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Essendon Pharmaceuticals?

Imagine the personality traits that would lead a person to be a police officer, politician, real estate agent and an AFL player agent...

Agree, then there could be new talking point for the footy media every year - Gerard Whately: with modern footballers and boots being so much better, and the distances they can kick, they really needed to give the goals some protection. Dunstall: i don't' agree Gerard, i'm traditionalist and having row of gum trees 30 metre out directly in front of the goals that players have to kick over just doesn't feel right - what's next a water hazard? Gerard: it's not 1992, the game must evolve. David King: according to Champion Data 38% of all kicks from the 53 metre mark have 16% chance of scoring which is higher than 15% and so the data is clear on this - we need more data to be clear on this. But to be clear i think Freo will finish top 4 this year, because they play the gum tree so well. Dunstall - didn't you say last week Freo would finish bottom of the ladder? King- yes, but i thought they were planting the Nyssa sylvatica not the Tristaniopsis laurina

It’s another sad day when one of your favourites (heck, they were all favourites back then) passes away. He was recruited young 
back in the days when the Demons were smart at finding talent. He played with the Fourths and was registered under his grandmother’s Murrumbeena address which was in Melbourne’s suburban zone. Otherwise, he would have become a Hawk. He worked his way through the ranks in the late 50s but was a true child of the 60s making his senior debut vs North Melbourne in Round 1, 1960. Even then it took him until 1962 to establish himself and he was premiership full back in 1964. My favourite story about Bernie was about the day he turned up to training with a mustache and Norm Smith told him in no uncertain terms that if he wanted to play footy then the mo had to go. He played 99 games which was the most for the club without kicking a goal and the most games in guernsey # 37. His father was an official with the Under 19s and Reserves and like Bernie, a life member. Vale Bernie Massey - a premiership Demon.

The 'Current Rating' is weighted toward more recent results, so a team could be rated higher if they in better form. If you look at the following page of my site, you will see a 'Current Rating' section and an 'Overall Season Rating' section in the table. https://www.wheeloratings.com/afl_ratings.html The overall season rating treats all matches equally. Melbourne is rated second overall, behind Collingwood, on the overall season defensive rating but first on the current defensive rating. St Kilda drops from third overall defensively to fourth currently as their form was better at the start of the season. Teams also inherit a proportion of their rating from the end of the prior season, so early season ratings will be impacted by the prior year. This wouldn't have much of an effect this far into the season. Secondly, the ratings are not based on actual team scores. They are based on a weighted average of the team scores and what teams would have scored had they kicked at an expected accuracy, and weighted more towards the latter. So when Melbourne kick 8.18, their score is adjusted (increased) to reflect the below average accuracy and to better reflect their dominance. As background information, the model is optimised for the prediction of matches. Specifically, it is optimised to minimise the mean absolute error in predicted margins. Applying a weighted average in this manner performs better than using actual team scores or just using scoring shots. Lastly, the ratings also take into account estimated opponent strength and estimated venue advantage/disadvantage.

The club has announced the passing of Premiership player Bernie Massey Vale Bernie Massey I'm sure I speak for all in extending condolences to his family.

Looks like plenty of gullible folk have been sucked in by the rage bait article which has served its purpose by attracting lots of clicks and generating the predictable faux outrage. Woke! PC gone mad!

Bring back the 90s I say.

I’d like to see some bunkers and blind kicks at goal over trees.

This would be a more suitable logo

Would it be the first time for Melbourne that all 3 ins are players with beautiful red hair?

I really think unique grounds are an interesting facet of the game to contend with.

This week’s contest against Geelong is a must win if the Casey Demons are to arrest their downward spiral over the past 4 or 5 weeks. They won the corresponding game at GMHBA Stadium last year and with a much stronger side on the park this week, they should get the job done.

