Deemania since 56

Great, thanks.

These comparisons are really tough; agreed with your summation but it seems unfair at this point to discard BLovett, doesn't it?

It should be cancelled, too. There are still no guarantees of overcoming this virus in an absolute sense - and I do not wish to see any MFC supporters, players or Club staff suffer due to an untimely decision to re-start the competition. There is, perhaps, one exception: I could understand Eddy's frustration at not being in the limelight for so long with his incestuous Filth team and for the betterment of mankind, The Filth could be permitted to play practice matches with the (probably immune, vaccinated) Essendrug. The extended season cancellation may well give Goodwin time and space to come up with a viable, hopefully effective and certainly improved Dees' forward line solution; he has the players to make a difference with lots of talented youngsters to contribute in this regard.

Great viewing!

The Bizz was terrific in most regards, and very reliable as a fair dinkum all-rounder.

In relation to Gawny's letter, the player phone calls to Members, the Club correspondence and now, player-selected free music preferences online, the Club is doing well with regard to the 'rusted-on' Members. Many people are 'chuffed' that they bothered and did so at the personal level. My wife's adoration of Nev has now reached fever-pitch, for example. (He was just her favourite player once.)

Support you on that one! I remember just how elaborate and well-timed that acting performance by Roger Dean was, fooling everyone except those closer to the action - the latter seeing Barassi exhibit ideal defensive pressure. The white snot goblins (in those days) were after us, even then.

Just fantastic. All great players, but Hassa Mann remains as one of my favourite Demons of all time. Rutherglen boy, I think I can recall.

Robbie still makes me tremble in awe of his skills. The best footballer I have ever seen, and the most consistent. Perfect balance, kicking, evasion, run-with-ball, great marking and spoiling, tremendous nouse for the game and scoring cleanly. A total champion.

Jones, just ahead for me. Jones' movement and congested possessions have been remarkable in clearances. The same can be said of JMcDonald, who fed the ball beautifully across the whole ground when space permitted. Macca was faster, as well, with good anticipation to collect possession. However, Jones has been a consistent warhorse for the Club across many games where it appeared that he was the only midfielder in operation - or in a reflection of the 'old time' rover. He gathered literally tons of possessions and was difficult to overcome on his day. Macca exhibited the same skills and abilities but these were just under the tally that Jones provided. Macca made more intelligent use of the ball than Jones, the latter so often bombing long to a contest and a congestion. Closer in, Jones was much better with disposals but team balance had not always been optimal for Jones' disposals to be notably above average, as these factors were with Macca - and Macca tended to have less of these opportunities in terms of frequency. This is a difficult comparison, once again. IMO, Macca had the better game when on song. Jones get the nod because of his longitudinal efforts and tallies...just.

We do not need any of these changes. There have been enough changes in the recent past - these were allegedly more vital to our game and hence, implemented (already) to improve our game (but have largely failed). Those who have played or watched football, or both, still dream of the formative days now rendered inappropriate - yet the game was absolutely fantastic just a few years ago without such changes. The demise of the game to necessitate rule changes is now - and possibly often has been - in the hands of the umpires, their inconsistencies and their deliberate effect on the game/any particular game, including game levelling. Players adopt change and in the process, obviate a litany of rule changes that represent poor rule formation and limited application. IMO, 'Dirty' play rules may be excluded from this criticism for some player protection and team fairness; most of the rest seems to pan out in application as game-affecting umpire error and/or preference.

Two completely different players, both with critical skills for team success, developed, worked upon and displayed. Stynes gets my vote due to heart for the Club alone, if the hairs have to be split. Leoncelli was a big onfield improver, a critical ball carrier and distributor, a beautiful kick and fast as a road runner when it mattered. A nod for Stynes in an unmeasurable comparison.

