Dame Gaga

Oh no! I didn't see your post before I wrote mine. I'm so sorry. Your baby is scarred for life.

Umpire catch word for tonight - HOLDING!!!!! (Richmond)

Blimey, Hunt was going to shake hands with his opponent, thought the game was over, probably wishes it was.

Cameron Ling - Captain State the Bleeding Obvious

Lewie might be getting old but he is smart.

It's called, let's make it up as we go along, because we cannot be criticized.

If I hear Ling talk about the "corridor" one more time, I will throw my Funk and Wagnall's at his head.

Nice kick from Dunkley.

Holding, holding. Is this how they want to get rid of tackling? Simply call everything holding and pay rubbish free kicks.

Stupid umpires.

Knee to the head no free kick. Rubbish umpire. Shut up Ling.

Keep it up Dees.

Whoever is made Captain, there should be only one. No more co-captains for me. Captain, Vice Captain, Leadership Group. Surely that is enough for a club.

I heard by chance part of an interesting discussion on SEN with Dermot Brereton this afternoon about the hiring of Clarkson for the position of senior coach at Hawthorn (Brereton was on the committee). Clarkson presented his idea of a game plan for the team which Brereton was sceptical about, but he was still hired (of course!). After 6 weeks into the season Clarkson realized his game plan wasn't working and threw it away. He came up with a new one to suit the type of players he had in his team. He built his plan around the players available to him, instead of trying to impose an unworkable plan onto the players. He was flexible in other words. This is what I got from what Brereton was saying about Clarkson, and he was praising him as a great coach for being clever about working with what he had and getting the type of players he needed to fit into his plans (of course he was praising him, being a Hawthorn person through and through). However, this sounded like the secret to Clarkson's success. The ability to see what things are not working and the intelligence to come up with something else which would succeed for his players. Building a successful team in this way also attracts players to want to play for this team. I also read a quote from Roos about coaching. He said one of the most important things for coaches to remember is what it's like to be a player. "Jack Watts (once) said to me 'we just want to be treated like human beings'. I was quite shocked by that." How bad was this club's psyche when he took over? Has it gone backwards again? I pray it hasn't.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds????!!!!!!!! ?

I witnessed something last night which confirms my belief football is played above the shoulders. A Melbourne player (who shall remain nameless) took possession of the ball, and was surrounded by opposition players. The Melbourne player was facing the way of the Melbourne goals, and behind the opposition players were several of his team mates. Split second decision to make. What does the Melbourne player do? He decides to deliver a long and high looping handball behind him over his head into empty space. St Kilda players pounced on it, said thank you very much and took it quickly to their forward line to kick an easy goal with no pressure. Too many of these kind of decisions are being made. This team lacks footy smarts. They need to be taught some game intelligence, somehow, by somebody. Sick of watching dumb footy.

I have noticed Clarrie playing with one arm all season. It happened again last night. It is a wonder he does what he does with the ball while being held by the arm by the opposition in nearly all passages of play. Umpires see nothing. ?

This decision turned the game in favour of St Kilda while the scores were still close. It was appalling. It should have been holding the ball. The St Kilda player took the ball in one arm and tried to get through two players without an effort in disposing of the ball. Number 17 umpire made several dubious decisions all night. Should go back to Bendigo and stick to playing cricket, a non contact sport.

Well, this is very reassuring isn't it? If no one at the club has the answers, then who does. This is not what we want to hear. Sounds like everyone is up the proverbial without a paddle. Let's all lose heart now and officially give up, because it looks like they have. So disheartened and crushed by this attitude. I'm hurt and I'm sure everyone else on here is as well. We want answers.

This guy must really love a challenge.

A keen Richmond supporter/member asked me today who I supported, in general conversation. When I replied Melbourne, his reaction was to burst out laughing.? Sigh....

Are there any stats kept on how many times a team has hit the post in a season? There has been a few of those.

I hate those fat head Weasles, I mean Eagles. Huge egos all of them. If I recall some Melbourne players were bagged earlier in the season for over celebrating. Did anyone see Yeo go all over the top when he kicked that goal, after he did nothing else all day? Just want Melbourne to one day beat these big heads. They had their chances on Sunday. That's what makes losing so disappointing.

My only wish is that one day (hopefully sooner rather than later), good players from other clubs look at Melbourne and think, "Hey, I would love to play for that team. They are really going places and are on the way up. I could enjoy some success with them." Is this ever going to happen? ? (In my lifetime?)

I agree this was yet another poor decision by the umpire, no matter who the player was. He was clearly clobbered in the tackle and left momentarily dazed and unable to complete a disposal. Yet the umpire was so quick to blow the whistle and call holding the ball, disregarding the welfare of the player. Now okay we can take the free kick against the Melbourne player, but why isn't the same criteria applied when an Eagles player holds the ball, gets swung around, or drops it to the ground and we hear the whistle, followed by the words, Play On! We only ask for fairness, is that too much?