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Nobody said anything about running yourself into the ground and I don't buy comparisons posters make about jobs in other industries. It holds no relevance to what we're talking about. These guys are elite athletes, what a pointless exercise to compare them to other people who similarly take leave. These players have off-season programs to follow from the club but if they want to do extra then it's left up to them. Bugg is back with all the young guys and clearly wants to make a point. Pedo was there on Monday which says to me the penny has dropped and he understands that if he wants to stay on the list, he's going to have to work harder than others. I'm not talking about proven performers and elite trainers like Jones etc. I'm referring to players who don't have the same body of work to go by and who are questionable 22 players like Dean Kent. Jones mentions Salem as one to watch next year and when I was at training briefly on Wednesday, I was pleasantly surprised to see him comfortably leading his group in the repeat 3 min runs. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-11-09/jones-backs-salem-to-go-to-next-level Salem wasn't required to get a personal trainer or a dietician during his "leave". But he did because he wants to take his football to the next level. You want that from players who are yet to reach their potential and who most obviously need to get fitter like Kent.

I’m relatively only dipping my toes in it but I was put on to the School of Philosophy late last year when I was feeling a bit down and drinking excessively for no real reason. The 10 week course (1.5 - 2 hr sessions) once per week in the basics gave me an added incentive to do a 3 month period of abstinence of which I managed nearly 10 weeks (can thank the Dee’s beating the Eagles for that lapse). I thought it was great and for a couple of hundred bucks, very good value. I intend on doing the next course available when my travel commitments with work taper off. Do a search for the school in the Capital city you live in and you’re bound to find something within a worthwhile traveling distance. As for the Headspace app, download it onto your smart phone and give it a whirl. From memory I think the first ten sessions are free or maybe more. It’s only ~$140 per year and excellent value imo. Like anything, meditation requires effort and to begin with my mind was all over the shop but gradually, with the practice, you become more focused and relaxed and you’re away. Cheers

I'm just hoping for minimal injuries this off season. I'd love to see us hit the ground running in Round 1 with our best 22 out there, or at least very close to it. A focus on a Plan B with our gameplan wouldn't go astray either. Once it was found out we had nothing to fall back on.

I have been actively involved in mindfulness since 1992. I attended SOP (School of Philosophy) for 17yrs up to 2007. Good way to learn the practical skills if you have the time. I left 10 years ago to pursue my own brand named Active Mindfulness. (Very similar to what Emma Murray teaches) The most important initial aspect is to learn to be aware that there is a difference between ‘me’ & ‘my mind’. Like McQueen, feel free to ask any questions PS Mods - Any chance of moving D4Life, McQueen & Lord Ivanhoe posts from this tread to a new Mindfulness thread. This way any Demonlanders who would to learn, ask or post can easily find it? Thanks In anticipation

If we're looking for a fullback, Tassie Johnson sneaks into 'last 50 years'.

Nah they trained yesterday Did some quick but intense running before a gym session Boys had their body scans done today and will do skin folds tomorrow before another bout of running/gym

