bjDee

Round 1 2005. Sitting behind Punt Rd end goals with my family. I remember the very moving tribute to Troy before the game, with all players honouring his memory. And at the end, after dispatching the Bombers, them team were called together by skipper Neitz and walked as one off the MCG, arms around each others shoulders. We had 19 players on the ground at all times that game. Troy played that game in spirit - and he was BOG.

After all the Scully [censored] saga, we seem to have had a dream run of club action and media publicity relative to probably all other clubs covered in the Melbourne press. So it seems a little disappointing that we are not much ahead of last year. Or was last year an unusually high membership enrolment year, built on the hopes of a very promising young team coming into a window of high performance from the 2011 season (cough cough)? I know last year I was feeling a lot more excited about our prospects than I had for many years. So, can anyone advise how the trend of membership enrolments normally runs? I mean, can someone do a mathematical analysis of the trends? Anyone here with a stats bent - this is a call to get your rocks off on this question. Do we see a steady rate of uptake from the start of pre-season up till (say) game 5 or 10? Or is it characterised by faster and slower periods? I remember in particular the gut-wrenching feel of the WCE game around round 5-6(?) this year (corrections welcome), and posting that I thought it would have a big impact on the trend of membership uptakes from then on. But I have no idea how it panned out. And if there is a heterogeneous rate of uptake, when or what do you think will be a major catalyst to cause an uptick (or downslide) in the rate of membership enrolments between now and when they call stumps on membership nos. for the 2012 season?

It's all good stuff. Membership is made up of far more than the die hards here. It will appeal to all ages and genders, and so it should. The fact that I as a grumpy old fart also liked it is a bonus for me.

OK, so the criteria for a successful club widens. Not only do we need 'elite skills' players who are 'flag core' (D'land - banned phrases), and a coaching panel who is 'performance oriented' and 'runs deep' (Cam Schwab, yearbook 2011) and wants the team to be 'the hardest to play against' (M Neeld presser), but we need 'mediocrity rejecting' supporters. Works for me. Looks like we mugs on the sidelines have the easiest part.

That's gotta get the award for the most syllables that can be packed into 2 words in today's posts.

Norm Smith?? Maybe not still in his prime, but hardly past it.

Wow. Now, I'm just worried that we might have wasted quite a few picks in recent years on players who may go no further than where they are now (under the new coaching regime). No reflection on the talent those players bring, but if your ship is the wrong type you drown at sea. Or if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, you get hit by a freight train that wan't supposed to be there. Nez Buddhism - we know Zen backwards.

CAN WE STOP ALL THE TALK AND JUST GET THE SEASON STARTED??????!!!!!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED - BRING IT ON!* *Past preseasons which ended in shithouse seasons are not indicative of future seasons, or even of the future of this preseason.

Geez - I hope Neeld likes the feel of undies on the outside of his pants. With all the players we are expecting him to resurrect and turn into 110% of their potential, he'd better be on the case 24/7.

Just love this young bloke. It's all been said above, nothing more to say.

Ooooh - soooo hard to restrain oneself, but soooo easy to take a pot shot at Cale. With the best of intentions at heart, I'm trying to describe any of the attributes that aren't related to age, experience, no.of preseasons, etc which are constructive, descriptive, morale-building, and which a player of Cale's vintage needs to be demonstrating by about - let's see... Jan 1 2012: Well - here they are: courage, commitment, heart, no-short-steps, singularity of purpose, intent to hurt an opponent, calling incessantly to receive a ball from a teammate, determination to deliver downfield accurately, will to win, desire to help a teammate. Cale, if you can deliver these, then welcome whole heartedly into the bosom of the Demon faithful. So now, it's totally a case of "[censored], or get off the pot." The clock is ticking.....

Sorry Biffo, but my recollection was that Watts was always falling over and was often in the wrong places, although his footskills were good when he got a chance to display them.

Sorry - the record is held by those who canned Blease after a quarter and a bit of a game against the roos, when he was subbed on for his first AFL game. Now that's going to be hard to beat.

It's been an emotional roller coaster ride from the Cats game right up till now. I went last year and loved it, but couldn't get fired up for this one, with all the DB sacking stuff and TS circus. But I'm rapt with the recent changes. Still, it takes a while to get over old relationships, so I too definitely feel it would be strange & bitter sweet. I'd rather get along to the B&F again when the recent past is a memory rather than a still-healing scar. Would love to get highlights throughout the night if any posters can oblige please. Any mention of Jimmy gets top priority.

