hemingway

Agree Hero regarding Goodwin. His press conference is completely controlled. He is not going to be caught saying the wrong thing or creating a headline.

Simple really. Two wins feels a lot better than two losses.

A hard ground would be my chief worry. Let's get through this game with a win or a competitive loss and no injuries to any of our core group of players.

You had me on board Earl until your sympatico with that cuddly old uncle Georgie Pell. You are better than that. That aside I am looking forward to the guava paste developments given its likely multitude of uses. I suspect it could be very beneficial for my gastrointestinal tract which has been giving me hell. I am looking for an alternative remedy to my regular ingestion of hard liquor.

Old Dee I reckon you enjoy the past but live in the present. Sometimes they get a bit mixed up that's all. Well that's what I find. But like a good malt you age well. Throw in good humour, irony and humility you will do me old mate. Been to any bullfights in the past? If not, I would recommend it. Very similar to Demonland.

Bub, I think he was a prospective new employee that was selected without a full reference check and a decision was made to select him against the better judgement of those that had closely followed a saga called Essendope. But there again we have a coach....no better stop there.....it gets worse. Shush we had better not go there because after all he did not take the field but rather as a coach set an example that the players felt they should follow. That's what I call leadership. But God almighty where was the wise counsel at the MFC? Oh, I forgot, we are only talking about a footy club not an organisation set up to ensure the maintenance of ethical standards!

A reminder of the fragility of life and why our presence on this planet is so precious. So important to enjoy each day and be aware of our own mortality and of our fellow human beings. Our sympathy to others is important as ultimately we are all connected. Life is fragile, handle with care.

To me it's not mistruths coming from the club but highlights the difficulty of making fully accurate assessments about injury/rehab time. Injury recovery is not an exact science particularly when it involves foot injuries. Diagnostic assessments are as much about intuition as science. Recovery rates will also vary according to the physiological differences between individuals. These injuries are hard to manage particularly in professional sport with the intense pressure to get an athlete/footballer back on the track/field as quickly as possible.

Paying mega bucks to a player who cannot get on the park due to injury is the risk that every club takes when punting on a big name. I am not sure there are any lessons. Clubs will always be tempted to pay more for a big name. Who is to say that Dangerfield will deliver particularly if he suffers from a debilitating injury. I can never understand clubs taking a player with a history of injury problems be it a first year recruit or seasoned player. It is not the players fault be it Mitch Clark or Chris Dawes. You expect the club to do its due diligence in a professional and sensible manner. Jesse Hogan might be a great talent but there is always the risk of injury and a lack of return on the dollars spent in signing him up on a mega contract. All we can hope is that the club makes the right decision at the time based on all the available evidence and that the decision making process is not dominated by the views of one person. The last important thing to do is to pray to your God or Deity.

You can't be serious.

Very popular in many of the beloved countries where I have fought, lived and loved.

Thoughtful comments

old dee but young in spirit and optimism. You may need to change your moniker at this rate. But I like your post and feel better after reading it.

Patience will still be supporters greatest virtue this season. Patience and the need to maintain optimism when things don't seem to be going to plan. Its going to take time for this team to mold into the fighting unit we will see as the season progresses. The list turnover, the acquisition of our young kids and new coach and game plan means it is going to be tough against the hard experienced bodies of the top teams.

Agree Lucifer, also RESPECT. He has the respect of the whole community. Is there anyone who has the level of respect that RDB has? .

The filter feeders of the football media have a story to create and run. With the promise of more frenzied feeding over the season.

I am no fan of the AFL or any organisation for that matter. All organisations suffer from corruption, power, politics and egos that can so easily change the way things are done. Sporting organisations are probably worse because the men at the helm are well....let's say diplomatically speaking, punching above their weight. The AFL runs a hopelessly compromised competition. The stakeholders involve TV, digital and media players, the gaming industry, and any number of unholy businesses. At the same time, the AFL has to accommodate the clubs. The nature of the business model and the innate culture of the competition naturally means that the powerful clubs have most sway. At the same time, the AFL under the funding arrangements and influenced by its own rhetoric pay lip service to the other clubs. The AFL is like a coalition of the Liberal Party and the Labor Party or Capitalism and Democratic Socialism. It is a difficult business to manage and can only operate through influence, deal making and collusion. Andrew and Gill are deal makers and increasingly the deals are about money and power both at an organisational level and a personal level. I am completely cynical about professional sport yet I still yearn for the contest. To watch a great game or a champion weave his magic. A Jesse Hogan crashing a pack . It is the game that matters. Let's hope the greed and the power does not get the better of the game. The power of TV companies and gambling to unduly influence when and how the hand is played worries me. Overplay their hand and the game from the publics perspective will be irretrievably damaged. Night Grand Finals will happen . Rule changes will happen. Yet in all of this despair Jesse Hogan or Jack Viney will still have the Demon faithful on their feet. We will still celebrate our tribal loyalty and unity against the other tribes.

Bub you are sounding remarkably philosophical. End of a busy day or fatigued by Essendope ? This is not the Beezle that I have got to know, respect and kind of love in a kind of masculine way. Mate, I think you need a break from Land if you are going to post this philosophical stuff. Get back to the Swiss adventure where you are at your analytical surgical best. It's where you do your best work and where I look forward to your well informed and savage critiques.

I hope to see the development of our list as a whole particularly our young but still only potential guns. It is all about the team not the individual despite the focus on Hogan. Like all supporters I want Hogan to stay but not at all cost. The club has to develop a team and manage its list and contracts/remuneration in a sensible and professional manner. It's not much point having a gun like Jesse if we lose our midfield because of salary issues resulting from overcompensating one player. It's why team success is so important over the next 2 years. If we have success if will all work out.

The 2016 draft? You guys are insatiable. I am still trying to get my head around our current list. Time does not stop but it has become such a meat market. Let the football begin so we can focus on the game and how our current crop of players go. I want to feel that passion in the blood again and I am not talking about extra curricular activities involving my best friend's rather attractive and curvy ex-wife.

I would be happy for him but surprised. The Hawks allow no room for error amongst their players.

This is the first time I have laughed today my son.

I don't even know you BBO but I seem to know you to well. It is quite bizarre.

We hero worship our sports stars placing them on pedestals that have shaky foundations. Sometimes those stars maintain their high standards or distinguish themselves after retirement. Most simply and sensibly keep their faces out of the public spotlight. However, those that maintain a high public profile particularly those who remain in the football industry and football media are going to be watched, attract criticism and be judged. In some cases, their behaviour draws inevitable comment both from the public and the scandal obsessed media. The price of fame can be high for those who step out of line or behave outside societal norms. Garry Lyon and others pay that price. In Garry's case, I suspect that he will attract more derision and criticism because he himself has made public comments and pronounced judgement on many players and coaches. Personally, I would not judge his behaviour although I feel for those who have been hurt by not only his actions but also the actions of the other consenting party. I do know that depression and mental health is a major health problem in our society. This can drive self destructing behaviour or occur as a result of a stressful incident. Shame is a major cause of depression and suicide. The public should accept this on face value and understand that it is possible and highly probable that Garry does have a serious mental health issue. We should give him the benefit of doubt.