It's a bit of an epic effort of manufactured victimhood to turn 'A club is considering making less use of it's mascot image in branded material' into 'the woke police are coming for everything'. I mean... ...any questions? http://www.demonwiki.org/gallery270

A great player-no 37. I'll never forget a mark he completed whilst lying on his back in the goal square down the scoreboard end. He must have. got a hand on it in the air and the pack crashed down and he stuck out his hand whilst on his back and the ball landed in it. A really great second attempt slips catch during footy season! RIP Bernie-thanks for the great contribution and wonderful memories.

sounds a shoe-in to run the afl integrity unit

Rouge one is the second best Star Wars film in my humble. Fantastic, and much underrated film

I think that the season is wide open, all teams have issues to address, some bigger than others. Coll are moths to the turnover flame by design and contested possession teams that trust each other can get through that. Port rely heavily on having the ball to defend, teams have run up scores on them as DemonWA alluded. We have our known issues with our forward mix and if teams slow our movement we can be pushed wide and shallow. That said - I think we are the best chance if we can get top 2. Top 4 with an interstate final evens things out a bit. The Lions have a scent of implosion and are inconsistent in application and desire. Won’t go through the rest but this year has a clear path for a Bulldogs-style run through August and September to a flag from anywhere in the 8 IMO. Who is most connected and healthy in the last two months?

Re the comments about the short break over the bye. While the number of days of our bye is the same as last year there is no comparison to 2022. In 2022 we were blindsided by the AFL's progressive fixture roll out and we had only weeks to prepare for a shorter break. The club's 2022 preseason and early season training would have assumed a 12-14 day break at the bye. It is no coincidence that this year the AFL released rounds 1 -15 straight up so all clubs could plan their training schedules to incorporate their byes. Also, last year our players got a second 4 day break away from the club and I would be surprised if they didn't again this year. I mentioned in The Run Home thread we will have plenty of opportunity to rest/manage players in the last month while other competing top 4 clubs are fighting to maintain their position. Our fitness and medical staff are much better prepared this year. Fully trust that they will have the training/managing of players right. imv we do not have a disadvantage to other clubs in terms of days break.

I think you have to sit next to Daryl Somers

Agree. He was a booming kick. Along with Phil Rhoden and Donny Williams was the best drop kick I can remember

Is this just because the logo looks like it was taken from clip art in the early 90’s?

Massey, Miller, Roet , Williams etc... Some great players way back then

solved

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-19/aflw-season-length-still-being-negotiated-incoming-afl-chief/102497688 This from Andrew Dillon is particularly galling as an excuse for not adding an extra two H&A games this season (which is what the AFLPA is asking for): "But we also want to have a three to five-year vision about how we expand the competition." Yeah, that's literally what the players and fans have been crying out for since at least 2019. A plan that lays out how many games will be added year on year, not just a wishy washy end goal. Yet now that lack of a plan is suddenly a reason to hold back on adding a couple of games? Right. 10 H&A rounds in an 18-team competition is frankly ridiculous. The longer it continues, the wider the gulf will become between the best and the rest. Which will lead to more intervention in the draft and trading rules to artificially bring the best back to the pack. Really these are just snowballing problems from the AFL's previous obsession with getting to 18 teams ASAP... Just like the Grand Final venue was flagged as a potential problem MONTHS before they finally made the last-minute decision, the need to get started on these negotiations ASAP was also raised by many straight after last season, foreseeing the current situation. Likely it's more complex being a joint negotiation and needing to wait for TV rights to be sorted, but still. Completely foreseeable.

Because had we kicked straight we would of spanked them by 7 goals. On top of that we're better defensively, we're better at contest, we're better at scoring from turnover, heck, we're just plain better.

I don't know what symptoms he may've experienced, but i agree that the club has likely downplayed the severity. If he was in hospital, on a drip, for nearly a week, it was very very serious. Athlete's involved in intense training are at major risk of contracting serious infections. Their bodies are exhausted and can struggle to fight infection, infection itself is common as they are in environments with lots of sweat and body contact. These infections can do serious damage to internal organs and can lead to necrotic areas at the infection site. Kevin Randleman, an old mma fighter literally had holes in his skin from a staph infection, and recently Australian mma fighter Tim Schulz nearly had his leg amputated due to a skin infection. Viewer discretion advised, but interesting nonetheless: https://www.si.com/fannation/mma/news/video-horrific-staph-infection-leaves-mma-fighter-at-risk-of-amputation On top of all that, the antibioitics required to fight infection can be devastating for an athletes cardio and energy systems.

