Chook

I could see it. Tom's like: "I'll give you a month's lead. That should make things interesting, kid."

I don't. I see him kicking 3-4 goals every game until he retires. He's not the kind of sledgehammer that you need to be to kick bags. He's a dynamo; he just keeps on ticking. And as reliably as a dynamo, he will always reap rewards.

I think we can account for Sydney even without them. It's all about the West Coast game for me. With what this club has been through last year, that game looms as the biggest for this club in forever (yes, even bigger than the R23 Collingwood game last year). Won there last year. Didn't make finals. To go back again and secure a spot in this year's finals after they knocked us out, with them firmly in the top four, would be our official return from the Wilderness. And it goes without saying that Viney and Hibberd are crucial to that.

I heard an interview with the American sports science guy who did Trac's recovery. He was one of the world's leaders in that stuff, and he pretty much said that a lot of people focus on "getting back", but that getting back quickly almost always results in minor or major recurrence of the injury down the line. The exercises that Petracca did during his rehab were designed by this guy, and supposedly were focused on long-term strength and "going the journey" in the sport. Considering Tracs knees seem fine, I hope Lever's doing the same stuff. Lever's a lightweight compared to Petracca, so whatever works for Trac's knees will surely work for Lever's too.

Massive if true. His absence makes them a truly ordinary team and was a major reason why we won last year.

No, unless the tackler tackled you. That would be prior opportunity and gawn.

What's your stance on immigration…

Cue the tanking investigation if we did, especially if we went on to win the premiership. I could see the AFL taking a flag off us for such a move.

Last Time we were at the G, we won…and that was with Frost, Spargo, Garlett, and Hannan in the side. That's a much more Richmond-esque amount of pace and it really helped us. As long as we select properly, the MCG won't be a negative for us any longer IMO.

Clearly a week there. Hit him high after the ball was gone.

Spargo's a ripper though isn't he? Didn't play his best game tonight but he always gets around his teammates no matter what.

Clueless (you not Nibbler).

Got there... Redemption(ish) for last week.

Saved by the weather gods and Eddie Betts missing. Not convinced by our defence of a lead this match, even though we will win it in the end. My lord...

Frost you idiot. Just get the ball and kick it a long way away.

This is good practice for us. Better than a 10 goal belting IMO. ...As long as we win.

Fritsch loose man in defence. Barring a fit Lever, I wouldn't ask for anyone more.

OMac follows instructions at least. Can't ask more than doing up the laces when kicking for goal.

Oh my god footy is torture when you have a lead in the final quarter.

It begins. Why wasn't Frost on our goal-line? With this lead and this weather, there must always be someone back to trap bouncing kicks through goal.

But also the present.

They're the present of our club.

Smith has been great. And god is crying at the thought that the same thing could happen to us again.

Cue the untimely blood rule too.

Here we go again…