Whispering_Jack

Next week's games in both divisions also being shown on Foxtel. Check your local guides.

I think it's time to write young Zac off. The fact that his brother is with us makes a nice romantic story but the fact that he's re-signed with the Swans suggests he's happy there, Melbourne hasn't shown any significant interest or both. There's no reason to think that just because we have one brother, it's essential to have another any more than a number of fringe midfielders on the lists of other clubs.

I have to confess that I lost interest in Patrick Dangerfield long ago in light of the fact that every man and his dog thinks his most likely destination next year is in Geelong where he can be close to the family and, at the same time, collect the big dollars being offered to him. There are a couple of others on the Cats' radar as well including Scott Selwood who would also make a good get for us. They're well placed to get heavily involved in buying players because of the massive gaps about to become available in their list with a number of impending retirements. I wouldn't be averse to giving it a go myself - the two players would be 26 at the start of next season and would add to the maturity of our list and deliver us the midfield we've been dreaming about for a long time.

Richmond's win, along with a couple of upsets from last week, has breathed life into the competition and prevented the top four closing up from the rest of the pack. Some good games loom in the next round with the Thursday night game (Swans minus Buddy? v Port) and Collingwood v Hawthorn on Friday night being key indicators as we move into the business end of the season. Of course, nothing can beat the Top End blockbuster on Saturday night which should attract more than 5,000 fans and will no doubt just outrate Father Brown on ABC Vic and Judge Judy on Arena.

What we have here is a rogues gallery of slippery creatures who have one thing in common - a total lack of willingness to give evidence or assist in uncovering the truth. On top of that there have been suggestions made in some quarters that money changed hands in order to buy the silence of some of the rogues so if you're considering why someone like Dank might be a little backward in coming forward don't dismiss the possibility of people acting in their own self interest even if the logic of their behaviour doesn't always seem apparent.

U18s: Ah Chee shines as WA downs Vic Metro VIC METRO 0.5 3.6 7.9 7.12 (54) WESTERN AUSTRALIA 2.2 3.3 6.4 11.6 (72) GOALS Vic Metro: Gresham 2, Kerbatieh, Moore, Crocker, Cuningham, Silvagni Western Australia: Strnadica 3,Ah Chee 2, Parish 2, Stewart, Schoenfeld, Waterman, Smith BEST Vic Metro: Gresham, Perry, O'Kearney, Moore, Morgan Western Australia: Hackett, Ah Chee, Hinchliffe, Petrevski-Seton, Powell-Pepper U18s: Josh Schache kicks another bag as Vic Country seals title VIC COUNTRY 4.2 5.3 10.5 11.6 (72) SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1.0 5.2 5.5 9.7 (61) GOALS Vic Country: Schache 6, Ainsworth 3, McKay, Simpkin South Australia: Allan 3, Redman 2, McKenzie, Snelling, Dew, Markov BEST Vic Country: Schache, Weitering, Nyuon, Mathieson, Rice, McKay South Australia: Snelling, Scharenberg, Combe, Partington, Milera, Allen

Schache kicks six and Vic Country secure the championship albeit one round early. I think the #1 pick in a lot of the phantom drafts is going to be this kid. Possibly the next Jesse Hogan

Tonight's game is a ripper - how good are Fyfe, Neale and Walters? Pies are a much improved team in 2015.

The second National Championships game at Simmonds Stadium - at this stage only the Vic Metro team is available: Vic Metro v Western Australia Friday 26 June, 2015, 2.35pm [Fox Footy Channel] Simmonds Stadium Vic Metro B: Alex Morgan Jack Firns Daniel Beddison HB: Tom Phillips Harry Thompson Tyrone Leonardis C: Theo Thompson Ryan Clarke James Parsons HF: Matthew Perry Callum Moore Ben Crocker F: Hasham Kerbatieh Jack Silvagni Harley Balic FOLL: Jarrad Smith Nick O'Kearney Jade Gresham I/C: Jayden Collins Brayden Fiorini Bryce Batty David Cunningham EMG: Fraser Pearce Jordan Gallucci Blake Hardwick 2015 Draft Profile: Harley Balic

The first National Championships game in the double header at Simmonds Stadium could be the decider. A win to the country boys will give them the cup. Vic Country v South Australia Friday 26 June, 2015, 12.35pm [Fox Footy Channel] Simmonds Stadium Vic Country B: Bailey Rice Kieran Collins Brandon White HB: Darcy Tucker Jacob Weitering Jarrod Berry C: Tommy Glen Josh Dunkley David Mennen HF: Jy Simpkin Josh Schache Will Brodie F: Ben Ainsworth Harry McKay Darcy Parish FOLL: Gach Nyuon Rhys Mathieson Tom Cole I/C: Matthew Johnston Yestin Eades Nash Holmes Joe Maishman Christian Buykx-Smith Tom Doedee Kurt Mutimer South Australia B: Justin Evans Harrison Westhoff Jack Agostino HB: Andy Georgeson Luke Surman Riley Bonner C: Wayne Milera Will Snelling Brendan Dew HF: Isaya McKenzie Matthew Allen Luke Partington F: Mark Quinn Peter Ladhams Jaydn Brind FOLL: Andre Parella Aaron Francis Hugh Haysman I/C: Stephen Tahana Jonty Scharenberg Will Combe Mason Redman Maris Olekalns Oleg Markov Peter Bampton IN: Maris Olekalns Peter Bampton Oleg Markov Andy Georgeson, Mark Quinn, Isaya McKenzie Jonty Scharenberg Mason Redman OUT: Kyle Presbury Jordan Dawson Luke Hoare Jack Graham Matthew Nunn Campbell Wildman (all on rotation) Croweater catch-up: Will Snelling Possible No.1 draft pick Schache keen to 'finish off' his late dad's work at Brisbane

I'm a great believer in the old footy adage about taking things one week at a time. In a sense it's a pity that the momentum of our win at Geelong has been stalled by the bye but, on the other hand, it's probably good for us supporters to come down from the euphoria of seeing a four quarter effort from the side in which they resisted a number of fightbacks from a reasonably good AFL team on hostile territory. It's been a good week and nothing that happens on the weekend can do much to change that. Can it?

