binman

Totally agree with this. Though I'd say we should be a flag contender next year too. Which realistically means a top 4 finish. Of course luck with injuries (or pandemics) come into it, but next season will be his fifth as senior coach. And the rebuild began in 2014, with the appointment of roos, albeit from a very low base. So next year will be year 8 of the current rebuild. The time is now. I am actually really confident about where we are at. And I believe we are a good chance of winning the flag next year.

Sorry, LH wasn't suggesting you knocking OMac. Though i can see why you thought i was! I'll edit to make that clear

Totally agree with the comment that Omac has a stack of potential and is every chance to get picked up by another club and establish himself there. Players get delisted all the time and some get another shot at AFL. Take Mitch Brown. A key position player, taken at pick 15 by Geelong and delisted by them at the same age as Omac is now (24). Went to the VFL for a season before being drafted by the bombers. Being a big Vivaldi fan, he played four seasons with Essendon, before they too delisted him. And then ironically we drafted him - and have just extended his contract for another season. The classic journeyman. I reckon Omac was pretty stiff to come out of contract when he did and unlucky to be delisted by us. Obviously Lever and May being recruited made things tough (though it is fair to say their recruitment was related to the fact omac is a serviceable player not a star), but I actually think recruiting Ben Brown was a big factor. With Brown in, we suddenly have a surfeit of forwards - Brown x 2, TMac, Jackson and Weeds. Which means that our best player not to play last season, Petty will almost certainly go back (which will be terrific for us - huge potential as player, an excellent mark, good one on one and will slot into the true full back role perfectly.). Add in Tomlinson, who is too slow for the position we recruited him for (what's that about?) and the possibility Tmac might also go back (ye gads) and we suddenly also have a surfeit of key defenders. In order of my ratings, contenders next season for key big defensive positions are: May, Lever, Petty, Tomlinson and Tmac (who remarkably we couldn't trade, almost wins a Coleman in 2018 and can't find a suitor two years later). No need for a sixth key defender. So goodbye Omac. That's footy. Particularly at the bottom end of the pay grade.

Labradoodle. Henry Coles was a ripper. Number 6? I thought about putting icke down, but he was a cut above the others I listed I reckon. Super player. I reckon langdon is the best recruit we've had since icke.

Out of curiosity what happens to your argument about not being AFL standard if another AFL club gives him, say, a rookie spot on their list?

Show some respect? Never needed an irony button more.

A sad announcement. I have been following the dees passionately for forty odd years (defined by regular attendance at games) and in all sincerity Omac is one of my all time favorite MFC players. My favorite demon players over my time of watching them are not necessarily among the best players in their respective team, indeed of my favorites probably only Robbie was the best in the teams he played with. My favorite players are generally those whose effort and work ethic are perhaps greater attributes than their talent. Talent is overrated. Perhaps some might describe them as journeymen, a phrase I've never understood being used as a pejorative. Some of my favorites include: Ray Biffen (thanks Ray for signing my dees club song fable single) Russel 'Rhino' Richardson (thanks Rhino for that game you won us at Princess Park after Leigh Matthews assaulted Steve Smith) Peter Giles (thanks Pete for taking on bigger opponents week i week our - and your hair, of course) Garry baker (what more needs to be said), Spud Dullard (best name in footy and thanks for rucking against the monsters of the 70s) Sugar Healy (thanks for being captain at tight time and unlike your brother remaining true) Jack Watts (thanks for your class - oh and you brilliant 2017 season which ensured PD had to use you avatar for a time) All made terrific contributions to the club I have long loved, a club i could only dream of representing. And most important of all everyone them seem to be really great people. Respect. And much respect Omac. Thanks for your contribution and joy you brought me. I really hope you continue your AFL journey. If not, no biggie, someone so smart and hard working will do great things. And how many people get to play near on 100 games of football or play consecutive finals at a packed MCG heaving with delirious dees fans. Well played sir. One thing though. As i posted some time ago I tricked my family of naming our dog Oscar. But as my wife is German, unbeknownst to me, she registered his name as Oskar, which is the name on his dog tag. Apologies for that oversight Oscar. But I do wonder if its is fated and Oskar Baker will become one my favorites too.

Why on earth would the cats trade in a 32 year old? They had the oldest team in vfl/afl history this year. And it showed in rhe second half if the gf. Sure ablett retires but c'mon Next season we go back to normal lengths quarters. The dad's army will run out of steam well before the finals.

He'll play in the magoos all year?

Not unfair at all. Reasonable comments. More goals and more damaging possessions will both combine to take to him to the very elite level, where we all expect him to get to. At that the very elite level the best players really hurt opposition teams. And regularly change the trajectory of a match. True match winners. The most obvious example is dusty. Trac is getting there. I think it is fair to suggest true mids have less opportunity to turn matches. And their accumulated numbers are less flash, but very important. But the best still find a way to do something special when needed. Neale is the benchmark. High numbers and high hurt factor. And an ability to be clutch when needed. Like in their first final. No possessions in the first quarter. Worked his way into in rhe second. And then kicked a clutch set shot goal from the edge of his distance range that changed the momentum of the game.

