Whispering_Jack

Does it really matter?We could get some draft assistance at the end of the year but it's hardly likely to be a #1 PP with the AFL's primary protected species GWS finishing last. Whether we get pick 2, 3 or even 4 won't make a great deal of difference in this year's draft. And who knows? If we lose more games, there's nothing to stop someone with an agenda from going to Robbo at the Hun with a convoluted story about players being rested or played out of position and next thing you know, there's a double page spread alleging that it's all proof that the club committed crimes against humanity. Nothing suspicious about St. Kilda leaving Riewoldt and one or two others out of their side to play the Dockers a few weeks ago or the Doggies losing 10 in a row in a vain bid to finish with picks 3 & 4 in last year's draft. No, we must go all out to win every game because its mathematically possible for us to finish 11th and if Essendon and two others lose their points for some, as yet, undiscovered misdemeanor, we'll be seeing action in September.

Runners up to Bentleigh with the consolation being the fact that the winners are called the Demons and wear the famous Red and Blue.

Nothing posted here for in excess of 24 hours. Do I close the thread down for lack of interest?

Agree that Jimmy T's debut year has been rather unspectacular but he's doing it hard in an ordinary team and, for the first half season, under ordinary coaching. Jamie Elliott, on the other hand, is coming along nicely but given that he played 13 games in 2012, I don't think the comparison is warranted.

I reckon Australian cricket suffered a near death experience overnight. Our batting line up is like Melbourne's midfield - third world. We wasted the last couple of summers and failed to bring in a proper succession plan to replace the likes of Ponting and Hussey. Send Warner home, call up Doolan and (I'm doing a Caro here) sack Inverarity.

Along with the cheque for pay out of his contract?

Like your optimism TD.

Perfect timing for the Aussies to get 2 wickets during the half time break at the footy including Agar's maiden test wicket.

The irony of the situation now is that we will probably have to call on this 19 year old's talents to get us out of the proverbial once again during he course of the day but with his bowling rather than his batting. In fact, I'm hoping he won't need to bat again but might grab a few wickets to help give us what would have been an improbable victory early yesterday.

But he does come from McKinnon which used to be the heart of Melbourne's recruiting zone so that makes him an honourary Demon (as long as he keeps making runs and taking wickets).

Fascinating. I didn't want the lunch interval to come because intervals often affect concentration and Hughes and Agar are doing a remarkable job out there. But WOW!!!

True ... but you really don't want to rely on your tail to get a score in a test. Your early and middle order should be doing that and the later batsmen should be providing the cream - not the meat.

And I apologise for doubting Siddle.

Well, according to this article in the Age, its still Sheeds - Sheedy taunts Swans as Giants sweat on stars for showdown

Beg to differ. I thought his performance yesterday was half reasonable and certainly one of his best since joining the franchise. The problem was that it still wasn't enough to put him in his team's best players although, under their system of voting, should earn him 4th place in the club champion award again. The one who escapes scrutiny from the media must surely be the coach who couldn't even snaffle a win against a club that's clearly disinterested and almost certainly won't win again this season. Also, why did the MFC have to endure a tanking inquisition for seven months when St. Kilda is allowed to omit its best player by a mile on the spurious grounds of "soreness"? Were we not accused on the basis of leaving out Colin Sylvia from the Jordie McMahon game (for disciplinary reasons)? And I'll bet the Dockers don't have to kick a goal after the siren to win today.

Fascinating reading Fawad Ahmed's journey from terrorist target to Test cusp

Can't see Faulkner making it. Siddle will probably get the nod because of his work horse capacity but does he move the ball enough on English pitches?The noise is also that Nathan Lyon gets a nod. The only other omission I'd like to see is Inverarity.

Surprised Redleg hasn't raised this here but on another thread he described former test fast bowler Rodney Hogg as follows:- Of course, I immediately made the connection between Hogg's line of work and the food of choice of the posters around here. Hoggie was also recently the guest speaker at the Casey Scorpions debt demolition luncheon and, since then, Jesse Hogan has been getting bags of goals for the Scorps. I think the man should be patron saint of the no T$ no BS society.

This time last year, there were a few people who felt that the Western Bulldogs were "tanking" to improve their draft position and, on cue, they lost the last 10 games (didn't look like winning any of them including one against a badly injury-riddled, out of form Carlton). Had Melbourne fared slightly better they might have finished 16th and had our draft position with the possibility of snaffling Jesse Hogan. I sense that we're about to see a repeat. Could GWS beat them at the weekend?

I heard him. Line and length interview on all aspects of the MFC, CSFC, the alignment and the players. Obviously thinks Hogan will make an impact as early as next year, likes Jack Fitzpatrick and a few of the other younger players coming through the ranks and spoke highly of his Casey listed players. Diplomatic about the departure of Neeld and the changes at MFC.

Sorry, didn't realise you were a queen.

Oh, and I thought we'd adopted the "no d1ckheads policy" around here!

I suspect that the other clubs might warm to this if they see some talent at the Under 18 championships (which continue today) and who fit in the mini draft category. Based on the form of Jaeger O'Meara at the Suns, to a lesser extent Brad Crouch at Adelaide and the tantalising prospects of Jack Martin and Jesse Hogan, we can expect some clubs preferring to wait a year for a sure fire talent and trade combinations of picks and players to get them. Apologies in advance for not bringing up the banana theme but I have yet to check the Queensland lists for any up and coming young bananabenders whose families breed alpacas.

The Oracle has something to say about this in his match preview this week.

Thanks all for your good wishes. That makes 6 grandkids. Three girls and three boys, the CHF, ruckman and now, this one's going to be a wingman - a bit like Robbie Flower but better eyesight. Watch out for them in the drafts of 2022, 2024 and 2031. Oh, and he has a Demons footy by his bedside personally autographed by Mark Neeld, Tim Harrington, Don McLardy. And, unlike some at the MFC, he's never experienced a Demon defeat.