Deemania since 56

Logical and enticing.

Despite the overall demise of good football on a consistent basis from the MFC, when - even in recent and very recent times - we have played allegedly 'above ourselves' and have been extremely competitive, leading games by margins that others would regard as comfortable on the day, we have fallen to the good grace of the green snot goblins affecting the final outcomes of those near victories and so, there is something grossly dismissive in the parcity of football talent across the field that both the public and AFL opinion cannot wear - and do not acknowledge. We are left as the chopping block for the butchering of games that we play. Watching the replays, this is a sad, time-recurrent outcome. A little sensationalism, nay, grandstanding, may well address the lowering expectations that we 'make up the numbers' for the rest of the competition wherein our scorecard never matters.

We have the right to look forward to a more successful football season and I agree that 'hype' is not necessarily a part of this as it leads to false expectation, and in the case of the MFC, is a very shallow representation of our capitulation in games during 2019. We did little, we got nowhere, we are not yet poised to play the phoenix amid the ashes and residue that we were responsible for and through which reasonable criticism was levelled. However, one must remain bright and continue to hope for a turnaround in fortunes, to adopt as much positivism as we might; the Club appears to be adopting such an approach; there is largely - and in many forms - a new broom with which to rebuild through a more pragmatic approach to games alongside more versatile preparation and performance. 'Carna Dees! It can be done.

A hazy recollection, at best, but I think I can remember this summation on Tomlinson coming from The Kid/Dermie Brereton.

Congratulations Nathan - despite great odds over many long seasons of football, you largely held out Club together with your tireless efforts and intents. A footballing sunset is a difficult time at the individual level but we all remember holding our heads high on so many occasions due to your endeavour. A just and rare reward for a MFC player.

Bennell, despite the injuries and related layoffs, has shown the MFC something special in his training and debutant presence as a Demon. He will make many commentaries appear as past exercises in sucking lemons. Good onyer, Harley - resume your rightful career in the RednBlue and take us to that Premiership! Wishing you every success ...

A matter worthy of scrutiny and observation. This will test the 'colours' of the AFL, itself.

Apt name under such circumstances, full of Magpie droppings and random head-pecks. The dunnies in the Southern Stand will become Filth Headquarters, as well.

It would be very nice if he rewarded the team and supporters with this decision to make him a legitimate MFC identity. Good luck, young man.

We really want a tandem effect of JSmith and Fritta into the forward line - and Hibbo ain't not going to be in the backline, his readiness timeline has been (and will be again) fully reliable for season kick-off - this all pleases me for the 2020 season ahead. As for Rivers, I'd put it to him to be absolutely ready to take the run in the backline at CHB ( a far better choice than '...someone's little brother with chicken wings...') who does not and has not made an impact as a backman across the past three years. That is Frosty's gap, sadly, so we had better fill it with someone keen, hungry-eager, skilled and developmentally at a state of readiness.

As a clearing backman, his leap was very useful - equally with his mobility and 'eyes-up' ball transmission. I still reckon that he is a forward and one with enormous potential - who might well interact in a forward-combo with Fritta to create all sorts of havoc with opposition defensive efforts. We need multiple ball receivers with sticky hands; that way, we can score more times. The loss of Frost in the backline will really hurt us (someone's little brother will get a game again now) if Smith is to be relocated to the backline.

Smith was coming along very, very nicely before the injury ... in good form, good time, good effect. In combinations - and there appear to be more of these coming into the 2020 season - he will be a real asset to the team, given his style of play and decision-making.

Ok all you excellent track watchers up there on the sunshine coast, please tell me, just how is Vanders pulling up, performing and going in the intensity of training and training regimes? Really would like to know ...

Good news and a great part of the recovery process - fitness/distance work at pace. Glad to hear.

Pickett Petty Jackson Sparrow Lockhart

The sensible option, given the talent and the apparent resolve displayed in preparation so far this off-season. Give him a home wherein he can hang his cap. He will reward us - just watch.

