Deeoldfart

Imagine a perfect diamond set in pure gold, that's Robbie. The most graceful player I've had the pleasure of seeing in 60+ years following the game. He didn't run, he would glide across the ground, leaving opposition players looking befuddled and silly in his wake. Individual highlights are too numerous to mention here, but take it from me, Robbie was poetry in motion, like no other I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

I totally agree LDC. It's about having the complete package. The best recruits in the world won't win a flag without all the other components that you mention. Similarly, the strongest Footy Department in the competition will never lead to a flag without the right cattle to bring all the planning, training and other hard work to fruition on match day. That's why I'm so hopeful / excited about what's happening at our Club right now. Somewhat belatedly compared to many of our competitors, we seem to be entering the world of true professionalism, and leaving behind an era where we were 'pretenders', and could never realistically compete with the big boys in the competition. Like many (most?) Demonlanders, I always have a degree of anticipation and excitement at this time of year, but somehow this year it seems to be a lot more than that. I now have a healthy serve of confidence to go with it!

Us Demonlanders are truly being spoilt by the quality of the training reports we are getting this year ... but I guess we deserve it! (lol). Thanks Hells Gates.

I've been on a high all day since reading the article. Great stuff and most reassuring that we have joined the ranks of the professionals in the AFL.

I'm hoping that's the way the PSD pans out, leaving Jack Hannath to us if he's at the top of our list.

Brilliant insights. No true MFC supporter could help but be excited about what's happening at our Club. The sheer professionalism of the operation is amazing. I know we are heading in the right direction, and can't wait for the NAB Cup and beyond.

I agree Andy, that shot ^ is the one that always springs to mind when I think of Robbie. The one on the front cover of his book is the crispest action shot I can find in my collection.

In the unlikely event that he plays out of his skin for most of 2013 and then leaves, it would start a laughfest on Demonland Nasher! We might earn a marginally higher compensation pick than than the 'bugger all' we would earn today, and he would be a certainty to play back into his old skin for whoever picked him up in 2014. (Sorry if this sounds harsh Col, but it's true!).

Back to the future .......... to my eyes it sums up perfectly where we are at right now. Great job, and Cameron Schwab will love it too!

Seriously fantastic job .... in keeping with the transformation of our playing list.

I agree completely Ted. I've always been an insomniac, but if I'm compelled to lie awake at night, I'd much rather do it with my head full of anticipation and promise of a new day, and the dawn of a new era at the Melbourne footy club.

I have long since given up predicting that 'Col will have a breakout year', but a flicker of hope lingers somewhere in the back of my mind that suggests that Mark Neeld might know which buttons to push to get more out of Col. IMO Col will never have the desire or commitment to deliver on his potential, but if Neeldy can transform him from 'perennial teaser' to 'reliable trooper' he will have succeeded where all his predecessors have failed. Here' hoping!

Magpies one day, feather dusters the next. I love it!

I'm optimistic. If we assume that most this year's 35,000 odd like what they've seen in the off-season and sign again for 2013, and we are competitive in the NAB Cup and then notch up some early wins in the season proper, I reckon we could give the elusive 40,000 milestone a nudge. I'd love us to achieve this mark for Jimmy's memory alone.

Don McLardy: "As I stated in my last update, we will not take short cuts, we will continue to make hard decisions and we will continue to have high performance expectations of everyone associated with the Melbourne football club. In time this will translate into a club you will be proud to be associated with." No need to worry about me Don. I have, and always will be a proud Melbourne member ......... and rarely have I felt as proud as I have during the year from hell that we have just endured. Well done to everyone involved at the Melbourne Footy Club, and well done to all the supporters / members who have stuck fat during the lean times. The groundwork is being laid, and our day will come! There is a new spirit at Melbourne, and I really believe that one day in the not too distant future, we will once again be able to hold our own with the best in the competition. The expectation is palpable.

I'm wondering just what you have seen in Gysberts that has you rating him as 'highly talented'. His disposal skills are barely average for a midfielder, his marking and goal kicking are nothing special and he doesn't have the motor required to play as a midfielder anyway. Add to this his perceived lack of motivation and / or buy-in to the Neeld way of doing things, and and it made all the sense in the world to move him on IMO. Notwithstanding his injuries, I would add that he had plenty of opportunity to press his claims at Casey, but certainly didn't shine as a 'highly talented' player could reasonably be expected to do.

That's the only conclusion I can come to, although nothing was ever mentioned by the Club, and I don't recall any speculation to this effect in the media. His work rate was still there, but he didn't have the zip and surety that we had come to expect, and his kicking definitely lacked its usual crispness and penetration.

I just Neeld down and prayed for a premiership. Hope it works .... nothing else has.

I reckon you got it H_T.

Even some of the perennial pessimists (realists?) can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, so we must be doing something right. We may not set the world on fire in 2013, but we sure as hell won't be burned at the stake either. Bring it on, I say!!

........... but I like your thinking, even though it didn't take the cake.

Damn. I would have put my house on Stephen Newport. If you think about it (in a cryptic sense) he fitted the first two clues perfectly: #1 - Port us usually regarded as an aged drink (new port not as old as it would first appear); #2 - Port Adelaide the only port in the AFL. #3 would have thrown me big time. This quiz is certainly helping brush up my knowledge of the Dees down the ages. Well done to both quiz masters!

In 2030 I will be at Aust Sportsbet Arena (nee the G) in spirit only.

I agree 100% Deevoted! We already have the best in the world, and it has served us beautifully since its inception. Don't mess with it, or we run the risk of turning Goldilocks into a CW clone. Edit: changed to initials CW. Didn't want to personalise it.

I voted "I don't know". There are lots of people around here that have (or claim to have), more insight into these kids than I do. However, there do seem to be good arguments for going either way, and it's very likely that both will turn out to be very good 10 year players. I'm happy to support which ever way the Club goes on this one (assuming they have a choice), and I promise not jump on the bandwagon of those seeking mass sackings from our FD if hindsight suggests that we made a poor call on Thursday evening.