tiers

It was a feature of most losing games that we were leading well into the match but ran out of fitness/strength/ideas/steam/puff and were overrun. Without fitness and injury issues, I believe that we would have won most games simply because we were the better team on any given day. If we have the equivalent fitness and injury year like 2021, then with the depth and quality of our list other teams will struggle to keep up. If we develop better forward options and play to our strengths, then other teams will fold before our even, brilliant team. It is up to the coaches to make this work. GO DEES

The hallmark of an outstanding captain in our great game is that he can win games by his own efforts or can inspire his team to win games by his leadership. By this standard, Maxie is as good as any captain I have seen since the 50s, including RDB and Robbie. He also possesses the innate ability to gracefully share his unique character with the wider footy community. He is a one off and he is ours. There might have been better pure ruckmen (Farmer) or better goalkickers (Madden) or even better runners (Stynes) than Maxie but none combined all the talents as well as he has. GO DEES

Given that we will have Clarrie, Tracca, Viney, Gus, Harmes, Sparrow, ANB and maybe even Salem and Bowey supported by Maxie and Grundy running through the centre, let's leave Kozzie where he does his best work - out smarting, out running and out muscling the oppos in the forward line. Goals wins games - if the others can get the ball down to the forward line often enough with purpose, Kozzie (and his mates) will score plenty. Let him the best he can.

There's behind the ball and then there's behind the ball but in front of the gorilla forwards. Two different strategies. Behind the ball can be anywhere from back 50m to forward 50 but in the eyeline of the oppos when they kick. Can be either flank or in the corridor. Whatever, and wherever, it takes to disturb the oppos preferred option. Behind the ball but in front of gorilla forwards is static and potentially wasteful. Locking up a ruckman in the backline would reduce his effectiveness around the ground. Better to stop the ball getting to the gorillas than having to clash with them. Playing Maxie and Grundy together on the ground would create a massive mismatch that other teams might find hard to manage. On the other hand they might try to play a smart shortie (eg Sparrow, Gus equivalent) to force our rucks to run around and tire. 2023 could be fun, tactically. GO DEES

I saw Ditterich in his first game as a 17 year old against the dees at the Junction Oval in, I think, 1963. He was good. In later years he developed a white line fever mean streak and became dangerous as well. Not as classy a ruckman as some of the others but worthy of inclusion in any list of great ruckmen from the 60s and 70s.

Since WW2 the following ruckmen have won Brownlow Medals from 1946 to 1992: Cordner, Wright (2), Gleeson, Shultz, N. Teasdale, Thompson, Dempsey, Moss, G. Teasdale, Moore (2), Round, Stynes and Wynd. That period also included Nicholls, Farmer, Ditterich and Madden who were equally as good and influential. 15 out of 47 - 32%. But none since 1992! Does this mean that modern day dominant ruckmen such as Cox, Gawn, Grundy are less influential or does it mean that the classic midfielder is overly influential? One for the AFL to sort out, if they can.

In footy terms only in season 2023: 1. Flag; 2. Flag; 3. Flag. All else is hot air unless it leads to another Flag.

Let's take the season one week at a time. Remember 2021. Who guessed at the beginning of the year that it would be our time in the sun? So let's not waste time on rampant speculation, wild guesses, hopeful dreams and ill-informed commentary before the season has even started. There are too many talking heads in the media for us to compete with. Just enjoy reading training reports and encouraging the boys. GO DEES (one week at a time)

This thread should be over and out. Please. He's gone. There's no more to say. He is no longer one of us.

It amazes me that we constantly seek to find a damaging small forward. Kozzie is one, Spargo another but the most damaging forward who plays like a small is Fritsch. There was a highlights collection on this site recently and most of his goals came from small forward type snaps. What we really need is a more reliable tall, leading and marking forward who can kick straight (BBB?) as well as a pack breaker and ruck pusher (TMac?). Maybe JVR and a combined Max/Bro can fill the slot.

What this analysis shows is that we have no gaps or obvious weaknesses anywhere on the field with numerous options and alternatives everywhere. The cattle are there. It is now up to considered man management, a repeat of the 2021 injury profile and the quality of the coach's decision making to get the best result from this list. GO DEES

Fritta's job is to kick goals. He does it well to our advantage. He snaps goals that Kozzie would be proud of while leading, marking and finishing in a style that TMac or BBB would be proud of. No complaints with his performances.

Bartlett's sins were not related to hands in the back.

To me, cheating in our great game involves a deliberate attempt to obtain an unfair advantage by circumventing the intent and the spirit of the rules in a contest. That's what Bartlett did. Our great game has many rules that are designed to provide a fair contest and that are open to interpretation. That there was almost universal condemnation of Bartlett's conduct should be enough to satisfy my definition.

Yes. Because the (then) VFL had to change the rules to prevent players from unfairly taking advantage of the previous rule.

Does anyone think that they tried too hard to fulfill their (and our) desire to win a flag at the MCG as soon as possible? I do.

When does training start in the new year. At Gosch's.

If they are to play forward then Maxie and Grundee must not compete with BBB, TMac or Fritta. Let them play decoy or provide alternative options. Too often two and three dees invite a crowd and the chance for a mark is spoiled. All forward thrusts should be directed to whoever is one on one, not in a crowd. There should be enough opportunities for everyone.

I reckon reading the reports is better than actually attending and watching. Can't wait for training to start again. Thanks to all posters. GO DEES

The best part of the cricket season is reading the Demonland MFC training reports. Thanks to all who provide reports and hope for next season.

To limit the effect of the interchange, each team must rotate a different player to sit on the bench for the whole of each quarter. Having only three (or four if the mooted change is implemented) interchange players per quarter might limit the overuse and abuse of the interchange. If the effect is not enough, the number on the bench for the quarter can be raised to two. At some point the crowding should ease. Further, introduce a rule that no player may be interchanged more than once each quarter. This will also limit the total number of interchanges per game. These rule changes should reduce the amount of congestion at packs as players will have to conserve energy. It's easy to run to every contest if a player knows that a rest is coming.

First time listening to a podcast. At this time of the year, any good dees info is good for the soul. The most interesting, and new, insight was that we picked up Oliver Sestan with a rookie pick to ensure that, if he went back to Oakleigh and played as expected, it was likely that he would be a great pick up in the mid season draft where we would, we hope, be down the bottom of the pecking order. Good planning and we still have good draft position next year. Sounds goody all round.

Time to shut down this thread. Not hypothetically, but really. It is no longer serving any purpose.

This topic should calm down and focus on footy only, not anyone's background. Harry is a potentially great footballer. Let's leave it at that and wish him well.

How did he come to still be available as a late rookie selection? Have we missed something? I know that his best form was in junior football but how is that not different to nearly all other draftees? Anyone who can kick as many goals as he did, even against weak opposition, is worth a serious look. Goal kicking smarts are a rare commodity.