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In what we used to term “the normal course” i.e in the past when we didn’t make the finals, I think this week would have seen our youngest group of players back on track for the start of the preseason. The track watchers would have been out and about and the first reports on Demonland would have been coming through about who was there and who wasn’t and who was burning the house down at Gosch’s Paddock (or Casey Fields). And that’s the big question on the AFL site today ~ Feeling the heat: Who needs a big pre-season at your club? I reckon the writer covering Melbourne has it right. There’s going to be some pressure on Sam to produce the goods. “Sam Weideman A big summer on the track will give coach Simon Goodwin food for thought heading into 2022. The 24-year-old, who has played 49 games in six seasons, struggled to break into a settled line-up as the Demons steamrolled their way to their first premiership in 57 years, going goalless in three of his five games and falling behind Ben Brown and Tom McDonald as a tall target inside 50. Having been linked with a move away from the club, Weideman eventually re-signed for two more seasons and will be eager to press his claims to take one of the key forward roles. Speedster Oskar Baker and small forward Toby Bedford, who finished runner-up in VFL affiliate Casey's best and fairest award this season, are others on the fringe who will be keen to make an impression over the pre-season. - Brandon Cohen

His bank manager?

I'm looking at Christian Petracca. Get those skin folds down. Show us he's serious about taking the next step!!

I wouldn’t blame Jack Trengove, Jack Grimes , or Neil Daniher for not caring about our flag…… but they were all delighted. Great guys!

Yes - someone else’s hamstring and someone else’s ankle. However, because of the competition for that position, it’s also important for Jayden Hunt and Joel Smith to have strong pre seasons to win back their places.

Some more merch arrived today. The Knight hoodie is very dark but it's still in the navy colour range.

Got this bad boy back framed today, loving it.

Product Description The 2021 AFL Premiers DVD box set is a collectors item only available for a very limited time. It includes every game the premiers Melbourne Demons played this year including the regular season and the finals season including the Grand Final. That's over 50 hours of viewing in this limited edition box set. Also includes the Grand Final on DVD and on Blu Ray. In this limited release Complete Season Collection, enjoy full replays from all 22 Home and Away games, Qualifying and Preliminary Finals, the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final in both standard and stunning high definition, and a specially-commissioned Premiers Season Highlights programme, featuring in-depth analysis of the Demons' magnificent 2021 Premiership Season. It was a season to remember, for Melbourne fans, as the grand old club claimed its first Premiership in 57 years. Racing out to a 9-0 record, the Demons were the competition benchmark all season and clinched the Minor Premiership in dramatic style with a goal after the siren in Round 23, before a perfect Finals campaign saw them lift the AFL Premiership Cup on the last Saturday of September.

Over the last 4 games including rd23 we took on the next 3 top contenders, held 'em up infront of the AFL world and then ripped their heads off. They all got the message.

Agreed, it is an odd thing to bring up.

The others not mentioned in this conversation so far are Joel Smith and somewhat ironically Adam Tomlinson. ...of course, the other answer which I also think has some validity is everyone on the MFC list needs to have a big preseason if we are to push to make another grand final / back to back flag.

They're a good average team of battlers. They provide a good doormat for us to wipe our feet on as we enter finals.

11 games at Sleepy Hollow flatters them every year. Probably works against them in pursuit of the ultimate goal as they will never play a Grannie there.

Sixteen minute quarters and a seventeen game season helped get them to that final game of the season where they went missing after half time. Overall they are still a very capable side but I wonder how they will fare when the likes of Danger, Selwood & Hawkins hang up their boots. Not just because they are quality players but they're arguably the three most driven individuals at the club and help set the high standards Geelong have been known for. I went back and watched our first game against them early in the season and we could have won by fifteen goals. Outwith a crazy ten minute period in round 23 we've completely owned them this year.

My premiership coffee mug finally came. Just gave it a test run, I swear the coffee tasted so much better.

Given the speed at which this process is moving I reckon this thread will outlive us all

This is a momentous win . First time in 57 years . These 23 players will be known in years to come as the team that broke the drought. In 1990 pies supporters expected a dynasty . 20 years between drinks . Consider it limited edition Art work :)

Chris Johnson was in the rooms after the game.

I asked them for you, and this was the tenor of their responses; McLean: No love. Regrets his actions a bit, but we brought it on ourselves. Jackson: Couldn’t give much of a hoot for anything not related to him. Neeld: Feeling a little self-conscious, why is everyone always so mean? Balme: Not particularly fussed either way. Good luck next year boys. Is there anyone else in particular you want me to get on the phone to?

We’ve all had some good laughs at Geelong’s expense about the age of their list, the way they appeared worn and tired late in the season and the recruiting strategy that got them there … but the reality is that the Cats have remained high on the AFL ladder for the better part of a decade and a half without going to the draft for a rebuild. For most of that time Geelong has rarely delved into the draft’s top ten. Yet in 2020, it came half a game and a near on field riot from Dustin Martin from a premiership. This year, the Cats loaded up with Jeremy Cameron, Isaac Smith and Shaun Higgins and were seconds away from finishing in top spot at the end of the home and away season and they still made the preliminary final. Is it possible to maintain long term success with a policy of mature age recruiting?

