Mazer Rackham

The AFL is all about crowds, TV ratings, sporting hegemony, women's rights, racism (anti, in case you were wondering)., LGBTQI (pro), cheaper pies and chips, indigenous rights, millenial relevance, China, social inclusivity, cancer (anti), disease (anti), drugs (anti? to be determined), diggers, peace, dignity, justice and truth. There may be a sporting competition involved but that's not as clear.

Now this is why players, coaches, administrators, etc etc, should never read anything on the internet. Imagine the anxiety and depression this irresponsible idea could induce in someone like Gil McLachlan if he saw it. It's like a living walking nightmare! Gil: if you're reading this: the rest of us want double header blockbusters 8 times per season, Collingwood & Essendon every Friday night, and you can f*** off low drawing clubs to Darwin, Shepparton and Hobart permanently. Do this and we in turn promise to watch every match every week on TV including all ads. Chin up mate. To Mr willmoy: sorry, your concept of "fairness" (interesting word: it apparently means "impartial and just treatment or behaviour without favouritism or discrimination" ... going to be a long night on google for me) has no place in this modern entertainment experience sporting competition.

Oh, here we go with the manufactured outrage on the Collingwood president again, the man who single handedly saved them from oblivion 20-something years ago. Look, he's not racist. He just noticed a resemblance between a Sydney player and a giant gorilla, and mentioned it to a huge audience on his radio show. What's wrong with that?? Nor is he anti-women. He just suggested to his huge radio audience that one woman that he took a dislike to be gruesomely murdered. It. Was. A. Joke. !?!?! Nor is he anti-disabled. He just casually and readily attacked some stranger on their big night who didn't toss a coin to his liking. On national TV. Nothing to see here!

I think there's an innocent explanation here. Obviously Joffa has never been to a Collingwood match before.

"No one says nuthin' racist in our cheer squad. We don't believe in none o' that stuff. It's so f***in' boring anyways, them cars just go round and round and f***in' round. If I heard any one of them buggers talkin' about Lewis F***in' Hamilton or Daniel F***in' Ricky ... Ricko ... the Aussie one ... they'd be straight out! I would be shocked to the core to hear one of our Collingwood bruvvas 'n' sistas talkin' about racist. One of me best mates drove a Holden once so I know what I'm talkin' about."

I can't help thinking that when the effects of this really starts to bite, the AFL will somehow manage to find a way to give salary cap relief to the Swans. Maybe indirectly, or maybe they'll brazenly erase the $$$$ left over when Buddy hangs up the boots. On COLA, the concept was okay, but the AFL didn't think it through. Instead of allowing normal contract negotiations and then the AFL paying each player 10% on top, they let the clubs stockpile the collective 10% to splurge on one or two players. (The Swans can't really complain about the end of COLA, though, as it was them that tried to warp the system.)

300, and he's only got 75 left before the authorities clamp down hard!

Lewis has been overall very good for us. EG the West Coast game where Tommy made us GF favourites for a day. Lewis' experience was instrumental in keeping us in that game. He always seems to know where to be and where to deliver the ball, esp to advantage. But the thing to watch out for is, when the close in going gets a bit too close, he goes to ground. Often deliberately to force a stoppage rather than dispose rattily or give up a free kick. But opp stoppages in their forward 50 means they're setting up in their favourite way near their goals. Danger! How often will he be tactically forced to ground?

"hello lawsuit" ?

The moral of the story is, odds are not probabilities. They do not represent likelihood of winning, they represent bookies covering their behinds.

In the stands selling pies and drinks?

W....What? No "wowee" ? No "gee whiz" ? No growling and fawning? No entertainment factor? How did this guy get on TV? Does he know someone?

I have the official rules for the years 2015, 2016, 2017. They also exist for 2013 and 2014. I can't find any published before that but haven't looked all that hard. In 2017 there was also an adjunct "interpretations" section on the AFL consisting of short videos showing how certain situations would be "interpreted". Many of them weren't in the rules. In 2018, nothing at all. In 2019, the updated "rules" consist of a press release on the AFL web site. (Again, which can only be found with a search.) It's not only strange that this sport needs its rules updated so frequently, but the very existence of "interpretations" shows how sloppily worded the published rules are. And this year's effort (if it can be described as such) shows the AFL's deep commitment to strong adjudication of their "product" (to use the correct marketing term).

