iv'a worn smith

I am from the same generation and was taught to sing it by my father. The song resonated very strongly for me, when dad and I sang it in the old Grey-Smith stand after we won the '64 flag. Sadly and to state the obvious, we aint won one since. Those were different times for both kids and their parents, who bequeathed the love of the grand old flag to their offspring, off the back of some very halcyon days indeed. Days when boots were worn above the ankle, most if not all players wore their socks up and short back and sides were the vogue. No designer stubble or beards then. The youth of today and perhaps in the future may certainly grasp the significance of 'should auld acquaintance be forgot' but not being a demographer I cannot say for certain. As I said in my original post, I love our song and like many VFL/AFL theme songs, they are derived from old American standards such as Row, Row Row, Dolly Gray, Yankee Doodle Dandy and Lily of Laguna to name a few. Each of those examples mentions either the town or nickname in their lyrics and therefore are identifiable to those younger ones deciding who they will follow. Far be it for me to to dictate how and why younger people should relate to a club anthem, but the fact remains, neither our team name or nickname appear in the lyrics of our club song .....but I love it just the same.

No, but it mentions a pretty club defining 'oh we're from tigerland'

Ours is the only theme song in the AFL which does not mention the name of the team in the lyrics. i love the song and the tradition attached to it, but what will it mean to the current young generation and generations to come? I only pose the question.

The only steps I saw then were all backwards ............ full speed

This is the first season after 7 seasons from hell, where we have shown some commitment to the contest and witnessed substantial signs of improvement. As it is the first season in a long time since we have seen this, it is going to be a case of one step forward two steps back, at least in the short term. I would rather that, than the tripe served up particularly under Neeld. While not wanting to predict results, I reckon our 2nd half of the season will see some more encouraging displays, before the year is out.

The accompanying vision in that article can be slowed to frame by frame using your mouse. I am not sure what side of the jaw Lynch sustained the break, and conceding I'm an old codger and my eyesight may be failing a little, it appears to me that the impact with Viney cannons Lynch's head into Georgiou's head. Viney comes from Lynch's left and Georgiou is at first behind Lynch and then to his right at impact. As Lynch hits the ground, he appears to clutch at the right hand side of his face, suggesting the impact with Georgiou's head has caused the damage. In other words, as severe as the injury is to Lynch, it resulted from incidental contact.

We are forgetting one thing. As a sage tribunal member observed, Jack could have pirouetted to avoid the contact. An absolutely amazing study in physics and physiology.

The AFL may as well now declare that Footy is to become a non-contact sport. Of course the injury is bad luck, but there was no intent, or, in my view, negligence. There has to be some quarter given for the speed of the game and a player's natural instinct to protect himself, lest he be severely hurt himself. At no stage did JV lay a crude tackle or bump, but the resulting injury occurred due to a chain reaction. A travesty if he goes for this

Correct. I remember that when Paul Roos was announced as Coach, I, as I suspect many on here, thought Roosy would be able to extract the talent from many players on the list, that had felt downtrodden and lacked confidence under the previous 'regime'. After all - at least I thought at the time - our list was not as bad as our performances suggested. Roosy may well elevate the standards of some on the list, but sadly, I think my assessment of the list in total was terribly off the mark. That said, the subtle changes I have seen in the last 5 weeks, at least tells me there is some real spirit back in the club. From little things, big things grow.

Not at all. I big enough and ugly enough to wear criticism. But some have expressed views that as much as they would love to see JW live up to his potential he has not. Those people who have expressed such views are accused by some of writing opinions which are tantamount to treachery.

thanks guys. Just thought I ask. Is that permitted?

Why do people get bagged for offering opinions on a website forum? Beggars belief really. It would be a mind-numbing forum if all we did was toe the 'party' line.

Yes, you are!!!!!

Anybody who crosses the white line to play a game of AFL footy, has courage in my book. There will always be those who will be labelled as "soft" and perceived as pulling up short of a contest. We only need to look back at Steven Stretch and his undoubted talent, yet much of the football world will only remember a perception that he pulled out of a collision with Dipper. But the instinct to be at the contest, to challenge for possession of the ball is not one that can be taught. While still obviously green and developing as a gangly key forward, Joe Daniher has already shown he is not shy when it comes to putting himself in danger to contest the footy.

P-Man, you must have quivered at RW's erudite retort? Not!!!! At least if you are going to slag off at someone, you would reckon you could get your spelling right. It might just be that RW's jewels are in his head.

He also grew up on the land in Finley. I guess you would call farmers pampered as well.

Gil might now be able to say, I apologise over that farce of a press conference on the Melbourne tanking affair, but Vlad put me up to it in an effort to save face. Now I am in the chair, I promise such a charade will never happen again.

The Toigs were pretty good at stuffing it up; e.g. Darren Gaspar, Anthony Banik and Richard Lounder, all of them number 1 draft picks and throw in Richard Tambling for good measure, who was taken at pick 4, before Buddy Franklin.

They aint number 1 draft picks

We seem to be in agreement here. Can I just put it on the record that no-one would be more chuffed than me if Jack can turn things around and live up to his perceived potential. But as I said on another thread when it's your turn to go, you go. It is the team thing to do and that is what our game is all about. You take your turn at doing the hard things, when the team requires it. As for the Wines over Toumpas camp, as well as other examples, football departments, in their wisdom or otherwise, determine what they think is needed, to rise up the ladder. It is a matter of historical fact that we have got that wrong time and time again over the last decade or so. For that, I don't for one minute blame the individual players selected, but rather a prevailing culture that seems to hold a perspective that first round draft picks would cure all previous ills, without the need to nurture players from within. It has been well argued that the summary dismissal of Junior, Green and the like as ample evidence that we did not need experience or grunt to help the young guys coming in fresh to a club which had its collective back to the wall. It is my great hope that that culture is exactly what Roos will change and impact the most. If he can do that, Jack might just be able to jettison the rotten way he was managed in his first few years by the club. I truly hope so.

They are still chalk and cheese. The concession here is that he is in a better club

The Saints I know certainly did.

He'll do me.

My original post which initiated this conversation related to JW being a number 1 draft pick, in the system for 5 years and is now 23. Of course there are kids lower in the pecking order that have not come on and goodness knows we have had our fair share of them, but JW was chosen at number one, at a time when the 'science' of drafting was far more advanced than in the preceding decade. As for saying Jack didn't pick himself as number 1 is such a perverse twisting of logic. JW was always touted as a number 1 pick. It was between him and Nic Nat. These kids are schooled very well on the intricacies of the draft process and the expectation placed on them, as they come through an elite system.

LIam Jones was not a number 1 draft pick