Deemania since 56

Bluddyoath. The return of the bomb means indirect across the whole game.

Good evidence of pre-match collusion and a higher order from uptstairs...then there is competing between four umpires for status, recognition, actually seen to be making a decision oneself - albeit fanciful and wrong, and still not making up the ground to be in position to adjudicate where necessary and thoroughly - unlike the single umpires' talents of the past. Frigging amazing.

Pepper needed a dose or two of his own medicine; attempting to cause severe injury across a game particularly when a player was on the ground, immobile, unprotected and already smothered by another player. No video review? Why? Very well put description of our observations!

This is an example of my points about umpires: the game is now fully corrupted and incompetence is just fine when managed (AFL) in a non-descript manner for the unspoken net outcomes. Time we let the AFL and the umpires board feel the way we do about this creeping cancer on our game. I will partake in this season a little longer but not next year if there is the slightest hint of favoured outcomes against any team in the competition.

1. Our whole team lost the sniff when the umpires decided to interfere with the talent flow that we were exhibiting. 2. Creative yet still incorrect decisions that nobody could imagine were sustained across the game as each of the 4 umpires decided that they needed to be seen and heard by the crowd in a favourable light. 3. The crowd gave them a favourable light as a consequence and those violations of the codes of the game were sustained. 4. The FD is letting the players and supporters down with team selections, inconsistencies and 'stabs' in the dark at the expense of conditioned experience and more perfect player deployments.

Vince is not as lethal as he was and is noticeably slowing to be at the contest. Lewis is just slow but has great kicking skills and heads up to find 'local' opportunities in other players. Lewis skirts the contact or hangs outside, too. Yet his game was good against Port, not great, but good. A firmer opposition will completely negate him, now. Both need to be at Casey and one week at a time, create space for younger animals to move up to the ones. Petty, Frost, Baker and Stretch come to mind in those positions occupied by Vince and Lewis but there are others. With Lever gone, Frost might be a great support in the back pocket to assist OMac and simultaneously release Hibberd and Jetta for some downfield backline magic; Petty is possibly a good stand-in at CHB in that scenario; Baker has pace and could use it on the wing or just outside the midfield if moving into position; Stretch needs confidence and ball winning determination and he, too, could run out the ball from the HBFlank to wing - he certainly could set up some action for the talented Fritsch or even Petracca if he wanted the ball. For me, Vince and Lewis have been handy but it was always going to be a short-term arrangement.

Is he playing well with confidence, getting the ball from own efforts?

Summative accuracy with perfect emphases, Clint. The whole game was stolen by the umpires this time and our team components went missing, fearful of what the umpires might do next. The big picture does not point to continued success unless a more valid refereeing process is instigated. Yet again we train under the rules, for the rules and have the rules squash endeavour at the coal face. At the player level, we were cruelled by team selections and the manic emphases on player flexibility for our game style. For opposition sides, it is very readable after a few minutes and thus, is shut down. Absolute power in positions does exist for the MFC yet is sacrificed for welfare and arbitrary satisfaction of our player controllers in the FD.

We have all noticed this trend in the past 3 years, getting worse each game. Unaccountability and bias from the umpires struck once again and although not part of the game last night against Port, the Razor effect of celebrity umpiring just to be seen to be a key factor and centre of attention in a game of football - whatever the cost in terms of the millions of dollars so involved from clubs - is now endemic across the fraternity of white. The allegiances of umpires to clubs and selected clubs winning games by any means is not all - this trend has to be encouraged by the AFL via the umpires for its 'entertainment value' and the massing of crowds with large supporter base interests for dollars through the turnstiles. No respectable sporting umpire would participate in this fraud, otherwise. This rubbery and conditioned corruption is also prevaricated (following a set plan for the fixture itself, for the weekly and finals series attendances, and in the pursuit of AFL-led allegiances to specific clubs and the horribly incorrect interpretations undertaken with regards to rules, regulations and the miasma of vested interest). Anything is possible in football today for the incremental massing of the 4 points per game for flavour-teams-of-monetary-interest. In essence, the game has reached an irreversible level of corruption with the total consent of the AFL in partnership with influential clubs. We see wilful and incorrect decision-making at the singular club level continuously in a season - with umpires and players powerless to right the wrongs of its effects. The public are treated as fools lost in their own dignity of expectation to assume that all's fair and well with our national game. Port Adelaide has a reasonably large captive supporter base that is just manic enough to attend finals series in droves where that Club is involved. Great for the economic justification of cheating and taking advantage of such casual 'official' assistance. That club lost the game last night, despite the scoreboard. Just as the fortunes of the Crows have been so assisted in recent times for the same, core, influential, complicity. Annointed players and teams look good as if they were competitively playing well when an insurance policy payout is quietly known to be affected in their favour from '...those who absolutely control the outcomes of any specific game - the umpires...' and once again, the dirt is swept under the carpet to be hidden from the eyes of the egalitarian fans of the game. Brown paper bagging on a grander scale than one or two dubious decisions in any one game. It is increasingly difficult for one to accept such a corrupt outcome year after year, match after match, finals entitlements after finals entitlements within our game and not conclude that it is all a 'set-up' unworthy of our future involvement and support.

