beelzebub

It was a warm evening ,the 28th Dec 1964. Dusk had come and gone as passengers disembarked the FairSea at Port Melb.. Many families made their way to the special liveried Dog box Swing Door Train that awaited us 10 pounders. We were picked up by distant rellos. This 5 year old wee lad had no idea that evening about Footy, who Melbourne were or who "Barassi" was. That was all to change the first day of school the following year. I won't bore you with the full story of that as has been told a few times. Suffice I became a Dee and started my footy journey in that schoolyard. My first bit of kit was a Melbourne jumper... my mum knitted that. That was done in those days. I needed boots. A rather.."quirky" Sports/ Hardware ( opposite Malvern station) was visited. I became the proud recipient of a pair of "Ron Barassi" leather boots .. not the 'plastic things'... yes they did exist. These were Black leather with wooden stops. A far cry from the soft slippers worn today. I floated on air and beamed widely.. I had Barassi Boots... what could be better. Later , much later,indeed this century, i was asked to attend and participate in a number of MFC think tanks. We were divided into small groups...each with a mentor/ facilitator. I drew the man himself. They were interesting times and the great Barrasi regaled his times at the club and offered his understanding of the malaise that then beleaguered our club. They were interesting sessions. He genuinely seemed to take on board many of our thoughts. Subsequently i believe some fruit was borne of those talks but for me the greatest takeaway was to get an insight, if brief, as to what made him tick. Barassi, for mine, shares a distinct quality with that which adorns our Coat of Arms. Neither a Roo nor an Emu can take a backward step. Ron didn't either. He struck me as not only someone who attacked things with passion and gusto but not affraid to make mistakes. Life to lived... don't go wondering. Ron, I only got to meet and speak with you but a number of times but always felt I came away better for them. Im not convinced you'll "rest" wher'ere you are as I'm sure you'd much rather get a game happening. And I'm absolutely positive you'd be wearing a Red and Blue guernsey... 31 on the back. You're a Champion. All Demons should play like you, fearless and determined. Ronald Dale Barassi. Legend RIP

Before i ride off into a beautiful Spring day and shutter up Dland until next season I wish to pose a question. And I ask it in all seriousness as I'm increasingly unable to pinpoint the answer. We DO have elements of a very good game. But elements only. Our defence is stoic. Not much to do there bar find the ongoing replacements. Our mids are individually a very talented brigade.. but we lose a lot of clearances ( effectively). Other teams often better at working with our rucks than we are.. Bizarre really. Our fwd line.. hmmmm. Yes that forward line. Then there's the glue that binds... ball movement. Occasionally slick, often haphazard and seemingly futile approaching that.....fwd line. Now.. it would seem to this observer, in the cheap seats,that S.S.Simon is quite content to delegate...to his 'line specialists' of which it's glaringly obvious some know what they're doing...others not so much. Now, that question. It may seem glib to some but i ask it as there are so many areas we fall down, there is so much disconnect and uncertainty in scoring structure and application that i continually ask myself how can this be. It all stands out like the proverbial. It has done for years....and it's still there. So... What does Simon Goodwin actually do?

Yep.. thanks Brodie. You handle yourself with class and aplomb. Good luck.

I agree Putrid maybe over critical Less than affective...yes

Not according the win to the maggots.... but maggots they were...well 2 especially. Some decisions were unwarranted and game affective. Just is.

9.17

Actually...we didn't T'was an illusion. 9.17

I dont really mind Insane or Genius... but he's definitely not the latter. He's a victim and a slave to his ID I can understand having your ideas but not seeing their fallibility is another thing. Our game plan is a bit of a dogs breakfast.. And the coaches need replacing.

Just about nailed it. Thing is... sometimes the description is seen as unnecessarily patronising or remonstrative.... But this is actually just very...matter of fact. This is what they were. Have no doubt they played their guts out... But... no chocolates...

No he didn't You're somewhat skewed in your understanding mate. Thought you knew better. My bad

Umm no. We needed a totally 100 % fit ruck.... if we only had one.. We needed to take Max away from all the ILLEGAL scragging.. We needed to be clever we weren't. That's down to the Coaches. Stafford obviously has nfi. Why does Goody allow that ?? We can't kick for [censored]....thats someone's dept. There were elements we did better tonight. But lost at selection...and direction. I will say... the 2 blokes in yellow should be in the club votes for Carlton. To all the happy clappers...yeah.. Goodwin is a [censored] genius. Be proud Simon... grasp it...own it... OUT IN SETS 2 YEARS RUNNING 9.17 fmd...

Well... Cya at the end .... Go Dees 💙❤💙❤💙❤💙❤🍻🏆

Ah yes...those good ol' days when we had the odd one or two that knew where the barn was....and could hit it..... Alas seems like distant history now. The only way we're winning is to turn back the clock.

God help us.. Actually...that other lot from below would be even better.

You can understand changing to Melbourne.... but to the Filth.... nahhh

Au contraire... when Brodie Rucked we went quite ok. We wouldn't even be playing tonight had he not played as Ruck this season. Possibly the insanity was persisting a noble but flawed experiment. Genius would have been to have Grundy Ruck tonight. .. releasing Max across the HF ( not as a forward ) or float behind if required. Possibly as they suggest insanity is persistence of one path expecting different results. All im hoping for is a rabbit out of the hat. In such case...Goody may join the magic circle ;) Go Dees

I suspect this will usurp that other lol

A key for sure. Not just your assets though, but how you use them. Different recipes, same ingredients, different result. Have a sneaking suspicion we might have zigged, not zagged. As most will concur...and going still with food analogy...proof of pudding in tonights eating. Go Dees ( even have my lucky socks on 😉 )

My bad.... how could i forget such genius 😉 Well alrighty then....

Carn Dees. Do it for Gus. Do it for Petty and the Milkman. Do it for yourselves and us... Just do it

We'll be fine tonight... with our finals experience.... Yep all good ...oh wait...lost our last 3 finals... going well..hmm We'll need to be ON from the first bounce... that'd be novel !! Goodwin is backing his system ( there is NO fwd system ).. he is expecting the goals to come from ??? Our kicking has been [censored].. Petty was ok.. oh wait.. Milky was great....oh wait again.. Rooyen can kick... oh oh... Fritch got the yips... hasnt been too crash hot back from injury.. no one can hit a barn. My advice to self ....get on the beers !! ;) Go Dees ( just not out the door....again ) lol

We breaking the glass ?

Wait til next week.....

Magoos....great.. 1sts...very iffy ... just is

Don't have to 'look' I want us to ream the baggers. Just don't see this as the likely scenario. Good luck.... but....