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i think the loss of sunday football (including tv) to the afl was the nail in the coffin

I came on here for some light relief and am confronted with Sophie's choice instead.

How was the free to Ricky Jackson in the last quarter!! For absolutely nothing!! He kicked his 5th, but it actually hit the post! Very important goal in our comeback. The opposite happened in the Melb/Haw prelim the year before. Kennedy hit the post in Q4, and it was called a goal. Ultimately cost us the game. ( and, in my opinion, the 87 Premiership, based on the fact we beat Carlton 3 times in '88, including in the Prelim., and we entered every final as gross underdogs, surprising our critics every time)

“What I saw in the match committee was little care for the results at VFL level. When you go out there you want to win because learning how to win is a skill. But I look at the financial part of it and I know where I’d be spending the money."

Just dropped an interview with Shaun Smith tonight on my podcast Lace Out. Smithy talks about 'that mark', the affect concussions are having on his life, how he got to the Dees in 1995 after a year in the VFL, his fondness for Jim Stynes and Sean Wight, Joel's mismanagement by the fitness staff in 2019 and much more. Smithy was open and nothing was off-limits for almost an hour and I'd like to share it with you all. To have a listen choose from any of these platforms: iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher |Anchor|

Today sees Todd Viney take on Alan Johnson You can either vote by going to our Facebook or Twitter pages or for convenience you can vote in the poll above. I will create a new thread each day and will merge the threads together once the voting day is complete. Retro Round Todd Viney: 233 Games 92 Goals 2 x Keith Bluey Truscott Trophy MFC Captain 1998-1999 MFC Team of the Century MFC Hall of Fame 1998 All Australian Alan Johnson: 135 Games 95 Goals 2 x Keith Bluey Truscott Trophy MFC Hall of Fame Tournament Fixture:

You'll need to think this through. The moment someone remembers a player, they've effectively disqualified themselves from winning the quiz because they've just proven that the player was not forgotten.

We had quite a number of players who played well over 10 games that should also be on this list.

The AFL should never have taken over the VFA There was room for both, but AFL greed always wins. look at The VFL Fixture It is a joke

Fair enough old boy but I liked him & the way he went about it......82 games & 50 goals....not bad & during a time when it was difficult to get a game for the dees during our resurgence....& I reckon unless your put in that same situation, then none of us know really how hard it would be...... Gees you must have been good in your day.....?

who provided the better father/son?

Pretty good article really. TBH, I've never really bought the 'expansion = diluted talent' argument for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if the talent pool is really stretched as thin as is claimed, it should be harder to find AFL level talent in the state leagues. Yet virtually every team has key members of their best 22 that were overlooked in multiple drafts, and toiled away in the lower leagues for a few years. Secondly, i think people get nostalgic about footy in days gone by, and forget about the lesser players. There have always been (relatively) bad footballers playing AFL. We've had more than our fair share!

Agree with Daniel & Brad...Jennings has conned his way into a microphone. He talks inconsequential rubbish most times.

I have to say Johnson. He was one the best players to wear a demons jumper. I remember him playing at Vic park in round 1 ( I am sure it was his first game ) and was sold on him immediately. Todd was a great player and an excellent captain.

Johnno had much greater, all-game influence and contribution - usually, highly consistently and this was backed up with his penetration, gathering, the yards he made with the ball in hand, excellent disposal and gut-wrenching wins against opponents. Viney's skills were not as reliable, consistent nor abundant as those of Johnno's attributes, IMO. Both were great Clubmen.

I loved both these players, both Stars in their own right......................!!

If the question was best guns then stings by a mile. Best player? Jako. Insane talent. Favorite player? Saw Jako tear the pies apart at vic park. One of my fav games. Cemented jako as one of my all time favourite players.

Stinga is my choice in a hard one to decide. Jako was great too.

I recall at one stage Norm Smith winner Peter Matera, and Tingay were the two best wings in the competition before the position lost its fashion

A fit Stinga, would walk into any team of today's footy, and name his price.

Here's a career comparison with Weid Quick answer. Nearly the same. People saying we should get him because Weid is no good haven't seen enough of McCartin play. He has never been good. He never got past the diabetes let alone the concussion

I have a full copy of round 22 1987 - granted it's not broadcast quality but still, it exists ?

