Timothy Reddan-A'Blew

There's usually someone who congratulates a first poster when their post is a goodie. Allow me to jump in: Well done and welcome PD.

In that famous year, 1987; Robin White??? Not on my radar - had to Google him. 30 games after playing for SA in '84, but Rd 15, '87 was his last game. Can't even remember him in night series win in April. Anyway... No pressure, Christian. Really.

Nice one, D And it makes me realise that here is another thing we could tick off that hoodoo/record list thingy sometime soon, once climate change has removed the excuse for this unwonted stereotype! And, more directly at this thread's topic, the mods picked a fine day to come down hard (geddit?) on explicit bodily reactions...

Any time we get back a player who this club has decided it at least wants, and hopefully needs (regardless of what we might think), it's a great thing. So welcome back to another one! The "I want to be a part of this" comment, coming from someone like Jake appears to be, suggests there is a very clear view in the players' minds that there is a very tangible "this". Excellent. As to Jake's role, the 'threatening/handful-resting-forward' is great to contemplate. However, what do we think of Jake's marking and his mobility (to the extent that a 'resting forward' of that type needs to be mobile)? In marking, Max clearly has the 'goods' now, including in the forward 50 as Sunday demonstrated, but does Jake yet? If not, can he achieve it? Can it be taught? Even that mark he took to goal at Kardinia Park last year - suggesting he might suit the role - was far from convincing!

A Robbiereference, I'm guessing, Barnee So how about 39,287 (numberplate thread refers)? But make sure we don't get stuck at 39,186.

And while I'm at it about what annoys me about the media, do they do this deliberately?: Given the bolded excerpt in the article, the photo in today's Age of Viney and Rance gives a clear impression that this was the initial contact and so appears to put fist, neck and head 'in the frame' (so to speak!) for the contact from which Jack was 'let off'. This still is not the original contact; it is the follow-up grab a few seconds later, which had no force at all. The fist is the bunched grab, and there was not even a jumper-punch. Grrrr!

Boss, I certainly agree with you that the particular link/reference to his religion by the poster was not on. However, The Age, having said "Rance, a Jehovah's Witness,..." then reports that Rance "...said his action went against his faith...". So technically Rance brought at least his faith into the broader 'incident' (the original act plus its follow-ups). Note - and this annoys me about the media - it was the paper that 'cleverly' brought in his particular religion and made it seem Rance said something he did not evidently say.

Seeing it live and up close, Gus looked to be held for an eternity. Seeing the replay..nah! Woohoo!

[In this my 170th-odd post, I for the first time enter the 'he said, he said' game beloved of Demonland. I do so with trepidation! Be kind Mr Conditioning ] Having sat close to Tom's kicking blemishes on Sunday night, it's hard to argue they don't happen! I'd hoped I'd conveyed that I was only using the comparison to question the degree of markdown of Jack on here. I did go on to suggest Tom's total package distinguished him from Jack (for example, his night - again - of inspiring intercept marking), as I did with H, for my 'awareness' comparison (H may get caught 'unawares' but it is more likely to happen in a take-the-game-on moment than Jack would have). [Do I pass muster?]

A bit of a spin on what others have already analysed: Next week almost seems like an 8-point game. If we win, you could think the return match in Rd 17 at the same venue becomes similarly winable, with possibly the reverse being the case if we lose. In the 'win-win' case, of the other 14 rounds remaining we should believe Brisbane at the 'G, Port in Alice Springs, the QB game, the Suns at the 'G, Freo in Darwin if they are sufficiently demoralised by then, and Carlton at the 'G are wins, That's 11 wins (current 3 + 2xSaints + those 6), with 9 other games then left to prognosticate on: Suns on The Coast, Dogs, Hawks (twice!!) and Crows at the 'G, Swans at the other 'G, the other Coast in the west, Port in Adelaide and Geelong at Kardinia Park. Could 13 wins squeeze us in? Port in Adelaide seems the most possible of these (we ran them very close there last year), or maybe one of the Suns, Dogs or Adelaide games (we have no particular hoodoos with any of them). Should we only get one of those 4, what a game Rd 23 might be! Combine the memories of Kardinia Park last year and the role it played in the last round of '87! Be still my beating heart (it certainly will be beating fast on 26 or 27 or 28 August "TBC" if this scenario eventuates!)

