Deemania since 56

He most certainly is a '...great kick for goal...' and a tremendous 'snap-shot' exponent, as proven for years at Whoreform. I just wonder if on the forward line whether or not he would get a kick?

This aspect of his game has always been a strength - just the bloke to regularly take that ball out of the backline in 2019 - if it can ever penetrate near the last line of defence - with our threatening forward line running berserk into spaces or midfielders doing their flat-out run and possession routines nearing the goalmouth. This team offers so much ... like tanks on the battlefield ... clearing riff-raff, penetrating deeply, controlling direction and approach, sheltering the forward eschelons like assault pioneers ... can't wait ...

Love it, Daisy... although it is hypocritical to acknowledge that stance, after so many umpiring interruptions to the Dees' game across the past few years and bleating about it on DL as a regular feature of our footballing outcomes. With more wins, and with a very well respected game week after week, the 'white maggots' might wane a little just like Razor Ray did; our game really improved - or let me say, out tendency to lose matches hit a low point.

Been literally months since I've heard of - or considered - 'the white maggot bias'. Hope it does not re-appear in 2019 now that we have done a stint in the finals regardless of its negative effects.

Interesting and very observable point of view. One would think that Preuss has a role to play in this, to elicit some return 'hurt' as a gesture of goodwill and sharing. He'd most probably donate some protection - he seems to have a generous nature and by the looks of him, has plenty to give!

Well said, McQueen and strongly supported - he certainly is not an ectomorph or an endomorph.

Strength and desire, most certainly. Technique covers everything else including reliability for instinctive behaviours and actions, on the road to a successful outcome.

In this photo, you can see his balance clearly, leveraging from one side of the body to the other due to leg power at release in his leap. This assists him to land laterally, one side or the other, in the tackle and to overcome his opponent's force direction and efforts. Hence, Vanders gets very few '...in the back calls...' when in the process of tackling. A compensatory opponent pain dosage is often donated should the impact have the correct geometry to nail the bastard into contact with the ground and his body force over the top of it all. From our perspective, not even Nureyev could choreograph a prettier or more elegant pas de deux. All is generally assisted by his bulk, his strength in the upper body as well, in his '...gonna getcha'...' attitude and in his role as a 'tough-nut' using unusual force attributes whether in contact with the ground or alternatively, having taken off (in flight) with a particular fall-point in mind. As you can also see in this photo, Pendlebury was doing his best to overbalance down the midline in a forward direction, milking a free kick if he could. Friggin' ineffective, Pendles, bad luck but you are dealing with Vanders so get out of his way because it ain't gonna help your match stats.....

'...handled...' was certainly better in the prelim but still occasionally messy and inconsistent. Not to worry, the real benefit of Vanders, as seen in the prelim, is that opponents of all shapes, sizes and egos are too scared to try to take the ball off him, or to get in his way when obtaining the ball.

Give you a tip on moscato, similar to the consumption of rough Italian red wine and Chianti: take a very small pinch of white pepper, sprinkle this onto the surface of the wine in the glass, wait 20 seconds, taste. It takes a hard line with the acidic nature of the wine, improving its quaffability immediately. The principle is this: bad wine is often overly acidic - notably the reds but also there are cases with whites, such as moscato. However, under that acid, there are often some great varietals and flavours that many people enjoy. White pepper is highly alkaline. By sprinkling a contained amount (a very little amount) on you acidic wine, the alkalinity counteracts the acidity of the '[censored]' wine, directly. Many a glass has been made very, very drinkable as a result. Don't do this in the bottle as you'll add too much pepper and get a 'warm-hot' effect throughout the wine. Do it to wine already poured into a glass with a very small pinch. White pepper is an amazing substance. As I was waiting for the pharmacist one day, a bloke seeking some advice told the pharmacist that every time he sneezes, he has an orgasm. The pharmacist was intrigued; he asked: 'Are you currently taking anything for it?' The man replied: 'Yes, white pepper inhalations.'

Painfully true - but one hopes that the Dees have learnt a lesson or two and now have the infrastructure and game to avoid those 'flat' moments - and uncontrolled possessions. It appears to be the case but is still building; of course, it will be interesting to see just how far we have come. Six hours or more of weekly training, over ten months of the year surely can lead to a better 100 minutes of a footy game.

2., because of all the hype as they might approach the finals series beforehand. If they ain't nowhere near a finals appearance, well and good.

Cracker up the r's from the head coach?

Another joy to watch on the 2019 horizon, for sure.

That is one piece of information that we are cruelling for - just where Stretch happens to be fitness-wise, at the moment and indications for the coming months. He could be devastating on a flank, if fit.

OMac not playing this year?

Preuss and May will clean them up.

In the press, it mentions that Gus had endured a minor back injury a few weeks ago and that is mended (so to speak), enabling him to join the main training group, once again. Not sure if this is a relief or another psychological terror for him and his followers. If he can do a whole season, he must be heading for a stellar season in terms of effect and fear.

Beautifully posited, willmoy.

Very regimented, orderly, squad-related running. Just like Kapooka, only red'n'blue! Appears to be a good sense of role, function, association, man-to-man identity, purposeful and controlled. Wish I was there...nice video.

He reminds me of Andy Lovell with darker hair. Hope he is just as good.

Plus, Weideman and Preuss are champing at the bit, Hunt is on fire with improved teamplay skills and passing, Stretch is up and about and running, driving the ball ever-forward with pace.

There is almost so much improvement in our list for the coming season that one can overlook by forgetfulness alone that there are new recruits and recruited old stagers, with experience, to burn for the Dees. Good assets are coming out of our ears. With Stretch and Lever returning for a competitive edge and a full season (hopefully) from Gus, we are a 'shoe-in' for the GF as a result of creating some very miserable results for most opposition teams across the year.

Irresponsible, I know, but that memory was a reality and it still makes me smile with great enjoyment of his game.

One must wonder how unstoppable the Tulip actually was - I don't think he was ever an aggressor on the field, just a bloody talented footballer with class and application to burn. Yet, Matthews was in my best 3 footballers of all time. Tulip, Matthews and Blight. The Ox is No. 4, pre-first knee injury. Great memories, all of this posting - but pointless to scale footballers across the 50 years of associated daydreams. However, I remain very excited about the young Kobe Farmer coming to the Dees in years to come - the Wizard also had it all in teams that failed to deliver to elicit his complete talents. Maybe Kobe can make up for that when the time is ripe.