DeesFlag2020

I’m just predicting 3 flags in the next five years - that is all l care about in my football supporting life!

He is also a handy replacement should on of our key forwards go down or lose form. We only really uound top form in the back third of the season once our forward line struck form. It is essential for us.

He’s like all the Cats supporters l know: they don’t rate us, and really believe they have another six flags in them this decade. I hope they stay in denial because that means they will stay mid list or worse for the rest of the decade.

I would take it further than that. Max, and the JACKO outskilled them. A case of “ if Max doesn’t get you, Jacko will!” Exactly as it played out!

II think it is nonsense to say we suddenly drop out of the 8 if we lose particular players. One of the things that l love about our list building is we now have such depth, and our recruitment has been not only geared to our long term future, but to give us an insurance against injuries. We now have most positions covered. I love in particular the recruitment of Dunstan: unwanted by the Hawks because of his poor kicking skills, but in most other aspects elite particularly his hardness at the ball. We have several players who were recruited from other clubs because of lack of skills, but had great strengths as well (eg Langdon). Just as Choco’s academy taught him to kick, so it will for Dunstan. It is very reassuring that we have such smart people running our club. Brilliant list management by our guys, and just gives further credence to the confidence we have built for the future.

Yes, we should all acknowledge Sparrow’s elite kicking in this. This guy is going to be a star into our long term future!

I must say l left my sitting room not long after the 3rd quarter started. Couldn’t stand the tension. But l couldn’t resist a sneak at the 16 min mark. Wow what a thrill. Indeed many thrills. Such glory which l still even today have not recovered from. The Dees have a magic model which will sustain us for much of this next decade. My dad ( who died in 2000 after fanatical support for the Dees all his life, which he passed on to his sons), and maintained all his adult life managed to convert his crew in the Middle East in his Wellington bomber to be Dees supporters in 1943, just before they were shot down and two of them became POWs in Germany (sadly the other 5 died). He said as a POW, his Demon scarf was his most prized possession! He would be over the moon with this win just as we used to be as kids with him in the Grey Smith stand. I only wish he was here to enjoy it with us. I am sure l am not alone.

I think many have overlooked a key aspect of this scheduling. We can play at this time because it is the first match of the season, therefore no match the previous week. It is a great opportunity for us to have a standalone match and has the added bonus of being the first of the season with the heavy publicity that brings. I think it is a fantastic idea and an appropriate reward for the previous season’s outstanding team which we undoubtedly were.

It is interesting to speculate where his best position will be going forward. He is built like a rugged onballer, but we have plenty of outstanding versions of them. I suspect he will end up on the wing, or centre, certainly has the class for both. Not sure yet about his endurance, but no doubt we will find out in the next year or so. Certainly an amazing prospect….

Roos succeeded Nield at a time of crisis overseen by the AFL with the management under Jackson. What Roos did was to create a stable professional environment so that the club could be rebuilt and was a more attractive and professional set up to attract quality players. In that process Jackson and Roos oversaw the appointed of Goody as a designated successor in a two year timeframe but with a much stronger list. This also allowed Goody time to set his own environment and to attract his own coaching/management team. The recent premiership would not have been possible without that process under Roos/Jackson, although the vision and professional set up we now have is clearly Goody’s, with a strong recent contribution from Gary Pert.l. Am not disputing Gioody is primarily responsible for winning the flag, but initial insightful and visionary management certainly helped.

His elite running ability eventually gets them every time. No-one has his endurance or commitment. Was a key part of our premiership….

I agree. We were a mess as a club then, and it was not until Roos came in that we started the reforms that have lead to our current success. Part of this is we are now getting the best out of our playing Group, which obviously includes developing young talent effectively, to the extent that it seems we are elite in that pathway in the AFL. I have no doubt the Billy Stretch would have benefited greatly from that environment, along with a number of other recruits which we managed to burn. Our current recruitment and development pathways are setting us up for sustained success. Exciting times.

The fact that he is captain of the WA under age side shows he has great leadership potential, and obviously potentially great skill as a player. The question l have is he more Jack Viney than Billie Stretch. We will soon see l guess….

Sounds a bit like a young David Neitz: about the same size, can play back (remember Carey rated Neitz the best back he had played on) and forward. Hope he can kick and mark as well as big DN, as well as a gun shot for goal. From all the write ups about him, he sounds as though he has all those attributes and like Neitz he sounds like a beast. The only doubt expressed being his endurance no doubt bought on by the glandular fever he had last year. This will be corrected when he gets into the Dees system and goes through our pre season programs. Sounds like yet another outstanding move by this Administration.

Reminds me of a young Dusty. Big statement l know, but justified…