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As far as I'm concerned. Everything has been laid to rest. Apart from my undying hatred for Essenscum, I'm at peace.

News just coming out former Dee Harley Balic has passed away aged 25. Very very sad news. Just to add - 24 hour support is available at Lifeline on 13 11 14.

How about by a kick after the siren after being 7 goals behind at their home ground , to deny them top spot on the ladder at season end?

Don’t watch me at the footy then. There’s age inappropriate reactions happening everywhere.

a 3:nil season vs cats and a convincing premiership has heralded the dawn of a new dynasty, the demon renaissance 186 is now passe and has now been relegated to the history of the demon dark ages long live the dees!

Watching the GF so many times, I'm now appreciating some of the more overlooked moments, like this one attached. It's a little hard to see, but I think that Oliver basically flies along horizontally over the top of fallen and flailing Bulldogs, grabs the ball and handballs it mid-air in a breathtaking display of skill and focus. Amazing ninja level stuff.

Anyone looking for some time to kill during during isolation or just wanting a general pick me up I highly recommend reading through the GF matchday threads on opposition boards on BigFooty. I read through the Bulldogs one the other night and it was heartwarming to see how quickly they went from "we've got this, Melbourne are [censored]" to "uh-oh I think we're in trouble" to "**** we've [censored] the bed here" to "no one could match them, Melbourne were unstoppable" The Carlton and Richmond board threads were pretty funny in their own ways, it was a joy to read the Hawks supporters realising how far away their midfield was from competing with the best (IE OURS!!!) the St Kilda thread was just depressing I felt a kinship with them after reading through that misery (Petracca winning the Norm Smith just to rub it in) and really hope they can break their drought soon. Looking forward to killing time reading through the Essendon and Collingwood threads, the Geelong one should be hilarious too.

completely put to rest. I think the pain we inflicted on Geelong this year as well as winning a flag fully closes that chapter. proof in point. when i think of Geelong now , I smile broadly and notice my Geelong friends grimace a little when we talk footy. Round 23 or the PF is all that’s left in my memory of them. somewhere in a galaxy far far away i hear that the world was once temporarily out of balance re Geelong and Melb but the equilibrium is now restored.

