BigFez

I thought I saw ANB cop a nasty cork from the big GWS ruckman in a marking contest. Ran out the game so hopefully will be fine to go next week.

May's interviews are always excellent. Honest, humorous and rarely trots out the clichés.

It's like the umpires feel they have to pay a free in every marking contest.

That 50m penalty to the Bulldogs was the worst 50 in the history of the AFL.

Sounds a lot like the Port supporters last week. Please Melbourne beat us by a lot so our coach gets sacked.

Is this a VFL/AFL record?

Nath Jones awesome special comments. Never thought he was the best in front of the camera in his early days as captain but obviously worked hard at it and is doing an excellent job.

"I'm happy we won", and "purely from an entertainment point of view". Don't get me wrong, I'm loving supporting a winning team, and understand what we are trying to achieve, and we are achieving it with aplomb. I'm merely saying that wasn't one for the archives. Perhaps I was spoiled by the 100 point burst in a quarter and a half in the GF.

Happy we won. But that would have to be up there with the single worst game of footy I've seen, purely from an entertainment point of view.

Brayshaw Oliver Langdon Bowey Weideman Harmes

Morning cup of tea and Richmond BigFooty page after a loss. Two of my favourite things.

Has anyone seen an update on Salem's injury today?

I saw that. Couldn't believe what I was seeing. It'll be huge news tomorrow.

What's the injury cloud? Are we going to risk him for round 1?

In isolation for this one. Close contact. Can confirm the new premiership jumper is slim fit. I am not slim and as such it is not a great fit.

I am interested to hear from people in other states about the participation levels of the different sports in schools at the moment. When I went through high school in the late 90s, there were always 2-3 footy teams per year group, and you'd be lucky to scrounge enough kids to get a soccer team together. This was in Tasmania's north west. Now I have kids going through primary school and it seems to be the reverse. There are multiple soccer teams, but aside from a small ad in the newsletter, plus a flyer sent home in the first week, you hear nothing about AFL in schools. Also, I have friends who work in PE in local high schools here in Hobart and they say at lunchtime there are full games of soccer going on, heaps of kids playing basketball, and maybe a handful of kids playing markings up shoved over to the side of the oval as to not interfere with the soccer matches. Local clubs are folding, this time of year it seems there is an SOS every other day from a club trying to get enough players to filed a team. It seems AFL put very little effort in down here. Whereas FFA and the NBL are going hard at at grassroots level. It is rare to see a kid walking around with a footy under their arm, with a soccer ball or basketball far more likely. In the 80s and 90s you would NEVER have seen a kid with a soccer ball. Whether this is a sign of the AFL not putting any effort into grassroots footy down here, or perhaps a more multicultural society, I am not sure. These observations are my own and anecdotal, but I would like to know if anyone else has noticed a shift in participation among the sports in schools. From what I have noticed, Tassie won't be an AFL heartland forever if the treatment continues. The question is, will Gil and co care if they lose some of the 500,000 down here, when he is going after the potential millions in SE Qld and Western Sydney? Probably not. And to address the dwindling crowd numbers at games down here, how many of you would go and watch North vs GWS? Or North vs Freo? When Essendon had to play down here last year it sold out in under an hour. Initially we were just stoked to be seeing some footy, but we were continually thrown the scraps of the round so they wouldn't lose out on revenue by hosting the bigger drawing clubs at such a small ground. I can understand the decision from a financial perspective, but eventually people will stop turning up when the perception is we should just be happy to get a game, so stop your whinging and show up Get what you get and don't get upset. It seems the AFL just thinks they have us, so they are pouring everything into the expansion areas, treating Tasmania with apparent disdain. While I'm not convinced a Tassie team will work, I am convinced that if the AFL don't pull their socks up down here, Tasmania will not be an AFL state forever. But with such a small population, it wouldn't be considered the end of the world at AFL house.

That was the highest standard of AFLW I've seen. Some of that ball movement in the 3rd was poetry in motion. The run from behind was elite, and it just got better and better as the confidence grew. Hopefully that confidence sticks around for the rest of the season. Play like that and we will be very, very hard to beat.

Umps clearly told to cool their jets after Thursday night's schmozzle.

I didn't watch the game. What did you make of the Tigers? Will they be back on top as their supporters are sure they will be?

These lists are only released to create a bit of discussion, but Zak Butters at 25? Kid could be anything but hasn't done a heap yet. And I think De Goey has played 3 good games in his career (two were against us).

Apologies as I'm sure this has been asked many times but has there been any word on Salem and his potential injury?

I got him at $26 a couple of weeks ago. Waaay overs for a bloke that has previously finished runner up, has kicked 60+ goals three years in a row and now has the AFL's best midfield delivering it to him.

Too young to remember Flower so I'd have to say him just so I could see him play. Judging by the regard to which he is held in this forum I'd love to see him run around. In my time, Schwartz in, T. McDonald out sorry Tom.

Like receiving an unexpected early Christmas present thanks Picket.

Jack Steele probably a top 5 midfielder in the comp not rated as elite is enough for me to stop reading.