No. 31

Walsh will have back issues for his whole career after he had surgery on it last year, he and Carlton need to find the right balance for training loads and recovery. Not the first sportsman to face such issues and won't be the last. Will poll very well in the Brownlow in 2024 is my sneaky tip ...

Red & Blue are prominent colours in the flags of both Koreas, South and North 🇰🇷🇰🇵😊 Also, in traditional Korean folk culture Demons are called Dokkaebi 도깨비 Dokkaebi don't have the negative connotations of Demons as in some other Asian cultures. The Dokkaebi can have supernatural powers, sometimes used in positive ways, sometimes not ... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dokkaebi#:~:text=Dokkaebi (Korean%3A 도깨비) are,and at times helping them.

JVR has an edge to him and I can see him developing into a quality forward. I expect him to step up another notch in 2024.

I got a Demons Digital Membership even if I have Carlton Home Game Membership. An additional $19 saving not enough to entice me, rather give some money to the Dees. If we see an upturn in GWS memberships this year, it might be Kayo fuelled 😁

Interesting about the water table being so deep, you could possibly sink one of the ovals to provide some solid capacity for viewing ... 🤔

I would say the likelihood of a boutique 25K stadium at Gosch's Paddock is low. Who will fund this? There would be plenty of local community opposition I would think, perhaps not as heated as at Yarra Park but still substantial. Also the footptint of this stadium may erode into the training fields for the two professional rugby code clubs who train at AAMI/Gosch's Paddock - Melbourne Storm in Rugby League and Melbourne Rebels in Rugby Union (Carn the Rebs!). I would have thought the bang for buck would be much better investing in Princes Park as a home for AFLW. A new 25K stadium at Gosch's would not come cheap whilst Princes Park wouldn't require much investment to turn it into a quality 25K stadium without any local planning headaches.

Is the premiership 'window' for MFC closing? No, not at all. Sure important lynchpins like May and Gawn are 32 now but the Demons have been quite adept with their draft recruiting and free agency gives them options given that MFC has a healthy financial situation. No reason why the Dees can't replicate how Geelong, Swans and C'Wood have stayed in the mix for Premiership relevance for extended periods. I certainly expect the Dees to be in the mix for the top 4 again this season and if the injury gods are kinder to them they can go all the way again as they did in 2021. Will be interesting to see how JVR matures, he looks to be quality forward in the making. Will also be interesting what mature newcomers like Billings and McAdam can bring to the table. Clayton Oliver is a big question mark though. If he can sort himself out then the Dees should be a real force in 2024.

The fruit giving tradition is common in other parts of Asia as well. Koreans love to gift pears, apples and strawberries. Mmm Korean pears ... 🤤

Should auld acquaintance be forgot ... ... whenever I hear the opening verse I think 'Keep your eye on the red and the blue!' ... maybe I have been on this forum for too long 😁 HNY to all and all the best for 2024 🍾🥂🎉😊

I switched from Kayo monthly subscription to an annual Kayo subscription via MFC Digital Membership. Activation email arrived 1 Dec ... all good 👍😊

How the set up at Caulfield might look and function will most definitely depend upon where the MFC ovals & facilities are located inside the racecourse precinct. If you want a mini stadium for AFLW/VFL then I would say Glen Huntly Oval on the southern side would be the best option as you could have stands and light towers (which do not impeed views from the existing racecourse stands) and then have a second practice oval inside the race track. Any cricket or football clubs displaced could get a new oval inside the track area. This would require some additional negotiations with City of Glen Eira because Glen Huntly Oval is separate to the race course trust AFAIK. Additionally, allowing access to Glen Eira Secondary College could probably trigger governmental funding if done the right way ... 🤔

LOL The Carlton Canine Crew barks a Merry Christmas back at you (I am dogsitting my sister-in-laws pooch over the festive season) 🐶🎅🥂😊 Wishing all here a Demonic Christmas/Hanukah/Festivus and all the best in 2024 🍾🥂

That will be a hard sell and doesn't fix the issue of a second oval. I would have thought a new facility somewhere at Yarra Bend Park would be a better bet for them ...

They definitely need a second oval. Gosch's Paddock could be a possibility if the Dees migrate to Caulfield.

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/club/punt-road-oval-redevelopment

Quite possibly, would be amusing 😄 Richmond are planning to have a major re-development of the Punt Road Oval which should see them have a great, modern facility. They will only be lacking a second oval and I could see them renting Gosch's Paddock Oval for the secondary oval if MFC were to move to Caulfield.

I often catch the Cranbourne & Pakenham Line trains and usually do Richmond to Carnegie in 13 minutes. You won't do Calufield Racecourse to MCG in 10 minutes but you will do Caulfield Station to Richmond Station in about 10 minutes. Actually, the Cranbourne & Pakenham Line trains will use the new Metro Tunnel scheduled to open late 2024 or early 2025 and will mean that Caulfield will become easily accessible to the the inner north and the western suburbs by public transport.

Its on youtube, worth watching for those that have not seen it. Clear and concise presentation.

^^ $40 million just for land acquisition and still would need an arrangement with Port Melbourne FC. Probably more complicated negotiations than with MRC and the Trust at Caulfield Racecourse 🤔

I know some are saying that a training facility is all about the players and coaching staff and I get the point and largely agree but it should also occasionally be a home of sorts for fans, when they have open training sessions, family days, maybe even Premiership celebrations. I went to the Carlton open training session at Princes Park on Saturday. Several thousand people there, it felt like a community gathering, young kids looking at the trophies, memorabilia, old jumper exhibitions etc (that has been done really well at Princes Park). If done properly it should be more than just a place where players train and yes the location is important. It should be a place that helps the fans connect to the club and its history. MFC should most definitely try to have a museum component, being in the rare position of being the founding club of the whole sport. If that can't attract some government funding I don't know what will.

Ardu is originally from Darwin but she has been living in Melbourne for over a decade.

A main oval with spectator facilities here, the Admin and indoor training areas on the parcel next door to Glen Huntly Oval. A second MFC Oval inside the race course track and the cricket club displaced from Glen Huntly Oval to another oval inside the race track perimeter. That way you could get an AFLW & VFL ground. Incorporate some facilities that Glen Eira college next door can use and you will see a governmental funding component. Anyways, that is how I would approach it.

Caulfield per se may not necessarily be 'Demon Heartland' but nearby areas like Malvern, Malvern East, Glen Iris, Ormond, McKinnon, Bentleigh, Murrumbeena etc most definitely are. If you were to pick which LGAs have a really strong concentration of MFC Members/Supporters I would say Stonnington and Glen Eira would be top of the list.

Haha, I will tone it down. I wish for a competitive and sporting football season in 2024, one where Collingwood doesn't make the top 4, Essendon goes another year without winning a final (or even making the top 8) and the Dees and Blues both go deep into September ...

LOL Leia, if you only knew the power of the dark side ... #Baggers_are_Flaggers_2024 😁