They've all been looking for Barlow and we got him.

Who is our recruiter/talent scout these days?

Edited July 9, 201510 yr by Al's Demons

That is great news. I love his toughness - its been a bit lacking at the Dees in past years but I am loving the extra grunt that guys like Vanders brings to the table. Never stops trying.

Great signing.

Excellent

He soon latched on to highly respected midfielder Daniel Cross and is trying to follow his lead.

"In my opinion, he's the most professional bloke at the club," vandenBerg said.

"I'm always trying to snag him to do some extra stuff after training."

Bloody brilliant.

Well, that pretty much confirms that he'll be upgraded in the draft this year. He absolutely deserves it after the effort he's put in this year.

Vanders in an absolute machine. Hopefully he's been reprogrammed to hunt down and terminate anyone wearing red and black on Saturday.

Who is our recruiter/talent scout these days?

Tubby Taylor and he's made a huge difference in just two seasons - although it helps when you have a coach who directs you on the type of player that is likely to be successful.

Tubby Taylor and he's made a huge difference in just two seasons - although it helps when you have a coach who directs you on the type of player that is likely to be successful.

Roosy doesn't have much to do with the recruiting staff. Has full faith and confidence in Taylor and his team.

Roosy doesn't have much to do with the recruiting staff. Has full faith and confidence in Taylor and his team.

Roosy has given a clear indication of the type of midfielders he wants - big-bodied strong tacklers - plus he has a keen awareness of what is around because his son was in TAC last year.

That's why we have changed philosophy from the Prenderghastly days when he thought outside run was the go.

I still wonder what would have happened if Sydney had let us take Heeney (big bodied midfielder whom Roosy loved) at pick 2. Petracca or Angus? Thank god he didn't have to choose.

Great bloke, (will be) great player, great news.

What a fantastic pickup this bloke has been. One of my favourites now.

The Bomber's are finished, you understand? I see a red sash, I kill the man wearin' it!So run, you cur... RUN! Tell all the other curs that Gus is comin’!You tell 'em Jack's coming... and Van Demon's coming with me, you hear?…Van Demon's coming with me!

The iceberg cometh!

VB signs new deal with Dees

yippy yi ehh

If he is from Canberra, Saturday's weather shouldn't worry him one bit. Should thrive on it.

Roosy has given a clear indication of the type of midfielders he wants - big-bodied strong tacklers - plus he has a keen awareness of what is around because his son was in TAC last year.

That's why we have changed philosophy from the Prenderghastly days when he thought outside run was the go.

I still wonder what would have happened if Sydney had let us take Heeney (big bodied midfielder whom Roosy loved) at pick 2. Petracca or Angus? Thank god he didn't have to choose.

did I hear anyone say 'hard workers', & hard footballers.

players with a ticka for the hard stuff, running both ways, physicality, & hard mentally.

in short, the soft Dees, must become the hard Dees. & lets not squirm when one of our own gets knocked out in the battle; just cheer him on or off & continue 'the hard' on the opposition..

If he is from Canberra, Saturday's weather shouldn't worry him one bit. Should thrive on it.

yes, but worried for him on our Queens Birthday games.... just hope he turns up to the 'G'.

oh, & bye the way; whats the chance we will get a Kings Birthday game, any time soon? we could have a game for the queens & the Kings ... then we'll have the games all sewn up, particular for the queens.

Edited July 10, 201510 yr by dee-luded

I told him he was coming to the club at the right time; just got our house in order and don't have a midfield with any size.

Great news.

Also glad that the Dees didn't try to overthink and keep him on the list for another year to get an extra pick in the ND - we have done that before and it usually backfires in unforeseen ways.

Just wondering when this has backfired for us in the past?

Without knowing facts, I would think our use of the Rookie List has probably been one of the most successful in the league. Given its very hit and miss with the RL, with more misses for most, we've certainly had our share of hits.

If he is from Canberra, Saturday's weather shouldn't worry him one bit. Should thrive on it.

Spot on mono ........ we are expecting significant snowfalls on the weekend.

Great news, my favourite player on the list now. Love the way he goes about it.

Apologies to about 10 other players. There's a lot to be excited with this team at the moment.

I am waiting for the soothsayers come out with their "flash-in-the-pan" posts

Well done Aaron. You have started well, and fitted into a much needed rôle. Keep it up. We have seriously missed you

Mono your circumflex's make me smile. Well played sir.

I can't tell if the reason that he's had such an impact during games this year off the back of a an extremely limited pre-season, (his first AFL one) and the fact that he's had one year of development at this level is a good or bad thing.

The 'non-negotiables' he has in spades. A fierce desire to compete and to play for the team.

When you have a 23 year old rookie come in and show that it is in fact possible to impact during games off of next to no pre-season, it certainly makes those posters who continuously make the tiresome excuse that limited pre-season = right off of a year for player x look like fools.

It's a positive that under our current recruiting and developing team, we've been able to find a bloke who doesn't need to be shown or taught when it is he needs to compete. Because he does it all the time. The only thing that a pre-season will do will be increase things like aerobic/anaerobic running ability, strength, power, agility etc.

I wonder what some players who haven't been able to bring and apply the same levels of competitiveness think when they look at this bloke running around on the field. I'd certainly feel embarrassed if I were them.

Colin Garland, Jeremy Howe, Jack Watts please take note for the remainder of the year.

There is a level of intensity and competitiveness that needs to be displayed every time you step out onto the field and it doesn't matter how much of a pre-season you've done.

Aaron Vandenberg and Gus Brayshaw are proof of it.

Edited July 10, 201510 yr by stevethemanjordan

I read somewhere that the titanic ran into vandenBerg not an iceberg. No wonder it sank.

My only positive for the day.

+1.

Bloody embarrassment that a first year rookie keeps showing mature players how it's done.