tiers

Will never go away. Go dees.

This reminds me of the great cricket fast bowling conundrum. Modern day fast bowlers are considered to need R & R to maintain top condition and performance for a season. Some years ago, a number of retired fast bowlers (Merv Hughes vintage) explained that the more they bowled, even when slightly discomforted by injuries, the better and more resilient they became and could maintain a full summer season of Shield matches and Test matches where they were required to bowl over 20 overs an innings. Is there too much so-called science in sport? I am starting to think yes.

One of the true joys of watching our dees this year was the apparent lack of a weakness anywhere on the ground. To use the accepted parlance our last six were as good as other teams' first or second six. Who would be be the last six? The usual suspects Spargo, Nibbler, Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon, Hibbo all played to their potential and, in their time on the field, did not show any deficiency in class or effort. The next six who did not make the squad are also capable of matching the performance of the rest of the team. No gaps. Will this sustain us for multiple flags? Who knows but at this stage we are the best placed in the AFL.

Templeton was affected by injuries when he arrived and did not last. Good as he was, and he was that good, he was not really one of ours from the beginning. Fritsch started with us and is the only "31" since RDB to star in a premiership by kicking 6 goals. Gets my vote.

They won one only flag in a dominant period. 2000 was their only year. Waste of talent. Take nothing for granted.

Angus raises his arm, Jake sees him and deliberately pulls his kick to pass to Angus. It was a pass or otherwise it would have been a longer kick. Watched it multiple times and I am certain.

It is remarkable how often a middling team suddenly emerges as a power viz. lions in 01, catties in 07, dorks in 13, doggies in 16, toiges in 17, dees in 21. So far as I can recall, none of the above were accurately predicted in advance of that season. So we must stay cautious of all teams and plan to emerge even further in 22. Stability, fitness, competition for spots and the chance for a home GF win should make us hungrier. Go dees

In the lead up to Angus' third quarter goal, it was Jake Bowey who found the ball and in a nanosecond summed up the situation and deliberately delivered a short pass to Angus to mark and goal. Smart footy. He has shown many times in his few games that he has the footy smarts to be a star. Impressive.

Is there not a Melbourne onesie for George? MFC store, where are you?

Congratulations to Jess and Max. Let's hope that his height comes from his father. His mother can be the source of his good looks.

The only fair way to compare players from different times is to compare them against their contemporary peers at that time that they played. To compare players against players of another time is unfair and misses the point. All the players in the team of the century were the best in their time and deserve their selection. Some players like Hardeman, Mann and Smith would likely seamlessly integrate in today's style of play whereas others, such as Dixon and, excuse the heresy, RDB, might struggle in a modern, free flowing running game. It goes without saying that the incomparable Robbie would have been several classes above all others and a star in any era.

And English was at least his second language.

Isn't compassionate leave how we lost (an injured) Liam Jurrah?

Bang. Bang, bang, bang. Says it all.

No matter how many possessions he gets, he rarely hurts you. A single Tracca, Clarrie or Salem possession can hurt more than multiple possessions by lesser players.

We should thank Daniels because he helped us to at least 4/5 goals and cleared the way to a 74 point victory.. Who stuffed up he clearance and stood on the mark that led to Angus's goal? Daniels. Who put up zero resistance to Salem as he waltzed through a pack to kick a Q4 goal? Daniels. Who had his kick smothered by Clarry that led to Tracca's pass to TMac for his first goal? Daniels. Who was the witches hat between Dogga and Clarry for Clarry's goal and ended up having Viney show mercy and not flatten him? Daniels. Who failed to smother Spargs in Q1 goal? I think it was Daniels. And who sparked the dees revival by his weak move of toppling Maxie who was unbalanced? Daniels. And one of the judges awarded him 1 Norm Smith vote. Outrageous. Maybe there are others. Let's compile a list for his 2021 video highlights.

Robbie. He also could do things that others could not then or even today. That he was a natural without the training and development of today's players is a measure of his greatness. Clarrie and Trac deserve to be next in line.

I note that, in 1987, we were the only team on that list (in the last 60 years) not to have won the premiership. Gees, we smashed swannies and roos in the first 2 games. Comparable to smashing the catties and doggies this year but without the glory.

Bruce would never have said: BANG. BANG, BANG, BANG. For all the words of the great commentators of the past and present, it horrifies me to have to say that JB nailed it and this will last forever. BANG. BANG, BANG, BANG.

Best available. As we have seen with Angus (wingman not insider) and BBB (offering up the ground away from the goal square) players can be moulded when given a specific role that differs from the reason they were drafted and when coached approriately. This will become more common in the future.

18 were drafted and developed by the dees and, of the top 10, eight were home grown. All 18 earned and deserved their place in the team on GF day. There were no easy spots or players making up the numbers. Only 5 out of 23 came from other clubs. But what a five - May, Lever, Langdon, Brown and Hibbert. Three AAs, a champion goalkicker and the best wingman in the league. Kudos to the club.

Now I can believe that it happened.

The umpire was innocent. Leave him alone. Greene got the minimum he deserved.

The youtube vision of Clarry before he was drafted showed him handballing over his head from within packs. It was the feature I liked most about him

To me the main difference was that doggies set up to allow their lefties to sweep and kick by gathering the ball from the back of the pack and running around. Makes bont look good but is slow. Whereas the dees set up, particularly in the third quarter, to come out of the front of the pack and keep moving to goal. Daisy highlighted this in her commentary. Tracca's explosive exits for goals 2 and 3 in the first set (Fritsch and Brown) were masterful examples of playing to win, not look good. Similarly goals 2 and 3 at the end (Sparrow and Oliver) were again masterful examples. Viney, Petracca, Oliver and either Gawn or Jackson have to be, by some measure, the greatest midfield group going around today.