Mazer Rackham

Our new recruit should help in getting our heads right for this game. What a start to the season: a belting to put us on top of the ladder after round 1.

It means, "man who disgraced himself by the bad influence of ignoble people but who was able to redeem himself by leaving them and surrounding himself with wise and upstanding people instead".

Well Leigh Montanya is Mon-tag-na. And Yay-ger O'Meara pronounces it Jay-ger. We'll just have to ask Yibbity Yibbida how to say his name.

Well it was that or Casey. His AFL career at MFC was over. I think the club has done well in finding him a new home where he will be needed. He deserved the second chance. Hard to argue against this part though.

Or his hands

They seem pretty happy on BF are are busting a gut to get Caddy to put the icing on the cake.

You know ... coz Lewis said Hogan signing was a big factor ... take it down a notch in class for Hibberd/Pedo ... oh never mind.

There is no such thing as a "best 22". Compare all the "best 22s" put together before round 1 this year with those put together at the end of the year. No resemblance. The "best 22" is not a thing cast in bronze, with 22 players guaranteed of a spot each week barring injury, and the others in the list milling round outside the changing rooms hoping for a miracle. Form, injury, next opponent, travel ... things change and so does the 22.

Gil: Jeez Lachie. You've put the cat amongst the pigeons here son. ASADA are breathing down our necks but we've got the okay to do a "negotiated" penalty. Lachie: What? Gil: Never mind. What would you say if I told you you could be banned for four years? Lachie: Four years. Is that a long time? Gil: Yes son. Lachie: What if ... there was NO penalty? Gil: We have to give you something. Lachie: How about some E? Gil: Try to concentrate Lachie. What if it was two years? Lachie: I don't want anything! Gil: You drive a hard bargain son. Alright, no years, not even any weeks. But you have to show up to every sponsors function! Lachie: I don't like you! Gil: Thanks son. Now get out of here.

How many strikes is he on?

That's why he has managed to find a home in footy media.

At least let us finish our cigarettes.

No necessarily. We might have decided to knock this deal over to leave time for doing others. Rather than still having horns locked with EFC at 11:45 tomorrow. Spending pick 29 on Hibberd is hardly a disaster. "Money" well spent in fact.

It's said that this year's draft is a bit thin, so if we're not in the first round, it's not essential to hold on to this year's picks. Better to hold on to next year's picks.

Just make sure you've got a box of tissues handy first.

I invite you to write a second verse covering this glorious phase of his career.

Goodbye Lynden Dunn Though I hardly knew you at all You had the grace to play with Neeld While those around you bawled You tried to play up forward But you couldn't hold down a place They sent you down to full back And you grew fuzz on your face And it seems to me you lived your life Like a Bailey/Neeld thing Never knowing who to kick to While oppos closed in And I would have liked to see you Play in a bunch of wins Those coaches killed you long before PJ and Roos came in

No one gets squeezed out. No one has a lock on any position. They have to squeeze themselves in through good performances. It's been very pleasant watching a side where no one is gifted a game. It will be even better next year. And if good players can't get a game ... well, trade bait for a player we need (eg second ruck). Go Demons!!!

So we got Lewis just for downgrading two picks. Who, if anyone could have imagined such a pickup before the trade period started, would have suggested that? Maybe giving up a player and a pick. But who'd be mad enough to suggest we'd get him just by downgrading two picks? Maybe it's an inspired renewal of the midfield at HFC. But Fevola's Razor says the Hawks screwed the pooch. (Fevola's Razor: the scenario that can be explained by rashness and hubris, rather than guile and cunning, is the most likely one.)

Let's see if my AFL Predictor can assist you in placing your bets. 1. If it's not known to the public, bury it. [example: Whitfield situation last year; EFC peptides in early stages] 2. If it is known to the public, make a statement that it's no big deal. Nothing to see here. [example: Libba senior claiming CFC tanked; Cheney/Talia game plan leak] 3. If there's a public outcry, announce an investigation. [Whitfield, EFC peptides. One exception: the MFC tanking investigation had no outcry. It was instituted by Anderson when Vlad was out of the country. No way Vlad would have permitted it if he'd been on the scene.] 4. Somehow the investigation takes an inordinate amount of time. [everything] 5. Time passes ... 6. The result of the investigation is that nothing really bad happened. The event didn't occur. But some related punishments may need to be imposed (reluctantly). The punishments are not necessarily on the offending parties. They are usually on anyone who embarrassed the AFL. [MFC tanking, EFC peptides] 7. If punishments are imposed, the AFL then mitigate the effects of the punishment. [MFC tanking, EFC peptides] According to my calculations, nothing happened in the Whitfield situation. No one meant any harm, and the girlfriend will be banned from AFL clubs and venues for 4 years.

Gabriel Szondy

The twitter account is run by Hawthorn. The HFC web site is run by Telstra. Enuff said. They may get around to updating it by round 12 next season.

Hear hear. Coming into this draft our best bargaining chip was pick 26, which then dropped lower, and was effectively already committed. But it appears we may come out of this with Hibberd AND Rockliff AND Lewis. Holy Christ, how do you get that from a starting possie of 26!! However (wet blanket time) ... none of these deals are done. Waiting and watching ...

What do they care? They are beyond shame.