Without derailing my favourite thread, pretty much all the new Star Wars films (aside from Rise of the Skywalker) are excellent IMO. And completely agree on Andor. It's superb. I'm a bit like @binman in that I'm not as confident this week given where we likely are in our fitness regime, that said in the corresponding game last year, we spanked Brisbane. I'd say it's likely our program is aligned differently this year as we have the three 10 day breaks, which absolutely make sense to go hard during the week on, so I'd expect us to be sluggish. However, Geelong's midfield is not what it was and without Dangerfield, I expect us to win the contest battle. I just hope our goal kicking accuracy doesn't cost us. I think the second half of this season should be fascinating to see what tricks the FD have in terms of set ups and personnel. I think the ball movement will naturally evolve and fix itself, providing we have continuity in our squad/team. I expect that those players who occasionally slow us down on slingshot will become more confident and instinctive in moving the ball on successfully and if we get our fitness regime right, our players will be able to provide more options in these situations. The treating Geelong like an interstate game is great. I find it unusual that we've never tried that as a team before. It seems relatively logical as a way to team bond and ensure ultimate focus on the task at hand. I hope it pays off. This along with training to the GMHBA dimensions is giving us the best chance to succeed and I hope we continue to approach the second half of this season with a mentality of being flexible and inventive.

I knòw this isn't the 'AFL look a likes' thread, but: Looks scarier than when he was leading towards Peter Craven, elbow aimed.

