george_on_the_outer

One good thing out of this weeks hearings/kangaroo court/ show trials was Dan Butlers case being thrown out by the Tribunal because his actions were "not careless" So much for Michael Christian assessing them as careless when all the guy did was tackle his opponent. That Blakey never saw the tackle coming was not Butlers problem. Furthermore it shows these assessments by the MRO are simply opinions. Not good enough!

Absolutely correct!! I was chatting with another Demons supporter at a training session, who was a boxing coach. He told me McCartin would never be allowed into the ring again if he was a boxer. The rules in Victoria for KO, TKO or concussion are a mandatory 30 days away from competition or even training. Next KO etc is 60 days, next 90 days. 4 KO's etc is a 12 month suspension. For a sport which is so brutal, it is laughable that AFL protocols provide less protection, and less consequence for subsequent concussions to the player. Just give it away Paddy. Speak with John Barnes and find out what you are doing to yourself.

Hawthorn are doing just fine……

A really needed selection after Maggie Caris left, even though she is only 183cm compared to Caris at 190. If Lauren Pearce goes down, we struggle to find another tall, and have to use Tayla to fill the gap.

I had a tile or 2, and on the “unveiling” night, they were on portable stands. If I remember they were to be made permanent when we had our own change rooms. Never happened as far as I know.

.....and if we are in our Premiership window now, then we probably will not be in 3-4 years. Just when the AFL will be handing out priority picks to the new side, same as they did for GC and GWS. Pity the sides that are near the bottom of the ladder at that point. A couple of articles in todays Age which speak of the growing disaster in AFL in NSW, and the incomprehensible need to build another stadium in Hobart: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-nrl-is-stronger-here-than-when-the-giants-started-swans-giants-want-afl-to-lift-its-game-20230427-p5d3nl.html https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/as-albanese-backs-an-afl-stadium-for-hobart-tasmanians-are-living-in-tents-20230428-p5d3yo.html

Won't happen. 1. Clubs at the bottom don't give up No 1 pick....it enables them to showcase themselves and their sponsors. You don't get the coverage for pick 3, 4. 5 etc. 2. We are facing our own cliff in a short period of time. Gawn (32), May (31), TMac (31 ), Viney (29), BBB (31), Hibberd (33), Salem (28), Grundy (29). This will in all likelihood be our only chance to select multiple top end talents at the draft, until these players retire. One player alone at pick 1 does not produce Premiership success, you need multiple top end players close in age, as we have already proven.

Was shown on Ch9 news hobbling in to get scans on Tuesday for a severe corkie. 5 day break will be the problem.

Aimee & Blaithin take out the Division 2 Premiership in the LGFA competition. https://www.womens.afl/news/119214/dees-irish-sisters-help-deliver-gaelic-premiership-win

OK this was a question that was first raised at the open session a couple of days ago.... Who is this with JJ? It's not John McEnroe or Bjorn Borg. Perhaps @dazzledavey36 can help out?

58,934 Really slowing up now......only about 1,500 over last year. At this rate we won't make 70K

Sparrow may be another forced change: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/star-bomber-could-miss-anzac-day-clash-dogs-defender-suffers-rib-injury-20230416-p5d0sn.html Merrett’s tackle on Demon Tom Sparrow in the final five minutes of the Bombers’ shock 27-point defeat of the premiership favourites may cost him his place for Tuesday week’s match. The Essendon star initially grabbed Sparrow around the neck as he grappled with him before flinging him to the turf head-first in a motion that match review officer Michael Christian is sure to scrutinise. The AFL’s crackdown on dangerous tackles resulted in bans for in-form Hawk Will Day (two games) and Geelong’s Gary Rohan (one) from round four incidents, while Richmond defender Nathan Broad copped a four-match suspension earlier in the season. Sparrow’s medical report, including a possible delayed concussion, will not be the sole factor, given Christian’s ability to assess an incident with the potential to cause serious injury.

6 April

Apparently it is the first time in the clubs history they have won by 50 points in 3 of first 4.

