hemingway

As a kid, going into the dressing room at the MCG to see our heroes was the most exciting thing that could ever happen. It was the holy grail.

Looks promising. Speed to burn and a good grab. Agree with Kevin Sheehans comment that he has the Isaac Smiths about him.

Let’s call it a metaphor mate.

Mate, a very difficult comparison. As to skills, Flower was way ahead. Barassi had good skills but Flower was naturally gifted whereas Ron worked on his skills with the belief that practice makes perfect. Flower was sublime but Barassi was a human dynamo. He never stopped in his attack on the ball or his opponent. He literally ran through brick walls. He was an inspiration and the whole team lifted when Ron was in the thick of things. If he was taken out of the game (1958 GF) or was injured the team would often struggle. For mine, Barassi was a match winner. His coach knew it, his teammates knew it, and the opposition knew it. If I wanted a player today to provide inspiration and lead from the front I would choose Barassi. If I wanted to go along and watch a sublime player, I would choose Flower.

No need to apologise most of us share your feelings. Sadly, it’s always been part of our human nature, worsened by the invisibility of social media where individuals say things in a manner they would never say face to face, and If they did, I would punch them very hard in the face. Remember, like in real life there are more good guys than bad. It seems you are on the right side.

Those supporters who got to see Robbie were truly blessed. And I mean, truly blessed. Our regular team defeats were offset by the majesty of watching Robbie glide through the centre of the MCG or run the members wing. Every time he got near the ball or had the ball, a buzz of excitement went through our supporters like electricity. We rose to our feet, shouting just one word, “Robbie”. He was a freak. He was graceful. He ran like a gazelle and leapt like Rudolph Nureyev. He turned on a sixpence and kicked his long drop punts like the ball was from a slingshot. He was untouchable at his best. He slipped out of tackles like Houdini. He was truly unforgettable. Opponents never knew which way he was going to turn because he was ambidextrous. They never knew where the ball was going because he used both hands and both feet whilst pivoting and side stepping like a kid jumping across stones in a creek. And in a period of rough tough footballers and thugs, he was shaped like fine porcelain china. Arms and legs like a flamingo that you felt could snap at any time. The best of the best, that was Robbie. Above all his grace in defeat and his humility in victory were hallmarks of his personality. He was not only a great footballer but a great human being. Truly poetry in motion. A player of beauty.

Thank you for your sage advice my friend, but really I like writing and don’t care for the opinion of others. We all have our selective likes and dislikes, so be it. As long as we are respectful and kind to one another. I would not expect many to read my ravings. Most of the time, I don’t even like what I write.

Interesting appointment. Premiership coach is a huge tick but it was a long time ago and he has been around the traps moving clubs and place. He is obviously a creative left field type guy but also a prickly pear. Who can forget his ego driven feud with PA Pres Scott, finishing with his famous noose around the neck after the granny. Spontaneous but did not reflect well on Williams. A lack of judgment and humility. Still and all probably worth a try. It could be an inspired choice or a disaster if he rubs other coaching staff up the wrong way. Like handling a live hand grenade with the pin out?

Still waiting on the invitation to the Manor BBO. Or has hard times seen the departure of the maids and entertainment. From Grange to Cleanskins?

You deserve a medal or free life membership.

Thanks mate, but like my old friend Leonard, I’m old and grey and ache in the places that I used to play, and simply paying my rent in the tower of song.

Good point Deezone. Everything is dumbed down these days and smart phones, internet etc contribute to this. As mentioned in a previous post many young doctors simply turn to their phones for an answer without attempting to find out patient history, family history,, carry out an examination, and importantly fail to come up with a diagnosis based on all these things. In short, they do not have to use their brain. Smart phones allow people to come up with a smattering of knowledge that is usually superficial (that allows the user to appear knowledgeable) but without any real depth or deeper understanding of the issues. There are many advantages of smart phones such as reading Demonland when sitting on the toilet and using your device so as to avoid social contact and other forms of personal intimacy. Its a strange thing. When you use a phone, it’s great, but when someone close to you uses it in the same way, you feeling like smashing it into a sensitive part of their anatomy.

No one I know. Certainly not me.

Classic response, thanks for enlightening me.