Given the bye this weekend, I thought I would give this thread a bump and submit a longer post for discussion. @binman previously theorised the three most significant determinants of premiership success – fitness, quality of the list and relative ages, and luck with injury. He also cited coaching as the next most important determinant. I have adapted Binman’s formulation to be: personnel, fitness (incorporating injuries) and method (incorporating coaching). I neologise this three-pronged conceptual framework as ‘the trident’. I use ‘the trident’ as a lens to evaluate our recent past (i.e. 2018-22), present (i.e. mid-2023) and future (July-September 2023). I hope my thoughts are received as contributing to the passionate discussion about the team we love and I promise not to make a habit of such lengthy posts. Many thanks to the great insights of numerous Demonlanders who have shaped my views. TLDR? Just skip to the last two paragraphs. The past In the first half of September 2018 the Dees charged through Geelong and Hawthorn, announcing our re-emergence from our decennium horribilis. We had a core of high-quality mid-fielders (Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, Viney and Brayshaw), an attacking method and excellent fitness. In third week of September, our charge ended in an embarrassing collision with a blue and yellow wall precipitating a reality check; our list lacked a spread of premiership-quality players and a method that prevailed deep in September. Steven May was an astute addition to the team ahead of the 2019 season. May would partner with Jack Lever - recruited the season before – and control the opposition’s biggest key forward allowing Lever freedom to play interceptor. Unfortunately, May’s early experience mirrored the club’s more generally for 2019. With half the list afflicted with pre-season injuries - precluding players from optimising their fitness before the season – the year was essentially over before it begun. Ed Langdon’s recruitment prior to 2020 continued the trend of recruiting players to perform specific roles. Goodwin’s use of Langdon in 2020 rejuvenated the role of wingers in the modern game. Darren Burgess, high performance manager, was perhaps the most significant recruitment coming into 2020. That the Dees went from an unfit and injury-afflicted 17th in 2019 to a fit and injury-free premiership in 2021 is perhaps attributable to the application of Burgess’ approach to fitness more than any other factor (link to short article with salient Burgess quotes below). https://www.afl.com.au/news/686425/fitness-guru-reveals-secret-to-dees-incredible-injury-free-run In 2021, our core of high-quality to elite players had expanded to include May, Lever, Salem, Langdon, Fritsch, and were now supported by a stronger cast of role players. Key to this was the emergence of young talent in 2021 (e.g. Luke Jackson, Kysaiah Pickett, Tom Sparrow, Harrison Petty and Trent Rivers). Ben Brown was yet another excellent recruitment, playing a vital role in improving the structure of the forward line. With a list of quality players an in great fitness, Goodwin was able to implement a highly demanding game plan involving two-way running. The attacking flare of 2018 was matched with a whole-of-team defensive press that suffocated the opposition. A footballing syzygy had been achieved; the alignment of quality players, excellent fitness and a unique and comprehensive method yielded a convincing premiership. The focus of 2022 seemed to be to repeat 2021 in fitness, personnel and method. While the record books show we won our first ten games, issues were simmering under the surface. Numerous key players (especially defenders) sustained injuries in the pre- and early season. Many continued to play injured, perhaps as part of the Burgess philosophy of building physical resilience. Frequently we read reports of players who did very little training during the week in order to get up for gameday. As Selwyn Griffith noted in his Demonland interview, during the season players typically only get about 70% of the training load needed to maintain base fitness. Across the course of the season, those players carrying injuries likely had even less training loads and this would have accelerated the erosion of their base fitness. This consequence may not have been realised until the second half of the season. Additionally, we now know many players carried injuries into the finals, injuries that directly impacted on their ability to perform. Issues with our method became particularly evident in the back half of 2022: slow and predictable ball movement from D50, long and high kicks to the pocket in F50. Relatedly, personnel deficits were identified: elite decision-makers and ball users in defence and the mid-field and reliable key forwards (ideally with defensive skills). However, these personnel deficits and method issues were not the primary issue. The most proximal cause of our finals failings was lack of fitness. This is most compellingly evidenced by our team’s repeated deterioration in performance in the third and fourth quarters. In all but one game that we lost, we had led by at least twenty points after half-time. We went from the best fourth quarter team in 2021 to one of the worst in 2022. This pattern of performance degradation is unlikely to be explained by method or personnel alone - whereby we would expect a more evenly distributed level of performance across four quarters. More likely, as a consequence of fatigue, the ability to execute the ideal method was impaired, leading to stagnant offence and porous defence. The present Entering 2023, a key focus needed to be optimising fitness. In this regard, Geelong’s change in approach from 2021 to 2022 serves as an obvious template to emulate. Consequently, we have seen more careful management of players (e.g. Hibberd). Time on ground (TOG) for key players has been reduced. Clearly, this reduces match day fatigue and quicker recovery. I wonder if this also allows for increased training loads on other days in the week. That is, by more evenly distributing training loads across the week, a great total may be achieved, minimising the aerobic fitness losses that occur during the season. At this stage of 2023, our fitness appears back to 2021 levels. We are again the best fourth quarter team. We’ve had a relatively low number of injuries and a near full list available for selection. Salem’s return from injury as his 2021 self – rather than the 2022 shadow – is further indication of a fitness team performing well behind the scenes. There’s been a lot of complaint about the lack of a proper bye and Griffith acknowledged this makes inserting periods of increased training loads into the season harder. I’m sceptical about the magnitude of this problem. Indeed, there may be benefits to our alternative fixture of multiple 9-10 day breaks. Either way, this year we have the benefit of learning from last years’ experience to optimise our mid-season training loads. In sum, the present state of our fitness seems favourable and augurs well. Personnel deficits have partially been addressed. Lachie Hunter adds a second specialist winger to the team and a high-quality ball user. Judd McVee has become the lock-down small defender we’ve needed since Neville Jetta retired and is also superbly skilled. However, the key forward positions are still in flux. Tom McDonald and Ben Brown’s bodies are failing them just as the game is moving past them. JVR is adequately filling one of the key forward positions (and has enormous upside). Petty and/or Smith appear most likely to fill the other post/s. McDonald or Brown would need to re-find their best form to gain selection as the combination of JVR/Petty/Smith is seeming more attractive from the perspective of the forward line as a cohesive unit that is competitive in the air and on the ground. Brody Grundy has been an upgrade on Luke Jackson of 2022. However, we are not yet getting full value for the Gawn and Grundy combination. Grundy’s low TOG (often 68-69%) is interesting. Perhaps after a year out of football with consecutive lower limbs injuries his fitness is below his peak and his gameday load is being carefully managed. We will likely see greater output from Gawn and Grundy in 2024 if both can stay injury free and improve their cohesiveness. I see Gawn as Grundy potential premiership determiners in 2023. Thus far, they’ve been good without being great and so are not attracting a lot of opposition attention. However, if both are fit and Goodwin finds creative ways to exploit their strengths at the business end of the season, they will win games and the opposition will have little time to develop negating strategies. In short, our best 22 in 2023 is superior to our best 22 in 2022. Finally, our method. The past two games have shown we are essentially still working on the same method. The foundation of our game is winning contested ball and whole-of-team defensive press. Recent sightings of the 2023 Demon Press of Death (DPoD – credit @rpfc) has been heart-warming. Adaptations to our offensive play were particularly impressive in the pre-season and early rounds; quicker ball movement, looking to use the corridor and attacking the goals. Expect this to re-emerge as the season unfolds. At times (and particularly against Collingwood) we’ve seen better use of tempo football; go fast and take risks when the options are there, go slow and play the percentages when they are not. Striking the right balance must be incredibly hard to execute and take excellent coaching and much practice. Perfecting this element our game is an area to watch closely. The future A significant limitation of this review is the one-sidedness; clearly there are 17 other teams striving to win a premiership and I lack the knowledge to conduct a similar evaluation of their prospects. Others will offer far greater insight into the opposition and I welcome their comments. Approaching this probabilistically, I estimate a 5% chance of the premiership being one by one of the teams currently outside the top four. Of the top four, Lions have the weakest claim, perhaps a 20% probability. I think we have a stronger claim than Pies and Port (I would say 30% probability) but I’m mindful of my personal biases and conclude the top three each have roughly a 25% chance of premiership success. Our ‘premiership trident’ appears sharp and strong. With the benefit of two extra years of conditioning into much the same personnel, our fitness may be better. With the additions of Hunter and Grundy, natural improvement of Rivers and Sparrow and appearance of McVee our personnel are slightly better than 2021. Our method appears sound…when correctly implemented. Combine our best defence with our best offence and we will finally see the Demons hold the premiership cup held aloft at the MCG in September! (Apologies for the long post – though I did make sure it comes in 100 words less than Binman’s Act 2! Looking forward to Binman’s Act 3 which I will no doubt provide a more nuanced prediction of what will come for the remainder of the H&A season)