Introducing our new AFLW correspondent … DEES IN OCTOBER reporting on the Demons’ win in their Hampson-Hardeman Cup over the Bulldogs. Greetings Demonlanders, and welcome to the first match report of the 2022 AFLW season! Melbourne is heading into its sixth season with great expectations and a degree of external pressure, with most pundits predicting finals and many talking of a Grand Final … and more. DEMONS DOMINATE AT THE KENNEL Whatever’s to come, it all started with an away game at VU Whitten Oval on a sunny yet windy afternoon. I stayed away due to the travel factor and putting a bit of a pause on crowds in the current Covid19 scenario. Instead, I relied on the televised broadcast, including some “interesting” camerawork combined with glorious drone work that showed off the venue’s surrounds and city views. The team was as selected, although I spent a fair few minutes early wondering where Paxy was — her missing the practice match had me spooked, but there she was … yet a niggling premonition still nagged at me. Meanwhile, the commentators helpfully informed us that Parry would play second ruck. Likely she will in other matchups, but in this one it was a strange insight given Caris was out there presumably solely for that purpose! Pre-game I was a bundle of nerves after watching the Tigers tear the game apart the night before. Who knew what the Bulldogs had conjured since our last AFLW meeting, which certainly was a day to forget for our team? FIRST QUARTER After losing the toss, the Dees kicked against the wind, and the Dogs had the best of possession early. However, Melbourne’s ball movement soon showed its superiority, coupled with a focused desire to go through the corridor. Hard running (and loose checking on the Dogs’ part) allowed Hore to set up Sherriff for the first goal of the season, five minutes in. At this point I was distracted by how easily you could hear the coaches on the boundary through the effects mic. Not ideal! Caris then had her first go at a centre bounce. The 190cm 19-year-old showed good first-up presence, with a great follow-up handball to get the clearance. A nice mark to Harris 40-odd out from a pinpoint Hanks pass saw our biggest recruit yet get her hands on the ball early. She made a good fist of it against the wind with that trademark kicking style and luckily a strong mark to Gay on the goal line led to the Dees’ second major. Another diving mark to Harris soon followed, but her poor kick forward halted the attack. An excellent short kicking build-up, including my favourite rookie West on debut, ended up with a mark to Zanker, courtesy of some smart and selfless bodywork by Daisy. Zanks kicked truly, which she was clearly happy about, given some past demons in front of the sticks. It was an impressive start, with Melbourne running at 74% disposal efficiency for the quarter, three goals straight, and the Dogs yet to register a major. SECOND QUARTER A strong defensive mark by L.Pearce stemmed repeated Dog attacks to start the quarter, but the pressure built again due to her poor disposal. Again, I found myself wondering, “Where’s Paxy?” and my question was answered in an unfortunate way as she fell to a heavy tackle and seemed very sore. The Bulldogs’ first goal of the game, to Huntington, soon followed. L.Pearce then pulled up sore as well, and suddenly players were dropping all over the shop, including a cruel ACL to the talented Huntington—sincerely, you hate to see it. Any momentum the Dogs were building in the quarter dissipated after that as a noticeable hush fell over the crowd. Once the Dees managed to get it forward, good positioning by Harris chopped off the Dogs’ exit attempt, locking the ball in for the Dees and resulting in Daisy taking a classy kick around the corner—alas, straight into the woodwork. The wait for another opportunity was fleeting, with Harris again denying the Dogs’ exit and getting the ball forward quickly, resulting in a typically opportunistic goal from Hore off a Daisy spoil. Kate Hore: always in the right place at the right time. By late in the quarter, the inside 50s were 10-2 in the Melbourne’s favour, but they couldn’t put it on the board, with six behinds sullying the scorecard. Still, it was a familiar red-and-blue sight to see Bulldogs players looking up from half back with nowhere to go, due to disciplined defensive running. With the clock winding down to half time, Dees debutant Ali Brown took a big hit, resulting in a concussion test. An awesome chase-down of Blackburn by Sherriff, with credit also to the players upfield who left Blackburn devoid of easy options, meant Melbourne finished the quarter off strongly. THIRD QUARTER Early shaky disposals from Tarrant and Birch on the last line were a sign of things to come in this quarter, with the Dees struggling to get the ball out of the danger zone. The Bulldogs pressed with a repeat inside 50 creating a set shot goal to Toogood—in this case, she clearly was. The precision kicking of the first half deserted us, causing multiple turnovers, and it seemed the Dogs had finally caught onto the plan and were anticipating the short kicks and corridor play. An injury scare for Mithen prompted great concern in my living room, and a classy finish by Blackburn meant the alarm bells were starting to ring, with the margin cut to nine points midway through the third. At that stage, inside 50s for the quarter were seven to nil in the Dogs’ favour. The damage on the scoreboard would have been greater if