The AFL's entire approach to umpiring & adjudication is bizarre. I had a look at the rules about that. There are no rules about that. Rant on: The latest published rules that I have found are from 2017. And those you can't even get from the AFL web site. You have to get them from a thing called the "AFL community" web site. The AFL site is so light on in terms of rules & umpiring it is worse than bizarre, it is a disgrace. There are parts of their web site that can't even be accessed unless it is with a search. Such as, the "interpretations" section. (The fact that "interpretations" even exist is another example of the AFL's sloppy approach to adjudication.) And those interpretations are for the 2017 season. The AFL obviously don't actually care about this. Example: 6/6/6 is a rule which if breached results in a free. But it's not in the official published rules. Pathetic. Rant off. The 2017 rules do not mention this particular ruck situation. If you "unduly" push him off the ball, it's a free. Otherwise, play on. Nothing about "going back for the ball". (And incidentally, the word "unduly" appears twice in the rules but nowhere is it defined. Useless.) This appears to be one of the worst examples of "interpretations" in that it's not even documented. We're back to the bad old days of rules that exist only in someone's head. This year looks like the worst year for umpiring in quite a while. Watching our games, I thought it might just be me overreacting based on our lousy start to the season. When you're desperate for a win, every contest looks like a free to MFC. But watching other games ... throwing rampant, "protected zone" no longer exists, short kicks ... a lot of grappling off the ball (Nev could be umpired out of the game but he's far from the only one doing it). The AwFuL have shown their priorities. Cartoon movies and toys aimed at 15 year olds now take clear priority over a fairly and well adjudicated competition. They might as well get it over with and bin the umps and have Marvel®©™ characters running around giving out frees randomly. It wouldn't make much difference.

Not sure I warm to that ... "Oooh Sammy .... Sammy! Sammy! DELICIOUS!"

IT DOES NOT COMPUTE The channel 7s and fox footys believe that the commentary is not an extra information stream for the viewer, they believe it is part of the entertainment experience in and of itself. That's why a doofus like Taylor can be a commentating "star", why Bruce is not sent to the glue factory, and why Eddie "No Conflict Of Interest Here" McGuire can be permitted to stuff his face with cream buns do Red For Ed w***fests. It's "good for football"!!! (isn't it???)

So I reckon it's not just the club & supporters sighing a big sigh of relief today

Gee it was nice seeing some things that old timers speak of, that I thought we may never see again ... MFC players in front of their oppo MFC players first to the ball Oppo players stationary and looking confused because there are no options MFC kicking away and icing the game Oh it was marvellous! I now believe the old campfire tales. GO DEMONS!!

It's called "telepathic concussion" and occurs when thousands of supporters all slam their forehead into their fist at the same time.

Turns out a big forward with a bit of physicality who can actually get his hands on the pill makes a bit of a difference. Something to remember.

The Spruce Preuss has done it!

This is the damage that barracking for Melbourne can do. (I'd say seek help, but the only remedy is to block everything out. Follow darts or international scrabble.)

A constructive article in the newspaper? That would be something. The only such articles I can recall have been when Essendon have been down, and have been along the lines of what Essendon need to do to get up again, written dispassionately and impartially by journos whose personal allegiance to Essendon fortunately did not influence their opinions.

I just don't know what to do with Nathan Don't know just what to do with Nathan I'm so used to watching you in red and blue Seeing tatts all over you And now that you're through ... You just don't know what to do with the pill Your defensive running make me ill Going to the football only makes me sad Training makes me feel as bad When you play like poo I just don't know what else to do Like a pie or chip It needs some sauce on it I need you kicking goals, not playing like sh*t I just don't know what to do with Nathan I just don't know what to do with Nathan Jonesy if the head coach drops you to the twos Go on TV like Paul Roos But stay off the G This is now all fugazi

Yesterday on the radio, can't remember if it was a random talkback numpty or the in-house "monday's expert" but they said ... "the public go to see the stars ... and pay good money too ... surely we want the star players out there and not in the coaches box watching?!" I wonder how deeply the AFL and their minions have bought into this fallacious line of thinking. No one's arguing with that. But no one's laughing either.