hemingway

No Adam, no bandwagon jumpers. Let them suffer.

That’s encouraging ElDiablo.

That’s me.

It’s the medication.

Jack Watts is a distant memory. A memory that does not attach any emotion or feeling. Pure detachment. That must be good. And Luke Jackson evokes the same sentiments.

Sustained success brings with it expectation and arrogance. And I hate nasty supporters, you know, the group of ugly blokes who take pleasure in abuse and insults when the team is getting belted. All clubs have them, but whose worst ? It depends on personal experience. I have vivid and upsetting memories of the abuse suffered at Waverley after the Stynes/Buckenara episode. On another level I hated the arrogance of Jeff Kennett and his criticism and gratuitous advice to other clubs. Generally, I have found most Hawks fans pretty meek and mild. The more vicious were Bomber supporters, Collingwood and Blues supporters. And I must admit to some nasty run-ins with Crows supporters, the closest I have come to inflicting or receiving physical harm. The Cats are not vicious but they have fallen into the arrogance camp. So my attitude is to enjoy winning but remain humble. Enjoy the success but remember that failure is always lurking in the shadows. Be loud and proud when we are winning but never, arrogant, mean or insulting. Because the Mums and the Kids deserve better.

Good stuff Macca. I just think it’s important for committed supporters to fully appreciate present times and not to get too far ahead of ourselves.

To fully appreciate the place the MFC currently finds itself, you need to never forget the dark days. A bit like the War. With the MFC remember how much time and effort has been spent resurrecting the club and breathing fresh life into a near corpse like body. The pride in our performance has taken years to grow. It needs to be nurtured and sustained so that the shadow of failure is extinguished but never forgotten.

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.