Mel Bourne

Preach.

Probably mentioned already, but I’m quite looking forward to hearing just the player’s voices out there. Will be quite insightful.

Unpopular opinion to offload at the beginning of the season, but although so many players have gotten themselves in a much-improved physical (and hopefully mental) state for this season, I still can’t see Goodwin taking our team to a GF. A lot of people here thought it was highly commendable that he admitted to getting so many things wrong last year. I was very much unmoved by it. I don’t see why the guy deserves plaudits for recognising the bleeding obvious. After watching the docu-series, I was no less convinced that he’s not the guy who’s gonna do it. And yes, a spearhead forward. Though that could be Fritter this year (it won’t be TMac)!!

I’m all for it. Just a bit of cheeky banter. I prefer it to dull, “everybody’s great”, p.c bollocks.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

The Adelaide Crows - I vividly recall the handwritten signs being held by their supporters at Football Park in the early nineties saying “Kick A Vic”, and thinking “Whoa, that’s a bit much.” I mean, team rivalry is one thing, but holding signs suggesting random acts of low-level violence against another state’s citizen’s left a bit of a nasty taste in my mouth that often comes back when I’m watching games at Football Park. Hawthorn, Carlton & Essendon - if you grew up in the eighties, then you would have been surrounded by ten year-old twerps who were jumping on one of these team’s smarmy bandwagons in the playground, and lauding it over the other kids who barracked for seemingly non-existent, loser teams. These kids grew up soft. They tasted glory far too easily, far too young, and in their adult years still don’t know the true meaning of pain. I particularly hated Hawthorn amongst these three, because even at a young age before I had any real appreciation for aesthetics, I couldn’t understand how anybody could proudly display the colours of brown and yellow on their person/car/glass-bottomed speedboat. West Coast - Don Johnson and Fabio are walking along on a golden beach together, and stumble across a chest buried in the sand. They open the chest and it’s filled with hair dryers, teeth whitener, cocaine and cash. They take the chest to the nearest house, which belongs to Alan Bond, and the three of them celebrate heavily together for the next fifty years. This is the West Coast Eagles to me. It doesn’t need to make sense. I don’t mind the rest as much. Except perhaps the Sydney Swans. That Edelstein/Capper (both Warwick & Joanne)/Pink Helicopter/Swanettes period was kind of hard-going and a little on the irredeemable side. I dunno, maybe it was great.

Eat, Pray, Win.

Totally, a veteran like him just would be. At this point in his career he would approach a practice match with more than a degree of indifference, and I would not blame him for one second. Same with Jetta. Let's see how these guys play when it actually matters, because let's be honest, these games don't mean a thing.

This is a nice juxtaposition to the whole range rover/snowfields thing.

Yes, “week to week” is probably the appropriate terminology, given there’s only been roughly two weeks of matches.

Barely means anything, but I’m also glad that across the AFL media in general, the team are being left to pump their own tyres. I refuse to buy into the “0-2 = disaster” line of thinking though. For one, it’s two games out twenty-three, for gawd’s sake. And secondly, I don’t want to spend almost an entire season thinking the whole thing’s futile.

Yeah, that was kinda odd.

Haven’t watched the replay, but they both looked impressive at boundary level. Good depth, and quite unfortunately, better options than KK and Nietshke.

Him and me both.

Round 8, 2017 vs Adelaide. He ran full-tilt into the shoulder of Crouch and was out cold. I’m not sure if I buy the idea that he lost his mojo due to that incident though. He played solid games after that. I think we’re just looking at a textbook form-slump.

Though I’m not going to argue with much you said, you can’t call that (magnificent) torp a fluke. He did exactly what he aimed to do. You can say it’s a fluke when someone connects for the perfect torpedo, or you can say they just did it exactly right. Anyway, that’s all very much in the past. As for the future, I hope he finds some form ‘cos he’s been a very dedicated player and seems like a top fella.

Well I mean, there’s still plenty of time to see if they were right or not. About three or so years. But let’s do hope they were wrong.

Ah yes, 48. Cheers.

Thought Mitch played well too. Seemed to have a knack for finding the action and certainly held his own in a few contests. While we’re asking these things, who was number 49?

No Cunnington, Ziebel, Goldstein or Brown, among others. Pretty important pieces of their puzzle, right there. Mind you, we were much the same as far as key players missing was concerned.

He played, and played well at times. Copped a couple of big knocks, but came off unscathed. Think he was just getting his engine started, really. He’s gonna be great for us this year.

Thanks! He goes alright.

Anyone know who’s wearing 17, 37 & 49 guernseys. All getting a bit of pill in the 3rd quarter.

Lockhart’s tackle was superb.

Gotcha!