hemingway

A difficult one. You can understand a player who stops and props when he is off balance or not in a good position to accurately deliver the ball and/or a team mate is not in position to receive the ball. However, it can hurt you in the manner you describe particularly against a really quick side like Collingwood.

Great observation.

Folks have talked about fitness but did you see Petracca flip off the ground, off his back onto his feet. Never seen that happen on the footy field. Now try doing that in the backyard. It is impossible for most of us, it requires incredible strength and flexibility in the core. That was my highlight. No wonder he is impossible to tag. A raging bull. Once in a generation. Oh, maybe we have two or three once in a generation players. It’s like looking back and saying how lucky you were to see Barassi or all those other champs from those days. We are very lucky to see our current crop of players.

Sadly there are going to be players who play their hearts out and deserve their place in the team, who get dropped. That’s good for team selection but I can’t help feeling sorry for those who will miss out. How do they develop confidence and maintain motivation? How do you keep a young kid like Laurie motivated if you drop him after one game?

And the potential to change the way the game is played.

Imagine how sad if we had merged with Hawthorn to become The Dawks. Guard your history, traditions and culture closely. Without it we are nothing. Which would have been the case if we had merged. That time in our history must never be forgotten.

Exactly, happened this morning in a local supermarket when I saw an old guy wearing a 2007 Demons jacket. He responded to my Go Dees greeting to tell me that he had been a member for 70 years.

Yes we are but the Dees has become common usage on the street.

Yep, much bigger than Jackson and others. Much more emotion, more love. It’s going to be very painful as this plays out all season not knowing if he is staying or going. If he goes, it will be a huge blow to all fans particularly the kids. Really tough. A little bit of me will die.

He is not an exceptional human being.

Yep he is an exceptional human being.

Ben still needs to be congratulated for taking a stand on the issue. It’s pernicious and a corruptive influence on all professional sport. Just look at horse racing. However, your point about whether Ben and all AFL players would be prepared to accept lower salaries is valid. There is no easy answer to this question. However, it does require a total industry stance. An agreement initiated by the AFL supported by the clubs and the players. There needs to be a collective agreement that other forms of revenue need to be pursued to maintain revenue streams. Also an understanding that in the short term there will be less money from betting advertising. However, the stance taken by many clubs on eliminating pokies shows that positive action on gambling can take place. It may not be possible to achieve a solution but it is possible to reduce the reliance on gambling revenue. It is important for the long term health of the competition. Unless something is done, you can guarantee there will be future betting scandals that will engulf the sport and damage its image and credibility. In its way, the issue is a microcosm of society. The whole planet needs to do more with less. The planet cannot sustain a continuation of greed and avarice at all levels. And AFL footy will implode long term unless urgent action is taken to eliminate or at a minimum reduce its reliance on gambling revenue. Once fans start doubting the honesty and integrity of the competition, the sport is doomed.

Either way I would love to see some new blood in the team this year even at the expense of some of our tried and tested players.

Excuse my ageing brain and arthritic fingers. No holes barred is a Freudian slip.

Good memory. Mine also. Ron was constantly in motion on the field, jutting jaw, arms swinging and his loose leg stride. He effectively coached the side on the field with instructions and sometimes no holes barred abuse if he was unhappy with the efforts of others, including the ump.

Agreed but without the viciousness of Matthews.

Given the tripe TV viewers have to put up with each year from the guys, Daisy is a star. Like all footy callers she has a tendency to over talk (my main irritation) but compared to the boys talk, jokes, egotistical carry-on, self aggrandisement, ocker behaviour, dramatisation of every play, immaturity, and stupidity, give me 6 Daisy’s for every one of the blokes. She seeks to inform rather than engage in the show that the boys think is entertainment. When will footy stations and streaming services get it. There needs to be a total clean out of the boys locker room. For years, the boys club engage in group sensory gratification and insult the intelligence of the footy public.

For Christ sake, this is a young kid that needs support and assistance. Not punishment. So much hypocrisy. Half the world is addicted to alcohol and drugs. Professionals, executives, celebrities snorting coke. This kid does not need to be publicly shamed. The moralising by others makes me sick. Go out and experience the real world.

Nutrients? Performance enhancing? A new form of doping or masking agent.

It’s great the club is attracting sponsors but what does it really all mean ? I assume there is a contract that spells out both parties obligations. Theses announcements are made with great fanfare but there is little else that informs us of what the sponsorship is worth in dollar terms. What is the quid pro quo? Otherwise it’s all pretty meaningless.

Unmm paw prints you say.

Agree although I always feel that Steven is on the edge physically and mentally. Just a feeling without any strong reasons.

I’m sure Uncle will reach out to you and bring you a change of clothes. You will be safe with the rest of us.

Brian was a legend. A great coach and and a super nice guy. A friend has a gym that Brian attends and he speaks so highly of him. My kids loved Adonis Jordan, who sadly only played one or two seasons. The atmosphere at those games was Magic. Although an AFL fan I really thought that Basketball was the next big thing.

Private ownership and rebranding killed off thousands of fans. After the demise of The Magic, my family never went to another game. As would happen if the same thing happened in the AFL. Never treat fan loyalty in a cavalier way.