Bernie was a great player and a player to be admired

Defence looks so much safer with Salem finding form. And McVee ....

It seems the AFL are treating it as though the players should be grateful to have a comp...

Mini rant coming up Yesterday the AFL announced the dates for next years SA Gather Round. This is at a time when the AFLW season is yet to be finalised, even though the players are in pre-season training and the first game is slated to start in just over two months. Imagine being an AFLW player who has a second job but you can’t tell your employee what days you’ll need off (no fixture) or how many (no fixture length). They also don’t know how much they’ll be paid let alone the type of finals system they’ll be playing under After not even having a ground booked for the Grand Final last season you’d think the AFL may have been shamed into getting their [censored] together but unfortunately no. There is now even talk of a players strike if this isn’t sorted soon https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-10/lack-progress-expanded-schedule-threat-aflw-strike/102465960 and you can understand the frustration Pull your finger out AFL and treat the comp and these women with the respect they deserve

So… sub?

According to an article on the AFL website, there’s a new reason for supporters to panic at this time of year and that’s the post bye let down. The trend of dropping the first game on return from a bye has gone to a new level this season with teams now a collective 1-5 in 2023 when playing after their mid-season break (and the only win was the Saints’ Round 13 triumph over the Swans, also fresh from a spell). This puts the Demons at risk in their clash with the Cats at the half-completed taxpayer funded you beaut stadium on Corio Bay, the home side having already suffered the let down last weekend. Thankfully, the Demons are the best coached organization in the country and Simon Goodwin and his coaching cohort have everything under control. Firstly, the team is heading down the highway to Geelong to train at GMHBA Stadium rather than on game day, aiming to really "treat it like a game away from home." They are already used to the long-haul travel and if this isn’t enough, they’ve been training on a scaled down track at Casey Fields that matches the exact dimensions of the Cattery. And while they were training out there, I noticed vision of players practicing their set shots for goal - that is sheer genius of Einstein dimensions! Melbourne was exceptional in almost every aspect of the game in their pre bye match against ladder leaders Collingwood but for the fact that they could not hit the side of the proverbial barn door. The club comes up against the normally highly accurate Geelong who were on target but otherwise performed abysmally against Port Adelaide last week. This will test my swings and roundabouts theory about shooting for goal. The Dees are due to kick straight this week and it’s time for the Cats to have the yips. This factor could be decisive in nullifying Geelong’s home ground advantage and swing things in Melbourne’s favour. If that doesn’t do it, then how about Melbourne’s midfield advantage even without the return of Clayton Oliver who jumped out of a hospital bed on Kings Birthday Monday to run laps of the G until the early hours of the following morning. He will miss again but what a fantastic example to set for the rest of the team? Geelong’s equivalent of Oliver is Paddy Dangerfield who suffered a partially collapsed lung and a cracked rib after their last game and is probably still on the Princes Highway driving home from the City of Churches. He won’t be playing, nor will Cam Guthrie (toe-joint injury) or Joel Selwood (retired). That trio were all instrumental in the Cats’ victory the last time these teams met at this venue. They are virtually irreplaceable in the context of this game so we can expect Christian Petracca, Jack Viney, Clarrie, Tom Sparrow and anyone else placed in the game’s boiler room to have a big night out. And that leaves Melbourne with one major obstacle to victory - the need to suppress Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins and prevent them from kicking too many goals. Well let me introduce that pair and Gary Rohan and the rest of the Cat’s attack to Steven May, Jake Lever and their merry backmen who are ready to be mean, miserly and miserable in their treatment of opposing forwards. They will stop at nothing - not even the roadblocks at the entry to Sleepy Hollow - to prevent Geelong from going through the gateway into the eight so say bye, bye to the Cats. Maintaining a grip on the top four after their truncated bye weekend off will be an added bonus that victory will bring for the Dees! Melbourne to win by 17 points. THE GAME Geelong v Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday 22 June 2023 at 7.20pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Geelong 133 wins Melbourne 88 wins 2 draws At GMHBA Stadium Geelong 41 wins Melbourne 19 wins 1 draw The last five meetings Geelong 3 wins Melbourne 2 wins The Coaches Scott 6 wins Goodwin 4 wins LAST TIME THEY MET Geelong 12.19.91 defeated Melbourne 9.9.63 at GMHBA Stadium in Round 17 2022 Both sides were coming off a five-day break, but the Cats were back-to-back at home after a 112 point win over an insipid North while the Demons were coming back from a game in Adelaide. They were neck and neck at the final break, but it was not unexpected that Melbourne faded badly in the final term to be beaten by 28 points. THE TEAMS GEELONG B Z. Guthrie S. De Koning Z. Tuohy HB J. Henry T. Stewart T. Atkins C I. Smith M. Duncan M. Holmes HF O. Henry J. Cameron T. Stengle F G. Rohan T. Hawkins B. Close FOLL R. Stanley M. Blicavs T. Bruhn I/C J. Bews J. Kolodjashnij G. Miers M. O'Connor SUB J. Bowes EMG O. Dempsey M. Knevitt O. Mullin IN R. Stanley OUT P. Dangerfield MELBOURNE B T. Rivers S. May J. McVee HB A. Brayshaw J. Lever C. Salem C A. Neal-Bullen J. Viney E. Langdon HF K. Pickett B. Fritsch T. Sparrow F J. Smith M. Gawn K. Chandler FOLL B. Grundy C. Petracca L. Hunter I/C M. Hibberd J. Jordon H. Petty J. van Rooyen SUB C. Spargo EMG B. Brown A. Tomlinson T. Woewodin IN H. Petty OUT A. Tomlinson Injury List: Round 15 Jake Bowey - Concussion | Available Will Verrall - Pelvis | Available Clayton Oliver - Hamstring | Test Harry Petty - Foot | Test Kye Turner - Groin | TBC Tom McDonald - Foot | 5 - 7 Weeks

