I'va Worn Smith

Are not the Feds charged with the responsibility to protect our borders? It is not too far to extrapolate that they could also protect our internal borders. States are not geared to do this and as pointed out, we should not be straining our state police forces to fill this crucial role.

That's precisely my point. Who has relevant jurisdiction over Australia's airports? At every Australian airport there is AFP presence. The AFP falls under the purview of the Commonwealth. Over and above that, this is a once in a lifetime global crisis. As with world wars, I would want my Federal Government to co-ordinate strategies to combat such crises and not leave it to the individual whims of state premiers. To meet the challenges on national basis, we need a uniform approach, operated out of a national 'war' room.

Which is administered by the Federal Government. Is there a common theme occurring here?

To use an analogy. If I travelled overseas, without the appropriate visa to travel to that country, the airline which carried me to that destination would be fined. We have a Commonwealth Department known as the Department of Home Affairs. Under its auspices, Australian Border Force operates. Go figure!!

How is it that 2 women are permitted to board a flight in Sydney, while still infectious and travel to Melbourne? Who should have jurisdiction of our airports across Australia?

Let's stop arguing. Let's try and work together, to STOP racism. Do we at least agree on that?

That's the point. We no longer have 'real' politicians. No leadership, no conviction of principle. Both sides are more worried about the 24 hour news cycle and reactions on social media. Politicians mouth platitudes, which deplore racism, yet at the same time, they proffer policies which appease the xenophobes. Unless, we, as the great 'unwashed', drive change,the politicians and the political machine, will not heed, nor listen. Change will only come from us - the citizenry. If we have the will to drive it. Racism is intrinsic and those who remain silent give it currency. As CBF said in an earlier post, we no longer have bipartisanship and until such time as we do, the political machine will cause little change, if any, in this area. At the risk of sounding like an old hippy, it was 'people power' which changed the then popular opinion on the Vietnam war, which killed millions; not the politicians or their apparatchiks.

Really? Really!!!!!!

Agreed. Well said. But politicians of later times, chose to demonise - excuse the pun - immigrants, for the sake of political expediency. Fraser and Whitlam had a bipartisan approach, despite being vehement political enemies. Hawke led the charge after the Tianamen Square tragedy, with the support of the then opposition

The 'issue' is about the human condition. If all politicians showed true leadership on this issue, then fine, but they don't. Racism is for all of us to deal with and should never be 'politicised'. It was the political reference to which my original post was responding. Talking about 'leftists' and conservatives does not deal with the problem, but provides a refuge for those who deny the problem exists in our body politic.

Why is it that when good people call out racism for what is it is - a blight on our society - people bereft of reasonable debate, use epithets such as "leftists"? The use of such tags is just lazy and neglects to address the core of endemic racism. This is not about politics, rather it is about simply doing what is right. The number of times I have heard people say; 'I'm not racist, but.....'. The 'but' shows that such 'emperors' certainly have no clothes. I remember being at the 'G back in the 90's. The Cockatoo-Collins boys were playing for us then. 2 female MFC supporters made comments about how they were like the rest of "them" and go 'walkabout'. I was livid and let them know in no uncertain terms. It would seem not much has improved since then. As the old saying goes; the standard you walk by, is the standard you accept. This issue has nothing to do with 'politics', but is has everything to do with doing what is intrinsically the right thing to do.

West was won. We went up against a side which was playing for a spot in the 8. We were belting them, until the weather intervened. Once again, the umpiring was atrocious. I'll take a win the West anytime.

We flew to QLD last weekend to play, the Suns, then sat on a tarmac for hours, before returning to Melbourne. Our game against the Suns was re-scheduled for an early start the following day. Now we have to travel to Perth, for a game, scheduled for next Monday. Mark McGowan could shut down WA on a moments notice. The fixture has been compromised time and time again, since COVID, yet the Eagles have not played us in Melbourne for 4 years. Why???? Anyway Dees, we will just have to get it done. Go you good things.

He's gawn. Silly act and a prolonged act. Bring back Hibbo. He's had a rest and proven he can be a lock doww player

Where will the WC game be played?

How much did we win by? In a national competition?

I love this footy team and I retain the faith. Yep, I may be silly, but I think the coaching team has a plan. Go you mighty Demons.

