Less than three weeks to go til Round 1....

[CHF 2,738]

... and I am looking forward to this season tremendously.

In the lead up we have the JLT game on Thursday with the Saints then the next two rounds on the AFLW which could see us play our way into the grand final and maybe play the Bulldogs two weeks in a row. 

There are a bunch more training sessions and the injury list will get a good looking over.

Would like to see us pressure the Saints all over the round and come away with a good solid win and no injuries. Want to see the girls win the next three in a row and good solid training sessios with as full a list on the track as possible.

 

And then Geelong at the G.

Damn, I wish I could be there. I think we will roll them and do so with a healthy margin.... around 30 points. Last time we played them at the G was July 2013. I liked the way we played a high pressure game against North and I can see that the players will  improve as this game style settles into place.

I can us ending the home and way anywhere between 3 and 7 on the ladder with a good run in the finals.

Can not wait for the season to begin.

Go Dees!

 

[leave it to deever 17,511]

You are not alone.

All of us here seem to have a high expectancy of playing finals and playing well.

It is not unfounded as we almost did last year. We had a shocking run of injuries at the worst time as well.

Im upset about J. Watts leaving but Lever is a great bonus. I think Viney will go to a new level and we will really see what Hogan can do. Also hoping that Trac will explode. 

Time for us to get excited.Good times to be a Dees supporter.

[Cards13 9,117]

Gaaahhh! Hurry up rnd 1. 

[Gator 17,332]

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180325T1520&p0=152&msg=AFL+Round+1+Melbourne+V+Geelong+Cats&ud=1&font=cursive

[Damo 3,355]

Its 10 years since I found myself idly writing out my best team. Didn't realise that it had been that long since we had more than 22 that deserved a game.

That old March fever has got me again.

[nosoupforme 3,085]

Yes,

We are all eager to see what the team will produce in the 1st round against Geelong. I for one am extremely confident of a very good season and know many Demon supporters feel the same way.

No more feeling sceptical as we have a good mix of players that really can play quality football and  believe that we have to believe that they are ready to produce the goods. On Family Day l could see the sparkle in there eyes a smirk , a bit of arrogance and confidence in them all. GOOD TIMES ARE HERE.

[praha 11,240]

I'm less excited than I've been in past years tbh. 

I hate to be *that* guy, but I've said all too often over the past 24 months, "We'll be alright" or "We'll win" or "We'll play finals". I just can't get my expectations up. There's just something in the back of my mind that says it won't be an easy ride, nothing is an easy ride, but I just can't "see" it yet. 

I won't be truly excited until a finals berth is locked and loaded. Sorry, guys. I'm looking forward to the season, but I'm not excited.

[Deestroy All 14,266]

After round 23 I couldn’t have been less interested in footy than I ever have been in my life. Hated the thought of the [censored] game. 

I only watched AFLX so I could come on here and make fun of it. Which I enjoyed. 

 

But it suddenly I find myself very excited about this season, and this team. I have a good feeling. I love players on each line, and all of them have room to improve and are moving into their prime years. Can’t wait. 

[Watts the matter 1,235]

18 minutes ago, Deestroy All said:

After round 23 I couldn’t have been less interested in footy than I ever have been in my life. Hated the thought of the [censored] game. 

I only watched AFLX so I could come on here and make fun of it. Which I enjoyed. 

 

But it suddenly I find myself very excited about this season, and this team. I have a good feeling. I love players on each line, and all of them have room to improve and are moving into their prime years. Can’t wait. 

In previous seasons I have been excited by our pre season form because we have been that bad.

This year I couldn't care less. I just want the real stuff to start.

[Gorgoroth 12,950]

3 hours ago, praha said:

I'm less excited than I've been in past years tbh. 

I hate to be *that* guy, but I've said all too often over the past 24 months, "We'll be alright" or "We'll win" or "We'll play finals". I just can't get my expectations up. There's just something in the back of my mind that says it won't be an easy ride, nothing is an easy ride, but I just can't "see" it yet. 

