Demonland

James Aish doesn't turn 18 until next month but on Sunday he will be looking to win his second successive premiership with highly fancied SANFL Club Norwood in their grand final against North Adelaide. And in the event of that second flag going to the hot favourites, the young draft prospect who comes from a family that's about as close as you can get to royalty at the Redlegs won't be the first in the family to achieve the feat. I learned of the family tradition back in the early 1980s when I was an occasional visitor to the home of my wife's sister when her family was living in Adelaide. Apart from catching the odd Test Match at the beautiful Adelaide Oval (I once sat next to Graeme Yallop and Ian Callen in the flight up) and the beach at Glenelg in summertime, the thing I enjoyed most about the trip across the border was going to the Parade ground to watch the Redlegs (who else?) going around. James' father Andrew and his uncle, Michael were stars for Norwood in those days. Michael was a young prodigy who achieved just about everything in South Australian football. At 20 he was a Magerey Medallist beating home a star-studded field, some of who became VFL legends later on in the 1980s. By 23, he was a dual premiership player (1982 and 1984). Older brother Andrew stood in his shadow but shared in the 1982 flag and had a respectable six year career wearing the number 43 for 89 games (62 goals) from 1981 that included two games for South Australia. A sister, Susan, represented South Australia in both netball and softball. But the football dynasty began a generation earlier when father Peter Aish started under legendary Norwood coach Jack Oatey in a career that spanned between 1953 and 1962. Wearing the numbers 30 and then 1 in a career of 162 games (9 goals), he captained his side in his last three years and was later coach. Described as an "elegant" footballer, Peter Aish was best and fairest in 1960 and 1961 (mainly in defence), played five games for his state and is a club life member and hall of famer. Michael Aish commenced his career with Norwood in 1979 and played 15 seasons for 307 games (449 goals). His career highlights included the 1981 Magarey Medal, four club best and fairests (1981, 1983, 1984 and 1992), a Fos Williams Medal in 1983, All-Australian honours in 1983 and 1986, club and state life membership as well Norwood Team of the Century and Norwood and South Australian halls of fame. He played 15 games for his state and was twice captain (1986 and 1989). With a CV like that, Michael Aish clearly must have has something going for him. If the word "elegant" described his father then all I can say is that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. He was composed, courageous, had great evasive skills, rarely made a mistake and personified presence on the field. There was a time in the mid 80s when I harboured the hope that the relationship between Norwood and Melbourne, which came not only from the colours and the "Redleg" connection but also from the fact that the clubs had exchanged players in the past (Graham Molloy to Melbourne and Ross Dillon and Stephen Kerley to Norwood), might lead Aish to cross to Melbourne to join our own silky smooth champion Robert Flower and to give the Demons an unbeatable combination on the wide wings of the MCG. However, he continually resisted big-money offers to move to play with various VFL clubs, remaining loyal to Norwood and South Australian football. During a particularly bleak period for the Melbourne Football Club, it was a minor consolation for Demon fans to follow the ABC coverage of a SANFL Grand Final with a Norwood premiership the outcome. I remember Aish's second flag in 1984 well. The Redlegs had finished in fifth place but swept all before them in the finals including the Port Adelaide Magpies in the decider. The coach was Neil Balme who later coached the Demons and whose brother Craig was a member of the grand final team. Norwood was also Neil Craig's club back in the 1970s. There was nothing better back then than to see the red and blue toy with the black and white and humiliate the magpie army in a granny even if it wasn't the real VFL deal. Aish was well tagged for most of the game in '84 but I recall the slightly built winger who wore a helmet and set the crowd alight with a long run on the wing that resulted in a crucial goal for his team. The man who wore the number 8 for Norwood has a son Jesse who also plays for the club today but while it's unlikely that he will take part in Sunday's SANFL grand final, nephew James will continue the family tradition in the last big game of the year. James Aish has twice made the NAB AFL Under-18 All Australian team demonstrating that the genes of the Aish dynasty have been successfully transferred to this generation. Last year, at the age of 16, he became the youngest player in SANFL history to win a senior premiership, kicking the goal of the day and amassing 23 touches on a wing. Dean Terlich, now a Demon, was a teammate. I suppose we'll never know whether grandfather Peter thought of leaving the comforts of home to move to football's "big smoke" in Victoria. Michael and Andrew also stayed home for the duration of their illustrious careers. I don't even know if one of the clubs that sought Michael was Melbourne (he would surely have been the icing on the cake around 1987-90 when the club challenged for a flag) but by the end of next month we will certainly know whether an Aish will finally cross the border to wear the colours of the red and the blue and continue the dynasty over here. FOOTNOTE: Melbourne has offered up its second pick in the coming national draft to the trade table in exchange for a suitable exchange of players and/or draft picks. Aish is currently considered as one of the contenders for selection number 2 behind Eastern Ranges' key forward Tom Boyd.

