deespicable me

That handpass from Shiels back to Sicily was a step backwards! A glorious step backwards

I think he's a definite keep. His second half of the year has seen him come along really well. He will take over from Nev in two years. Anyway I would think we will only want to pick up two or three kids and maybe one or two rookies this trade period. Our list is in great shape.

My thinking is a tariff system where a top four club is slugged an extra fee into their salary cap. A premium over the wage they are offering Lynch of something like 10 or 15%. If they are giving Lynch 800 a year for 4 years then then 80 to 120 gets taken off their wage cap. This makes it harder for the top clubs to get a free agent. You could also offer a tariff the other way for the bottom clubs so if a Carlton pays 1.2 mill a year for a Lynch as a free agent they might get a 10 or 15% discount meaning only 1.08 mill is put under their salary cap. It might help even it all out a bit. It's clearly wrong at the moment.

Is that you Barry?

Jack Watts

I liked Spargo's kick to Tom Mac in the third.

Confucius say........ There are many potholes on the path to glory

Good teams overcome bad umpiring. West Coast sit second on the ladder, so should be a good team. They won the frees count yet they still complain? Imagine if they actually get a free kick count against them!!! I thought it was good finals like umpiring where they err on the side of not paying the free. Clearly West Coast will be better with their two forwards back but I think Nik Nat and Gaff are massive losses and the West Coast fans will have plenty to cry about in the next few weeks.

Is a corked hammy serious? Obviously not as bad as a hamstring tear but if there's bleeding into the muscle or something??? Will he miss this week?

The two 'feel good' stories of 2018 right there. Couldn't have happened to two more deserving teams. Hopefully they keep drifting south next year as well

We've definitely improved on last year even if/when we miss finals because this year we have 3 games to fail in wheras last year it was only the last game against Collingwood.

The Doctor is in. Salem was great in the last and a big reason we got back in the game. I'd also add that Tyson's second qtr when he was on the wing was atrocious and more of a factor in the loss than Lewis. His missed shot on goal went straight down the other end to begin the 7 goal onslaught by the swans then missed tackles on Hannebery and a turnover were instrumental in two more. In the second half he was much better but I think he played inside more, his natural game. The Swans and Longmire were always going to put time into restricting Lewis and exposing our weakness's. He is a gun premiership coach who constantly gets the Swans up for against the odds wins. We are an immature side still and haven't developed gun leaders yet. Cotchin is the best Captain in the league by a mile and in my opinion Richmonds most important player. But there were two seasons where they were criticised for on-field leadership. Stop tearing up after every loss and look at the bigger picture. Lewis has been a fantastic addition to our side and as we develop other leaders he will hand over to them.

He looked injured to me last week at training. But I would have said it was a sore back. They were doing some sprints and he was well back and taking very short strides. But before hanging the medical department at the club I also thought Harmes looked like he had sore groins or hips. Harmesy was great on the weekend. Buddy doesn't train all week but gets up for the games. They say a lot of players are carrying stuff towards the end of the season. I don't know how it works. I would also add that Gawn looked fine jogging around the boundary and I'm sure the way Melk and Hibberd trained if Sunday was a final they both would have played. I don't think its fair to slander the medics coz it can be a pretty inexact science. Whos to say if Bernie had of played in the ones and Hunt in the twos both players would still be fine. Sliding doors.

Vandenberg will most likely stay in in my opinion. I think it will be Melksham for Spargo if he is right to go. Not sure down back, they have a bit of a shuffle to do. I liked Smith coz he could play tall and small and he was quick. He was no superstar but he will actually be hard to replace. Wagner is the like for like. But really Smith was a poor mans Lever and Wagner is a poor mans Smith. Thats a double downgrade!

Fair enough, I saw that you didn't back the decision, just gave insight to the umpires thought process that has given rise to him giving the softest of frees, and then hiding behind the guise of "correct interpretation". If we all hide behind facades nothing will change. Did you agree the free should have been paid? Will you be happy when the same free is paid against us?

No worries, you can believe that was a "correct" free all you like. Almost every free is "technically" correct or can be argued so, as they do every week when decisions are questioned. But if you reckon it was a deserved free and the umpire shouldn't have kept his whistle dry then I'll certainly beg to differ. That type of free is what makes Footy unwatchable

I think through the rose coloured glasses and getting way ahead of myself hymn book we are a strong chance to win all four remaining games. If this is the case and I'm sure after the euphoria of last night the players will at times think this way then nobody will want to give up their spot in the side. I agree with an earlier poster that JKH played his best game for the club. His 7 point play in the third was a beauty and its moments like that that can make a player and give him the belief he belongs. He received the ball and kicked beautifully to Jones 30 out in front. Jones misses and so JKH gets involved in the next play and kicks the goal himself. Great stuff. Thats how good teams become great, when the fringe players start to stand up and want to be a part of it. Smiths closing speed is fantastic and although he still plays nervous I love the way Goodwin has enough patience to see what a player can do when he becomes confident. ANB is testament to this. Smith and Frost are doing a good job and I reckon Tyson has even improved and become more team oriented. No-one will want to be dropped now.

The worst decision of the evening (among many) was the push in the back free to Hoges in the 3rd quarter. A lovely easy goal. It's great as we become a serious side that we can have periods and occasions where the umpires see things our way and give us that "good old push along". I hate the umpires more than Essendon but the last two weeks at hostile home grounds where you expect decisions to go against you they have been fairly good. (or equally awful to both teams)

I find the "celebrity" frees a joke. Apparently one of the umpires from last weeks Richmond/ Geelong game has had a mental breakdown and had to sit out this week. when asked what was the problem, he just mumbled"Cotch, Dusty, Danger, Little Gaz, Sellwood, I didn't know what to do!"

Bakes. Oscar Baker will be the cult figure that adds the x-factor we need. He will be a big upgrade on either Lewis or Vince off half back in time. just waiting for injury or suspension, in he comes , away we go!!!!!!!!!

How was the free against Melksham in the 3rd qtr for protecting the ball drop. Beautifully played by Melksham and he more than likely would have goaled as he ran in after the free and kicked the goal resulting in a 50 metre penalty. The umpire (No. 15) paid blocking. Absolutely mind boggling. The thing is, if it was Wingard down the other end it would have been holding the man. Then the worst commentator ever, Ling would have come out and said "ah yes, no doubt about that free" I can only view myself as a moron for continuing to watch this crap the AFL has turned the game into. And the problems of the game have everything to do with umpiring.

Ryder is a good ruck too. His season stats would look better but for injury. Good teams bounce back. Good players respond positively to criticism. Big game next week.

I don't particularly like Slobbo and his Top 50 at the start of the year was so wrong it was laughable, but that's a pretty good side he's named and although Gawn and Nev were a bit unlucky the players in the side in Grundy and Laird are really good players. Six wins in a row against opposition that have rolled over very easily each time after losses to teams that bought genuine heat does not a season make. We have plenty more tests ahead before we can think ourselves the best in the league. We are playing well as a team and sharing the load. Celebrate especially Oliver at 20 making the team and the recognition for Hogan delivering on his promise and making the Slobbo version for the first time. Also Tom McDonald would probably be close to Ben Brown as would Nev to Laird.

What about a Lethlean, Macnamee joint ticket. Bring back table top dancing in the board room I say.

I think some of the office staff thought he was extremely rigorous at certain aspects of office life.