Deeoldfart

Hey Jaded, the rumour mill is saying that we might all receive a long awaited gift 6 days later. Not a birthday present, but reward for our eternal patience ? . The post script also says that it might only be an 'interim' present, with more coming our way in the following weeks. ??

100% agree mono. It's hard not to 'like' every post in this thread. We are extremely fortunate to have so much talent on our list, and we should be extremely grateful to our Board, Roosy, Peter Jackson and his team, and the whole Football Department for setting us down this path, and holding the course. To think a player like James Harmes is getting (very deserved) recognition in this thread, is testament to exactly that. Isn't it great to be a Dees supporter?

Neville because of his life and football 'stories'. He lives by his 'values' both on and off the football field. A truly inspirational footballer and person.

A definite no from me. Jayden Hunt has some similar attributes, but is a much better footballer. Continue to work on Hunty's development and build his confidence, and save the list space for (hopefully) another Jason Taylor late pick gem.

Ah, now get it!!

Unnecessary!

Harmesy, Gus and Frosty. Wow, that's some huge improvement in critical areas of our team, all in the space of a couple of months. No wonder we are hitting September with momentum. The sort of stuff that dreams are made of!

Touching story CBDees. Thanks for sharing with Demon fraternity on here. Every last one of us want your fabulous 'find' to be a positive omen for the future. I have every confidence that your dad would be very proud of what our team is becoming.

I've always liked Harmesy because of his rough and tough style and the fact that he grew up as a Demon. However, I never held high hopes for him as a footballer, and thought he would probably finish his career at Casey, having fallen short of achieving Life Membership of the Club that he has always loved. That would have been sad. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would go from 'fringe player' to solid 'foot soldier and handyman' to a star in of one of the best midfield combinations in the AFL, all in the space of six months. His rise has been phenomenal! As an aside, the panel on Fox were talking about Harmsey in the post match on Sunday evening. One of the panel said that Macca has taken a very close interest in his development. At one point Harmsey had lost a player driven bit of fun ('spinning wheel?') and the penalty was that he had to shave his head. Harmesy wasn't keen on the 'prize' and Macca took the 'medicine' for him. Love it!

I think our representation is about right. Max and Clarry have been our clear standouts, while TMac and Gus probably needed to play all games to come into more serious consideration ........... and while I love Nev, I have to acknowledge he has had a couple quieter patches this year. Lets face it, AA selection is a nice little accolade for the players concerned, but that's all it is. I'm sure that none of our boys will lose sleep as a result of their non-inclusion in the squad. They play a team game, where little and often inconspicuous acts make a world of difference. We have taken these to a new level in recent weeks, and maintaining and advancing these 'team first' acts is what will really count over the next month!

Just like last week, it was a great win on the back of an outstanding team effort. I found it almost impossible to separate Max and Harmesy for bog, but in the end I gave it to Max by the width of one of his whiskers. 6. Gawn 5. Harmes 4. Salem 3. Frost 2. Brayshaw 1. Oliver

Our beloved Demons just keep giving and giving. My heart is exploding with pride right now. Hard to keep a lid on it, but I don't have to. Onward and upward into September Dees!

A week ago we played the second top team, in a hostile environment, and convincingly won a high pressure / high stakes ‘finals type' game. If we produce the same form, composure and ‘never-say-die’ attitude at the G today, we will win again. I think we will do exactly that, and step into September in top form and with the self-belief to play all-comers anywhere. Get it done Dees!!

Goosebumps ......... absobloodylutely! But imagine how it will feel in the lead up to our first final, especially if we beat GWS this week and go into September with momentum. And the week after, and the one after that and beyond! Demonland will be rockin' like never beforeI A pipe dream maybe, but I'm developing some very real belief in our team in 2018!

Different sort of tears that day DJ.

I agree Wise. In fact, if there was one thing that really struck me on the weekend, it was our composure in tight / pressure plays. I thought it was as good as I have seen from our team in a very long time. I was particularly impressed that it didn't fall apart in the last quarter when things got really tight. Hopefully it's a sign that we are maturing as a group, and it will increasingly become the norm. It makes a huge difference.

Yep, I'm guilty as charged Uncle. The whole nation is laughing about the seat of Government, and the current goings on in the House on the Hill. Canberra is a laughing stock akin to the Demons in the Neeld era. (ps. I hope I haven't broken any thread protocols by mentioning that particular former coach in this post)

(Much to my detriment) I rarely visit this thread, but I've called in today in an attempt to restore some sanity to my life and well-being. You see, I live in Canberra, and I don't think I need to say any more than that. Sincere apologies if I have derailed the thread.

Thanks 000. Really appreciated!

Thanks for your training reports over the last little while 000. They are both well written and very informative. Given that you have become 'a regular' in this role, I was wondering whether you could provide us with an assessment as to how you have viewed the overall quality of training over the last (say) 4 to 6 weeks. For example, have you seen improvements (or otherwise) in specific areas such as skill execution, intensity, voice / leadership over that period(?); and have there been any significant changes to the focus of the drills over that period? I know I'm asking an awful lot, and I recognise there are a number of variables that can impact on quality (such as the weather, and the individual form of the players, etc), so I'll understand fully if you ignore this post. In short, I guess I'm asking you to put yourself in the shoes of our Match Committee, and tell us whether, iyo, the overall quality of training has recently trended up, down or 'steady as she goes'. Thanks again.

I have no doubt that we will win, and win well, if we can bring our best football to the 'G'. Our win over the Eagles was outstanding, and despite our disappointing form against some of the better sides at our home ground this year, I can see no reason why we can't reproduce our best on Sunday. If we do that, we will go into September well rested and brimming with form and confidence. In those circumstances, it would be a brave pundit to predict our early demise. Just do it boys .......... one step at a time!

Loved how up-beat everybody was. Thanks everyone!

Thanks for showing us that Queanbeyan Dee. Good for a laugh and to read the odd 'humble in defeat' post. Let's rvisit next week if they tumble out of second spot. That could be hilarious, but only if we win, of course.

I didn't watch all of all games on the weekend, but from the 80% I did see, the thought process underpins some of these selections seems awry. Most notably, they seem to lack a sense of the impact that various players had on their respective games / results. But who really cares anyway? What the absence of Melbourne players does demonstrate, is what a fantastic team performance it was to get us the four points. I'm far more proud of that fact, than I would be if we had 3 or 4 players in this gimmicky 'team'. I'm sure that our players and Match Committee would feel the same way.

The word "rigged" in the header.