Deemania since 56

That was a big disappointment - one to never forget, actually - but even last season, there were a few losses that make one shudder. I was convinced that umpiring was second-rate and biased, amongst other negatives.

Does this mean the signs are only warning signs of The Filth players in the near vicinity?

Going over the AFL fans' tolerances, ain't it?

How perfectly said, it is a true realisation of the errant problems in this world. Congratulations on such a forthright stance - with deep and meaningful honesty. May I join you in this non-cryptic assessment because, as an afterthought on your post, I feel so very closely aligned to this point of view, as well. Well done!

That was a good season for him when having the opportunity. He did show some potential at the end of the training and adjusting rainbow. He hit hard, went in hard and ran well with the ball. His finishing skills were the suspect areas but, he was improving. He has deceptive pace and some height that I hope he has been able to develop. Thoroughly worth watching.

Hell, that will be brilliant! He can be such an asset to our team as a player and as The Beast.

Yep, good report.

As I have mentioned before, I prefer and consider my football attendances as superior to those of cricket, at the 'G. I let my MCC Membership go - completely - as the bar, dining room and stand were filled with Richmond, Collingwood, Carlton supporters and an assortment of other hangers-on in the past, with familiar faces and predictable behaviours recognised during the cricket attendances akin to a pleasant Sunday afternoon at Victoria Park or Punt Road Oval in the mud. Sacrosanct territory, hallowed ground and associative connections were meaningless, and the sense of 'belonging' rapidly waned amid cries of '...Go, Tigers ... Carna Woods ... Shove it up 'em, Blues...' Hundreds of dollars are saved each year in Membership fees these days and have done so for well over a decade, now. I now support my Club with MFC Membership, in the Southern Stand. The nexus between the MFC and the MCC has vanished and possibly, lost forever. a

Saw him (Jake) play a couple of times at Essendrug. Hardly got a feed from his teammates as he was a bypass player. In the doldrums, he decided to do something about it and very cleverly, at that. When recruited to the Dees, I was very happy; knew it was all in him and perhaps more. His physical attributes were noticeably very sound. His reading of the play had something akin to ball glue about it. He's now producing even more - and the Dees are very lucky to have him. Ditto, for Hibberd, whose attack on the ball and his great kicking really impressed.

He is the bloke to play on Cox, but there are many others in the whole comp on whom Preuss could be completely effective. His strength and physical presence are just two components that provide (other than that provided by Gawny, to the death so far) great options for our team as a swing ruck-forward-backman, depending on the team we are playing. This, at least, provides that relief we must have for a longitudinal Max Gawn and due to Braydon's age, he may well be the longitudinal heir apparent to Gawn. Whatever the case - and no-one will know until this season is underweigh - our acquired 2-ruck combination is highly formidable. Given the talls in TMac, Weideman, OMac, Joel Smith and even Bradtke (once matured), we really are poised for some positive action it would seem.

Golly, a tough call ... both are different players and indeed, in the final act of kicking the ball at the sticks, both are again different. If the Weed develops his attributes, he may well be a prolific forward but I would expect him to more naturally win more ball on the ground than in the air - as a marque of the present game. Hoges was phenomenal at times, yet had to endure the ball sailing over his head so often, or as a result of the said 'bombing', change direction and move into congestion - and yet he still took a few each week despite this handicap. It is correct to think that the 'team' approach can be improved, particularly in the final delivery of the ball to a moving forward. A few big monoliths in the deep forward areas would assist each of them to block, screen cleverly and rally each other into desirable 'receiving' positions thus offsetting/unsettling tall opposition defenders not fully knowing as a consequence 'where and whom' to counter and how. We have the smalls and runners down there already, highly capable 'on game' to crumb, create havoc and speed the ball if loose for a second or two in this chaos, some highly reliable to score rather simple and the miraculous goals in the opportunity. I guess I really mean to articulate that my preferences would lead to the presentation of more 'organised chaos' for other teams in our mid- to deep forward zones. It could be enigmatic......

We have a tendency to put a good deal of pressure on the Weed, don't we? He has taken a long time to produce what he did in the last breaths of the 2018 season, but it was most probably a sign of his readiness for greater things - improvements over time is a long-held tradition. He will have a better time across the whole season in 2019, and this is his 'well-earned privilege'. We need him to step up with confidence this year - with a concentration on presenting for the ball, getting the ball and putting his great kicking skills to work more regularly. Onyer, Weed - keep plugging.

Thank heavens that I hit an improved score off the back nine, this morning. It negated the tears and the incredibly hurtful overnight distress that I had read on DL yesterday - about poor old De Goey (from the Filth) and his significant injury. Interestingly, across the past 5 hours since arriving home, not one shred of disappointment returned.

Nicely balanced team for Rnd 1 - lots of possible yet effective swings within it, like the interchange, love Frosty at CHB, OMac is going to have to feed Frost, Salem and Harmes very well to hold a spot, fwd line looks tremendous.

That is Essendrug's problem. Ha-ha.

This is just like losing the sole-tenancy of the MCG as the home ground. We even went to a little white number (spew, spew) for the TV stations to differentiate with impostor 'blues' adopted by other clubs. We were therefore encouraged by the AFL to lose our identity - then tolerate a stolen element of our identity for the purposes of visual clarity. If ya canna see da footy, don't go ... listen to it on the radio....

We had the greatest jumper and still should be wearing it - the royal blue and a crimson-red; only the brighter blood-red jumper was an acceptable alternative. Both were lively, smart, identifiable and distinct. It bred the killer instinct that we are fighting to regain.

Thanks for that, Saty. The descent of an ease of approaching trepidation at any gradient is a welcome thing. If he does play, Gawny need not bother to upset him, I am sure Preuss will flatten him at some point in a contest.

Baked beans, chilli con carne-style, with chopped habanero chillies, shaved Parmesan, avocado cubes and lime juice with thick wholemeal/grain bread, hand-sliced from the loaf! Hotter than hell. A couple of cans of Carlton never tasted so good.

A mate just told me that he reckons .... '....closed doors to teach all the backs how to smack Cox, all the mids how to smack Grundy, and all forwards how to outnumber and confuse the Filth defenders under the new positioning rules...' And that was just the pre=season 'friendly' match.

Hurrah! This is a very prominent in my mind, too. It shows that something very good is happening.

Nice post and quite revealing. As for the Filth, it is very sad (for them) that age is creeping up on their experience base and with that, a few years (the more the better) in the doldrums could possibly be a consideration and outcome for/of this list. The cynic in me thinks this is going to be a test for their injury management and for their list refreshment in order to be competitive.

He lived across the road from Central Park (Scott Rd, I think???) in Malvern and would often come over to us little kids.... sniff the air and say footy was a disgusting game ... as we kick-to-kicked in the rain to imitate Bill Barrott, or Ron Barassi, or Fred Swift, or Jack Clark, or Ted the Whitten. In summer, he'd clap from the boundary line as we played cricket (as productively as Bill Lawry grave-yarding the Poms) and we took that as eventual approval from Mr Dunstan.

A Place in the Sun - yep, indifference to AFXL would be strongly supported by Keith Dunstan. Except, he would have hoped that such contempt would be contagious and thus, affect the H&A season as a natural progression - and that would not be appropriate. Gotta admire his long-term commitment and the amusing way he promulgated such thoughts.

Contested ball in a player crush where no room exists for clean clearances. Typical.