pitmaster

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?

Some of those 50metre penalties please!

Astonishing that people are falling for the won't be viable line. Seriously, when do you think GWS or GC will be viable in their own right? A Tassie team (some say they'll be the Tassie Tigers, or Tassie Devils...but me, I say call them the Tassie Maps) is inevitable, and fully deserved. Tassie has supplied more champions than its relatively small population would suggest likely. The game is (used to be) loved down there, but the truth is, it is in trouble and a Tassie team would help restore its status If you don't believe it's in trouble consider that Burnie, one of the teams that ushered Russell Robertson into our ranks, no longer has a team. The suggestion that Tasmania will always support the game is ignorant of what is happening. As for viable, viable is what the AFL decides is viable. They propped us up, they are propping up the expansion clubs and they have the capacity to prop up Tasmania while it develops its team. Incidentally, there are already climate change refugees already bolstering its population which is increasing, hence its economic capacity is rising also. Another reason for liking a genuine Tasmanian team is that it pulls some millions out of two of our competitors. Car'n the Maps of Tasmania!!

Not the real issue.

That was a mistake shutting down the old Neeld puts heat on Demons thread Nasher. It was fascinating to be able to review how members responded to Neeld's early comments. It also stands as a warning to pretty much everyone who contributes to this site to be a bit more careful about how we respond and what we find convincing. It was doubly interesting to see some of those who are generally only too quick to criticise fall for Neeld's hard man talk. And impressive to see a couple of posters who suggested caution. I am going to cut everyone who fell for Neeld's PR some slack, however, because they were reading his comments via the press. What might look impressive in black and white on the page could have come across differently if delivered face to face, and that I suspect is where things ran off the rails. Hard messages must be delivered at times, but they should be accompanied by care for the person who is copping it.

From MFC website tonight. Sorry if this repeats anything. MELBOURNE duo Steven May and Joel Smith both underwent minor procedures last week but are expected to be back running shortly. May experienced some discomfort in his knee during the holiday period, while Smith’s injury came in the unluckiest of fashion when he stood on a sharp object at the beach. While the pair will be held back from the main group temporarily, performance manager Darren Burgess isn’t too concerned by the news. They’ve both had minor setbacks through no fault of their own,” Burgess told Melbourne Media. “Maysie had a cyst pressing on the nerve of his knee which required some treatment. His pre-season has been outstanding so far and this won’t affect his program going forward. “Joel cut his foot while on holidays which was pretty unlucky. He treated it straight away and did all the right things, but that wound got a bit infected, so he’s just had to look after it.” Although May and Smith will return to training via the rehab group, Burgess doesn’t see the injuries impacting their start to the 2020 season, expecting them both to be back on the track next week.

Everyone at the Pies is overrated. Always. It's because that club is media-hyped up the yinyang. Remember the little kid on the Coodabeens who rang every week to ask if Craig Starcevich was going to win the Brownlow? That said it all.

Sorry, RDN but you misunderstood my question. I am wondering what if anything we give to the home club in our Melbourne 'return game' in order for our members to have free entry because they can't get to the AS game? After all whoever the 'return game' home team is, say this year it's Hawthorn, they are losing when our members are given free entry to their home game. What does Melbourne do to compensate the Hawks in that case?

Does anyone here know what the club gives up, or provides to other clubs as compensation for playing in AS? (Hopefully not a ritualistic spanking or similar.) Serious replies preferred.