Mazer Rackham

Other penetrating questions that need answering: Premiership Toaster: burning toast, or leaving it underdone? Premiership Vacuum Cleaner: on turbo charge, or full of dust? Premiership Letterbox: full of mail, or empty? All predictors of future success every bit as accurate as the Premiership Window.

He got that technique off Ablett. Gazza told him about this guy called Selwood ...

Mr Leader Cotchin is lucky that the AFL have the odd views that they do. Mr Leader Cotchin got himself rubbed out for their last flag, now that's leadership ... oh what's that? He got to play in it? How about that. What he should be wishing for is that he gets to lift the cup for the first time. (PS I'm not having a shot at you, D1. I'm having a shot at the AFL.)

It's never too early to encourage a healthy hatred of Collingwood.

Now this is interesting. Fagan was widely credited with being a crucial part of the HFC brains trust and a steadying influence on Clarko who could "talk him down" when in a rage, and counter his crazier ideas. When Fagan left, HFC insiders worried that Clarko had lost his minder and would be unchecked. Now Fagan is having a great effect on BFC. We may never know, but I wonder how much of the "Clarko effect" could fairly be called the "Fagan effect"?

Don't want to get into a yes it is/no it isn't type argument. But I am not "completely" wrong. (1) the dollars are clearly important, (2) the AFL responded to the existential threat. Tables have turned, the NRL aren't countering it very well.

Again, won't argue any of your points. AFL is playing the long game.

My god. You poor [word bound to be censored by D'land]

I'm not going to argue against any of that. Especially the crowds. All I am saying is, their reason for existence is for the future of the code. Which is important.

In 2018 we were Luigi. In 2019 we were Strop.

It's just a title. The actual responsibilities adjust to suit the capabilities of the person filling it. If the person is good, the role becomes good. The opposite is also true. For Christ's sake (and the Demons' !!!) I hope this person is capable. It would help if they actually know something about coaching. The omens aren't good.

It's entirely possible those clubs will never succeed. It's out of our hands (the mighty Demons supporting masses) anyway. The main difference is, the NRL don't really know why they set up the Storm. They had clubs in Adelaide and Perth too, long since dried up and blown away in the wind. Their hearts aren't in it. The Storm used to go to schools and hold clinics ... never got traction in my area ... they might still do it. But the full on assault in rugby heartland of Aussie Rules is something that NSW/Qld have not really come to grips with. Auskick. Putting up Aussie Rules goalposts in schools that are considered rugby royalty ... it's war. Whereas the NRL are simply trying to shore up their territory. They hate the Storm, hate the very existence of a non NSW/Qld club, are pathetic in their attempts at expansion and are all out trying to hold to what they have. They don't realise war is being waged against them. If we want to, in 50 years time, reminisce about the game we used to have in Oz ... "yes, it was a kind of football. It was AUSTRALIAN football. No, the ball was oval shaped. No, it really was. No, I'm not joking. Of course you can kick an oval shaped ball!!! Anyway, it was a great game. Look it up on facetube" ... or, rejoice that we (or our descendants) follow the premier sporting code in Oz ... well, take your choice. GWS/GCS are flawed creations of a flawed commission, but their success, or that of their successors, is going to be virtually guaranteed, because they represent the future of the code.

You don't have to be concerned nor do I expect to convince you of anything. (Wouldn't mind having a beer or two but don't quote me on that.) But the health of the game of Aussie Rules Football depends on expansion of the code and not an insular protection of what we have. That's what's happening in the NRL and they're shrinking.

In every sport, every game, the clubs/players with repeated success are the ones that are there or thereabouts year in and year out. You can't force a premiership/championship/grand slam title/etc, you can only be good enough to get to the pointy end, then have things fall your way. Injuries, a run of good form, refereeing ... The Dogs in 16 were the "exception the proved the rule". Everything went their way (especially the umpiring), but you only get the chance to fluke it if you are in the running at the pointy end. Run last year's finals series 20 times over and we might pinch a flag or two ... all hypothetical now, of course. Melbourne Storm are a great example of being there again and again. Some years it works out and some years not. It's the long run that counts. (Having said that, a fluked flag for the mighty Demons wouldn't be something that I would send back for a refund.) GO DEMONS!!!

If you can make it to 6 decades, you will set a new personal best. Whoops! We have a leader in the clubhouse!

Paradigm shift! It's not strictly financial, although I am certain that the expanded comp and especially the expanded TV deal gives Gil something warm to think about at night. But the TL;DR is that we (the game of Aussie Rules) either expand or shrink. Basketball, soccer -- both participation and watching top level stuff ... gridiron ... non-sports viewing ... it's all chipping away at the AFL. And to expand into rugby territory is a full on assault that the rugby codes haven't quite yet grasped even though it's happening under their noses. It's not a 5 or 10 year project, it's a 50 year project. And the way those two clubs have been established gives many of us pause, but the overall project -- to cement the game of Aussie Rules Football, as opposed to presiding over its gradual demise -- is something we all should get behind. But I understand that there is not much love for those clubs. (I have no love for them, but give a tiny dose of love to GWS for seeing off the mudpies.) In summary: GO DEMONS!!!

Two "likes" for this A good mate is an old Royboy. The way the Roys were treated by the AFL is a stain on them forever more. I was at their last game in Victoria and Richmond gave them a worthy sendoff. Even though they didn't have to. and the next week Freo, in the comp for 5 minutes at that time, gave them their final sendoff in a respectful and very classy manner. Anyone who lived through that deserves something back.

Darce is thinking about his job security. "Sh*t, I'm on the radio with Eddie on Monday. I'd better say some good things about the pies or I'll be in the doghouse. I dare not cross Eddie!!!"

I'm imagining. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm ... ahhhh ... goes well with a scotch.

The correct course of action now is to order the balloons. I foresee a tragic mixup though: a second delivery of balloons the next day.

Ha ha ha! Get [censored]ed Eddie! Is the time keeper a secret magpie? The last quarter went for 35 minutes. Not even Mr 22 game suspension could get them over the line. Karma. Get [censored]ed Eddie!

The AFL aren't content with ordinary f*ckups. They like to compound their f*ckups. World best practice.

(not really replying to you, wwsw, but just chiming in generally on the subject of superhero howe) Howe sooked his way through his last season with us and who wants a player with a bad attitude? He was hellbent on going to the mudpies and who's to say he would have woken up if we had kept him? Sometimes the win-win is to let the player go.

This hypothetical team will carry all before them, then in the finals come up against a team with work ethic, attitude, talent and skill. Then what? An amazing victory against the odds, maybe, and then comes up against a team with work ethic, attitude, talent, skill, and X factor. Then what? A team of worker ants is a great recipe for consistency. Every team needs its worker ants, but also needs its butterflies and christmas beetles.

And she said, "that's nice, dear. Did you remember to take the bins out?"