The Reverend

Because we won. We apparently played crap football and still managed to win. A win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win is a win . To quote the less than great Mr Neeld, "It is what it is!" Yes we played poorly, but when it mattered, we had the spirit to win the game. A couple of years ago, we would have been happy lose and claim an honourable loss. It might only be a small step forward but, FMD, it's an important one. It shows we care. We don't want to be losers any more under any circumstances. Is there anything more important than that?

Wow! OD, you've turned the corner. You are back in town and looking forward to preparing for next week. When was the last time you felt this good at the start of a season? I agree with you. I think there were enough signs yesterday to suggest that our underlying fragility is a thing of the past. The win will have done wonders for the players' self belief and should stand them in good stead. We were missing some key personnel from our best line-up and still managed to find the discipline and tenacity to stick at the task and turn a likely defeat into an unlikely victory. When was the last time we saw a Melbourne team do that? I'm happy for you OD. It's great to see you sharing the dream. I'm happy for me and I'm happy for all of us long-suffering supporters. Go DEES!

A very wise man I am told. I believe his last words were, "I hope I see a Dees premiership before I depart this life." He also might have said, "In time all things come to pass. There is a time to be a hawk and a time to be cat, but a Dees supporter always has time to go to the snow - and that's not something to sneeze at."

I am here teaching Chinese students the finer points of VCE English. If there is one thing I have learned since arriving three weeks ago, it's to have patience. Everything happens in its own time here apparently. Some thoughts for some our fellow Demonlanders: A man's conversation is the mirror of his thoughts. The fire you kindle for your enemy often burns yourself more than him. To get through the hardest journey we need only take one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping. And my personal favourite: Do not use a hatchet to remove a fly from your friend's forehead. And as Confucius says: It doesn't matter who's on the bench, as long as Watts is marking the ball on the wing and delivering it to Hogan inside 50. And; the longest goal starts with a single clearance from half-back. Go Dees.

It's so good to see you in this frame of mind OD. It lifts me up to hear your optimism, cautious though it may be. On paper, we look to be much more competitive. There seems to be a new sense of positivity pervading the club at the moment and whilst I know some of it is pre-season palaver, I am backing my judgement of character and my ability to read between the lines. I think this just might be the beginning of the start of a possible new dawn. Go DEES! I will be watching closely via the interweb thing from my new training base in Beijing. The things we do for the filthy dollar...

Thanks to everybody for the reports. I am working in Beijing for 12 months and am going to really miss the footy. Hopefully you guys will keep me up to date with all that's going on there. GO DEES!

I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a great new year. Demonland is a wonderful place made up of a disparate, eclectic, eccentric group of people. Let's celebrate our differences and embrace our shared bond. Next year is going to be great! Go DEES in 2016.

Nah, missed that one too. The girl in the other video has nothing on my wife.

I was both old enough to remember and old enough to make a sensible choice about dance styles. These days I limit myself to interpretive dance moves for my own entertainment only. Enough said about that!

The tour was in 1967. I was all of 14 at the time. Also on the bill were Eric Burdon and the Animals, Paul and Barry Ryan, The Loved Ones and The Mixtures. I swear I have never been involved in dancing of that nature. May the good lord strike me down if I'm lying!

No, it was Jack Watts's fault!

Thankfully, I'm not old enough to have been involved in that dance.

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch at Festival Hall

I see a fixture that presents us with 22 opportunities to show our continued progress. Our win over Geelong this year shows we can win anywhere against anybody. This has to be our belief.

Could not help myself. No comment, just had to.

FFS!

Also FFS.

For goodness sake!

His running vertical jump of 333 centimetres was in the top 20 per cent of key forwards tested, Wow! if he can jump 3.3 meters he will be a handful.

Negative name, Negative attitude. Why so certain we haven't been working our butts off to get deals happening? As others have pointed out, we don't have a lot to offer in terms of tradeworthy players. Things aren't as grim as they seem. Have some faith in those doing the job.

So, you weren't excited by Mitch Clark?

And their contains heir as in inheriting or owning something.

It's like...

Have you forgotten the glorious tackle on Dangerfield. There was a little bit of aggression in that! Watch the second tackle as well.

So, it begins. Fitzpatrick, Riley, McKenzie and Bail - all gone. Their time was up - potential not reached. The message is pretty clear. How many more to come? That's six gone from the list, so how many more do we expect to see?