Deemania since 56

A merger is on the cards? Footscray, North, Hawthorn, whoever?

Brisbane for me, too. Just a dream but their form is almost complete. Will miss the finals - because the Dees are not there this year after such early-season anticipation ... still, I will be boarding the Trans-Siberian railway in Moscow for Vladivostok, then China by air within seven days ... so it will be a good distraction from the season horribilis. Enjoy the finals, folks and dream.

Getting it correct, not extending or further enhancing a millstone around the MFC neck, attracting patrons and patronage, and creating a recognised mecca for the public that is not so dependent on gambling opportunities is a very big expectation. Has the time for Club-related venues run its course? Is such a venue really necessary?

It is busy and crazy, and confusingly unreliable. Send out The Ox and Davey - go north, south, east and west. Pick us another Ox, another Davey and while you're at it, another Neitz. There must be a Tulip hiding in the local leagues, as well. Find him.

I lived and grew up in Malvern and once built, I frequented that shopping centre just off Glenferrie Road, on Wattletree Road. Earl was regularly seen standing in his sports store, which was empty. In fact, I do not recall ever seeing a customer there - and I visited the place twice weekly, at least. However, I did recognise Earl immediately - quite a figure of the football genre -- and always had a private interest in '...how business was doing...' I recall, I thought that he would definitely go broke very soon - if he was the owner/franchisee and actually made an effort to get some sneakers there, once or twice. Big fella. Reminded me of the old MSD sports stores days in so many ways but in particular, a footballing icon at call.

Thanks for the confirmation, Rusty; some may have thought that I was otherwise sprouting on the past.

He was an inaccurate kick for goal. Had a loop in his kicking leading to a hook and slice across a distance.

Posited beautifully, beelzebub. A great deal of rational thought.

^ Sob! ^ If only TMac would lead from full forward. A propping forward is lucky, not determined.

A saving grace for OMac possibly, but it would have to be trialled for half the season at Casey first. It may work - provided he doesn't aim to ignite the forward line with his blistering leads and rugged forward defensive pressure.

Walker actually doesn't have these to give! If he wasn't a media-star in his own teacup, he'd have been passed over a few years ago.

Too right. Being lean and mean, himself, a lightweight-easily-knocked-out-of-position type forward- mid-fielder -backman, these positionings of which you refer, and his jumps timings, and his nouse of 'when to kick the ball earned in general play' were magnificent so his teachings to guys like Fritsch and Tracca, and Salem and Oliver/Gus would be invaluable. Of course, mental acuity would form part of that learning - something that our 'game plan' seems to lack.

I would be very confident in saying that firstly, he would be great in the coaching department and secondly, Yze was always going to come back to the MFC after his playing career when such newer skills, to him, were developed so that he could make a positive input to the Club we all love. By hell, he was a good player and for just that alone, could remedy our team across the summer.

In reality, the 'fix' may not be as great nor widespread as we might imagine. Independence in a thorough review must not have been situated - so that analyses that may occur have no biases from either internal or external sources. A review conducted under dispositions is not a review - and it will fail in its purpose if so undertaken. Looking into the cupboard for spring cleaning is, however, essential for the MFC to ensure that there are limited 'rainy-day' dependencies.

No from me, too. Outside run, small forwards, and Langton. Nice mix - after a smashing pre-season of skills, fitness and variation in the game 'plans' - and I do mean these to be plural.

That is an interesting and very possible circumstance with such strengths in the recruitment qualities.

Ingerson was something very special - his defensive reliability was tremendously valuable, with possessions taken by hook or by crook establishing a 'wall' of intent on the backline.

Absolutely, and it will be an enormous lift for the whole team: reliable defence, committed attack at the ball, solid interceptions, launching-pad for rebounds and setting examples for the rest of the football field.

Just has the be the chase-down of the century, or very close to such. His pace for this type of football is unique and really effective. Such a clean despatch of the fast Eagle - almost sad if Frost's workrate was not so exceptionally good - and a very clear example of why Frosty is a very useful, and wanted, player for the Dees. Furlongs ahead, as mentioned by a poster, earlier.

Get Frosty on the 'permanently required' list immediately!

The Club, overwhelmingly made up of Members, does learn a heap, year after year, game after game, of just how badly the team, the FD, the administration and its hangers-on perform as if these structures actually do not care. The players - under a constant pressure to 'rally' and move across the changing aspirations (or lack thereof) of a series of short-term procrastinators placed to supervise their 'development' and 'competitiveness' - do remarkably well in their demonstrated tolerance and hope of short-term 'turn-arounds' yet before they know it, their careers as footballers are over. Only Roos provided relief - albeit too short but the improvements and readiness factors were noticeable. The Club across the board requires hard-headed determination alongside exacting performance criteria; and, if those accepting responsibility do not meet the Members' expectations across the medium-term, then they are to be rapidly terminated. There is a missing link between footballing success and footballing preparation. Just because such a link is not easily defined, it is also not to be ignored or under-achieved. Sack 'em, move on until what 'it' takes occurs.

Thanks Fork'em!

Widen your horizons, 'coz two disagreed summations ain't enough the substantiate the post. Olisik puts in multiple points of sound, alternative thought quite regularly, proving to be most interesting and often creatively abstract, for a change.

Sounds like an automatic cull, to me. What do people think about him and his retention?

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