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Shoulder surgery and delayed return to full training is a lot different to cleaning up a thumb issue and straight back into full training.

Purely as a contingency, I'll be death-riding Port as well as Freo in 2023, just to make sure they can offer us at least a top-5 pick and change. ;) But seriously, Kysaiah Pickett is a rare player. Not many forwards - let alone small forwards - top 40 goals in a season in consecutive seasons, and he has managed in every full season he's played!

Maybe we should poach Ben Cousins from his recently appointed role at Perth? (See @Rodney (Balls) Grinter thread) He could assist the slow players to inject some speed and show the whole team how to ice a game.

Melbourne player Troy Broadbridge passed away on this day in 2004 while on his honeymoon at the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand. He was one of an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries who perished as a result of the Boxing Day Earthquake and subsequent tsunami in the Indian Ocean - one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Always remembered.

Kozzy is such a special player and only 21! I can't even imagine what he will be doing at 24/25 years of age at his prime... 😩

Indeed. Then there's his non-goal plays. Rewind to the Heavenly Day for his frightening of Williams for Spargs' Q1 goal (which I now realise involved a bit of Spargs' frightening as well!🤩) and his blocks, first on Duryea then famously on Dunkley, for Tracc's Q3 'goal' (such an inadequate label...). Of course, he can combine the two; viz, the intercept on Moore in the OP vid.

I don't get Richmond...they've picked up 2 good to very good (not great) mids. They replace Edwards and Lambert who to date have been better. Prestia is a big injury.. Lynch is struggling with injury. Grimes another injury concern. Cotchin is done and Reiwoldt not far behind. Martin is the mystery...will he or won't he.

You realise how much public interest in cricket has waned when AFL 'predictions' click bait in December is more newsworthy.

Thank you so much, Jules. 💕 Re names, my non-footy-loving son said how about NOT ALL Demons-related names? How about at least one non-Demons name? I said sure, I actually have one in mind. I told him the name. He said “Maisie, yeah I like that name!” I’ll let him believe it’s Maisie until he ever sees it written and discovers it’s Maysie. 😁

Happy birthday Simon, are you still the right guy? 😏

I did wonder... Maybe a new brood, in due course, will help the healing gently along? 'Landers all, I'm struck by the personal stories that surface here and, most particularly, by the preparedness of the storytellers to be vulnerable to strangers (though maybe we're not strangers here, so much?) Though one story might seem less, or more, momentous than another to we readers, we respect (I hope) that it is the teller's experience that sets the moment.

🙋‍♀️ Uhm… I’m right here, you know. And Redleg: I’d be honoured to accompany you on a visit to Uncle at the manor, right after I find a cure for cancer, eliminate world hunger and beat Usain Bolt in a sprint.

So for tall fwds we have 2 kids that have never played, 2 injury prone old blokes and Schache who couldn’t secure a fwd spot in 8 years at the dogs. Oh and 2 rucks who arent fwds in 2022 lack of tall forwards was our biggest issue. im hopeful JVR will be a player but we can’t hang out hopes on a kid. And I’m hopeful T Mac can get his body right. But a quality fwd in his early 20’s wound be a good get

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all on DL. We got more flags in 2022 which was awsome and well deserved for Daisy, Paxy, the women's team and the Casey guys. I'm still craving watching a senior one at the MCG with all the faithful.

I admire Goody, because he is always so calm and measured. Hoping he has a great birthday and he's invited Kozzie to his party and gets him to sign an extension. That'd be the best present of all.

I can’t see Kozzie leaving MFC, he couldn’t generate any more love than he receives at the Dee’s. He is surrounded by players that love and respect him and I want to see him play in at least three Premierships for MFC. Where else could he do that.!!!!!

Indeed, @Little Goffy, 2023's going to be rather a death ride smorgasbord! I stand by my topic heading, but in the worst-case scenario, wouldn't some 2024 first rounders be cream on top of our already-whipped 2023 first-rounder cream for a Magic Pudding of sustained success!

Gregory Peck

And I’m doing a course on voodoo magic if you ever need me - just saying.

Us winning the flag and Freo the spoon would be the ultimate double.

Hetty and Jiney.

Yep. Another season of will he or wont he stay. Wonder if this one will out do the Jackson thread.

"You do not win flags relying on goal sneaks" Did he watch last years granny! Can't take a best 22 seriously without Bowza

That is so beautiful, I think a tear just fell on my cheek. I am doing a marriage celebrant’s course, just saying, if you two need me.

And one more before I make for the door... Hetty.

