Mazer Rackham

They told everyone they're doing it and even which players are to be rested. They are not pulling out 6 players 2 hours before the match with "general soreness". They are not pretending to play to win while actually trying to lose. They might even go out and try to win! (They did, last time they tried this.) There is nothing deceitful in what they are doing. They are doing this to give themselves their best shot at WINNING the FLAG. Which is a long, long, long way from giving yourself the best shot at finishing bottom.

It doesn't pay to get too wound up by those wombats. There's only one revenge and that's victory.

What's in it for the media? You're/we're going to watch whether they have Dwayne or not. They could have the footy equivalent of John Arlott and you'd watch it. But they're not going to sell more advertising even with John Arlott. In other words ... think of the money they save. It's up to individual commentators to apply themselves and improve, whether out of professional pride or simply trying to climb the greasy pole. But they seem to lapse into complacency and mediocrity. And there is no consequence for doing so.

Umps. The losing team generally gets the worst of it. Because the winning team is usually first to the ball. And the winning team is usually higher on the ladder. It's not fair but that's the way it is. If you want the run of the umps, win more matches. Same with teams that look slow, unskilled, etc. The losing team in a blowout always looks slow. Perennially losing teams look like they're up to their waists in molasses. Against Geelong it looked like we could go another quarter. "But if you ARE slower, of course you will lose!" Which came first, the chicken or the egg? It's a bit of both. That's why lower teams have to work harder.

Do what we did as kids and make your own crowd noise. Rhaaahhh! Rhaaaaahhhh!!!!! You can do your own commentary too. "Quick handpass over the top to Russell who's on his own in the square ... runs into the open goal, OH WHAT A SHAME HE'S FALLEN OVER. That looks like a knee -- could be a career ending injury for Dwayne. What a shame ..." etc.

I don't know why anyone bothers to listen to the commentary on any match on any TV channel. Turn it down, it's much less stressful.

Well that explains a lot. Harry: (thinks) "Okay Harry, you've got the ball in your hands. That is what you're all about. This is living. This it it, man. But you've got to do something with it. What are you going to do? Think, man, think! Oh no, here comes that nasty man ... the one with the elbow ... whassis name? Hogg ... Hobbs ... Hodge! Luke Hodge! You need to do something Harry. AND I MEAN NOW. But what? Oh man, I'm losing my mellow .... Deep breaths, man. Nice and deep. Count 4 in .... now count WALLOP BANG OUCH

Since 1858 we've also won more flags than University. All this ancient history is useless and gets us nowhere.

A bloke who with good disposal by hand and foot, can mark, can read the play, and seems to know what to do with the ball every time he gets it? Even with questionable ticker? I reckon at least half of the top 8 would have a taste of Jack.

Roos isn't used to being strapped into a chair with a spotlight shone in his eyes and media gestapo demanding that he sign the papers. He's used to them kneeling at his feet while he lightly radiates them with his premiership-winning glow. He stuffed up plain and simple. "Misspoke" in modern spin terms. Christ knows what he was really trying to say. Don't read too much into it. Only one way out for him, too. Win matches.

Also Robbo seems to have some strange grudge at the mo, related to Essendon/Dank/Bates/Magner, but he'll get over it. The media will be the media, we're in their crosshairs now, them having moved on from Carlton and Essendon. They've done it to us before, will do it again. There's only one way out, and that's to win games.

All clubs supporters are the same. Collectively, they are a mob. Our supporters are a mob. Hawthorn's supporters are a mob. When the team wins, the mob is happy. When the team loses, the mob is unhappy. When the team is on a winning streak, the mob prophesy winning the next 10 premierships. When the team is on a losing streak, the mob want to sack the suits, trade all the players, and burn the joint down. (Not necessarily in that order.) When the team is in a dynasty of losing, like we are, the mob get very, very, very negative. Only one thing can stop the rot. Winning matches. And the mob can't do the winning. They can only tag along and react.

We the fans have been negative for many years now and with reason. But we just got pantsed by the bottom team. Not wrestled into submission like in the Dons game, but pantsed. If that was due to fans' negativity, then we would never win any game. If fans' negativity was holding the team back then we could not possibly have won against Geelong on their home patch. (We all know how hard it is to do that.) It doesn't add up.

The question underpinning all this negativity is: how can a footy team be so bad for so long?

Don't take it too hard, and certainly don't be negative about it, but those prize fixers gave us a nice touchup up on the weekend.

Look at the fan boards for any club. The all exhibit the same tendencies as us. Difference is, we have been so bad for so long, our behaviour seems more entrenched. (Probably is.)

At the ground, the lack of shepherding stands out like the dogs proverbials. Again and again and again. Guy will draw his opponent, handball to a teammate and then jog along watching while his teammate is attacked by the same opponent. Teammate then kicks under pressure, and Hogan marks it on his chest and slams it through for a goal. Sorry, was fantasising. Teammate turns it over.

Still suss on this paleo/low carb diet. Isn't that what Hollywood people do to stay thin? Isn't that what midde aged men do to lose their spare tyre? These are 20-something young men who do not have a weight problem. They are playing in an endurance sport. Give them the fuel to play out 120 minutes of hard running.

So even Roos has had enough. I did enjoy it when Goodwin in the Dogs game said something at half time ... just get your hands on the footy ... something simple and positive ... and the players responded. Too little too late but it did seem to have an immediate impact. Belted by Carlton. I still can't quite believe it.

Tell your mate that after Daniher, we got an untried coach in Bailey who offered up 186. Then we got another untried coach in Neeld who was worse. Another untried coach could have finished the club. Hence the big-name coach. At that point it didn't really matter who. Someone who could lend some credibiilty, calm the jangled nerves, pat everyone on the tummy and generally steady the ship. And the ship has been steadied. I just wish we hadn't dropped the anchor too.

"Yeah, not bad. You? It's good here, they're paying me a bomb, and it's light duties. Not much danger of getting injured, everyone's easy going, especially the coaches, yeah, but here's the kicker. I'm one of the best players and they love me! My skills are declining, so is my desire, my heart, and everything else you need to win, but as soon my contract's up I'll be out of here before it's too late for a flag. Nice work if you can get it."

We are seeing the real damage done by the tanking era. What did Buckley say to Pendlebury? Paraphrasing, "We don't pick and and choose when we put in. We put in unconditionally." A team coached or encouraged not to win, un-learns how to win. Not even the great Mark Neeld could eradicate the cancer. Poor bugger was set up. Who knows what he could have done with a team that puts in.

He will order that we be quietly euthanised and he will then broadcast funny cat videos instead of the 9th game of the round.

We always squander the ball in front of goals. (Watts easy miss first quarter, Dawes easy miss down the other end. Garlett pass instead of shot, ANB easy miss) Watch how many times we get a shot on goal, miss it, and within a minute the ball's down the other end. We never put scoreboard pressure on.

There was once incident in the third quarter when someone (can't remember who ... might have been Tyson or Michie) was running inside 50 and Hogan was one out on his oppo. Midfielder then kicked it to no one, about 20 metres away and the ball went out of bounds. Hogan looked like Matthew Richardson used to .... "what the F are you doing????" Who could blame him.