not for Birch’s excellent reading of the play and strong marking. Another notable individual effort came from Zanker, who came up trumps in a two-on-two in the centre square and then darted away along the wing, taking two bounces and delivering perfectly to Daisy on the lead in some super stylish play. However, there was a rare lapse from Daisy as she failed to capitalise. With three minutes to go, the Dees scrambled the ball forward. Eventually, a kick by Daisy off the ground directly into a Bulldogs player’s face ricocheted fortuitously to Harris’s advantage. She was clean below the knees and executed a banana, her first goal back in red and blue coming at a crucial time. Late in the quarter, Sherriff added another tenacious effort to her earlier run-down tackle, with a desperate lunge into the goalpost to prevent Lochland from converting. Despite the Dogs’ improved efforts, the Dees steadied to take a 16-point advantage into the last. FOURTH QUARTER I felt as confident as I ever am that we’d be able to run out the game, especially with our injury concerns fading while those of the Dogs just seemed to mount. Still, 16 points isn’t quite “break out the cheeseboard” territory. Sherriff started where she left off with another brave effort, this time going back courageously with the flight for a great mark that saw three players crunched around her. Then, a clumsy tackle by Gay gifted Toogood another set shot, probably not appreciated by her opponent in Tarrant, who had her hands full all day. Toogood’s shot fell short, and Birch made another solid contest to win a free. Zanker continued putting in the hard yards, always on her toes around the ball, getting better as the game wore on — a bit of a pattern for her. A big collision in forward 50 saw two Dogs felled and the Dees capitalised with another neat kick from Hanks finding Scott. Frustratingly, the inaccuracy continued as she failed to convert. All in all, the last quarter was a bit of a grind, with just one point scored until Hore sealed the deal with a snap with a minute remaining. Not exactly scintillating stuff, but a solid enough effort. A strong start, and the ability to respond when the Dogs challenged in the third, won it for the Dees. STATS & STAND-OUTS Zanker led the way for the Dees with 21 disposals (17 contested possessions), followed by Birch (18), Hanks (17, notably at 88% efficiency), Lampard (16 including 5 rebound 50s) and Mithen (also 16). Lampard, Mithen and Hanks were all prominent in metres gained. Surely Paxman’s quietest game with just 8 disposals, though she missed a chunk of game time and after not playing the praccy match, she’ll be (cliché alert) better for the run—barring any lasting effects from that heavy knock. The shining light in tackles, no surprise, was Hanks with 10. Meanwhile, Caris’s 2 disposals belied her ruck impact and follow-up work. An encouraging debut especially when L.Pearce was put out of the game for several minutes in the second. Edmonds topped the hit outs for the Dogs with 14, followed by Caris and L.Pearce with 13 and 11, respectively. Meanwhile, interestingly, the talls led the clearances, with L.Pearce and Zanker having 4 apiece. There was an even spread of markers with Zanker, Scott, Hore, Birch and Hanks all with 4. Harris took 3, drew some defensive focus, crashed some packs, shored up the structure down the line and kicked a goal. Though she faded a bit and by no means dominated, it’s a big tick from me. A young player that caught my eye was 19-year-old Fitzsimon in her third game, her first since early in 2021. It was a solid return game from her, with 12 disposals and some great defensive acts — she’ll be looking for some more opportunities this season. In terms of team stats, Melbourne’s 244 disposals to 189 and 117 uncontested possessions to 83 signalled their control of possession and excellent spread and positioning for much of the game. Their 46% efficiency inside 50 is an area for improvement, and scoring accuracy was again an issue, but 8 marks to 4 helped set up good opportunities. Melbourne’s forward pressure was highlighted by 13 to 7 tackles inside 50, while the Dees also had the better of the intercept possessions (aided by 9 each from Birch and Zanker, plus 8 from L.Pearce), and clearances. Daisy failed to hit the scoreboard, but 8 score involvements speak to her influence in attack, while Zanker, Hanks and Hore chipped in 6 score involvements each. MELBOURNE 3.0.18 4.6.30 5.8.38 6.10.46 WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.1.1 1.1.7 3.4.22 3.4.22 GOALS MELBOURNE Hore 2 Gay Harris Sherriff Zanker WESTERN BULLDOGS Blackburn Huntington Toogood BEST MELBOURNE Birch Zanker Hanks Sherriff Hore WESTERN BULLDOGS Blackburn Bennetts Fitzgerald Lamb Lochland INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil WESTERN BULLDOGS Cranston (lower leg) Huntington (knee) Snell (ribs) REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil WESTERN BULLDOGS Nil CROWD 2,571 at VU Whitten Oval * An asterisk of sorts on this game, albeit one that will likely repeat throughout the season. The Bulldogs apparently had only 24 or so players available for this game due to injuries and COVID protocols, with their backline impacted particularly. NEXT ROUND A reinvigorated Richmond at Punt Road Oval, Friday night. THE LAST WORD Not quite as good as last time our club met the Bulldogs, but that’s a pretty big ask, I guess! And we did get to take the Hampson-Hardeman Cup back to its rightful home.