I also hope he's full recovered, but we need to remember that every concussion does not necessarily heal following a standard timeline. The 12 day compulsory time off is just a minimum figure. The clubs have a responsibility to make sure all players are given all the time they need to recover, however long it takes.

You've gone back about 30 years and suggested football was better then. I'd suggest that in the mid 80s and 90s, football watchers thought the game was better 30 years before that when there players like Ted Whitten, Bob Skilton, Ron Barassi, etc. In other words, the MAGA approach (Make AFL Great Again) is pretty much in the eye of the beholder. And one serious improvement over the 1980s and 1990s which shouldn't be ignored is the attempt to protect players' health and in particular their mental health.

I actually was drowsy towards the end. Paying for the long one this morning.

That’s no fun. Disagree with me damn it!

That they were not, but they could certainly play football. Add to that guys like Abblet senior, Dunstall, Alan Jackovic and others that may not have made it in the ultra professional, money and image driven AFL era. These guys all put on a show and I think the game had more character back then, due to the diversity of players backgrounds and physical attributes. Also miss the local suburban grounds like Princess Park, the Western Oval and Windy Hill etc. Oddly enough, I even miss Waverly - again character and the game was accessible to the everyday supporter.

Yeah, I guess there's no analysis to my observation other than the 'vibe'. Won't use the 'eye test' descriptor incase people get triggered haha.

Really? Name the "many ways" please. Mid 80s to mid 90s, the "product" had: Better and tougher players overall (e.g. Ablett, Carey, Williams, Dunstall, Lockett, Sumich, Modra, Harvey, Stynes, etc.) Less interchange thus more endurance Bigger crowds (per capita) Higher scores and more accurate kicking for goal Less compromised fixtures Better umpiring Less rules (and confusion) State of Origin footy If all of the above had the same exposure/money the current "product" enjoys, it would be far, far, "far superior"

If you're going to lead the MRO, you'd want someome who's played the game at the elite level this century. Michael Christian retired in 1995. It's only 28 years ago...