A great topic Big Carl and you did a superb job. Obviously all of us will differ in our view - but I'm in the lucky boat of being the right vintage for this one, as you may be as well. Almost all of your line-up I agree with, although I did struggle with a few and have made three changes and swapped a couple on the bench. I'm sorry but I can't have Graeme Yeats in this side. He was handy, but occasionally was dropped as a defender, although his superb 1987 year as a wingman helped turn things around for the whole side. But he can't get the wing role for obvious reasons. The tricky thing is deciding whether his spot goes to a tall defender or a small one. Ultimately I suspect Jake Lever or Michael Hibberd will get the spot, but the only good, tall intercepters we have had are Jared Rivers and Clint Biz and whilst they had their days, they weren't quite dominant enough. I think any side of this 50-year era has to consider Laurie Fowler. Dumped by the Tigers, he was as tough as nails, won a few B&Fs and was a long clearing kick. He'd also back into anything - Neil Balme included. He's the only one I feel comfortable enough to propose for the other back pocket besides Alan Johnson, who is a monty. The full-back spot is also a troubling one. Danny Hughes was tough and a great kick, but he was mighty slow - that's why Northey decided against playing him on Dunstall in the 1988 GF. He did have a few cracking QB games on Brian Taylor though. Peter Giles was tight-checking and good enough for Lethal to decide to wipe him out. But I like Sean Wight most of all - he kept Ablett goalless one game and his attack on the footy was inspiring. While our depth came on in 1987 and hence everyone played a part in that revival, it was Wight that turned us into a counter-attacking side - a bit like Alex Rance today. Frawley of 2011 also was worthy but his other years were solid, not amazing. I eventually agreed with your choice of half-backs. Brett Lovett was slow, but did all the fundamentals right and enjoyed playing on Peter Daicos. I think he was probably a tad smarter than Tony Sullivan, though cut from the same cloth. The running half-back spot is a toss up between Steven Febey and Stephen Stretch, although Jayden may go past both of them in time. Stretcher was a better kick and had a bigger leap, but Febel could run all day and kept presenting and with brother Matt and Nathan Brown, gave us the run that propelled Daniher's side to finals. Both lacked the mongrel touch though. Grinter, however, was considered by other fans to be more mongrel than footballer but he was a pretty handy kick on the run plus he could take a hanger, so you could probably forgive him the fact that his hip invariably wound up making contact with opponents. Adem Yze also had a sensational year in 2000 off a back flank but played way more as a forward and a bench spot in this side beckons for him. Gary Hardeman is somewhat lucky. The taxi driver was a wonky kick and probably wouldn't even get drafted today because of it, but he was a good mark, played tight, was pretty quick and also was reliable enough when playing for the Vics. He fared well in the Brownlow, but I reckon even he would say that he wasn't as good as a runner-up and third place suggest. But who has been a better CHB on a regular basis? Wight was good there in 87 but played most of his footy at FB, Lyon was exceptional when switched there and Neiter had that one game on Carey in 1994 that everyone thinks makes him a CHB guru, but he was way better as a forward. Spalding wasn't quite quick or mobile enough, hence got sent to CHF. The centreline is hard to argue with. Alves and Wells were premiership players, albeit it after the skippers left to finish their careers in glory. Flower was a God. But that leaves us with a problem because Willo in 1982 was amazing and he was very good for a few more years, often in the uncanny small forward role, where his big baulking hip-swivel was lethal. But I'll take Willo on the bench. The other hard luck story is Stephen Tingay, who was hard and gave his all, but just missed both our grand finals - too young for 88, too old and injured for 00. I've named him emergency to keep the hard luck theme going. The choice