Demonstone

We had a bit of fun a couple of weeks ago with a conundrum about a team featuring a common link so, on this dreary wintery Wednesday, here's another one in a similar vein to help you get through the day. Again, this is a team (from the backline!) consisting of past and present VFL/AFL footballers, most of whom will be familiar to you. What links the players on each line? I've deliberately tried to make this one a bit more challenging with the interchange bench in particular most devilish. B: Mitch Robinson Michael Ford Andrew McLeod H/B: Sam Walsh Nick Gill Shannon Hurn C: Kevin Dyson Josh Kelly Zach Merrett H/F: Lynden Dunn Barry Hall Jack Silvagni F: Zac Bailey Jonathan Hay Stephen Milne R: Ben Hudson Russell Robertson Sam Mitchell I/C: Tom Hickey Brad Miller Steve Hoffman Toby Greene In the interests of fairness, at this early stage I'd like to limit each poster to two correct answers so as to give others a chance. Go for it!

Out of form sports player risks a quick look at social media ...

In that case, we'd all say "well done" but his best form is rare and he may be replaced by a medium. He's no longer raw, but is he cooked?

You can lead to the flank, use your rump to hold out your defender, t-bone anyone trying to block you, meat the footy with both hands and steak your claim as a forward who can last the forequarters.

Sam Weideman.

How?

He didn't want to pass up the chance to have one last go at coaching Collingwood in their Grand Final?

Now there's a clickbait thread title to cause heart flutters Rupert would be proud of! He's the "favourite" of Jordan Lewis. That's all.

A couple of things I've noticed again tonight that puzzle me about today's footballers: 1. The practice of spinning the ball in their hands as they're lining up for goal. 2. Taking a mark in the forward line then walking back not facing the goals. The first may just be a habit but the second was drummed into us from under 12s as a big no-no.

Given their (self-inflicted) carnage, Simpson and his donkey might be more appropriate.

I'm not willing to discus this any further.

Not sure I can get over that hurdle.

Oh dear, what have I started here? I think you all need to behave like pole vaulters and just get over it.

Two peas in a pod. Was there a porpoise to this teaser?

Correct! It's a ripper of a clue I reckon.

Didn't spot that bit at first, but I noticed the backline of F.U.C. which I thought was heading somewhere that may have caused you some serious trouble with the mods. Having the first name initials before the surname may have made a good poser even more difficult to crack.

If Olympic boxers are enthusiastic about social distancing in the ring, they can knock themselves out.

F.U.C.H.S.I.A.S. B.E.C.A.M.E. D.E.M.O.N.S. Sorry Timothy, all your hard work spoiled so early! I'll try to make amends by posing the finest cryptic crossword clue I ever encountered. HIJKLMNO (5) The answer is a common English word.

Nobody's cracked this one yet. Is the answer the patron saint of ups and downs, St. Francis of a See-Saw?

Go for it Colin, the more the merrier!

Assuming the answer is neither "black sheep" nor "Batman", the only connection I can make in my mind is the song "David Watts" which was written by Ray Davies and recorded by The Kinks and later covered by The Jam (with Bruce Foxton singing rather than usual singer/front man Paul Weller). As for the rest of the puzzle .... NFI I'm afraid. I think you'll stump many of us with this one, EO.

The floor is yours Superunknown! In the immortal words of Arthur Daley, the world is your lobster my son.

You left out "Smoke On The Water". I suspect this was not an oversight! If I had to choose just the one Deep Purple song, I'd probably go for "Highway Star".

Deep Purple it is. Thank you linespeople, thank you ballkids and goodnight.

Grateful Dead is correct. One more to go.