The Saints have a "problem". This is their Round 13 injury list:- In other words, if those three players all pass their fitness test tonight, St. Kilda will have a full playing list for the weekend. In any event, they don't have any players on the long-term injury list and are therefore only entitled to upgrade one player off their rookie list - and that's their "problem".St Kilda keen for rookie list review after Adam Schneider and Jack Sinclair decision. I wonder whether the day will come when we have such a problem?

Here's Knightmare's current Phantom Draft:-

Not quite Melbourne but during the discussion on Brisbane's woes on OTC Gerard Healy made the outrageous suggestion that the AFL had to do something about the state of the Lions' list like giving them a priority pick. If they didn't qualify this year, then surely next year if they have another poor season. Healy is obviously unaware that the AFL has already ruled that eight poor seasons in a row isn't enough to qualify a club for special assistance.

Friday's Division One games in Geelong will be shown live on Fox Footy Channel I'm setting my Foxtel IQ to record the games, if for no other reason than that Simonds Stadium has suddenly become one of my favourite footy grounds.

In that case you should detour and finish your world tour with a visit to fabulous Darwin for the as Weagles game.

Unlikely. Casey also has a bye this weekend.

There was Talking Footy too - Gary Lyon described Nathan Jones one of the best captains in the competition. Paul Roos said that Jones approached him during the week accepting responsibility on behalf of the players for the stuff up in the last 40 seconds last week. There was a lot of discussion on how we were able to maintain intensity for four quarters. Apart from Jones, the players praised were Bernie Vince, Max Gawn, Jack Viney, James Brayshaw (yes they all love him) and Lynden Dunn. Club was also praised for resting Jesse Hogan.

... and despite all that North Ballarat has announced it won't renew coach Donald McDonald's contract (and he's a multiple premiership coach) ...

Humorist, social commentator and Demon fan Titus O'Reily ~

Joshua Schache has taken over as Terry Wallace's #1 on his TAC Future Stars draft list:- 1. Gold Coast - Joshua Schache 2. Brisbane - Jacob Weitering 3. Carlton - Aaron Francis 4. GWS* - Jacob Hopper 5. Sydney* - Callum Mills 6. Melbourne - Harley Balic 7. St. Kilda - Rhys Mathieson 8. Essendon - Darcy Parish 9. Port Adelaide - Charlie Curnow 10. North Melbourne - Luke Partington 11. Geelong - Harry McKay 12. Western Bulldogs - Sam Weideman 13. Richmond - Darcy Tucker 14. Adelaide - Kieran Collins 15. Hawthorn - Josh Dunkley 16. Collingwood - Riley Bonner 17. West Coast - Callum Ah Chee 18. Fremantle - Jade Gresham 19. Brisbane* - Eric Hipwood 20. Brisbane* - Ben Keays * Academy bid Plough also compared the Melbourne and St. Kilda lists with a view to where the clubs would be in 2018 and concluded that the Demons would be ahead because the Saints will be losing a substantial amount of some of their better experienced players in that time (eg. Riewoldt and Montagna) and Melbourne's top end young talent also looks better.

That's enough - game's over.

Listening to the radio this morning it was interesting to hear the commentators making excuses for GWS because of their injuries. I've heard much the same about Gold Coast. Are we excused if we have a bad day today?

Keays dominates NT in U18s QUEENSLAND 3.1 7.3 13.5 17.10 (112) NORTHERN TERRITORY 1.4 2.7 4.8 5.10 (40) GOALS Queensland: Buzza 5, Budarick 2, Weller 2, Blood 2, Keays, Allison, Edwards, Reeves, Ritchie, Spencer Northern Territory: Holt-Tubbs 2, Parfitt, Frank, Egan BEST Queensland: Keays, Allison, William Budarick, Buzza, Hipwood Northern Territory: McGregor, Rioli, McMasters, Long, Barry, Shannon Lovell proves ball-magnet as Tasmania holds off late NSW/ACT charge NSW/ACT 1.2 3.3 5.5 10.10 (70) TASMANIA 3.5 3.9 8.11 10.12 (72) GOALS NSW/ACT: Himmelberg 3, Cornell 2, Bance, Flynn, McFadden, Hopper, Sproule Tasmania: Dodge 3, Quinn 2, Rainbird 2, Franks 2, Smith BEST NSW/ACT: Hopper, Bance, Himmelberg, Macreadie, Minogue, Marshall Tasmania: Lovell, Gavralas, Hibberd, Donnellan, Rainbird, Hayden

Parish looks more skilled and appears to have good pace while Tucker seems to have some issues. Apparently, reported for a behind the play incident in last week's game which isn't good for his cv when it comes to teams coached by Roosy.