of CHF is a lot harder than most young people realise. Officer Greg Parke was amazing in the early 70s, he had sticky fingers but his errant boot often let us down. I accept Schwarter at CHF as he was the most amazing player I have seen though until his knee and he did fight back bravely to win our B&F. I can just cop Parke's omission - but I think if enough people of my age were online, then I reckon he probably would get the nod. I've gone with Gerard Healy on a flank. He often played that spot for the Vics after his 77-odd goal season as a forward pocket next to Whacko Jacko in 1982. In 84 and 85 he was virtually unstoppable as a ruck rover before heading to to the Swans. Seven years and 130 games for us - yep that's enough I reckon to make this side, even though his first couple of seasons on the wing were very much developmental years. In fact I'd say he's the third best footballer we've seen in this 50-year period behind Robbie and Garry Lyon. Neiter gets the full forward spot hands down. If only Hoges had a thumping kick like David did! And the whiz was Mr Magic for us - also for seven seasons - and his 2000 year was phenomenal. You could make a case for Aaron Davey as a small forward and even though he never kicked a swag of goals, he did change the game with his forward pressure. That's why he's in my 22. Then I get controversial for you Big Carl. I'm sorry but I disagree on Allen Jakovich's inclusion. Sure he was amazing once he got his chance in 1991, but four seasons and 47 games isn't a team of the century stat. I'd be happy for him to be in our most mercurial or talented team of the century, but I don't think that's what this topic is about. It's for that reason that Russell Robertson gets my vote - keep your feet, Robbo. Sure Robbo benefitted from having Neiter next to him, but he did win four club goalkicking awards and played more than 200 games - not bad for a guy spotted taking a nice hanger. Brad Green also goes close, but he spent a lot of time as a winger. The ruck's a given, the ruck-rover is also easy as Todd Viney was bigger than Jack and just as tough, although his kicking let him down. I loved the Obstetrician as a player and Glenn Lovett was clever as well, but neither can match Nathan Jones for workrate or heart nor, as some of you have seen, the kicking skills. Henry Coles and Sugar Healy had their moments and Junior Mac was a great leader ... but Jonesy is a three-time B&F winner for good reason. The last spot on the bench goes to a defender for balance and Grinter just pips Stretch and Hughes, but really I'm splitting hairs now. So here it is In bold are players that you picked that I agreed with Big Carl, although Healy and Viney have swapped positions - Todd was never as good as a forward. B: A Johnson S.Wight D Hughes L.Fowler G Yeats HB: B Lovett G Hardeman S Febey C: S Alves G Wells R Flower HF: G Lyon D Schwarz Gerard Healy F: J Farmer D Neitz R Robertson A Jakovich R: J Stynes T Viney N Jones Int: B Wilson R Grinter, A. Davey A Yze J McDonald, Emerg: S.Tingay G.Parke, S.Stretch A Obst, E Spalding OK, a few other comments on those that other have mentioned but miss out IMO. Gary Baker - A lovely mark, but was usually beaten in hit-outs because he was quite short compared to other tapmen. He also wasn't mobile enough to hold down CHF or CHB - something that Jimmy did a bit of early in his career. We've had a long list of handy ruckmen - Big Carl, Peter Moore, Jeff White and Strawb O'Dwyer, but only one so far can match Jimmy and big Maxy needs to do it for quite a few more years yet to challenge him. Ray Biffin - The problem is he can't get a gig as FF because we have Neiter in that spot and even then, his kicking for goal was sporadic at best. As a FB, he played some handy games, but he wasn't fit enough to be a flying intercept mark or rebounder and hence misses out. Stephen Smith - Ultimately a bit of a tease like Jack Watts. Under Skilton we thought we had a superstar in the making at CHF, but then he was never quite able to nail down the spot, eventually being sent to defence where he was reliable in a very ordinary side. His best game was on Leigh Matthews and we all should know where that ends - just ask Gilesy or Allen Jarrot.

