hemingway

Sorry Earl, I was thinking of another fictional character when I read your post. Apologies to you and Milo. Just make sure you observe the Royal Protocols, no touching or hugging the Queen, excluding Elton and Meghan (because Americans hug). Just hope the cucumber sandwiches that you are supplying from China are suitable for the Royal tastebuds.

Milo, the entrepreneur that you are, I had forgotten about your role in The Wedding. Of course, the old Country and indeed the Royals do not have the budget they once had, which is where you no doubt fit in. A quick visit to China, a lick of paint, and I'm sure the imitations look like the real thing!

Red, apart from your good self and a few other stalwarts, the posts on this thread seem to have dropped off lately. Many of the old characters with their peccadillo's seemed to have disappeared into the ether, with the result that the only thing to talk about is football. What's happened to all the chameleons, the perverts, the eccentrics, the boasters, the liars, the weirdos, the freaks, the nuts, the sad and lonely, the non conformists, the entrepreneurs, the drug peddlers, the pretenders, the psychotic, the delusional, the washed-up lawyers and academics and writers, the homeless, and the bizarre characters that used to come and go in the night on this thread. I think I have covered everyone. Oops, I forgot the dead. After 7 years, perhaps its time to close this thread. Let's face it, this is not a thread for mundane, boring or repetitious comments about football.

I don"t need to read this Frog. With our recent wins, I was just emerging from my MFC induced depression to some semblance of balanced mood state. I was even planning to go on Sunday, with a feeling of quite optimism tempered by the ever present trepidation. However,""there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.""

Tend to agree. I'm one of those old fashioned types that prefer to see our players as footballers not entertainers.

These comparisons between players is all a bit pointless. Players have different physical and mental attributes. In the old days, no-one compared Barassi with Dixon or any of the other Demon stars of the time. Barassi was Barassi, Dixon was Dixon. However, they made up a champion team. In the 80s, we did not compare Lyon with Viney etc. Lets hope we play in a Grand Final and Brayshaw dominates in the midfield all day and Petracca pops up in the last quarter and kicks 3 quick goals to win the match. They have different attributes, skills sets and different on-ground behaviours. Its about molding those individual attributes into a champion team.

People do make things up, every day, all the time. Sometimes its complete fabrication, sometimes there is an element of truth that is then misused to support an opinion. You also have liars, mischievous types, stirrers, and sometimes folks who believe a story but on incorrect or flimsy grounds. However, if you believe the story, you should provide a little more detail as to how or why you think the story true.

sure did Redders, but I am a day to day man. at a stretch week to week. I do not plan only hope to get to the next day or match. I must go to the Temple soon and seek redemption.

how depressing Biff. hope you are well and glad that you have resurfaced.

I never like wishing defeat on another team, in this case, on-going misery. Maybe wish a little but not too hard. Perhaps Essendon but not others. Bad Karma. We have been there ourselves and know what its like. Better to celebrate our wins.

You can tell that Brayshaw really wants it. He wants it bad. Petracca is a mercurial talent but whether that is fully realised depends on how much he wants it and how hard he is prepared to work.

What has always impressed me about Brayshaw is his intensity and work ethic.

No genuine contrition. Bit like Bank executives apologising without any genuine feeling or meaning. Heard CBA CEO say he was ashamed but he could have used any word as it had no meaning.

It happens a lot in life. In Bomber's case, clearly everyone knew. Even the humble old spectator watched Bomber appear on TV looking (at times) in terrible shape. Sleepy, bags under his eyes, appearing depressed. Whatever, in bad shape. Now you can imagine how many times this would have occurred at both GFC and EFC, indeed even within his own social circle. There are always opportunities for intervention. Not just to ask the question and accept the denials. As a father, you may accept your children's denial of a misdemeanor but if that misdemeanor is as obvious as the nose on your face or persists over time, you do something about it. Not always easy, but if you care, you do something. You intervene and find a solution or get assistance to deal with the problem. You don't accept "no" as the answer. Now that is perhaps a bit simplistic, but it reflects a tendency in today's society. To accept something at face value and not to go the extra yards to do something meaningful. Even if offers were made and rejected by Bomber, it does not appear that anyone took that extra step. If someone is accused of stealing, a simple denial is not satisfactory. You investigate and do something about it so that you have a satisfactory answer and solution to the problem. Bomber may have failed society, the folks who trusted him, his family, indeed himself, but somehow I feel that there are a lot of people, particularly those close to him in both clubs who have failed Bomber.

