Leaderboard

Congratulations to ANB who will run out for game number 100 on Monday night! A good story of perseverance after two years rotating between the senior team and the VFL and nearly being traded at the end of last season. He's come back with a great attitude and is quite possibly the personification of the 'selfless' approach embraced by the side this season. He doesn't always accumulate big numbers from a stats perspective, but he's playing a key pressure role in our forward half alongside Pickett and Spargo. Seems to have really developed some good leadership qualities over the last couple of years as well. I still have flashbacks of when he burst onto the scene in his second or third game and snagged a few to help seal our famous win against Geelong back in 2015. What a day that was!

Another big performance for East Freo Colts in the Port Derby vs South Freo today. 25 disposals and by all accounts battled it out with Josh Cripps( Paddy's brother) for BOG honors

Some insight into the team: Jones can’t be selected as he is still in melbourne, so he couldn’t meet the quarantine if needed, and he needs more game time before being picked. Melksham is in to play on Hurn - as Hurn normally goes on a small forward and just plays off to intercept. Melk will try to stay on him, or we use melk when Hurn leaves him alone. In regards to tactics, WC win when they chip it around and keep possession, so the wet might help us there, but we really need to not let them chip it around. Forward pressure like last week will help there. Also, they are really poor at ground balls, so we need to bring it to ground and not let them take lots of marks. Clearly with Nic Nat they are great at clearances and get lots of scores from that, so keeping that in check will help us big time. We can’t let them walk out the front of clearances!

One of the least appreciated by supporters. One of the most appreciated by his peers. The ultimate team man. 100% give me the guy that cant hit a kick because he has ran himself ragged over the guy who has beautiful skills but doesn’t chase and gets the easy ball. Its players like Nibs that shift a club culture. Keep doing what you do Nibbler and here’s to a 100 more.

Culture is built by guys like ANB. Work ethic, character, effort and consistency have made him a leader in a group with more decorated and celebrated players around him. One thing I've always noticed about him is he always gets around his team mates and is happy for them when they have their moments. It's been particularly noticeable with TMac this year and my guess is maybe they bonded a bit more in the offseason given their similar positions with the club. Congrats to Nibs.

Gotta love Heath Shaw

Can't we make it easy for ourselves for a change!

Last night I said GWS had given up on the season. Today I said the bombers looked horrific. And, last week I said how glad I was that Peter Wright didn’t come to us. Im on a roll folks!

On grand final day, he won't care. He'll just get the ball and get the ball and keep doing that until we win.

I'm sorry but essendon winning still makes me sick.

To his credit his disposal has improved out of sight and now is one our most reliable kicks for goal. And a genuinely good person.

Just starting 14 days iso at home due to covid pos case at my child's school. I have had two AZ shots, which gives me some comfort. Obviously kids not eligible yet Nobodys fault, delta variant is insidious. Not the fault of any religious beliefs, cultural differences or community ties. It's a highly contagious disease that uses evolution to change and multiply. It finds a way. We all want to blame someone, anyone, but we have to be better than that. Despite the vaccine roll out being a dogs breakfast, I urge anyone eligible for ANY vaccine to take it asap. If not for yourself, do it for the rest of us. As Peter Doherty said, if you choose not to get vaccinated, you are on the side of the virus.

Don’t feel bad about being pro Toby. He is pretty much the funnest player to watch in the AFL when he isn’t playing your team Plus he hit Dangerfield which makes Tobes even more loveable

Lions showing us how to get the job done in the West. The weekend's results have opened up an incredible rails run to top spot.

I don't care what anyone says, he's brilliant on the outside, but has no defensive game at all does Bontempelli. 0 tackles. If he gets votes in that game it's a joke. How bloody wonderful was it to see that mob beaten? Another test, another failure. If the Bulldogs aren't winning clearance, they can't win games. They can't even generate inside 50s. Their style won't hold up in finals unless they pull 2 or 3 performances out of their arses. Can't see it. The flag is ours to lose from here.

I think one major break though LH is the antiviral nanoparticle treatment that has been developed by QLD researches, notably Professor Kevin Morris and American scientists. In trials earlier this year with animals the treatment killed 99.99% of the virus instantly. It works by attacking the virus genome directly which stops the virus from replicating. It will work on all betacoronaviruses including Sars-CoV-1 & 2 and any new variants that may arise in the future. The nanoparticles are stable at 4C for 12 months or room temperature for 1 month indicating that their use in lower resourced countries can be implemented. This may be available to patients who either have CoVid or were recently exposed, by as early as 2023 if the next phase clinical trial results are successful.

In strict biological terms, we can’t Luci, so we manage it. Like the seasonal flu - we all get yearly (or whatever is recommended) boosters. Treatments will also improve - specific anti-virals, advanced medication cocktails (that doesn’t mean Hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin!). It’s here forever, we just need to use science and education to consolidate understanding and create compliance. None of this reality is being delivered to the public, however. The majority are still under the illusion that COVID will ‘go away’, or die. It will not. Ever.