These guys need their time off to mentally refresh. They are going to be busy playing finals next year.

A little out of date Earl. I should update my bio, but I don't want to give my cover away. For that reason, I avoid Facebook, Linked In and all those other sites for pretenders and boasters. In that case, why do I post on this site? I find myself surrounded by a bunch of amiable folks who share a passion whilst at the same time share their eccentricities. . Sure there are the the boasters, the self-opinionated, the egotists, the argumentative, the grumpy, the depressed, the whingers, the crazy optimists, the dwellers of the cellars of the past, and indeed ,the psychotic, but overall a like able bunch of ratbags. I have found it much easier to pretend that I someone else to avoid editors, revengeful women, drinkers, no-hopers, pretenders, neo- fascists, last ditch commos and simply those who want to do me harm. One day we will run into one another and I will buy you a lemon squash.

Great list of messages, well stated and realistic, It's Time (above). Some hard truths, some complimentary but all valid and these are the things that supporters like to consider and dwell upon. With this accurate analysis, improvements can be measured. Strongly agreed with your analysis.

I like what you've done here. It's interesting to go a step further and discuss what people think the players need to do to reach their potential. Players who are best 22 and have not reached their potential (15) Low Scope for Improvement (5) Gawn Needs to stay uninjured. Has shown form in all areas of play. Could kick more goals. Viney First of all has to get his foot right. We don't want another Trengove. Still plenty of upside development on decision making and disposal efficiency. Even for his position. Tyson Has to fix disposal. If he does that he's an A grader. If he doesn't he could be out the door in a couple of seasons as others pass him. Frost Complete drop of form is a real worry. Before that I thought he was showing good development in reading the play and playing one on one. Obviously needs to improve decision making and disposals. T Mac Showed he has the complete package to play in the forward line. Great leading patterns, very strong contested pack marking, accurate kicking. Just needs more time there. Medium Scope for Improvement (6) Oliver Obvious one is kick to handball ratio. Otherwise more of the same but natural improvement for such a young player. Lever Probably one on one contests as he builds a stronger body. Plus perhaps decision making and disposals although I'm not as critical as others on this. Hogan Running at the ball instead of trying to out muscle defenders. More time in the forward line and less roaming too far up the ground. Getting a good of games in a row to build up consistency and form. Harmes Skills and consistency. Showed improvement in both but hopefully there is more to have him cement his place in the 22. Hunt Fix the final kick into the 50. Look up and find targets to deliver low accurate passes to instead of running in and blazing away with high kicks that aren't effective. There was definitely improvement with this at different stages. I'm confident he's already shown he can do this. Neal-Bullen Skills. Cut out the turnovers. Keep using his elite endurance to get into space. Large Scope for Improvement (4) Brayshaw No injuries. Also needs to improve his final kick inside the 50 so it is low sharp passes to leads not blazing away. He also showed improvement with this. Petracca I really hope he drops at least 4kg's so he can build his tank and improve the consistency of his involvement and give himself the chance to play more onball. Salem Improve attack on the ball. Build his tank. Play more upfield so we get more of the benefit of his razor sharp kicks as last kick into 50. O Mac Build mass so can compete better one on one. Less brain fades although I think his general game improved quite a lot this season. Needs to have a natural progression of improvement in everything. No reason for that not to happen. Players who are not best 22 and have not reached their potential (12) Low Scope for Improvement (2) Bugg Agree with others that he is probably underrated however we've probably seen his best and in time is likely to be a depth player. vandenBerg I don't think he's had a chance to show his best yet. Hasn't had a full preseason and is still starting in rehab this pre season. Fully fit I think he has a higher scope for improvement as a tough defensive forward. Medium Scope for Improvement (6) Hannan Needs to lift his involvement and consistency. Has the makings of a great package with speed, contested marking and good goal scoring (although I expect this to improve with more experience) I think he could be Large Scope for Improvement. I suspect he's a big reason why Watts is gone. Kent Needs to be injury free and move beyond his previous best level. Main improvement if he gets back to that is consistency for 4 quarters and goal kicking accuracy. His forward pressure at his best has been missed and made him an integral weapon. Stretch Needs to be able to compete more strongly, improve defensive pressure and decision making. Some say he's bulked up from those first photos but if you look at the photo where they are putting their heart rate monitor straps on he doesn't look like he's bulked up that much. He still needs to. JKH Has to improve his level of involvement in games and his decision making. Doesn't seem to know where to run in AFL games but can in VFL games. Personally I think at his height he has to have speed or an ability to read the play so he doesn't need it. I don't see it. King Hasn't even played a game yet so too early to tell his upside. Has apparently bulked up over the summer which was his major issue. He's only 200cm so not going to challenge Gawn as the no. 1 ruckman but hopefully will develop into a Forward/second ruck. Johnston Haven't seen enough of him to know. Worry for me is that like JKH he is short but lacks speed so therefore needs to be an elite reader of the play. Don't know if he is or not. Apparently great forward pressure but don't know about goalkicking. Large Scope for Improvement (4) Weideman Firstly needs to continue to bulk up. Secondly seemed to have less of an idea where to run this season than last season. Not sure if that's a drop in confidence or confusion trying to learn his role in the wider forward structure. Hopefully the later and hopefully he'll fix it. Hopefully gets his confidence back in front of goals. Dropped off this season. Is very important for the future forward line structure. Especially if you know who goes back to Perth. Balic Not sure why you've put him here. I'd say medium at best. Has had 2 seasons and although had injuries and homesickness hasn't shown a great deal to show he'll be elite. Maynard Haven't seen enough to know. I have a feeling given his age there will be a lot of pressure to come in and start performing early. Showed a bit in his baptism of fire v GWS but also looked a bit lost. J Smith Showed glimpses in his first game that he could be a freak combination of height, speed, skill. Looked loss in his second stint. Hopefully he can come back and develop his confidence.

