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I can’t recall off the top of my head being more invested in a player recently, than I was with Jesse. Then seeing him play for Casey that first year, I got really excited at what he might bring to the Dees. I wrote on DL that he was the closest I had seen to a young Carey. Well that is now history for me and the Dees. It is a lesson to me even at my age, not to invest too heavily in individual players, but rather the team as a whole. Good luck JH at the Dockers, though not against us. I have a pretty strong feeling that he won’t achieve the status in football that I thought he would back in his Casey days, but it is up to him and tbh, I don’t really care anymore. Go Dees and merry Xmas DL’s.

Perhaps he doesn't want his personal medical history made public. It amazes me that people just assume we should be informed of the players' situations all the time. Having said that I'd love to know. Viney, Hannan, Brayshaw etc etc. Pity there wasn't a Dave Misson injury update before Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all. Particularly to the mods. I only stumbled across this two years ago and it's nice to be in a community (yes it provide community) about a passion of mine. To the rest, keep up the amusing, informative and insightful (mostly) input. Let's see if we can keep the forum flamewars to a minimum in 2019

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas... I'm pretty sure we're all looking forward to that other season ahead. Stay safe and enjoy the festive season.

Crikey, is this the second coming?

Happy xmas deelanders. I will do what any atheist does on crissy day and get sloshed and dream of a demon flag.

For all the improvements the club has made, I've got to say that this is still an issue for me (and other supporters). It's odd enough that there's been no word from the club regarding Gus given he's missed multiple weeks of full training. But what's even more baffling as big red pointed out is that the MFC publish a full article regarding Brayshaw's unique training program on Christmas day, only to end it by saying he won't be completing it this year with absolutely no word on why. Amazing that things go seemingly unnoticed by the MFC. [censored] me off to no end.

Extra points for not using the [censored] term "Happy Holidays". Well done. And Merry Christmas.

Welcome to the dobber generation.

I’ve always been curious as to what type of human one has to be when on sight of someone who’s had one too many, the first instinct is to snap a photo and circulate it on the internet.

Mach5, smiling about points 1,2,3,6 and 8. Worried about point 4. Cannot lose him, replaces the forever-erroring OMac in all regards. Whilst many do not agree, many more do agree. As for point 7, without drive, ambition and effort, possibly correct. Still, have a great Christmas and New Year. ?

Merry Xmas Demonlanders and families and lets hope that 2019 will be even better than 2018. We are empty nesters so just heading off to our daughters for breakfast....Cheers All...........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry CHRISTMAS morning Dlanders! Hope you all have a great day and don't forget Santa has left you all a gift, a flag for 2019?

100x100ms? Easy, I’m running them tomorrow, just warming up with some Coronas tonight. In regards to Gus, if hasn’t started main training by mid Jan or so then we’d probably need to worry a tad. It feels so different starting preseason later than usual, hopefully it’s just a no risk approach leading into the Christmas break. Not a fan of the silence either.

I don't have an issue with this but then don't do a club article that brings attention to it.

Well we don't leak like a sieve anymore. He was not traded just because he was happy to go home. You can back that in.

Best wishes to all for the Festive Season, and the forthcoming New Year. I little elf told me, as a Dees supporter, that our great big Christmas gift and wishes arrive next September.

I have no “inside info” at all to base my comments on, yet I can fully understand from Godwin’s perspective that if Hogan could not commit long term to the MFC, then he had to go. However to insinuate that there were other reasons for trading him would fly in the face of comments Goodwin made before the trade period that “ Jesse loves Melbourne and Melbourne loves Jesse. He’s going nowhere”. I just don’t think Goodwin is the type of guy to not call a spade a spade. But like I said, I don’t have any inside info to back this up. whatever the story really is, and despite the fact that he is playing for Freo, I hope he is now content and is able to reach the full potential of his abilities - just not against us.

The previous comments about the FD being 'happy' to let Hogan go are correct. Yes, inside information from top level at the Club.

Some pretty ordinary photos doing the rounds of social media showing Jesse’s off-season ‘training’. It should be pretty clear to all why we weren’t desperate to keep him. he is a kid who is entitled to a good time, but there is a enough evidence out there for people to paint a picture of why the MFC decided to move on Hogan.

Like them all. I'd only add that it would be great to see Lever play most of the season with no further knee problems.