If Sam W has a big preseason then TMac will need one as well.

JAYDEN HUNT?? He was sensational till he was injured. I thought his season was excellent. Nothing to prove from my perspective!

Reckon that Scully character didn’t leave us on the best of terms. I couldn’t give a rat’s about what he thinks about our premiership glory.

Brock Mcclean accused us of tanking against Adelaide in round 9 I've heard

Depends on what you mean by nailing every pick. Like everyone one of us who work, we can only do it with the tools we’re given. We can’t expect JT and his team to draft Jason Horne-Francis or Nick Daicos because they don’t have access to pick 1 and can’t match a father-son selection. It’s what they do with the selections they currently hold and if they can trade them and then it’s up to the coaches to develop the players they pick. On their past form, I’m far more confident than I was in the past that they will do well again for the club. That’s what nailing it will mean to me.

Would be good to see what these guys could do, but I think time and possibly tallent are more on their side than some of the others we have, who probably really do need to prove themselves at the MFC or look elsewhere. Guys like Weid who is more of a prized big man would probably find a second club willing to give them a second chance regardless, but I suspect that Baker and Bedford would need to really shine with whatever opportunities they get at senior level, just to be considered elsewhere, if they can't crack getting a semi regular game for us.

No recruiter can nail every pick in every draft, as is it impossible. To nail every pick would mean that those players in a year or two, permanently replace other players in the team, meaning the argument could be that the replaced players were failures. If you took 5 new players for 4 years, you would have to completely replace the existing team within a few years. We know that doesn't happen. To be fully successful with every pick would mean that even fewer players would rack up 100-200 games, as you are always picking better players. To me the measure of a good recruiter is the quality of the team he puts together, of course aided by development, culture, fitness, luck with injuries etc and being able to have a batch of good players underneath the best 22, to provide depth. Obviously the last 6-8 players on the list are the ones you try and better.

Depends on your definition of success I suppose. Geelong are a well managed, very professional club. They have made the most of their natural advantage, playing at Kardinia Park against sides down the list. Furthermore their list over the years has been rather durable. So they are doing lots of things right. But they hadn't added any silverware. Now the ex Cats coaches have resigned and Scott has been given an extension to do what....? Even Scott has said that they have trying to fill gaps for the last few seasons. So long term success, no.

Up for debate

How long is it since we beat the Cats three times in the same year? We still owe them plenty and I am looking forward to playing them on the G more often, time for Hawks, Dons, Blues to spend more time down at the Cattery and the Cats to play more games in Tassie.😀😀

I quite liked Joel McDonald as a player. In retrospect though, not selecting Dylan Grimes was a mistake. It wasn’t our only mistake during that period though. And it wasn’t our most seismic one either. It’s funny to think that Luke Ball wouldn’t even talk to us back then, and now everyone wants to talk to us. In fact, I wonder if Isaac Smith regrets rejecting a 3 year contract with us, to accept a 2 year deal with a club in an entirely different city. Regrets heh?!

Victory Pack delivered this morning Excellent Weather for a DVD or 2 The Preliminary Final is just as good as the GF, it is really an 8 Quarter thrashing!!

My error for the year :)

Perhaps not coincidentally he’s also only our 4th Premiership Coach - I believe officially in 1900 the VFL didn’t recognize coaches. Over time some sources took to naming the team’s captain of the day as the “coach”, but that’s only in hindsight.

A few points Geelong had a lot of success thru father and son , scarlett hawkins and ablett jnr .They were not first round picks . The rules have changed now on father son . Because of long success , they were able to attract good players from other sides ie Cameron looking for success.They have had players over last 15 years play hundreds of games scarlett enright taylor selwood bartel corey chapman , stevie J etc, They didnt have to blood too many young players all at same time . They didnt lose good players to long term acl injuries. when they lost stewart near end of season there defence collapsed.Henry couldnt stop the bleeding. We were fortunate this year We had Burgo and we lost Adam T as our only knee injury . First time in years we got most of our top 22 on the ground most weeks. Not all there picks were successes too. Cameron couldnt get in the side because of depth , couldnt show his worth and now is starring at lions . Wouldnt geelong give for a small forward now . Unlike Hawthorn who have dropped down going thru pain , and are rebuilding , cats havent yet. when hawkins selwood and danger are gone in a few years , they wont have replacements aged 26 in their prime . Duncan 30 and c guthrie 29 wont be them . There are the only victorian side that has home ground advantage , they train and play on same ground , they know the nuances of the field ie narrow pockets . Watch opponents kick out on full there. They have crowd support too . Very few opposition supporters get there . crowd noise does effect umpiring ( see wc at home ) without fans this year , geelong lost games they should have won ( see rnd 23). In conjunction with this geelong have had to play interstate sides and weaker melb sides there for years . How many years have we groaned when the fixture came out , away at geelong for5 years now.When all the redevelopment is done there , how many more opposition supporters will get in ? 3000? Because of financial losses due to covid . Afl wont schedule finals at geelong . It may be a moot point if Geelong follow Hawthorn .

