"Dee's not in rebuilding phase" Bailey - Herald Sun

The Age version - some more details

This sounds pretty geniune from Bail's - and I reckon he's just about had enough of the negative talk

The new guys set to debut in the NAB cup game is exciting - they must be impressing DB

The Demon's are the real deal this year....forget about the wooden spoon talk.....we'll make the 8 easy!

Bailey said injuries had a big negative impact on the Demons last year and declares this year's "line in the sand is that we will play (only) blokes who are really fit — it doesn't matter what their names are". "You just can't risk players with any sort of injury cloud hanging over them," he said.

About time. Here's to not having to watch players hobble around on one leg for 1/2 a game after coming in under a cloud.

He's to the end of 10 weeks of speculation about player x being unfit.

Damn right about players not playing with 'injury clouds'.

We all want to see the very best players when they are at their best.

We all want to see and test out the kids, who might just turn on Bruce/Green style debut seasons.

I don't want to see Robbo at a steadily degrading 80%, 75%, 70%... as he wears out an existing injury game after game.

Robertson, Neitz, these guys are gamebreakers at full fitness but 'just another forward' if they're broken down.

There are twenty two games in the home and away season, no single game requires a player to make an injury sacrifice, players have to be managed so there is the maximum contibution over all twenty two weeks.

And then still be able to play in the finals.

Pardon me, raw nerve = rant.

Back to the topic - I think the selection of the leadership group is a straight-up statement that having youth and potential is great, but we have strong veteran players and they're in it to win it, NOW.

Didn't Bailey say that the list had to be rebuilt around the u/23's when he first came to the club? Probably not in those exact words but I'm sure it was the same meaning.

The other issue we have is that we're in a patch where we are going to replace alot of senior players, last year several older guys retired and it will continue over the next couple with Neitz, White, McDonald, Yze, Holland etc all retiring.

So in reality over the next couple of years we're looking at developing players for FF, CHF, CHB, FB, Ruck and another top inside mid.

i think by saying we're not in a rebuilding phase, he is probably suggesting that we will come out and win a few games, and that senior players will get a run, as opposed to rebuilding where senior players sit out, kids get a game and the aim of the season is to tank. he wants to play finals. he has seen that while we have a large under 23 contingent, alot of those under 23's should be ready to step up and be our experienced players now that they have 50-100 games under their belts.