hemingway

TEX did not cover himself with glory on grand final day. A time for him to shine both during match and after match and he failed. Defeat is a test of character and strength. Not the behaviour of a good leader or Captain.

I would prefer under your wing than in your hands Uncle. We would not want him exposed to any undesirable influences that may distract him from the main game.

I notice with some concern that young Lever comes from Romsey. Perhaps we should be suggesting to the club that they keep him in close reach and only allow brief chaperoned visits back home. One would not want our star recruit wandering up any alleyways or country lanes. He is not in need of any distractions or introductions to the local fauna.

There are not heaps of top line players available each year. When they are, most clubs want them. When you have a top liner like Lever with proven ability and attitude you have to go for it. We have all seen the difference one top grader can make to a team. Draft picks can be hit or miss. Oliver is a beauty but the field is littered with the bodies of the failures irrespective of the wraps on them prior to drafting. So far this season, Lever is the pick of the bunch. A proven track record and still developing. There is no guesswork or luck involved in the choice. We may need another forward, midfielder or ruckman but the young man is a champ. The only risk is serious injury and that can be said for all players that step onto the turf. Despite the debate about what we have given up, the risk is worth it. All success requires risk. You have to be in it to win it and watching his highlight reel is bloody well exciting. And it is a credit to the Dees that he has chosen us. And those involved in his recruitment should be given a big pat on the back and not receive criticism.

A good analysis. the comparison is a useful exercise and provides perspective. Also agree that "as we get better we'll have other players keen to join."" In any negotiated outcome, there are differences of opinion. A good outcome is one where both sides feel they have had a win or gained something from it. in order to get the outcome we wanted (get Lever) we had to trade. It could be better or worse, only time will tell, but to criticize Mahoney and the club for their efforts is unreasonable. If the Lever deal had fallen through, no one would have been happy.

Indeed. That is for judge and jury. Fortunately, if BBO does require representation, Red or his barrister will not be required to make any moral judgement or establish whether he is telling the truth. However, his legal representation might have a breakdown sifting through the evidence and attempting to establish a defense. However, I have know barristers like Rake, perhaps paler imitations, that sleep very well at night.

Sounding more like Rake every day Redleg. Soliciting for clients like BBO will not help your reputation unless you are changing your line of business. Although everyone mellows in old age, so BBO might not be so bad as a client but getting the truth from him may be difficult. Still better than the Melbourne underworld.

No need. As sure as night follows day, his day will come. In any event he has already destroyed himself personally and professionally.

His improvement over the year reflects well on Jake and the coaching staff. It shows what can happen when a player is given a chance by being regularly selected rather than being dropped after a game or two. Another one that fits this bill is ANB. In both cases, the players were able to develop confidence and form and reward a coach who was prepared to back them. Finding the right position was also key.

Grapefruit juice is bitter, cleansing and accordingly to Uncle very refreshing after a good flogging.

And a couple of other peccadillos but nothing to match BB0 tastes.

OD is there any other fruit you consume? Surely there is another fruit you can glorify?

It's the cycle of life. The aging body versus the growing of wisdom. In the case of Lewis., we benefit from his experience but old Father Time is catching up on the field. How much do we gain from his experience versus how much do we lose from his slowing body in the increasingly frenetic manic game of today, This season we have seen the benefits and the deficits. The balance will begin to tip in 2018 and beyond that it will be evident and perhaps embarrassing. Also with all aging players the question is how long do you play an old body against the new young kid who needs game experience. Its a little like Luke Hodge. Great leader, great experience but the body was gone and at times was slower than the mind. I like Lewis and think he was a good pickup. His calmness and know how has been valuable but like Hodge his physical body can no longer do what it did 5-10 years ago and the game had changed. Retirement and the failing body comes to us all. Lewis clearly has abilities as a leader, mentor and coach. Let's hope the club manages the transition in an appropriate and respectful manner so that the club benefits from his knowledge and coaching skills.

After the last few days, I will be dampening my expectations. I will have hopes and dreams but not expectations. Self-protection against my mood state since the weekend. This will take a long time to overcome. The reality check is that there are 18 teams all expecting to do better and make the 8. All have a spread of young talent courtesy of the draft. Watching Brisbane a few weeks ago was enough to tell me that they have a lot of upside. Likewise Collingwood. The competition is very even as we know and every side needs good form, injury free players, a few star players and lots of luck. The Dogs had it last year and the Tigers this year. Matches will continue to be tight and go either way. What I do know is if we don't improve as a team and reduce our skill errors, turnovers and passages of dumb footy we will struggle. No sides will gift us games. We will need a year free of serious injury to top players and we need most of our young players to step up. We also need the coach and coaching staff to step up. Team selection, team balance, game plan, game day tactics and injury/ fitness management will need to improve. We were injury depleted and physically and mentally stuffed by R.16. Looking back over the year, I wonder if Roos would have been better. I worry about Goodwin. I agree with others who feel he needs a Roos like mentor. Like others I will go to matches next near but will be keeping my powder dry until the last game of the year. I do not wish to have my expectations smashed on the rocks of despair again.

Sounds like there will be no more bananas on fire at that particular establishment.

Kevin Skeeter Coghlan was an ex Collingwood and Hawk who also appeared on World of Sport footy panel for a few years.

It was a shocker worse than any Moreton Bay Bug you have ever seen. And one did wonder about the origins of the hair or its host body part. Harry was a character and a product of his time. When you think about the big H and the media coverage of the day it was such a completely different era. Unrecognisable compared to today.

Not much credibility left other than with EFC supporters. A little like Lance it's not just what he did but the way he conducted himself post the scandal. Anyway like James he is escaping to a place where he can blend in with the crowd.

A car trip to Canberra is something to avoid, although the scintillating conversation may pass the time. I'm surprised Bitters mentioned the Merc as they are so passé these days. I am reminded of Steinbecks comment that "the less we have, the more we are required to boast."

I think we have seen enough of the footy club over the last 2 seasons to have FAITH in what they are doing and avoid hasty and premature judgment. We should celebrate Oscars game and acknowledge that we may have been hasty to judge a young kid in his second year. When Ron Barassi started his career he was regarded as a dud by many because he could not play in a key position, wing or flank. He was incapable of minding his opponent and became unpopular with his team mates by crashing into them because of his desperation to get the ball. He was dropped by selectors and only established himself in the team when Norm Smith invented a new role just for Barass. The role of Ruck Rover. This both saved his career and established the legend that was Barassi the player.

By comparison, our AFL players can call themselves "intellectuals."

Agree but the Wiz had his "off days". When he was on he was without peer, but when he was off, he was really off, particularly when he was heavily marked or targeted by a tagger. I always thought that Garry Lyon was a critical factor. When on the field at FF, Gary kept the Wiz focused and settled but also acted as a protector against aggressive defenders. Lyon was constantly in the face of any opponent that targeted the Wiz. Off the field, he was a lovely bloke who was happy to sign autographs for the kids. Like Jurrah, he was the reason to go to the game. An excitement machine.

bj, you and red should get together for a fun night out.

Red, you are not the material body but an eternal spirit soul. I suppose we need to look after the material body at least in the short term, as long you are still the happy Red and have not become the grumpy Red, longing for a bottle of Red and salivating for real food.

Hineni, here I am my Lord. Acceptance of the inevitable has replaced wisdom Uncle.