Rab D Nesbitt

Had a look at the latest episode of Footy Classified this morning and I'm pretty sure that Eddie McGuire suggested that we should use this years fixture for the 2021 season and that sides still get the opportunity to host their blockbuster games, hopefully with the idea that fans would be able to attend. It's an interesting idea as it would nullify ladder positions in whatever ends up being a 2020 season and yes, it would probably then mean a return to Perth for round 1. I don't know who hosted the Richmond v Carlton season opener but as no fans were present you'd think the same side would be given the opportunity to host the game again if that were the case. On the face of it it sounds like a good idea but there might be other issues that could stymie it I guess.

Yup, that for me was definitely our best (worst?) missed opportunity. Pretty much everyone inside the club at the time were super confident that we'd see off Hawthorn in those back to back games and then getting the week off courtesy of the West Coast - Collingwood draw set everything up beautifully. Then we failed to turn up at Waverley against the Eagles. 1990 was a free hit with no dominant force that year, unlike our two recent Grand Final appearances. I think it might also have been the year that big bad Billy Bennett kicked six at Windy Hill to see us storm home.

After much deliberation on possible hubs it appears that the AFL have now narrowed the field down to ....erm...every state in the country.

Class act from the skipper ?

Here you go DJ. I'm a Rangers man myself but have no time for this sort of sectarian rubbish. It's the same tune as the Adelaide song though and is the only reason for me posting it. It's also been a while since we we're league and cup champions ?

Love our song. I can't get through the Herald Sun firewall to read about the background of the other songs but I remember on hearing the Adelaide one my first thought was that it's the same tune as the controversial song called The Sash (my father wore) sung by both Rangers supporters and unionists in Northern Ireland. Usually accompanied by a flute.

For some reason a game against North at the 'G back in 1985 always comes back to me when the subject of close losses comes up. I remember we were up by less than a kick late in time on when the umpire waived on two or possibly three stick on holding the ball decisions against them on the members wing only for them to squeeze the ball down to Wayne Schimmelbusch (I think?) to kick straight and beat us by 1 point just before the siren blew.

You're not wrong. That really is vomit inducing.

I was living overseas when all that stuff went down and coincided with a time when footy wasn't at the forefront of my mind. I'm glad that it all fell over though. Supporting a club is an emotional investment first and foremost and an opportunity to ride the highs and lows with the rest of your tribe. Nothing beats that. As the Melbourne Hawks who's to say we wouldn't now have Jeff Kennett as our president and be playing four home games a year in Launceston.

"I think most players would choose to play the game (midweek) rather than train." Damien Hardwick thinks the AFL could expand the fixture with more frequent games - permanently. Having been conditioned to watching football for ten months of the year I was surprised on moving here to find just how short an Australian football season actually was. A 34 game season, albeit with shorter quarters therefore sounds normal to me. Considering that all the Melbourne based clubs play out of two stadiums however I'd expect to see a lot more wear and tear on their playing surfaces. It may also make further expansion of the competition more problematic. Do you then go to a 36 or 38 game season or do we go back to a 34 game compromised draw? Jeff Kennett would love it as he could then sell eight home games a season to Tasmania and still have nine more in Melbourne. Ditto for North, negating the need for a phoenix club down there. If Gold Coast also increase their presence in the top end there may be no need for expansion at all.

Essendon knock back AFL assistance in bid to remain independent. Dons knock back cash injection would've made a better headline.

I'd imagine Alan Richardson will be asked for his two bobs worth on the subject.

The Mark Neeld episode should be worth the wait.

I tend to agree with Gerard Whateley on this one. It's all starting to smack of desperation and is only about saving the broadcasting deal now no matter how they try and dress it up. It all goes to show how close to the wind the AFL actually sails really but thankfully they can at least borrow at a low rate on the back of now owning the docklands stadium to try and ride out this sh@tstorm. At least we're not in the shoes of the NRL which really is a case of all fur coat and no knickers.

Hawks president Jeff Kennett has proudly revealed they have the war chest to survive 2020 and told struggling clubs to lift their game. I'm not sure what pride there is in raking money in from gambling and depriving your membership of four home games a year for a big cheque from the Tasmanian government. It might have been more appropriate if he'd told struggling clubs to lift their gaming.

From what I've read on this particular thread we're really making a distinction between members who might ask for a refund because their personal circumstances have suddenly become desperate as opposed to those that are getting no value for their spend. It's not unreasonable to think that the former are very much aware of the knock on effect this may have on the club and that they wouldn't be making that call unless their own situation wasn't equally as bad. It's also a dilemma that we should all be able to empathise with. On that basis then surely all of the contention should centre on the members that fall into the latter camp and to discuss whether their views really align with what many of us feel is a financial and emotional investment in something much greater than the sum of it's parts.

LOL Just watched the clip and it sounded to me that he crossed over to Eddie at the end of what might have been a very long hard day for him. Given the time again he might have articulated his answer a little differently.

I'm a little surprised you could understand what they were saying. Up where I'm from we speak a dialect called Doric which is very distinct and anything south of Aberdeen just sounded English to me to be honest. Weegies (Glaswegians) however can have a really rough sounding tongue (the same as Rab) and even I have to concentrate to make out everything he's saying. If you've ever read any of the tartan noir novels by Ian Rankin, the main character DI John Rebus always calls Aberdeen furry boot town because we're always saying 'farraboots' which just means whereabouts?

That’s a fair point Dr G. We can’t keep rolling out the fact we play at the G (who doesn’t these days) and we’re named after our city and hope that’ll save us. Money in the bank, a solid membership base and a successful football structure will go a long way to securing our long term future. Training on a paddock also gives an impression of impermanence so the sooner we can address that the better.

I feel a little sorry for North Melbourne always being the team first to be discussed when it comes to talk of relocations. Sure it's frustrating always being beaten by them but that's our fault not theirs. Aside from two relatively brief periods in their history when they bossed the competition they've been trying to punch above their weight and have been pretty good at it for fifty years now so it surprises me that they haven't been able to build a bigger fan base over the course. That said with them already giving up four home games to play in Hobart each year they aren't far from a tipping point where they could almost be considered a side representing Tasmania and not North Melbourne so in that respect they can't be too surprised that their name is in the mix each time mergers or relocations are mentioned.

Wilcard rounds? Best of 3 GF's? This from a governing body that wanted to do away with GF replays? I think someone needs to call for a time out before this three ring circus starts to grow legs.

I think they are missing a trick by including hairdressers and barbers as essential services. Close that loophole and anyone in dire need of a hairdo, trim or dye job that has had to resort to a really bad home made alternative is far more likely to stay indoors and self isolate. It's fine for authorities to appeal to our moral conscience in this time of crisis but it's our soft underbelly of vanity that they really should be targeting to help flatten this curve.

Whilst I don't think private ownership is anything more than a media driven rabbit hole at this stage in a world of privately owned clubs I'd still like to think we'd be the Green Bay Packers of the competition. Supporter owned and not the latest plaything of some oligarch or middle east state that's big on oil but poor on human rights. Would we end up with a competition that's dominated by the rich or would it be like the A League where owners are disgruntled and frustrated by salary caps and a lack of a say in it's running?

I for one would be lost to the game if we ever folded or merged. I could never mine the same depths of disappointment or reach the same fleeting heights following any other side.

Ha! I wasn’t sure if anyone on here would have heard of Govan’s finest waster. Never used a chip fryer myself as I’d be terrified of burning the house down. As long as I have access to good quality coffee, beer and craic during this break in proceedings I’m sure I’ll come out the other end with my sanity intact.