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I wonder how many would call Usain Bolt 'a disgrace' if he struggled to keep up with endurance athletes during repeat sprints. Sure, he can run 100m in 9 and a half seconds but if he can't keep up with a 200 cm ruckman like Dean Cox in repeat 2 km time trials then he is 'a disgrace'. After all, Bolt is shorter and an Olympic champion. Worst. Olympic. Champion. Ever.

The late Troy Broadbridge was on the cusp of being a very good defender when he was sadly taken away from us almost 7 years ago.

He'll never have small man skills but there have been many a crash and bash ruckman who have carved out careers. I'm not saying he'll be an exceptional ruckman but he may well be one who is in the Jamie Charman, Steven King, Ivan Maric, Tom Bellchambers type. In todays game there aren't many ruckmen who you want to have the ball in general play so his around the ground skills don't have to be all that good for him to be a good serviceable ruckman. He needs speed to get to contests and endurance to be able to at worst negate his man and he needs to have good ruck skills. He's not that far off being able to play AFL footy.

87 without a doubt. The wester oval was surreal as were the following 3 weeks. 98 & 2000 were great but we were never going to win the cup. 90 was a year we coulda won but the september draw killed us.

This logic of Davey having been a midfielder for several years therefore he should be a strong endurance runner doesn't wash with me. Davey and Blease would surely be the quickest two at the club over 5 metres or so; seems like a big coincidence that these two also happen to be struggling with the endurance as well. This thread is in desperate need of someone who knows what they're talking about chiming in, because there's a lot of guesswork going on right here that is leading to some nasty conclusions.

From what i have read Stuart Spencer was the greatest player to leave the Melbourne Footy club 2 b & f's (56 and 57) in premiership years not far off a brownlow or two in one of the greatest sides in history what if............ He had of stayed in 58?

Is that why you used a comma?

I don't like to full stop,

Michael Newton

Precisely, hoopla. Too many people are willing put players in a guillotine on information that is at best a stretch, and at worst plain made up. The best training reports are the ones that just report the facts and spare us the uneducated editorialisation.

I dont like to spend too much time looking backwards - beside learnings there is little that can be changed retrospectively - to be productive we should spend most of our time looking forward. So the bottom line is that some of the boys have never done a preseason like we are doing now. There are two parts to a Blease/Davey equation - one which know is having blistering pace. The second part is what is missing - be blistering in both directions and still be blistering at the 30 minute mark of Q4. The staff we have now is obviously addressing the second part of the equation. So I will cut everyone slack as this preseason should be seen as the new dawn.

Speaking of "jumping the gun......."

1948 WHEN WE BEAT THE BOMERS IN THE FIRST REPLAY GRAND FINAL J MUELLER F/F BILL BRITINGHAM,I THINK F/B FOR THE BOMBERS

It's not just us who will decide. Unlike many I rate Spencer. He is a huge man, he is surprisingly quick and has better skills than many think. But above all that he is very competitive. If he does manage to stake any sort of claim we will be in list management horror because Spencer may attract significant interest from other clubs and not only will we have to decide on his status we may have to put a much sharper price on it. Having said that we should keep in mind that we do have Mitch Clark and Jack Fitzpatrick sitting in the wings so much will depend on them. If Clark fails as a forward the waters will be further muddied. Gawns unfortunate injury is the best Christmas present Jake could have got.

I would have thought the players who were the backbone of our great 1939-41 flags who never played again or had their careers interrupted due to WWII deserve a mention. Bluey Truscott, Harold Ball and Syd Anderson died in WWII. 3 flaggers like Wartman and Richie Emselle (Father of Ken) were barely seen again as players. Players like Norm Smith and Allan La Fontaine missed many good years

Definitely '87. We were 6 wins 10 losses with 6 games to play and just got on a great roll. We beat Geelong Richomond, Collingwood, Brisbane, West Coast and Footscray, which was a fair achievement in itself as three of those sides were well and truly in the running for the top 5. The Round 22 game lives in my memory as my greatest footy watching moment. I was in Year 12 at school and didn't do a lot of school wor over that period of time. The next week was so exciting, all the conjecture over Brian Wilson's injury, Spalding had been reported (but got cleared), we still had O'Dwyer and Grinter serving suspensions and Garry Lyon had just broken his leg in the famous stretcher incident. We then came out and absolutely towelled North. The Swans game was nearly as good, and then the shocking disbelief of the Prelim. I doubt I'll ever see another season like it. Northey was a fantastic coach - I don't think anyone could have got more out of that group of players that year.

I'm with WYL, 1987 easily...followed by 2000. WYL, we blew it in 1990 mate. We beat Hawthorn in the Elim and a had a weeks break when the Pies drew with WCE...the lost to WCE at Waverley, We had a tough draw in 94, we wre never going to beat the Eagles in WA....imagine if Jakovich was fit that year!!!

You're about a decade out - Walsh was Daniher era. One of my favourites at the time too though.

I don't have a best. Most shattering is still 2004 though.

'87 . We came from the clouds to make the finals for the first time in 23 years , Was at the Western oval when we finally "made it" and it remains one of the happiest days of my life . I've followed our Club since the mid sixties and the joy we Demons felt that day was incredible . We were underdogs going into an elimination final against North but proceeded to smash them by over 100 points . We buttered up and gave Sydney a hiding and then there was that day at Waverley when we shouda , couda , wouda . '87 is still full of great memories however and taught me and many others that you shouldn't give up on a season too early . Such a young side as well that year .

I'm not sure why we all think Aaron Davey has or even (ever) had good endurance. The bloke is lightning fast. He goes well for 1 maybe 2 sprints then blows up. Has done his entire career. Hence the reason he got to us as a rookie as a 20/21 year old (as well as being stick thin then), the spent the next 2-3 years as a permanent FP. While onball he has more sideline breaks than Dane Swan, he should have built up a better tank over the past few years but will never be elite in this area, perhaps a good reason why he can't break a tag. Ideally he should concentrate on being quick in bursts, be our elusively quick FP again and leave the midfield for those with a tank

Not Jordie! Please clarify Drake?!

I found it unintentionally sexist that someone named Notman is doing the dishes.

Never knew his mother. But his dad, Pa Jong and I go way back. Pa Jong knows Judds grandma who gives Rogue good mail here. Lin Jong and Chris could be related.