tiers

Except for the occasional Bont trick, their midfielders are accumulators (how often do Macrae and Hunter just lurk behind or on the side for easy possessions) not power players who can dominate and influence the game. Note how important Viney was in the third quarter in the centre square battles. That's power, not possessions. None of course can compare with CP5 or Clarrie.

I go back further to Shultz, Farmer, Nicholls, Dempsey, Moss, Thompson and others. Maxie's all round game in the air and on the ground was by far the most dominant of any of the above. He is worthy of being considered in their company.

Only Bont might be good enough to play for the dees. Only he might be comparable to CP5 or Clarrie. The rest of their supposed strong midfield is serviceable but not outstanding. No comparison to JV, Angus, Langers, Harmes, who excel when led by Maxie, CP5 and Clarrie.

A day and a celebration befitting a premiership club. Kudos to all who organised and participated. Go dees.

Four main lessons from 2021. 1. Pick a team that has potentially no gaps and no weaknesses in personnel. That was us at the beginning of the year. I can't see any other team so blessed. 2. Pick a team that has shown an ability to play well, if not consistently, and has several role players who are committed to their roles. We finally learnt that lesson this year. I can't see any other team capable of learning. 3. Pick a team with a coach who has room to learn and mature together and in sync with the team. Most coaches are already cooked and are out of sync with their team. They are either too old, too hidebound or have stayed too long. Goody was the Goldilocks coach in 2021. Still has years to go. 4. Pick a team with developing youth that has room to grow. I can't see any other team so blessed. I make no predictions given the uncertainties of footy. But i remain content with my team for 2022.

Correct. BB marks at the top of his reach and being 2m high is beyond most defenders. Note how there was no complaint from Keath in the GF. He knew what he had done.

Too late to change his ball drop. Good coaching will identify how to take advantage of his kicking. Clarrie's kicking style could also be criticised for not being as classy as Salem's, but so what? He is more than effective and penetrating so let it go.

At any given time, at least 5 of this group need to be on the ground - three in the centre square, two on the wings. Add in Gawn and Jackson who are good enough to play as midfielders (our real superiority over the rest) and of course occasionally ANB, Kozzie, Bowey and Salem and we are well provided. Go dees.

ANB has been playing the same game for many years but has not been appreciated by DLanders until now. Lucky for him and for us the FD did understand and appreciate.

And we have pick 57 in this years draft, unless it gets changed during the draft this week.

Who cares about international viewers? It's their great misfortune to not be in oz for our footy. It's our game, our expressions and our premiership. After 57 years nothing can be over the top or embarrassing..

Add Kozzie's 2 tackles to spill the ball to Bowey who then passed to Brayshaw and we know the rest. Priceless harassment. Kozzie's perfect pick up, evading tackle and then spot on pass to Fritsch on the boundary who then passed to the running machine Langdon and we known the rest. At least three goals from great contributions from Kozzie.

Not so ridiculous. Where else can you get so much shared joy, happiness and camaraderie that it overwhelms normal life. That is the logic of our footy, the greatest game on earth, and we are the current masters. What could be more logical and emotional.

Held the cup. Football thrill of a lifetime. Now it is starting to become real. Thanks dees.

Did you kick 19 goals in three games? If not, then you are the wrong DC.

And then DC disappeared. Why?

What we saw in the finals this year was a team that played as if it was a single cohesive organism - watch how Tracca and Clarrie just knew instinctively where to run to receive. It reminds me of the catties in their good years when all players knew when and where to go. With team stability this should only get better and will enhance our team's performances. Other teams still have a long way to go to catch up. It gives us a decisive advantage. So long as we stay fit and united, we have all that is necessary for continued success. One year at a time. Go Dees

All the players need a good pre season. There is a chance to create a dynasty.

The greatest captains from the past have always had the ability to lead from adversity and lift their team to victory. Think Voss, Kelly, Lyon, Judd, Carey for a few. Until R23 at Geelong, Maxie had shown how to lead off the field but not yet demonstrated it on the field. His last quarter efforts then won the game (not just THAT goal but watch him at the start of the quarter) but he repeated the effort in Q3 of the prelim final and, by his selfless decision to watch Jackson in Q3 of the GF, he showed how to lead on the field. True captain's efforts for which he and we should be proud. His grace and charm since then have anointed him as the GOOT - greatest of our time.

Balme has had premiership success at the filth, catties and toigers. He might not need us.

From 1987 to 1991 we made the finals while training at the Junction Oval. Good drafting and good coaching can make a team perform well but I want more. I want us to be a powerhouse again and that will require quality training facilities. with access to a social club. Think of what the MCG as a home will do for us. On the other hand, the filth have their fabulous facilities and they are still no good. Bad drafting, team management and poor coaching will do that to you. The dorks are too far out of town, the lolly blues want for nothing apart from talent, leadership and coaching and the propellors built a training facility and now want to come back. Only at the MCG can we become a powerhouse.

Believe it or not I do realise that it is 2021 and we are PREMIERS. Over the years I have been to training and understand the issues. I have seen the piecemeal facilities that we have. If the training facilities are not there then the MCG is a vast space that must be able to accommodate them. As for the grass, is this the only practical way to light up the grass? And how often during training do they need access to the whole ground? We have been having this discussion for years since the rotten days at the Junction Oval (even there we had to overcome the slope). Enough! Over the years so many alternatives have been raised but they have all had their problems and stiill we are training on Goschs and Casey remote from our home. What I feel is not frustration but an absence of determination to find a home. The only decent playing surface that is available near our home is our home but we cannot use it. For all the issues that you and DD have raised, it must still be worth an effort to see if they can be overcome. I have offered some ideas - if they are not possible then tell me what is possible. And let's fight. We are now the top of the tree so let's start acting as such.

Winning makes everyone look good.

Checked the cricket schedule for January/February 2022. In January there are 4 BBL thrashathons, in February one 4 day Shield match, one 50 over and one 20/20 match. Surely they don't need 8-10 wickets for no more than 7 matches over 10 days including 6 one dayers especially when the gaps between matches allows for the used pitches to be revived. It is for a one dayer after all and it doesn't need to be first class perfect. And surely its doesn't take all day to mow the lawns and prepare pitches. As for the lights, why can't they shine all night and not waste the day? That's why they are called artificial lights. There must a window of 3-4 hours in any given day for the dees to train. Admittedly without a centre square it might be hard to train for the Jackson/Viney/Petracca/Oliver demolition job that finished off the doggies but the last cricket match is on 20 February so we will still have time. Just requires some effort on the part of the administrators.

After 30 odd years of being training nomads (we used to train at the MCG until the mid 80s) it seems to me that the only solution is to return to the MCG as our home. Surely there must be enough space in the ground for our admin and fitness facilities to be housed together and we should be allowed to train on the ground as our home. How much can one teams training affect the surface? Work out an arrangement with the cricket - let's face it, after Boxing Day test the cricket is second rate one dayers or 20/20 anyhow and some damage to the square can be tolerated. Maybe from February on.