Rab D Nesbitt

Hi Binny, I don't doubt it. I reckon my place has nearly tripled in the six years I've owned it and now that the state government has invested in the airport rail link I've started to see some really good quality townhouses and low rise apartments under construction in contrast to the traditional weatherboards like mine. Btw love your work on the podcast & various threads.

I guess it was just a matter of time before the tired old ‘scummy west’ tropes started appearing. With it’s craft breweries, speakeasies, cool little eateries and creative scene Footscray has 1000 times more vibrancy than where I work in Armadale. They can count their money and the westies can count their blessings.

I can't separate any of these below. Paul Gascoigne's third of the day against Aberdeen to sew up our 8th consecutive title. The Ally McCoist overhead bicycle kick in extra time against Hibs to win the League Cup. I was there that day. Davie Cooper mesmerising the Celtic defence at Hampden Park in 1979. That Jorg Albertz piledriver free kick against Celtic in 1997. Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist's goals against Leeds Utd at Elland Road in the European Cup in 1992. Kemar Roofe's goal from his own half against Standard Liege in the Europa League last year. And who could forget Archie Gemmill taking on half the Dutch defence to score for Scotland in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. A goal immortalised in the movie Trainspotting. Oops, I nearly forgot Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal to knock the English out of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Hi JJC. Yup, you're right. I just checked a map. It's on one of my cycle routes and it's always there when I go past between March & September.

For 6 months during each football season there is a Melbourne flag that hangs from one of the terrace houses opposite the tennis courts on Lansdowne St, East Melbourne. My own red & blue paraphernalia will go up later this week.

Hi DD82. It's comforting to know that I'm not on my Pat Malone out this way. Good to see we've got some of our kin flying the colours in the 'Toorak of the West' 😉. I've already been out on the bike for my 20km ride and saw a few doggies scarfs hanging from front porches. I've got mine out as well for everyone walking / cycling along the Kororoit Creek trail opposite the house to see. The red & blue balloons have been ordered for the front fence.

Gutted that I can't be there of course but super excited that it's us against the Dogs. For all I know I might be the only Dee west of the Maribyrnong, definitely in Albion so I might have to sell up if we don't win. I've always had a soft spot for Footscray so happy that it'll be two of the league's former 'cellar dweller' teams battling it out on the day. It should be a cracker between the two best sides in the comp this year.

1-1 over in Perth so far. We're yet to hit our best form this season.

Libba is a slang term for sperm in Maltese. They used to shout it with a lot of other expletives at Sunshine George Cross games I'd go to a long time ago.

If I can stay awake I might hang on for the Brentford game at midnight.

Ha ha, love it. Did the reception resemble Buchanan Street on an Old Firm day?

You know it makes sense.

Umm, I think you're on your own there, Cards.

I thought the Celtics were a basketball team based in Boston Maldonboy?

Sod this. I'm switching over to the Rangers v St Johnstone game.

Based on what I'm seeing the GF will be a cracker. Hard to gauge how good the Dogs are though as Port just haven't turned up. Embarrassing for a side that haven't travelled at all during finals.

The Packers start their NFL season early on Monday morning and Rangers begin their Europa League campaign early on Friday morning. Otherwise I'll be working from home and landscaping the western side of the house.

Morning Demonlanders. Well, what a night. I recommend watching the replay whilst playing Sweet Georgia Brown on a loop in the background.

Same here Hardtack.I had it in mind to post if we rolled the cats tonight. Meh.

First game attended: Round 1 in 1981 at the MCG. An 8 goal loss to Hawthorn in Ron Barassi's first game as coach. I went to all games bar one that year which we played in Sydney against Geelong. I listened to all our games on the radio in 1980, our first full year in Australia. Best game: Nothing comes close to Round 22 in 1987 at the Western Oval. The preliminary final win against Carlton at Waverley in 1988 was a bit special as was big 'Billy' Bennett kicking six to beat the Bombers at Windy Hill one year. Worst game: The 1987 preliminary final & 1988 grand final are obvious standouts. One other that sticks in my mind was Round 6 in 1985 at the MCG. The umpire failed to pay three consecutive holding the ball decisions against North along the members wing in the final passage of play late in the last quarter and they squeezed the ball out to Wayne Schimmelbusch to kick the winning goal just before the siren to beat us by a point.

I hear last Friday's pitch included a #positivelingers keep cup and t-shirt as well as the free muffin offer down at Olive at Loch. No wonder his manager was impressed.

Is it just me or is anyone else getting tired of the same repetitive media questions about the 2018 preliminary final? That said if we don't get the right result on Friday I'll be counting the minutes before the first post saying it was because we didn't review that same game.