Mel Bourne

A little tired of saying this but I hope we play a big first quarter today. I accept it might not be the game plan (“absorbing” seems to be the direction) but I’d just like to see we’re capable of it.

Okee doke, seems I’m alone here. Really not a great name though, especially given the thousands of options.

That looks about right. My only wonder is whether Melksham is the right sub over Jones, Jetta or Sparrow.

Why is the podcast called “Deeluded”. Isn’t that a tad...negative?

I agree. Don’t care how he plays. Get him.

Can the club lock him in, a la Trac? Is the money there? Would be a wise investment, to say the absolute least.

He’s a pretty fascinating player. So brilliant in a multitude of ways and so often on our best players lists, but I’d struggle to name a worse kick at the club than Oliver.

I thought Langdon was better than “some useful endeavour”.

I’d be resting that troublesome foot of Viney’s one more week, and giving Chandler another run. His mistakes were symptomatic of somebody getting used to the big arena, and he needs a chance to adjust. But if his inclusion is a no-go, then it’s Sparrow for my money. No other changes.

I could be wrong about this, but you might be confusing that call (that people are hating on BT about) in the 3/4 with the one up the other end (in the last) when Lever was well tackled but managed to get his toe on the end of it after release. BT seemed unwilling to watch the replay which clearly showed Lever’s disposal, though ugly, was not HTB. Instead he banged on about it for the next couple of minutes, because he is an Aldi-Rex Hunt who needs to be be relegated to the half-time Auskick calls.

Interesting to note the absence of Viney correlating with our sudden drop in centre clearances.

Again, BT the [censored] saying that we "haven't beaten the best team in the competition". We are the best team!!!

Who's the player people are calling "Plugger" and can we not?

BT has just called the game about two minutes after he was hyping a comeback from Carlton. He is an insufferable [censored].

Kozzie needs to get involved, as does Big Benny Brown. Gawny seems mentally off. Trac needs to sharpen his mind. Our trademark, crazy, over-the-head handballs are anxiety-inducing.

Beautiful pass by Weid.

Chandler's teething problems have been a little expensive so far.

Nibbler's been a sturdy set-shot for us this year.

If you subtract our stupid mistakes and lack of conversion, we'd be ahead. Not so sure they'd be a part of the plan.

Dunno. He seems ok now.

These first quarters of ours really must be addressed. They will only erode confidence.

Would love to see a big first quarter today. We’ve only won the first quarter in three matches this year, and with the exception of Rd 1 against the Dockers, not by much at all. Of the teams we’ve lost first quarters to are the Hawks and the Roos. Our slow starts can’t become the norm.

On a good day we’d beat them. On a bad day they’d beat us. To suggest the bulldogs are a “class” (whatever that means) above the rest of the competition is hysterical hyperbole. Or perhaps you didn’t see them play Richmond?

About to lose top of the ladder ?. Hopefully just briefly.

Over on the Reddit AFL forum, Carlton fans are fuming at the news today that Patrick Cripps has been playing up to his neck in painkillers due to a fractured back which he’s been nursing throughout the entire season. Not sure how a story like this going public actually affects the club’s decisions, but is it possible they will succumb to the scorn of their fans, many of whom are wondering why the club is risking serious long term injury to its biggest star, in a year where such a risk just isn’t worth it.