So very sorry to read about your beloved chooks WCW. Can’t wait to hear the names of the new girls 🥰

Defs not strangers. Demonland is like family to me. Dysfunctional, contradictory, nit-picky, loud and annoying. You know, just like any other family. 🙃 And yes, Tim. Planning on getting a new clutch of baby girls sooner rather than later. Just gotta implement fox-proof measures. I thought having them sleep in the house every night was enough but sadly someone forgot to tell this particular fox he’s nocturnal. I’m thinking with the next hatchlings I may have to keep them in the house 24/7. Then I really will be crazy chook lady. 😁 JK I’d let them out daily for 30 minutes under strict supervision, and in bespoke little suits of armour (stop laughing!). Just so as not to stray too far from the subject at the heart of this site, that being the mighty Dees, three of my chooks were aptly named: Febes 1, Febes 2 and JH (Hunty up until he left, then Harmesy 😊). With the next lot my son has gifted me naming rights for all. Watch this space. ❤️💙

Oh, I don’t deny loving Uncle. I do indeed love him. Just as much as I love having my fingernails ripped off and impaling my eyeballs with hot knitting needles.

You've got to get a better family, Mr Stone!

I received a new Bigger guernsey. Lol.!!!

Forever a MFC player.

Thanks for acknowledging Troy. x

So, did any of you score any decent presents today? All I got was two shrink-wrapped batteries with a sticker saying "Gift Not Included".

I'm a Dees man, but loved Barry Round. Fair, talented, footy brain par excellence, legitimately tough, ornament to the game. Barry and Rod 'the Tilt' Carter were the best reasons to watch the Swannies every second Sunday back then. May you continue putting it down the throat of those nippy rovers ever more Barry.

Merry Christmas and happy new year to everyone Here is to another flag in 2023.

A very Merry Xmas to all Demonlanders, it is the best time to be a Demon that I can remember.🤘❤️💙🔥

So I will pick you up at 10 am then. As Kramer said in a Seinfeld episode to Jerry and Elaine, “come on you two, stop fighting, you know you love each other “.

Happy Birthday Simon I hope that you have a great day and I hope that you can recreate that 2021 team spirit and unbeatable aura in 2023.!!!

DD I amazes me we have JVR ready to debut and MJ starting on his training wheels plus Tmac BBB, the resting rucks Petty and Adams who has played forward and the Schache about to erupt at his new Club. oh and Fritta best medium forward in the game. 50 goals plus every year. Why do we need another tall forward???

Merry Christmas all. Show us your Dee gifts.

One of the key reasons for slow ball movement, IMHO, was the move of James Jordon to the wing. He stifles ball movement. Takes far far too long to make a decision. I think it’s the nerves of being young and not a regular 22 player. Scared to make mistakes. Many times he got the ball on a wing and held play up, which resulted in killed momentum. Lachie Hunter may fix this issue. Just my take

And that was the crux of the problem all year.

Maybe we'll rookie Trent Burgoyne

Kozzzy has the elite speed in the forward 50. He need to prioritize to retain him. ⭐️ Hunt is a loss given that he covered a lot of small defenders in 2022 (except when Hibbo took Charlie Cameron). Rivers might have to fill that role more. Bedford looked good when given an opportunity but needed to show more. Baker didn’t play so not missed … he simply was behind Langdon and Brayshaw and not called upon. Jonti Schuback in my view was the best youngster who missed out getting drafted, I’d like to see us either pickup him or add him to Casey Demons roster. He has excellent pace and skill. I have called out that now is the time to look forward to get youngsters with midfield speed and another half back rebounding runner in the 2023 draft.

Chandler should be ready. Re Laurie, very hard to significantly increase pace.

None of them are premiership players. Just sayin.

Isaac Smith is still a great runner and Gary Rohan has excellent chase down tackling but the Cats didn’t sprint their way to a flag. The thing we need is less guys with suspect mobility - busted Lever, Tracc with a broken leg, Salo with no groins, Ben Brown, Gawn rucking 80% without an ankle. Talls really being able to cover the ground and pressure should be a big step forward on last year. Even in first halves when Ben Brown could move we looked like a great side, once he was cooked at half time we couldn’t score. If JVR can establish himself as a mobile and physical presence we’re looking better, even if he doesn’t do much with the ball. Apart from that we can get bounce from half back with Salem, Bowey, Rivers. We can pressure with Pickett, Nibbler, Spargo and who knows Fritsch might chase a guy once in his life. Could do with some more outside run which Hunter hopefully helps with. A healthy JJ, Sparrow, Harmes and Gus should all fight for midfield spots. Grundy hopefully provides some inside burst too whilst holding up in the ruck. I think we’ll miss Bedford and Hunt to an extent. We didn’t really replace either of them. Bedford would’ve been good depth especially if Pickett goes on ball more, and Hunt’s defensive spread was undervalued. Even if you didn’t like him in the best 22 he could provide 10-15 solid games that help you win in May and June. Taj Woewodin might be a chance to be a depth defender with so toe who can give us a bit of what Hunt did. Is Chandler good enough forward cover? Can Andy MW take a big leap despite an interrupted summer? Does slimmed down Bill Laurie suddenly run twice the speed? Is Ollie Sestan so good that we have another mobile marking target and the smalls can work around him (unlikely but that’s the joy of the offseason).