Confirmed: https://www.zerohanger.com/hawthorn-receive-state-funding-boost-for-new-training-facilities-135274/ And they have plenty in the bank, since they have sold some of their pokies venues, and are in the process of selling more. Unlike us, they have started fundraising with their members, and will have this facility operating by 2024!!.

Absolutely right. To get much beyond where we are now we need sustained success. And that has to be over a long period. @Sir Why You Little is right when he notes we need to get the kids on board, and that means winning while they are in their formative years. We lost generations with our absence from Finals from 1965 to the mid 80's. Then another 10 year gap to 2000's. Then another 10-15 year gap to 2018. And during that overall period we won a single Premiership in 57 years! A few bright moments, but what kid wants to support a team, that just wasn't there in finals time for year after year after year. Collingwood have won only 2 Premierships in the past 63 years, but have appeared in finals year after year after year. That's what keeps their fans turning up. The end result might be disappointing for them, but they are engaged by the fact that their club is "always in it". We need the same sort of success. But it takes years to translate support into memberships. You might get the kids today, but they aren't able to pay for their memberships until they start working to earn money. Could be 20 years time!

Apart from 2021 when there was a big jump toward the end of the season, for obvious reasons, there hasn't been much change historically from the increase in numbers from about early April. i.e. we are up by about 2-3,000 on last year, which will get us to about 68-69k by year end.

After the stellar year from sister Blaithin in her first year, the club has signed Aimee Mackin to the side. Aimee was voted the best LGFA best player in 2020, after coming back from an ACL injury. Her highlights package would indicate that like Blaithin, she will translate her Gaelic football skills to AFLW easily. Fast, strong and with an exceptional goal sense, get excited..... https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1295458/sister-act-another-mackin-joins-the-dees

Exactly......Gosch's is only ever going to be a compromise. Ground is controlled by MOPT, so when we can train on it, the maintenance of the ground and MOST importantly restricted with lighting means it can only be second best. And we have to share facilities with Storm, Rebels & Victory ( gyms, rehab facilities, physio rooms, pools). And by the way, we also have a womens team these days. They need to be accomodated, not just stuck away in the corner as a second thought.

Have heard all this before. The same story as 6 months ago.....and when you are as old as me, the same story as 30 years ago!!

Ripper interview. Nice to get the real insights into what is going on. Particularly like the assessment that our medical and sports science teams are the best in the business, and also the caring nature of the players and staff is unique.

Is there such a thing as "match fitness" in 2023? Do the modern fitness and conditioning programmes negate the need for playing matches before a senior game after injury?

For teams that are poor there is no reason to tank these days. When it was endemic 15 years ago, it was because the AFL was handing out priority picks. Tanking provided an additional pick at the top end. If you finish 18th today, you get one pick ( at No. 1), and your next pick (19) is one behind the Premier at 18. Other poorly performing sides have picks 2,3...etc so there is little difference in quality there. Petracca or McCartin? You cannot build a decent side around 1 good player alone. Hawthorn aren't tanking, they are just bad. North weren't tanking last year, they were just bad. Look at the difference a decent coach ( Clarkson) & football manager ( Viney) have made to them. Same as happened to us.

Not all of us!

I think it too early to make the suggestion that we have changed our forward entries @Engorged Onion. In this one game the Bulldog defence was simply, utterly and completely disgraceful. We had 17 marks inside forward 50 and for the whole game we only had 2 contested marks. In other words, at the very worst we had 15 uncontested marks inside forward 50.! Simply unbelievable. We didn't need to seek to kick to pockets because there was no zone defence. We had players sitting unattended dead in front on multiple occasions. How many times did players get behind the Bulldogs defence, because they were playing man on man? When beaten there is no-one between them and the goal, ala Kossie, Chandler, Melksham.....i.e. no goalkeeper used like when playing zone. Spargo didn't need to kick to anyone else, because no Bulldogs defender came to him, and because in the absence of a zone defence, there was nobody in front of him in any case. I suspect we will see similar this week, because Brisbane haven't used a zone previously. They depend on Harris Andrews and Daniel Rich holding the fort. To see if we have changed anything we need to wait to see in a game where the opposition have serious defensive structures.