Red But Mostly Blue

Let's take the 4 points and move on. Didn't think I'd be saying this based on last year but we'll need to be a little sharper, or at least shoot a little straighter against the Hawks and Saints. Now, I never want to talk about this game ever again. Petty awesome.

Our delivery inside 50 has been pretty ordinary tonight.

I really hope they don't kick a few and make the scoreline look respectable, because it shouldn't be.

There's Riewoldt the great sportsman again. [censored].

Terrible handball to Dunstan.

I think we'll just have to accept the goal kicking boots just aren't on tonight, so we'll have to win this ugly. Well, uglier then it's already been anyway. Can't wait to never talk about this game after the win.

Dimma should stop groaning. He's lucky his guys even remotely close to being in this, despite our very best attempts to make him relevant again.

I mean the next 8. * Footy gods, please don't let us lose to the tigers, I won't ask for anything this Christmas.

I'll be happier once we kick the first 8 of this quarter.

Aside from some sloppy play through the ground, a few guys being really quiet and some strange disposal choices, we should be in front by a few goals at least. Goals win games and I'll back us in to turn it around in the second half. There's no way we can keep missing, right? RIGHT!!? Anyway. We'll pile on 12 to 3 from here and Bowey will get to sing again.

The AFL has made a mess of this. According to Collins dictionary, dissent: Strong disagreement or dissatisfaction with a decision or opinion, especially one that is supported by most people or by people in authority. Oxford uses the word in a sporting context as: The offence of expressing disagreement with the referee's decision. I think the word dissent is fine (as some unacceptable behaviour - such as by someone like Greene - would fall under the dissent umbrella), but it should be construed together with timing, intensity and perhaps even context. For example: - If you are still dissenting 30 seconds after a decision = dissent. - If you get in the ump's face/scream/swear/intimidate etc. = dissent. - Is it a 50/50 call? Does the ump know that they're not sure??? I would say that many of the things pinged so far, and certainly some of the 50s paid against us on the weekend do not fall in this definition, with appropriate context. A player should be able to express a reasonable level of dissatisfaction, perhaps even with themselves, or an instinctual shock at a decision (sometimes players are right! - e.g. a ball may in fact have been touched before a mark/goal - and we get it, umpires don't change decisions - and you have to live with bad decisions in any sport) - but what is the AFL expecting, that players be mutes, even when a terrible decision has been made? Certainly, players should not be abusing umpires/getting in their face/repeatedly disagreeing - but this penalty should lie within the discretion of the umpires. If this rule must stick around (sigh), how about a warning for low level 'arms in the air' exasperation? The problem with discretion, is it requires brain activity and commonsense. Have you seen the umps going about? :-( (Also, for the record, I dissent from the AFL's position on this rule, and B Scott is, and was always, a tool).

Agree on all counts. These were some of my favourite moments. The boys getting around Sparrow after his tap was the best to see. Rewarding team and the 1%ers.

Spargo was electric. Great vision and execution around the ground. And he looked fired up. Great to see, the pieces are coming back together.

Umpiring was some of the worst I've seen. Loved how far up the ground May was playing at times. Seeing him repel their efforts to get out of our own forward 50 was gold haha.

Big win, and yet we still look like we are in 2nd or third gear haha - lots of time to kick into gear and we get to launch from 5-0. Great to see Kossie get in the game, too. Good times!

Same here! 👿

Bang! Bang, bang, bang! W W W W 🔥

Pretty underwhelming end to the game.

I guess that was less deliberate than when Maxy kicked forward, towards goal.

How do you get deliberate kicking towards your own goal?!

Incredibly frustrating. Takeaways: 4 points and Weid looked great and took his opportunity, will be great to have him as another forward option this year. Looked confident, and happy! Gus was good out back. Clarry immense. Things aren't clicking yet, but we're 3-0, beaten two top 8 teams and plenty of time to work things out. On to Port!

Wow. We needed that reallllyyyy bad, obviously

Surely Brown for Brown was the easiest replacement to not create any extra work for anyone haha. Plus Bomber factor. Having said that, I still think Weid's got the goods and clearly the coaching group share that view. I guess he needs these chances so they can work out how long they keep the faith? He's gotta come good, right? Maybe tonight's the night!

My thinking is he'll get 3-5 years here on some really good coin (maybe less than he'll get elsewhere, but that's the premiership levy, then, as a bona fide superstar (well on his way), make bank at home for the second half of his career, when we may be at the tail end of our premiership window, and Freo is MAYBE in theirs.

Hear, hear!