DYNASTY by Whispering Jack James Aish doesn't turn 18 until next month but on Sunday he will be looking to win his second successive premiership with highly fancied SANFL Club Norwood in their grand final against North Adelaide. And in the event of that second flag going to the hot favourites, the young draft prospect who comes from a family that's about as close as you can get to royalty at the Redlegs won't be the first in the family to achieve the feat. I learned of the family tradition back in the early 1980s when I was an occasional visitor to the home of my wife's sister when her family was living in Adelaide. Apart from catching the odd Test Match at the beautiful Adelaide Oval (I once sat next to Graeme Yallop and Ian Callen in the flight up) and the beach at Glenelg in summertime, the thing I enjoyed most about the trip across the border was going to the Parade ground to watch the Redlegs (who else?) going around. James' father Andrew and his uncle, Michael were stars for Norwood in those days. Michael was a young prodigy who achieved just about everything in South Australian football. At 20 he was a Magerey Medallist beating home a star-studded field, some of who became VFL legends later on in the 1980s. By 23, he was a dual premiership player (1982 and 1984). Older brother Andrew stood in his shadow but shared in the 1982 flag and had a respectable six year career wearing the number 43 for 89 games (62 goals) from 1981 that included two games for South Australia. A sister, Susan, represented South Australia in both netball and softball. But the football dynasty began a generation earlier when father Peter Aish started under legendary Norwood coach Jack Oatey in a career that spanned between 1953 and 1962. Wearing the numbers 30 and then 1 in a career of 162 games (9 goals), he captained his side in his last three years and was later coach. Described as an "elegant" footballer, Peter Aish was best and fairest in 1960 and 1961 (mainly in defence), played five games for his state and is a club life member and hall of famer. Michael Aish commenced his career with Norwood in 1979 and played 15 seasons for 307 games (449 goals). His career highlights included the 1981 Magarey Medal, four club best and fairests (1981, 1983, 1984 and 1992), a Fos Williams Medal in 1983, All-Australian honours in 1983 and 1986, club and state life membership as well Norwood Team of the Century and Norwood and South Australian halls of fame. He played 15 games for his state and was twice captain (1986 and 1989). With a CV like that, Michael Aish clearly must have has something going for him. If the word "elegant" described his father then all I can say is that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. He was composed, courageous, had great evasive skills, rarely made a mistake and personified presence on the field. There was a time in the mid 80s when I harboured the hope that the relationship between Norwood and Melbourne, which came not only from the colours and the "Redleg" connection but also from the fact that the clubs had exchanged players in the past (Graham Molloy to Melbourne and Ross Dillon and Stephen Kerley to Norwood), might lead Aish to cross to Melbourne to join our own silky smooth champion Robert Flower and to give the Demons an unbeatable combination on the wide wings of the MCG. However, he continually resisted big-money offers to move to play with various VFL clubs, remaining loyal to Norwood and South Australian football. During a particularly bleak period for the Melbourne Football Club, it was a minor consolation for Demon fans to follow the ABC coverage of a SANFL Grand Final with a Norwood premiership the outcome. I remember Aish's second flag in 1984 well. The Redlegs had finished in fifth place but swept all before them in the finals including the Port Adelaide Magpies in the decider. The coach was Neil Balme who later coached the Demons and whose brother Craig was a member of the grand final team. Norwood was also Neil Craig's club back in the 1970s. There was nothing better back then than to see the red and blue toy with the black and white and humiliate the magpie army in a granny even if it wasn't the real VFL deal. Aish was well tagged for most of the game in '84 but I recall the slightly built winger who wore a helmet and set the crowd alight with a long run on the wing that resulted in a crucial goal for his team. The man who wore the number 8 for Norwood has a son Jesse who also plays for the club today but while it's unlikely that he will take part in Sunday's SANFL grand final, nephew James will continue the family tradition in the last big game of the year. James Aish has twice made the NAB AFL Under-18 All Australian team demonstrating that the genes of the Aish dynasty have been successfully transferred to this generation. Last year, at the age of 16, he became the youngest player in SANFL history to win a senior premiership, kicking the goal of the day and amassing 23 touches on a wing. Dean Terlich, now a Demon, was a teammate. I suppose we'll never know whether grandfather Peter thought of leaving the comforts of home to move to football's "big smoke" in Victoria. Michael and Andrew also stayed home for the duration of their illustrious careers. I don't even know if one of the clubs that sought Michael was Melbourne (he would surely have been the icing on the cake around 1987-90 when the club challenged for a flag) but by the end of next month we will certainly know whether an Aish will finally cross the border to wear the colours of the red and the blue and continue the dynasty over here. FOOTNOTE: Melbourne has offered up its second pick in the coming national draft to the trade table in exchange for a suitable exchange of players and/or draft picks. Aish is currently considered as one of the contenders for selection number 2 behind Eastern Ranges' key forward Tom Boyd.