Had to be on Swan street mid-morning so I got down early to have a quick squiz for halfa today. Weideman is actually filling out nicely. He is thicker through the upper body and legs and his arms are now looking bigger. He's got that hulking look already and in another couple of seasons, he'll have some big boy weight to throw around. I'm more patient than a lot of demonlanders regarding Sam given his injury history, but this is the year I expect him to step it up. This will be his second full pre-season. Having said that however, he was on light duties with Viney, Vanders and Tim Smith and he left early. Not sure if there's a niggle or not.

It is said that Footy like many sports is a game 'played between the ears'. Those of you here that disparage Mindfulness obviously have no idea what it is. So you build up the body in the gym, build up fitness on the track but you dont need to exercise the mind? The ability to focus, reduce negative self talk, improve self belief and most importantly let go of the past are all positive mental habits that can result from mindfulness. Some of you might call this mental toughness. PS Thanks for the post D4L

Him and Toumpas will add some pace to the Port Flanks. Watts should provide the toughness at the contest.

Western Bulldogs round 21 2005 needing to win to keep our season alive... Down by under 4 goals with 5 minutes to go and Jeff White kicks the winner from 50m with seconds left, Daniher running down the southern stand through the supportera fist pumping... Spine tingling stuff

13. Allen Jakovich, Adem Yze, Clayton Oliver

I’ve posted this a few times - but the last 8 games of ‘87 (including the first two finals, but not the never to be watched or mentioned PF) was just the most exciting 2 months of football one could ever imagine. Never to be forgotten.

I always put in the ESS vs Melb game at Windy Hill in 1990 when we were down by over 5 goals in the last quarter. Shirtfronts, great marking and 4 last quarter goals from Darren Bennett all from outside 50m. Not a final but a great win!!

Nathan Jones, 2013 - In a 2 win season, his support in the midfield comprised of a barely interested Colin Sylvia and Jones of the Matt variety. Still, he busted his guts every week giving Demons fans everywhere a reason to keep believing in brighter days ahead. B and F. No All Australian selection. A tonne of respect.

After a great start his season went off the rails when they kept trying to develop his inside game instead of getting the ball to him in space. If allowed to run hard on the wings and spread from stoppages he'll play with confidence and contribute. If the focus is on overusing the ball in tight again he might lose his confidence and start making errors that he didn't make in the first 2 years of his career.

I think (maybe that's the problem) that like many things mindfulness has taken a life of it's own. ...and been moved away from what it really is/was... As Frank Zappa once said... "… There was nothin' his box won't do With the oil of aphrodite, and the dust of the grand wazoo He said you might not believe this, little fella But it'll cure your asthma too…"

Get him fit at the start of the season and playing all the practice games - compared to his usual month at Casey getting match fit - and I think he has to be considered to play as a key defender.

So not there is: Lever - grand final in late September, fair enough Jones, Lewis, Vince - veterans who don't need to be out there Gawn, Tyson, Tommy Mc, Hogan, Melksham - all good trainers Hibberd, Jetta - playing international rules Garlett - stays naturally light and does a lot of boxing early in preseason anyway Of that group I'd like to know that Gawn is fit and running well and that Hogan is healthy and happy. I'm not concerned that the others are doing their own thing for 2 more weeks. 2 weeks in which they can't change how fit their team mates came back anyway. Viney can lead the young guys and it's fitness improvements from the likes of Salem, Oliver, Petracca and Brayshaw that will lead to improvements on field.