I enver really got to see much of them playing, but Stephen Tingay's recipe for a chicken cacciatore in the Trevor Barker memorial cookbook (I forget the name of the book - it might just be 'AFL cookbook') was a real winner and very easy. Also quite forgiving of lazy cooks like me with a tendency to wander off and do other things.

Essendon knock back AFL assistance in bid to remain independent. Dons knock back cash injection would've made a better headline.

McCartin has other health issues as well: I understand: he is diabetic and needs insulin injections regularly. That together with the spectre of concussion hanging over his head (no pun) makes for a too risky prospect I believe. As far as I can remember his only good game was against us in 2018 (opposed to a very immature Harrison Petty)! And don’t forget Petty was showing a bit of ability up forward last season and we have young Jackson to debut if ever the football season starts again.

Tingay was a gun but this one is no contest! Jakovich probably my favourite ever Demon, I was 9 when he debuted and he was just electrifying. Perfect mix of being able to kick goals from anywhere, being an absolute larrikin and giving it to Collingwood supporters.

The panic of the tin foil hat brigade!

Especially with list sizes set to reduce over the next couple of years

Well, surprise surprise. A constantly injured footy player without a job declares himself over his injury problems and ready to go. Sounds legit. Hard pass.

Very good hands, a bit of a medium forward, excellent mark. And very reliable kick for goal. He would walk into our list of recent years, blindfolded.

Hopefully, together with a reduced interchange bench of 2., with 2 Subs. And a maximum umber of rotations Per Qtr.

Funny how we remember things differently. My recollection of 'Dirty' Williams is that he was a clever player who used the ball well, but never got a lot of it in the first place - more of an opportunist, I suppose, than a stats accumulator.

Williams was very good when he came on from the bench. He went on to play some very high possession games.

His game was very good; intimidating, mobile, intercepting, fair-dinkum.

I smoked a full pack in that last Quarter

I was also at this game and remember two things vividly - Garry Lyons winning goal snap seemed to go about 600m into the air, and goes even higher as I recall it 30 yrs later, and everybody around me were still celebrating so hard that they weren’t watching Wrenstead run towards goals as I watched in horror. Thank Christ he missed.

You may see this revert after Coronavirus stiffs the AFL. Small coaching teams could be back on the agenda.

How well has the game evolved in 32years??? Watching the game the ball movement when executed correctly when u consider the wet conditions moved quickly. Coaches box only had the coach & a couple of assistants vs 15 now, are they over complicating it now ???

Strawbs had a fantastic 88, I've been rewatching a lot of games from that year and he was one of our best. In fact after round 22 when he got reported, Scotty Palmer told Morphett or Landy (can't remember which) that Melbourne insiders thought he was our best chance for the Brownlow that year.

.. 'Wight', Mr 'EH'.

Never leave to the match finishes is one of my rules to live by. Regardless of the score.

If anyone had doubts about Johnson being one of our best since 1987, just watch this game.

how many ads? Wilson, always held the ball too long Alan Johnson, terrific player Duursma pretty good Jimmy shows his talent Strawbs no good even before injured why did we clear Spalding to Carlton?

Mate of mine dejectedly walked out when WCE hit the front with 4 minutes to go, so he could exit the horrible Waverley car-park. Heard the first roar when Spalding marked as he went through the gates. Then the groan as he missed. Then the roar with the Lyon goal when we hit the front. Had to turn on the radio to find out we won. ......Never leave the game early!

The old cartoon imposer at the end. Johhno involved in the winning goal. Great effort from Williams to keep his feet, spin outta that pack and spot up Gazz for the finish. Noice!

Sorry if I’m derailing this discussion but does anyone know how Harley’s tracking?

Just pointing out that this thread is about Harley - not our game plan etc.

Yep, if you watch any of the highlights of 87 onward, you really come to admire what a smart footballer Brett Lovett was. Very underrated league-wide. I think Jeff White is completely underrated as a ruckman too, in my opinion a far more complete a footballer than Gawn or Stynes. Could kick, mark, brilliant tapouts. I'd argue he's almost the best ruckman of his era.

I used to think that but the Bailey/Neeld years broke me. Now I leave whenever I feel like it. Funny thing, when I was a kid at the footy with my dad and uncle they'd always want to leave at the 20 minute mark of the last quarter to beat the traffic, even when we were winning! I couldn't comprehend it as a kid and it still doesn't make sense to me now