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Well it's on today. Must admit that my first reaction was that same as many here - stupid meaningless game; don't get injured. But after a bit of reflecting this morning, I'm really stoked for our boys to be represented in the team and will try and watch the game at some point, just to see how they fair. What a turn around in the personal fortunes of the two players from the MFC. Think about it, twelve months ago, Hibbo had just switched to our club after a ban from the sport, being labeled a drug cheat, Nev's career was well established, but from his B&F speach this year, it was clear there was some deep personal/family truma lurking in the background. Both players have risen through the ranks the hard way from being rookie listed to represnting their country. Full credit to our guys for their selection, whilst the game may not nessasrily be of a true/meaningful international standing, the AFL clearly picks it's team from the best available players in the country (probably with a slight bias for those felt suited to the hybrid game) and I think that is a great honour. Good luck to our boys today... oh, and don't get injured!

There are no experts here mate. Just a lot a people with an opinon,a drinking problem, and too much time on their hands.

It was so home. They were lining up in the que to collect! Your mate would be [censored] at that one. Jockey rode well i thought? I think ive heard of El Magnificence. Yes definitely keep me posted. We have the Ballarat Cup here in a few weeks. Ill post if i hear anything......

One, next Sunday. I don't understand the antipathy to these games. The players seem keen to participate and it gives us something a bit different to watch during the annual footy drought. If people think it is silly, they don't have to watch it (and if they don't like the ridiculous hype the commentators make about it, there is the volume switch thank god). The injury rate seems pretty low, no worse than training. The Irish get the advantage of the familiar round ball, Oz has the advantage of having fully professional super-fit players and tackling, though I wouldn't mind if tackling was not allowed. So what if it is a 'game that doesn't really exist'. I can't get emotionally involved but am interested enough to watch it. Better than many other 'real' sports.

This game is stupid. I'm going home.

I’d like to phone a friend

Thought it was home also, had my friend on the phone and he said the same thing. Beaten by a horse that's been out since January 2015 and the only horse to make ground from the back all day. That's racing though! Will definitely keep you posted on future runs, my friend also part owns a stablemate called El Magnificence which has shown some promise with a 4th and win in his only two starts. Currently spelling but when it returns it could be one to keep an eye out on.

It was home!!....then that horse came from the clouds.....bad luck. A horse that had been away from the track for 2 years because of injury, chooses your race to make a comeback. Had a bit on for the place so very happy with that. Thanks D77. Let me know when its running again!

Final word. Horse has travelled well, looking to get a sit one out one back. There's a possibility the pace won't be on early so he could end up leading if he can't get a sit behind the leaders. They are there to win today, hopefully the horse fires. Hope that helps, this is not a certain tip by any means. I would be a tad upset if he got up and I didn't have a dollar on it, it would be nice if some fellow demonlanders were on it if it gets up. Good luck all.

Purely based on that highlights video he reminds of me Clarry with his ability to make quick smart decisions that put team mates in to the clear. If that's true I can't see him slipping out of the top 20.

Ian’s my Grandfather, still going strong.

Yeah, spot on. I had a horse once. It was ok, but couldnt win. Then one day midweek at Casterton he led all the way and saluted by a neck at 48/1. Many beers in StKilda that night! But its ok, i know what a hard road it is. I also know how much effort small time trainers put in, sometimes even borrowing petrol money to get to a track. Long way from the glamour of Flemington in the spring.

Not from me. I am tipping a worse year than 2017 for Port.

It's being pedantic, I know, and I'm probably fighting a losing battle, but I don't like the idea that moving to a lower number is in any way an "upgrade". It's just a meaningless change which serves no purpose other than to annoy those supporters who have already purchased a jumper with that player's original number. I know that if I was rewarded with a spot on the list and given any number from 1 to 99 I'd want to keep that number for the whole of my career, however long it may last. Players should be encouraged to stick with the one number and to make their own history with it. And the idea that a lower number is somehow a more privileged asset just seems like another way to differentiate players into the "haves" and "have nots" (meaning, in this instance, having the confidence of the coaches). I would have thought that's not the best way to unify a squad.

The word from out at Casey is that recently retired MFC 141 gamer Colin Garland who will have coaching roles with the club’s AFLW and VFLW teams in 2018 could also turn out during the season with the Casey Demons. Delisted rookie Mitch White is also said to be a likely recruit. With the axing of the Development League, the Casey Demons’ VFL list will be reduced significantly. One player off to the Frankston Dolphins for their return season to the VFL is Jake Lovett.

Best mate of Andy Brayshaw. Does the 100 x 100s with the Brayshaw brothers on Christmas day. 191cm tall mid with clean hands and good decision making. Some question about his tank, but that can be worked on. Draft watchers, where's he likely to go? http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-draft-andy-brayshaw-and-charlie-constables-bromance-20171110-gzj7vg.html

I would love to see The Big V play South Australia in State of Origin again. I was at The ‘G in 1989. Amazing day. But it won’t happen again because there is too much money involved now. Players are worth too much to play for high stakes

Thank you demonstone. Clever work!

Looking forward to it. Yes, McLeod rode much better today, my mate is still in a bit of shock after losing to that horse. The eventual winner trialled and finished 9.8 lengths 5th of 5 last month at Echuca. Lol, you just have to love racing!

6 - Jack Grimes? Captain Jack

9 Fitzpatrick

In case you're wondering about Q4, second rate = B (b-grade, b-list, b-movie) + Collingwood hack = Ray Shaw.

4 is Brayshaw!

Pendlebury .... finger

12. Tom Gillies. Better than Brian Lake.

10- Shannon Byrn-es?

