For all the mental torture that the likes of Demonstone have inflicted upon me, I've compiled a quiz. In the scale of hardness, I'd rate it a 'talc', but that's because I know the answers.

What do these players have in common:

Backline        Brad Sholl        Noah Balta        Paul Hamilton        
                                
Half Back        Daniel Cross        Scott Lucas        Garry Foulds        
                                
Centreline        Peter Filandia       Jude Bolton        David Calthorpe        
                                
Half Forwards        Mitch Wallis        Joe Daniher        Jake Riccardi        
                                
Forward Line        Justin Madden        Matthew Lloyd        Ricky McLean        
                                
Followers        Simon Madden        Dane Swan        Tom Liberatore        
                                
Bench        Steve O'Dwyer        Leigh Tudor        Ben Ronke        Xavier O'Halloran
                                
Emergencies        Lachlan Sholl        Steve Morris        Rohan Welsh        James Cook
 

Worse than bloody Wordle these things. 

A suspicious number of Essendon names here. Is this a gateway quiz and if I attempt it, I end up swearing on a bible that James Hird was set up by the AFL?

16 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

A suspicious number of Essendon names here. Is this a gateway quiz and if I attempt it, I end up swearing on a bible that James Hird was set up by the AFL?

Your initials are MR. Is that you Mark Robinson?

And we have a winner. Gold medal goes to a previous winner in @tilly18. 

12 minutes ago, mo64 said:

Your initials are MR. Is that you Mark Robinson?

Oh, James. If you but knew what a wealth of golden love is waiting for you, stored up in this rugged old bosom of mine, the ...

Huh? What? No. No. Just some guy, posting on Demonland.

Oh, James ...

15 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Oh, James. If you but knew what a wealth of golden love is waiting for you, stored up in this rugged old bosom of mine, the ...

Huh? What? No. No. Just some guy, posting on Demonland.

Oh, James ...

Blown it Mazer, we all know Robbo can't spell. So if not the Tird who are you? Calico Jack perhaps, or some other fictional pirate.

 

Edit: So now you can't say Sl obbo!

Congrats to @Demonstone on solving it and picking up the silver medal.

I don't see what is so retributing about this retribution quiz. 

There's one podium place up for grabs, so here's a clue:

There's some real hard-nuts in this team. But there's also some downhill skiers who may require some assistance.

 

Two more clues:

Congrats to @Mazer Rackham who takes bronze.

The connection for all these players is that they attended St. Bernard's College West Essendon. Some players like James Cook and Daniel Cross came to the school after being recruited by their AFL club.

This quiz has really opened my eyes. I've been researching all things Essendon on the internet. It turns out ASADA and WADA were so jealous of Essendon that they took an ex ASADA employee, Dank, and planted him at Geelong, knowing that one day Essendon would recruit him. (They play the long game, these powerful international banking organisations.) But James was onto them from the very beginning and refused to play their game. He had to sacrifice his own career to save the club, but his love of the club was so great that he didn't even hesitate.

Hang on. Incoming telex from Bruce Francis. brb

'Talc', @mo64? I. Don't. Think. So. Somewhere towards the right hand end of the obscurity spectrum, I'd say!

Thus, a worthy (though, to me, inaccessible) challenge!

(And speaking of obscurity, @Mazer Rackham, 👏 for your contributions. To your respondents, too.)

Edited March 10, 20233 yr by Timothy Reddan-A'Blew

2 hours ago, mo64 said:

Congrats to @Mazer Rackham who takes bronze.

The connection for all these players is that they attended St. Bernard's College West Essendon. Some players like James Cook and Daniel Cross came to the school after being recruited by their AFL club.

Very good Mo, never would have cracked it but a great challenge nonetheless.

All I had for your image clues above was that they all enjoy Honeysuckle scented candles. 

1 hour ago, layzie said:

Very good Mo, never would have cracked it but a great challenge nonetheless.

All I had for your image clues above was that they all enjoy Honeysuckle scented candles. 

St. Bernard of Clairveaux is the patron saint of beekeepers and candles. 😁

40 minutes ago, mo64 said:

St. Bernard of Clairveaux is the patron saint of beekeepers and candles. 😁

Again, very impressive knowledge!

Edited March 10, 20233 yr by layzie

Beekeeper, candles => wax => whacks => thugs => Essendon players => why do Essendon players turn out like they do?

Pretty simple when you break it down.

Speaking of saints, James has learned that the AFL started the Ukraine war to distract from 17 clubs doping their players against their wills. I'll leave you to work out which 17.

Sustained quality, @Mazer Rackham! Kudos.

1 hour ago, layzie said:

Again, very impressive knowledge!

I had some inside knowledge.😁