Demonster

Great get Redleg, the latter. But also knew the former well. Both absolute gentlemen.

After an 8 year hiatus just stumbled across this thread. So relevant now given the excruciating over analysis, furrowed brows and pressed fingers into the breastbones from today's commentators. Dwayne Russell and G Lyon both unlistenable. My uncle was a past commentator on the ABC in the 70's and 80's and is mentioned earlier here from a time when the game was augmented by commentators, not dominated. He was an Essendon player and on my Mum's side. All my Mum's side were Bombers. Dad's side all Demons. My sister sat behind Mum in the car with a Bombers sticker on their side, I sat behind Dad with a Demons sticker on ours. My uncle was furniture at Windy Hill so I always had to sit in the members stand there with my Demons beanie on. I'm 56 now but clearly remember my Grandma telling off another lady of similar age re my Dees beanie to leave me alone, 'he's only a boy!' Reckon it was '71 and I was 7. Fond memories from a different time when from memory the two 45's, both named Smith, would play on each other. Always got a kick out of that. Anyway, Dees were [censored] last night. But [deleted] I love 'em.

If anyone wants back at the Pies for their Howe intervention, having a Weideman in our next premiership side should do it

Jordie's double contribution to the winning goal against Essedon was outstanding, classy and possibly the most important of that brilliant passage. Maybe there is something there on the skill side. He's got this year to finally convince us on the back of a full pre-season.

Been showing the kids recent 1st semi 87 final replay from foxtel ad nauseum so that they'd 'get' Robbie Flower. Aged 10 and 11. They get Robbie. As a 50 year old Flower, Jagger, Lillee have been part of my entire being. I feel hollowed out.

In Darwin now ahead of tomorrow nights game. Not humid at all, pretty comfortable around 20 degrees. The news tonight said expecting a capacity crowd of 12000, and while Dockers are the favourite, Demons will be the crowd favourite. Kids excited about potentially seeing Aussie. Nothing surer than Colin kicking 5? Unless he kicks 6 probably. Go Dees!

Given the amount of lip biting the club has done throughout this saga, I suspect the club has taken the view enough is enough and responded to the Wilson article. It would be incredible to think a club president would come out and lie, and that the statement wasn't very carefully prepared. Wilson on the other hand has serious form. Remember her allegation against Brayshaw that he categorically said at the Norf AGM the club would not play games interstate and so he had a massive credibility issue when they then said they would? Maintained her position despite being shown tv footage that she was wrong! She's completely nuts but no-one has ever held her to account. That may have just changed.

Pull your head in pal. He saved the club, sank $2.7m of his own, or c$5m before tax. And plenty more effort besides. I was there, I saw. You must have contributed more, I guess?

Seems a lot like someone has said to Caro -- the AFL, The Age's lawyer, Ray Biffen -- 'just the facts, M'am'. She's even inserted use of the word 'allegedly'! Given how comfortable she has been previousy with our 'disgusting blah blah' behaviour, it's one of the fastest back pedals you'd ever seen. Indeed, so fast she needs to be s(ch)wabbed.

Caro has always made stuff up. She often uses a throw away line in an article with no substance triying to pass it as fact. I have had sport for years reading her articles and identifying the line. Occurs almost without exception. She's a shocking 'journalist'. On her MFC rants, she said something in an article years ago referring to Robert Flower and the unhappy circumstances in which he left the club, or similar. I had to show it to my non MFC supporting wife to say I have lived and breathed the MFC and never heard about any such thing. But she said it in the article. Just made it up. Has been doing it for an awfully long time. Even on Footy Classified she is often shown to have made things up, but just sits there and says 'well, that's what I believe happened.' I actually thinks she's nuts.

'I think he also says that the vote was not rigged in anyway and there is nothing to say that of those who didn't get in, more were going to vote anti merger.' Nuggett - I have it on tape from the media coverage of the night, as well as being there. No-one arrived at Dallas Brooks Hall to vote yes. The number outside, locked out and not allowed to vote, was thousands, not hundreds. Any fair-minded running of the vote would have delayed the vote and allowed all votes to be cast. The queue wrapped around the entire Dallas Brooks block. Anyone who doesn't think Melbourne supporters have passion did not witness this event. To watch it now, 13 years later, it is incredible. The panel from Talking Footy, who kept crossing live to Dallas Brooks Hall, were shocked and at times speechless. Also, Barassi initially backed the merger and many voted with him. He changed his mind at the death but unfortunately votes had been cast. As part of the Demon Alternative we were manning the phones and dealt with scores of people wanting to change their vote as a consequence, but were too late to lodge postals. The Board at the time comprised great Melbourne people, and most are well and truly back in the fold. But they got that one completely wrong, and didn't care much for opposing views.

We are very close on the sponsorship front. The club is being very innovative, and when locked and loaded supporters will be impressed. Total package better than what Footscray got with Mission Foods.

Sat next to Colin at a club function during last year - said he prefers to play up forward. BBP - good crack at a team. Newton the only weakness on paper for mine....solved when the Watts boy eventually gets going, and some good names to come in.

For posters to say no-one cares about losing another Victorian club is simply wrong. There was a huge out-pouring of feeling for Fitzroy when they went under, and a large degree of disenchantment with the AFL with how it was done. This despite it being inevitable for several years....very unlike the Demons situation. Fremantle to their great credit was the only organisation that gave them any kind of respect with a very, very moving send-off. Either time dims the memory or some here were too young at the time. What is true and which has been noted here is that supporters are happy for a team to go to the extent it makes their own team safer. But the fact of losing a Melbourne side would sit well with no genuine Victorian football supporter.

Dwayne's rhetorical question comes from ignorance. He is from Adelaide. He can never understand the passion that Victorian's have for their game - founded and created in Victoria. I doubt there would be a genuine Victorian football follower who would not want all the previous VFL clubs to survive. Would a Victorian care about the survival of an interstate club? I doubt it. Would an interstater care about the survival of a Victorian club? I doubt it. Dwayne is from Adelaide and that is his prejudiced perspective. Dwayne to be truly credible should begin every opine on anything to do with the AFL with, 'Being from Adelaide.....' To ask the dubious question about Melbourne, without having any sense of understanding that 5 million Victorian's have zero care factor about the WA and SA concoctions, simply indicates a lack of perspective.