In the grand final, we outscored the doggies by 93 points in a quarter and a half. Extrapolate that for a whole game (not real but for comparison purposes) and that rate of outscoring would equate to 248 points. When it happened to us, we were at the lowest point of our form and ability. OTOH, the doggies were in a GF and streaming until we rose from our lethargy. I reckon that a 93 margin in a quarter and a half in a GF is enough to cancel out the memory of 186. GO DEES

As far as I'm concerned it's all laid to rest. No longer do I have to dig up Round 22 in 1987 or 'Billy' Bennett kicking six in a last quarter comeback at Windy Hill as my most memorable highlights over the last 30+ years. That, along with all our worst losses belong to an era that can fade gracefully into sepia tones. Geelong would happily trade that game for the two finals where we pantsed them so let them reminisce about the 186.

We won the flag so, as far as I'm concerned, it's a total reset!

If the Cats won that Rnd 23 match they would have finished top right?! They were up by 44 points at 3 qrt time and totally chit the bed to miss top spot… then we’re smashed them to pieces in the Prelim. What a horror show to finish the season let alone against the lowly Dees. 😂🤣😂🤣🥳🤣🥰 And no, no it’s not, ending this old codgers brigade chances in the next few season and belting them for the next 10 years whilst having our players being bored doing so might lay it to rest.

This was posted at 3Q time of the GF (not prelim), but I can definitely relate to that poster.

Poor kid, rest in peace now young man.

I don't care anymore...it's old news. We won the 2021 Premiership. Onward we go...but I think I might have a look at the 3rd Q again tonight.

If Taj debuts with a fresh set of tips I'll melt

Gees I love talking footy at the moment... I wear Dees hats most days or Dees socks and they generate fellow Dees fan interactions or other footy fans "You still talking footy after the Grand Final... time to move on?"... Uhm no, why no it is not time to move and and who do you support so I can talk chit about your club..

Daniel handed over the baton in the GF. Has anyone identified “that bloke” or has he self identified? Such a iconic reflection of what so many of us felt at the time. Congratulations whoever you are. We all love you and woukd love to see you at a game Are you a Demonlander?

Introduced in 2008 as a borrowed tradition. https://www.afl.com.au/news/103916/golden-reminder Fine for the club to stick it on jumpers for sale to make a few bucks. But lets not wear it. It's ugly. It's pointless. And it's looking backwards to 2021 rather than the new season ahead. Sorry AFL, keep it for yourself.

Agreed Uncle Bitter, we must now smash them by 83 points in a PF again 😁

Posted on Harley Bennell’s Instagram.

Poor bugger. Family tragedy. Keep your eyes out for the signs, everybody. Can happen to anybody, anytime...

Beating them by a point in a grand final after the siren(at the MCG not Optus Stadium!) with Selwood giving away a dubious free kick on the buzzer would go some way.

A Grand Final has gone some way to healing the years of pain :) Returning serve to the Cats at Skilled Stadium would have me walking on air.

NO, until we beat the [censored] by 187 only then I will be satisfied.

Thanks for getting this going. May as well chip in mine from the match report...although on reflection I've switched Birch and Zanker; perhaps I over-compensated in trying to avoid over-rewarding my favourite player. 5. Zanker - As mentioned I've been on board the Zanker train since it departed the station. Especially glad to see her hit the scoreboard. 4. Birch - Saved some goals (and nearly cost a shocker!) but clearly had a big impact in a somewhat depleted backline. 3. Hanks - I always feel like I gloss over her performances, but she's that consistent I feel like I'm just repeating myself. So good in traffic, so balanced. Hope we're saying T.Hanks on W Award night. 2. Sherriff - Glad to see some love for Sherriff above too. She's come a long way. Desperate and courageous. 1. Hore - Wasn't a prolific lead-up game by any means, but when her shots were there, she took them. Which as we know, is kinda important!

Not with you on this one @DeeSpencer. im very much looking forward to purchasing my Dees guernsey with the 2021 premiers insignia on it.

