Uncle Fester

Maybe I didn't say it right, but what I was meaning was that if we did form a group to try to hold the footy journo's (ie gossip columnists) to account it would take more hours than any of us had in the day. Then I did a bit of grandad talk about how things were better in my day (which I bloody well stand by!)

As much as I live, breathe and eat football, 600 hours a day to call them on their garbage is a bridge to far. I'm only in my early 50's, but geez I remember back in the day when football reporting involved talking about tactics and gamestyle, not who has a new girlfriend, or who was spotted at [insert latest hotspot here] club. Sure sometimes there is smoke, but mostly it's someone seeing a campfire and calling it a bushfire. And if they are wrong (as they often are) they just ignore it and move onto the next gossip column story. I'm sure a million dollar plus a year contract eases the pain, but it has to be draining to be in the news being talked about by people that only have a 1/10th idea of the real story.

Lloyd? I mean seriously? Lloyd? Wasn't he the one that destabilised Essendon to bring back his mate Hird? That guy is a moron. He has more blood on his hands, and more bad shots at the dart board, than anyone else I can think of. I wouldn't trust him if he told me the sun was coming up tomorrow. Rant over on Lloyd, but maybe I missed something... why are some of the media saying Pert is now untenable. I don't want HS or Age stories regurgitated to me, more if someone with a bit of inside idea can explain things.

Sure, if the AFL wasn't the AFL. I've struggled to understand anything they've ruled on for a good 20+ years. Maybe 30. But to believe that Collingwood has a secret plan to headhunt players... nah. To go a little harder than they should... maybe, even probably... but I want us to do the same too. Please don't get me wrong - I hate that team, but I don't for a moment believe that they play to cripple players. Just make them know there was a contest. Much unlike the Hawthorn or Essendon's of the 80's. Anyway, best wishes Tracc, and can't wait to see you back next year.

Agree with both. Not quite at the GOAT level, but geez Lyon could turn a game with a handful of touches. A super great player I am lucky to have seen. Wilson was so good. Not flashy, but didn't lose contests and never wasted a possession. Different players in many ways, but he gave me the same feeling I get when Salem has the ball these days - the ball is going to where it needs to be, and everything will be well.

Flower for me too. Along with Gaz snr they were the ones that you would know, that even if they were having a quiet day, would do something that no other player could do at some point... and then there were days when they were on. Must have been 84 or 85... before we became a good team... I was at a game at the Western oval right behind the Geelong end goals, right on the fence. We had a free about 50 or 60 out and every man and his dog was in the goal square. Not Flower. He stood behind the point post about half way to the fence. As the kick came into the square he loped in, and then as the ball began to fall sped up and took it at the highest point. He must have been 5 back when he left the ground, but in front and a foot higher than everyone else when he took it. Bang! Goal! He just knew it was going to go there, and how he was going to get it. Truly magical. It's a damn shame that so much of his sublime skill was never captured on camera. Best is always subjective, but Flower did things a great footballer shouldn't be able to do, let alone a skinny kid in glasses, and, at least in my eyes, he seemed to do it every week.

'One and free' Not 'young and free'? Did I miss a memo on the change?

Crazy, some of the comments. The kid is good. Really good. Whether or not he becomes great is up to him and the footy gods, but having him around for the next 4, and hopefully more, years is a huge win for us. You can all debate his best spot, or if he's wasted in the ruck or whatever, and there are some valid points for both, but the kid is a dead eye dick in front of goals. In a game where goals are king, and too many can't kick straight from 40, that's worth it's weight in gold. A quiet 4 or 5 touch game should still net a goal or two, plus the hitting the pack gives the Kozis and Chandlers of this world a chance to swoop.

Unless I'm somewhere I can't avoid it, I haven't watched a non Demon game for 7 or 8 years. The game is far too inconsistent and, quite frankly, bizarre, for me to try to make sense of anything that isn't a labour of love. If there was no MFC I'd easily find other things to do with my winter weekends.

Looked like not much at real speed. Maybe a free if the ump was in a bad mood. Looks much uglier in slo-mo... but then again most things do. I'd say no case to answer, but it's the AFL so we may see him again in 2027.

Without being in the inner circle, from the outside looking in, he's both right and wrong. We were horribly dysfunctional from end 2006 until probably 2018... and then we've still got some serious issues in the background at the moment. However the Viney's and Gawn's are the men that drive standards. It's no bad thing to use them as a yardstick. But he didn't put his hand up and say the cliche' if it's to be, it's up to me' No blame game here. We let him down, and he let himself down. Maybe if he was drafted into a better org he'd have been a better player... or maybe not.

Always one of us. That #1 spot came with a lot of baggage, and he wasn't the star we hoped for, but always one of us.

Love your work, but can we please just use names rather then the nicknames. I live in NSW and get to a handful of games a decade, and any nicknames I know comes from here (and I'm pretty sure the players don't call each other Choo-choo or Trac attack). But on that if you want to ever do a team list with the guys names next to their club nicknames that would be awesome. Oh and PS that should have been the intro - so glad the boys are happy boys

As long as Beverage is coach we will own them. We are so far in his head since 21 that it reminds me of when Malthouse coached Carlton and all he wanted to do was beat Collingwood.

He was a friend of our family. Too young to see him play, but met him many times over the years. Always humble and nice, but no time for fools. I would have liked him a lot without knowing his background. I've mentioned here before that Hassa Mann is my uncle, so talking to football royalty was pretty 'meh' growing up (don't all kids have champion footballers in their family?), but no matter how many times I talked to Ron I was always a bit (lot) in awe of him. The man had a list of honours and a gravitas about him that made Uncle Hass seem just another bloke that played football. His influence on the MFC, and every other club he touched, plus the game as a whole cannot ever be calculated. Love and thoughts to RDB's family and friends. "Don't cry because it is over. Smile because it happened"