Deemania since 56

Certainly is a great 'feeder' within the forward line; seems to pick the ball to deliver quite consistently which is great for Trac, the Melk and TMac. He actually kicks the ball (and gets the ball) reasonably well for one with limited experience with '...our game plan...'

Interesting to see how many he out-marks just through sheer judgment and body mass dominance. He had the goal-kicking yips for two weeks and so many wrote him off as being 'overweight'. He's getting it together, now; he has more confidence in his actions, reactions and scoring opportunities. I like the boy. He is starting to lead to space, as well, which will double his tally from 'usual' static receives.

Serong [3] and Weightman [8], but it won't happen, most likely. Perhaps, Kent as we have a plethora of improving smalls.

I don't think that this unfortunate footballer is going to make the grade - ever. Some players are almost permanently hindered with an injury like this and it will also affect the intensity of his playmaking and prior to that, his training and preparations. It would be in his best interests, surely, to sever ties with an acceptable payout so that any expectation placed upon him to continue in football is minimised.

Forgot to mention Graeme Yeates. Great driver from the backline.

Yep, and Brett Bailey.

The unforgettable one. Frank Davis. A player who stood his ground. As good as Fowler - even if less physically developed.

Dean was largely all over the ground; manned positions for a small bloke - sometimes but generally, and often, utilised as a temporary, mid-game utility to roam to the backline and well into the forward line, protecting packs and players, and taking advantage of possession opportunities. Many flankers from nearly all teams - in those days - took a roving/roaming utility role that did not demand too much of them for recovery and rebound, so they 'zoned' near appointed positions and opponents. Some had more martial duties at times, as most were fairly tough with an ounce of mongrel, and thus used as roaming hit-men if it was necessary under the circumstances at any given time.

Great analytical recall, hemingway. That's just how I saw it, too, and you have jogged my memory. It was one of those classic stages in which Dean faked contact above the shoulders when the early punching of the ball away from Dean's grasp was underway. Barassi gave no quarter and maintained his 'regulation' attempts at the ball and the man in possession of it. Barassi knew he had not broken any rule with regard to unnecessary forceful contact or dangerous contact; hence, Barassi continued the legal barrage for the ball whilst also preventing Dean from making better use of his ball possession and its despatch. The only danger in the incident was for Dean to lose possession of the ball, and the umpires and Tribunal fell for it -- to the MFC disadvantage, such was the trepidation related to determined efforts produced by the whole Demon team, of which Ronald Dale was the epitome. In those days, the umpires were the white snot goblins - except for Crouch.

Like this assessment of Joel. If the Weed is compared, the Weed loses. Joel just needs some game time to get a few things operating so that natural talents can come to the fore. He could be a great; he could be a red'n'blue Jack Reiwoldt.

That is true, just looking at form and contributions at the coalface. Is Sam Gray worth it? He gives limited indication of vast improvements in form and value to the team we have - but certainly more than Spargo, so far and ANB, to date over a longer timeframe.

...sometimes reality is funnier than scripted comedy; then again, it (as an item in the retention of an unimpressive player) has had many thinking and provoking deeper analysis of questionable undertones about the Club ...

Fully agree with these sentiments, hemingway. Yet another poor reflection on our coaches and footy department staff as it is - he was our best and most-attacking backman all season. The McDonald duo - with one of them holding the club to ransom over the maintenance of a useless career of the other - strikes again. Goodwin falls for it. Frosty was thus rendered 'excessive to needs' despite proving himself time and again with increasingly effective backline work.

Tomlinson to the half fwd flank, Ginger to the Wing. Ginger and Tomlinson share immediate duties on that flank when proximal - and break free when separated.

This was one helluva stuff-up by Goodwin that we tolerated ...

Across the board, WWSW, we need to seriously lift the expectatory bar quite significantly. We no longer control games; we could control games with absolute commitment and desire. We now have our outside mids, our key forwards, our own mosquito fleet, the potentially best midfield/ruck and run, the backline that could be a fortress (although Frosty is a loss) - and a season just past that has been misery and complacency, including gameplan confusions. You are dead right about expectations for 2020.

Should have traded the Weed, kept Frosty, cleared the lower list. Time for a TMac ultimatum at FFwd.

Still agree with this summation ... I'd reckon he is more than handy if he makes progress on last year. Hard work and close work will bring this improvement.

Nietschke has been injured for a full year; however, he was displaying some real competitiveness, movement skills and presence at the ball prior to that injury - mainly in a training scenario - and came to the Dees with a positive reputation to match. If he has overcome the injury and is able to resume a full training agenda, the young man could be very handy indeed.

Problem is: We still have OMac. The MFC should have attempted to off-load him. I cannot see him being any value - just a permanent option (not a necessity) for Casey.

'...has the potential to become a fantastic AFL player. I see a lot of similarities to Bachar Houli...' Well posited. Just a bit more of the run, run, run into spaces where other teammates can predict a possible delivery. Perhaps, two. Has better disposal skills than Houli, at that.

Greater loss (Frosty) than Hogan had been. Some of us liked his football so much we regarded him as an excitement machine. What a terrible loss.

I sat back during a couple of moments in many games last season. I watched various opposition teams move the ball quickly against us, creating a somewhat lethal and often, direct line to goal. Things were predictable against the Dees, particularly when OMac was on the field. Several times, Gus was nowhere near the ball - occupying other duties with his direct opponent or providing additional coverage for things that he (and all other Dees supporters) could see and hoped would not happen in that passage of play. Amazingly, Gus dropped his one-to-one role and went after the ball, the clearance, the turning of the tables. He backed up the errors and inconsistencies of his teammates, repelling, driving and clearing - single handedly. That is good enough for me. He is a real footballer.

Kinda agree, Rusty. Now that the two wing-type recruits have been nabbed, it will free up Harmes quite a bit for this to occur at 100mph. Harmes is often potent; Harmes is very likely to become more potent with constraining positional roles (and ever-changing at that) being removed. He can at times be very ordinary - but I do suspect that he will be a 'freer' player with the wings better covered up and down the ground. He is, after all, a very good leader to the ball, and can find space to exploit.

Got a feeling that Harmes is going to be in for a thriller year - a game-changer, and loose cannon, friggin' good footballer and his class will rise.