Whispering_Jack

Late in the third term and the Dees lead 10 goals to 3.

Half time and it's the Dees 7.9.51 to Bombers 1.3.9

Dees lead by 5 goals and change to a goal and a bit.

Qtr time: Dees 3.3.21 to Bombers 1.3.9 The coach not happy. Players need to team better.

Goal to the Bombers. They have a bit of pep in their steps.

Dees move to 3.1.19 to 0.1.1 at the halfway mark of Q1.

First blood to the Demons who lead by a goal to nothing. And just now, second blood. 2.0.12 to 0.0.0

The opening of the season is 5 minutes away ...

Expect the car parking situation to be diabolical so get there early.

The AFL and Essendon both received the report. Neither appear to have taken steps to seek an injunction to protect the players' confidentiality. Interesting.

I must remember to bring along the sunscreen.

This sounds like a terrific initiative and I hope both Bundle and Murray do well at the Scorpions. I like the way the club is managing things in the aftermath of its financial crisis after the 2012 season. No big name signings but a lot of work in the local community and the region. Hopefully, it will translate into success on the field and support in terms of numbers at games.

Final practice hit up for 2014 and what better opposition than the reigning premiers Hawthorn? I rate Clarkson and Roos as the two best coaches going around ATM and I'm hoping this will be the precursor to a great rivalry. That may well be a little way off but I certainly hope they all do away with the "it's only a practice match" line because this is the last (well almost*) chance for players to stake their claims for a place in the opening round. While it's true that it is only a practice match, the problem is that many of us said this last year when there were definite signs in last year's practice matches v St. Kilda and Gold Coast that things weren't right within the playing group. In reality, we couldn't ignore the fact that in last year's practice game at Casey, the team conceded eight goals to the Saints in a short space of time in the second quarter or that it meekly surrendered to Gold Coast after half time. These practice matches set the scene for our whole season. I believe we can expect quite a few of the players who missed the trip to Alice Springs and went on tour to Gippsland instead to play against the Hawks including some of the vital key position talls and rucks who we missed on Friday night. The result of the game might be of no importance but who plays and the way in which it is played is vital to our prospects for the season because we need to make a good start. * players who have missed the pre season matches through injury can get permission to play in practice matches with the Casey Scorpions including on the following week when no AFL practice games can be scheduled.

3/331 at stumps makes great reading as Warner answers his critics with a great century and Clarke returns to form. Hopefully, we can continue on day 2 to bludgeon the SA attach which is now without Steyn (hammy). It's good to see James Pattinson in the team, notwithstanding that it's at Siddle's expense.

I went to the movies last night and saw "Dallas Buyers Club" starring Matthew McConaughey as AIDS patient Ron Woodroof, who smuggles unapproved pharmaceutical drugs into Texas to improve his symptoms and then establishes a buyers club for other AIDS sufferers. At a Mexican hospital, he is prescribed the protein peptide T which improves his health and allows him to live seven years longer than the one month his doctor originally gives him. McConaughey provides a truly great acting performance in the film but the peptide references had me thinking that Dank is his equal in the art.

Agreed. He should stop not only because he's an embarrassment - he's shilling for the players or he simply doesn't get it - Dirtied Dozen deserve a fair go. The sympathy card might stir up some feeling with the masses but it's a massive deception.Had the club that employed the "dirtied dozen" kept proper records, then this whole thing would have been done and dusted 12 months ago. As for having compassion for the players, it's true that they're victims but they did sign waiver forms that mentioned the drugs and they allowed themselves to be subjected to a massive number of injections, some off-site. In the real world, athletes of all sports are educated these days to be vigilant about such things. These guys weren't. ASADA may not be a perfectly run organisation but I suspect that the delays in completing this investigation were due predominantly to the way others conducted themselves.

And this part of the article doesn't gel with me: I believe the "discounts" only thing applies where the accused has assisted ASADA in laying charges against other offenders.

Thanks Crackers & the post script to the above is that the Herald Sun has now released the names. No surprises and red faces at the Bulldogs and Dockers. The article is still pushing the tired old line that "ASADA has been accused of telling ­Essendon in 2012 that the substance was permitted for use". Yes, it has been accused of this but there's no proof that it did so nor, in the unlikely event that it did, that it would alter the situation. News Limited's coverage of this scandal has been abysmal.

