iv'a worn smith

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A new deal is imminent. Not a second, third or fourth tier sponsor, but one that will add cache to the club. If it comes off.......and it should.....another may jump on. If that happens, then some on this forum may be laughing on the other side of their faces. Rather than showing discord to potential sponsors, maybe......at least for a couple of weeks.....it might be worth our while to swallow our pride and just show what a united team.....supporters included.......we really are. However right or justified some feel on this forum, right now they could be causing irreperable damage. Just think of the message we all got last week on this very forum from Hankook. Anybody can join this forum and don't forget that.

Absolutely correct. Clearly a pointless exercise and I just want to now accentuate the positive. As I said, the [censored] for tat argument is getting boring and not just from your side Hazy.

The converse of that logic is that the difference can be exponential in the dry. The Bullies are a very skillful running side.

Sorry guys, but this is now getting very boring. Let's just get on with it, shall we? The seasons is just under 2 weeks away and you can't undo what you can't undo.

Does anyone have any information on Maric's progress regarding his injury?

No need for that. This is a forum after all. We may disagree in rigorous debate, but the amount of sledging i have experienced on this forum, in my view, is just not on. Footy is a passionate sport - no doubt - but can we at least stop eating our own? Go Dees

Understand your point Redleg. Small fowards can cause a lot of damage. The Bullies yesterday kicked to and found a target regularly. They found a lot of space, their midfielders penetrated our defences like we were a sieve on occasions and held the ball in their forward line. We were completely the opposite. Don't forget, the Bulldogs had 31 scoring shots to our 13. Had it been a dry day, things could have been very ugly indeed.

Great report WJ and up to your usual high standard, although I think you were a bit too "diplomatic" as far as Newton is concerned. Yesterday was my first trip out to Casey and I was very impressed with the facility. The playing surface is incredibly good and I understand the amenities will be improved with a more stands and a state of the art gym soon. I was also impressed at the number who turned up on such an atrocious day, including the locals. This really is a good move in my view. Spoke to some of the "locals" who had a couple of digs re Range Rovers and snow trips, but they are mostly positive toward the MFC. The only down side was the car park and the time it took to get out. Reminded me of the old Waverley days, in similar weather conditions. Hopefully this aspect will improve over time. Now, FWIW, here are just a few of my observations of the game. As WJ said, for the most part, we were very competitive, but in my view, we had to rely on the "usual" suspects. Green was excellent, Jones never stopped trying, Aaron Davey, was at times, his silky best and I really like the way he gets involved in directing "traffic". Cam Bruce and Junior did a few nice things. Our backline was generally solid with Warnock and Garland outstanding. Stef Martin seemed a bit off, but it was great to see Rivers put in a full game. He knows how to read the play very well and he just oozes natural talent. We need him to stand up this year. To me, Chooka and Beamer seem very underdone, although Chook did some really nice things early on. His second quarter was excellent. As WJ said, we just don't have a forward line. We rely on our more creative "smalls" to steal goals and we just don't hold the ball in very well at all. It amazes me, accepting our disposal still has a long way to go, that opposition sides find space constantly against us, and rebound out of their backline with such ease and then cut a swathe through us, right up the guts. If we are as fit as claimed, I cannot understand how we can't at least run into space off our half back line and also split sides open up the middle. Perhaps the answer is, we just don't have any viable forward targets at present and we just hold on to the ball far too long, in the absence of such a target. Now back to Newton. He was incredibly disappointing. He seems totally disinterested, has no fire in the belly and at one point, I saw him pull out of a contest. Even coming to the bench, there appears to be no emotion there and he does not seem to interact very well with the other guys. Buckley continues to have a go and can't be faulted there, but his decision making is terrible. He holds on to the ball far too long and does not dish off on the first and best option. He caused a number of terrible turnovers in the middle which costs us, when we should have been running rampant into our forward line. Similarly, Bell's decision making is about as slow as paint drying. He was caught with the pill several times, deep in the Bullies forward line. On the up side, I really like Spencer. He looks like a ruckman and a footballer. He is still a little light and gets pushed off the contest a little too easily, but he's as keen as mustard and has a real crack. We just need to forget about Meesen. As WJ said, he is not up to this level. Both Jetta and Bennell have that x factor that so many indigenous players have. With more experience under their belts, they will be very good for us in years to come, if we can keep them. Bate and Dunn had off days, although good to see Lynden has beefed up a bit We missed PJ and Grimes, but yesterday was a reality check. We will be more competitive this year, but we still have a long way to go. Just as well they have the rest next week.

