Mazer Rackham

Not stationary. Nowhere in the rules does it say "stationary", nor has it ever. Regardless, why are blatant throws that are throws in anyone's language not called? If only there was some branch or arm of the AFL that was responsible for enforcing the rules in the AFL comp. Perhaps we could encourage them to look into these matters.

I think there can be no doubt they train to win frees. But that doesn't explain why they seemingly can't give away a free when they drop the ball, throw it, etc. And their opponents manage to give away frees that make even neutral supporters blow a gasket. None of it adds up. It's inexplicable, yet it keeps happening.

Scintillating high scoring football in perfect conditions. Except it's probably 3 degrees and blowing like the roaring forties.

Full backs can run 25m before disposing of it.

It's sunny in Ballarat. Amazing what technology can do. Is it one of those deep fake things?

AFL can't adjudicate properly on rules that have been in the game forever, eg throwing. Now they can't even adjudicate on the ones they brought in eg ducking into a tackle. What hope is there for a supposedly simple rule to stop dissent? I think we know the answer.

1911 official rules: Law 12. What constitutes, a throw? Answer : When there is any doubt that the ball has not been hand-balled fairly it must be considered a throw, and a free kick awarded accordingly. Handball is when the ball is clearly held in one hand and knocked with the other hand. 1925 amendment: Handball rule clarified. Ball to be punched out not just struck. (Flick pass was permitted previously.) 1928 official rules: Handball (6) Handball is where the ball is clearly held in one hand and punched with the closed fist of the other hand. 1934 amendment: Handball rule altered. The ball could be held in one hand and knocked with the other (ie the flick pass was again permitted). 1944 official rules: Handball. (6) Handball is where the ball is clearly held in one hand and knocked with the other hand. 1966 amendment: Flick pass outlawed. Ball had to be struck with a clenched fist. 2015 official rules: Handball: the act of holding the football in one hand and disposing of the football by hitting it with the clenched fist of the other hand. (2022 rules same definition as 2015.) The rules from 1911 show how much the modern game has degenerated with respect to handball.

This is what happens when you appoint a coach to run the umpiring. The coaches have been responsible for many distasteful rule changes over the years. Since when have they had the good of the game in mind? Their mindset is far removed from what's required. Scott doesn't know what he's doing and even less idea of what he should be doing.

They keep getting gifted ground upgrades, including capacity upgrades. (This current one is "stage five"!) Do they get to keep the gate? If so, they're basically having someone else fund their ability to generate greater income week in and week out.

Time and again GWS would be under huge pressure in their back line. Scrambly handballs here and there, players dodging multiple Saint tackles, ball pinging backwards, sideways in handball chains ... finally the ball would get to a Giant with a tiny bit of space, he would get it to a Giant in the clear (usually near the boundary), and then upfield ........... nothing. Forced to stop dead & take stock of his options. Stationary Giants just watching. Finally someone makes a lead. Sideways. Ball crosses the field to the other flank. No options there either. Kick long to a contest and repeat. There were hardly any easy scores. They scrapped and scrambled without system for every goal, and as we MFC fans can attest, that's not a sustainable way to play if you have any desire to win consistently. (Why switch play to the other flank if no-one can be bothered to get into space there either? Isn't that the point, to find some space and catch the other team on the hop? Otherwise all you've done is wasted two kicks and a bit of time.) No-one anticipating, gut running to space to give their teammate someone to deliver to. All that talent at their disposal and that's really all they have. They play on pure talent, which is wonderful when it clicks, and wasteful as hell when it doesn't. They've failed to exploit their massive advantage, and meanwhile, their supposed rivals at GCS, who were said to have gone about their club-building the wrong way, are the ones who appear to be building something with character and spirit. (Time will tell.) They looked to have given up halfway through the last when only 2 goals down. It all seemed just too hard. Imagine what a Clarkson, a Simpson, a Longmire, or ... a Goodwin/Yze/Williams could do with a list with hardly any holes in it, and a sympathetic city hall. Now on the positive side. Watching all that made me appreciate all over again the wonderful footballing machine we are blessed with. GO DEMONS!!!

I have the sound off. Was the ump coaching King?

Don't mind Big Preuss and would like to see him do well.

Giants ball movement is haphazard. Saints look 100 times cleaner and more efficient. Their defence is giving the giants no time and space. Reminds me of another team in this league.

So already a few players running through the "protected zone" and no 50. It just kills me that every week the umps ref the game to only some of the rules, and it's a different few each week.

No sign of seed sown. But no room for instant turf either, so I'd guess seed will be sown soon. (Simon supposes seed will be sown soon, by the seaside.)

Whoops! Wrong pic. Here's what it really looks like. Now completely covered with loam.

So, Gosch's has really greened up over the weekend.

And when they're winning, it reinforces that what they're doing is right. Harder for our opponents to put in all that effort if they get no reward, so the effort can drop off ... within a game, and over a season. (Some have dropped off already.) This is a tremendous advantage and I hope we ride it as hard and as long as we can.

This why Goodwin placed a premium from the start on "goers" and why guys like ANB & Harmes kept getting games even when not setting the world on fire, and guys like Watts and Hogan were shipped out without a second thought. You can' t fake it, and other clubs can up their fitness levels and so on, but they can't catch up on that drive to contest until they recruit for it and turn over their lists. Adelaide won their first flag like that and I wonder if it was a formative experience for the young Goodwin.

Probably, but after all the chest puffing about making finals last year and "being robbed" in the EF, they & their media fanboys declared themselves February premiers. Only team able to dethrone them were the March premiers.

I'm an agitator ♪ I'm a Maggie prezzie talking to you I'm airwaves invader I'll be unscratchable itch for you Won't keep my mouth shut I'm squawking like a black and white bird ♫ And I'm talking over all to get the last word Keep your camera lens on me Keep your eyes upon my head ♪ Press, you keep me in your papers Geek out on my fever daydream, oh yeah

Good idea. The central umps often defer to goal umps in terms of "what happened". They get input from the goal ump then make their decision. The boundary ump could indicate when there's been a throw. Central ump makes the call but the boundary ump can give hints.

Interesting to see when we play Freo if they come home with a wet sail. Haven't been watching them, but maybe they've upped their fitness to run out games.