Mazer Rackham

If they wheel out the tribunal chairman who found Barry Hall was "in play", and who found Dank guilty of administering TB-4 and Essendon players not guilty of taking it, then the writing will be on the wall.

I just hope Melksham has kept the lid on his emotions. I fear he's already run through the banner in his mind. May not have enough left to play the match afterwards.

Commentators thought it was funny = 1 point Commentators admired the thuggery = 1 point Hit player walked away without signs of concussion = 1 point 3 points, no case to answer

I don't care how close it is or how many goals scored. What a bullsh*t spectacle when there is so much throwing, scooping, paddling, etc, going on. Dunno what it is, but it's not football.

Why is he avoiding eye contact? Is he shy? Or playing hard to get?

Benjamin Disraeli. Or Mark Twain.

"I could go to North or WCE and be an inside mid. Maybe a star at that. Or I could stay at Melb where I am a star wingman and winning flags. Tough choice ...."

For his sake, and ours, I hope the squad entrusted the cutting of the letters to one of our most capable and worthy letter-cutter-outers.

This is why we need enforcers in the team. Like Melksham.

I suspect a new AFL CEO and a new broadcast rights master partner may see North put on a slow drip, like Fitzroy was. Financial hurdles put in place purely coincidentally just above what the club can afford. Then an ultimatum.

On this. A Tassie team might stretch the talent pool, but if there is no Tassie team, what will the talent pool look like in 10/20 years when Tassie kids all play basketball instead of Aussie rules? GC kids all play soccer? Etc. Expanding the AFL comp to GWS/GC is a pre-emptive defensive measure to protect the game. The AFL are enacting it aggressively, but it's either expand or shrink.

"Hello, MFC? We have a ... 'Jason Horne Francis' ... on our books who wants to play at a decent club. Are you able to help? I know. I know. Yes. I know. It's just that we're mad with grief right now. Do you want a training facility based in the inner northern suburbs? It needs a good home too." Our guys are interested in a brand new challenge. They already did the one about an under-resourced club building up a poor list to a powerful one. Now they're into how a powerful list can be maintained to keep challenging. Sorry, North.

Hypothetical. AFL ask Tas to apply for a 19th licence. Application has to be approved by the 18 clubs. Clubs reject it. AFL says: "Well, sorry Tas. But our hands are tied, etc." Tas govt retaliates by revoking funding for Haw & North. Haw take the hit and move on. North slump financially. North go begging to AFL. AFL says: "We have funds available on conditions. Do you like apples, hiking in wilderness, visiting Port Arthur, etc?"

CAPTAIN COTCH: anagram of NOT TOBY GREENE No case to answer.

Oh, so Bevo is now all for teams playing the game in accordance with the rules? How quaint. He's a character, that Bevo. I hope they do start paying frees for blocking off the run. Teams have been doing it to BBB for a few weeks now, and in the North game it looked like he was being grappled so far off the ball that not even the tribunal chairman who thought Barry Hall's biff was "in play" could overlook it. (It seems like the umps are ball bound and don't watch ahead of the play ... but how can they if they're put in a different mix every week? If umps were in "teams" [such as they do in major league baseball] then maybe they'd develop some synergy and just "know" who's watching the ball and who's watching ahead of the play. We'd need professional umps for that and maybe a second postage stamp of turf to practice on. My nature strip is available, AFL! More than that, we'd need an executive organisation that did more than just pretend to give a [censored] about the refereeing of the game.)

18.7.2 Free Kicks - Rough Conduct A field Umpire shall award a Free Kick against a Player when that Player engages in rough conduct against an opposition Player which in the circumstances is unreasonable, which includes but is not limited to: (a) executing a dangerous tackle on an opposition Player; (b) making forceful contact below the knees of an opposition Player or executing a forceful action towards the lower leg of an opposition Player causing the opposition Player to take evasive action; (c) sliding knees or feet first into an opposition Player; (d) using boot studs in a manner likely to cause injury.

It was the view of thew Match Review Officer that the TV commentators weren't really outraged about it, so no further action was taken.

It's very good of our traditional rival clubs to show us ways to beat our immediate challengers Freo & Brisbane. Don't worry, we won't be merciful when it's your turn.

Smart move to put Frost in attack. With instructions to do your usual thing and make sure the ball goes through the big sticks behind you.

In the Neeld years we carried off a mighty victory against top of the ladder Essendon and that's exactly how we did it. Dragged them down to our level and then beat them with experience.

People at the ground. Is it my imagination or are our forwards getting monstered off the ball? As in, illegally? Coz on TV it sure looks like it.

FMD. When Max runs to the right he kicks to the left every FFFFING time

FMD. These umpires do not know how far 15m is!

Michael Christian now reviewing the commentators opinions to find out what his decision should be.

Damn! Outbid!