Mel Bourne

Wow, that is pretty wild.

I don’t subscribe to the theory that medical staffs always make the right decision. AFL history is littered with stories of quite the opposite. Medicos are always trying to mitigate other factors that aren’t exactly in the player’s best interests. Strangely, one of the biggest forces that go against the welfare of the player is the player themselves.

I said this on the other thread and I think my logic is pretty sound here… Lions are well and truly a rung below Geelong, Sydney and the Pies as far as current form goes. Therefore if playing an injured Trac (and risking any further injury to him) is seen as the crucial difference in us getting over the line, then our season is rooted anyway. A win over the Lions without Trac will build confidence. A win with Trac will likely make him less prepared to face Geelong the following week. A loss without him will tell us we weren’t good enough anyway. And a loss with him would amount to a pointless and potentially damaging risk.

I have a feeling you might get you wish. But I maintain the position that if we need to play somebody with a hairline fracture just so we can beat the Lions, then our season is over anyway.

Yeah the idea of Zorko or Mitch Robinson targeting Trac’s injury on Friday is a horrifying and not in any way unrealistic one. We need Trac healthy for the next several years, and resting him this week is a no-brainer as far as I can see. If Trac is genuinely crucial in order to beat the Lions, then that should tell you we don’t have what it takes to beat the remaining teams.

Huh? It wasn’t even high contact. Cripps’ incident ought to set the tone for at least the remainder of the season.

How was his goal “lucky”?

And it wasn’t even a f$&@ing error!! Did nobody here see the footage of Buddy taking a dive after receiving the lightest of elbows to his back? Even the commentators said there was nothing in it. I feel like I’m going insane reading so many comments about how May “made a mistake”. He played a blinder, and as far as I’m concerned made ZERO mistakes.

Not sure I understand why so many here are angry with May for the first quarter incident. Buddy staged for the free, and was rewarded for it.

Sydney were very, very good tonight. They just played one of those games. We’ve played one of those games before. Just not tonight. Onward and upward.

I can’t help but feel our venom towards Joe Daniher really spurned him on. I’m glad that it’s the Lions through and not the Tigers. The Tigers supporters are many and insufferable, and the sudden quiet in the room is very agreeable.

“Country Roads” is Charlie Cameron’s. Doesn’t exactly get the adrenaline up.

I think Joe Daniher could be one of the worst players I’ve ever watched. I went to a lot of my brothers’ games at Parkdale footy club when I was a kid, too.

If Prestia’s hamstring is as bad as it seems, that’s a huge loss for the Tigers. Think I want to see the Lions get this, then fall in a heap next week.

If there was no chance, would he even be out there?

Well then his family should do the honourable thing and move to Melbourne.

Finished third in ‘21 but get eighth-hardest fixture in ‘22. And fixture-difficulty is only measured by quality of opponents, and doesn’t factor having nine games at the (weird, skinny) ground that they’re allowed to train on all week. Four games that were essentially free wins - WCE/Nth Melb twice each. Deserving? Hmmmm

Cox is an ugly player. Ugly to watch, and ugly of the mind.

Who are we talking about here?

When it comes to footy, or just life in general?

Yeah “stiff” was the wrong choice of word. “Unlucky” more apt. I do think he’s playing pretty sore at the moment, and the timing is tough.

JJ pretty stiff. The only out

This talk about blooding JVR for this week’s match (and any game this year) is just insanity to me. We need cool, calm heads, and don’t need the distraction of a kid figuring it all out for the first time. Cannot wait to see what he delivers next year, but if anybody “new” has to come into the forward line this season I would much prefer Joel Smith.

Ginnivan not ruled out. Will have a bit of mongrel in him if he plays this week.

They also will have played West Coast twice this year. Their minor premiership is a hollow victory.