Deemania since 56

Better than the days of old when the Coach yelled, each training day: 'Run until ya spew! The first to spew on me boots gets a can of Fosters!'

Just last weekend, I returned by car from two days in Bendigo to wend a wearying path home to my more recent colonial settlement in Adelaide. As a born and bred Victorian, I encouraged my daughter and sons to live/work in Victoria despite my absence (ie: to continue the blessed life to which they were annointed). This also provides me with an opportunity to break free of the shackles so South Australian that they oppress and depress the freed mind - one just has to get out! Regular trips to the 'G during the footy season are cathartic relief for my wife and me. Avid Demons, both. However, last weekend, my experience in crossing the Vic/SA border at Serviceton was extremely challenging. Sent back towards to Kaniva, then on further backwards to Nhill, I found by chance a Covid-19 testing station open on a Sunday, got tested, obtained the result, entered the result on my smart phone and found new words in my lexicon of filthy utterances to aptly describe the SA Police and their Border Entry proficiency, including the object ignorance and 'one-eyed rejection' of certificated double-vaccination achievements and two recent results of Covid-19 testing belowing 'Negative' presented to them for each of the two of us. The delay - particularly the certifications to be entered on the phones - was time eternal - overall, it delayed our 'normal' trip home to Adelaide by around seven hours! It is a journey I no longer wish to enter in the near future with no guarantee of assured, homeward-bound destination achievement; it is like seawater spilling from a hole in your sand bucket before you get back to the prepared moat around your sand castle. So, for the MCG Premiership celebrations, please forgive us for not attending on the 5th of December. For all you lucky people able to go to the event: have a wonderful time, enjoy, salivate, feel glorious, let ya hair down, sing songs of factual cardiac rhythm and rejoice. We will be with you in spirit. 'Carna Dees!

Golly, Ron. Hope you have sidestepped an infection. An entire army of Demon fanatics are respectively praying for your good health and well being. Carna Ronald Dale!

Great sign of future champions.

Frankly, the new twist on the word 'frank' is full of limitations - ideal stuff to come from the journalists seeking credibility - yet it obviates a casualness in meaning. Frankly, typical fodder and in no way is it utilised as a means of passage of the initial intent.

We will watch with interest. All the best with the draft selection, Mac. Get some great game-time in, some experience and development in all the necessary areas. You will have the opportunity to join the Mighty Dees sometime in the future, where 'the best' will be at your disposal.

Jackson might well do even better than Bontempelli in this role throughout parts of the games ahead.

Knew I'd get to see it all, and just once is enough. I remember going out to the Western Oval (Doggie territory) for a pre-season praccy match and before the game, Frosty and JV came along the boundary, stopping right in front of me. I asked if I could take a photo of them ... they said 'Sure...' Then, before the shot, Jack asked me if I wanted him to remove his shirt so that I could catch all the muscles in the photograph. I declined, 'Just a smile will do...' I replied.

Winger, coming into the game for outside-mid roles. Got the run, the carry, the positioning - and the eyes for teammates.

This was a great 'highlights' reel of BH. It made him look very coachable, very ready to develop to the big-time level, very innovative and 'sharing' with the ball and in getting the ball.

I like that - built-in 'mongrel' and attitude to attack the ball.

...but, it was Gorney who cleared from the centre, as well.

If you ask me, Demonstone, I reckon we just ran away with the chockie biscuits from these two draft rounds. JvR and BH were quite literally what we needed for our list - and were two young blokes so very close to the best available across both rounds.

Something to do with the Filth?

Cannot believe he lasted in the cheap seats to pick 39 - the end of round2. Great pick-ups, so far with only two selections. Our very healthy list just got a couple of vitamin pills.

Not at all, no need to apologise. It was one of my favourites, and I was indicating that I remember its usage, vividly.

OK, I will shut up, then.

Watching the highlights reel, for whatever its accuracy may be, JVR is showing some adept skills at both ends, on the ground and in the air. This is the player we needed, for sure. As for reminding me of someone from the past with similar skillsets, I think he may develop into another Graeme Molloy - height, weight to come, physique to come, skills to burn and develop, slight 'mongrel' attitude, confident of his role. Much to look forward to - can't wait!

I can imagine him in a year or two, under our coaching team with good physical conditioning, fitter, tougher, muscled, confident, even more capable from more intense match-play with Casey - a big win for Dees' fans. JT, you've done it again! Team balance in the near future is the priority.

We're going to get one or two rippers, tonight, downlisting - and pick up Woey's son - and develop two or five absolute stars from across the current listings. Happy with that, heh?

Hotel at the Adelaide Oval, booked for three nights, stayed one night under protest. Rubbish rooms, rubbish food, rubbish elevators, rubbish receptionist training/development. Great location. Grossly expensive. 200 ml orange juice, propriety brand from the supermarkets - $9.50 - for example. Supermarket price: $1.20 .Here endeth the complaint as it was repetitive - right across the board. Function rooms, empty. Bars and dining rooms, empty. Hotel itself, almost empty. Never again...

It is difficult to forget Ross Dillon. He really was a great forward who sprang from nowhere on the field once we straightened him out by snatching him from South Australia. Combined with Greg Parke (the most consistent mark in a very ordinary team), we had some terrific opportunities yet could not muster winning scores - even though these two tended to dominate the play week in and week out. The two of them really cemented my enthusiasm for the Mighty Dees, as well. As for Liam, we needed to take better care of him as a playing member of the Melbourne Football Club - it may well have assisted him to become the longer-term champion he deserved to be - by golly, he had some skills; it would have been wonderful to see him do it all across a 5-year career (at least) to assist a strengthening team hit the bigtime, earlier. I think we all dreamed that of/for Liam.

Brett Bailey was quite a champion and highly versatile.

As the snow wafted down in the gaslights of the town in fairyland reality, as a young man, I had a very romantic night in Heidelberg and a fabulous breakfast the next morning. Hence, fond memories of my own '...student prince...' experience and Germany, in general, several times.

Fully agree - it was a beauty. It was also protected by TMac in the goal square at the goal line, the epitome of teamwork at its best. That kick nailed it - destroyed the Doggies' backs (who thought that it was covered for a tapped point score).