Tim

This made me chuckle. As a matching pair I think we handed out his biggest loss as a Swans coach as well - the “Jamie Bennell puts the jets on for a goal” game at the MCG.

Does anyone know the lightly built guy with the early Bjorn Borg hair stylings and wearing #36? And no, it wasn’t Kozzie.

Norm Smith could go in as captain/coach! Looking at Gaspar/Ottens reminds me that while we have had the better brother at times, we’ve probably been on the wrong side of the ledger over the decades in terms of having the better/best brother, unless we had both (eg, the Flowers). Brayden Maynard the current standard-bearer. An interesting category!

DS, would I be right in thinking that if you dropped out S Febey for someone like Ron Baggott or a D Cockatoo-Collins it would be a team that had a brother who played at the level for a club other than Melbourne?

Cue ground announcer: “Number 23…JAAAAMES JORDON!”

He was out doing running with the others from the later game as twilight set in, so probably cramp.

Indeed, like Teenage Fanclub - they’re on the record as hating verisimilitude.

Particularly as it doesn’t seem to play all that well for spinners these days anyway; Lyon averages north of 40 at the ground.

That would eliminate Spencer (7 years, 122 games), Warne-Smith (9/138), Chadwick (9/141), Ridley (9/130 - 5 flags!!) and Mithen (9/153). Fwiw, I think Clarrie’s already there, and is one of our all-time greats, Trac not far behind. Together with Max we are blessed to be able to enjoy 3 of our best-ever stars playing together in our current team. And from what I’ve read and heard I wouldn’t be dropping Spencer, Mithen and IWS from our rolling Team of the Century.

That bad, OD…?

Twice in the first quarter in the Granny against Hickey.

The eye of the beholder, Kev. I was actually quite happy with his kicking and ball handling; he had an economical and effective action to my eye.

Thanks for the report Kev, beat me to the punch. The work this morning was of a similar structure to Monday’s session, and like that session I was impressed with the general intensity of the work. Two different types of match sim; one in a congested smaller space using handball to move the ball backwards and forwards while maintaining the “shape” of their set ups, the other using most of the oval to move the ball by foot and run in support. It was demanding enough work for the first week, and shows that these days players are expected to be in physical condition to go straight into game plan work and skills work without having to waste valuable pre-season time “getting fit”. Kade was very busy, and was attempting spoils on big guys as well as his ever-present effervescence and intensity. Looking at Jefferson in the kicking they did late in the session I actually thought he looked quite comfortable and had nice hands; the running was a bit of a challenge for him, but that’s something that will come in time and with work. In regard to the running KFW was pretty darn good for such a young tall. As I said about Monday’s session, it was great again seeing a lot of senior players being part of the match sims. As Kev mentioned, there were also other senior players who did their own work separate from the main group. At one point in the warmup on the eastern side of the oval Grundy had to retrieve a footy that had bounced its way onto Punt Road and into the gutter. Welcome to the DIY MFC, Big Fella! I also chuckled at Mark Williams during the running yelling at a group “don’t let the new bloke beat you” as Lachie Hunter led that group past where I was standing.

That’s true, but it was good to see senior players Trac, May, Salem, Viney, Pig, Schache and Hunter on track and involved in the match sim drills. It must be good for the junior players to see big dogs “up and about” and joining in sessions they don’t have to attend. Especially good to see TMac looking uninhibited, as @Slartibartfastpointed out - we sorely missed him last year. It wasn’t a frenetic match sim, but it was still pretty intense for a first up session in terms of running in support of teammates as they moved the ball up and down the ground. Just shows how the level of professionalism has lifted in recent years.Trac ‘talked the talk” at the B&F about how they’d already been doing running doing fitness work for a couple of weeks back then, and he was certainly “walking the walk” at Gosch’s today as a leader. I guess you always like to see them moving freely this time of year, and it was good to see Viney/Salem/Rivers in particular looking good; all three were either banged up last year or have been inhibited by injuries (Viney). I was interested to see the cut of the jib of Kyah Farris-White. Yeah, he’s tall, but fwiw he moved quite nicely for such a young beanpole, including mobility during the drills. Long way to go, but good luck to him.

This!

Q: What do you call someone who’s failed 2nd year medicine? A: Doctor

We’ve just managed to get through the first 19 September in a very long time without having to mark it as the anniversary of our last flag. Phew! (And thanks to @Whispering_Jack for his 1964 video rememberance yesterday).

7 flags?

When Gerard left at the end of 1985 (when we were shizen), he said it was so that he could play finals. He got his wish - 4 finals for 4 losses though. But had he stayed he would have played in winning matches. C’est La vie!

Another achievement: breaking a premiership drought/winning first flag and making finals the following year. It’s more common in modern times (Richmond 2018, Geelong 2008, Swans 2006), but it used to be a thing to miss after a breakthrough flag - Dogs (1955, 2017), Saints (1967), Pies (1991), Hawks (1962). We were actually clubhouse leaders in this stat (1901, 1927), so good to do what we’ve done.

Cue close finish in the count, with Clarry needing votes in the last round. Gill calls “Melbourne…C…” followed by interminable pause to heighten the drama as to whether it’s our #5 or our #13. And then calls out “Spargo”! Or alternative scenario with Trac needing the votes.

Rory Lobb - grave digger

Coincidentally I just went to the AFL’s Season Guide 2022 to see what our list changes were at the end of 2021; in the “ins” column is the rookie elevation of our #23, James Jordan. Seriously, from the AFL’s official bible….?

Sage and timely advice indeed, ‘Stone!

Good points, George. We mighty be reigning premiers, but we aren’t Best in Show in terms of our Constitution. Many would channel Blighty in saying they couldn’t give a Fat Rat’s Tossbag about the latter in light of the former. And that’s a pity because we need to be the best performing club we can possibly be in all areas of operation from the board down. Now is the time to be making hay, and current board members should be overseeing a constitutional renovation which addresses George’s points. True leadership in this regard would embrace this and not see it as a threat to their positions. Other clubs have brought their constitutions into the 21st century along the above lines and a board confident in its own capability should be doing the same for us while we are riding high.