I have yet to see players named on any News Limited website and it would not surprise me if Little himself isn't working the phones internationally to prevent the publication of any of his players' names. One of the Murdoch Empire's leading executives is said to be a Bomber fan and it's also been suggested that as a consequence, their outlets have dealt favourably with the Essendon side over the scandal. The players' names will come out in the fullness of time but the numbers mentioned in the article tally with the numbers in speculation over the past months since the ASADA interim report was published. It's also interesting that four players may be named who have left the Bombers possibly to go to other AFL clubs. A couple of opposition recruiting officers should be quaking in their boots tonight.

OK, if you won't accept Dream Team scores, how about Supercoach points. This evidence is overwhelming:- Bernie Vince 129 Mitch Duncan 118 Dom Tyson 112 Steve Johnson 110 Lynden Dunn 110 Nathan Jones 109 Daniel Cross 104 George Horlin-Smith 103 Dean Terlich 97 Mitch W Brown 94 Josh Caddy 94 Jimmy Bartel 93 Viv Michie 89 Travis Varcoe 78 Tom McDonald 75 Mitchell Clisby 73 Alexis Georgiou 71 Jimmy Toumpas 69 Shannon Byrnes LXVIII Dawson Simpson 68 Jarrad Jansen 68 Jesse Hogan 67 Dan Nicholson 66 Jake Spencer 66 Taylor Hunt 64 Jordie McKenzie 63 Jack Grimes 62 Tom Hawkins 61 Jeremy Howe 61 Billie Smedts 59 Harry Taylor 56 Matt Jones 56 James Kelly 55 Mark Blicavs 54 Jackson Thurlow 54 Sam Blease 51 Jack Watts 50 Jack Trengove 48 Jared Rivers 46 Cameron Guthrie 43 Hamish McIntosh 40 Rohan Bail 39 Jordan Murdoch 38 Joshua Walker 30 Lincoln McCarthy 26 Joel Hamling 26 Tom Lonergan 24 Jack Fitzpatrick 21 Dom Barry 12 Jordan Schroder 12 Max King 11 Joel Selwood 10 Player # X finished ahead of more than half the field so put that in your pipes and smoke it!

And there you have it folks. The Hawks are NAB Challenge unofficial champions for 2014. GWS and Melbourne who some suggest will finish bottom two, both make the eight. The Saints get the wooden spoon. Hawthorn 2 - - 272 76 357.9 8 West Coast 2 - - 220 101 217.8 8 Adelaide 2 - - 218 120 181.7 8 Geelong 2 - - 201 186 108.1 8 Richmond 1 1 208 174 119.5 4 GWS Giants 1 1 - 214 190 112.6 4 Sydney 1 1 - 152 147 103.4 4 Melbourne 1 1 - 182 181 100.6 4 Western Bulldogs 1 1 - 136 153 88.9 4 Carlton 1 1 - 161 192 83.8 4 Port Adelaide 1 1 - 149 184 81.0 4 Gold Coast 1 1 - 149 195 75.4 4 Fremantle 1 1 - 161 217 74.2 4 Brisbane 1 1 - 129 213 60.6 4 Essendon * - 2 - 154 180 85.5 0 Collingwood - 2 -178 228 78.1 0 North Melbourne - 2 - 146 218 67.0 0 St. Kilda - 2 - 131 206 63.6 0 * not that it matters but this position might change after ASADA issues it's final report on the supplements scandal.

Caps are not hats. Mind you, talking about stuff you borrow from the missus, I must say the dress you wore at lunchtime on Wednesday was quite captivating.

Lenny Hayes / has he done his hammy?

No, he doesn't wear 10. The legend goes that he's so ancient that has to wear the Roman numeral on the back of his guernsey.

Funny thing is I don't even own a hat.Dream team points is one thing and his skills on the ground are another. He set up a couple of goals and didn't constantly turn over the ball as much as a few others and I hope your eyesight improves.