The Taciturn Demon

Taylor Gillard McNamara Chaplin Harris Pearce

Good on you for just saying it. She's an awful person and a laughably overrated footballer.

Bizarre feeling today. Almost no disappointment despite how close we got. I just think we were brilliant all game and could not possibly asked for anything more. We're so young and we made them absolutely [censored] themselves. Wonderful game and wonderful season. They should all be incredibly proud. EDIT: I mean, I am disappointed. But only that Libby Birch and Emma Kearney will be playing in another Grand Final. That hurts my soul. The Demons' performance didn't disappoint me at all.

Yep. Only three players at the Combine have done it in a time below 2.80. (Jack Watts ran a 2.82.) Just from those videos, he looks extraordinarily quick for a person of his size and body shape.

Movement, especially through traffic, looks stunningly good. The kicking... not so much.

Petty, Turner and Taylor is such a good mix of non-small defenders.

I think it's OK to pearl clutch when your club has just traded their best midfielder of the last 20 or 30 years for nothing due to 'cultural' reasons.

Oh [censored] yes! From memory, Harvey Langford said a similar thing.

Esoteric. Love it.

Who do we hope is there at our pick tomorrow?

Is the thinking Robey is too similar to Smillie?

Will the jumpers have a Hawk on them? No? Too soon?

Good to hear. Just sign the document with the MFC letterhead, Eden.

Oh. Me too. How embarrassing.

I think that's fair, although some of the marking looks well above average to me. Just depends if he can do it consistently at the top level.

Wonderful insight. I've been thinking a bit about Stinnear recently, and that after 10 years some coaches can begin to seem like they're overstaying their welcome. Stinnear is not one. It's very obvious he's loved and greatly admired, and I'm almost certain one of the main reasons we've retained so many players where other Seaon 1 teams have been raided over and over again, is the coach. I found out the other day that the Bulldogs' number 1 pick from two years ago is likely to seek a trade after the season. That would be three number 1 (overall) draft picks that the Dogs will have lost since they began. They've also lost multiple other very good players - Toogood, Conti, Brennan, Lochland and more. Same with Collingwood. We've lost a couple of good players against our will (and it sounds like we'll lose Zanker at the end of this season), but have never seen these kind of exoduses and it shows in our results. We don't have the benefit of numerous two-team state drafts behind us, but keep competing against the very best. Hope he sticks around.

Hello.

This is new.

AHG vibes.

Ha ha. Fair. Gosh, Matt Whitlock would want to be good.

What would Richmond want for (what becomes) Pick 7?

Will they play Maeve with a hole in her hamstring a la Steven May in the GF?

You're a ledge. If I was more technically minded I'd do the John Williams Jaws theme over the top of both Gillard tackles.

Someone recently - maybe even a Melbourne player after the Gabba win - described Neale as having the fastest feet in the game. He may not be quick, but he's no plodder.

Could it also be that if you're slow and can't kick, and then something goes wrong - you start to get injuries or just get passed by other midfielders - there's no fallback for you? If you can kick you can go to half back. If you're quick you can go to a wing or maybe play on dangerous small forwards. I think if the last few years have shown us anything, it's the importance of versatility, even in the very very best midfielders. Like you said, Clayton Oliver is a good comparison. Also, I don't think it's any coincidence that Tom Mitchell, Luke Ball, Brock McLean, all high picks or touted as exceptional players at some point in their careers, all limped to 150 or 200-odd games, even at a time when those type of players were in vogue.