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Troy Broadbridge, who played 40 games for the Demons passed away on this day 15 years ago. Troy married Trisha Silvers on 18 December 2004. Eight days later, while spending their honeymoon in the Phi Phi Islands, Thailand, he drowned after being swept out to sea by the tsunami that followed the Indian Ocean earthquake. Trisha survived. The red headed defender was a terrific team manager. He will always be remembered.

Yeah, he has. 3 Blueys, likely 300 gamer and potentially our games record holder by the end of 2020. Not to mention the personal characteristics of the bloke in his work ethic, consistency of performance and fitness and his unmatched loyalty. Personally I find the shift in supporter mentality towards him the last year or two (in certain circles) absolutely p*ss poor and symptomatic of a weak supporter culture, which is of course ironic given how much supporters love to complain about club culture.

Entitled to your opinion about Pickett, and who knows, he may end up being great, but I won’t call anyone an A+ and a gun after 1 game.

Thanks for the thoughtful replies- some good perspectives and I enjoyed reading your views. You are spot on Loges-LOL- at my older age these time warps pop up every now and then. We relied a lot on radio for VFL coverage back in my day-and they really brought the footy alive even without the visuals. Though we did enjoy Pelaco Inquest with Mike Williamson and the TV replays on a Saturday night before reading the Sporting Globe! If I start rambling and calling Langdon "Bluey Adams" in my posts then I think a cup of warm milk and a pair of slippers and a nap might be needed on my part!

His tackling and pressure are second to none, we need him in the team. Fingers crossed for an injury free run.

Agreed. I wouldn't call a player an A-grader on the back of one great year let alone one game.

Best summary. Kyle far too young to write off Could easily be a big developer over this and next season. Trent Rivers looks a likely type and I expect him to get opportunity early subject to form and fitness.

Personally I think it’s too early to write Dunkley off as ‘depth’. He’s been in the system for half a season, was highly rated in that mid-season draft and has played senior footy. It took his brother Josh a few years to get going and his whole family are sporting achievers so there’s a lot of scope for him - particularly being a young bloke. Rivers inclusion in the senior team will be dictated by Hibbo’s availability and form. A season developing at Casey will be fine however I do I agree he looks a likely type to slot in to the team earlier rather than later.

Go you Big Red Fire Engine.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all Demonlanders. It’s been a tough year for our beloved club. Let’s hope we can bounce back in 2020. I want to thank our Mods @Nasher, @Whispering_Jack, @Grapeviney, @george_on_the_outer. They go above and beyond in their tireless work of keeping the forum civil and a friendly, inviting and inclusive place. Things can get heated in here especially in the tough times and the mods do a great job of keeping the peace. Thanks to my Podcast cohosts @Grapeviney, @Supermercado & @george_on_the_outer. It’s a tough job having to front up week in week out when you only win 5 games so thank you guys for not bailing on me. A big big thank you to our regular preseason trackwatchers @kev martin, @Baghdad Bob, @Satyriconhome, @DeeSpencer & anyone else who I’ve missed out. This year you guys have raised the bar and I look forward to your reports in the New Year. A million thank yous. And lastly but certainly not least thank you to all of you who make up this wonderful community. This forum is nothing without its contributors. Hopefully 2020 brings us that elusive Premiership so that we can all bitch about the cup not being shiny enough together. Bring on 2020. ???

We’re at least top 6 next year. Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn’t know how to think. Think properly at least.

Great bumper sticker this year!

Happy to see these 2 along with Sparrow, Jordan, Bedford and Chandler develop at Casey this year. There will likely be a few opportunities but I hope they are few and far between. Hoping that Jackson and Pickett are the ones to push there way into the team.

Especially if the game calling is of the last couple of minutes of the '64 Grand Final!

On a lighter note, you seem to be stuck in some sort of time warp.

I think Dunkley will be purely back up (depth) but Rivers I can see pushing for a spot early. We need good distribution and run off HB and he gives us that. He's built for AFL footy.

I think he might just be one of those rare players (like Fyfe, Stephenson) who play well early despite their under developed frame. I look at Jackson's basketball highlights on youtube, and peak at his high rebound stats in basketball. The kid plays basketball with aggression and just tears down boards. Looking at his basketball highlights, he is gritty and aggressive. I didn't actually expect him to be as athletic as he was on the football field. I think he plays early and plays well. He has natural aggression. Basically the opposite of Watts in that regard.

That car is too nice for a MFC sticker Earl. You need a rust bucket like Biffen's for stickers. His is literally held together by them!

On a par with Australia's top 10 ice hockey players...

Would assume this is based on contribution over the decade rather than a list of simply 'best players'. As good as Gawn and Clarry are, they've both only had 3-4 years each of high impact compared to the consistent performance of Jones over the 10 year time frame.

Jones gets a legacy vote, sure, but our best player? Just have been a slow decade. Its Gawn by a country mile.

He got to 99 and got bored so he stopped.

Hi all Am looking forward to seeing these two (Dunkley and Rivers) in the team together at some stage next year. Wondering what others think about the positions and roles they will play and how they will contribute in a game. Interested to hear your analytical responses and also some possible match scenarios for the creatives in the Demonland group. I can already hear the voices Of Mike Williamson, Phil Webb Jack Dyer and others commentating on some of those scenarios! Thanks in advance.

