Redleg

That is how our club is viewed in the AFL. We are now changing that perception. We need to become a tough, ruthless winning club.

I think they are nearly always in the square, or at least very close to it, about to enter it and looking away from the field.

I recall Bruce in one game, with 3 minutes left and a team nearly 5 goals down, saying, that he thought there might not be enough time for them to get up and win. They do try and keep the interest up.

Because you have to pass the ball to the other player in the goal square, not handball it 15 metres away to him.

Dunn is the best player in defence, to have the ball in his hands, with Salem a close second, like Watts is in the forward line. A long Dunn kick ,direct to team mate, starts off our attack time and again.

Who cares what they say, I just want wins. Do we really care about their patronizing comments?

These are the facts. We are on the rise, Freo appear to be on the slide. Jesse loves Melbourne the city and the club. He will get similar money from us to any other offer. We were supportive of him when he was out for the season. He is not dominating the game this year and yet we are playing well. He is great mates with Harmes , JKH and appears to get on with the rest of the boys. He gets to play at the G at least 10 times a year. If he goes to Freo he flies each second week across Australia and he has had back problems. Freo want McCarthy and Hooker and won't have a first round pick to offer us and with the older players going, won't want to lose any young stars. As Hogan is contracted in 2017 any offer would have to be massive and I am not sure they would see it as worthwhile, putting all their eggs in one basket. They need to get several young players into their club. He probably does miss his family and mates in Perth. That is what he needs to balance. I don't believe that footballers are totally motivated by missing family and mates. Yes it plays a part in any decision, but so do the other factors. FWIW, I think he will stay for a few more years at least.

I think Petracca and Oliver will both come in and we may use the resting reason again. It is also a 6 day break and fresh legs will help. Brayshaw looked out of sorts, but does some nice things. He seems to be in the second year blues a bit. Will be a great player for us though. I am not suggesting he goes out, but he might need a week off after a short break. I could see Bugg, Kennedy or Harmes being rested. To be honest, this week I haven't got a clue.

Over the years I have mostly got it right with players, but I got two wrong recently. I said HL was finished after the Bombers game and I have apologized to him on here over that. He is now playing very good footy. The other one was Viney. While I never doubted his talent and effort, last year I just thought he might be too small for the modern game. Boy was I wrong. He is now one of our best players and leads the charge each week. He is like a Captain. Tough as nails. Never giving in. Second and third efforts. The first in to defend a mate. You just have to love him. I suppose being the son of Todd it is not surprising in the way he plays. He appears loved by the team and the fans. I would love to see him win the Norm Smith in a Demons Premiership.

Yes, but did he predict that a midget would be the first in waving the flag?

Think I summed it up pretty accurately. Also forecast the Bombers loss 5 months ago. We are however building a good side.

He is from Adelaide.

I wonder why the ends of bananas both bend in the same direction?

I feel bad for us, that we could have had another good player on the list with pick 4.

Agree we have been poorly managed in the past. Agree, as with most elections, voters don't know who will do the best job and are seduced by presentation rather than substance. Agree, that people should hear both sides of an issue, or multiple views, before deciding their stance. Go Dees.

I get it that you hate the Mclardy Stynes Board, you have made it clear over many posts. As for the AFL giving us money, for whatever reason, I contend that it is the clubs' money, as it is the game, put on by the clubs, not the AFL, that earns it. They are the managers of the money, earned and owned by the clubs. They also, I note, pay themselves very well, for that task. More to the point, we are not alone in receipt of funds, many clubs receive money, some among the biggest in the competition.Why single us out, when we are given money, on the back of a trumped up finding, on a trumped up investigation, years after the event, years after the AFL CEO had stated on the record many times, that we had done nothing wrong, then essentially sacking people, with assistance to pay out their contracts. Before you post that we tanked, I know we did, as I have said multiple times before. We did something that was within the rules at the time, which several other clubs admitted to, by their staff, yet we were singled out, by who the AFL, shambolic. Anyway enough about that topic. You surely agree that we are generally given a poor fixture, that hurts us financially. How can the managers of the competition, therefore not give some compensation to those disadvantaged by a rigged fixture, that advantages some and hurts others? Certainly not equal treatment of clubs, effecting their ability to perform and even stay in business. I thought you were one of the proponents,that blamed the AFL in the Bombers saga, among other issues. Is the AFL not a shambolic manager then, when we see all of the fiascos they create? If you cannot accept that TS left for money and cling to some view that other altrusitic issues played a part, I don't think there is anything to gain by continuing that discussion. IMO he left for money, dollars, riches and yes security. Yes I have often said I don't blame him for taking the money, but we will have to disagree on that, as you see him as a nicer bloke than I do. He has not demonstrated one thing to me in his AFL career, that suggests he is a nice bloke, unlike so many other AFL players that I have met and heard about. Lastly, we are not under AFL management. Are you suggesting all of our operating decisions are only reached with AFL approval? PS. You haven't responded to my post that your suggestion that "I would blame TS for Jimmy's death" was in poor taste. Do you agree it was in poor taste? PPS. I much prefer the non political discussion, but there are times when it raises its head, as it has here.

BTW, when one contemplates the scenario, that a down on its knees club, on draft night parading its star recruit on stage live on TV across the country and then the head of the competition, the AFL, is complicit, while that players is in the first 11 months of a 2 year contract with his club, in luring him to another club, with the use of competition money. I find that disgusting, dishonest, treacherous and behaviour that should have led to the resignation of the AFL executive officers from the game. Yes we ended up well out of the deal, but that is not the point. PS. The same AFL, that later singled us out for a tanking inquiry, despite several other clubs doing the same thing and acknowledging it through their people, ( Eddie and Libba for example ) and then penalizing us on a made up charge, despite beating the tanking. Shambolic management.

What about the mark to Lynch? What about the holding the ball against Cheney when he and a Hawks player were both holding it?

From the language used by Dimma in an interview, I would guess he was telling us that Deledio won't play. Was concerned an injury could impact the rest of the season.

Unlikely that he would learn of being dropped after his first game, from anyone other than the Coach. More likely he was being told something about his game.

Yes there are, but I think this is a genuine rest. I also think he will get another rest, at about the 2/3 mark of the season, if his form is holding and he is still in the side. We overdid Gus last year and everyone knew it. We now have more talent, better development and a better understanding of the way young players should be looked after, in their first season.

Fairly accurate if I say so myself.

Always, rubbish.

CP5 getting closer. Probably next week.

If Garlett is fit, he comes in with Vince. There is a 6 day break after the Richmond game to the Saints game. I think Oliver looks like he needs a rest and he also needs to be looked after in his first year. If he is rested, he comes in fresh against the Saints. I don't think Roos will drop Hunt after one game, which was ok, so the unlucky one could be Matt Jones.