Go Ds

Who said just delistings? You could well be right re six. But what about trades? Did players like Sam Frost, Jack Watts and going back Woewodin snr want to be traded? Weren't Hawthorn 's Hodge , Mitchell and Lewis involuntarily retired? Just because often players stuck in the reserves realise they're gonna be delisted at season's doesn't mean our 'best' 22 are completely safe. We might get a new coach who really wants to shake things up; even moving on one now fading premiership players would be a statement.

While most things are not line ball how would we ever know? Given what's at stake is potentially a six figure sum and maybe a year or two extra in their dream job playing footy giving up a few hours on a Saturday might be an incredibly rational sacrifice.

I'm not sure I'd call it aspersions. It would just be highly recommended players go. The general public at times will do extra to bebetter at their job. Of course they can overdo it or their work doesn't reward them. But especially given hardly any of our players will ever earn comparable money after retiring it just makes sense to basically just turn up.

I strongly disagree here. We're not even into September and it's 4 weeks to the GF. While the team might have known they were unlikely to even reach top 4 I bet they wanted to scrape into the 8, finally win a post-premiership final and forego the resultant extra 3 weeks of holidays in this scenario. Here's Melbourne with the players on notice, team dynamics probably under scrutiny and a new coach with which theyve accumulated none of the brownie points as a buffer. The reserves help showcase the current game plan and give the senior players a chance to watch future players live, including what they do behind the play. Plus it helps form further team bonds and solidarity. While some players would have valid excuses someone who missed today to play golf or watch Netflix might regret that if the new coach decides he doesn't him/them. If I were a player manager I would have told my charge to just go, sit beside his favourite teammates and maybe listen to music for 3 hours. That may prolong their career.

Maybe but can you direct me to a few of his AFL games where at least he held his own after coming on? I'd love to think I've missed a couple.

He was at the Collingwood game too ... taking notes for his new horror about a community who all choke simultaneously!

I dunno. I'd guess most of the seniors just turn up to these finals games every time. The ones missing probably need a bit of an excuse

Umm, I think you may be reading a lot that may not be there Most of those options are recent coaches who genuinely want a break or with very successful clubs with a potential opening soon.

he couldn't believe Irene left Home And Away

Was she beside Buckley? 😂

So what do we make of this for the future? We had the bye so it was probably expected we'd win comfortably .... which we outdid. Some twerp on Facebook claimed only two of the Melbourne-listed players are AFL standard. But they're way off, yes? Plus there'd be a few from today they'll persist with for another year (as well as drafting Yze) So what's the realistic assessment?

Carlton has a similar problem with Curnow and Mackay?

He's talking about Sharp. 😂😂😂

Who expected Gawn to end up here? For years he was that tall guy with the beard or the one with the name you could make "gone" puns from. I really don't know who's the best. But would I be wrong saying Gawn mainly takes workman-like reliable marks over and over. Apart from THAT Geelong preliminary final he's not really a highlights package. That's not necessary but it's yet another way he's just slowly worked his way into this conversation over 15 years

At the All Australian awards a journo (Howard?) was asking the players if they'd rather win the Mark or Goal of The Year award. Kosi answered why not both.

It's a good line. Why not both? Carlton's Busustow did both in the same year. I'm guessing others have too across multiple years.

Even if he's behind the scenes I would hope the new coaching panel are at things like exit interviews observing, getting to know players and even asking them questions.

It sounds like Brown said his sexual orientation and teammates attitudes shortened his career. Just imagine a player(s) could have been so much better but instead their career just petered out. Same as any other "what might have been" somewhere along the way any team - even our team - may have missed out on a flag or two.

Can't wait! 😂

Don't be silly! Obviously the psych is pandering to the son's wellbeing.

I do take your point and I hope eventually it's only relevant..... when it's relevant. Think about that. As an employer it's not relevant. As ....well almost anything it's not relevant. But when someone is talking about their same-sex partner and / or non-hetero love life then it's relevant. (And it's relevant any time someone's trying to make out gay or similar people are somehow lesser or deserve to die.or suffer horribly.)

If Bucks is actually already coach it'd be ridiculous if there's an announcement later today that some player he wanted to keep has been signed elsewhere and wouldn't have if he'd known about Bucks. Is this possible or is nothing set in stone till trade period?

I just want to know that homophobic slurs aren't flung about on the football field. Someone at my workplace was sacked for doing the same. It would also be great if there were great gay footballer role models who helped gay youth come to terms with their difference and everyone be less homophobic. But I've already said I don't expect this. As for interest groups ruining the game when teams start the game with one performing the Haka and the other dresses in leather and lipsyncs I Will Survive I'll get back to you.

Huh? Why would gay people ever out themselves? So they have normal lives. So they don't have a big secret - and most big secrets are wrapped in shame or self-loathing - so why possibly feel ashamed? So they don't hide. So they know that teenagers now struggling with this same burden realise they're not alone and they're really not some kind of freak (and don't take their lives). Was this what you were asking?

I doubt it's quite at the level of the Simpsons episode of Homer taking his son to a steel mill to 'make' him straight only to find every steelworker was gay. But I wouldn't be surprised if some bigots watch games and players at times thinking how masculine and hot-blooded and straight the whole thing is(!) Who knows - it may be so the other way that every match since 1976 has included a gay (or bi-curious) footballer! It's just a small noisy minority that kick up a fuss. But, yeah, there's little reward and lots of potential grief for the first dozen/hundred/thousand outed players. Cripes... even a player from the 90's would be silly to now come out on something like Australian Story or a Sunday papers magazine article.