Deemania since 56

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

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.

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.

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.

Good points of thought and discussion, hemingway. Goody is bringing the packet of biscuits as you say. I still wish that Paul Roos had the energy to be there, too; both working away at the task of a Premiership run/series. Roos' passion for the Club stood out.

That Jaguar diff is still the best ever fabricated... the cornering 'catch-up' is phenomenal.

How bloody typical ... of the AFL.

Practical point of view and it makes good sense, Clint. Overall, I'd like the Club jumper to traditionalise - similar to the earlier days of the 70s and 80s - with advertising if one must to meet the costs associated with footy these days as sponsors do much for our current circumstances. I'd really like to buy a MFC jumper for each of my grandsons to wear (for about 2 years as they will grow out of them so quickly) but as you say, sponsor on, sponser off, new sponsors, old or passed sponsors make this similarly confusing and redundant for such a purpose - and for brand recognition associated with the MFC. Them's the breaks!

I have heard it said, and watched it many times, that a little bloke at Geelong was the toughest footballer ever to win the ball - if you beat him to a contest, or took the ball from him in any way, you were dead, within minutes. Bill Goggin was his name. He was the stand-out at Geelong in the head hunting duties.

These 'flashbacks' of the MFC past stretch for years - over 100 years - but in the last fifty years there have been some players, teams, incidents, outcomes and matches from which great depths of MFC understanding have been moulded. It is just as important for us to recognise our wonderful history as it is to genuflect on our possible future. The passage of time diminishes our losses and disappointments, but those who have seen, felt and cheered the MFC across the decades have a story to tell and share - and it is one of many facets and hallmarks. Each of these has been inspiring. Each is part of a mortar that binds. For those who have missed much of this history ( possibly only as an age difference ) listen and reflect on the related memories of those who sat through time on the edge of their seats watching the MFC. There is a groundswell of opinion and appreciation that leans towards our history repeating itself - and now is the time to take that step.

Nichols was a beast - levelled by Laurie Fowler in his Richmond days prior to joining the Dees whilst being held in position for Laurie's follow through by big Neil Balme. Some say that it was justice for what Nichols could do quite regularly to the whole of the rest of the competition. As a ruck, Big Nick was more than handy for Carlscum and he took no prisoners in that effort.

Barry Davis, Essendrug champion par excellence.

Truly underrated - he was a brilliant player who was always into the hot zone, clearing and teaming, terrific kicking skills, agile, tough and fast. In later times, in purple patches of a few games, young Dean Kent made me blink twice - he had Hassa's attributes at times, and Kenty looked very similar to Hassa on the ground when moving towards the ball - he even kicked a little like Hassa but not as prolific or effective. Kenty kicked a big one last season, a very important goal at the end of the game. Hassa did this many times across particular games in the days of 'individual efforts'.

Port are in trouble this year...bad start will again be the cause. Loss of confidence in the coach will be another cause. Everyone I talk to about footy considers the Dees to be the team to beat this year - almost all are assured of a Demon GF play-off with a solid win going to the RednBlues.

I reckon that the big Braydon P will handle them all - and if May can play and does - Port are complete history - with Tracc and Clarry and Brayshaw running wild.

Just one of those past memories, on the day. Maybe it was half time but I lean towards pre-game in that haze of the passage of time. I was also transferred to Adelaide for a few years and then on to Queensland for a similar timeframe, so that affected my enthusiasm for Membership renewals.

Yarra Bend Park - Home of the Melbourne FC. Like it... but parking, facilities, direct transport services, locals' approvals, Council buy-ins and even political buy-ins or politicians' profiteering. There is a great deal against this idea - but it might be worth it if the MFC cannot gain sole occupancy of the traditional home of football, the MCG. The co-tenants had been given an opportunity to co-develop their existing facilities as (a considerable amount of) years traversed for co-tenancy of the 'G to exist and set-in like a plague. They became comfortable in this 'squatting' and in relative terms, did nothing to update, acquire or refresh their own (modest) stadium. A 5-year warning plan should be put into operation by the MCC - even if these clubs have to share a facility outside of the MCG - to pack their bags, move out, move on and get independent of the liability that they have created. More games at home for the Dees, I say. Less input from the vested interests of the AFL, I say. I sat, once, at the MCG Members Bar, enjoying a solitary beer before a game glad that eventually, after 24 years of waiting, my MCC membership came through. The irony of that situation was too much to bear - I was the only Demon supporter there! It was flooded with supporters from Richmond, the Filth, Carlscum. Quite at home, they felt. I let my Membership slip as a consequence.

I have wondered if Jesse was approached by Ross Lyon to save his (Lyon's) job at Fremantle on a promise of a contract extension.

I'd think we would all agree on that because of the plethora of skills that Salem has displayed in a mixed team that rarely involves him in all aspects of the game; what he has shown is a superlative consistency in his application (when the team time aspect of his game was involved). Skills? Most definitely 'YES'. More game involvement? I just wonder about his previous injuries, medical conditions, body build for the rough stuff; so far, he has been more than useful and at times, brilliant. Team maturation will bring out his best, I'm sure.

Are we creaming up to the umpiring fraternity so that the terror of the 'white maggot syndrome' does not interrupt our very successful coming season - particularly against the Filth?

E-nuff of this 'nuff talk' as it leads to nuffin. Fairy nuff?