Deemania since 56

His sacrifice for the Team was astounding. He put himself on the line many, many times and wore the consequences but by hell, he was a great footballer and team man. I watched him ascend from the Reserves games prior the the main game - just knew he was going to be something - and he was one of the greats with all of the necessary skills at very high levels - just misinterpreted by the noisy media about his physical contribution within such commitment.

I'd take Roos back a Coach, any day. Jordan Lewis has much to offer in this regard, as well. We need to assemble a team of Demon ex-players as the FD support coaching team - where the real talent lies. We have fed the rest of the League for too long.

The rest of the year was supposed to be a trial and acclimatisation for all our youth and second-line players. The FD are still nuts.

We need a 185cm plus young bloke or two who can get the ball, kicks with both feet beautifully, hits targets, knows what is needed to kick goals and does so, who can run all day with pace to burn. Another two Aaron Daveys would do it rather well. We need to pick these blokes up from a tough league in which they have survived, so far. My mind goes directly to the North, way up, perhaps Darwin or Tiwi areas.

I'd like to see both TSmith and JSmith in the same team on game day, for that matter. It would have strengthened our Team, all year. Shame about the reality of circumstances....

Simple solution, used by Sean Wight, Yze, et al; could make a big difference to him at the instance of the big grab.

Tim as a forward goes looking for the ball, and is more frequently finding it - a great sign. TMac needs a rest, recuperation and respite. Lever should not play with a foot injury. ANB is a must, given Jeffy's form. Wagner could stay in. Lockhart needs to come in. Viney or Jones need to stay out to reduce 'bombing'. Time to bring in Preuss as a forward. Gus to the centre, and Clarrie to deep forward. Stretch and JKH could alternate on a wing and into a midfield roving role. Frosty to play at CHB and feed to midfielders or deeper fwd if he can get a run. Big demand this week on Tracca, Hunt and Harmes - mobility will be everything with these guys.

Most probably there will be changes - and there are some alternatives worthy of consideration.

Very true. I still know that Gus will improve as he has done in the past with severe injury - and I still hold the images of Gus fully utilising the 360-degree freedom (that he creates) to ply his run, carry and delivery with the hard ball. Gus is not a flanker - he doesn't need that much space and it is restricting for his game style; he sees ball or gets it tapped to him, carries ball, executes. Sometimes these disposals are astray but like Gawn, he has to carry some team dead weight each week. With the return of our acknowledged power bank and some timely good fortune strapped to that return, Gus' value will re-emerge - that's for sure.

It's all succint, good work. Well done Deespicable. Some controversy, some disagreements, some oversights, lotsa value.

Deflection. (Of who knows what.)

Yet another change for the players themselves - another revamp of instructions hiding the total failure of the Goodwin game plan and its implementation, no doubt. Another series of 'how to play football' all over again, that most probably will infuse further failure and uncertainty in the players. Confusion, mid-season, reigns! All done with limited depth and availability with old trojans leading the way with footy field habits carved in granite. Change just ain't going to happen - not for a clutch of years - with this level of either: persistence in a mask - or Game Plan Mark II. We will persist with failure until we are proven wrong. At that point, we will deny and mask it all, because contractually, we're safe. We know it is necessary but that moment was months ago!

Precisely!

A little creativity and we can rest TMac against Fremantle Dockers, so that at least his recovery (from whatever ails him) and performance readiness are addressed.

One might think that for the FD, this normal expectation is too much to ask. For the fans, members and supporters, it seems, in reality, to have been totally overlooked.

It must have been the onions?

A little AFL consistency would save the trouble of a police state. It's perhaps a little like a corrupt, totalitarian regime intent on its own reign into perpetuity. Think what we think; if not, we can penalise you. Criticism is unhealthy. In reality, privilege to complain at any magnitude will be suppressed.

Knew that, but I have a soft spot for Ballarat, and lived there for 2 years in Pleasant Street very near the Bunch of Grapes pub. My point is that there are beers and there are beers, as we all know. And, there are places and there are places, as we all know. Put the two together and you have some variation - for example, Fourex tastes mediocre in temperate southern climates like Melbourne whereas in more humid conditions such as Brisbane and above, it tastes bloody fantastic! The same with VB/BB. It just tastes great in wet weather. Thanks for your additional info, NSFM, as it happens, when I go to the 'G to see the footy, I usually stay at a rented apartment in the old CUB building, as you mention.

A good to very good nursery for upcoming footballers - competitive environment, too.

Both Viney and Jones, the latter for all of his footy career, invented the 'long-bomb' method, it seems - as fwd penetration has traditionally been our main weakness amongst many. Worse, these two do not recognise it as a weakness; in fact, they had spread the disease to the rest of the midfielders - and only once in the past 2 years have I seen them deviate from this tremendous disadvantage as a style of play.

Tom is in a slump and these are hard to eliminate. It is also the case that the delivery up forward in non-existent. He therefore has suffered in the mid-term from a double disadvantage - suggesting a 'selfishness' of many of our players to just hit the ball on the foot for distance and metres gained. Hope and a prayer football is deplorable - no wonder we are so remiss in scoring.

Indirect statement to perfection. You are explaining something. If I was at the footy and you called that out, I would feel much richer for the knowledge that my opinions match someone else's.

Blatant mistakes to support AFL expectations of winners and losers, favouritism -- players holier than thou and club preferences, influence of the AFL gate receipts conundrum determining winners, losers and those teams allowed to 'catch up' in their scoring during games. Fix these recurring errors in the game or expect umpire abuse. Grandstanding umpires onfield attempting to capture the limelight for the public's entertainment or self-gratification (eg: Razor). Penalise the umpires heavily for affecting game outcomes - even with the slightest indication of repetitive behaviours. All clubs' supporters are due for a fair shake and an even playing field without the goalposts moving ... as these do ... and such supporters can pick it all 'a mile off', without difficulty. Abuse of umpires is possibly fairy nuff in the aforementioned scenarios and to some supporters, there may be many more that are highly irritating; but at the end of the day, it is not supporters who bend the game. Abuse of the England cricket team and its members is definitely an Australian tradition dating back well over a century. Abuse of players (eg: that which happen to Goodes) just ain't on - that is most definitely un-Aussie. If someone abuses me for this post, it will have no impact so feel free.

Hore - value pick and performance Sparrow - seems valuable, performance as expected with scope for improvements, must find him a regular spot to blossom Lockhart - value pick and a roving type, performance variable but at times, clever; should improve with a regular spot Keilty - impressive defender and leap, performance can be good but inexperienced, has good potential and works hard Baker - impressive flanker, terrific speed and agility, sound kick, inexperienced but learning fast, a future best 22

That would be worth waiting for, yet low-key discussion will help the MFC if he turns out to be a potential gun, as well.