bush demon

Of course the cowardly AFL/Caroline Wilson wait for our Chief Executive to pass away before dispensing rear-vision mirror justice. Tacitly approving a course of action previously adopted by other clubs who dropping down the list, then coming in with the killer blow at a time of their own choosing. And of course there are the expansion franchises to think of.

Because Caroline doesn't comment on the actual sport, but on the politics of the sport, she usually over-dramatises. Patrick Smith's article,http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/post-season-probes-leave-afl-lost-in-space/story-e6frg7uo-1226506991378 sums up the hypocrisy of the AFL in going after Melbourne. The AFL plays god by allocating favourable fixturing to the entrenched clubs and by spiriting off the best players in the land to franchises with no membership, then bullies a foundation club based on the commentary of disgruntled ex-players. How there is no linkage to other similar clubs in this 'investigation' illustrates the stand-over tactics employed by the AFL whose bureaucrats would dearly love a television-driven white-bread competition of equal numbers in equal states.

Aaron Davey has been a true blue'n'red warrior for the Dees, but he looks better in his suit up in the Betty Cuthbert Pavilion on match day than he does on the half-forward flank in 2013.

I wonder if there is any spare land around Casey; supposed to be the demographic centre of Melbourne. Could have a stadium to hold 167,000 just like was planned for VFL Park in the 1960's.

also "staying on his feet". As in, "Clinton Young failed to stay on his feet and surrendered a goal as the game was being lost".

Also an article in The Age today with Viney and Wines 'interviewing' each other. Viney seems to be hinting to the club that he would like Wines to be playing at the Dees alongside him.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dees-pies-discuss-super-trade-20121006-276df.html

1. "Lowering the eyes" 2. "hardnut" Jack the blind miner could have worked that out! PS i am not having a dig at your user name, but the term used in commentary.

"Don't just bomb it, lower the eyes". Also read of Moloney being described today as 'Melbourne hardnut Moloney", wondering which game. substitute 'geelong hardnut (insert name) etc

The AA Selection Committee is a pipe-smoking, self-congratulating congregation of know-alls who gain their satisfaction by flying in the face of public opinion and anointing their own.

jack watts will monster the opposition next year as a master accumulator, sweeper and disher-off extraordinaire. So get on him or get off him. NN is a prodigy, heavily weighted with the flair of a one-trick pony. i saw wayne patterson do this in grade six in 1968.

all these references to 'spuds'. spud dullard would be honoured. the afl won't let port fail because there would only be one club in an aussie rules bastion, south australia. aren't port adelaide going to relocate to adelaide oval, which would improve their supporter base?

Big Victorian clubs such as Essendon, Carlton and Richmond have won one premiership between them in the last 15 years or so. higher afl crowd stats must be offset against the dismantling of w.a and sa. state competitions which had rabid support, just look at any old youtube footage and compare it to the antiseptic contests of today. i often wonder how much more exciting for the local supporter football would have been if the state competitions had not been chopped up, but provided finalists for an end-of-season 'championship of australia' in a play-off series. there is no joy in watching many interstate teams play with stacked audiences, whether they are here or at subiaco. grounds like etihad and kardinia park don't offer equity to the supporting public, they are merely marketing arrangements to destroy the away team before they run through the banner. the loss of reserves and under 19's football is also a big downer on attendance for the true follower of this code. last point off the bat: the infamous 'away' strip reduces games to 'the home team' and 'the away team' for the less entrenched tv viewer. it does nothing for traditional supporters seeing their team 'verse' another team with either club wearing some kind of trendy target store tshirt. in future years noone will remember half the teams when they go back to footage of old games. perhaps that's how the afl intends it. market the 'event' rather than the clubs. on a positive note, i have enjoyed sydney's rise as an aussie rules power, especially enjoyed them smashing hawthorn in the final game. weren't they the team we also smashed on the mcg not that long ago?

Goddard leaving StKilda is a tragedy for that club, as if Essendon are going to be in a premiership window any time soon, they can't even beat us. The competition is cannibalising itself.

Ron Barassi's last game, an appearance by Mick Rivers, and the title of Australian Champions went to the Melbourne team on 8 October, 1964 in this match under lights at Norwood Oval, South Australia.

The Demons keep winning. Flash just beat Crameri in the handball semi final on channel 9. Went to a tie-breaker so both players had one handball with non-preferred hand. Crameri got a 5 and Davey a 7. Davey said, "Melbourne finally won something" in a wry fashion.

Looked like three teams playing today: hawthorn Adelaide clash and Adelaide supporters

only palatable aspect of that game was that it kept scott thompson out of a grand final.

pulled back on a ridiculous angle. thought when he marked that we'd made the grand final.

Apparently the AFL is now mandating that supporters flags and bunting from 2013 onwards, '...reasonably matches the club's designated away strip". Madness.

Just to follow up my comment about RDB's last game, I managed to track down this reference: http://australianfootball.com/clubs/bio/South+Adelaide/320 Although it doesn't mention Barassi, it identifies the match and is a fascinating if now buried part of MFC's folkore. I will add some match details to this game in my next post. BD In a footnote, South Adelaide also won their last premiership in 1964, their 11th - one short of us.

prof, as a semi-veteran demon tragic, would you give a pass to '67? came 7th i think. we pulled back from a bad situation that year, had it not been for norm smith's bad health may have done even better. Ed: 8 (out of 18) games decided by a goal or less that year. Must be a record.

He actually did play again. It was a post-season 'champion of Australia' game v I think, South Adelaide, the South Australian premiers. Melbourne won narrowly and Ron Barassi played well in that game.

He learnt that trick watching the Jack Johnson/ Jess Willard fight.

You could swear to all that you were a one cheque player.