Mel Bourne

I cheer heartily for the increasing-involvement of non-male people across all levels of the AFL, but listening to Kelli Underwood today, I had the terrible realisation that she will only become more unbearable as her confidence grows. God I wish we could adopt the Premier League approach of having only one announcer in the commentary box. They just call the play, relay useful information, and if there’s a lull in proceedings they just…don’t say anything. It’s great. The current AFL commentary-model is just wall-to-wall blah, with what feels like twelve different people trying to out-do each other with boring stats, pointless observations, unsolicited opinions and tedious puns.

This is hard to watch. We've looked really off these last two quarters. Do not want to see this again this season.

As an aside, was allowing De Goey back into the team in accordance with the “Do Better” report?

I’d say you initially thought you’d keep it to just one or two tins, but then got caught up in a round system with your mates. By half-time there was really no turning back plus - look out - Jono’s just pulled out a cheeky hip flask of Jamesons, fellas…

Very happy about this. Solid move by the club. My Roos-supporting mate was very quick to tell me how impressed he was as well, and it’s always a good feeling to back a club who impress other supporters, on and off the field. He was also asking if this meant the Roos were allowed to go with “North Narrm”.

Ah damn. Wasn’t updated on the injury list at time of posting.

Aside from the covid crew returning, Hibberd is also now available. He and Petty will be asking for their rightful places back, so who apart from Smith is asked to step aside? Really looking forward to Salem’s return too. Another head-scratcher for the selectors (in the best possible way).

Oh sorry, I was just being facetious. No way would I seriously attempt to pin our reversal of fortune on one player leaving the club. Frost is obviously an incredible athlete, but his football is downright ugly at times. I (and many others here) thought so when he was at our club, and not much has changed since. But no, his leaving and our rise were two unrelated events, and I would’ve tried to make the attempted-humour more obvious but I am hamstrung with a keen hangover.

Another quality aside of that goal was watching Sam Frost get left in Bedford’s dust. Everything started going right once we got rid of that guy.

This is how it goes. Not great, but we’re dealing with superficial wounds here. Nothing deep. When you look at the list available to us it still reads like Shakespeare. Carn the mighty Demons.

This is...busy.

Still sore after ruptured plantar fascia. Hoping to be right by next week.

Yep he’s turned it around, and has done so while he’s still got a lot to give. I often forget that he’s still quite young, because he debuted way back in ‘15.

I don’t have a lot of time for arrogant supporters of successful sporting teams. I don’t see my contribution of a couple of hundred bucks a year to the club as a reason to act like I’m winning the hard ball gets or making tactical, match-winning decisions behind play. I’m too firmly entrenched in reality to know that I have absolutely nothing to feel personally responsible for with regards to the Demon’s success, and I am totally and utterly fine with that. However…… A few months ago I was looking around a local second-hand furniture place where the guy in charge also makes small pieces of furniture. I mentioned I liked a particular style of shelf he had, to which he told me to get the measurements to him and he’d whip one up for me. I also noticed quite a lot of Western Bulldogs paraphernalia about the place. Anyway, I emailed him a few weeks ago with a pleasant greeting and detailed my request, complete with the measurements. No reply for a week. I emailed again asking if he received my previous email, and whether he thought it would be a possibility. A few days later he responded saying words to the effect of “I haven’t forgotten. Just too busy right now.” I wrote back saying “No worries. But do you mean too busy to make the shelf or to do a quote? Sorry, I’m confused. If you don’t have time to make the shelf over the next few weeks I totally understand, but it would be good to know so I can figure out another option”. To which he wrote back “What part of “too busy” don’t you understand?” Whoaaa….k. I was so taken back by the dude’s response that I didn’t respond myself. Plus I thought not responding and letting him sit in his own guilt (if it existed) was a fitting punishment. This was all in the week leading up to the GF. On the Monday after the GF I sent him an email that simply said “Carn the Demons, [censored]!!”

He was immense. It becomes more apparent with each viewing. And it should be noted that his kick to Fritta in the goal square would have been a pretty insane goal of his own if Fritta elected to let it through.

Could be an asset for the Pies in their rebuild I reckon.

Would be a great get, but contracted till end of 22 (not that contracts seem to mean what they used to). The talk of him coming to the Dees seemed to begin and end with Brad Hardie’s “scoop” back in June. Have there been any further rumblings?

Yes, was going to edit to include Marty Hore as a possibility.

Lockhart’s been let go. Or do you mean a shot at another club?

With the sad departure of Neville Jetta, Hibberd’s fast-approaching 32nd birthday, the letting-go of Jay Lockhart (which I’m personally a bit bummed about, not sure how others feel) and - whether or not you have the faith in him as a player - the injury-susceptibility of Joel Smith, we are forming quite the cavity in the back pocket. What’s the next step here? Start preparing Hunt for the role? Seek out a dedicated back-pocket in trade time? If so, who?

Funny how this panned out. Charlie Spargo deserves to be a lot higher, when you see it listed like this. At least higher than James Jordon!

Me too. Given Nev could potentially depart this year (edit-has departed!), as well as seeing the early signs of Pig slowing down (though he played great last Saturday) I would have thought we'd be getting Jay ready for more game time in 22.

Really bummed about this. Hope he finds a spot in the AFL somewhere. Good luck Jay!

1. Trac 2. Clarry 3. Brayshaw 4. Gawn 5. Jackson 6. Lever. And Salem

I’d just be ok to get my members scarf. What the hell happened to them?