Deemania since 56

Cannot tolerate this thread, at all. Poorly managed alleged incident; poorly developed into a real witch-hunt. In Melbourne during the week, without encouragement, guys in a pub we convinced of some errant insider information that the player concerned in the allegations was identifiable and outwardly stated that case. Rather sickening, really. Speculation and all-knowing rumours destroy one's faith in the processes of law and/or the sanctity of innocence before proven guilt. Sorry state of affairs.

A tremendous loss for us all. He was a very rapidly developing player with some silky natural skills when, in his moment of glory, was taken. I hope the club can make some appropriate statement on his memory and behalf; he was certainly an impressive young man who happened to also be a very talented footballer. RIP

The game is now out of our hands, largely. One corporate ticket is worth more to the AFL than 10 general admission tickets - and the fanfare for catering and refreshments and ego-time seems to have surpassed the general principles of spectatorship and team loyalties. In a very short time, footy will be out of the reach of those who made it great with their loyalties and affiliations. If this is going to be the case and in fact, does eventuate, its 'goodbye' from me and 'farewell' from him. All we really wanted was a seat, a beer and a pie with sauce - for two hours per week during the season - or even more occasionally. Shame really, the AFL hierarchy seem to prefer to behave like politicians with their accumulated largess.

That would be great, FD.

Don't like to recognise this feature of Jack W but must agree...it could well be a laconic outcome in the coming season as he had plenty of opportunity last season to shine consistently. As for OMac, unless he improves at the contest, he will deserve to be a whipping boy amongst a growing consensus of supporter assessment. Unless, of course, he becomes a Casey regular where his alleged potential is further developed.

Be confident, folks. We have a reason to win - making up for the last round last season - and the way our players returned from their break fit, ready to train and their training at the standard (according to these epistles and reports) that is being achieved. If we run, we beat Geelong. We have proven players in situ to take care of whatever the Cats may throw our way.

Break open a game up forward? Against which Melbourne players? How likely are Hibberd, Clarry, Jetta, Lever, Frosty and AN-B to allow this to happen, at all? Will Viney go missing? Our backline is elite, at last. Terribly elite and many of these players are not part of this list that first came to mind. Our only weakness is OMac. I agree that these Geelong players are also elite but doubt whether they will be able to break the Dees in 2018. Fair dinkum.

ditto, ditto... Winning matches would be great, too - filling the 'G with Dee supporters when playing there. Reclaiming territory long lost to other teams with an AFL profits agenda. Match receipts, on an ever-increasing cycle of significant success. Developing a win mentality that is antagonistically arrogant to all opposition. Become a feared opponent, once again. Pass the rock'n'roll jukebox, Baby.

Two different games but a repetition of poetry in motion by Viney. Just like Vince on Dangerfield. Ablett can be next if he wishes, cos Petracca or Oliver will get his season off to a bad start and one must think that Frosty could artfully intercede at a critical moment.

Ripper photo, ripper idea...ripper year ahead. All fits...

...and no matter what, Ablett will be well cared for by the umpires, extracting the sympathy vote at every opportunity...for which he has some fame over the past two years .... Possibly best if Frosty takes care of him across the game, preventing him from staging and getting into hot water .

Never forget, the third midfielder, Dangerfield, cannot stand having a 'weekend with Bernie' or Petracca, or even Frosty - cannot forget that game Bernie played on him, for example. Made him look ordinary...

Derr, whatdya mean?

Cameron Mooney can go to take a huge jump off a cliff, as far as his ideas on the MFC might be concerned. He is a battler amongst football commentators and football-interested parties, and once again, in order to make a headline or a by-line he has come forth on this issue as expected. This is not an issue anyway. It is an agreement between coaching staff and players, wherein some players expressed an opinion in their training sequencing at present and simply, were heard. Big deal?

Cannot get myself to watch or read about the AFWL or whatever - women are not suited to playing football and my conscience says that we should protect the fairer gender from the ravages of competitive, physical trauma in its many forms. Call me 'old fashioned, sexist, biased or again, whatever' but it is a fact, for me. I hope that the current overload of girlie football ends soon, allowing interested football followers of old and many of 'new' to not have their footy browsing, news editions and reports interrupted by what my mates and I regard as 'tripe'. Just an opinion so slice me up as a misogynist or a whatever, whereas I really enjoy watching the competitive outcomes of netball, hockey, gymnastics and bake-offs. I think it has much to do with 'domain' but don't quote me, or whatever.

I used to be a secondary English teacher.....

Let's move on, folks. A chink has erupted between ourselves - I bet that the Club is over it, already. I am sure that the Club reflecting on the decision does not regard it as a chink - and never did. There is no point discussing this issue further.

Correct. With the recently adopted 'head protection rule', it was clear - whether deliberate or not - that contact to the head was to be penalised, instantly. We then had a situation where the players, themselves, worked out that by 'ducking' and 'craning, at times', head contact could be enabled and made look terribly serious when it was not. Certain Port Adelaide 'stars' initiated this rule bending to good effect. I just wonder what 'reckless' and 'deliberate' might mean. Soon, we will have a legalised 'scrum' as seen in rugby ...

Just wondering with so much discussion on Clayton kicking the ball more during the 2018 season, in contrast to his excellent hand-balling and 'taps' to advantage - will we see the demise of the most talented handballs of all that he produces each week - the behind the back handball that he nails so often and mystifies his opponents. It truly is a wonder to observe - how does he do it? Not even Polly Farmer could do that!

I wanted to call any one of my sons 'Ronald Dale' but she who must be obeyed let me down on this one.....

Let's give him some space, guys...

Chook, Percy was great and perhaps, down at Portsea, it would be a great idea. He worked them hard but he knew their limitations and injury susceptibility. There has never been a better conditioner of the athletic type. Very good for us to remember that icon of Australian sport.

NIce work, great news, well done.

Hey, it's over. Let's see the fellas get down to some continuing, hard-tack footy training and teamwork - they are going to be playing football so they should be honing routines, drills and practices that are closely related to football as we currently know it to be. Let us not start preparing for commando raids on opposition teams this early in the pre=season; let's not consider a 'who dares, wins' psychological and familial profiling - an on-field synchronised drill full of 'eyes right', 'salute the Commander, 2, 3...', fake reality irrelevance - that will interrupt and sabotage what has already been achieved across the past few months.