Deemania since 56

Next season will be bigger and better and the players are gearing up for the intense stuff to come well prior to that season. As for the season itself, the Mighty Dees will unleash hell; there will be blood-letting for all opponents, there will be opponents forced to look wantonly heavenward for inspiration and counter-attack, there will be less direct interference across Demon games from umpire sympathies for those who dare to challenge our talents. Watch out, AFL, a new chapter is coming.

Whoever it is, he/they will be under intense and frequent scrutiny just to stay on par with what was achieved in the last few years. It would be unlikely that the Demon benchmarkers amongst the fittest players in the whole AFL system would forget what was required and how to get there, nor would our 'leaders' allow the rest of the team to slip from these standards of excellence that delivered a Premiership and immense team cohesion.

Everyone declares that ruckmen take time to develop. Surely Mac is allowed to do that, too? In such a developmental time, if we can recruit him, he'd most likely become a tall forward learning the Demon crafts and team roles as well as possible - and sometime in the future, graduate to a key rucking role as this development settles into something that his potential strongly suggests.

Several other sons of our greats of the past will be further tempted to get to the Dees under the F&S highway, as well, once they realise that Taj made it - and would fit in just fine. This is in the true 'dynastic' evolution of our now-successful football team, surely? I'd be thinking Whitey(s), the Oxen and the Farmers, amongst others in that category...

On that point, the GF umpiring was quite obviously not what the Doggies expected; in saying that, what I mean is that the abundance of questionable frees they usually receive at questionable times on the ground, at questionable locations of the field - particularly in front of goal and at those moments of games when they have been slipping behind their opposition without much hope - nearly all diminished, gone and remained unpaid. The staging efforts were there across the GF, with the result that such staging '...wore them out..' - they would have been better served by actually winning the ball more effectively, more often, not reliant on actors' equity to get them across the line.

Yep, thought it was Dunkley, the pizzent. Well done, Kozzie, so quick, so effective, so very necessary, so justified. Thanks for confirming that, jnrmac.

That Kozzie spoil - to enable the split-second Petracca decision to line-'em up - was just fantastic teamwork providing the Trac possession to be converted into 6 lovely points. He got the bloke square-on, obviously sick to death of this Doggy's attempts to hurt Demon players right across the match after being beaten in marks, handballs and front positions. Farnknuckling by Kozzie, at its best.

Well, it is only early in the pre-season waiting period. Give it a cuppla weeks and it will be full to the brim.

That was an absolute beauty! Thank you.

That take-off speed is impressive and it must be realised that it is well short of a fuller, more distance-oriented full sprint than just a short 20 metre start. The full sprint takes (even the best athletes) at least 30 metres to be in the speed zone, accelerating further to 50 - 70m and then the finishing 30m to be sustained on top of that. He ain't running 100m from the midfield around an Olympic park to be in the play, so what he is achieving is well on the 'elite' level in respective requirements for the clearance in Aussie Rules footy, once possession or 'teaming' to receive has been ticked off. These talents are displayed (game in, game out) by our two 'invincables' who just fortified our winning of the Flag: Clarrie and Trac. Seems as though he is going to fit in nicely?

Of course that in not the primary reason. Geelong have spent an absolute footballing fortune on prosthetics, crutches, bandages and wheelchairs to assist prop up their list across 20/21. Ceglar's acquisition is proof that Geelong is making the most out of its prior investments and capital developments. Ceglar needs a back brace, a prosthetic knee, three ankle braces per foot, a pretty handbag for his limp wrist and as the 22 season progresses, the ongoing counsel of an Eastern mystic to remind him why he is out on a football field.

SHHHHH! This is secret men's business.

We have some extraordinary talents residing in our lists - youthful, keen, capable of learning (quickly), ready for an opportunity. Thus, it is difficult to consider how we can improve our lot; largely, it should be from our younger players who mostly reside at Casey. Perhaps, this coming season, recruitment is not as important as it has been in the past. I agree on Hibberd mellowing somewhat but also, TMac has noticeably shied from the competitive edge that he has displayed - particularly against other 'top sides'. We have some possible replacements for both of these journey-men of the MFC. A key CHF (in the old terms) would be a handy pickup should Tom not get back to his best. Not really expecting a great deal from the recruits as presented for the up-coming round of argy-bargy. If we are going to create a dynasty of the Demon, we'd most probably be better served by retaining and intensifying further development of the tickled red 'n blue genome from amongst all of our astutely selected and obtained youth. These players are really a potent lot already bricking the foundations of the Club's medium-term potentials.

Most of us actually think that you're going to have to get used to this, as are we all. Eckthighting, isn't it?

Dead right! Not good news at all for the Geelong supporters but extremely positive for all of the footy fans of the other clubs in the AFL competition.

Must agree - the above article from 'The Age' is cloaked in speculative innuendo that raises hopes in non-MFC supporters and otherwise biased journalists/media that Jackson is unhappy, home-sick and ready to depart. The lad is having the time of his life at the MFC and has accepted that role and its attendant responsibilities with absolute class and determination - as a family member of a great bunch of blokes and extended Club identities. No way is he going to leave - such a move would contradict all that he has given, achieved and adapted to at a great rate of knots. 'Carna' Dees; onyer, Jacko!

Knockout footballer, young Sparrow. Great talents, all coming together, so look out 2022.

Really good observation about Duntan's overall similarity with Stephen Powell! We need one or two of this type of player, as described by your good self, above. Has his form slump (at the Saints) been the result of injury, poor management or challenging availability on offer? There must be some reason why the Saints want to let him go ... if there is, we can address and repair that circumstance. If not, it was a dumb decision. Welcome, Luke Dunstan.

Absolutely the case - and it presented us with a dominating, real chance that the Premiership would be ours.

It is a great position to be in - prudent selections when these arise add more than depth to the team listings and raise the internal competitiveness of players in the 'just about made it' stakes across the levels of player value. The truly committed additions to our list will have enormous motivations to step up and step into the fray as Mighty Demons; this is a terrific feature of our recruitment of late, in an ever-present ascent and diversifying team profile. In the past twelve months alone we have some brilliant, hard gems awaiting polishing within and just beyond the coming new season of 2022.

He will add some sting to the Crows, whereas with the MFC, he will most probably remain a back-bencher with limited opportunities to play AFL given the (almost) surplus of budding young-uns warming benches or stuck with Casey games (not that anything is wrong with the latter) in the foreseeable future.

This is a loyal, hard-nut Demon if ever there was one. Focus and intent.

Whoever we can entice that has an existing interest for the MFC, Chocko and Yze are going to be incredibly important to the development that we would need, with the intent of topping-up our existing 22 best, that would include a good stint at Casey for the bread & butter entree.

Majak, with a full pre-season under the belt, with some confidence-boosting training displays and focus, could well contribute much to our line-up. He is - imo - well worth a go and may well shine in our improved culture and team spirit.

I have thought the same thing, as well. Ever since the 3/4 time siren during the game. Some words of continuing encouragement from Ron would be most appropriate and well-received. He is a man with many adoring friends who would wait patiently for his words of wisdom and his heartfelt sentiments about the team, the victory and their contributions across the game. A large part of me iterates - as it probably does for us all - that '...we did it for Ron...', from afar.