Dees_In_October

So nice! For sure, the circumstances and the efforts everyone (the club, fans east to west and everywhere else) put in to be connected gave the whole thing a very different flavour. I've said a few times that I've never given all that much thought before to Dees fans in WA and what it's like to follow from afar, but I'll always have a special respect for our WA fans now and will do what I can to make sure that connection stays strong, as it always should be. Certainly if I'm ever lucky enough to attend a Grand Final, I'll be thinking about the people unable to attend due to distance/cost/not getting a ticket and how to ease that for others because I so appreciated what WA fans did to help us feel like we were there.

The goal kicking heroics were a sight to behold, but I think most of all I loved that run-down tackle on the boundary. That's captain stuff, especially from a ruck.

Great, had a feeling Ben would work with the Dees AFLW sooner or later, especially after watching this interview below. He's probably one of the most prominent current male players in his support of women's footy and he speaks very eloquently about it. Good for everyone involved. Interesting to hear a bit more about his family background and journey to footy as well: https://www.womens.afl/video/66833/cutting-oranges-ep7-ben-brown

One thing I've enjoyed noticing more of on re-watching the GF are the signs, photos, etc., in the crowd, thanking people for tickets or showing the name of the person/family they're representing. Love it!

Yes! I notice this every time too. The timing is perfect!

I like it how, even though we're all in awe of the fact he's a premiership player after only seven games, there's no way anyone could argue that he didn't deserve it. With the opportunity he was given, he barely put a foot wrong and in fact played an important role for the team - in no way just a stopgap or filler player, as you might expect from a player who sort of falls into a premiership team like this. The novelty of it isn't how few games he played, it's how well he played in those games.

Aside from her obvious acumen in football strategy, I think she's also got the other key (or perhaps even more important) ingredient of the people/relationships aspect of coaching. The number of players on our AFLW list and, in fact, in the AFLW at large who are there in some part because of Daisy is impressive - not just in the general inspiration sense but because she actively recruited them. She's obviously very capable of sharing a vision and getting people on board to fulfill a mission, surely a major part of coaching. In a way, because of how women's footy has developed, she's been a coach since her days at Darebin. Also is very astute in dealing with the politics involved in being a figurehead, being the first, etc.

But...has he found that lost keep cup yet?

Made this back in 2017 when I was pretty in awe of Clarry's quick hands. He's so much more than that now.

Also, it's hard for them to give our opposition freebies in front of goal when it never goes down there.

Then and now: Jackson's rise to stardom - MFC YouTube Premiership Tales series - MFC YouTube Every Player's Grand Final Highlights - The Mighty Demons YouTube

Ha, well I was being a BIT optimistic!

I hope I'll be coming back to this thread in 57 years. It will be the equivalent of smoke signals by then, but who cares. Also, I don't think I've actually got over the R23 comeback and ending yet. That was a lot to take in. A bit's happened since then that's stopped me from fully processing it!

I'm pretty sure I recall one of the commentaries (SEN perhaps?) mentioning Weightman going off for the test. Or at least that he SHOULD be going off for the test. Completely ignored on Channel 7, which was very strange because they'd try to make drama of anything, and this was a very legitimate point of interest or concern given it was a potential medical sub situation. I hope there's no lasting impact for the kid. Even if the medical team somehow missed the incident live, we know that they look through vision as the game happens so surely this would have been picked up?

I felt sick. Like, physically sick. Stomach churning...maybe all the distraction food I'd eaten during that looooong day. It was dead silent in my living room. Couldn't think of anything comforting to say. Started on the five stages on grief in my mind, probably got to something like bargaining ("it's only a game", "getting to a grand final is an achievement" - all that stuff). Self preservation perfected from years of practice. Off the back of that physical reaction though, the turn around to absolute elation was like nothing else. You all know it. Even on the replay now I still get an echo of that nausea, so intense it was at the time. But now when Bont kicks that goal I just feel excitement: "Here we go!"

Among many other attributes described above, I love how when he kicks a goal, he just wants to get on with things, but whenever a teammate snags one his energy's through the roof!

Is it ever! Always wanted to be celebrating the "Dees in October". And here we are!

Oh yeah, we need a catchy name for this guy! Would love to hear his thoughts on his new cult status among Dees fans.

For those waiting patiently or impatiently for orders from Demon Shop: I ordered a whole bunch of stuff on GF night and just got shipping confirmation for estimated delivery between 22-27 October. So things are progressing!

Which one? Definitely. Also, this is a really good site put together by the club that has lots of social media stuff - a real time capsule: https://www.melbournefc.com.au/the-fans-view

Not yet. They'll probably hold off as long as possible. Casey's definitely a hike. Vic Park, Moorabbin and Princes Park, even Whitten Oval depending on where you live, are all good options. Haven't been to Punt Road or wherever North play yet, but we're probably due to play the Tigers or Roos away (if we do play them!). They might do a game at Docklands also. All games I've attended have had a great vibe, even Vic Park! It's interesting to see these venues rejuvenated. Round 1 versus the Tigers at Casey this year had a big buzz about it despite the restricted crowd, due to it being the first live footy for many months and tickets sold like hotcakes. So I'd imagine and hope it will be similar next year.

I still can't believe BT managed to butcher the commentary leading into the final siren. I mean, seriously? A team wins its first flag in 57 years and you can't even get the line from their song right? The choice of phrase itself wasn't even that inspired but would have been adequate if he'd got it right or (heaven forbid) injected some gravitas into the delivery. But no, instead It's like someone only told him he'd be calling the GF that day and he didn't have any time to think about it. Even if that were true, someone making a half-hearted effort, at the very least, would have prepared a line for each team, learnt it and recited it at the final siren correctly. That's MINIMUM effort. A professional would have brainstormed multiple versions that might be fitting for various circumstances. Because, you know, it's kind of important to get it right? A high-quality caller (which you'd think the official AFL broadcaster would aspire to?) would be able to say something that captures the jubilant nature of the moment off the cuff, since that's actually their job...saying relevant stuff about what's unfolding on the field. The mind boggles.

And surrounded by four Bulldogs closing in as well (although not as fast as you might expect in the circumstances - tired). I think two even collide after he kicks it!

That kick looks even better back in red and blue!