Just watch the old, ancient, decrepit, flea ridden, dilapidated, moggies sink deeper than a piece of shark droppings into the bottom of the Cayman trench in 2022 with that pensioner list!

I read this on another site about JT’s drafting accomplishments - 1st rounders Christian Petracca Angus Brayshaw Clayton Oliver Christian Salem Luke Jackson Kysiaih Pickett Jake Bowey (pick 21) Later picks Trent Rivers (pick 32) Tom Sparrow (pick 27) Jayden Hunt (pick 57) James Harmes (Rookie) Alex Neale-Bullen (pick 40) Charlie Spargo (pick 29) Bayley Fritsch (pick 31) Harrison Petty (pick 37) Talk about nailing them!

Certainly a hard luck story: injured just that little bit too late in the year to get back into the lineup. I hope he gets back in but will be up against Bowey and Hibberd in particular.

Cap arrived today order Oct 6th, no sign of tshirt ordered same day. Oh well, worth the wait, how cool is it to wear a cap with 2021 Premiers and our logo!

beezlebub says sack him as he should be number 1 by now.

Agree. The greatest thrill of my football life. I was there in 1964 so I will not have another 57 years to wait. Agree.

No premiership will ever beat this one. Even if it was an absolute thriller, the worry of losing will never be the same. There won’t be that “please just win one in my lifetime” feel, nor will there be a 57 year drought (unless I live a very long time.) So if it’s close and there’s a scare like there was during this one, I won’t be as terrified. Also being that it’s our first in my lifetime, the rewatching factor is massive. It may pass Grease as the thing I’ve watched most in my life. Having said that I will throughly enjoy each and every premiership we win in the future. 🏆

This isn't just about a training field, and it is not the 1960's. This is 2021 and all teams are professional and to get to the top you have to give yourself an edge or just equal footing to everyone else. It is why WCE have played in 25 finals series in their 34 years of existence! We currently lease closet sized offices in the MCG not in the one location. We share facilities with Storm, Victory and Rebels at AAMI. We have to book the gym or the pool around them. Our current training ground is small and 500m away from the Football department, and 1 km away from the admin department. It is all second rate. We are fortunate we have a group of talented people who got us to a Premiership this year. We cannot depend on that alone. With Hawthorn and Adelaide building $120M facilities, and Brisbane, Port, Fremantle, WCE, Bulldogs, Richmond and GC all receiving state government handouts to IMPROVE their facilities, we will fall even further and further behind.

Really? How does a person "fluke" a business valued at about $200 mill? Wouldn't have anything to do with his hard work, IT nous, intelligence and business skills by chance? Pretty successful bloke at the age of 33. The company is picking up good contracts overseas, so the next 12 months will be interesting to watch. Good on him.

Are you sure you haven't missed someone? I have you at a squad of 23: 1) adonski - Bont 2) adonski – Steele 3) adonski – Hawkins 4) adonski – May 5) adonski – Macrae 6) adonski – Lever 7) adonski – Whitfield 8) adonski – Fritsch 9) adonski – L. Jackson 10) adonski – Papley 11) adonski – C. Daniel 12) adonski – Maynard 13) adonski – Laird 14) adonski – R. Gray 15) adonski – Z. Bailey 16) adonski – Ben Brown 17) adonski – Bruest 18) adonski – Andrew Brayshaw 19) adonski – Starcevic 20) adonski - Petty 21) adonski - Butters 22) adonski - Seedsman 23) adonski – Marshall

Both Brayshaws already taken. (Edit: Hamish is still available)

I reckon the one we win in front of the faithful at the G will go close

As soon as the fixture comes out i'm putting a circle around the date of our game v West Coast at Optus and start organising my flights and accomodation (hopefully no ongoing border issues but you can;t be sure with McGowan). It'll be a pilgrimage of sorts, visit the hallowed ground of Optus, pay my respects at the final resting place of the Norm Smith curse. And i want to lord it over the West Coast natives Outside of the G i can;t think of a more appropriate location to end the drought than Optus. We buried the Norm Smith curse and exorcised the ghosts of 2018 in one go. September 25th 2021 was a beautiful night.

In all seriousness, one of the unintended, really positive, consequences of having to play the GF at Optus is that for this group of players heading across to play the Eagles and Freo will be a complete joy and a trip they will look forward to, not far. Imagine the vibe and the buzz of playing on the ground where you had beaten West Coast late in the season, trounced the Cats in a prelim then experienced the ultimate football dream in winning a grand final. Bliss And the booing? Well for one, that may well feel juts like a curio to players now - bring it on. And two we might well have more dees fans in WA now - even if it is freo fans supporting us against the Eagles and vice versa.