I agree but I think our players might be protecting themselves too much. Staying home etc I reckon they should all head to T Macs house and give him a hug!

I agree, he has all the skills and attributes. I just don’t think he has had enough game continuity. You can never know until it clicks and you can see it but I tend to think he could be an amazing defender. His closing speed is stunning and he can play both tall and short. I’m really interested to see him after a solid block of games

In 2018 I was very, very tempted to tie my beloved Dees scarf around Clarkson's fence( he lived opposite my parent's place) but didnt want to not get it back. It was funny to see him mowing his lawns a week after we kicked hawks out of the finals.

I drove past Whitten Oval yesterday (I'm only about a 10 minute drive away), would it be cheeky to drape Ted Whitten in a Demons scarf just before round 1?

We defeated the cats comprehensively in the prelim but I want to pump them at skilled. I think a 100 point+ drubbing down there would do the trick

From Bennell/Harmes Instagram it appears Harley Balic has passed away. Devastatingly sad.

Dee J McVee works, though McVee Dee should be avoided...

TR-A’B: a big thumbs up and two finger points to the guy’s chest. THE GUY: “Security!”

Put them in a bubble through to 30 September. Only allowed to leave home to train, play and travel for interstate games. I'm sure the players will be up for that.

Our recruiting has been fantastic and we are reaping the rewards.

Alyssa Bannan impressed me with her athleticism. If she can get her hands on the ball more I reckon she can have a real impact, using her strength and leg speed to drive out of the contest in the same way Clarry does. Overall a very impressive hit out, if we can improve our forward connection we should dominate games (where have I heard this before?). Also Zanker is a bloody gun, a damaging mid who is also one of the tallest on the ground!

Google. If the Demons win the grand final with the same team that defeated Brisbane in last week's qualifying final, only Collingwood (2010), Essendon (1993), the Western Bulldogs (2016) and West Coast (1992) will have claimed a premiership with a younger group. Coach Simon Goodwin fielded a team with an average age of 24 years and 180 days at the Adelaide Oval against the Lions. The Magpies' flag 11 years ago remains the youngest of the modern-era, with Collingwood winning the 2010 grand final replay against St Kilda with a team boasting an average age of 24 years and 57 days.

And straight from the “it seemed like a good idea at the time” files… how silly would the group of Bailey Smith wig-wearers feel? Group dress-ups such as that are fine, but only if your team’s NOT copping a thumping of biblical proportions in a Grand Final. 😁

Was just out the back yard cleaning a couple fish while listening to the SEN call of the Prelim. Gawny just booted his bomb from fiddy-five and I caught myself getting abit choked up .... Again. Thought the novelty might worn off abit by now ..... Nope.

NO because there are positions for 1,2 and 3 talls!!! All are not 200cms so stop looking for fanciful reasons not to draft players. Look at his marking in the highlight reels and his record in Colts snd in 5 Claremont games. He is a competitor with a marking habit of stretching his arms like BBB does above the pack. Also he takes congested marks and is good in one on one tussles. I am exhausted thinking how good this "small" tall can be for us in defence or attack. Height is not the only measurement in footy as Mason Cox has found.

Ed Langdon 94% TOG for 15.30km per game (normalised to 16.27km for 100%) Jake Bowey 76% TOG for 13.33km per game (normalised to 17.53km for 100%)

As I posted near the time, waaaaaaay back, somewhere, the mannerism of the hand and the finger at the neck was a hint of a 'disability', and the other bloke a caring brother or some such. The 'age' of the reaction didn't seem to align with the 'age' of the person. Regardless, it was an iconic moment, speaking volumes for us all, whatever our emotional or physical ages. Thank you, sir.

Nothing nearly that fancy, or dust free, in Kal.

Can't see Covid having much of an impact. flash in the pan imo

Judd McVee sounds like a made-up name.

Surprised how many couldn’t pick Grinter. Although he could be mistaken for Jimeoin.

7 against North (on debut?) and 7 the following week against the Pies on Anzac Day This was in 1991 when we also had Darren Bennett up forward and Jakovich dominating later in the year.