For what is is worth, here is my take. Like many of us - I suspect - I was rapt in the first two thirds of our season, but like most of us, I was just waiting for the wheels to fall off. I posted on here on another topic, that the I could cop the Adelaide loss as an aberration. But the Collingwood game I could not accept. Our life member coach; Neale Daniher, who chose to make the Queens Birthday game as the marquee event for his charity for a health condition which will finally take him, should have been enough motivation for our team to overcome the "Buckley, last time as Collingwood Coach" motivation. We then had the Pink Lady game, which is our franchise now. Fraser Rosman's mum is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer and Oscar Baker lost his mum to the same insidious disease. Motivation enough? We then had a great win over Port and I thought, yesssss, we are back. But then follows a draw to the lowly Hawthorn and a loss (honourable?) against the Dogs. By the way, I am summarising here, so excuse me if it appears my timelines are somewhat skewed. But the more recent form caused me to reflect. We have a gun backline, but as Ross Lyon proved, you will never win a granny on defence alone. Leigh Matthews, on the other hand, was always of the view that if you can score more than 15 goals a game, you will usually win. That said and with the benefit of hindsight, our forward line has been, at best, makeshift. Fritta is a 'cameo' forward, yet he attracts one of the best backs from the opposition. TMac - whom I have a man crush on - is not a natural key forward. Despite the fact he has done very well for much of the year, thus far, he has been worked out by opposition coaches. Kossie is still a lad, but now a target for the opposition, Spargo is still to show consistency, Dogga will be a gun, but as a big bloke, needs more time to develop and we have to establish a key role for him. ANB??? I remember the ANZAC eve game against the Toigs, when he bent that goal from the boundary line. I thought, yeah, he's back. He has done little since. We then have Melksham, M Brown, the Weid and of course Benny Brown. The latter 3 are lead up forwards, who need space to run into and mark. None of them are going to sit on the opposition's shoulders and take a speccy. So what to do with them? Pagan's paddock? If that were to work, I would think Benny Brown would be best suited, but I doubt it will happen. So what is the alternative? To me that is the worry. Did we trade away draft picks for too many (and the wrong) trades. Despite that the fact that Casey has been cruelled by the lack of game time, due to COVID, has given limited opportunities to assess the progress of the next tier of players. Bar for Bowey, I can see little else, in terms of elevating new talent, other than recycling what we have already seen. AKA, Melsham, Weid, Jones, M Brown and Jetta. Other than that, I see little depth in the 2's. To me this is our major worry going forward.

If Burgo is, indeed going, then we cannot thank him enough, for his contribution, to the list's fitness. However, our more recent lapses on game day, where we have incurred losses, have nothing to do with Burgo or his fitness regime. To me, it is for a number of other reasons, which can only be sheeted home to the coaching staff. Adelaide. The MFC were top of the ladder. It had seemed we had shown our credentials by beating other contenders, including the Bullies. Simply, we were not mentally prepared. Collingwood. Given it was Buckley's last game as coach, they were always going to come out, with fire in their bellies. We surely should have been acutely aware of that factor. On the other side of that coin, it was Neale Daniher's Queen's Birthday, Big Freeze game. A guy that coached Melbourne for over 10 years and while there were some down years, under Neale's stewardship, he gave us plenty of joy. We owe him. Simply, we were not mentally prepared. GWS. After some ordinary performances and some surprising losses, the Giants were still on the verge of the 8, when they played us last Saturday. Simply, we were not mentally prepared. Our midfield guns are now marked men. Their earlier from was stellar. They are hunted by the opposition now. It was perhaps, Clarrie's, Trac's and Viney's worst games for a while. Opposition coaches have worked out our previous use of the "corridor". Our coaching staff need to adapt. Simply, we were not mentally prepared. Kossie and Dogga are still quite young. To me Kozzie, in particular, looks tired and sore. Understanding the loss of his Mum, he still played some amazing games, following his return to Melbourne. Do these young fellas need a rest before the finals? It would also seem that most opposition teams have worked out of forward structure. T Mac has done an amazing job this year, given he was on the trade table last year. But he was never and is not a natural forward. Fritta is slight, not a tall key forward and gets knocked around. Recent history show us (see Ross Lyon), that you cannot win a grannie, if you do not put the required score on the board. A great defence - like we have now - is not enough to get to the pinnacle. We got BB and had the Weid on our list for a while, both recruited as key, tall forwards. My view now is, going into the home straight, we have to bite the bullet and persist with one or the other before the finals. My view is Big Ben Brown is the one, but if he is to be, he needs the space to lead into. My opinions only.

Was there actually a practice match?

Garbage??? If you aspire to being a premiership contender, losses such as this one are simply not acceptable. My reference to age and length of support of this club has nothing to do with me trying to take the higher ground here. Rather, it means I have seen it all over time and as such, I know what it takes to get to the top of the hill. Given the significance of the 'event', Neale Daniher's quest, his length of service with our club, his life membership with the MFC and the blood, sweat and tears he shed for us, I cannot think of a much greater incentive to get the job done. By any measure and under the circumstances, yesterday's performance was just not good enough, for a team that seeks to put its hand on the holy grail. I am not rubbishing this club and I never will. I am just calling a spade a spade.

Ohhhh please. Slitting my wrists? I suspect I have followed this footy team for a wee bit longer than you have. I am 65 years of age and was there in '64. 11-2 is sensational, but if you want to win a flag, today's effort was deplorable. That is all. Pure and simple.

By any measurement, that is no excuse for our performance today.

Gus has played a specific role this year and mostly, done it very well. I had so hoped that the Weed would break out this year, but it would seem, this will sadly not happen. Gus will be OK, but I hope, collectively, this team will understand that today's effort was nowhere near good enough. After the bye, we need to seriously come out and smack some [censored].

100% correct.