Would you believe she told her mother she was going for a bike ride and took off for Nana and Pa this morning. Her mother called her home half way when she discovered what she was doing. It was possible because of the smart watch we had given her. How can I not love this child she is the greatest.

I find it encouraging that the vast majority of posters on this site and people in general have called out Walker's comment for the vile racism that it demonstrates. Notwithstanding a minority of Neanderthal outliers, it seems that the message is finally getting through. It's not that long ago that people making a stand against such behaviour would be labelled "woke" or "virtue signalling", as if caring about others and supporting social justice were bad things deserving of ridicule and criticism.

This. Should’ve been laying the foundations the moment it became ‘pandemic’. As a vaccine anecdote, I was quizzing a 17 year-old patient this week (2 days per-lockdown) how he would feel about getting the jab if a ‘vaccine bus’ just turned up at his school and all the kids were just marched through and injected (his mum and I had jabs administered this way in Primary school). He said he’d get it of course, then told me about his best mate who decided to go off to the Exhibition Building hub, and demand a vaccine, which he did….AZ, cos it was a quicker process. Did all the informed consent, done. I asked the boy if he was going to do likewise….he replied ‘maybe’, but his mate said it was a bit painful in the arm. 😖. As is the modern way, there’s way too much discussion of choice going on - an extension of spurious arguments for individual liberties that in this case obscure the truth that lives and deaths and the health of broader society is at play. This is not the approach we need to quell a pandemic. It’s a [censored]ing [censored] in the arm, FFS. Get it done.

Like many I was one that suggested he should be traded not too long ago. He’s manage to carve out a really solid career with Melbourne through hard work and perseverance. He’s passionate about the Dees and gives his all. Well done Nibbler!

Did all of those people have access to vaccine and the financial support structure to self quarantine for a month prior to returning though? A purpose built quarantine centre here is what was needed.

Congrats ANB. While he’s not universally appreciated, 100 AFL games is a pretty good effort in anyone’s book. Kick three to celebrate on Monday night!

Bont clearly has won the Brownlow. Umpires fawn over the bloke. It’s sickening.

Twice he was caught red hot.

Honestly, Bontenpelli kicked a ball across ground and Brian Taylor carried on like he had just painted the Sistine Chapel.

Funny to think that when he was drafted, the most exciting thing about him was that he was the best mate of our gun F/S recruit, Billy Stretch. I’m a fan of ANB. The interviews he’s done this year show him to be the kind of honest but caring teammate I’d want if I were a player. He gets maximum use out of the talent he has. Well done on the way 100.

Morrison doesn't care, he probably thinks its a sign of the end times and welcomes Jesus' imminent return. Only thing he cares about is the effect on the hip pockets of himself, his mates and his donors.

Didn't they just win Olympic Bronze 🙂

Was looking at USA hospitalisation rates today. Covid cases running at 100k per day. The last time the daily case rate was at that level was February. With 50% vaccinated you might expect to see a reasonable decrease in the hospitalisation rate compared to February but no they're almost the same. There are relatively few vaccinated people in hospital which means in simple terms the present strain is hospitalising the unvaccinated at roughly twice the rate as the strain which was prevalent in February. You can play with these figures around the edges but the trend does not lie. Get the jab and we will need close to 90% of over 12's jabbed to beat this.

This is where the old system actually had it right, two bad but not suspendable actions should equal a one week stint. Call it the culmination rule. Either way you look at Selwood’s action, he lines the player up. There wasn’t any interest on the ball, his clout and standing in the game has protected him once again. Where are the commentators who condemned Viney last week saying it was a dirty act and not a good look?

2 way runner! 👹 ❤💙

Beating the Eagles gives us the luxury of securing Top 4 with 2 games to spare. We can play the final 2 games with less pressure so can build our form. It also gives us a chance to manage players who are carrying niggles. Huge incentive to beat the Eagles and i think we will

But hang on , nothing happened to Collins with Viney’s elbow and he got two weeks… Selwood hit had a much higher likelihood of serious injury… and yet it’s just a fine.. this is the crap I just cannot put up with.

St Kilda have modelled themselves on Melbourne in the second half of the year, I reckon. They've nicked our set up behind the ball and place a greater emphasis on post clearance pressure and around the ground clearances, and ground ball gets. It was a similar sort of match tonight to our game against Sydney, in that the Swans were monstering the centre clearances, but St Kilda were intercepting those shallow rushed kicks that barely penetrated 50. Parker is a major offender at those rushed, nothing clearances that get intercepted. He was an offender against us too. For me he's a vastly overrated player. He's good, but not clever or particularly skilled. Certainly wouldn't provide us anything different to what we already have if we were to go after him. It also makes you wonder if Sydney are simply happy to take territory off winning the centre clearances, rather than have quality of clearance first and foremost. We're the opposite. We'd much prefer to get the most damaging centre clearance possible or put enough pressure on the opposition with their clearance so we can intercept. It's a different story with our approach to around the ground clearances of course, where we're quite happy to take territory. I thought St Kilda also exposed their lack of pressure forwards by rebounding with extreme pace off half back. They cut Sydney to ribbons, and stretched them out of shape with angled, wide, excellent ball use, and looked for thst corridor kick almost every time. They're a good team to watch, St Kilda, when they get going.