With all due respect this post, like many of your 500 odd posts since you started posting on Demonland, is obtuse and reflects what appears to be yet another deliberate attempt to foment dissent and wind people up - a behavior consistent with someone trolling. And like a very high number of your posts your critique of other posters is remarkably hypocritical - which as i gather is a favorite trope of trolls. To be clear i am not accusing you of trolling, just pointing out some of your behavior is consistent with a troll. Only you know if you are in fact trolling. Be that as it may this post is just plain rubbish. For you to suggest the tone on this site should be more respectful is hypocrisy in the extreme given the approach to posting you have decided to take since joining this community. This thread would not exist if not for that decision. I have been posting on Demonland for about 10 year. I don't get bothered by posters who decide to take the approach you have, though i fully understand why others do. As result I tend to not people on ignore. I just try to avoid reading their posts or engaging is discussion. That said i do have an exclusive club of binman ignorees. Long term and newer posters would recognise some of the esteemed twenty four members (though i suspect there are some double ups ie posters who have come back under a different name) of this club - Tonotopia, Roost it, mjt, middy malt and Curry & Beer. Welcome to the club Half Forward Flank. No correspondence will be entered into.

Thanks Andy. Good timing too given the off season is my favorite time of year - hope springs eternal, all new recruits are guns and we are training the house down. Just one quibble. I will struggle to avoid political, religious or ideological views in my discussion of footy as all human communal activity is political in nature, footy is my religion and game plan is ideology.

On Jackson i reckon with brown and weed in the team he will play almost a half forward utility role, such is his athleticism and ability below his knees. Get up and down the ground the way Hogan - and tmac in 2018 - did. Be a marking option when exiting our back half and of course still be an aerial threat up forward. He has unique attributes and of course he will do some rucking but I can also see him playing as a mid at times with Max rucking. He is something special. Really looking to seeing him after his first full preseason, with some space at the g and proper length quarters.

Fair enough. I know then not to bother engaging in a discussion about football with you then. Though to be honest you don't have to be a Rhodes scholar to make sense of my questions.

What on earth are you talking about? Brown is lightly built? He is taller and heavier than lynch. Riddle me this - after winning a flag in 2017 without a big key forward why did they then go after and land lynch, a big key forward who instantly became their highest paid player? Another question. Giiven how critical big key marking defenders of the ilk of mcgovern, may and vlaustin ate in modern footy who do you think are best placed to negate their influence? Mid size forwards like say hannan? One more question, related to the second. Geelong best big key marking defender one of the best in tbe AFL was arguably the best player on the ground in tbe first half. But was unsighted in the second half. Which forward do you think was most responsible for that, and in particular stopping him marking? Again, going to Hannibal's point about players doing a job and playing their role, perhaps to your surprised lynch metrics and kpis were unlikely be goals kicked, or even marks taken. His kpi is no doubt halving contests and making sure the ball hits rhe ground where his smaller teamates can do damage. Which they did. And as a result won a grand final

Yep. The need for players to play their role, something players reference all the the time, has never been greater. Makes it hard to assess performance in some instances. This is true of both the mid range players and the best. For example most fans including me thought Oliver had a better second half of the season than the first. But the bluey numbers don't reflect that (or perhaps his rumoured robust exit interview). Maybe that is related to role? I agree the big issue for the dees is not the top 12 players, it is the next 28

Good post. I'm a bit in the boat of not having a great grasp of opposition players. Hard to if you don't watch them regularly. I have watched more non dees games this year than I ever have (last few seasons I pretty much only watched dees games). And in doing so it is a good reminder that the pool is pretty shallow and players i might have think have a particular skill set, say elite kicking (something i look for) make their fair share of errors. Saad and Williams are two good examples. The related thing that annoys me is complaints about over paying for players we need, at least for mid range players, like hibbetd or tomlinson. Bottom line if a club does not draft and develop the right mix of players it is st the mercy of tbe market. But from a market perspective Brown is a no brainer. We need a decent big forward. And can get one for a decent price. Where's the issue. On polec he too is a bargain but to be honest whilst I like his skills he is one of those players I haven't watched enough to make a judgement. Cant imagine goody would like a player who was not picked because of his defensive efforts, but we need skill because of the stupid decision to focus so much on contested ball winners so hw might be worth the gamble m given the low cost. On Brown it is ironic we need a big forward and we are looking to trade tmac. For the life of me given his weight and lack of mobility this season, why they didn't plsy tmac out of the square. But be that as it may Hannibal, your assertion in 2017 that tmac was no forward (which I argued against then) has been proven to be correct. Yes he kicked goals in 2018 but that was with Hogan in the team and in large part a function of his mobility and our quick transition. But he has never looked a natural forward and has little forward craft. Unlike Brown who looks every inch a natural forward.

Ti get to the next level he needs to kick more goals. And step up and kick some clutch ones.

We are in our premiership windows. Top 4 should be the expectation next year. And I'm confident we can meet it.

Plenty of times I've been in the same room as someone but in a different state.

Honestly don't understand the palaver. Sounds completely believable he is frustrated. Have little doubt its true. And would hardly be shocked if he wants out if we dont make tge finals next year.

Midfielders collectively win premierships. Players like dusty and trac win grand finals. If the club had no choice but to trade on of Oliver or trac who do you think they would trade?

I guess it depends on how you are defining 'best''. Schwarz was the best player i have seen at the dees outside of Flower, prior to his firsts knee injury. The only player to come close is Trac this year. So i would have Schwarz at the top of my list of bets platers at the dees in the last 33 years. And even after his two knee injuries he was a star for us. And incredibly consistent. Barely played a poor game. Easy to forget he won the bluey in 1999 in a bloody goody team. Don't get me wrong i agree Oliver is a star but personally i have Stynes, Nieta and max ahead of Oliver too and to be honest also, after this year Tracc too. That was the best season of football from a dees player since Nieta's in 1995.

Better than Schwarz?

The best player in the last 33 years at the dees? That's a big call.