I won't be truly excited until a finals berth is locked and loaded. Sorry, guys. I'm looking forward to the season, but I'm not excited.

Same, except im not even really looling forward to the season. Other than our gane ove watched 10 mins combined of other games so far.

[Wells 11 5,399]

3 hours ago, Gorgoroth said:

Same, except im not even really looling forward to the season. Other than our gane ove watched 10 mins combined of other games so far.

You guys will start feeling it when we start winning. We're so close to being a top team we all just have to re adjust our stances . We have a Good innovative coach, stars popping up on all lines, great development coaches, good recruiting ( Lever, Hibberd, Melksham) . Its true that the big  joy of winnning games against bottom teams (or of being super happy that Melb is even in the game at 3/4 time) is gone.  But this is what we all have been waiting for ...a season with real expectations. Not necessarily of flags but at least of finals and the unfolding of just how good ( or not) this team can be. get excited!!! 2018 will be one to remember. 

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,823]

Similar theme to many of you.  I after the way we missed out last year, I didn't want anything to do with footy for about a month.  But after that, Rd 1 couldn't come quick enough and has been a long summer of antisipation.

I won't get truly excited until we put together a good half season of solid form and sit firmly somewhere from position 2 to 7.  I feel like we have a team that can beat any opposition team on the day and whilst there are teams I think will make hard fought games like Sydney, perhaps GWS, Adelaide and one or two others that might rise I don't fear any team as being beyond the guys wearing the Red and Blue. 

Teams like Geelong, North, Richmond and Hawthorn are ripe for the picking, but even in the event we were to thrash them (which would give me immense immediate satisfaction), I'd be tempering my expectations for the season ahead and what that might mean until we put together a prolonged run of form and start to play with the sort of maturity that says we will be a serious contender for the pointy end of the season and not just having purple patch.

One of the things that tells me the team is on the cusp of being a genuine contender is that we never really got blown away last season.  Even the Crows the second time around, we were still within a sniff of it 10mins into the final term.  Sydney was the only game I really thought that we didn't look like winning from about half way through the second quarter, we didn't get completely smashed by the end and I think the cumulation of the injuries and consecutive 6 day breaks we had leading up to that game provided some legitimacy to the lack of performance.

Really hoping we do smash some teams this year though.  That would provide some good instant gratification.

[Guest]

I am a bit with @praha

I would like to go into a time machine and talk to the 2014 version of myself who was over the moon when we rolled the Toigs during the preseason that year. 

The win over North in the pre season didn't really register. Not that I don't respect North as an opponent but more that it was a step that needed to be taken on the journey. It wasn't particularly a big one when one considers where we are at.

When the season proper begins, I'll be excited. We will know where the boys' headspace is from moment dot. Big game at the G with baby Jesus making his triumphant comeback. Hopefully we can make it like his last one from injury in 2015.

[DaveyDee 421]

I’m positively looking forward to this year - we have a very bright future in a very competitive environment. I’m sure we will have our ups and downs as all teams do. However, we have the right formula both on and off the field to play finals football in 2018. It has been a long time coming and some of us never gave up hope - many of our supporters have show resilience beyond belief - Hopefully their wait is nearly over. 

Go Dees

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,823]

30 minutes ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

I am a bit with @praha

I would like to go into a time machine and talk to the 2014 version of myself who was over the moon when we rolled the Toigs during the preseason that year. 

The win over North in the pre season didn't really register. Not that I don't respect North as an opponent but more that it was a step that needed to be taken on the journey. It wasn't particularly a big one when one considers where we are at.

When the season proper begins, I'll be excited. We will know where the boys' headspace is from moment dot. Big game at the G with baby Jesus making his triumphant comeback. Hopefully we can make it like his last one from injury in 2015.

Agreed that preseason form is near meaningless.

Whilst until we actually all the way and win a flag, some of these teams will still have a big one over us regardless, but I'd really like us to hand out some thrashings to clubs like North, Hawthorn and Geelong in the season proper as sort of interim down payment on the retribution we owe them for some of the games against them over the past 10 or so years.  ...Collingwood, Carlton and West Coast would be good to serve it up to some of those filth too.

