Wodja

You are bringing back memories I thought I had long buried. I was at that game sitting in the northern stand amongst the Melbourne faithful with my two kids. The Southern stand had been recently being rebuilt. Decided at 3/4 time to take the kids over to the new stand to check it out and enjoy the ambience of the throng of miserable Essendon supporters. Bad move.

This isn’t one of the rule changes for this year but perhaps should have been …..it is the adjudication of what happens when a player goes to kick a ball (say when getting tackled) and he misses kicking the ball and it drops to the ground. My understanding is that now it is interpreted as ‘made an effort to kick the ball’ so it is ‘play on’. Problem is the rule is inconsistently applied. It appears to be applied in the middle of the ground but quite often when it occurs near the goals I have seen it paid as a free kick (dropping the ball). For what it’s worth I reckon if you try and kick the ball anywhere on the ground and you miss the kick for whatever reason (most likely whilst being tackled) it should be given as a free kick to the opposition. But that’s just me. My guess is they changed the rule or the interpretation of the rule last year to not slow the game down. Happy to be corrected (I’m just lying on a couch thinking and typing….better stop now)

Ditto

More and more the game is becoming a commercial entertainment exercise. Slightly off topic and I guess it will never happen because AFL would lose some revenue……reduce the home and away season so that each team only plays each other once (and have some byes to pad out the time between March and September) Of course it will still be a ‘fixture’, but hopefully it would become less of a contrived and biased fixture. And of course this will never happen

There has been a lot said about what Maynard did. It wasn’t a good look and still bemuses me the way the AFL (predictably) handled the aftermath. In my opinion there has not been enough said about what a vast amount of Collingwood supporters did at the ground when Gus was lying knocked out cold on the ground. And that was they started chanting Collingwooood. FMDead! The atmosphere was toxic. I still get angry when I think about that. Talk about filthy pack mentality. Totally unacceptable and forgivable. That is why I despise Collingwood so much. It is because of their supporters. They truly are the Filth. To be honest, with a few obvious exceptions I don’t mind the vast majority of Collingwood players and the style of football they play. But don’t get me wrong, I want us to smash ‘em every time we play them. If we aren’t in contention for a flag, ABC. Simple as that.

Always been a May fan. His heart has always been in the right place……even when he crossed the line a couple of times. Sadly, can’t say the same for Petracca. The difference being May has always been ‘Team Melbourne’ first and foremost. Petracca has always been ‘Team Petracca’ first and foremost. Both very good players and I would suggest that Petracca was the better player out of the two. But I have always liked the concept that a champion team will beat a team of champions. I am glad that Mayzie is hanging around.

No research whatsoever so I could be way off the mark here. Wasn’t Hawthorn at Waverley and is so why did they decide to move to wherever they are at now?

Certainly is a bit of a pattern isn’t there. I pretty much turned the telly not long after the game had finished….but I did get to hear Dangefield get up on the stage and speak. In my opinion I thought he did really well. Congratulated Brisbane but also made the point that coming second doesn’t mean that it should be all doom and gloom. There is only one in eighteen chance of winning a premiership. I reckon if your team finishes in the top four it ain’t all bad. A premiership would of course be better but not winning it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Certainly beats finishing bottom four. I now must look up the press conference and feel Scott’s pain. 😉

Totally agree with your last paragraph. Anyone is better than no one. To be honest when I watched last night’s game my only interest was in seeing Collingwood losing. Didn’t notice BM at all! I actually had to double check this morning the team lists from last night’s game to see if he actually played….but having said that I’d still take him

I might be on the outer here. Actually always enjoyed watching finals footy. And when Melbourne isn’t in it a big upside is that I don’t stress watching the footy. And when Collingeffingwood is in it I pretty much barrack for all the other sides. Still have three contenders. ABC.

I think he is too close to the players😉

I have seen none better throwing himself on the boundary line and getting a free….. but agree, he is a gifted footballer

It’s even easier for me…..anyone but Collingwood

My thinking is even simpler than that….anyone but Collingwood (ABC)

Totally agree with both comments. Borrowing from the Queen?, it truly has been a ‘annus horribilis’ season to date but…….if we happen to beat Collingwood tonight that then contributes to them not winning the premiership….all will be forgiven. Highly unlikely, but I still live in hope. GO DEES