With four seasons under his belt, Tapscott's career is at the crossroads as he has yet to live up to his promise as a top 20 draft selection. Games MFC 2013 16 Career Total 45 Goals MFC 2013 7 Career Total 11 Games CSFC 2013 5 Goals CSFC 2013 12 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 159 votes

Young West Australian mid sized forward who could develop into a midfielder in the future. Showed some good improvement through the season. Games MFC 2013 15 Career Total 15 Goals MFC 2013 10 Career Total 10 Games CSFC 2013 5 Goals CSFC 2013 4 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 159 votes

Slightly built young midfielder with pace and skill was given time to develop in the VFL. Games CSFC 2013 14 Goals CSFC 2013 3 Games CSFC DL 2013 3 Goals CSFC DL 2013 4

Awesome article from Ms. Wilson and it just goes to show that a week or so is a long time in football!

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-09-29/join-aflcomau-for-trade-radio-from-monday You can post any general Trade Week Radio tidbits here.

Somewhat of a revelation when he got his chance in the midfield but unfortunately went down with a foot injury which ended his season after round 13. Games MFC 2013 9 Career Total 13 Goals MFC 2013 6 Career Total 6 Games CSFC 2013 1 Goals CSFC 2013 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 116 votes

Surgery on a broken collarbone put him out of action for more than two months in the middle of the season. Played well on either side of that injury and looked the best late when he returned to his more familiar defensive role. Games MFC 2013 15 Career Total 68 Goals MFC 2013 1 Career Total 5 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 202 votes

Restricted to fill in roles in ruck and key positions and was delisted at the end of the season. Games MFC 2013 7 Career Total 45 Goals MFC 2013 2 Career Total 14 Games CSFC 2013 10 Goals CSFC 2013 2 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 58 votes

Interesting reading: Spurred into action: How Clarko's US trip may have won Hawks a flag Good to see a former Demon making an impact. Would welcome the Ooze back at the Dees any day.

