Vipercrunch

It's still a few days out, but the current forecast is suggesting the rain should be over by the time the match starts (see below). Given how well the MCG drains, I don't think the rain will be a factor at all and shouldn't affect selections. Waiting eagerly to hear if there are other cases before thinking about my ins and outs. "Cloudy. Very high (95%) chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Showers easing during the afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning. Winds northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h tending westerly 20 to 30 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening."

Sam Edmund live on SEN now - Did not divulge names but suggested he was pretty sure he knew who they were. When asked how significant the players were responded it was "1 or 2 best 22 and next generation stars" LJ plus one other young gun plus a player outside the current 22 is best bet at the moment.

Sam Edmund live on SEN now - Did not divulge names but suggested he was pretty sure he knew who they were. When asked how significant the players were responded it was "1 or 2 best 22 and next generation stars"

Smith in for Lever - Smith is more versatile than Tomlinson Bedford in for Viney - Sparrow and Harmes take Viney’s midfield minutes and centre bounces. BBB in for one of Weeds or TMac - personally I’d like to see more of Weeds but I think it will be him going out.

It's seriously time to throw the center bounce out. People think they care, but if/when it happens, they won't miss it at all. In the games where they umpires haven't bounced the ball due to conditions, I can guarantee no one sits on the train on the way home saying "Gee Frank, I really missed the center bounces today!!

I think a much better approach to the games current issues is to get serious about diving/simulation (more charges laid, and bigger fines leading to suspensions to repeat offenders) and to deal with umpire dissent and abuse after the games instead of inconsistently punishing during the games. The entire system breaks down when the very mild instances like Harris Andrews and the Hawks boys get punished, while the much more demonstrative and aggressive dissent of Hewitt (?? - the Carlton player) get missed. Start with fines of $5k, keep doubling it for repeat offences. If a club has more than 5 offences in a year, $50k out of that clubs soft cap for the following year with $50k more for each offence after that. The final step is to reintroduce a public report into contentious umpiring decisions after each round. Let us know what decisions were right, what was wrong and why the mistake was made (blind spots, bad positioning etc). Not to shame the individual umpires, but to help recalibrate the footy loving public as to how the rules are meant to be interpreted. The inconsistency we are seeing is the main cause of the publics frustrations.

I love watching goal celebrations now where the focus is on rewarding and congratulating the players that did the effort/work rate/1%/unselfish acts as well as celebrating with whoever kicks the goal. The Sparrow effort leading to the Fritta goal was a great example of this. It's also good when the crowd gets in on this. The reception for May after some of his efforts in the third quarter by the MCC was perfect. Our supporters are now growing in awareness of the efforts that are leading to our success and showing their appreciation. A stark contrast to the groans that used to echo around the 'G after a turnover.

Very tough selection unless an injury or protocols happen. I'm on the side of BBB coming straight back in. He doesn't need to prove anything at Casey. The question of who comes out is very tricky though. My thoughts straight after the game was Weeds hadn't quite done enough, but after watching the third quarter again yesterday, I realised he was much better than I thought. Several strong contested marks on the wings, marks which in modern footy are so very important. His disposal was very good and capped it off with the late goal. His first quarter was also handy. We have to keep finding ways to improve. Yes we know the BBB and TMac combo is effective. We have also just won 3 games with TMac and Weeds. I think we have nothing to lose but much to gain by having a look at what BBB and Weeds looks like. Whatever the decision, there certainly won't be any outrage from me though.

Goal to BBB. Safe now at 88-57

I'm not reading that much into it. He's not playing for a spot in the seniors, he's just maintaining match fitness.

Taj with a great goal, then a free given away and Munro gets another without the ball going back. 69-54

Petty has really come into the game since half time. However, they score. We still lead 60-48

Goal to Daw after a big pack mark. 60-42 The camera work is very jerky, but at least the commentators aren't as pathetic as last week.

Goal to JVR after a down the ground free, then to Chandler after a somewhat hot HTB free. Now leading 52-42

We're down 40-41 at half time. Not playing well at all tonight.

From what I've seen tonight, Dunston is a long way off it.

Goal to Chandler apparently, although the audio and visual stream is broken.

Just because Lever is coming in, doesn't mean we have to omit a known defender. I would have thought the obvious thing to do would be to bring Lever in and move Brayshaw back to the wing. This brings us back to our normal 7 defenders in the team (May, Lever, Smith, Bowey, Hunt, Tomlinson and Rivers). My suspicion is that when fit and ready, Petty will replace Tomlinson and Salem will push out Hunt, and that will then be our coaches best 7 defenders in the team (no Hibbo, Hunt or Tomlinson). With Brayshaw returning to the wing, I think the decision then becomes who out of Jordan and Sparrow is the medical sub. As far as the forwards go, when Brown returns (not 100% they play him after missing a week of training), I think they'll have a good look (3-4 weeks at least) of how things gel with BBB and Weeds as the KPF while TMac bides his time at Casey.

I'm having a quiet arvo at work today so I just re-watched the Momentum mini doc. It brings out the emotion of the game and what happened behind the scenes superbly and I found the tears of joy welling up again.

You beat me to it. The last 10 minutes of the second quarter was poorly umpired and it ALL went Collingwoods way.

I can't possibly see how it can be seen as anything other than terribly racist, homophobic and sexist.

Having watched the Suns game last week, I think we are a 3+ goal a quarter better side than they are. The quality of footy in the 3 games on Sunday was miles behind the first 6 games of the round. Any win less than 50 points will be an opportunity lost. I'm expecting 72 points. I'm not usually that bullish, but the Suns left me incredibly underwhelmed.

Smith was the chosen match up for Charlie Cameron last September and yes, Charlie kicked 4 goals but not all of them were because of something Smith did wrong, so I'd say Smith goes to Rankine.

Perhaps not, but he is certainly playing for them now though. Perhaps the Essendon game has made him think getting a kick via a soft free is the easier way play. I don't like it when opposition players do it, and I don't like it when MFC players do it. The game is hard enough to umpire as it is without players trying to milk free kicks.

Draper should have got 1 week. Rioli should have 2 weeks. Mitch Robinson should have been cleared. The Sloane one, I'm comfortable with a fine I think. What a horrible way to start the year for the AFL and tribunal.