Neil Crompton

We all hoped JVR would develop and become a game changer for us - seems he could become a real game changer for a whole set of other reasons now as well. His profile has certainly enlarged over the last week.

I have no issue at all with the AFL trying to make the game safer - as long as interpretations are clear to all, consistent and are done / instigated pre-season ; and as long as the core fabric of our game ie the contest is not taken away. Making up BS rules and interpretations mid-season, on the fly, is just pathetic and so amateurish. The AFL should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. Let's hope common sense prevails tonight. Please free Roo.

Couldn’t agree more Red. And as this has the potential to change our game, we should elicit the support of the other 17 clubs to attack this ridiculous verdict at the Appeal. We cannot let our game be Rooyened.

It’s taken me a while to get my head around why we don’t seem concerned about losing clearances, particularly the center clearances. Then I look at how poorly Trac and Clarry generally deliver the ball when rushed at centre clearances, and it helps me understand the logic. Unless it’s in Kossie’s or Tom Sparrow’s hands, I think I’d prefer to see us lose this clearance.

What is evident from that behind-the-goals video is that Jacob, after his spoil effort, still managed to bend his elbow in an attempt to lift his arm over Ballard’s head. If he had not done that he would have taken Ballard’s head clean off. To me that shows a duty of care to Ballard.

Haha You want to add that to the Conspiracy thread D?

Thanks for your insight. I’m just happy I didn’t misread your statement after all. And just for your information, I don’t think I represent our team - but our team sure does represent me.

Feel so sorry for JVR. The stretcher was simply a precaution because he claimed he heard a crack in his neck, but I think the stretcher was the optic that got him the suspension. If there is a positive from this, it’s that JVR may have been in line to be managed soon anyway - now he will come back refreshed and raring to go.

But Daz you said: “Yeah look I'd maybe get it if he said this to a few of his teammates and family members behind closed doors…. which is what WCW said he did, so what’s your issue? Other than it appears that you perhaps don’t get it. It’s not in writing because a fellow like Brodie would not disrespect the CFC like they did to him. So if it’s not in writing, then it has to be spread by word of mouth. Further, I don’t believe a MFC player would relay that message if in fact it wasn’t said to them by Brodie. And I’m dead set sure it wouldn’t have been repeated by WCW if it wasn’t kosher. In the end it’s your call to believe it or not. But Daz, telling WCW to calm down is, I believe, disrespectful to her, particularly when you have chosen to go down that route, after insinuating she has told a porky (which is how I read your posts). You are a lot better than that Daz.

Haha, I save my happiness for premierships, nothing less!

I hope I have misread this and you are not using “them” and “they” to refer to the MFC, because a true supporter would say”us” and “we”. So I must have misread this, right?

Petty needs to go back. But before we resort to having to bring BBB back, I’d like to try using May as our key forward for a few games. His attack, strength and accurate kicking is surely worth a good look. He’s not the reliable key back he was - for whatever reason - and after listening to his interview, I think he really would like the opportunity up forward. For want of a better analogy, he would be our “Hawkins”. I’d feel better about this if Disco had a better game - but he has only played one full game, so he will improve. While we are experimenting, and we are playing the hawks, I think May forward is well worth a look.

Tassie Spirit? (After the Spirit of Tasmania).

With Tassie ticked off, we now have all States represented in our competition. As such, I’d beware of the temptation of locating a 20th team in one of our two Territories, ie Canberra. The reason is that this will only promote the push for a team in the one remaining Territory, namely the NT, and probably rightly so if Canberra gets the nod. However NT would then become the 21st team, which would then lead to calls for a 22nd team to balance out the draw again. Therefore if we must have a 20th team, I believe it should come from one of the existing States (although I’d prefer to see 18 teams only).

Kossie BOG this week.

This man is a jerk, and 40 good posters have fallen into his trap. Why are we giving anything he says oxygen? I’d like to propose that nothing the jerk says should be referenced on DL. If people didn’t react to the [censored] he writes, then maybe he will get back to being a half decent football analyst. Let’s please treat him like HWCBN (if that’s the correct abbreviation), and ignore him. His treatment of Kossie and comments about Jackson were the last straw for me.

I thought it interesting to watch and compare Trac’s ball drops on Saturday. The goal he kicked on the run where he had to kick across his body slightly, he almost placed the ball onto his foot - and it never looked like missing. Yet on his set shots his ball drop was from way up high, and he (and we) was not confident the shots would go through - yet they just managed to. I think the day Trac is able to master the ball drop (for all his kicks) will be the day he starts his Brownlow Medal run.

I think you are correct Sydee that mobility is extremely important in our thinking for the forward line. Which is why the club would be wrapt if a player like Schache was able to produce the goods for us - although possibly a big “if”. My view is that because we don’t yet have a “Cameron” or a “Hawkins”, our game plan centres around mobility and bringing the ball to the ground for our mosquito fleet to do their work. Our scoring this year (and there has been plenty of it) has been predominantly from non key forwards, which demonstrates this perfectly. I also think there is a very good reason why Joel Smith is being trained as a forward this year. I think he is being groomed for one of the key position forward roles as he fits the profile of the type of player required to match our forward set up requirements this year - mobile, can bring the ball to ground, and good forward half defensive skills and pressure. Just my thoughts, but baring injury (fingers crossed), and with good Casey form, I think Joel could well be selected in the next 3-4 weeks as a key forward.

Well WJ, it seems there is no need to start a separate thread for question 2. Question 1 was eloquently answered by the first poster (Bub). Thereafter we took it upon ourselves to attack question 2.

There would appear to be other ways of managing players throughout the year, apart from being rested from a game. From the time on ground stats, it would appear that, on Saturday, we started to rest our key players a bit more during the game, which is pleasing from a management perspective. Trac spent 9% more time on the bench than his yearly average to date ( 75% game time against 84.2% game time); while Oliver spent nearly 7% less game time than his yearly average to date ( 79% against average of 85.7%). This equates to over 2 minutes per quarter of additional rest - which must feel significant for both these warriors.

Gus has been great tonight

I notice DP that there is no bottle on the table - more evidence, as we all suspected, that his red comes from a cask?

Although it’s a tight fit, I’ve found that one of my MFC long sox keep my package snug and warm. Just a thought for you to consider, Uncle.

GWS a shoe-in to beat the Swans now that Toby Bedford is playing. Best wishes for his first game for them.

What a disgraceful comment. As if Luke doesn’t have the weight of WA on his shoulders already - what an absolute jerk.