pitmaster

This was a defeat that magnified into a thrashing because we did not take our chance to put scoreboard pressure on Freo when we had the chances. Two, or was it three posters? Brayshsaw misses everything in the second quarter with an open goal on a 45 degree angle in front of him. Ditto Garlett (who was otherwise sensational) in the second half. Although we were five goals down we dominated the first five minutes of the last quarter for the reward of a handful of points. Convert one of those, and two of those earlier posters or misses and we are putting the heat on them. No we were not going to win it but they would not have played with such wild abandon in the final 20 minutes either. The key message is we are not as bad as the margin implies but we do lack steadiness in the heat of battle. That has been the case all year: six goals 14 points is the most inaccurate we have been all year and it's a reflection of the pressure perceived and real yesterday. As to individuals, Tyson is still a kid and is allowed to make mistakes (such as blazing away instead of passing to Jamar in the last) and will still improve. McDonald was good again. Garland brave, Vandenberg still showed stuff. Jamar kept going at an impossible task. Watts continued his run of bad form but good players - and he is - have to be allowed to play through patches of lousy form because he will gain nothing from the VFL and we don't have the depth to replace him. If any better signal about lack of depth was needed, take a look at poor bloody Jordie's effort which shows endeavour will take you only so far.

To the charge of schadenfreude I plead guilty. I also plead guilty to the charge of having boasted: "I tipped this" since I remembered while talking to a Geelong supporting friend that the knock on Mitch from the time we filched him from Freo was that he was physically fragile and that Brisbane thought it unlikely he would go the distance on a long career. To those too sensitive to engage in a smile at this time may I suggest even you will be celebrating as we overtake Geelong...hopefully in Mitch's time.

There is a reference to it in one of the Hun articles. The wrap for round 4 (forget the headline) and it is only in the final paragraph so you'll have to scroll down.

I don't care who he barracks for...blokes like Burns are so full of themselves they think they can talk s*&t and get away with it. Jeremy Clarkson is another prime example of an individual who drinks his own armpit excretions.

I have it on excellent authority that Howe's manager (Nial) has a total of six players on his books...and four of them have been traded.

Knocking off Hawthorn in a GF with a goal after the siren following a 50 metre penalty when one of theirs creeps over the mark...that would almost do it for me.

Because Watts was expected to be a goal machine like the Red Fox. It just hasn't worked out yet. Wasn't Andrew Obst a No. 4?

Not a big fan of Hughesy but that was very interesting. Look at the problem he had - we stink and he was supposed to get some laughs at the players' expense. So he said nothing about how we play and instead ripped into appearances and odd bits of behaviour - good line about Gawn - so I reckon it was cleverly crafted to avoid giving offence about what really matters, our performance as a footy club.

I appreciate what you are saying and I respect you personally vouching for them and their expertise, however, it is clear that their finding leaked well ahead of time (at least early enough for T Watson to be sprouting it hours prior) so in that sense it is behaving according to the usual dodgy AFL custom.

This is the heart of it. It was in the AFL's interest to get this out of the way. Yes ASADA or WADA may appeal but for the AFL it's one step at a time. We really should not be surprised at this so-called 'NOT GUILTY' verdict. The Tribunal has always been run on Rafferty's Rules. It's tainted, inconsistent, opaque and utterly unreliable. You have to think ASADA will be pushing their big brother to go to a genuinely independent tribunal and just blow off the AFL circus.

Not so. There was a draw against the Swans in there somewhere.

Absolutely. Remember Cousin's behaviour after the final siren, carrying on during the presentation...man was he WIRED!

That might mean you don't do a lot of painting then. I've used them for 30 years, Based in Ballarat, one of those times when the word "iconic" as in iconic Australian brand truly applies. Very solid company.

I don't know how unwell he was but I accept he WAS crook. What I don't follow is why he could not return to the club that supported him so thoroughly. Did he also have to change his girlfriend? His car? His clothes? Were they all tainted by association with his illness too? That was where we were scammed. And sour long disappointed Demon that I am I was disappointed to see him kick six, but you know what? When he came to us the word was he was physically fragile, and so he proved to be. He will most likely break again. Take comfort in that, and also the fact that the Cats are on the slide. Yes they've got Hawkins who is a legitimate power forward but so much of their engine room has many clicks on the clock. Long may they rot.

KISS. FCS. That whole dress up thing, and the tongue waggling, strewth. It's s circus outfit at its height. Now they look like a KISS version of Fat Elvis impersonators. Just bury them.

That is unequivocally good news. A true Demon who stood by us in tough times. Had his jaw broken behind play by the thug Mathews. A loyal servant of the club as they say and to this day I see him at every MCG game. This can only be good for us.

Nonsense that four wins is acceptable for any of us. Don't try to make yourself noble by refusing to cop it. What is not acceptable for me is being a fair weather (read soft $&*@) supporter. Backing the club is the one non-negotiable we have. When it's a players turn to go we expect him to go. For the likes of us that means dipping our hand in our pocket whenever we have the capacity to do so. Consider yourself called out.

nine wins is a bare pass - I hope we make it 11.

What unites these two is that they are top four draft picks of ours that are actually on their feet right now! OK and Brayshaw, but no-one's managed to bag him yet. Toumpas is going to surprise a lot of people this year. He is a beautiful user of the ball and will become a devastating weapon for delivery to the forwards. Watts has always had a bad rap. The point, already endorsed by a few contributors, is that he reads the game and finds space like very few can do, and our vision or decision making or skills have not been up to locating him. Consider too, that sometimes by finding that space he is creating options for his team mates. Like Toumpas, his skills are outstanding, and like Trapper who was also silky skilled, he is prone to occasional brain fades. There is sometimes a laziness about Watts, in his physical attack on the ball, but sometimes I think this is down to him anticipating faster than others what is about to unfold. I rate him highly because when he is firing he is incredibly effective. Toump will soon be a trump too.

How were the umpires?

That ain't why he (I mean Martin Pike) was cut.

Too bad if some are offended but I noticed the recycled players making up half the leadership group and simply decided it was a reflection of our poor recruiting in the past and dumb decision making such as making a pair of kids the co-captains. Put another way, it reflects the very poor management that has been entrenched these past few years.

Wow. That is one big chip or one verrrry thin skin. Take your pick.

Tremendous effort by Lynden Dunn. A real tribute to a bloke who has worked incredibly hard at his game. It's weird to think he was drafted just after Matty Bate. One adapted his game while the other could not (or was not given the support and resources to do so). It would be interesting to know what Dunn thinks the new coaching department has meant for his game.

I am as keen a watcher of membership numbers as anyone but I think it's pointless until some games begin - even preseason stuff. I suspect the reason we are a bit ahead of last year, and a bit further ahead of the years before that is down to the fact that the club has improved its member retention through things like automatic sign ups, Demon For Life, email communications and the like. I know I join earlier than I used to, so whether we are 50 or 500 ahead of last year is pretty meaningless. We won't know until round three or four if we're really improving our core numbers.