I would have gone Pedo, Frosty, Garlett, JSmith in, TSmith not in, Petty plus Baker, drop Vince and Lewis, keep Spago to shirtfront Westhoff. No arguments.

Gutsy, but why not?

The revenues from a GF win probably saved the Doggies...which was a good thing. For the AFL, a cheap way out of a temporary but impending footy club collapse under their watch.They were a great team then, so one never knows.....??? Have one for me ... I'm going to have a few whiskies before the game at our club where it is $2.50 a double, and my mum taught me to drink in moderation like a gentleman, so I cannot drink from two hands; at once!

Great idea, but don't expect a forthcoming response - it would remain 'eyes only in confidence'. What would the general public know about it? Don't spend dollars on it either. Not worth the inquiry. Just a bit of fun ... perhaps.

Many on this site are sending me messages of support to avoid DL vitriole and others have commented extensively on these characteristics for several years on DL.

That data set is a very important need to be fulfilled. Supporters, observers and clubs are cramming for details on this issue as it is now such a prevalent occurrence. It ruins the game. The AFL is coaching the umpires to affect certain games in certain ways and so, would do anything to deny or negate such calls for scrutiny - hence, nothing has been done. It is a kangaroo court, a middle ages witch hunt, a caesarian whim. A capitalist monopoly with all of its questionable corruption gone public.

Like that Frosty usage, the same for Hibbo and Smith. Got it wrong again, Simon.

That is seeking unfair advantages onfield. Such behaviour is more than incompetence, it is cheating. A deliberate act to legitimise an inate bias.

To those who say umpires don't cheat according to AFL dogma: Take a look at the differential last night in the free kicks tally between West Coast and the Essendrug teams. Embarrassing differential and when and where these frees were plucked out of nowhere, and paid. We are not in an even playing field folks.(On this count, it doesn't matter what that team actually is, it is just an overt indicator.)

Needed a mobile and recklessly aggressive biggie in the backline (Frosty), needed a small fwd in close such as Garlett but would love to see Kenty back, needed no interruption to Hibberd's game from the flanks so they put him against a mountain at CHB. Less confident but cannot say or think a Port win. Carna Dees. Weather will be clear at around 11 degC at start of game, not necessarily frosty or dewy. To all DL supporters attending the game: Have a blodyy gud noight.

Tyson is a good choice and let us hope that his form has returned, alongside improved kicking/delivery since we have spent so much time with him, dropping hints at this area of focus. Can Viney match Wines in the centre? Can JV bring back his old clout and disregard for opponents?

We are going to miss Frosty's height, run and improved kicking - and his strength to match and face off Westhoff who is now relatively immobile in comparison to previous years; that match-up may have ignited Frosty to drive from CHB. I have just seen that Hibberd is expected to occupy that role - he's far better from a flank and it might be like MtBulla vs. MtEverest! Anyway, good to see Tyson back in to accumulate - let's hope he can deliver.

Enjoy the potatoes with cabbage sauce! No wonder that vodka is popular!

Nah, Tyson has to play so we get a bit of ball ...

Just a few moments before the teams are announced, I agree that we must have confidence in beating Port. After the bye, we should come out fully refreshed, ready to maul any opposition and so do with aplomb! It might seem as if we have an indefensible, tall forward line and some really stoic defenders keen to elevate the criticism of the past fortnight. We seem to have been working heavily in training on our clearance routines, according to other posters who can get to training sessions, with fresh but manageable new roles and structures. If we play Vince and Lewis in the one team, we may struggle; if we bring in a newbie, well and good. We have the goods and the capability to cream Port - or even just fight like hell to win. It is going to be a great match.

Yep, by default ... has a common ring to it, doesn't it, when playing in Sth Australia? Place some bets on this Adelaide Oval free kick scenario for either Port or the Crows. Usually these frees are awarded within goal-kicking range for absolutely no legitimate reason. However, we cannot forget the clearance and midfield frees to 'get a Sth Australian team up and running and if there is an opposition challenge elsewhere on the ground, then that will be scotched by a series of 'equalisers' against the visiting opponents. Another recent innovation by the umpires representing the AFL is to delay 'play on' decisions or to hasten these for the benefit of the home side. Umpires will also delay a contested decision to 'ball-up' if the Port/Crows teams are not manned-up for the taps - or their downfield positioning is not quite set. Up to five or six minutes of any game can be lost to these delays, when really prevalent.