Deemania since 56

Early days yet, folks; big op - great that he feels that he can turn up to training and participate at this stage. Scar pain feels similar to the injury itself so a wise move to be cautious but this is an early point to even be able to contemplate a return. He is in good hands and most probably will not be too far off full blown effort and involvement.

Looks good subject to a great pre-season and injury recoveries. I'd drop OMac for Frost - on game-style grounds and rebound value. Oscar may be better used as a forward in this team.

Moves like a steaming locomotive, faster than a speeding bullet, images of a Rioli superman, for mine. Mild-mannered, too with just a touch of mongrel. Perfect acquisition.

There is a great silence around Jeffy and his form slump in 2018 that questioned his attitude and worth. Looking at that slump and its duration, my bet would be that it was solely an injury complaint upon which one hellava personal matter may have descended taking an even further toll on his football readiness at the time. I have confidence in his capabilities and qualities for the MFC team in 2019 - he is a great crumbing forward, with pace and strike awareness. He can be - and is - a terrific defensive opponent tackler from some remarkable chase downs. He is a 'must have' in our Premiership team next season. Best wishes to him with a return to form and effectiveness.

We are going to miss 'Mr Reliable' (Pedo) in the coming season. Taking that mark, kicking that goal, flattening that opponent and then helping him back onto his feet.

Thanks for that perspective.

It would not be good form to discount the Preuss we picked up - he is highly motivated, young and teachable, driven to succeed in a Max environment and very likely to come out of the blocks of the MFC with roaring form and appetite to invoke opposition fear, trepidation and uncertainty at the widespread level. He is no 'Gentleman Cox', at all. At Preuss' age with his experience so far, Maxy was well known as 'Gawky', and he developed somewhat from that crassness. Preuss is going to murder opponents and play on as a very big part of our team.

If you saw Chris Connolly play football - usually well beaten against height, weight and reputation - you would not say 'Yuck'. That guy was a terrific footballer who played 'above his weight' week in, week out to terrific effect in very weak MFC teams - for several arduous years in terms of win-loss outcomes. His onfield victories against big names were stacked up like a pack of cards at the one-on-one or two-on-one contests. Even his aerial duels were the source of unexpected poise and power. It may not have transferred to his coaching career in all regards but it was difficult, at that time, to discount his game interpretation.

Agreed, Chook. A little disappointed that when given the chance to pick up Bailey Williams, we hesitated and this allowed West Coast to nab him as he would suit their game (for what it is worth, it would have completely suited and enhanced our game more invaluably, and could have addressed and strengthened our forward entries scoring results enormously).

We probably have enough tall forwards, I'd think. The base: TMac, Weideman; a new possibility is OMac who is a possibility as Frosty is better than him in the backline; I am sure we will take advantage of a swinger or two in the Preuss/Gawn resting ruck/forward role should May, Jetta and Lever crush opponents; on that, May threatens to have a spell or two in the deep fwd position, then Tim the Smith, and even Joel Smith is not an unlikely fwd hit. I'd like to see Preuss at FFwd and TMac at CHF supported by our increasingly elusive smalls and mediums. The Weed can be propped permanently between FF and HFF in a roving utility role - bursting pack marks hopefully for scoring opportunities - anything within 50 metres would be fine, whatever angle it may be.

....and will continue to receive AFL blessings and approvals as sole recipients until the current AFL hierarchy is disbanded and replaced. Already several rule changes have come into play (as these were appropriate for the Essendrug game).

Not criticism, just an opinion - sorry for the harshness, it was unintended.

With a proper footballing salary and incentives, he'd have completed his work rate awareness-raising. A junior with a critic's opinion of work rate blues? Bloody ridiculous assessment.

Spot on, 'Balls! Frost should be our CHB in the new structural order. He is a genetic mirror in the learning of May's game and thus, a great link man for May's game, Jetta's challenge and, run and carry, Lever's intercept, HIbberd's rebound. Better still, Frosty is getting better at almost everything needed and his run and carry is less easily intercepted, interrupted and interpreted. He is a boomer kick for clearances and a quick re-setting of the backline. If he was doing these things pretty well (love the understatement that you have used) then he is going to do these things bloody well in 2019.