A question, just out of interest, how would have Trapper gone these days, if he had been drafted in the last 5 years. Yes............ I know, many will say that Trapper has/had far more natural talent than Sylv, but anyone one that saw the former number 16 on the "haunts" of the Nepean Highway, could tell many a salacious story. No doubt, Sylvia needs to pulls his head in, but I reckon he will deliver to us, more than we hope, when it matters, some day soon. Yeah, OK, I am.............as John Lennon would say................ a dreamer. Go Dees

Anyone going to Casey to see "us" play the Bullies tomorrow? I'm looking forward to it. "United we stand...........Divided we fall" GO YOU MIGHTY DEMONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think there was a bloke that Essendon picked up in the Trading period from Geelong, who was just beginning rehab from a knee reco. Could be wrong of course????!!!! Sorry RR...........I forgot, you're the oracle and never wrong. By the way, I think you meant to say, "you would have not got anything for him" rather than "nothing"

Hazy, Be a big man and a good Dees supporter and just admit you were wrong. Get on board (without equivocation or the need to point score) and just recognise that despite what occurred with previous administrations, Jimmy and Schwabby have got the job done in a big way. The MFC starts its new journey back to power as of now..........no need to rake over the old coals. Go Dees............let's be united on this one..........OK!!!!!???

If the Dees fail again this year, I hope we don't use the same old tyred excuse.

What a sensational avatar

........ And another sub-major sponsor on the way. The combined total will be greater than the revenue gained from the Primus deal. Also, I think you will find a another former player from the 90's was heavily involved in brokering the deal. Can't wait to hear what the ardent critics of Jimmy and Schwabby have to say now.

At no point in this discussion, RR, did I use the word "compensation". That's another case of spin which you use on this forum often, which clearly you are adept in doing. Despite all that, clearly you are a passionate Dees man and at the end of the day (yet another cliche) that is all that matters. GO DEES

Completely agree with that. However, I am not using the word "compensation", I am just saying a good will token gesture would be in order that's all. AN invite to a President's lunch was just a suggestion, no more than that. Other ideas may be in order and more appropriate.

RR, Of course, you are right. I keep forgetting that you have a mortgage on the moral high ground (another cliche )

Sorry RR, cliches are cliches because they are true. And I'm the Sultan of Cliches.

How so? As we say in the trade, this is "below the line" marketing. It is cheap, cost effective and gets the job done. There is no such thing as "overkill", when it comes to keeping "customers" happy.

Perhaps the reason for this occurring may be understandable, but it can never be acceptable. I say this from a very simple business and marketing philosophy point of view. In any competitive market - and right now contracting market - those who survive and thrive are the ones who offer superior customer service. The idea that this may have happened to rusted on and loyal supporters and therefore not too much need for great concern simply does not cut it anymore. The Club, I hope, by now is aware of it. If so, they should squeeze their "supplier" for some concession and offer those supporters this has happened to, some additional one off benefit, such as an invitation to a pre-game President's lunch, which afterall, we are told will be less formal this year. Near enough is not good enough in a business sense.

The thing I really liked about that clip was his attack on the footy in a contested marking situation. As a short, playing "tall" in the forward line, I think he can do more than pinch hit and he is perhaps our most accurate kick. If Beamer, Bucks and Jones can stand up this year, not to mention Chook, I think that he can run forward of the ball and be a damaging forward. Such an attack on the footy is innate and is not lost just like that. Greeny is one of my fsvourites in terms of "grunt'.

As the start of the 2009 season approaches, I thought this is worth another look. I still tear up every time I see this.

RR, Having a humble little shack down on the Mornington Peninsula, I know some of my mates refer to all points south of Frankston as "God's Waiting" room. I trust they are not thinking of me with that description I think it is and will be proven to be in the future, a masterstroke that we have aligned ourselves with the ever growing corridor that is Casey. I don't think the same can be said for bayside and peninsula - at least not to the same extent. If next Saturday's game at Casey, against the Bullies is anything like the intra club there a few weeks ago, then it will be a good sign. In fact, I reckon we will get quite a few more there, being inter club. I am looking forward to it. But as you say, in the long run, time will tell, but I reckon we are on the winner. Cheers