titan_uranus

He can go as far as I'm concerned, but not if that makes getting Alwyn Davey any more likely.

I will be devastated to see him play for Carlton next year. Truly will.

No, that would be the general trends of both teams. Collingwood are very strong in first quarters, the stats back that up. They are known for piling pressure on right from the start and often jumping to an early lead. In contrast, St Kilda win a lot more third and fourth quarters than first and second. So they are a team with grit and determination who can fall behind but, by virtue of a strong defensive team, claw back even when they're 3-4 goals down. To imply from St Kilda's slow start that they didn't want to win is wrong. That is what you did. If that's not what you meant then fine. You honestly don't believe there is any disadvantage at all in having to fly from Perth (or Brisbane, or Sydney, or Adelaide) to Melbourne every second week, then having to play most finals in Melbourne, then flying down here for the GF, then having to fly back again the next week? Taking into account not just the physical effects of flying, but also being away from home base, the loss of time, the logistics, the cost? To be honest I'm not surprised. Logical, reasonable arugments just don't seem to work on you WYL.

True, but for some reason I'd be surprised if she was playing semantics with me.

What you've done there is find examples of good players who changed number from a high one to a low one. You haven't explained why this has to happen. It is just unnecessary. I say, if you've played even one game in a number, stay in it for your career. Who knows, maybe if Bennell stays in 43 he'll become the greatest ever player to wear 43.

OK, so I decided to email the club to enquire about our jumper, whether the colours were changing, the possibility of white stars on it etc. To my delight I received a reply within hours: Hello Lewis, Thanks for your email and support of the Club. The jumper design for 2011 does have some subtle changes. When the jumper is released we will explain the changes in a similar way to the way we launched the new emblem. The changes that have been made are largely based on member feedback and are designed to pay tribute to the heritage of our jumper and Club. There are also some performance aspects that have been adjusted for the comfort of the players and as you note, the change to New Balance also plays a part as we move to their designs and fabric. The changes do include a tribute to our 12 premierships but there aren’t any white stars on the collar. Cam has worked closely with the team at New Balance and at R-Co (the company the designed the emblem) over many months to get the jumper right. Even though the changes are subtle, I’ve no doubt there will be some mixed views as there always is with change. Hopefully the general feel is that we have evolved it in the right direction. Thanks again for taking the time to write. Kind Regards, Jennifer So sorry monde, there are no stars on the collar. But there is 'a tribute to our 12 premierships'. Interesting.

What a ridiculous post.

HUN says Davey, Houli and Stanton are all going to stick with Essendon now that Hird's coach. They can have them. They're all crap.

Don't get this at all. Would have thought a midfielder with average disposal who can't get a game at his club isn't exactly the type of player we need.

Here's a suggestion... No change. Why supporters associate low numbers with better players remains one of the biggest mysteries IMO. Bennell's carving out a spot in the team wearing number 43. Why must he change?

This is 2010. Not 1920. Suggesting that interstate teams should put up or shut up because 90 years ago they would have had no choice is ridiculous. Perth is 5-7 hours away, not 3. Business class or economy, private jet or public, the issue is still the flying, the improper preparation, and the waste of time. Couldn't think of anything worse. Ten uses the '5 minute warning' in their games and the suspense is fantastic. Like last year, when the scores were level with less than 5 minutes to go. You do realise you've just said that the teams didn't want to win from the moment the whistle was blown on Saturday? Of course they bloody well do!

Go have a look at his performances in the Qualifying and Preliminary finals from this year. I was there, and I can tell you that he was worse than Jake Spencer. Couldn't pick a worse ruckman tbh.

Why? Just make the red 'redder' and the blue darker. No need for the logo above the sponsor, nor for this tacky addition of stars on the collar.

Right...so if there was extra time, neither side would want to win? That can't just happen at the click of the fingers. Plus would spending a week away from home be the ideal preparation for a Grand Final? I'll answer that: no it wouldn't, and if you were a supporter of an interstate side you'd want the best preparation possible. Having Fremantle or Brisbane preparing for a GF away from their home base, and their families, just isn't ideal. Nor is it fair.

He did the hard work already, losing him now isn't that big a deal. It's not like the backline is going to fall apart without him. I'd rather he stayed as I thought we were developing a good, solid team, but I'm sure we'll find someone else who will guide us to our premiership.

I honestly can't believe the results of the poll. I was dead set certain it would be in favour of extra time. Interesting. How would a replay work if one of the teams was from interstate? Already at a disadvantage, they'd be put even further back. 2007 - Semi Final between West Coast and Collingwood. Tied at the end of the fourth quarter, extra time was played. Collingwood won. As recently as 1990 there was a drawn 'regular' final, which was again between the Eagles and Pies, but it was replayed the following week. So we've been able to change the rule regarding non-GF finals. Sooner or later the GF should be brought into line. Gaelic football apparently has a replay.

Key difference: Brown uses his body, PJ doesn't. Brown can take a mark, PJ can't. What I meant by that comment was that our second ruckman should be someone able to use their body, to crash packs, to go forward and actually have an impact. Leigh Brown can do that. He's always done the first two, and now he's having an impact as a forward. PJ has never done any of these. I rate Jesse White. Thought he was big in Sydney's win over Carlton, as did two of my Sydney-supporting friends. But I guess Roos didn't, since they dropped him.

I've heard worse ideas. Hale, IMO, isn't as bad as some are making him out to be, and would be a better second ruckman for us in 2011 than anyone on our list at the moment. He would be the 2-3 year short term second ruck before Gawn and hopefully Fitzpatrick are ready to play AFL football. However, he is not worth too much. In terms of draft picks, I wouldn't want to see anything earlier than a third round pick used on him. Given that the Gold Coast are also interested, I doubt we will be able to beat their offer (or at least we would be foolish to try).

Swan wasn't at his best either. Cloke and Dawes couldn't kick, Jolly was poor in the ruck given Gardiner was injured in the second half. Really, Dale Thomas, Nick Maxwell and Heath Shaw were Collingwood's four-quarter performers. The pessimist in me says that those players can't possibly play as badly next week as they did yesterday.

I firmly believe the result should be determined on the day, so extra time should be played. To come back the next week is anti-climactic IMO, and partly negates the games of the players yesterday. The AFL says it doesn't like changing rules as a knee-jerk reaction. I say that's exactly what they did with the interchange rules. I also note that if the replay is drawn, extra time will be played, so they're not totally averse to it.

Not convinced. That implies we have a gorilla in the forward line for 20 or so minutes per quarter. Whoever this lump is, he'd have to be as effective as someone like Dawes or Koschitzke. Edit: I'm fine with Green playing FF by the way.

Yes. He is a cocky, massively over-rated, one-dimensional, arrogant little bumwipe. You really think that? I think we need to be looking for a Leigh Brown-type player. Someone who is better around the ground than in the ruck, not just a 'big lump' to sit in the forward line.

OK. For the last time. This is what I was referring to: That to me says 'There will never be a good design with a predominantly white jumper'. OK? That's how that post reads. That is what I was talking about. Then you covered your tracks. Let us agree to disagree, and end this conversation here.

True, but I still say we're better. Still, shows the strength of Australian domestic cricket. In the last two years the Sri Lankan, New Zealand, and West Indian representatives (T+T aside, but they had Pollard and Bravo) have been mediocre at best. It's largely a contest between the Indian IPL sides and the Aussie domestic sides.

Far out, discussing things with you is like ramming your head into a brick wall. And you're wrong. There.