Yeah, I get a bit annoyed about whole separate streams of development and 'special programs' and the like in a lot of situations, but this is one where it makes sense. And importantly, has a sunset to it - once it succeeds in the goal of normalising the idea of Indigenous people being coaches, it'll wind down naturally. In a professional community as small as AFL-level coaching, personal contacts make all the different. Because of the legacy of separation, because of the competing priority of supporting your community (e.g. Neville Jetta) and because many indigenous players emerge from comparatively remote places (the article notes "... trips to the Northern Territory, Cairns and regional Western Australia to target those who typically aren't exposed to leading coaching strategies "), the direct personal connections aren't going to be as strong. Plus, somehow still, there are little bits of creeping racism which can really stink up efforts at networking. Networking is particularly vulnerable to pissy little low-key racist exclusion. All it takes is just a couple of soft-racist types to do some moaning about how "such-and-such is only getting an interview because we want to look politically correct" or "that guy is only at this event to make up the diversity numbers" and an Indigenous prospective coach is having their credibility and worthiness questioned by people who would otherwise not blink at giving them a chance. Even quite earnestly not-racist people can be influenced by the grumbling of someone they respect, particularly because the actual racial motive might be all but invisible, so to anyone listening it just sounds like a colleague making an honest observation. So that's the lay of the land, but with the momentum for change now, through the likes of Davey and Whelan and Jetta, it really should just be a matter of time. I'd understand if you still find it irritating, but at least take comfort knowing it is a temporary effort that'll just straight-out solve this particular problem in the long run.

Understandably with his footy pedigree so far, there will be things in the big fella to tailor, adjust, improve, develop, educate, transfer, augment, hone and many others from which further experience will dump in and on him. It is still a better heritage than that of Cox at the Filth. His enthusiasm is such that he may well be a fast learner now that he is among so many talents and positive vibes at the MFC; and additionally, in a place and Club where he wants to be after an uncertain baptism of what looks like disregard with Norf. My guess at this point is that he is going to be a tremendous player at the Dees - maybe even a standout player - and he does look like a team guy at this point, ever-useful onfield for his teammates, Those fortunate enough to be able to get to training sessions in this pre-season might comment on how he articulates and interacts onfield with the rest of the side; I am really looking forward to seeing and interpreting some of this during the JLT final warm-ups for the season in 2019.

In actual fact, Neeld had some very good ideas on tactics and strategies but was doomed pretty much from the start. Many of the senior players resented his appointment after the sacking of Dean Bailey and there was an undercurrent of dissent from the playing group and others at the club. This was problematic because, as it turned out, Neeld’s man management skills were poor and the list wasn’t much good either. It took a much better coach in Roos who had an improving list more than two years to get the club out of a mire that had taken years to develop. In other words, it wasn’t just Neeld who was at fault for our situation.

Maybe it's about time we left the guy alone. We have moved on and successfully. Enough is enough.

Time for my 2019 Phantom Draft - I hope I haven’t gone too early with this one ? 1. Matt Rowell 180cm 70kg 1/7/01 Vic Metro/Oakleigh Chargers Midfielder 2. Cameron Taheny 184cm 72kg 3/8/01 South Australia/Norwood Forward/defender 3. Noah Anderson 189cm 84kg 17/2/01 Vic Metro/Oakleigh Chargers Midfielder 4. Mitch O'Neill 181cm 69kg 21/2/01 Tasmania/North Hobart Midfielder 5. Dylan Williams 185cm 78kg 1/7/01 Club: Vic Metro/Oakleigh Chargers Forward 6. Tom Green 188cm 85kg 23/1/01 GWS Academy/Marist Forward 7. Lachlan Ash 186cm 77kg 21/6/01 Murray Bushrangers Shepparton Bears Defender 8. Jeremy Sharp 185cm 72kg 13/8/01 Western Australia/East Fremantle Defender/midfielder 9. Caleb Serong 177cm 80kg 9/2/01 Vic Country/Gippsland Power Half-forward/midfielder 10. Sam Flanders 183cm 81kg 24/7/01 Gippsland/Power Moe Forward

Pagan is dual a Premiership coach...he got royally scr....d in his time at Carlton with the salary cap sanctions. As for Neeld, I hold no animosity against him. He was out of his depth and should never have been appointed to the position. Was probably on a hiding to nothing anyway with the board and management structure (for want of a better word) in place at the time. Rather than cringeworthy I think it's still the remnants of some gallows humour that got us through a pretty tough time. Good luck to him...

I'm excited by the training news thus far. It would seem Preuss, the Kolo and Sparrow and Co have a lot to offer. Then there is the massive addition of May. I'm also excited by the news about the once very thin Smith, the son of Sean, and very excited about the smoke signals from Jeffrey Garlett..

Just received an email from Australia Post saying that my package from MFC is due for delivery tomorrow. That means it will likely arrive around Australia Day.

Mike Sheehan was more than happy for Jesse to go, said he would straight swap May for Hogan in a heartbeat not to mention KK and picks. I thought he was crazy at the time but I'd suggest he had very good mail OD

Flag Everything else is moot

Does Frosty break a leg in the early rounds? Otherwise, no way!

The time is now...... Regular season finish position - 3rd Final result - Premiers Norm Smith - Viney Keith Truscott Medalist - Oliver My well-being after premiership - in danger

Melbourne vs Essendon in the Grand Final. Payback for 2000 is coming.

That's even worse than the other bloke. GO AND GET F'D

So do our FD.