Chook

This is the St Kilda game all over again. Carlton's outside silk is so much better than ours, and since our inside mids are all asleep today we have absolutely nothing going for us.

Any team that can't beat St Kilda, Essendon or Carlton even once in a season has no rights to be anywhere near a finals series.

This isn't 2010 any more. Gibbs is a star.

Our centre clearance work today is horrible. Gawn having not much impact and whenever he does get first hands, the Blues shark it.

But he makes amends with a crumbing goal just a minute later. Even he can't miss 'em from the goal square.

Jack Watts' kicking is so good. Too bad he kicked to someone whose kicking is a little more iffy. …And Vanders kicks a behind.

Lookin' good Dees...

I never lie about the incompetence of Dwayne Russell. I simply have no need to.

"Melbourne's finals chances hinge on today," says Dwayne Russell to introduce us to the day's coverage. Incidentally, Dwayne spent all day during the Gold Coast game patiently explaining that 9th was the best we could hope for this season.

Any statement the Blues might want to make pales into insignificance compared to the one we're trying to make this week and next.

Win. That's all there is to it. Win today and the Melbourne Football Club stays alive until the very last game of the season. That's all a supporter can ask of their club.

"What do you mean? You're really leaving us?" "Don't worry son. When you love someone, they never really leave your heart."

Bernie Vince's gameagainst Port Adelaide was just about the best he has played in months.

Jack Viney came out of it okay.

I'd rather beat Geelong two weeks games in a row. EDIT: Stupid bye.

North?

Novak Djokovic would make a hell of a tall midfielder.

Another consideration is that making finals is infinitely better for your prospects of luring talent from opposition clubs than making 9th is.

GWS just tuning themselves up nicely for a crack at North and the Top Four next week. Go you good things (except Scully).

I bet Hawthorn winning last year's premiership hindered their crack at this year's premiership too.

African percentage maybe, but not European percentage, that's my point.

How does such a corpulent monster of a human being like Phil Scully produce a progeny that is quite clearly a robot with no apparent vices whatsoever?

Ok. You mean this one? 1000 + 100 vs 1000 + 50 (for and against) = 1100 scored vs 1050 conceded (104.7%) That's better for our percentage than 1000 + 200 vs 1000 + 140 (for and against) = 1200 scored vs 1149 conceded (104.4%) ...even though we've scored more in the second scenario (and even won by more). Winning by a lot now means less for our percentage than it did in round one, granted; but it's still better to beat your opponent while also keeping them to a low score.

It doesn't matter what round it is. Outscoring your opponent by the same amount but keeping them to a low score is always better. Think about it and get back to me.

Winning 100pts to 1 gives a percentage of 10000%. Winning 200pts to 101 gives a percentage of just under 200%. Both are a margin of 99 points.