Not Demonstone's irrational conundrum

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,048]

Demonstone has been doing the heavy lifting producing entertaining puzzles. Here's one I prepared earlier.

What links all these Melbourne players?

FB 3. Christian Salem 14 Lynden Dunn 15 Paul Hopgood

HB 9  Alan Johnson 26 Glenn McLean 5 Neil Crompton

C 35 Luke Tapscott 8 Glenn Elliott 9 Brian Dixon

HF 7 Jamie Bennell 9 David Neitz 32 Barry Vagg

FF 38 Jeremy Howe 4 Norm Smith 6 Luke Jackson

R 26 John Meesen 43 Guy Rigoni 3 Henry Coles

IC 8 Tassie Johnson 32 Cameron Bruce 7 Brian Wilson 9 Jack Trengove

Medisub 50 Ben Brown

Emerg 28 Ted Cordner 8 Graeme Yeats 41 Peter Rohde

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

Is it just me, or should it be 16 Travis Johnstone in the back pocket?

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

Never mind. I'm clearly too pie-eyed to see the whole thing!

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,048]

Mazer has solved the conundrum. He's also identified the clue in the subject heading.

I should add that his answer was in a PM, not above.

Edited August 18, 2021 by La Dee-vina Comedia

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,048]

1 hour ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Is it just me, or should it be 16 Travis Johnstone in the back pocket?

As you would know, Travis Johnstone could play in the back pocket replacing Paul Hopgood, but only if you selected the Fullback line and no others.

[Guest]

Mazer always solves them. 🙄 

[Guest]

You’ve included each player’s guernsey number. Is there anything in that?

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,048]

3 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

You’ve included each player’s guernsey number. Is there anything in that?

Yes.

[Whispering_Jack 31,181]

It’s Barrie Vagg, not Barry BTW

[Jjrogan 1,448]

eureka! I think i have it. Nicely topical ldc

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,048]

14 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

It’s Barrie Vagg, not Barry BTW

Thanks for the correction. Thankfully, it makes no difference to the puzzle.

Demonstone has also PM'd me with the correct answer. I don't know if Mazer and Demonstone have been communicating with each other. Perhaps the 2 of them live within a 5km radius. (There's a clue in that final sentence, by the way).

 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,048]

2 minutes ago, Jjrogan said:

eureka! I think i have it. Nicely topical ldc

Nicely cryptic answer, and helpfully providing a clue for others.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,048]

One more clue. The punctuation in the team sheet is deliberate. Definitely on point.

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

This thing could go on forever.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

One more clue. The punctuation in the team sheet is deliberate. Definitely on point.

The only significant thing I can see re the punctuation is that Salem’s number is the only one that is followed by a full stop (period). 

[Guest]

There’s math involved, right?

[Engorged Onion 10,224]

FMD - two people have it - just spill the gawd.damn.beans :p

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,048]

There may be some people who would like a bit more time, so I'll post the answer sometime tomorrow.

By the way, there are now at least 8 different clues in this thread, and counting.  

[In Harmes Way 7,840]

Just worked it out. Thanks to Mazer for the clues. 

Edited August 18, 2021 by In Harmes Way
Removed my clue. Made it too easy.

[Guest]

Collingwood factors in somehow?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, In Harmes Way said:

Just worked it out. Thanks to Mazer for the clues. Easy as.....

Yeah, easy as… when you’ve solved it. 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,048]

7 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Collingwood factors in somehow?

A stereotypical Collingwood supporter would arguably be the least likely to understand the answer. And when told, might wonder why 4 and 20 weren't the only numbers used.   

[Guest]

As in four n twenty pies, right?

Yeah nah, I’m all the more confused. 
I’ll tune in tomoz for the solution. 

[Demonstone 23,361]

3 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

As in four n twenty pies, right?

You won't believe how close you are!

[DubDee 26,323]

Well Magner isn't there so it can't be that they all helped build East Link

yeah that's my contribution to the thread. my brain stopped working 4 lockdowns ago

Edited August 18, 2021 by DubDee
Typed Wagner, not Magner proving my second point