A big thank you to all those who contributed to Demonland during the past season and also to everyone who posts here and even to those who visit but don't post. We value your contributions and ongoing support - especially to Nasher who keeps us going on the technichal side, our moderators whose task is often thankless - especially so when we go through a season such as the last few we've experienced. Particular thanks to our regular contributors, Whispering Jack, George on The Outer, The Oracle, JVM and KC from Casey. With the exception of KC they've often had to report on games and subjects that have been difficult to write about in 2013 but I reckon the coming ones will be more uplifting and exciting stories than those gone by in recent times. As always, we're hoping for a bigger and better season in 2014 and are always looking out for new contributors who have something to say about the mighty Demons. If you want to contribute an article feel free to contact me via PM. Cheers & thanks again.

Macdonald was restricted by injury to one AFL game and retired late in the season. Games MFC 2013 1 Career Total 126 Goals MFC 2013 0 Career Total 6 Games CSFC 2013 6 Goals CSFC 2013 2 Games CSFC DL 2013 1 Goals CSFC DL 2013 1 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 11 votes

Taken as a delisted free agent, Gillies struggled to impress in his two games and has already been delisted. Games MFC 2013 2 Career Total 15 Goals MFC 2013 0 Career Total 1 Games CSFC 2013 13 Goals CSFC 2013 6 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 16 votes

Despite his pace and good engine, he still has issues with disposal and decision-making to overcome if he is to be a regular. Games MFC 2013 11Career Total 31 Goals MFC 2013 2 Career Total 4 Games CSFC 2013 6 Goals CSFC 2013 1 Games CSFC DL 2013 1 Goals CSFC DL 2013 2 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 108 votes

An ankle and shoulder injury forced McDonald to miss five games in the first half of the season but the defender bounced back with a solid latter part of the year and finished tenth in the club B & F. Games MFC 2013 17 Career Total 39 Goals MFC 2013 0 Career Total 0 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 249 votes

New Zealand international who was given development time with the Casey second string team. Games CSFC DL 2013 11 Goals CSFC DL 2013 0

Tynan failed to add to his two AFL games in 2013 and was delisted at the end of the season. Games MFC 2013 0 Career Total 2 Goals MFC 2013 0 Career Total 0 Games CSFC 2013 18 Goals CSFC 2013 2 Games CSFC DL 2013 2 Goals CSFC DL 2013 0

Magner was briefly upgraded from his rookie status and got two AFL games before being returned to the VFL where he starred. Games MFC 2013 2 Career Total 19 Goals MFC 2013 0 Career Total 4 Games CSFC 2013 17 Goals CSFC 2013 9 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 26 votes

Bought this today and have played it for a few hours. Seems better than the last version but nowhere near FIFA standards. They obviously didn't program all the names into the commentary because they referred to Toumpas and Terlich as "No. 5" and "No. 46" respectively yet they knew Clisby's name. Go figure.

Had a horror start when very little went right for him in his opening game for the club. However, after a stint at Casey he played some handy games as a back up small defender and the club will be looking for him to improve on that in 2014. Games MFC 2013 10 Career Total 26 Goals MFC 2013 5 Career Total 25 Games CSFC 2013 5 Goals CSFC 2013 2 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 108 votes

Garland capped off his best AFL season as a close runner-up to Jones for the club best and fairest, passing the 100-game milestone and proving a model of consistency, often under pressure down back. Games MFC 2013 21 Career Total 101 Goals MFC 2013 2 Career Total 14 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 360 votes

Another player who disappointed with his lack of development this season. Games MFC 2013 6 Career Total 24 Goals MFC 2013 1 Career Total 1 Games CSFC 2013 11 Goals CSFC 2013 2 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 58 votes

A disappointing season from the youngster who was expected to step up and provide some excitement. Still has plenty to work on, particularly his defensive side. Games MFC 2013 10 Career Total 31 Goals MFC 2013 5 Career Total 34 Games CSFC 2013 8 Goals CSFC 2013 4 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 71 votes

Taken with a late choice to fill in and provide some experience, Rodan had his moments but was in and out of the side and, in the end, succumbed to a career ending fourth ACL injury. Games MFC 2013 9 Career Total 185 Goals MFC 2013 2 Career Total 131 Games CSFC 2013 8 Goals CSFC 2013 10 Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 93 votes