Demonstone

Nah, nothing significant about the scores. They were just numbers that worked.

Do you think words can be offensive and hurtful, @Ethan Tremblay ?

Thanks @Greg Schneider . No charges laid?

Any details you can share, @Harvey Wallbanger ? I refuse to read any of Murdoch's rags.

I'm truly gobsmacked that more of you didn't work this one out, particularly given the gimme clues provided. Each line, based on jumper numbers, is a football score. Back: Salem Neitz Rivers is 3.9.27 Half-Backs May Grinter Garland is 1.14.20 ... and so on. You should know by now that I like to confuse matters a little to make the teaser more challenging. To that end, I used Jeff Farmer's #8, Liam Jurrah's #48 and James Harmes's #43 (could also have been #4 instead of Jack Watts). Particularly sneaky was the late addition of the emergencies Frawley (8) Bartram (19 - his first number) and Garlett (67 - worn in one game). Anyway, thanks to anybody who had a look. Over and out. edit: @Bombay Airconditioning came up with the answer while I was posting this. He comes home with a wet sail to take out third spot.

Let's wrap this one up this evening, shall we? While we're still young and all that. If your goal is to score a place on the podium, I've totally said everything I can to point you in the right direction. Reveal to be posted around 7.30pm.

Welcome @deemoralizing67 to the podium for what I think is the first time. Their persistence eventually paid off. Third spot still up grabs. It would help if you read each line out aloud. I think.

@Little Goffy is spot on! It's not significant.

The responses have picked up in volume, but not in accuracy. It doesn't relate to a mathematical concept nor to postcodes. Remember, it is footy related and it's rather obvious by now that it is based on jumper numbers.

I was recently in a chicken shop that had a special offer for that day only whereby, if you sang a 70s pop song for them, they’d throw in a free large serve of chips with your order. Sure enough, after I sang an Abba song for them I duly received my freebies. If I had to do the same again, I would my friend … for Nando’s.

A suggestion has been received that the players wore multiple jumper numbers. Although that is not correct, it's so close to the answer as to be on the hot side of warm.

And so it came to pass that @Roger Mellie went beyond the brink and came up with the answer. Congratulations to him. I haven't mentioned the three emergencies for my team. They could well be James Frawley, Clint Bartram and Jeff Garlett. As mentioned, the players names aren't relevant. What they are wearing is germane.

That man on the telly, @Roger Mellie is on the brink of being the first to crack the puzzle. For any others still pondering, here is some information that will either make the answer obvious or infuriate greatly. James Harmes could replace Jack Watts on the bench while still retaining his spot as rover, thus simultaneously filling two positions in the team. What the?

A submission that all in my team played a game without a senior coach is, alas, incorrect. The answer requires some lateral thinking as it doesn't relate to the individual players themselves.

Seecamp copped three weeks for snotting Pearce. He came to Melbourne as part of a swap for Martin Pike, whose off-field activities could no longer be tolerated despite his obvious talent. After leaving Fitzroy, Pike of course went on to play in a premiership with North Melbourne then three more with Brisbane over a golden five-year span.