Demonised

Shoo in?

Especially under pressure.

While I'm as disappointed as the next man, with a huge effort I'm going to try to put my emotion aside and pose this question. What would this thread have looked like if this had happened 2-3 years ago? Yes, there would have been anger and heartache, and outrage at the way Geelong stars get mollycoddled by umpires, but I reckon there would have been a consistent flavour in the posts, a tinge of 'that was a pretty good effort to get so close'. The fact that this is missing today is a sign of two things: Geelong isn't the side that it was. Neither are we - but in a good way. We're better than we were and we're continuing to improve. These are both good things. Our expectations of our current team are higher, and so our fury at the loss is more pronounced - but it means we're on the rise. This is good, surely?

When did we last win a game by less than a goal? Genuine question.

It's Wagner time.

I accidentally intercepted a briefcase in a complicated false agent/dupe interchange, where three men in overcoats, hats, dark glasses and thick accents bumped into each other, fumbled identical cases and departed in a hurry. In the briefcase I was left with were extensive notes, statistics and analysis of today's match. The conclusion? Dees by 26 points, JKH to kick 2 goals and Melksham to snap out of his mini-slump.

One problem with playing young players is that they can't play their natural game, the one that got them to where they are. They're trying their hardest to follow team rules, to play the role spelled out to them by the coaching staff, to position themselves where they're told ... I think they're second guessing themselves all the time and consequently don't play with confidence. The ones that do are rare beasts indeed.

It will be claimed that it was our skill error that resulted in the Saints' goal, but at the game you could see the utter confusion and uncertainty when the whistle blew - no confidence in any decision these days - and then whether we were allowed to play on or not. It was officiating chaos.

Agreed. That's why I had the proviso 'provided there is will from those in charge'.

With respect, it can change, provided there is will from those in charge. 1. Acknowledge that the phenomenon of parochial crowds is real. There is plenty of good, academic evidence to support this. 2. Train the umpires to resist crowd-based decision making through extensive and rigorous simulation programs. Those who fail get relegated to minor leagues.

What I'm taking away from this thread is that some people like one style of commentator and other people like a different style of commentator.

Extra points if you pronounced it 'looxury' in your head.

Luxury.

You had me at 'Lovely user of the ball'.

If we're looking for a fullback, Tassie Johnson sneaks into 'last 50 years'.

Let's see if he can break the 'Feature Article in the media - dud game follows' hoodoo.

It's not just dropping the knees, either. It's the throwing the arm up to leverage the tackle neck-wards. Appalling.