Laurie Fowler, good get, won 3 best and fairest awards, also spent some time ruck roving.

Flow is really a great way of describing how Richmond played later in the year, and the Dogs the year before and the Swans for over a decade. Maintaining high level physical aggression with mental calmness must be one of the most difficult things for AFL players. I don't think every player needs mindfulness but it will help some and I really think every coach probably needs it. I've been impressed with the way Goodwin has made adjustments in games without losing his cool. The slow starts certainly need addressing and personally I think the game plan needs tweaking to avoid poor starts. How much of the pre game routine needs to change vs mindset vs tactics is all up for debate but I hope the club is reviewing everything.

Absolutely agree with Steve here. The one/s who want to abide to their "workplace EBA" may need joining the other one at PAFC. Doing the extra stuff will make a difference. Great to hear about Salem.

Thanks Ethan, you recommended " The Fall", finished all of it and enjoyed it. The wife and I just finished Stranger Things season 1 and we loved it. Onto season 2, keep recommending the good stuff.

S-town was quite amazing i thought - it made me happy, sad, smile, cringe and angry at any given minute. John McLemore was the most complex person I think I have heard of.

For what it's worth SEN posted this today on our A Graders and who is borderline. You could say they fit into our Potential Categories. https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/11/09/how-many-a-graders-does-your-club-have/ A-Graders: Jack Viney, Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Michael Hibberd Borderline: Jake Lever, Jesse Hogan, Christian Petracca After having just one star for so many years in Nathan Jones, who narrowly misses this list, the Demons are now overflowing with talent. Viney and Oliver are midfield bulls, Gawn is one of the league’s premier ruckman, while Hibberd is the quintessential modern day defender. The trio of Lever, Hogan and Petracca are on their way, if they can maintain their best for prolonged periods.

Must be following Clarry as his mentor. He started the same way last pre season and ended up going all right. They need a congo line of Billy followed by Clarry and now followed by Harley (Wonder what his nickname will be. Any suggestions.)

Interesting read, cheers. Re Balic, I've placed him as High scope for a few reasons. First is the amount of football he's missed due to a wrist injury which wiped out his entire first year. Talent aside, he has played just the four games in two years so he's barely scraped the surface as an AFL player. His first run around the oval trailing the rest of the pack shows he is yet to acclimatise to an AFL environment and standard. Second is how highly he's rated by pretty much anyone familiar with him. Phantom drafters. Fremantle fans (granted they were sorry to lose Michie as well, but they seem more sorry about Balic ). Mahoney has said the club has always rated him very highly since the 2015 draft. Finally he has the look of a good player in the making. His basketball background shows with his spatial awareness and smooth moving. Even with limited opportunity he has shown he's a goal kicker. Ovviously it is still speculative, but when you combine those three factors I'm comfortable placing him as High scope. 2018 will tell us a lot more about the player we have acquired.

Good call. Tassie was a great player. Good overhead both mark and spoil, beautiful kick and tough as nails. Looked like a film star with his great physique and slicked back jet black hair. One of the few players that could keep John Peck quiet and not be intimidated by him. I seem to remember Peck saying that had great respect for Tassie and was one of the best FB. Along with Bernie Massey his drop kicks had to be seen to be believed. You would pack the stands every week if you had a defender like Tassie drop kicking from the square. Tassie occasionally went up forward but later on in his career (and after the demise of Graham Wise) spent much of his time in the ruck. A small ruckman (6.1/6.2) he was very effective at centre bounces due to his positioning skills. In fact when you think back to those days, one realizes how many great skills and attributes of the game have been lost as we have moved further along the path of this hybrid game of part rugby, part soccer and part basketball. Despite statistics trotted out by the AFL, I meet more and more people who are so disillusioned with the way the game is played that they no longer attend or have lost interest altogether.