10. Robert Flow-er

Here's one of James Hansen's from NASA temperature graphs from 1981. Note the cooling from 1940 to 1980. Now note the current NASA 20th century temperature graph. The cooling from 1940 to 1980 has been erased. Same organisation. Both NASA graphs of 20th century temperature data. Two different messages. It's fraudulent data manipulation that Leftists turn a blind eye to. And why do they turn a blind eye ? Because they are the most disingenuous swines to ever draw breath.

I’ll enjoy watching on the Tele today and I’ve been lucky enough to get a geurnsey in a box next week at Subiaco. Free beers and hopefully a bit of venison sounds good to me.

makes sense shallow draft... young player, now proven etc etc The only question is his bulk and ground skills. Have been saying for months he is late second or early third. Perhaps he could end up at the Eagles as one of those several mid 20 picks they have. Cannot see him at the MFC as we are once again short of outside mids. The flip side is that the VFL lists do not seem to be throwing up a large number of late bloomers. Surprising because numerically they should be there.

Ricky Jackson made 45 a cool number. I like players keeping the same number, not that it matters. But it’s a bit like when a band changes their name for legal or cultural reasons, it is often a very bad thing to do...

10. Daniel Cross? Another Rivers...many Rivers...many Rivers to Cross? And perhaps LG and Kenners just got their numbering wrong with the David Rodan number 7? I suspect they meant 3 to be so sure of it, And/or player anagram of Rodan.

Get real? We have the worst disposal in the league. We have no forward structure. Our greatest strength is a brigade of tough nut midfielders who can't kick. We have never seen any evidence that our talls are able to work with each other instead of getting in each others' way. The team still falls asleep for large portions of games. Realistically, I think we're a damn good chance to go backwards next year.

Yep. That’s how i see it Red. They have recruited a bunch of flawed players, who should have been stars.

NZ v Peru in Wellington. No score after 24 minutes. Memories of past Australian qualifications in the Oceania Group

The pitch in Honduras was horrendous so goal scoring opportunities were scarce. Juric had 2 big chances but that was about it. Honduras were just poor ... they couldn't penetrate our back 3 or 4. I would be surprised if they even scored in Sydney. I expect us to score at least twice if we go by this morning's game. Cahill may not start but you'd reckon he will play. And I don't feel like I'm being optimistic either ... however, I'm aware that poor sides can win games of soccer so there's that. As for Italy, they've a habit of leaving things to the last moment so that will probably happen again.

Why would you do that? Just means kids don’t need to buy a new jumper. #4 is now back on the shelf Lever should build his own following

We will beat (thrash) them all this love for Port makes me want to puke ? Get real

N Jones: “Now they've come back and hopefully that continues with the older group as they filter back in and we can put together a really strong pre-season and that drives us for season 2018." How about coming back in with shock and awe like superheroes and smashing the preseason after wimping out like dogs in the last game of 2017??? Filter my cigarette...

lurk and read a lot but not much to say given all the experts on here!

Just spent quite a while watching through some of his games and highlights. The best thing I like about this kid, is that he has willingness to take the game on, and loves to hold the ball and draws a defender for him to tackle which allows a team mate last second to be released and fires off a handball. Oliver does this very well also, and those traits have class written all over them. Would be stoked for this guy, will be a player. Watch this space.

And here's another longer package. Quite a few new highlights reels released today.

Cause for optimism? I had some free time and called SEN yesterday to specifically ask David Schwarz one question that’s been nagging me for years. I know he has a son and was wondering ( hoping ) if he had the makings of a prospective father/son nomination in a few years time David was very honest and admitted that whilst his son played football , he was only 12 and pencil thin , thus not monstering opponents yet . On the positive side he WAS projected to grow to 6’6” ( in the old measurements ) and The Ox hoped he’d be good enough to play for the mighty Dees eventually. We can live and dream? because realistically there’s no other superstars in the recent history of the club that we can hope for similarly gifted offspring.

Dual citizen too........

What do you mean ' a knee reco'. ..... Schwarz had three knee recos, and came back and won a B and F and played in a grand final. Schwarzs 1994 season was way better than Olivers 2017. And included a dominant finals series. You're showing a severe lack of respect to The Ox.

Prior to the knee reco he was going to be one of the best players to ever pull on the red and blue jumper. He was, at the very least, a superstar at the end of 1994. It's a shame to see you not giving him the credit he deserves.

Ron Barassi offered him 1mil to join the Swans in the toilets at the Brownlow. (no matter how many times a rewrite that it still sounds dirty)

What a champ was the Ox. Tall, mobile, great mark, great kick.Supreme talent curtailed by injury. No wonder Collingwood offered him a fortune to change. But he remained a Demon. Still is a Demon.

So, trade our most productive ball user dead eye kick for goal, and get ????? In a team of football ball Butchers gee doesn't make a lot of sense!?

I'd trade him for something we need. If he was in some way packaged in the Lever or Gaff scenario I'd do it in a heartbeat because we'd be better off. I'd not trade him for simply (say) "pick 25" and take that pick to the draft. For all Watts has his weaknesses and frustrates he also has his strengths, and they are significant. You may get something with a pick or you may not. It would most likely take years to mature. I don't believe we are at the stage of trading out our experienced and good players (which Watts is) to develop talent down the line. At some stage you move beyond development and have a go. As Goodwin says, we are now out of our bubble and there is expectation around the Club. Trading Watts for something that may be good in 4 years doesn't do it for me. If Watts does go there will be a part of me that is very disappointed.