Selwood did not deviate from ten metres away and he still got off from a dangerous head high hit, which could have resulted in a neck dislocation.The AFL Board need to be replaced before someone is killed and then it's too late.

How’s that Bontempelli decision!! Laughable

The Bradbury Plan is in full effect. Just up to us to stuff it up now.

If Essenton beat the Bullfrogs we are effectively being gifted not only top 4 but also top 2. Must beat Eagles to really solidify our intentions. I'd very much like for us to not "Melbourne" this and [censored] the bed.

He had some of the biggest wraps you'll ever see on a player in the lead up to the mini-draft. It's unbelievable the hyperbole thayt gets written about kids at the time of year. The media (and internet pundits) feed off each others hypes and you end up with a Tom Boyd style report where he somehow became better and better through an U18 year where he barely played. He doesn't look completely engaged to me; perhaps disenchanted with moves to two clubs that promised the world and have delivered next to nothing (other than a huge stack of cash). He's reluctant to make contact, perhaps due to the fact that every time he tried that at GC, he got injured. Not a true midfielder, not a particularly great forward, he plays as a small utility and doesn't really excel anywhere. I'll admit, I was keen to get him to the Dees, fooled into thinking he was a good player in a poor team. The reality is he's just: 'meh'. People rate him very harshly, but I think that's the price you pay when you put your hand up for the huge contracts and make very public trade demands.

Help is never ineffective. Even that 1-2 mil jabs a month would translate to possibly hundreds, if not thousands, of lives saved. Yes, it certainly does add up.

I reflect on trade targets and the draft and it’s amazing how much we underrate our own players and overate other teams players. Jack Martin in another thread is a perfect example. Some people wanted to pay him $750k by 4 years!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone goes Geelong had great gets in Cameron, Smith & Higgins, but they were very interested in Viney who many trash on this site, unfortunately! Our list management, trading and drafting has been very good to excellent of recent years: - 1st round trades - Lever & May - 2nd round trades - Brown, Langdon, Tomlinson, Hibberd & Melksham - 1st round draft - Jackson & Pickett - 2nd rounders - Fritsch, Spargo, Petty, Jordan, Rivers, - Bowey looks promising The list strategy from 2018 in filling our deficiencies: - brought in key backs to fill hole (Lever, May) Petty from 2018 prelim - 2019 brought in wings after 6/6/6 rule highlighted importance (Langdon, & Tomlinson, even though He went back) - Small forward with X factor Pickett - Tall (support for Max) with X factor Jackson - Big forward in BBB - Skill & disposal efficiency Spargo, Bowey, Pickett The more you look at it, the more you can only congratulate the list management and recruitment, a gold medal effort. Even on improving coaching getting Yze & Choco has been great. I heard some commentator or journo going Melbourne don’t have premiership star factor, obviously he can’t see the following across the field: Midfield: Gawn, Oliver, Trac (add Bont and you have AA midfield) Backs: May, Lever, Salem(carrying groin hasn’t helped since mid season) Forward: Fritsch (look at stats for goal kicking # 3 forwards) Pickett ( look at pressure stats and goals) We are going to go very close this year, fingers crossed, but regardless club has done a great job in building the playing list and coaches plus high performance team - IF we can find goal kicking solution for next 6-7 matches, we will be exceptionally hard to beat from here on in!

Totally agree and encourage everyone to get vaccinated. I'm not so confident of us ever beating this. Even if we get to 90% at some point we need to open borders. Even with the best quarantine centres we know the virus gets out before and after quarantine. And our nearest neighbours: Indonesia, PNG and Fiji are in a world of hurt with covid. We need to help them and fortunately we are helping a little bit, altho some folks may not like us diverting our vaccines to them. It is essential we support them as a good neighbour and support ours and the regions long-term interests. Sadly, my view it can't be beaten until the whole region is safe from it so we will need to learn to live with it.

That would be a stinker of a situation.

Giants didn’t waste any time lodging an appeal BDA, in a club statement they said this was a football action and doesn’t warrant a suspension.

I try to do my best WCW.

Melksham's disposal is elite, and we need to have a look at him for the next couple of weeks. I like his selection on that basis, but he needs to produce now, or he shouldn't be playing finals.!

I have good news to report. Just 30 minutes ago we heard the whole thing about exposure at my GD’s school was wrong. A false alarm. Needless to say there are a lot of [censored] off parents. Some sat in testing queues for hours. But the problem has gone away I feel better than if we won the GF.