Going the soft options & finally getting on board for a Thursday game Seattle New England Pittsburgh was tempted to continue picking against my '49ers but the Giants ? That game is a Taliban beauty contest. Very hard to see a winner.

It’s a good look with older players coming back and it gives the media a story. However I don’t mind players having the extra time. It looks like Gawn and Jones etc are doing some work overseas anyway. Also Jones and Gawn had soft tissue injuries last year so no need to rush back. Also Tmac has had his ankles done. It is good however to see the likes of Bugg and Pedersen back. There’s plenty of competition for spots next year.

There is also a workplace EBA. There can be no pressure on any of them to come back early. I’m sure they have plans for the off season for what they should do, and it is not reasonable to ask people to come back from their leave early for how it looks. They should take their appropriate leave, just as you would expect your boss to offer you. Then come back and get to work, as they are paid for.

Think Viney was there because of the off-foot issues. Take your point, but it's also important that players get/take the rest they need. It's a very long season, and running yourself into the ground by Christmas isn't the way to get through it, especially for more mature players. As always, it's a question of getting the balance right.

Looking at Monday night news clip I reckon you've got your 'hope' (wish). The comment was made by the reporter that Trac has slimmed down somewhat.

Gosh, fellas, Jesse is Jesse and that is a great thang. I rather admire his casual attire choices - it obviously puts the shakers up the spines of the uninitiated - how esoteric do you wish to be? He is not long from Perth and if you knew the town well, realise, at least, that fashion is not a big achievement over there. The Sandgropers are three hours behind and a generation or two out of whack attempting to catch up a light speed with some very abstract effects. Good on yer, Jesse. I reckon you are one of the smartest players on the field with your MFC jumper and Demon scowl. Set your own pace - and make history in what you do best.

Insider whispers say he may go top 30, pretty insane for a mature age VFL pick

Great to see Port trying to win the 2018 AFL premiership by recruiting ex Melbourne players. But someone needs to tell them the the 2018 premiership will be going to the Melbourne Football Club. GO THE DEES!

My favourite thing about #31 is that it for the whole VFL/AFL competition, there's no-one else that comes close to RDB. Other numbers have arguable favourites. For example, #5 could be Ablett Sr, Judd, Buckley or Hird; #18 could be Lloyd or Carey; #23 could be Brereton, Franklin or Don Scott etc. But Barassi - as he should - stands alone.

I thought he defected and went to North chasing the Premiership he got in '77 but I met him and he explained that Skilton became the coach at the end of '76 and even though he was the Captain sacked him saying he was rebuilding with youth. (Sounds familiar). He was devastated and thought his career was over but then got a call from Barassi asking him to come to North. No wonder he did a cartwheel on his wing when the siren sounded and he won a Premiership at the end of that season.

33. Gary Hardeman, Greg Healy, Jeff Farmer.

In recent times: Jimmy's 11. He won his bronwlow in it. Subsequently cherished and worn proudly by Maxy.

Nail on head. Only watched the highlights & was severely underwhelmed. Should have mentioned that. However, I tend to look for cleanliness as a key indicator & he looked quite sloppy even in moments when he had a bit of time. Doesn't mean he can't improve, just didn't justify the reviews imo.

Based on Lever’s Instagram account he is still in France. Don’t forget he played for an extra 5 weeks after our boys capitulated in around 23. I would expect he gets some additional grace period.

There's 36 on the list now including Smith. Plus 4 draft picks makes 40. Plus 4 Rookies makes 44. A list can be up to 47 with a maximum of 6 rookies which means there's still room for 2 more rookies. So stop being your namesake and check your facts before blasting away saying "Wrong" when you don't know what you're talking about.

We must read different texts. My version says that "I wouldn't..."

Chopper Lovell. Hard at the footy. Yes and yes. One of our heart and soul types. Excitement machine. No.