Deemania since 56

Stop it, NSFM! All this reminiscing just brings tears to the eyes; nothing a bloke at my age needs. Braces! Gosh! It is a great Club and its history/evolution has been like no other. Carna Dees!

Yes, remember that terrible accident. This is actually impossible, picking the best side of all time. We have had so many players at the top of the rung, and many of these players were in less than great teams - but stuck it out through thick and thin because of Club loyalty. It is great just to think about them. To recall the thrills of seeing them play the game in their own, special ways, is especially pleasing. How could anyone support any other team?

Spalding could be left out, as could T. Viney. Fowler was a machine - totally skilled, fearless, urban terrorist.

Biff was great until the back brace days; Tassie was legendary. Smith was an extreme talent at fullback. Biff did something, however, that the other two did not - he reeked fear in all opponents because if he was going to spoil (which he usually did) he had a knack of consistently spoiling the onfield health of the opponent, as well. Danny Hughes was a great all-rounder; liked him best at CHB, myself, where his running in a straight line to an opposition player came to the fore.

Hallelujah, Brother! If he is recuperated (Baker), then maybe Misso had nothing to do with it, this time. He usually enables an encore or two at the best of times with normal footy injuries re-surfacing as longer-term ailments.

It is because they are bored; they are also paying themselves heaps of money as if they were elite decision-makers to demonstrate their responsible (but not accountable) indulgences from inside an insulated environment. Greed gets in the way and so new series of rationale and gesticulation must be generated to see who is interested and if so, another prevaricated task to be farmed out (with largely public monies for payment). It sounds cynical but if one is capable of thoughtful reflection, there is no other image. What was once great is now a shambles of 'public' announcements and actual issue deflection.

Must occur, and Fritta to HFF of FwdPkt. Hunt is the movable one for this to occur. I'd put Viney on the HFF to use his one-sided boot. The intent would be for him to penetrate and crumb, hopefully to the Preuss ground-balls. He has to take the initiative with pace. TMac could play a wing/flank. Hannan the swingman off the bench up forward.

It would be 'iffy' if he still had hamstring problems ... but it looks like a good recuperation for young Ginger.

Gary the Hardeman - who could forget. He was our best CHB ever, I'd reckon.

Good thoughts, Dr. G, that is often the case and is one that we should be addressing. Perhaps the returning personnel will contribute to ameliorate several of the 'evils' of our present game. Alternatively, these personnel might interpret the messages more clearly.

That is a rare observation about the levels of play and certain individual responses, ProperDee. It is a very true observation, just the same. The mind and the intent drive the footballer to meet the challenges. It does appear that Oskar may be one of them. (He just needs a Stan Alves blind turn run-around sidestep=POQ in his repertoire to be complete ? ). So come on Alvesy, give him a lesson or two for our sake!

It is a coaching matter; it is also the easier choice for the exponent - nearly every time - and so, OMac goes for it. At least it has been a contact on the ball - good or bad.

Whatever the coaches are doing with improving kicking expertise, they are way off in terms of validating their efforts.

That array of backmen will be a terrific choke of opposition scoring. Up until now, we have had a highway of opposition traffic tracking someone's presence on the ground and finding a way past him to freely score, repeatedly.

Spoken like a very useful Melbourne coach - the sooner the better.

Actually I believe that coaching and selection (unseparated) have been the biggest disappointment, leading to limited skills depth in a young brigade that should be full of running and a threshold of performance standards. The greatest upside of the season for me is the stabilisation of Frosty and the presence of Hore to assist in the backline intercepts.

Absolutely!

...including a tall chicken running around the hen coup to stay out of physical contests with the rooster.

It tells me: Two different but obstinate game plans with two different but obstinate coaches. It is almost as if he is not receiving one-on-one coach to player communication, practices, training routines. Unjustifiably negligent; he could be turned into such an asset whilst awaiting back-up, in-game ruck duties to relieve Gawn's massive workload. As a rugby player, albeit a modest one, he is used to physical exertion and the argy-bargy rough stuff, as well.

Perhaps an interesting observation. May it evolve into a proper game plan.

That's just it, I thought, ignoring his football credentials in recognition of his limited nouse.

Always remember the first time I saw BT on the footy field (MCG), and it proved that he was a moron. A sixty-metre charge at his full pace caught Rod Grinter in the back (as Rod was looking the other way and subtly moving to position himself into defence). Crunch! Less than two seconds later, BT was sprawling on the ground from the impact and as he held Rod in a headlock, had just completed a perfect parabola in the air before landing when Rod bent at the waist- never tried that again, with Rod. Absolute dumb-bum move to charge unsighted into Rod with injurious intent. He was off the ground in minutes after hitting the rock of Gibraltar.

Yep, it would be fine, great, tremendous, terrific. Leaves a couple of spaces for smalls - eliminates weakness areas, encourages midfield runners to get involved in the backline approaches and is difficult to man up upon. Salem can pass at will with this set-up. Bluddoath!

SOS is a beloved son - as he could be a frequently great player, albeit a little untidy. This anointed status frees SOS from accountability to a large extent; it will be external-to-Carlton observers who call for a revision of his decisions and post-footy playing inputs. I'd reckon he is as safe as houses and yes, the Coach was the easy way out of the dilemma - for the time being.

This has always impressed me, too; streamlining his game and earlier habits is obviously occurring, making him an asset and potentially, in a fuller, stronger backline, an absolute clearance asset. His is linking more quickly and accurately now and is doing so for the obvious betterment of the Team. Just a little bit more emphasis on his spoiling routines would be handy right now, and a few support gestures as he takes possession of the ball. Like the lad and his endeavour.