Flower Magic

Have you been outside today? 24 deg in the shade is more like 30 deg in the direct sun. If it was "not that hot", Jake Lever must be a bit weak or badly out of shape to collapse after his runs. And you can be sure that no player was treating the time trials as "fun runs".

It baffles me that the clubs (not just Melbourne) force their players to run time trials on hot days like this in direct sun. Hey fitness guy, it will be 10 degrees cooler tomorrow! Why risk the players' health? Lever's collapse comes as no surprise. We are coming out of winter and spring. No one is yet accustomed to today's conditions. And there will be very few days like this between March and September next year. Really annoyed about this lack of flexibility and common sense.

I wish I had read this thread pre-race 😪. Message to self: pay more attention to Demonland!

From a player who shall remain unidentified in a forum which I cannot disclose. On Ben Brown: "An incredibly nice person, a brilliant story (to come from wooden spoon to premiership team), very calm person, a steadying factor for us". On Bayley Fritsch: "Very stiff to miss the medal, a worthy second, a ripping fella". On Luke Jackson: "Played a huge part in turning the game, could be anything that boy". On Christian Petracca: "Like a big Labrador, incredible development since being drafted, a consummate professional, has learned to re-set after setbacks, may have another level he can go to". On Jake Bowey: "Very competitive, towelled up Weightman." On Christian Salem: "Tough as coffin nails, genuine superstar." On Steven May: "Didn't want to know his scan result, said if I can train, I can play - and did, despite a 5 cm tear".

I opened and drank my 1981 Ron Barassi tawny port on premiership night 2021 and it was SWEET. Tawny port keeps well for many years. Yours will be equally sweet I'm sure.

Absolutely agree. Please remove the statue of that thug Leigh Matthews and replace it with one of a true footballing god.

Our greatest ever, full stop.

Drank it! It was bloody beautiful, just like the game.

In 1981, Ron Barassi returned to coach the Demons and I purchased bottle no. 221 of a batch of 1981 bottles to mark the start of a "new era for the Demons". I swore that I would only open and drink it when we won our next flag, which of course I expected would happen by 1986 in accordance with Ron's five year plan. It's been a very long 40 year wait since then. Anyone else still sitting on a bottle of this rare drop? I wonder how it will taste when I open it tomorrow night?

I can't believe that nobody has posted this song, featuring Demon tragics Scared Weird Little Guys, the late Jim Keays, Wilbur Wilde and Russell Robertson, and brilliant footage of Barassi, Smith (Norm and Shaun), the Wiz, the Ox, Neita, Allen Jakovich, Big Carl, Jacko and of course my idol, among many others.

The only thing requiring cancellation right now is the MFC's "most years since a premiership" tag.

Won't say where I heard this, but these pearls are direct from Gus today (paraphrasing some of the questions and answers): Q. Why do you always play on the members' wing at the MCG? A. Because there are two wingmen in our team, but only one of them ever needs to come off the ground, and the interchange gates are on the members' side of the ground. Q. What is the most important thing for a young footballing kid to work on? A. Becoming equally skilled on both sides of your body. Q. What has Darren Burgess brought to the group that has allowed so many players to play every game this year? A. We trained harder than any other team in the pre-season. I have never run as far in any pre-season as I did this year. Q. Who's the best golfer in the club? A. Jadyn Hunt is off 1 or 2, he is obsessed with the game.

https://www.change.org/p/mark-mcgowan-get-neale-daniher-to-perth-for-the-afl-grand-final?signed=true

We love you Jack. Always have, always will.

The whippets are ready.

Family folklore has it that my mother went to the 1956 Grand Final with me in utero, so that was my first game. The Dees won that one, so of course I was fated to become a Melbourne tragic. Best game? Easily 1987 at the Western Oval. I can still remember my idol carrying the team to victory with four brilliant goals. Worst game: the 1988 Grand Final. It was worse than losing the PF the year before because of our abject surrender before a capacity MCG crowd.

This podcast produced by the MCC and hosted by Anthony Hudson traverses the journey from 1964 to now. https://www.mcc.org.au/whats-on/latest-news/2021/september/listen-hearts-beat-true-for-the-melbourne-football-club

Alternative answer to the quiz is ACTORS. Where a famous actor, I have only named one of a number of possibilities. Peter/John/Bernard Archer Leo G. Carroll. Barry/Michael/Paul/Walter Fitzgerald Robert Shaw Veronica Lake (or Richard Harris) Joan Collins Don Adams C.J. Wallace Jack Thompson Ben/Brian/Barry/Dennis Miller Philip/Timothy/Harry Carey Bill/Wayne/Selma Blair Lorne Greene Matt/Joe/Dave King David/John/Richard Franklin Christopher Lee Timothy Gibbs (not so famous) Tony Sheldon (not so famous) John Doyle Robert/James/Tom Harper Tim Robbins James Garner Do I get a prize too? 🤣

How can the ABC or anyone else claim this as a fact for a competition going back to 1896? I personally don't believe it. It has happened reasonably often in recent seasons in games involving other clubs, so the odds are strongly in favour of it having happened before in a Dees game, even if it was a very long time ago.

No Victorian resident will be allowed into WA for the GF unless the state's status changes, and that ain't gonna happen 😪.

Why would they do this when they will easily sell out the game without any interstate attendees?

TMac must continue to play, given that our likely GF opponent is Port Adelaide. He will take Alir Alir, leaving BB and Fritta with lesser defenders. I'll be happy if he then spends the entire GF taking Alir Alir where the ball isn't. We will laud his game if he gets only a few kicks, but Alir Alir is taken out of the game. But we know that he will retain his place because Goody has total faith in the 22 players who destroyed the Lions, so this discussion is pretty pointless.

6 Oliver 5 Brayshaw 4 Gawn 3 Petracca 2 Lever 1 Fritsch

My day had started well until you reminded me of that horrible afternoon 🤮.