Nasher

I've got absolutely no idea, that's why I was so perplexed. Came from nowhere, as far as I know I've never encountered this guy before. I genuinely laughed out loud when I read it, hope George didn't delete it on my part.

@george_on_the_outer, you should've left in that totally random dig at me. It was the most interesting part of the thread!

I love that we get sweet bugger all out of the club, so we just ask @Webber. Where would we be without our own personal Demonland physio?

Agree. Pretty unfortunate timing for a setback for him; competition will be fierce in his area of the ground. On the opposite side of the coin, fortuitous timing for Joel Smith who probably just jumped a spot up the pecking order. Hibberd still to return too.

Brian Lake has absolutely no future as a boundary rider. Hopeless. Look to hearing him for the next 15 years.

Salem = BOG in first half.

Jonesy looks in fantastic nick.

Hogan takes a mark on the wing, plays on to Gawn immediately. Put chills in my spine - Hogan last year always looked far too slow to move it on when playing up the ground. Great signs.

Arrrggghhh, I'm sure my pre-game nerves are getting worse as I get older. How am I going to be for games that actually matter? Pass the bucket.

It's always too early in the year for that.

UTas has a campus in Launceston. Launceston = York Park = Aurora Stadium = UTas Stadium Hobart = Bellerive Oval = Blundstone Arena

The Petracca open goal (with Duryea fumble) against Hawthorn?

Nah, I'd prefer the coach just said how good we'd be, without worrying too much about actually delivering it.

My foxtel goes almost entirely unused outside footy season. My bank isn't broken thanks to a pretty well paying job, however I very much resent being forced to waste money in this fashion just to watch the sport I love.

Damn, what a dream come true that would be for Demon loving kids. Gives me goosebumps. It's even more than running out with the team IMO, because you can frame that, hang it up on the wall and remember it forever. I'd probably have told my kids to get out of the way so I could squeeze in too Well done to all involved at the club for that, included the players. I hope it gives something you and the kids can cherish forever, Mark!

Thanks mate, but this was for the 2014 edition of QB. Wife had a 9am exam the next morning. Someone bumped the thread for no discernible reason. I made it along in 2015 and 2016 and flights and accommodation are already booked for 2017.

It's no more surprising than any player not busting their chops, really. You'd think most players would be aware of their privileged position but at the end of the day, some humans are strongly self-motivating, while others need a hard kick up the arse to get going. How often do you see some players consistently play their best season in the year their contract expires?

Talent has never been the question. It was fantastic to see him take such huge steps forward in the aspects that were questionable in 2016, he looked a different player. Hopefully the trend continues in 2017. PS yep, super weird thread.

Article on the MFC website: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-01-29/hard-work-pays-off-for-smith I love this kind of story. For all the kids out there who get plucked from school straight in to the AFL system, there's heaps of players kicking around who probably are good enough play, that have to go the longer and far more difficult road to get there. If nothing else, you know he comes in knowing what hard work is, and that he won't take it for granted. Additionally, the fact that he and Keilty have been selected from Casey in to Melbourne is a fantastic endorsement for the alliance, and a fantastic advertisement for Casey as a club. It says to players at VFL level who want to pursue an AFL career: "come play for us; if you're good enough and work hard enough, we can give you a path in". That has to attractive to good players. As far as how he'll go, I'll keep my expectations moderate. I see him as competing with Pedersen in the short term for the 'second' tall forward role, and taking the pressure off Weideman to develop in the medium term. He's apparently tough and takes a good mark. I see it as a very low risk selection - it has a low ceiling (I wouldn't expect much more than 'decent' player - he won't be the next Hogan), but no downside whatsoever, if it doesn't work out then we haven't sold the farm and we know he'll contribute at Casey level.

I've never really had it 'looked at' per se, but I have for a while suspected I'm on the spectrum. General traits: I impulsively avoid eye contact when talking to people, especially in forced situations (passing each other in a hallway etc) I can't small talk, at all. I consider it lucky if I can sustain any sort of conversation, often. I am usually the first one to cross the line in to inappropriate conversations, unintentionally. I can't read between the lines. If you're not explicit, I probably won't understand what you're saying to me. I can't read body language. I have no idea if the person I am talking to likes me or is at all interested in what I have to say. It takes me a very long time to make friends. It would be unusual for me to consider someone an established friend within the first year of meeting them, though there have been exceptions. I can remember the number plate of every car I've ever owned, and can remember the number plate of every car any member of my family ever owned up until the age of about 15, and a few of my friends early car number plates. I know the current sequence of number plates (letter number number letter letter) in Tasmania and roughly where they're up to (I've seen 'F' number plates, 'G' ones are reserved for Government vehicles, 'H' ones should start appearing on the streets soon...). With the older style number plates (letter letter number number number number) I used to be able to roughly guess when a car was registered based on its number plate. There used to be a car that parked near my house with the number plate next in sequence to mine. I was disappointed the time we parked next to each other in a car park and I didn't have my phone on me to take a photo. Did I mention I notice number plates? I have an elephant-like memory in general, especially when it comes to numbers I am obsessive about doing things right, to the point where I will abandon anything I can't do near enough to perfect for my own satisfaction on early attempts. I scored 36 on the Baron-Cohen test. The questions that reduced my score were nearly all around imagination - I have a very vivid imagination, I *love* reading fiction, I have even dabbled in writing some. I guess that's the whole thing about it being a 'spectrum'.

Training, guys.

I'm pretty sure his story was that his son was Viv's best mate or something like that. He definitely had a strong Viv bias (funny moment when @Wisebloodstarted referring to him as if he was Viv). He was a good poster though, it would be a shame if he goes away now that Michie is gone.

Yep. Hardly been on since the end of the season. Too busy, and quite a bit of forum fatigue after over a decade of posting, reading and admining several times a day every day. Hoping the new season brings me some new energy for this place - I sure as hell am beside myself with excitement at the coming season and need some fellow tragics to share it with!

These are on the lesser end of the informative scale for mine.

Yes, without a doubt in my mind.