KingDingAling

Yeah, absolutely. IMO basketball is a perfect grounding for AFL football. Most likely, sons of footballers have grown up with a football in hand, it's not like they'd be pure basketballers - transitioning into football, to the extent that Izzy and Karmichael were pure rugby players transitioning into football. Also, I think basketball teaches that hand/eye on both sides of the body - while also enhancing reflexes. Pendles, Roughead and Ablett jr were all very good basketball players. I think a good majority of AFL players would've played basketball to some extent as a kid, I think it is overlooked the importance of that grounding.

Given that Prestia is in the core of GC midfield, it would take a massive offer to prize him away. IMO our money would be best directed at a GWS midfielder not getting an opportunity - but with probably more scope than Prestia. I'd be looking to throw an extremely high offer at Josh Kelly, he has more scope than Prestia - and Kelly might be limited in opportunity. 2 players this year we should keep a close eye on are Kelly and Whitfield. If we have a war chest, then throw it at one of those.

If I was Petracca, I'd put talks off. Jesse Hogan resigned with us for hefty pay packet - without playing a game. Petracca won't have that luxury, he'll have to earn a pay rise through performance - hence why it would be silly to extend without playing a game.. My advice to Petracca would be to hold off extending. Get yourself in a position to perform, then perform, then work out if MFC is for you - are they heading in the right direction. It is far too early to determine MFC is heading in the right direction IMO.

Just reading between the lines, this is just going to be a long exercise. Essendon played the long game hoping for a favorable outcome - which they now THINK they have. But the long game ends with WADA, and the end result is the same. It hasn't changed, it will always remain the same. Essendon have continued to buy time, every action they have taken has been about delaying the inevitable. WADA has the last word, and the AFL will not be final arbiter's of the end result - a court will be. Nothing has changed. Essendon just buy themselves time, as they have done throughout this whole process.

Sydney, Hawthorn or Port. Whoever is strong at the end of last year and is able to have a free hit with the free agents. So probably Port Vs Hawks. Next year we'll see Geelong pick up Dangerfield for no loss of picks. So of course these top sides are getting stronger. The bottom sides aren't whinging yet because they are getting picks if they lose top players. They haven't realised the top sides are getting stronger, the bottom sides will never break into the top 4. Port have just clouded everyones judgment because they did this - but had a raft of quality talent sitting on their list already. Under the current free agency set up, I could only see us breaking into the top 4 in the next 10 years - if we land a quality free agent like Dangerfield. But what quality free agents of his ilk/age want to come and play for a club like MFC. Perhaps the AFL needs to drop the age of free agency and have those players available to the bottom 8. And the older free agents over that age available to everyone. It isn't overly hard to work out. I'd like to see Al Clarkson take over as CEO of the AFL once he has retired. Gil is a smart guy, but he doesn't see the broad picture, nor does he has a vision.

If the players weren't guilty and Dank is confident about that - then were is the documentation. Why didn't he testify? Why didn't Charter testify.. Dank is just using this platform to gain back credibility - but it's shot. I don't know if the AFL have banned him, I cannot remember, but I don't think there is a sporting code that would touch Steve Dank. His actions have resulted in him being unemployable, this saga has hit Dank in the hip pocket, he is done now. There is no coming back from this. What were are seeing in this article is a bloke who has nothing to lose - throwing stones at the AFL because they didn't get an outcome.

The team was fined and lost quality draft picks. Hird lost his job for 12 months. The players were made out to be the victims, but that is a broad societal problem. Unfortunately we live in a time where victims are exempt from taking responsibility for their own actions, this isn't an AFL problem - but a societal problem. So while I agree with you that the players should've accepted responsibility for what entered their body - I am not one bit surprised it wasn't a focus. We just don't live in that world.

The AFL did get them on governance issues though. Essendon received a heavy fine, lost draft picks, and had their coach suspended for a year.

Brayshaw is perfect for our midfield. We need an inside mid. I don't think Jones and Tyson are inside mids. Michie won't add a lot to our midfield dynamic. I think Brayshaw could come in and add alot - right away. Brayshaw is effective on the inside, I just hope he can teach Jack Viney how to slow down and use his aggression to his advantage.

I think Gil is better than Vlad, but both appear to have beliefs and values centred around collectivism - which won't work in sport. Gil is trying to put a ceiling on performance, this is his counterbalancing theory, his answer to solving equalisation. While I think Gil is a very smart bloke, very logical, well educated, etc. His ideological framework is faulty. I dont think Gil is the right guy to oversee a competition.

I think Ablett is flying, he'll play mid and tear us up. I just think Ablett is just really worried about his shoulder - and rightfully so. This guy is a perfectionist. He hasn't had many injuries and he knows it is important to get it right. If he plays, he'll explode.

We currently have the top 8 sides playing off each year. We basically have the 2 top sides fighting it out - Hawthorn/Syd. You think things will change? You are kidding yourself, the AFL couldn't run a bath.

They still got done for malpractice and were heavily fined and lost draft picks. Let their fans have their day in the sun, this saga has already set Essendon back a very long way.

I agree with that 100%. The AFL is predominately a socialist regime. This whole counterbalancing in regards to equalisation is just one of many examples of this.

I don't know about that. WADA have been covering up positive samples in the boxing industry for years. Nothing surprises me with WADA anymore.

I think the cat is out of the bag anyway with the Collingwood lads being done. Performance enhancing drugs are rampant throughout the AFL. A lot of these clubs should breathe a sigh of relief, because IMO a handful would face heavy scrutiny under tougher testing.

"How can people say that Lance Franklin is overrated" - M.Robinson. Well Robbo, you absolute MUG. When you put Lance Franklin ahead of the best midfielder in the modern era, and possibly the most decorated midfielder to play the game (or one of), then Franklin becomes MASSIVELY overrated. People weren't actually calling Franklin overrated as a player, they were saying YOU overrated him by putting him at 1 - which you did.

They are lucky Roos is on, Bucks struggled there.

It is a game of tactics and strategy for the coaches. What do you expect them to do?

I wasn't keen on it, but if he has performed well thus far - then I'd play him. Throw him in the deep end and see if he can swim. The kid is a dual sided/inside mid, the record of those types performing straight up is extremely good. I liken Brayshaw to Selwood, Wines and Martin. But even Sidebottom performed off the bat. I'd start Brayshaw in and leave him there. I would be shocked if Brayshaw wasn't more effective than Jack Viney at present. Viney needs so much work that I just sit here and shake me head when I watch our games.

Ok, just a quick read online. It appears to be a drug that helps sculpt that body. More commonly known to be used in horses - as an air dilator (relaxing the muscles and allowing the horse to take in more air on each breath). It is performance enhancing in horses because more air relates to stride length, recovery, endurance, speed.

The game will suffer. AFL is bigger than their current supporter base. What about all those kids weighing up a decision whether to play AFL or Soccer? This is a disaster for the AFL. The AFL are fast becoming the laughing stock of Australian sport.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

I think Vandenberg will run with Ablett.

It was always going to be hard to get supporters on board after a decade of mediocrity. I don't read a lot into it, we need results, I couldn't care how many scarfs are in the bin or how few supporters are on board. Hopefully Roos can bring us results, that is why he is here, I have faith in him, the rest will fall into place when MFC start winning games.