dieter

I was at a friend's place in about 1998, we were celebrating his birthday. He's a painter and the guests came from all backgrounds. I found out one of them was a priest. I sat down to chat with him and Pell's name came up. The priest said, " George Pell is a c...t'.

This was 2002 when the ruling catholic orthodoxy was that abuse didn't happen. It was around the time that Father Frank Maloney, the Chief Salesian in Australia then, asked the question, Well, who are you going to believe, a priest or a junkie? Maloney was simply spruiking,or, regurgitating the Catholic state of denial.

Freo often look sensational early in the season: the business end finds them out.

I'm so impressed with Jetta. He's skillful, smart, courageous and isn't often beaten. Good point about the skill errors. Fingers crossed. I was impressed with Oliver as well: though his kicking reminds me of Maloney's high flying balloons, unfortunately.

And Watts was very good as well.

I don't think Kennedy Harris played either. I went along, the first game of footy I've been to since the Swans Demons Final in '87. There were too many turnovers for my liking. The skill levels improved after half time. I saw Petracca after the game: he is a beast of a lad. Hope he can make it, we need some beastliness in the side. I was very impressed with Hunt, Jetta, Vandenberg, Kent, Salem, Gartlett, Dunn and Hogan after half Time. Tommy Mac got caught way too often, Gawn didn't hold one mark and I liked Grimes's game. Viney is an absolute gun. I also liked the vibe of the players. They're committed to each other. So good signs, a fair way to go but the addition of Heritier, Dawes, N Jones, Petracca, Trengrove and Vince they should make us more competitive this year.

Now these might be big ifs BUT, if Kent stays fit, if Petracca comes good, if Tyson and Brayshaw stay fit, if Gawn stays injury free, if Tommy Mac can hold the backline together, if Salem's injury problems cease, if Hogan plays 20 games, if Garlett kicks straight, you know what, we might win more games than we lose in 2016. I haven't even mentioned Vandenberg, Frost, Harmes, Stretch, Neal-Bullen, Vince, Jetta or any of the new lads. This could be good.

People are getting carried away with what had been a 'soft culture'. I like Viney's zest for a contest, love his competitiveness but I know if I'd been Tom McDonald I would have belted him one and said, Don't ever do that to me again. Viney crossed the line.

Just watched the Anzac Day Richmond game. All I can say is that our skill levels were sheissenhausen, that I would have loved a dollar for every Tyson and Heretier turnover, that Howe is no loss, that Dawe knockers have a problem with onanism - he just puts in and puts in, he'd be one of the first picked in any of my teams - that Hogan is a friggin genius, that Garlett was an absolute steal, that for all of Mr Watts' skills he's a waste, that Newton is a dud, that Michie is a goer, that Jamar was underestimated, that McDonald, Brayshaw, Vendenberg, Salem, Kennedy Harris and Jetta will contribute a lot to our future, that Tyson will improve - he is seriously skillful - ditto Heretier - he flies the flag, he's passionate - and that all in all, we really need to be more skilled in the basics to cut it with the cream the likes of Hawthorn and Freemantle offer..

Good point. I agree entirely

The staggering thing about the Essendon saga is that the AFl wants us to believe what happened at Essendon was confined to Essendon. What we know for sure is that Mr Danks had previous associations with AFl clubs, and I am led to believe that the ex Geelong Coach, Bomber Thompson, not only used Danks' services at Geelong, but also brought him over to Essendon. I am not implying Danks and Geelong and Thompson did anything untoward at Geelong, I am implying, however, that Mr Danks did not invent the wheel. All in all, the AFL has been very keen to not only bury its head in the sand, but very keen to promulgate a culture that encourages this ostrich-like behaviour in the media, hence encouraging fans of AFL to believe the unbelievable,I.E. that there are no drug cheats in the AFL. Well, speaking about icebergs, it's also unbelievable that what has now been confirmed as a solid drug culture in the Ben Cousins days at West Coast was isolated to West Coast. It's about time the AFl came clean and stopped this dangerous notion that what happened at Essendon was/is confined to Essendon.

Ok, he's got toesolitis, hopefully he hasn't got kneemonia as well. Not to mention dicktheria.

Great photos.

As the joke went, snowballs are the difference between snowmen and snow-women.

I like the look of him from the highlights, as much as I like the looks of the newly acquired Mr King. They could be smokies. Mr King looks as though he has a lot of football nouse.

Ditto. Let's get him.

And ........he wore the number 31. So did Ray Groom.

So what. It's history. I started barracking for the demons watching the Grand Final at my Grandmother's house in North Sunshine. We was losing. My 17 year old daughter still asks me why I always back losers? I reckon he'll be a great addition. It gives us so many options - height, marking ability, talent, passion to do well. Go Herr Weidemann.

Who the F is Chunk? Ditto Jeffrey???

LET'S FOCUS ON 1976: NOW THAT WAS A YEAR THAT NEARLY WAS. WE ALMOST MADE THE FINALS. A GREAT SIDE TOWARDS THE END OF THE SEASON. WRITER'S LIKE CLIVE HANSON SAID IF WE'D MADE IT WE WOULD HAVE CAUSED GRIEF.

Jaysus, I thought this was a Training Post.

Whatever happened to dear Saty? I miss his posts very much.

While I mostly agree with the best team -picked, it seems, mostly by the brilliant Greg Wells - since Northey's days, I'd include Davey on the half forward flank - that's how old I am - instead of Mr Obst, much as I liked him. I'd try like buggary to find a place for Mattie Whelan as well.

Sorry, Bernie took over from Tassie to free him up for other duties.

Stevie J is an undisciplined attention seeker. Clubs like Melbourne don't need this type. Give me honest goers like Hogan and Brayshaw any day.