No. 31

About 6K turned up to an open training session at Parc des Princes last September to watch the Blues train in the lead up to the preliminary final.

LOL 😁

North should head to Canberra. Along with adjacent areas of Southern NSW (traditional Australian Rules Football territory) it has a population base possibly larger than Tasmania. Playing a few Northern Territory games could also be an idea. GWS playing some matches in Canberra just dilutes the push into Western Sydney IMO.

Well it wasn't a 50 point pasting (I would probably give that a miss), a close loss where we kicked 14 points, want to see what we did wrong (curses at the tv ... 😁).

The Blues pooped on the Navy Blue bedsheets last night. Allowed a mediocre Crows team a lifeline for this season when we could have ripped out their black little Crom hearts. I hate the Crows! lol I was at a wedding last night and only was able to catch parts of it. Watched the last few minutes on my phone at the wedding reception 🤦‍♂️ Will subject myself to the replay over morning coffee ... bitter tasting coffee ☕️😁 Injuries are mounting and its a tough block in the fixture list coming up (GWS, Geelong, C'Wood, Dees & Swans away) ... will really test us ...

A Brisbane team fighting for their 2024 season took apart a tired looking Dees side. The late flurry of goals made the final losing score look respectable but reality is the Dees were taken apart. I don't see this happening regularly and suspect it was an aberration due to various factors. It happens. Good timing for a bye to rest up for a few days and then get to work on some aspects. 4 & 2 is still a solid start and a good base for the 2024 campaign. Chin up Dees ...

Most definitely underachieving for the list they have. Bevo has just been there too long. He and the Doggies need a change.

Caden has some great content. Watch him regularly.

I was in the park with my young son a few weeks ago and out of the blue [pun intended] he starts singing "We are the Navy Blues ..." [proud Dad moment, lol]. I didn't teach him, he heard it that morning on the car radio (3AW or SEN, don't recall, was just catching some sports news when driving on a Saturday morning and the Blues won the night before). Kids can pick things up quickly.

I reckon there is as much chance of Weitering going to the Dees as there is of Trac going to the Pies. Weitering's contract is up at the end of 2025 but I reckon Carlton will definitely be looking after him and Tom De Koning and have probably already budgeted cap space to make it happen.

Oh, I like that concept. Losing side shouts the other Bin 389s after the game 🍷😁 Hmmm, can I convince Mrs No. 31 to head to the Barossa next year in April for a family weekend getaway 🤔😃

I would rest May for this one. Whilst Adelaide should not be taken lightly at home, they are in a rut at the moment and hopefully this is not the week they start getting back on track.

Most defenders struggle against Curnow and McKay, so they resort to measurers that result in free kicks. If you watch the North Melb match closley the North defenders panicked and gave away unnecessary free kicks and silly 50m penalties. Most of them weren't soft either, regulation, by the book frees and 50m penalties. Curnow & McKay are going to be a handful for most defences this season.

If you are on FB, join "Glen Eira Residents Action Group" ... fair bit of anti-Demons agitation going on there. Seems to me the whole of Caulfield RC Reserve has to be set aside for the use of 9 dog walkers. Perhaps some local politicians need to be made aware of how many Demons members and supporters reside in The City of Glen Eira ...

Walsh is most definitely A-Grade and arguably Cerra is knocking at that door now too.

Canberra is growing as a city in terms of population and should have a population similar to Tasmania in the near future. It can also tap into adjacent areas of Southern NSW (Riverina) which is strong in Australian Rules Football in any event. Northern Kangaroos anyone? Based in the ACT, have a few games in the NT and the Melbourne supporter base still can watch them live when they play Melbourne clubs ... 🤔

Footy is at risk of losing a traditional market in Tasmania, it is on the decline as as a grass roots code. 20th team should be from Perth, focusing on North Perth/Joondalup with some secondary games in the NT.

I know we are in inflationary and tight budgetary times but the stadium development in Hobart really has the the possibility of propelling Hobart & Tasmania to another level as a domestic tourism destination. Sure some of the figures seem eyewatering but that is not just the stadium, its pretty much an urban renewal project near Hobart CBD and should contain some subtantial private investment in retail, hospitality and housing components with contributuons from both Federal and State governments. Sure they could look at some cost saving measures as well. I wonder if they have looked at some of the fabric retractable roofing system that are in a number of German and Polish stadiums? 🤔

I got a $10 membership, the only expansion club I feel some positivity for. Hope the stadium issue gets sorted out.

Loathe: Collingwood, Essendon, WCE & Adelaide Crows. Mild antipathy: Hawthorn & Brisbane Lions

Seems as if the Helen d'Amico post was deleted but that was a vivid childhood memory for me 😁 The 1982 Grand Final was the first GF I remember watching a full game for the first time. As for the Crows, pretty disappointing, going backwards and that is fine with me. Geelong with a full complement can be a threat to anyone on their day. Injuries to a few key players blunt them significantly though.

It was always a goal!! 😁 https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/carlton-blues/afl-2023-1979-vfl-grand-final-carlton-vs-collingwood-wayne-harmes-tap-in-new-footage-says-ball-was-in-video-latest-news/news-story/e5c255c44037b078e85ce58d736d7821

True, but the effort/energy expended getting into the 8 after that horror run and missing out on a top 4 slot meant the Blues were not a realistic shot to go all the way in 2024.

For sure ... however nothing is as horrifying as the spectre of a C'wood 'dynasty' ... that is looking like a fairytale now ... thank god! 🙏😁 Good effort by the Saints tonight and the Pies are looking very much like a mid table plodder side at the moment 😃

There was 58K for the opening round game in in 2022. But that was the very first game of the season between the then two Grand Finalists from 2021. 44K for 1pm on a Sunday on a hot day seems like a decent turnout to me.