(p.s. In my suicidal post above there would likely be a roll of Roosy and certainly no role for him)

The elephant in the room(?): the success of succession plans upon the occurrence of unexpected degrees of success, imminently or actually (the 'black-and-white' experience circa 2010?) (I may just have committed the Demonland equivalet of harikiri with this post? Even if only by comparing Malthouse (ptui!) and Roosy)

I'm not sure Jack deserves to be marked down so severely for awareness (earlier post), or foot skills (above), relative to his backline colleagues - H or TMac anyone? It might be in the totality of their respective packages that Jack falls a bit behind. Watching last night's game, for example, I think Jack and Nev are more direct competitors for a spot. As to a role if he doesn't make it back, for mine he has a bit of what GWS took Junior on for. Regarding others mentioned on this thread, JKH does look a little bit unable to 'get into it' at Casey, from my (limited) observation pre-hammy, and (per my comment on another thread) I think Max K can/should be our Joe Daniher when (if?!) he gets the tank (as Moon also observed), and assertiveness to the Max G level. In these senses I think he could be the Pedo successor.

And do we also attach some importance to our defeat of them (and at Etihad) in the Challenge (the actual last time we met)?

Three down to two. Tick. (*) Now, will he decide not to come back? My "Bye" still stands. (* although the 'coward punch' - from behind / no warning - discussion is compelling. I've also been thinking of Phil Hughes's injury, given the part of the head and the pointiness of elbows)

Attack (and, to be fair, accuracy!) has arrived! We are the second highest scoring team, only 3 goals shy of the ladder leaders. And our percentage attests to us not having sacrificed too much of the earlier construction of a defence system.

Uh-oh! Here we go! (Nobody expects the Monty Python quoting. Amongst our quotes are...)

Posted this over on the "Farewell Demonland..." thread but it should've been here: ...It's human nature to constantly be having, or wanting, to think "if this happens, and that happens, and the other happens, then we can be/get/reach such-and-such". Isn't it great that - seemingly all of a sudden - we've moved from having to cling to the least worst 'such-and-such' (we won't get the spoon), the slightly happier schadenfreude such-and-such (team x will be below us and imploding) and even the "we'll win more games than last year" such-and-such, to now be contemplating the this's, that's and the other's that will get us into the 8 (it's only percentage) and maybe even entrench us there? Happier days...!

[Just read LME's story about JR. It's a story that should get a wider audience somehow. Our JR's should be publicly celebrated somehow by the club.] Along a general theme of this thread, it's human nature to constantly be having, or wanting, to think "if this happens, and that happens, and the other happens, then we can be/get/reach such-and-such". Isn't it great that - seemingly all of a sudden - we've moved from having to cling to the least worst 'such-and-such' (we won't get the spoon), the slightly happier schadenfreude such-and-such (team x will be below us and imploding) and even the "we'll win more games than last year" such-and-such, to now be contemplating the this's, that's and the other's that will get us into the 8 (it's only percentage) and maybe even entrench us there? Happier days Ascobar?

No, Saty I think. Scooter folded up in scabbard.

I've been waiting for this thread! 1. In the still on the club's website for last night's team song: Our number 14 and that guy who did a successful revolution over in the Carribean all those years ago! Both are definitely 'old school' (the latter really old) 2. Our number 17 and the former serial killer and now vicar of Grantchester (do any of you out there watch Aunty?). Both generally quiet and unassuming but fond of the occasional emotional outburst and both definitely very quick to get to the man with the ball/knife/gun/poison.

Dear Boss and All, I don't think this is hijacking your thread, Boss; I hope not, anyway. I have just written to the club as follows. If any of you think the same, please write, too. Yesterday evening's proceedings were again an appropriate and successful honouring of the now (sadly) broadening sweep of "the ultimate sacrifice". I am proud that my club is part of the initiative and I feel blessed to be made to experience the emotions it has wrought. I do strongly feel, however, that the continued scrolling of commercial logos on the big screens during the video presentations of the subjects of the Ode, of Andrew's parents and of the procession and application of the eternal flame to the cauldron was NOT appropriate, and surely, for those brief periods, not necessary for the AFL or the corporates concerned. If there is an objective that Anzac commemorations not be commercialised, these displays do not encourage belief in the integrity of that objective. I would appreciate it if this concern could be advanced to those who can decide to make this worthwhile change. Yours sincerely and in hope,

Yep, correct, DeeS: Jack said pretty precisely that in Burgo's interview. It's hard to get the discussion and cheering in balance after a game/night like this, though!

Can we buy it just tomorrow, though, for the write-ups about tonight? Pretty please?

Dear WaynCar, Um, who were the other one or two Melbourne players in that contest?