The Reverend

I'd hate to rob you of the obvious pleasure you get from always having the last word so please reply ASAP.

No knots RR. Maybe you missed my attempt at sarcasm. Please reply so you can have the last word.

In general term he does not try to see the big picture when talking about Melbourne and other clubs. When he asked about the tanking business he made no effort to put his answer into any sort of context. The discussion was about the merits of the AFL's decision and yet he made no effort to point out the hypocrisy of the outcome. He was just happy to condemn Melbourne. By the way I agree that Dawes needs to kick some goals. That's not what I'm saying. I'm making the point that aligning yourself with Lloyd does little to enhance your reputation as a thinker.

That's one way to lose credibility. Of course he can discuss other clubs. He gets paid to do that. He just needs to show some balance and perhaps a little objectivity. GO DEES!

That's one way to lose credibility. GODEES!

2015 - The AFL take away Collingwood's regular ANZAC day fixture and replace it with an automatic spot in the Grand Final each year. This comes about as the result of Eddie having replaced Andrew Demetriou as CEO of the AFL. "It's only fair that other teams get the chance to play on ANZAC day" says Eddie at a packed press conference.

Imagine this my friend. 2016, last Saturday in September, MCG Members wing, Watts gets the ball in front of the interchange bench, 30 seconds to go Demons down by 5, baulk, turn, run into space, one bounce, two bounces, inside 50, the kick sails through, ball taken back to the centre, the siren sounds, Collingwood lose by a point! GO DEES!

I think this describes my state of mind and being: PSYCH BASICS Optimism positive thinking Optimists have a tendency to make lemonade out of lemons, and to then see the glass as half-full when it's half-empty. It's an admirable quality, one that can positively affect mental and physical health. Some optimists consistently ascribe benevolent motives to others and interpret situations in the best possible light, others simply disassociate their internal mood from external circumstances, no matter how sticky. Adding in a bit of complexity, the latest research shows that tempering a sunny disposition with a small dose of realism or even pessimism might be the best way to build resilience and achieve one's goals. If you read my post you'll see that this is exactly what I've done. More often than not the glass is half full. Nothing delusional about that! In the end if you think can't do something, you're probably right. Is this the sort of thinking we want to encourage? GO DEES!

I beg to differ. We will be more competitive than last year by a long way. We've seen this in the NAAB Cup games. There's a decidedly harder edge to the structure. I think we have the capacity to cause some upsets along the way this year. I'm sure we will have a considerably better year than 2012. As the year progresses and we get games into the team they will begin to function more effectively and we'll surprise a few. I agree with your premise that we need more players in their prime but I don't think it precludes us from starting the year on an optimistic note. GO DEES!

Please yourself. I thought I was suggesting we talk about what the OP was suggesting rather than dredging up the past. Whatever...

Do we need to rehash the past and make comparisons. That time has gone. Perhaps the criticism is unfair but as Bailey said after 186, "It is what it is." AFL coaches know where the buck stops and expect to carry the can for bad performances.Can we just move on and focus on what is looking like a more promising year? It's too early to be making judgements about Neeld. At this stage he's proven nothing more than he has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to expectations. If this helps change a dysfunctional culture he will have achieved more than Bailey did in four years. If he doesn't win some games over the next couple of years he will go the same way as Bailey. That's life as an AFL coach. Let's get back to the original discussion which I believe was about the need for some patience while we continue to build the list. GO DEES!

You betcha! Go DEES!

LEAGUE PREMIERS: Sydney RUNNERS UP: West Coast TOP 8 AT ROUND 22: Sydney, Hawthorn, West Coast, Collingwood, Fremantle, Carlton, Richmond, Melbourne BIG IMPROVER: Melbourne BIG SLIDER: Geelong BROWNLOW: Brendan Goddard NORM SMITH: Josh Kennedy COLEMAN: Lance Franklin IN THE NEWS: James Hird to resign as coach of Essendon in the wake of the fallout from the drugs investigation. MFC WIN/DRAW/LOSS: 11 wins - 11 losses LADDER FINISH: 8th BLUEY (Melb B&F): Jack Watts 2nd in BLUEY: Nathan Jones 3rd in BLUEY: Mitch Clark LEADING GOALKICKER: Mitch Clark MOST IMPROVED: Daniel Nicholson BEST 1ST YEAR PLAYER: Jimmy Toumpas SURPRISE PACKET: Matt Jones BEST WIN OF THE SEASON: Round 2 v Essendon BIGGEST ON-FIELD ISSUE: Selecting the 22 each week due to depth of talent available. BIGGEST OFF-FIELD ISSUE: Ben-Hur unmasked as Caroline Wilson's love-child from an affair with Mike Sheahan.

Are you for real? This is the most excited I've been in years. The FD is professional and putting the right sort of expectations on players. There won't be any games "given" to anybody this year. Players will have to earn a spot in this side. When was the last time we could say that? We've got a better list than last year and the pre-season form is showing that we're building some depth. This might not translate into a lot of wins this year but I'd rather have the foundations in place for a successful future than simply go for the quick fix, which we've seen in the past is just unsustainable. Above all, we beat Port Adelaide with a team of juniors and fringe players FFS. The signs are there my friend. Cast off your ambivalence and replace it with enthusiasm and optimism. It's going to be a great year. Go DEES! Edited spelling. It's gotta be right.

I've been called all of those over the years. Forgive my silliness - a moment of inexcusably bad manners.

I was pleasantly surprised by the four jovial, pleasant, sober young Tigers supporters in front of me. I even had a bit of a chat to one of them and he was capable of more than just a few grunts. Extraordinary!

Hey old dee, it's going to be a great year. We will win both games and we'll go on to win many more. The AFL (Abject Failures Limited) and the [censored] running it will be shown up at some stage this year for the fools they are. The tide of public opinion will turn our way and we will be seen as hardworking underdogs who deserve the respect of the football world. Oh it's going to be a glorious year. Go DEES!

Cheer up mate. It's not all bad.

This time tomorrow I'll be heading to Etihad to see the beloved DEES show their new stuff. I'm optimistic that we'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm hopeful that a lot of us will be there to witness the rebirth of the mighty DEES. Get on down boys and girls and show everybody we're proud, passionate and paid up... Has that one been used before? How about Deecided, Deetermined and deemonic in our deesire to deefeat the opposition. Go DEES!

Lost for words about all this. Would have been happy to fight it out in the courts but I have to trust that those who made the decision to accept the penalty knew what they were doing. What else can we do? We've been screwed once again by disgruntled ex-employees. At some point this crap will have to stop. We need to focus on supporting the players. If the board stuff this up they will be gone. We can survive but we need to start winning games of football. Go DEES!

Okay. The shite is over. Today marks the last time we will be anybody's patsy. From today we have the opportunity to begin a new era of greatness. Let's stand united and support the 2013 Dees. Go DEES!

I would have preferred to fight the bastards. That's not an option now and I'm trying to be pragmatic but I can't help being disappointed that once again we've ended up with sand in our face. I'm with you WYL - it's up to we supporters now to fly the flag by getting to games and supporting the 2013 Demons. If the can't fight, for whatever reason, we need to show we are loyal supporters and will conduct ourselves with the dignity becoming supporters of the original football club. We need to set the example by becoming united like never before. Go DEES!

It's not about the consistency of your views. It's about your attitude to others who question anything you have to say.

It's back. The thread for all of us who just can't be bothered with the hand wringers and permanently pessimistic. The past months should have taught us all that without hope and optimism there is no tomorrow. The new dawn is upon us. Go DEES!