Does anyone know how much the CC shift and the other recent FD changes are consistent / inconsistent with the review done at the start of the year (dont even recall it's name)? I'm not a conspiracy theorist - just curious.

I love this appointment (or the promise of what it might bring). For some reason I can't stomach MM's personal style - worst examples were his public slurs on S. Milne and A. Maric. Two things I hope this appointment brings, and as others have said, they are present at the Pies in spades, so credit to MM and the rest of the filth where it's due: 1. Hardness 2. Game plan I agree about some of the players named earlier who will hopefully get a big reality check. No need to put the boot in again. In a rare moment of charity, I wish them all the best in seeing if they can rise to this last chance at a new challenge. But I hope we don't give non-performers another very long leash. I'm not looking for proof via physical development, which needs to take time. But we are needing to see an instant attitude transplant. Time for some to [censored] or get off the pot. I paid up for 2012 in the low point after the TS GWS saga. No coach, and having lost a #1 pick to that grubby old [censored] Sheeds. Now feeling a whole lot more positive about next year. Let me just live in that bliss for a few months until the NAB cup comes around and we see what prevails - words or actions. C'mon Dees - fire up!

Spot on. And you can add to that the drivel coming out of Demetriou's mouth about the Freo coaching saga. From The Australian: "It is understandable that people are questioning the value of contracts and commitments and so forth," Demetriou said on Melbourne radio. "People are entitled to ask questions about issues of commitment and integrity. It is reasonable for people to ask, if coaches are asking players to commit and to play a certain way and asking them to sign up to certain values . . . you can understand. I'm using a generalisation here, not talking about anyone specifically -- but if all of a sudden they don't behave in the way that we're asking them to behave, it sort of reeks of hypocrisy and people see through that." The man pointing the finger at Freo's behaviour is the same one who oversees a system that tears at player's loyalty by providing for obsecene amounts of incentive to be disloyal, lie to their clubs, teammates and fans and do backflips on pledges of loyalty themselves. Edit: credit to Nascent who unbeknown to me raised this earlier in another thread.

I seriously wonder how TS will maintain 6 years of self-motivation when his main stated motive for moving was money. Once he has the contract signed, and proved to the world that he is 'valued', and pocketed his first $2mill in year 1, what more is there to play for? In a forgettable suburb of a town that doesn't want to know you or your footy code... why keep putting yourself through the grind for 6 years? I reckon the gloss will wear off relatively soon into that contract. The team (and he!) will know he's not there for the challenge, for the next win, for the club, for a premiership, for the mates on the field of battle. He's already got his win in his pocket in year 1. And after the game, it's a hurried departure from the rooms with a Cartman-like "screw you guys, I'm going home". That's a good way to make yourself a pariah. Even worse when you're stuck in that rut for 6 years. Let me just go and find that voodoo doll and stick a few more pins into that knee....

Hah! Very well spotted! Conspiracy theories everywhere. You sure you're not Mel Gibson? And does T** S***** have a middle name? All the bad guys do.

I'm kind of numbed by the whole sorry saga. I'd much rather focus any anger on the evil empire in AFL House for allowing (assisting??) this abduction to happen. For those who want to see retribution against Scully, I don't think you need to worry about it being an MFC player who delivers the message. I reckon every AFL player who is paid less than Tom will want to prove themselves up against him. I feel sorry for Tom that this GWS/AFL poaching scenario will make him a prime target on the field - in every game he plays.

Based on 2011 form, GWS would probably be happy to pay more for Scully on his own than have to take Morton as well. What are we doing Dees? Rewarding mediocrity? I've never seen any player so scared to get involved in a contest.

Yeah I'm keen to see the Dees win, but mostly to help development of the younger players. In reality, a win for the team means nothing to me today after this year's erratic performance. I wasn't expecting miracles or high finals placings, just some steady improvement and the emergence of of a winning culture. We have had too many 'big disappointment' games for mine. I'd be equally happy to see a better draft pick on board in 2012 - the winning culture is shot for this year. Last year I got a ticket to the B&F for father's day from my son. I had a great night. We haven't been together in the same place yet today, but I hope he hasn't repeated the same gift this year. I'd feel like a bit of a fraud accepting it with the way I feel about our performance in 2011.

Zachery the same pick for me. And Andrew Swallow. Imagine if those two get working together around stoppages.

It happended below where I was sitting and that't exactly as I saw it. Had his eyes on the ball all the way. Did the right thing.

+1 This guy just stepped into the team like he was born to it. A lovely raking long and accurate kick that we desperately needed out of the backline, and toughness and grunt that you just can't train into someone.