Back with the main group + more determined than ever. ✊ Aaron vandenBerg has his sights set on season 2020. ?: https://mfcde.es/34w3M9C

?⬆️ | Can Melbourne recover from its horror 2019 to be a finals contender? Brendon Goddard has the Demons around the mark for a top-eight finish in 2020. EVERY CLUB RATED: https://bit.ly/2MvNS96

His methodology is to rank Mids, Backs, Forwards & rucks. Top ranked gets 18 points worst gets 1. Add the all up to get overall ranking. His rankings for us Mids 8th Backs 13th Forwards 14th. Ruck 2nd. Add them up and get 39pts equal with Dogs at 7th, Fun exercise to do our own rankings. Our midfield ranked 8th for clearances and 5th for i50's this season. We know how many were effected by bad preseasons. Add a newly fit Petracca, AVB Langdon & Tomlinson to that midfield. I rank it 4th. Am I overrating a May & Lever led backline. I don't think so. I expect our backline to be right up there next year. My rank 4th. Forwards remain a worry. Don’t know what ranking was in 2018 when they were fit but we scored the most points for the comp. With the rest of the team firing and a fully fit forward line and remembering it was the highest scoring forward line in 2018 maybe 6-8 with good delivery. Ruck 2nd. Says Gawny better tap ruckmand but Grundy gets first because does more around the ground. My rankings add up to 60 which ranks us 4th.

I think his best is good in a well structured back 6. If he gets some solid form behind him at Casey I can see him picked to fill a role.

“AFL legend Brendan Goddard”. Lol Good grief, did he write it himself?

I agree.

#edit: + Jetta. I highlighted from your list, who i think are the first picked, in any H&A week.

Forget about the top 10 MFC players of the decade. We should have a thread on the top 10 Demonland thread distractors of the decade.

Did you ever find out who was standing behind you?

Some Demonic match calling from beyond the grave would be quite appropriate I think.

I contemplated going a different option on the 3rd to make things interesting but one thing I've learnt in this tipping comp & following this sport.. Anything is possible

You are kidding right?...No i don’t think you are Weak Supporter Culture P..s off this Club throws crap at it’s supporters far too often Jones is a good ordinary player who won Bluey’s and was a “Leader” because there was bugger all competition within the list for years You won’t agree, but i don’t expect you too. Jones our number one player for the entire decade is both laughable and an indictment on how badly the club has been run for so long He should have been retired after 2017, but 3 years later.....

Far out, I reckon we should forfeit next season.

Dunkley already played a few games last year, so with a full pre-season he might be able to establish himself. Personally I saw nothing to suggest he'll make the grade, but the coaches obviously rated him. Rivers I can see pushing for a spot early. He's got all the tools to make it as an AFL player, starting off half back as a rebounding player and then potentially pushing into the midfield over time. He's got good pace, good aggression, good kicking skills, good decision making, good intercepter too. He'll likely be the best of our three 2019 draftees early in their careers. He'll make it IMO.

Once a demon always a demon. RIP.

I think his loss to the club is hugely underestimated. Daniher was always looking for a CHB after this tragedy and could never find one.

Other than Gawn and Oliver they struggle to rate against the competition's elite. However, the list is Melbourne's best 10 of the decade and I'm struggling to think of anyone else you could add. Bluey winners are 2010 - Green, 2011 - Moloney, 2012-14 - Jones, 2015 - Vince, 2016 - Viney, 2017 - Oliver, 2018 - Gawn and 2019 Gawn and Oliver. Both Moloney and Green were done during the Neeld era. It's an accurate (and sad) reflection on our last 10 years. I'd argue Jones is a couple of spots too high but I can understand why he'd be put first.

RIP Broady Everything was going great for him too. He was starting to come in to his own as a footballer, cementing his spot in a finals team, and had just got married. Sill cant believe it happened .

Always missed, but never forgton.

RIP Troy. It must have been incredible luck for Trisha to have survived. I think of her also and hope she has been able to fully recover.

I do find it interesting how people wonder or muse as to how many players from one side would fit into other top sides and be effective, and how highly people rate individuals playing in the top team over those in a lower side. I think the example of Marlion Pickett in this years Grand a Final gives you the example of how any reasonable AFL player could become part of a TEAM and make an impact. So, I would suggest you could pick 10 players from this years GC side who would fit into richmonds premiership team. I wouldn’t suggest they could all pay at once, but many would those fitting into the team and paying their role. I would say that Oliver, Gawn, May, T Mac, Melksham, Jetta, Harmes and Petracca could all play in top sides, together. You look at the Richmond side and they have some everyday, regular players who just play their roles, but as they play in a strong side who plays consistently, they may look better than our players. Difference between harmes and lambert for example??

I wouldn't have Hore in the best 22. Lever, May and Smith are enough in the tall department. Pickett is our only small forward that's why he is in the team. B: LEVER, MAY, JETTA HB: HARMES, SMITH, HIBBERD C : LANGDON, OLIVER, TOMLINSON HF: MELKSHAM, T.MCDONALD, PETRACCA F: PICKETT, WEIDEMAN, FRITSCH FOLL: GAWN, VINEY, BRAYSHAW IC: JONES, SALEM, PETTY, VANDENBERG EMERG: BROWN CASEY B: LOCKHART, HUTCHINS, HORE HB: HUNT, O.MCDONALD, RIVERS C : JORDON, SPARROW, BAKER HF: HANNAN, JACKSON, NEAL-BULLEN F: BEDFORD, WHITE, CHANDLER FOLL: PREUSS, MUTIMER, MUNRO IC: C.WAGNER, J.WAGNER, DUNKLEY, SPARGO EMERG: BENNELL, KOLODJASHNIJ, BRADTKE

1.GAWN 2.OLIVER 3.T.MCDONALD 4. VINEY

Might show more about your sanity than anything else Jaded.

I get my 20 year membership this year.... just waiting for the postman. Not bad for someone who has only lived in the country for 21 years.

I shared a pic of my 20 years membership 2 years ago, more to prove that I stick through the worst of times.

How about we wait to see whether the pre-season s 'interrupted'?