Deemania since 56

Dear Mr President, If ever the Dees missed three regular players, it was yesterday. This does not auger well for your recent appointment It displays a weakness in critical analysis leaving your most loyal customers dissatisfied and alienated. Grunge-runner Watts was a skillset we valued; Steam Train Kent was put on this earth to kick 'em high and low, and kick a few heads when the heat was on - we undervalued that; Ball Winner Tyson had often resurrected our midfield claims and would have interrupted the flow that Port generated on the 'G. Another black mark on the wall, another black year beckons. Thank you, Mr President.

I was at the game after 12 hours of travelling ... Watts was reliable and effective for Port - Watts' foot skills we missed by the Dees and felt by the Dees under pressure - Watts did some great things in the heat of the backline (theirs) during in-comings (ours) and losses of possession (ours) - in fact, Watts just played his game and did it very well - marked well, spoiled well, ran to position well, cleared well, absorbed the efforts of the Weed and TMac including the Dees' smalls, teamed-up with his new teammates yet did nothing exceptional, nothing that we had not seen for years - I think that underneath, we all knew he'd be a loss.

Then again, Lewis has great goal sense too, and is a great, canny snapper at the big ones. Ten minutes in the deep forward may refresh these skills

From memory, I think - but I am not sure - that Viney owes one to P_Pepper on the flank, and another in the forward line. If Preuss plays, then maybe he could accidentally steamroll the dirty little knee dropper.

All true. I have a suspicion that Stynes is in the centre circle directing players, as well.

Provided our midfielders do not bomb the ball recklessly forward, just because they earned a statistic. It is their responsibility to hit targets eyes up, and it is the targets' responsibilities to move to receive. Seeem pill.

Hell, no.

A little error with enormous consequences and disappointing to see young Smith limping for an eternity on the ground. Too valuable to risk, bordering on abuse. Agreed about the stupidity and how could such an oversight occur? Should have swung OMac onto the forward line and let Spargo take control of the backline in his place. After all, it was only a practice match.

That's where (50m arc) Hunt can do damage as a forward, leading from the pocket, early, tearing up the turf in front of his direct opponent and sheltered with changing screens by his teammates along the journey to provide 2-3 prongs of possible marking receives.

'Tis often a problem to receive your many posts, Demonland as there seems to be no link at all. We all call upon your inspiring words and on many occasions, are denied the thread of what you might be on about which stimulates us to mere guesswork. Thanks, and thanks to Mazer for his reminder.

That type of delivery would make Weed a star - he has gathering skills to burn, but is not so strong in the pack.

No need to cite a text, it is part of my profession to standardise with 'the Oxford' although I concede that some with overt limitations still need analogies and colloquialisms to cope with what is actually inked onto paper, as it were. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

.Those without proclivities or assorted challenges are welcome to throw the first stone. Give him a break!

The term is: 'intellectual rigour', not 'vigour', ManDee. Your assumptive claims remain mere adjectival efforts to transpose to others some associative limitations and become somewhat predictable, so I was expecting your gnashing of teeth at my throat for any further generalisations that you might hold. Thank you for not disappointing. As for R'B'G, I for one find his comments and impressions stimulating, and thought-provoking which demands rather frequent cross-fertilisation within this medium, and we often share elements of thought on the MFC in this anonymous ether of disparity and concurrence. Have a lovely day.

There is a fair bit of living knowledge in what 'Balls' imparts and it obviously emanates from a very good, sound football heritage. Other comments, MD, are just wrong and inappropriate. There is no 'chip on the shoulder', just experience and wisdom. I also notice that 'Balls' refuses to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person, so I guess your little missive is redundant anyway?

If he proves to be a 'goer', as reported, we need another one of 'those'. A nasty one, who is tough as nails, rebound-able and who takes no sheet from Mainlanders. He is not too young either, and has played 'some' footy before...just like Vanders.

It is all good for the Weed. I'd still like to see more duality in his play, however. Taking the big speccy is great, but not high percentage football. The strike-rate is affected in packs. It would be good to see the Weed exploit his ground skills, as well, weaving around packs and exploiting his remarkable kicking/hand-balling skills. Pack mentality could be reduced as it limits his application of skills - he is a smart fella and could engage more often in leads and decoys as we have timber in our deep forward line for 'the bombs'; an alternative to this style of play would greatly benefit our team with a bloke like the Weed coming out at good pace to receive, not statically await the incoming crush of spoilers and ordnance of the leather variety.

Just for a minute or two until Vanders puts a spoil on him!

Stretch just needs one of those breaks - y'know, those that come consecutively from a handful of games that build confidence and clear the mind (of the pressures) for better footballing experiences. He has many great attributes and surely, will continue to develop. I'd also like to imagine that he - and his dad - have some longer-term plans within his development - to many, he already has good skills and could focus on continued onfield running and ball-handling - funnily enough, just like his dad Steven could - who, by the way used to tear opposition teams apart with central positioning.

Not sure if I remember correctly, but didn't Dunny have a lingering, 2-season groin injury that came and went ad nauseum and it was considered that would characterise fluctuating reliability in his football career from then on? He seems to have recovered.

You would think that this had been drilled into him. Clean hands, clear direction, good disposal on each occasion. He'd most probably be in the elite company across the AFL in terms of running all game, every game. So often, the passed ball just flies over his head and well out of reach. One must admit that Vanders goes quietly about his business and has special talents nullifying opponents, creating screens for teammates and 'bobbing up' in the rougher stuff to effect a clearance or provide a clearance opportunity. It would be wonderful to see him go up another level.

Yes, you are probably correct about the agility outside a straight line. I'd like to think that Hunt could learn to change direction and side step that will add to his capacity to read the game. Hannan and Spargo may have to do it all. :-)

It would be interesting, getting the speed drop on his opponent/s with appropriate and general shepherding/clearance from teammates, if Hunt, playing at deep forward (pocket?) could lead to receive near goal, similar to Melksham and sometimes, Petracca. There could well be many entrances converted to goals; there could be an avenue or two when this might occur. Hunt could play a role in this as he is faster than - and an equally strong kick as - Rioli, for example. Straight leads from the bigger forwards are more likely to be of less depth and rely heavily on 'the big grab'; furthermore, the 'bigs' whilst nicely accurate, equally need support at ground level to both receive and create ball possession opportunities in fwd positions and additionally, will be less likely to make rapid changes of direction or prove desirably evasive as a well-coached Hunt (hint, hint). The above three are vital in all of these regards. It would also enhance our 'chaos' style of game that has fallen down in the past in the 'very likely' scoring zones.

Yep, for some of us, it was a pretty bad event - Port or Brizzy. Self de-sensitisation affects us all, at times.

Maybe the Club is attempting to exercise some 'cloak and dagger' secrecy at the start of the season, reporting just the basics and no further, particularly where recoveries and injury management processes might well be background scenarios that opponents might exploit. I think we'd all be keen to get the drum on key players and their return/readiness for the start of the season and the first few weeks into this fixture. However, in the words of the patient, trust the Club to do the correct thing.