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

Moment by Moment

Contest by Contest...

[Demonland 72,176]

Please keep General Board quibbles on the General Board. Last warning. Next time will result in bans of a yet undetermined length.

[poita 3,902]

I'm a born pessimist, and absolutely scarred by getting my hopes up towards the end of last season. Hence I am not getting too hopeful about this season.

That said, if we can keep our better players on the field, and if the players give the required level of effort each week, then I believe we can match it with any team in the competition.

Pre season and novelty cup wins are nice (and I absolutely believe this team needs to play to win every game it plays), but they count for nothing if we don't win the games we need to in the regular season.

[Guest]

I think it's a case of horses for courses really @Rodney (Balls) Grinter 

Back then, as discouraging as it was, a preseason W over Richmond was great for where we were at. 

Now if we are getting excited about that, we are kidding ourselves.

 

[faultydet 7,594]

The past decade has all been about forlorn hope.

 

For the first time in 10 years, I now have expectations. I still think we can roll Geelong in round 1, if the mental side of the game is totally switched on.

[nosoupforme 3,085]

9 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Similar theme to many of you.  I after the way we missed out last year, I didn't want anything to do with footy for about a month.  But after that, Rd 1 couldn't come quick enough and has been a long summer of antisipation.

I won't get truly excited until we put together a good half season of solid form and sit firmly somewhere from position 2 to 7.  I feel like we have a team that can beat any opposition team on the day and whilst there are teams I think will make hard fought games like Sydney, perhaps GWS, Adelaide and one or two others that might rise I don't fear any team as being beyond the guys wearing the Red and Blue. 

Teams like Geelong, North, Richmond and Hawthorn are ripe for the picking, but even in the event we were to thrash them (which would give me immense immediate satisfaction), I'd be tempering my expectations for the season ahead and what that might mean until we put together a prolonged run of form and start to play with the sort of maturity that says we will be a serious contender for the pointy end of the season and not just having purple patch.

One of the things that tells me the team is on the cusp of being a genuine contender is that we never really got blown away last season.  Even the Crows the second time around, we were still within a sniff of it 10mins into the final term.  Sydney was the only game I really thought that we didn't look like winning from about half way through the second quarter, we didn't get completely smashed by the end and I think the cumulation of the injuries and consecutive 6 day breaks we had leading up to that game provided some legitimacy to the lack of performance.

Really hoping we do smash some teams this year though.  That would provide some good instant gratification.

Yes the 6 day breaks got the better of us. A main reason Balls.

[leave it to deever 17,511]

16 hours ago, Deestroy All said:

But it suddenly I find myself very excited about this season, and this team. I have a good feeling. I love players on each line, and all of them have room to improve and are moving into their prime years. Can’t wait

A Dees supporters emotional roller coaster. ...we know what you mean

But as  Big Kev says: Im excited.

[ding 5,126]

I will be somewhere around Khon Kaen for round one. Have already sent a bunch of emails to whatever sports bars i could find on Google but none have replied to my request for info on the broadcast. Might be stuck with radio as i wont pay the $19 or whatever it is just for one match, especially as the net is so bad it wont stream continuously most of the time.

Replay will have to do i guess.

[Wiseblood 24,637]

I'm pumped before every season.  This one feels a little different to the previous ones, but then I could probably have said that about the last few since Roos first took over.

The Neeld years had me pumped but totally detached from the emotional side of things - I went in to every game expecting a belting to soften the blow.  Now, I got into every game expecting us to either win or come darn close to it.  So the feelings of excitement are certainly different to those, say, 5 years ago.

[layzie 33,796]

Like many of you I pretty much swore off football after Round 23. To be honest still not really over it.

Now I find myself quietly confident in our side but expectations are still being tempered. I don’t want to go through last year again so just trying to keep those emotions in check while looking forward to footy again. It’s a strange position to be in but that’s just the way it is