01/2015 at 02:33, why you little said:

Clean slate affter 50 years of failure.....

No way.

It is difficult to do other wise wyl

  On 07/01/2015 at 02:39, old dee said:

It is difficult to do other wise wyl

The past will be forgiven (well some of it...I will never forgive CS)when the 13th cup is lifted in the air on our home ground.

Until then i will not accept a clean slate.

I understand the premise of the post, to try and look at things fresh. However with that said, you can't look forward without knowing where you have come from either.

For mine, I'm attempting to read the training reports without too much excitement, ad really hoping that the all the players and the team as a whole improve...

Also happy to place faith in the coaching and footy staff to get the team trending upwards.

Other thing is... it's the nature of a forum that people come together based upon a common interest to talk, vent, argue, discuss, [censored] and moan with whats going on. Notion of a clean slate kinda sterilizes that for me!

There will be a clean slate when we win, simple because most don't really know much about football on this site, the same poster's will pot the same players with the same comments when we lose, I bet ever time we win no one has a bad comment on watts, Dawes and co.winning solves everything even team's that have tanked

I think every year is a clean slate for our club, seeing as it's traditionally the first or second year of a new coach before we replace them and start over. Likewise with the turnover of players.

The major difference is we have a coach and coaching group in charge now with runs on the board, so there's a semblance of competence for a refreshing change. Roos knows exactly what he's doing, and he's setting us up for long-term success (both in recruitment and drafting, where he's basically fixed 5 years of contemptible drafting over 2 off-seasons).

  On 06/01/2015 at 07:55, Biffen said:

This is a good idea except I would prefer it if we exclude Jack Watts from this scenario.

This Watts guy.

Based on this years clean slate.

He hasn't done anything out on the track that warrants a game.

It is amazing how his groin improved enough to get a trip to the Sunshine Coast.

  On 15/01/2015 at 09:54, Pig Dog said:

This Watts guy.

Based on this years clean slate.

He hasn't done anything out on the track that warrants a game.

It is amazing how his groin improved enough to get a trip to the Sunshine Coast.

It's only January but here is the early 'worst post of the year' contender