Call Me What You Will

Rance exposed (finally)?.

Interesting the article in the Age today which claims AFL has acknowledged 2 and perhaps a 3rd incorrect decision regarding the 10 metre exclusion zone on Thursday night. All well and good of course. However, no individuals mentioned and I would be suggesting that all three clowns will be running around next week. (Will watch the appointment of former player and now Clown No 3 with interest as he seemed to be the leader of this rule of the week - “dropped to the country”? - no way of course!)

You can rationalise why certain frees are paid in AFL - “head is sacrosanct” or “ must keep the ball moving”, however in AFLW I have no idea how the clowns pick the frees. The female umpires seem to have a feel for the game, but fair dinkum, where on earth do they get those male umpires from. No idea, inconsistent with absolutely no feel for the game.

Interesting the 3 clowns (22, 7 and 6) umpiring WC vs Freo are Western Australian. OK for a “derby” but I raised this point in round 23 last year when I am sure at least 2 of the clowns (22 and 6) officiated in the critical WC vs Adelaide game which, of course we had a significant interest in. Is there just a whiff of an integrity problem here, especially at grounds or states where the home crowd is the 19th man.

Maybe.....they could have the reserves as a warm up game to the big game....and maybe they could have an under 19’s comp played on the away teams suburban ground at the same time as the seniors......and maybe they could have a trophy named for the winner of all three comps.... and maybe......nah! it’d never sell.....

Our mate Derwayne has reached a new low today - Stuart Dew has been at 3 great “franchises”

Surely we call the clowns and AFL out on this one. Is it $1500 vs $2500 or have I missed something? We must appeal, for the sake of the game and the down trodden “non elite” clubs.

My God! Just seen the video. Surely the AFL have not gone this low. Nothing to do with Clarrie, but fair dinkim. Will wait with baited breath when, Cotchin, Danger et al brush off taggers like that. The AFL are a joke. For the good of the game, we must use our 1 DRS and go upstairs on this one.

A long way until Round 23 - nothing matters until then, but Wow!, so much to like today! Go Dees!!

As much as I love Tommy Bugg’s intensity, his fast time trials and his “redemption”from last year’s brain fade, he simply cannot hit a target!

I’ve posted this a few times - but the last 8 games of ‘87 (including the first two finals, but not the never to be watched or mentioned PF) was just the most exciting 2 months of football one could ever imagine. Never to be forgotten.

Back to the Jake gags - me and a mate went without fail at everygame: Question: Why is Peter Walsh called “whopper”. Answer: Because horse, hose and snake are already taken. Boom tish

Just listened this afternoon. What an absolute ripping bloke. One of the most exciting entertainers - any club, any era.

Now that we have Lever, any thoughts of simply taking the Watts deal/plan off the table??

The music is OK! No doof doof, however the choice of songs are perfect with the massive elephant in the room!

Our mate clown 15 getting involved again

Adelaide looking pretty good, but Geelong exposed as to what we have all known this year. No amount of Lingy hype, Duckwood or Dangerflog can hide the fact. Bwooce is "stunned"!

This oft forgotten game is up there with the 87 Elimination and First Semi Finals as examples of sheer brilliance by the lads in red and blue. I remember sitting in the Southern Stand just behind David Cordner who engaged in some fantastic banter about our "greatest No 28". A wet night at the G, but the excitement it created for the following week was profound. Of course Sheedy's unforgivable and never to be forgotten thuggery put paid to any chance 2000 might have broken the curse.

The AFL/Rules Committee/Umpires Department simply must do something about the complete disconnect between the "rules" and the "spirit" of the game. Add in the total incompetence of our alleged "senior" adjudicators and the we have our great game teetering on the edge of irrelevance. Rant over.

Maggot 15 - running away with players following , questioning, pleading. Very common occurrence. Where there is smoke there fire.

Maggot 15. Say no more

Up there with my most favourite "get me through the turnstiles" MFC players of all time - Flower, Jakovich, The Wizz, then........

I'm still banging on about the 2 Umpires at yesterday's Eagles game being Western Australian. I'm happy to be corrected, but No 22 and No6, are I think, listed as Western Australian. Does that not raise a whiff of an integrity problem in a game involving a Western Australian side in a game critical to the outcome of the whole competition? I know integrity and the AFL don't really mix, but fair dinkum....Incidently I thought the Crows were slaughtered at key moments. The front on tackle in the goal square to Crows McGovern - play on, and the free kick for the low tackle to the eagles back pocket, when he had taken the ball, taken the tackler on, been tackled over the boundary line and then dropped the ball. Unbelievable - that was clown No 6.

Just on the clowns - are not Maggot 6 and 22 both Western Australian??

At about 7.00pm tonight we are all going to know (or maybe even earlier), but if as we all expect the Eagles sneak past us (probably with a goal after the siren), then there is a massive opportunity amongst all the grief and gnashing of teeth, to use this moment as a "Ground Zero" line in in the sand. I'm not sure whether there will be a media circus "crossing to where the players are watching their fate unfold", but the moment it is decided, the players need to publically take control of this culture so that it can never, ever happen again at the MFC. It be the ground zero moment the future generations of players and supporters refer to - the day the culture changed. It will be a day up there with the sacking of Norm Smith and to a lesser extent the weeks that ended 1987. Everyone needs to know and remember. I'd like "Playing Group" led by Nos 2, 7, 11, 6, 4 ,13, 5 and the rest to first of all publically cancel Mad Monday. Symbolically, this is the first act after Ground Zero. Gather in other ways, perhaps with wives, partners and coaches but the nonesense of the past stops now. This Ground Zero attitude must then translate into the trade period, the draft, pre season and then into next year and then forever. Our first signpost for success will be 12 months from day. Ground Zero must come from the players, and not from a Peter Jackson email or a Simon Goodwin speech. This playing group has a massive opportunity to individually and collectively commit to changing culture - forever. To be remembered in years to come as the group that changed the culture of the MFC - forever. What a challenge and what an opportunity. The time is now! Over to you lads.