Thanks Kenty. I find as I get older surrounded by death not too many people miss me. Even during my recent stay in hospital, the pretty nurses (yes, there are a few) ignored my ripping physique and special attributes and looked shocked when I told them my birthdate. My Caribbean nurse simply refused to believe that I took no medication. Strangely she did not ask me about hard liquor! When I ask today’s youth whether they have read any Hemingway, firstly, they ask who the hell is Hemingway, or, secondly, they sometimes have a vague idea and immediately Google the name on their smart phones, and tell me that they only read stuff on the net, and then nothing more than a few sentences. They appear to skim over anything more than two paragraphs. They also favour 15 minute quarters and T20 cricket. They tell me that watching Test Cricket and reading books is as boring as watching grass grow. Sadly attention spans and standards are dropping every year as more and more people seem to have acquired ADHD and are prone to control and manipulation by those with power and money. The evil doers who are multiplying every day. I have also tired of posters on this site attempting to one-up others for reasons that are beyond me. Is it simply ego or are they merely downtrodden types that no one listens to in real life? So that in this delusional vacuum known as social media and Demonland, they are under the strange belief that their opinions are important and valued. Poor souls. However, I find humour in many posts and also find value in the better informed scholars of the game that know much more than I do about what’s going on. I fluctuate between a crazy emotional state of thinking that footy, most importantly and solely that the MFC is important in my life still knowing that I will descend to hell before we win a flag ( there is something slightly meaningful about maintaining loyalty in the face of never ending failure). Continuity in suffering is one of life’s realities that feed my melancholy and allows one to reflect on the futility of human life and the futility of watching the Demons each week with this crazy feeling of hope. Anyway, thanks Kenty, it’s nice to be remembered despite the realisation that the sands of time will soon cover any traces of my existence in this broken world. A world increasingly peopled by fools, opportunists and snake oil salesmen (and women) who only want to look at their own reflection in the mirror. Returning to smart phones, Its a worry, when the medical staff of one of our best hospitals have to resort to google to provide answers and information on my maladies!

Casey is a huge negative for the players. The lack of an inner city training venue makes travelling to Casey not only a frustrating bore but not conducive to injury management, general soreness and fatigue after hard training sessions. Also thought to be one of the main reasons why we lost Isaac Smith to Geelong. Makes securing a more convenient location an urgent need.

Thanks Daisy for the clear explanation without the smart [censored] comments.

Isaac would have been very good for the Demons both in terms of leadership and his footy attributes. He is a quality person.. At the end of the day Isaac made a lifestyle decision. He wanted to get out of Melbourne and live and play in a different environment. Melbourne could not provide the live style change that Geelong offered.

Irrespective of the reasons, I will always feel sorry for players that are sacked by the club. It’s a tough business and decisions have to be made in the best interests of the club, but it’s hard for the individual player. To be told publicly that you are not good enough is hurtful. Do clubs offer termination type counselling for sacked players? I’m talking about players that are not picked up by another club but are left out in limbo land?

Thanks for that info Cards. Very interesting. Different game, different culture but AFL is still a professional sport so trading is a fact of life. However, would hate to see it become like US pro sport. That’s what I like about the AFL “socialist model” as against leagues that are fully privatised. If you follow the path of private owned clubs, anything goes. Really a dog eat dog world. Your last para is a surprising development and may provide a balance. Thanks for that.

Very philosophical these days. As we have seen over recent weeks, contracts are becoming less important. They reflect intention today (by club and player) but not in the future. Jackson has the opportunity to improve his value over the next two seasons and then have every club including those from WA pursue him. Whether we can hold onto our young talent will be determined by team success and salary cap issues. Even then other variables can play a part such as the Perth go home factor. For players like Oliver and Petracca it’s success and money. Add to success and money, loyalty, but only for some. With money, clubs are going to be constrained by salary cap issues, and the Collingwood mess is the current example. At any one time there will always be a club that can work the cap in order to secure a top player. Sadly, it’s become a meat market and all clubs will see top players leave. Often player loyalty is to the detriment of the player. You can’t blame the players who have a limited time to make their money and enjoy team success. Supporters will have to like it or lump it. When the team is successful it becomes easier to like it, but seeing players leave a struggling club means that many supporters will lose heart in their club. I don’t see the future being a bright one for the older and/or loyal supporters. The latest set of trades, I find disheartening and not good for the heart and soul of the game. Or the culture of clubs or the AFL.

Don’t know why folks are worrying about contracts. With clubs and players breaking contracts they are becoming meaningless. Becoming more and more like professional sport in Europe and the US.

Because the whole system is corrupt.

Blair was slow but a remarkable kick for goal. In the days of punt kicks and drop punts he truly invented the banana before Daicos and others perfected it. I remember seeing him first kick a banana goal at one of the old suburban grounds either The Lake or Brunswick St. I think he kicked two goals. The crowd gasped and Demon supporters rejoiced, simply because it had not been seen before. It was like watching a magicians trick and not quite understanding how he had done it. It would not be so regarded today because freak goals are common place. But Blair’s banana was his own creation, had not been done before, and was therefore something very special. Not to be forgotten. Blair was an untidy footballer giving you the impression he was like a kid on the park, socks down, and scraggy hair. He may not have been a great footballer but he did something on the field that was memorable for those who watched a few glimpses of his magic.

I’m not sure how much Jesse cares. There are many good footballers who are simply not cut out for the furnace of AFL, the spotlight and all the pressures that come with it. And these days, clubs will only persevere for so long. I wish him well but 3 clubs for a relatively young guy is not a good indicator of future success. As acknowledged Jesse has mental health issues which is unfortunate and makes his footy career even more difficult to manage. Treatment and management of mental health will always take priority over career. Can he get in top of it? We hope so. But when footy is all about intensity and bringing your best every week and on the training track, In a foreign city on the other side of the continent, and at a club located in the boondocks it’s going to be tough.