pitmaster

I haven't missed the facepalm emoji but this screams out for its restoration.

This is how journalism was ruined. People stealing stuff. Now we complain about lack of competition, lack of depth and anything else you can think of, like 'The Age is now the Harvey Norman Tribune'. Be careful what you wish for.

And Laurie has not been given a chance. Like all coaches, SimonG had his favourites and some blokes, Laurie among them, were never given a real go to show what they can do. Toby Bedford is another outstanding example. So if King doesn't see much in Laurie then we'll need to concede his pick was a bust but I hope the kid can make it under the new regime. Ditto JVR, although he showed promise and appears to have stalled, might progress as a forward with a better support structure which is what (gulp) Mihocek is there to provide.

Very happy with this. A good substitute on field for Clarry and a solid citizen to boot. Good for the kids and good for the kulcha.

I look forward to his tell-all, if it ever comes. I'm also interested to know of his regard among his team mates over the past 12 months. He has come across as a malcontent and unduly arrogant but that might just be my ignorance showing through. If the accounts of the players' response to his B&F speech are accurate it's for the best he has gone. Still, I think I'll rewatch the '21 finals series to see what he gave us in his prime. That post game speech round 24 of 2021 rings so hollow now...and it irked me a little at the time since I've never been embarrassed to wear our colours. So glad he did not go to the Pies. They've done us enough harm these past two seasons. Our compensation looks fair. It's up to the club to make the best of it. We have the chance for a genuine re-set, and I like Steele as a stop-gap, experienced mid. Looking forward to see what King can do with them.

why do headless chooks come to mind?

Tell me it ain't so.

Really? A first round draft pick? Geelong was offering a second rounder and the opportunity to dump some salary. So who, according to Hird was offering a first rounder? (Hint: I think James is gilding the lily for the sake of making an argument.)

Zero HangerMelbourne confirm trio of coaching changes, appoint VFL c...New Demons head coach Steven King has dramatically altered his coaching staff.

My first thought is this could be good for us. Kanga strikes me as a volatile and unpredictable piece of work, bloody minded and hard to work with.

I know the Saints are supposed to be Bambi and we'e all supposed to be ready to celebrate their second premiership, but this stinks. I truly hope they have cruelled their credibility within the AFL for years to come. Four days ago Gubby Allen was saying we're just going to get this done and now they find they have bungled their numbers or whatever, and they cut Aleer loose having promised him the world. What a bunch of donkeys. Long may their flounder. I mean, what have they really imported for all their spending? Silvagni is the definition of a banged up hack. TdK is a wannabe or a maybe, let's see. Keep spending you clowns. Meanwhile we might just pick up the kid you conned into looking to buy a house in Melbourne.

Geelong was offering their second round last year so something around 32, actually.

Well, he calls himself Young Angus so let him have his fun. I for one enjoyed his rant. A little irrationality can be good for mental health at times.

Bugger.

I remember when he was first drafted thinking that he would be - my words - "our next Barassi". Well, RDB turned away as well. If a satisfactory deal cannot be negotiated I would welcome Trac back. If he goes, then I will console myself with "good riddance to a malcontent" because that is what he seems to have become post KB 2024, and if that's right then the playing group would be better off without him.

Hopefully today's and yesterday's events are designed to scare off Mihocek.

Many thanks for giving the Demon community this vehicle for venting, raging and celebrating. A crucial part of the footy season.

Having toured the MCG I can tell you that the rooms are characterless, uniform and dull - how exciting can it be inspecting an empty, tiled ice bath? Anything installed there is done on the day for the benefit of TV viewers and sponsors. Even the (removable) team names installed over the door are boring.

Agree. Bedford was not trusted by Goody and he has something we lack...genuine pace. A much bigger loss than JJ who is just a negator. We've been lacking pace for a couple of years and Toby has it in spades. That is one black mark against the coach but they all have their favourites.

Classic Chris Scott press conference, citing 10 or 12 unknown challenges that made Geelong's task this year so difficult. What might some of those be? Well, being the only Victorian club with a weird home ground unlike any other in the competition for them to train and play at to the disadvantage of all who are sent there, almost gifting them 6 or 7 wins a season. And maybe being gifted the softest fixture of any of the previous years' finalists, that could be one. So while he goes through the motions of praising Brisbane he spends most of his time hinting at challenges but not really explaining any of them in case we learn what they are and think so what? I mean, does he even know that Brisbane were missing Coleman and Hipwood? (I am not fan of Hipwood but he is structurally important to Fagan) It makes me wonder why Simon Goodwin did not moan about Petracca playing a finals series with a fracture fibula (secondary bone in the lower leg) or Gawn carrying a debilitating back injure in the second half of 2022 (Mason Cox you rat). Really ungracious performance typical of that entitled winger.

I was open to Snoop performing today since he has conducted himself well since arriving but this pre-game stuff is awful Americanised rubbish. A mix of marching bands, cheerleaders and dance groove. Utterly underwhelming and a cultural cringe from the AFL. Dillon, no doubt, will say it's the best yet.

Utter [censored]. Best ignored.

That's hilarious, with the mooted Flanders trade for pick seven. You're right. Every half cut commentator has some bright idea for where Petracca should or might go. I had a Hawks fan yesterday claiming Trac for the injury prone Mitch Lewis. Given the new coach has said he wants to keep them - they are (potentially) A graders (again) - why not accept that the Dees have the whip hand and they are not moving unless the price is right.

Nothing.

Heard of him? I was introduced to him! He must have been one of my father's favourite players because way back in the 1970s, at the MCG, my old man recognised him and bailed him up in the old MCC Members' Stand, since demolished. My dad would have been a teenager when Eddie was playing and he even told Eddie what number he wore, so that kind of confirms demonwiki's description of him as a cult hero. Eddie, as I remember, was pretty happy to be recognised.