Rab D Nesbitt

For a governing body that's so hung up about playing games in front of crowds they seem to have no qualms about Gold Coast and GWS playing 11 games each a year in front of two guys and a dog.

Hi Roy. Rangers have been known to bring in the touchline on either side of the pitch at Ibrox when we've played certain teams in Europe. A few years ago UEFA made Hearts play a European qualifier at the national rugby stadium Murrayfield when they decreed the pitch at Tynecastle to be smaller than the minimum required size, despite it being ok for domestic games to be played on.

I'd find it hard to come to terms with any of those options and am clinging to the hope that our state can get it's [censored] together by the end of the current lockdown period so we can attend games in some capacity. If we lose we lose but I want to be there regardless. There are now so many clubs that play home games at the G but finals is the one true time where the MFC have a distinct advantage over the rest when the entire northern side of the ground becomes a sea of red & blue. I desperately want us all to be there to provide the boys with that edge.

Absolutely DS. Up there with Mack Daddy from the Moondog brewery.

It's a still, partly cloudy morning here on the west side of town. It might only be 8am but there's a hint of warmth in the air and the cherry blossoms are blooming on the tree out front of HQ so September must be within touching distance. In these lockdown times it'll be a stripped back game day affair with a walk round to our local caff Sadie Black for some take away lunch that'll be washed down by some bottles of Sunset from the Two Birds brewery down in Spotswood. Enjoy the game everyone, wherever and how ever you'll be watching it.

Brisbane now on 130% with a half still to go. Makes things interesting for the Dogs next week. No pre-finals bye likely to come to their rescue this time if they drop to 5th.

Saints looking shaky. Might have to switch to the Port v Carlton game.

Saints handling the cauldron of an empty Kardinia Park well so far.

Jeremy Cameron back just in time to strain his hammy again before finals.

Right now there is 6.1% difference between the Dogs and Brisbane. If the latter have a good night tonight there is a chance the former could miss out on the double chance next week.

Just turned on the game down in Lonny. Let's hope the Hawks don't do what we did down in Hobart one year and find a way to lose with a gale at our backs in the final quarter.

Hmmm...I wonder what proportion of a tridents home & away season ticket is made up of the grand final guarantee* then Clint. I've just checked and my monthly payments are the same as last year as well. Maybe they've increased the price of a season ticket by exactly the same amount they deducted for our carried over grand final guarantee* from last season. *guaranteed until such point that it can't be guaranteed.

Tigers just about ready for the taxidermist.

Cool. Might be worth me checking my monthly payments as well to see if they charged me for it again this year.

Hi hardtack, thanks for the heads up on this. I seem to remember getting an email last year about getting our first final free for 'donating' our membership fee to the club but for the life of me can't find the email anywhere. What you seem to be saying instead is that the cost of the GFG wasn't added as part of our membership fee this year and instead was 'carried over' from last year?

I've got a grand final guarantee so would be mortified to have the game played in Perth if we made it that far. We'd have to quarantine for 2 weeks and face extortionate flight prices. Who the hell can afford to take 2 weeks off work in this economic climate? If it definitely can't be played here I'd prefer Adelaide where fans of each side can at least drive there in nine hours and not be captive to price gouging airlines. If the ground holds 10k less than Optus they can add 16% to the cost of the tickets to make up the shortfall in revenue.

I long suspected that the only way the cats would get a home final against a Melbourne based club would be if vic country restrictions differed from the metropolitan area. Let's cross our collective fingers & toes that the single covid case in Geelong spent their weekend at the Westfield Shopping Centre in the middle of town.

If Weeds is definitely in then this is the first opportunity we'll have to see the tall forward set up that was planned prior to the T-Mac resurrection.

Thanks for the reply DEE fence. It looks like you were right about others on the site having an interest in what you do, which sounds both exciting and immensely rewarding. I've always thought Sudan (or is it The Sudan?) to be an interesting place and I'll be sure to PM you to find out first hand about what's really happening when it comes up in the news. Lake Nasser just over the border is as close as I've been to the place.

I think I'll wind down for the night now Megatron. This game in the west is giving me nothing to work with. Good luck in the NFC North this year btw.

Schache & Bruce both injured or is someone here joshing?

Brisbane have the chance to sew up a home final in Melbourne.

They'll have to move Schache up there where he's even worse than as a defender.

By the quirk of the draw we're going to see two weeks of qualifying finals between the top four sides with a weeks rest between them.