pitmaster

Currently buying six.

Just our luck that the year we have two genuine home game blockbusters that the coronavirus is going to diminish crowd numbers. Last year we had neither Anzac Eve or QB and blew a $1.5 million hole in the accounts because the supposed big drawing home games came at the end of the year when the season was shot. Even if the virus is contained both our blockbusters will suffer lower numbers, maybe 40,000 instead of the anticipated 65,000-plus if the behaviour of the past week is any guide to the resilience and public spiritedness of Australians (Hint; there is none.) So the heat should be on those who sit on the fence every year waiting to see how the season unfolds, and also the estimated 10,000 MCC members who still resist buying even a token membership to do for this club what they demand of the players: go hard and go often. Time to buy a membership folks because the club budget is probably blown without you. NB: Moderators, I didn't put this in the Coronavirus thread because that derailed some time ago.

Great. I forgot to worry about this. When I saw it I thought what else was JV supposed to do? A suspension would have been misguided which is probably why I should've worried about it. Relieved.

Nah...if they're in the toilet Adem'll be in the box seat, unfortunately.

I don't see why Goodwin should spell out the style or the team rules for anyone outside the sanctum. Let the other mobs work it out for themselves. That's what they're supposed to do. Clarkson never talked about his 'web' before, during or after its operation that I know of.

Your comment on Scully is spot on. He is a cog and as it turns out a cog that doesn't often hurt the opposition. Wish we all had known that about him years and years ago, but it remains a lesson for the future. We copped a lot of pain to ensure we could have him and it was only ever going to be for a very small part of what makes a team. He proved to be no Judd, or Hodge, or Fyfe, or very much at all.

We know what happens to these privileged prats once success departs...they disappear very quickly, yet they're very bloody noisy soon after their club lucks out with one of the strongest drafts of all time while they're on the bottom.

Greg Williams was slow and one dimensional too. Viney has something rare and that cannot be manufactured: true grit. BTW I had a look at The Roar piece. The bloke who wrote it has 'expert' next to his name. Who's ever heard of him before this? I am backing Jack to tear The Roar a new one.

For a chronic pessimist and whinger you have a charming vein of optimism. Congratulations. Seriously, it's a compliment.

New one on me. Potentially as annoying as tennis players saying 'he played great/good etc'. Maybe moreso since it's meaningless.

As a fellow pedant I assure you 'fail' is both verb and noun depending on usage.

For all the talk about how the poor season in 2019 damaged membership sales - and this message was reinforced by Gary Pert at the AGM - there is no evidence to support that if the records on here are correct. According to George's numbers 2019 was our best year (at least in the past five) for memberships sold after April 1. In 2015 we went from 32,001 on April 1 to a final 35,911, an increase of 3,592. Last year the increase in the corresponding period was 6,909 coming from 45,537 on April 1 to 52,446 at the finish. That's a bigger number than In our finals year 2018. In 2016, '17 and '18 the increases in that period were 3,676, 3,548 and 5,419. If the club is right and we would have made 60,000 last year with a strong on-field performance there must be more to the numbers than is obvious. The club would know for example how many dropped off and how many outright new members there were. But right now it looks like the club's kidding itself.

That, and a mute recognition of what happened to us, which they chose not to 'notice' at the time since they've been taught for years by coaches who say 'injuries are no excuse' Don't expect the media, who are educated by players and coaches to downplay the significance of injuries, to break out of the mould on their own.

Fitzroy 1964 comes to mind.

First, it's "Soylent". Second, why would (spoiler alert) feeding people to people stop a virus?

Ground amenities aren't great. Most people sit or stand on the grass. The small temporary grandstands are fine but on the outer side you are exposed to the sun all afternoon so unless you're keen to tan up the grandstand side is better. Lasseter's may be the best viewing spot of the lot for the public but last year tickets were around $170 per which I thought was pretty steep. If your pockets are deep...

I agree except I WOULD make the effort from time to time to back the club. It would demand some creativity from the club to make it work. That is clearly the aim atm given comments at the annual meeting.

No. Don't let it be so. I want them on a sloooowwww slide down the ladder, say three years around 9-11 so they aren't in the race but aren't finding the absolute cream draft picks...then after a couple of recruiting blunders they slip into 13-16 territory for let's say four more years before absolutely bottoming out in a winless season, then recover to finish 12th for four more years. And the same for Hawthorn so I can enjoy an impotent Jeff Kennett howling in the pages of the Hun every few months.

That, and they had unrepeatable luck with injuries in 2019 (as in virtually none). Still, they're well coached and are likely to be there.

I don't think 2019 means anything. If Burgess is doing his job properly the list should be looking to replicate 2018. I lost count - actually I could go back and count but I can't be stuffed so I'll just say I lost count - of the number of games last year where we were either in front or right in the contest at the start of the final term and were overrun. Fix that ability to run out games and we should be looking to grow beyond 2018 results. A pass for me is finals. Success would be winning at least one final and being competitive in a second. Winning a premiership would be delirium.

Below North is a worry, but I think we have more capacity for growth. The Saints have had good press and are seriously upbeat so that's to be expected. It is annoying how fickle some of our crew are.

Not a smoker but I went the same way. Old school. The cards (for me and the spouse) arrived this week, two months after payment, but then the club did say they'd be arriving after Christmas. I am OK with the package: cards and three stickers. The magnetic fixture could be handy but probably won't be used, just like every other year. Otherwise there's no wastage. Interestingly both our memberships turned up in one envelope addressed to just one of us: now that's efficient cost cutting.

They have birds down there too...Tassie Hawks would work...maybe Kennett should be told to take his own advice and split town.

Umpires had an impact on the margin for sure. Happy for the gals.

Is that irony or sarcasm?