Timothy Reddan-A'Blew

How powerful are omens? Given the general tenor of this thread, this one's probably well short. Still... We made a grand final on the 100th anniversary of our first premiership.

One b*te and it's sh*te.

The pre-season in 2025 began in the 2nd week of May. That might have had a 'pre-pre-season' occupying April, I guess. With no list decisions left to be made (I think?) that a coach might want a say in, a selection not until February/March wouldn't be unreasonable? However, are there any contracts still in the air that a coach uncertainty might be affecting?

...though there's a bit of a Gippslandy trend across the Club generally? Nice to have a(nother?) heartland, rightly associated with our Casey gamble. Warms this Gippy heart, anyway!😊

Would that read as a promoting noun or an inciting verb?

Well, now we have - appropriately - three winners: @tilly18 has come up with the goods. I'm not sure what his quiz record is, so his prize, if he needs it, is the services of a feng shui specialist to determine the best location for a trophy cabinet. In honour of William McKenzie, William Hendrie and Dodger Evans / Fred Harris there's a fourth prize still begging. And in honour of Joe Kinnear, there's even a fifth! Have at it!

Where you can find sanctuary...

Welcome to the winners' circle, @Harvey Wallbanger! No sagging cabinet noise from his is evident here - though I imagine that situation's not too far away - so a credit voucher for his second is on its way to him. Harvey also confirmed why Joe Kinnear was pre-eminent. I can deduce from @Demonstone's answer that he knew, too.

Don't be surprised, folks; @Demonstone has nailed it already. His prize - a second trophy cabinet - is on its way to him (I can hear his current one groaning from here). But, as usual, and particularly pertinent, there are 3 prizes (perhaps more?) so plenty to play for still. Avago!

...Well, twos anyway. If I need to, I apologise for this one following so closely on the cyclonic one. It's an ill wind? Hopefully this one will resolve more quickly. To help that, I'll let on up front: the answer this time does lie in the players' playing careers with the Redlegs / Fuchsias / Demons. I'm indebted to @Whispering_Jack for the information allowing me to select the two squads below. I suspect Jack didn't account for a rather famous match, though, and accordingly missed that Bluey Adams and Froggy Crompton were qualified. Jack also expressed some uncertainty about Ossie Green's and Jack Minnis's qualification but I've included them to give me two starting 18s - let's say for Jumpers v. Skins praccy match? No, that won't work; let's say for a Red Jumpers v. Blue Jumpers. There appears to be only these 36 players who qualify for the squads, in all of the Club's 168-year history. Could there ever be an more? Possibly not. Past times lent themselves more to qualification: Joe Kinnear is pre-eminent among the 36. William McKenzie, William Hendrie and Dodger Evans (or was it Fred Harris? - a bit of confusion there, too, in Jack's records) share a next level of eminence above the rest. I don't know where many of these old-timers played, so I've selected the squads entirely arbitrarily, based on alphabetical order. I wonder, though, which team would have won? Anyway, what links them all? The Reds F.Adams W.Allan W.Brunier S.Charles D.Clark N.Crompton H.Dean A.Dullard J.Evans A.Farrow A.George W.Green F.Harris W.Hendrie D.Heywood J.Huntington G.Hutchison F.Kennedy The Blues S.Kerley J.Kinnear C.Lilley R.McKenzie W.McKenzie J.Minnis B.Monk C.Niven D.O'Dwyer F.Rugolo R.Stone B.Scanlan F.Scanlan B.Shelton S.Tingay G.Walker D.Ward P.Williamson

It's not struck before, but love-child (love-forebear?) of D.Schwartz and D.Neitz?

The sad emoji was about Tracy, GD, not a reflection on your response. Subsequent feedback much appreciated. And insularity? Me, too! Preparing the quiz widened my horizons!

How can I resist an appeal like that?! The general connection is their first names are all Australian-region cyclone names. The specific connection is that these names for cyclones have all been 'retired' due to the high human and/or economic impact of the cyclones so named.

Just for you, then (not evident that anyone else is eavesdropping 😄), a recap: ''Tis in season' and 'timely' - the answer, that is (and still very much so according to the news) The season is in Australia's part of the world 'Mess' - a lot - and 'Furious', and 'Hold on to your hats!' We're talking waaaaay bigger than watermelons Not football-related and it's nothing about the players themselves The list was re-ordered, from alphabetical to... What other common ordering bases are there? Well, there's numerical? Or there's...? The squad is mixed - boys and girls When I had to bring in Northey, I had to drop Tilbrook The medals on offer are Emergency Services medals I wondered if the wind was being put up me. I will get more blatant as necessary!

Another day n more o' them insects...

No longer "@picket fence"; Surely, now, "Epicket fence"!

@red and blue forever, here you go... [email protected]

Yeah, I checked him, too, ET. I agree. Different cartoon style, too.

And coming up the outside, from nowhere, is @tilly18, to take State Emergency Services Gold medal for being first to identify the 'general' commonality. The Fire Service's Silver medal and Ambulance Service's Bronze medal remain to be awarded, as do still three Furious framings for the 'specific' commonality. Coincidentally, I had Tilbrook in my original squad, but he had to give way to Northey so it could have a coach.

...and Hope?

...and The Lady Gawnevere?

Let me get that table going round: Sir Harvey Langcelot.

MFCSS nerves when 'break' and 'out' are mentioned...

Well, new day, new clue. It looks like only @Little Goffy and @Go Ds remain tuned in (*) so they're in the front-running to get medals, which are repurposed Emergency Services medals. (* Why is that? I'm feeling a bit miffed: where are you all that @Demonstone, and even you 'EasyGoffy' 😉, manage to keep on the hook? Perhaps actual football is getting in the way, now, particularly for track watchers like @Ghostwriter and @Harvey Wallbanger? Dare I say it's putting the wind up me?)

You're thinking big, GD, but you've got to think waaaaaay bigger.