With Gawn and Preuss to combine for the ruck duels, I do not see Williams being needed in that role, just yet. I do see Williams developing rapidly into a KPF of some note and as a mobile big fella with attitude within the fwd line, holding those attributes and attitudes within the game that not even Jesse Hogan could muster, as hoped and craved by Dees' supporters. These are the things that I have seen, quoted elsewhere by the media ' judges': 'Making his impact felt for Dandenong in their convincing win over Bendigo, Bailey Williams was the focal point up forward, consolidating his draft stocks as a likely late first or second round choice. The 198cm, 95kg, key position prospect posted 15 disposals, 11 marks (four contested), 12 hit outs, four inside 50s, one goal and four behinds What makes Williams so threatening is his aerial attack on the ball. He reads the drop well and times his run and jumps cleverly. Each time he elevated for marks on the weekend nobody could defend him. His height, reach, elevation and strength to absorb contact in the air made defending Williams an impossible task, even when double teamed in marking contests. His leading patterns are a further strength, something he does to perfection.' If we could give him 5 minutes of goal-kicking practice from the likes of our former greats - such as the 'similarly attributed' David Schwartz - then I truly believe we have a winner on our hands for years to come.

Has he got the 'mongrel factor' that is appearing in the Dees' team for 2019?

This is excellent news, stimulating thoughts that the Dees are getting serious, again. Whilst it has been a very long time for this groundswell to emanate from what has been an agony of doubts year in, year out, it certainly feels that the No.1 pedestal is about to be re-occupied by the Red 'n Blue for a lustful charge at invincibility for some years to come. 58 years of pain, or so, seems to have been vanquished.

Very generalist and seemingly uninformed article. Still, it provokes dreams with reality containment, to some extent.

VERY talented so hope he has a good pre-season of preparation for the season ahead.

This fella is valuable to us - moreso than many, many others and given our training and player development scenario, would most probably be our best pick for 2019, with Bedford in there just below pick 30. These two would take us to some very good places with our current team structures.

A future, tripartite, carrot-top fright machine for the Dees could be taking form: Clarry - so close to the best there is; Ginger Ninja Baker - speed machine flanker with smarts; and Bailey Williams - talents still just underdeveloped but already very obvious as ruck, outside mid, KPF. So let's complete the trio in the draft .... GET WILLIAMS!

Absolute cow tish ... what are the qualifying and preliminaries/semies for if not to lead to the final play-off. This would wreck our traditional, historical and practical finals series. Players at the end of the season whose teams make the GF are not to be expected to endure yet another 'round of finals pressure, both mentally and physically.

With what we have returning from injury and what we know to be short-term form lapses, we do not need another small as urgently as people may suspect. We need a bloody tough pre-season to develop attitudinal mercenaries with mongrel intent.

Williams is No. 1 for me. He can play tall and master rucking or develop into a KPF/D; outside with pace, movement and poise; and in the crush as a key navigator; and, is the owner of two very good hands somewhere up there in the stratosphere with a leap that would make a bullfrog proud. Bedford would be my No.2 who impresses me more than Rankine upon whom the eyes of the hopeful are transfixed. Just my opinions, nothing more.

I'd agree with this, as we do have speed in some young'uns at Casey who are on the verge of senior selection - and in reality we possibly need only two more ... in addition, the further development of a few (of the likes of Hunt, Wagner, Spargo, Stretch) - with the return to form and desire of Garlett - may well be the key as these guys know the brand, code, plays, teammates, set-ups and expectations across the field, already. KK will be a considerable asset, too, in this 'confirming' year of play and training to come. Given that we also have run from the backline now - with Hibberd, Frost, May, Jetta, Salem, et al, we are not going to need an overcooking of pace specialists, just open space finders and receivers with take-off skills and onfield space hogs. The quality of training and development for these bright sparks is perhaps most important to a stirring year of ball possession, delivery and opposition confusion.