Tomlinson Bedford Baker May Langdon

He has talent in a few bucket areas - enough to impress. At the same time, I feel that he has limited confidence and hence, goes missing from the action other than one-on-one stuff and clear breaks at/or with the ball. He sure knows how to kick, how to run clear and how to take a solid mark against an opponent. If he is fit enough for this season after a long lay-off with injury - confidence (we can hope) will rise taking him into more plays, more space (where he really could make a difference for our fwd line), and more hits between the big sticks. Just an opinion 'coz I like the way he moves onfield.

Too right. We would have no interest in him if he was to be so injured without recovery after all of this time in the passage of recovery; further, if he was not displaying considerable (time-tested) recuperation. However, the MFC does have an interest in him and is working with him for the future ... that says more to me than negative outcomes.

He's had the injury, he's gone through an extensive medical process, he is passing through an extensive rehabilitation and in that, is performing well towards the complete recovery in a progressive manner, he'd be right and valuable for the Dees. Even if we just brought him onto the ground for short stints of goal magic, at first.

Where can we access this AVB tackling exhibition to refresh the memories? I was just thinking about tacklers specifically - and I am really missing Frosty, in that (and all) regard(s). May, Frost, AVB, Preusse - what a tackle tag team we'd have ... throw in Trac, Harmes and Sparrow and you'd be constantly delighted.

I don't want Petracca to turn into a '...lean endurance athlete...' simply because he is a completely well-built fright machine for the opposition at all levels. His fitness and endurance can still be honed without losing his physique, solidity and presented 'toughness' at the ball. The guy is under and has been under enough pressure in the past 12 months to perform; this he has done with increasing capabilities. He augurs well for a very big 2020 season in which most observers already are impressed by his pre-season conditioning and apparent readiness - just from observation. He is a gun, he will be an even more effective gun; we all must get off his back - a little - as he is a good example of natural progression taking its pathway. In particular, I felt that his 2019 season performance indicated rather clearly that his footy decisions, related game interpretations and play intelligence were beginning to really hone well for the side - with a related increase in the freedom of his decision-making and its vastly improving execution. With expanding confidence, I'd reckon that we have a true champ on our hands from this point onwards.

Yes, amongst many, this is a conundrum about Brent Crosswell. Unless contributors have seen the named players, it would be a tough task to make a token allocation in such a listing. BC was a great gathered asset; a man with great skills and execution that would surprise. I'd have him in any side, whereas another superstar, Kelvin Templeton, arrived at the Dees knobbled with post-surgical reduction (in skills and capacity to apply these) which was a tremendous sadness. Prior to his knee injuries, KT was the ultimate (perhaps the best CHF you ever saw) player with Footscray. He was unbeatable in that era, and no-one could control his contribution up forward. Nearly every game he played, he was BOG, by a mile. BC was not at the same standard of consistent lethality, yet reasonably close; yet, BC gets my nod between the two as he was less 'damaged' in his contribution to the Dees than KT.

I think with another season under his belt, Petty may be the best option. We need to configure a running backline again - moreso than a more static muscle band - in which the ball movement is paramount. This realisation is what made Frosty to transform himself and may also work for Petty who is young enough, fit enough and can reach good tapping heights (and kick to position) to spoil opposition forward drives. May can excel - and ably supported by other movers this year - in the moving ball carriage and Lever can chip to the clearance spots by both hand and foot - and as a clearing punch in a pack - and again, ably supported by the mobiles and smalls working together. We have some forward line talent for 2020 who could blitzkrieg with practice and game time effort/patience. Petty could be better utiliised down back, I'd reckon, not playing a static prop forward role in the Weed ilk. We may see JSmith begin to cement his various ball-getting methods down forward as a consequence, as well, and we all know that he can 'kick em'.

Interested in some of the '...might have made the bigtime...' statements about Dillon. I must have been very lucky back then, as all of the Dees' games that I saw were back-boned winners thanks to Ross Dillon. He was a superb footballer, a CHF of immense merit and virtually unstoppable, compared very favourably with Royce the Heart at Richmond. I also thought that he was quick onfield, not lacking pace to get into the action but CHFs played differently then, to nowadays. The guys he out-marked consistently knew it, too; if Dillon was in the vicinity they'd be beaten on-ground, in the air, in a pack, etc. Heartbroken, was I, when he left for Sth Aust (where he continued to star as a real champion might).