Its Time for Another

Hope he's got night lenses for his shades.

He only needs one decision and intention. Kick em through the middle of the big sticks

Funnily enough I listen to the Pod for the bits between the ums. My son is in advertising and he watches TV programs for the ads. Each to his own.

Going to be a very interesting end of year this year. We are potentially going to be overflowing with cap space and there are no obvious key forwards available to trade in. Players creating cap space are obviously Brayshaw, likely BBB, probably T Mac and Tomlinson. There's going to be a lot of scope to throw a big contract at him, very heavily front ended for next season. If not there's still a real argument IMO to hold him to his contract next season while we are so much in the window and forego the difference between what Crows would offer this year in a trade and what we'd get for compo next season if he leaves as a free agent. Or maybe there will be a bidding war over there with Port and we'll get fair picks anyway.

Last year's Gather Round was a disaster. Flew back from Perth and then to Adelaide and proceeded to lose to Essendon 🤮 Clearly applying the learnings from that debacle.

Tell me they aren't his mother, girlfriend and best mate.

Incredible training innovation by the Dees. Leaving no blade of grass unturned to get an edge.

Wonderful news to hear McAdam is finally back in the main squad. Wonder if we'll finally see a return date in the injury reports instead of TBC. Also Melk although he will still be a while away you'd think. And Turner and Hunter back in. Injury list disappearing at the right end of the season. NO MAY!!! Bloody wimp. Take it like a man and get out there. Can't believe he didn't turn up. Ok Ok I'm not saying that to him at Florent. Well anywhere actually. Great news to hear it's only cracked ribs and not broken and no internal damage. Broken are a whole other ball game. Cracked are a shocker if you've ever been through it. Can't see them rushing him back for Crows but it is Steven May so who knows. Would be a great bonus if he's back by Lions game. And great news on Lever. But he's pretty heavily strapped.

I have a similar memory of him from a couple of years after that at the Western Oval. He kicked out from the dead centre of the ground, I don’t think there was even a centre circle in those days little own a centre square, it went through at post height. Longest kick I’ve ever seen. Of course it went through the points.

Doesn't make sense for this week however my guess is this is a long term view over the next three weeks. Next week's game against Port is now an 8 pointer. Then only a five day break to what becomes another danger game v Crows. You'd rather manage Petty's reintroduction against one of the bottom teams where any issues with subs should be manageable rather than leave it to the following week in such an important game against Port and then the Crows.

I was there too. 1987 Night Grand Final. It was a bloody miserable and freezing wet night. Robbie was injured and couldn't play and Essendon had their best team in. I was invited out by a friend who's bank manager had invited him to a box. I went out there expecting a loss but a free feed in heated luxury. We had to wear a suit and tie. We got out there and it wasn't a box it was just an area where the seats had a little divider around them. It was right next to the siren. It virtually parted your hair every time it went off. Absolutely froze to death and got soaked and it was bloody glorious. Also the first silver wear I ever saw. Ran onto the ground after the win for the presentation. Robbie was carried to the stage on the players shoulders to accept the trophy as Captain even though he hadn't played.

I also watched it from behind the goals at the opposite end to Buckenara's goal. Watched all those misses at that end coming towards me. Eishold, Tony Campbell who just had to handball to Robbie standing on his own in the goal square and instead blazed and missed, and someone else, maybe Yeates. Still a heart breaker.

Agree with you that the purpose of the northern academy's was to find players who wouldn't otherwise play AFL. Heeney is the poster boy for the success for this. Blakey and Mills who already played AFL in a junior club are not. But how you police that I don't know. Don't agree with you at all on COLA. I live in Sydney and there is a very clearly identifiable difference in COL up here compared to any other city in Australia. Especially compared to somewhere like Geelong who get a massive COL advantage. The whole COLA outrage and the Buddy deal was a scurrilous beat up by Eddie Everywhere. The COLA component of the salary cap was audited by the AFL every year. It was allocated per rata to each player on the list. There was no pooling of the money and giving it to just one player, Buddy. Swans and GWS will always run with a substantial disadvantage at. attracting players because of this disparity. It has had a significant effect on their trading since it was taken away.

Many memories seared into the brain from that place. The long long trip out on public transport. Especially as a kid. You could never ever find your car in the car park after a game. It took forever to leave once you found it. Went to the first ever World Series Cricket game out there. Me and I believe officially 172 other people including the mate I went with. The '87 Prelim is seared in the memory. Watched the ball in slow motion from the kickout to Buckenara's free kick which Robbie always maintained should never have been paid as the siren went before it got to him. Jimmy walking over the mark and the most heartbreaking moment of my life when Buckenara's kick went through the middle. The only time we were behind in the game was minutes after the final siren. It was unknowingly built in a rain belt so was nearly permanently wet out there when it was dry everywhere else.

I also saw a lot of Robbie including his first and last games and a lot in between. He definitely has some traits that remind me of Robbie. There's a certain drive and swivel from the hips, running style and the same ballet dancer poise and movement especially evading tacklers, burst of pace leaving contests, decision making and skills. There's plenty of Robbie there. He's taller and already quite a bit heavier not that it would be hard to be heavier than Robbie's 68kg. He l already looks to be a better defensive player than Robbie. Time will tell. If he gets to have a career half as good as Robbie's we have a star on our hands. Early signs are very promising.