Yes I agree Doc, I was really talking about the problem of addiction. But I have said my peace and will let it rest.

I understand your position and your comments have validity. However, believe me, not everyone has choice due ....well to life circumstance, personality and mental health. In this case, you have pricked a nerve. I'm not just talking about Bomber and the scourge of addiction but the whole community of addicts that are trapped in a vicious downward spiral. I'm not sure I like the term addiction but rather that folks who are caught up in this world are trapped because of their physiological and physiological dependence. It does not matter if you have money and fame, the addiction is the same. Yes, I have sympathy because the future outlook is not good, and I'm not going to state the obvious. Fundamentally, addiction and mental health go hand in hand. We do need sympathy and compassion irrespective of the person.

BB as someone who knows a bit about addiction, it is a very difficult monster to control. Individuals are a victim to the addictive qualities of the drug.

Just read Chip Le Grand's article in the Aussie. Wow, a frightening tale of a man whose life is in the hands of organized crime and how he has spiraled so far out of control. And indeed, a very scary future for Bomber.

So much more to play out on this. We will be hearing about for some time. "Silks" lining up to take the brief.

If we look back over a long time, there is suspicion of teams and players taking "supplements". Going all the way back to the 70s there were players who became "huge" over summer. There were stories of gymnasiums supplying more than weight equipment. Perhaps not systemic but body shapes and muscle development told a story. I think in the 90s with the growth of the sports science industry there was a more organized or team approach. There are no clean skins in this business.

Oscar is another example of the time it takes for young players to find their feet and develop into good players. A few can make an immediate impact and excite fans but most take time. Many referred to Oscar as a spud. He is showing us that far from being a spud he is becoming a very important player. Who would have thought that Tom McDonald would develop into a very good forward. And the list goes on and on. The expectation and demand for immediate success is everywhere. We all get tired of waiting for success to come. However, patience is required before judgement is passed on a players career. Clearly the club got it right with Oscar and persevering with him.

I'm not sure about Jeffy. When he is "on" he is an asset. But these days you can't afford to have passengers. The Tigers don't have any. Our objective must be to have a team of players each week that are in form and consistent. The competition is so tight you can't afford to lose games. At the end of the season points and percentage are critical. Although we have had a few passengers this year, Jeffy goes missing too often for too long. It is continuation of the way he played at Carlton. You have to know that every player is going to turn up and have a crack. With Jeffy all you can do is hope he is going to turn up but if the likes of Spargo continue to perform, Jeffy's days in the ones are coming to an end.

Both these two young boys have shown more in a few games than most. The future.

Definitely a case of the value of family bloodlines. So many young footballers seem to have a Dad, Uncle or relative that played AFL/VFL. Or a mum that played netball etc. Like others I love the spirit of this young guy. Just oozes enthusiasm and attitude. And that first goal seemed to me to come down to sheer footy instinct. In the right place at the right time, knew where the goals were, and polished off with clean disposal.

It takes two to tango. A player may want to stay but what will be the club's attitude regarding contract negotiations. And what will be Brayshaw's attitude if the club puts a limit on its offer and does not match other offers? Angus has shown enough to prove he has what it takes, but has not had enough game time to determine his worth in terms of future contract negotiations. As others have pointed out, the big unknown is the impact his past concussion issues and the possibility of future concussion issues may have on his health and footy future.