Call Me What You Will

My goodness it's been an ordinary week for the Brand we know as AFL. I'm wondering if they might consider bringing back the reserves and having six games on a Saturday afternoon. Now there's a thought.....

The AFL continues to display the qualities of a true banana republic. Pseudo intellectuals, co-opted legal counsel all supported by a psychophantic media scrum. The people's game no more. Nothing feels or smells even half OK by the extraordinary events of the last 5 hours.

Lewis 3, Trengove 3, Hogan 2....... Lamb carried off unconscious.... Houli 2. Wow! AFL at its mind numbing best. Tribunal bringing the game into disrepute perhaps?

Ahhhh! HSC English - 1975! What a night for reflection!!

"Hit the boundary line....... "I've gone Butch" .... "I've had three heart attacks already"..... and one from Ian Robertson at the glorious last round at the Western Oval in 87... "Cousins...., go for it harder son... this is a desperate situation...." Pure gold, that the fellows today could not even dream of!!

Yep, for the next 15 minutes - go blues.....

"God helps us with the rules of the game" - Gerard Whately ABC 9.36pm. Says it all.

Interesting how it now seems OK to drive your palms into your opponents head, chest or back whenever you "win" a free kick from the clowns for "holding the ball". See Roughhead in the first quarter. Unsociable? Guarantee that should a Melbourne player undertake such a tactic, then then clowns will not hesitate to reverse the decision.

From where I sat, the "niggle" started before the first bounce - Zeibell and Higgins into Viney in the centre. Clearly a Scott/Norf directive. All the anger here is directed toward Clown 16 - who I agree is one of the worst going around - it is all about him (a bit like our mate Razor). However please, please do not let No 20 off the hook - who for a period in the second half appeared to give Norf a series of highly dubious "contact" frees. Or for that matter No 16 who was standing next to Bernie when he got whacked. I suspect, no comment as usual from our AFL. And these clowns will be running around next week.

Clown 22 is new, but 30 and 29 have been running around for years, imposing themselves, spoiling great games. One thing is sure however, there will be no comment from the AFL - and 22, 29 and 30 will be running around again next week. (29 was the clown who gifted Roughead the critical free and goal that iced the game against us two weeks ago.)

From making NO decisions for weeks on end, the clowns start plucking them from everywhere - this continues to be a serious blight on our great game! No accountability for the clowns.

Pure gold! "We own this ground".....

I'm out!! That's it. Maggot ray has destroyed our beautiful game.

Switch is the killer. If we play that style, it's all over.

Gutted - but massive opportunity over the next three weeks. Boilover vs Crows, Beat Norf at the G then off to the Alice to beat Gold Coast. Maybe not?? Funny game football. We will see. (PS I simply loathe everything about the poo and wees).

Commented last week - the complete turn around regarding "holding the ball" or "incorrect disposal" is extraordinary over the first seven weeks. The adjudicating clowns will call play on, play on and play - ignoring some great tackles - and then pluck one. Infuriating!

I'm in! For what is now a lifetime.....Is there any other way to go??

Have noticed over the last few weeks that the adjudicating clowns seem to be ignoring "incorrect disposal". More often than not, ripper tackles are not rewarded, play continues and the "tackling" side seems to suffer in the next two or three phases of play. In the first couple of rounds, I thought the tackling rule was pretty good. Now, it is back to a raffle, and I am sure that at some stage tonight, in a cracking game, the clowns will pluck one, probably in front of goal for one of the teams and determine the outcome. (Of course, if the Dees were playing it would be against the red and blue!!!)

Just noted, we are back in the 8!!

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but the farce that is the MRP may be an opportunity for everyone at the club to galvanise the "us versus them" mentality developed brilliantly in the Northey era. We were unfashionable but united, and when the likes of Rod Grinter and Big Strawbs O'Dwyer were regularly given holidays by the farce that was the tribunal in those days, it was used as a point of motivation and strength for everyone associated with the club. At the playing level, Hogan and Lewis will be be sorely missed, however, there will be two spots available for someone on the list to come in and play a role. More importantly, the team and the club have a golden opportunity to shove it up the AFL, its archaic "systems" and show that we are deadly serious about our improvement and our place in the football world.

I thought the comments by Roos on FOX about breaking the lines were fascinating. Rather than kick long to the opposition defensive wall and a 50/50 at best, kick a half or three quarter kick to the hole before the wall, then go over the top and out the back.

Yes you can. I got General Admission through Ticketmaster exactly for that reason.

I just do not want this thread to disappear! It was the best of times. And just perhaps we are on the verge......

.........McCann the spoiler, Williams the swooper.......

Gold SWYL - compulsory viewing for all demons under the age of 40