Davey had game-winning form, and was capable of some of the greatest playing streaks in many, many games. His skills were sublime, whatever the aspect of football that was required (except the big grab, of course). From this skills base, and with his pace and determination, he created the attacking forward defence role as a marque of his own. His passing by foot was elite - underpinned by his 'eyes-up' tendencies and readiness. He contributed enormously to the team keeping the ball in the forward line by this means, opening up options amongst teammates for another possession to score. His defensive work was widely copied at both ends of the ground. An uncanny attribute of Davey was his reading of the game, with great talents to anticipate what an opponent would be doing next with the ball; Davey performed some brilliant intercepts as a consequence. Steve Febes was pure talent, as well. After a variable start in the early days, he was just behind the skills of his brother but progressively and over a couple of seasons, worked on his game to become a key interceptor and driver of the ball, gathering commendable possessions no matter who his opponent(s) was/were. Steve used the ball very well; his foot skills and handball were often sublime, and his pace and maneuvreability were just about as good as these qualities can get. Steve was a play-maker, his disposals were often accurately lengthy and unexpected. To measure the positive changes in team attributes of both of these players is very difficult; IMO, based on raw skills and impact on games, Davey gets my vote.

Johnno had much greater, all-game influence and contribution - usually, highly consistently and this was backed up with his penetration, gathering, the yards he made with the ball in hand, excellent disposal and gut-wrenching wins against opponents. Viney's skills were not as reliable, consistent nor abundant as those of Johnno's attributes, IMO. Both were great Clubmen.

Almost impossible against Gawn; this is despite his value to the Team across several years - some games and efforts were terrific and thus worthy of praise and recognition.

How sad that we cannot enjoy these smokes at the footy, now. Miss my Chesterfields and the occasional half corona.

Williams was very good when he came on from the bench. He went on to play some very high possession games.

His game was very good; intimidating, mobile, intercepting, fair-dinkum.

Made a few errors onfield, conceded. However, 'Racehorse' (Graeme Osborne) was just about the fastest running footballer I have ever seen - Stawell Gift material but I don't think he took it on ... lacked interest. Played a few exceptional games but these were far apart.

Great footballer, Bailey.

TJ was blindingly brilliant, at times, in close - out on his own - around packs - setting up plays or receiving good footballing. He did have super=effective taggers, every game, overcoming most with sheer skills and timing. Yze was a skills machine, pumping out high calibre models - often when most required. His long-term statistics indicate this over TJ's career highlights and longevity. However, Yze was an escape artist - he got the Dees out of trouble so often. In comparison, TJ did the harder yards with more impact per yard; he left whole midfields and defence lines staggered with his skills to play on, to create a play and to feed teammates. These also got the Dees out of trouble quite frequently; these also set benchmarks for winning football matches with skills, determination and the acceptance of some very large challenges. TJ had a life outside of football matches and training that did not enable a truly lengthy career; TJ thus became one of those brilliantly skilled Demons at 100 mph that bust piston rings just as the warranty ran out. I think we can all remember those performances. TJ for me in terms of skill and effect and decline. Yze for me in terms of reliability over time.

You highlight many of the real problems, and these are agreed at first interpretation. However, I firmly believe that Australians collectively (including governments hamstrung by being only somewhat authoritarian and similarly, dictatorial - thank Heaven) should be afforded an absolute commendation for their realisation and management to date with this viral pandemic. It is a group response and we are strongly linked to the containment of the ill-advised, the moral negativity we express to the wanton selfish and risk-taking, and those whose subsequent behaviours, from ignorance and self-importance, flout most advisories and proven intercessions to both our individual and communal/population safety controls. The panaceia has not yet arrived in this horrible episode yet we are learning and controlling, at large, the longitudinal and bumpy road to viral absolution. Hence, the future will probably be brighter than what we may depressingly expect.

Yep, Robbie was the best player in my lifetime - with L Mattews and M Blight following up in sequence. For the MFC since Robbie, it would be more than difficult to rank those mentioned above in any agreed sequence. Heart and soul says to me, the following first three: Lyon, Stynes, The Ox.

Some very useful points, and at home on the 'G, we have the flanking advantage in this. We chase; we should be chased.

Great team - it must be remembered that in his role, Clarkson was close to elite. A very good footballer - we needed him at the time and he delivered.