Nasher

van Rooyen has has a terrible season but he’s played two reasonable games in a row where he’s been attacking the ball in the air and grabbing a few. We are relying on him for the future. Dropping him when he’s finally starting to get going would make the entire season a waste.

According to wikipedia: mid-season draft in 2022, ACL in 2023 and delisted end of 2024. So he was on the list 2.5 seasons, of which he was available to play about 1.5. Fair to say they chucked in the towel pretty quickly with him.

It seems plausible to me that he’s required education and development before he hit his straps as a player, and West Coast gave up before he reached that level. Even the Casey watchers seem to indicate he hadn’t really been a selection threat until quite recently. Just speculating though. Maybe someone who knows his actual story better might have info.

Pump the brakes guys, it’s only been two games. He was delisted by those bastions of judgement and exquisite player development, West Coast, so clearly he’s no good. Just you wait, the reality bus is coming! Sorry, was just testing out what it’s like to have absolutely no sense of occasion or ability to enjoy minor happy moments in a thoroughly crapola season. I don’t like it much so I’ll stick to enjoying his next few games of development and letting whatever is going to happen in the long term, happen.

In: Lindsay, May Out: Windsor (inj.), Adams

That was an amazing game. Bummer not to win but I’m proud of the effort after an emotional week. I’m happy. The opportunity to knock Hawthorn out of the 8 next week is still on. Bring it on.

All three of our games now affect the makeup of the 8 materially. This week took whatever shred of wind was in my sails but it’s slowly coming back. Come on Dees, let’s have an impact.

Neal-Bullen magic surely.

Collingwood are the Bulldogs of our 2021 - peaked too early. Crows are us.

I’m sad and grieving. Yes I know nobody has actually died but I don’t know a better way to describe it. And the celebration of this event only makes me feel isolated and alone. I’m laying low for a bit until this settles down.

My son’s basketball team is 0-9 and a very good chance to go winless for the season - ha. He played in a flag team last year and had a club switch (as we moved). Definitely been a life lesson for him in how to deal with things when they’re not rosy.

There are moments you’ll never see again in your lifetime old dee and that’s one of them. I went to the Big Bash granny at Ninja Stadium and saw Mitch Owen play the best grand final knock you’ll ever see bar none, in front of a full house, to single handedly bring the cup home. I’ll never experience pure sporting delirium like that again either - they exist at both ends of the spectrum, that’s why you have to enjoy the moment when it arrives. Chin up.

I think you’ve kind of landed on what I mean bub. I’m aware we’re pretty pus - I have eyeballs and have applied them to every MFC game this year. I may show a propensity for optimism on Demonland but believe me, I feel the same “uh oh” gut rumble that everyone else does when a mismatch looms on the fixture. For me it’s just about adjusting expectations and finding the micro-pleasures in amongst the macro-frustration. Those moments in games that make me go “yes, well done”. It’s a poor substitute for winning and believing in your team (I know because the same eyeballs witnessed ‘21) but at least it stops me from wanting to jump off the Tasman Bridge. If the only thing I could see was impending doom I wouldn’t be able to watch and I’d have to disengage. I’m not lampooning anyone, I just don’t understand it and can’t relate. Anyway, we’re not even that bad and we could beat the Dogs if we play a 4 quarter game. It’s a big if.

I truly don’t understand what drives people to engage in footy when this is their outlook.

Schofield on Fox is so anti-Fremantle it’s almost comical. Pavlich on the other hand, who you could expect/forgive a pro-Freo bias, is measured and sensible in his comments.

I think the opposite. I think it hurts the game when plays like NWM leave. St Kilda haven’t had a genuine star player that they could build a team around since Nick Riewoldt. I’d definitely prefer he stayed than give an Adelaide club a free kick like they’ve had with JHF, Rankine etc.

I don’t agree that we have nothing to play for. Dog and Hawks are both hanging on for dear life and potentially competing for the last spot in the 8. Feathers are available for ruffling. From a supporter point of view that adds a huge amount of intrigue. I’d love to finish the year in good form.

Consecutive weeks of opportunity to ruin the season of a team with finals aspirations. If we beat the Dogs next week, they’re pretty much stuffed. It’s possible Hawthorn could be in the same boat the following week. I would love absolutely nothing more than to be the team that knocks Hawthorn out of the 8. I have high hopes but low expectations. Just play consistent competitive footy. Please.

Gosh I’m glad I don’t go for West Coast. Essendon with a team of ring-ins in 2016 were better than this.

Could only ask for a 4 quarter effort and got it. Thought at half time, given the still raw humiliation from last week and the potential for more this week that nothing would really make me happy in this game, but in the end I am. Langford is confirmed as an absolute gun. Can’t wait to see him spend more time in the guts in the coming years. Nice to see Fritta finally getting back to his best. Hard to know how we couldn’t find a spot for Culley all season. Very impressive aerial game. Our last games are all against teams with finals aspirations, two of which are far from locked in. My hope for the rest of the season is that we impact the makeup of the finals. Causing Hawthorn to miss would be the best of the best.

Think I might just be a Crows fan for finals 2025.

Well. That was the most unpleasant feeling I’ve had for quite some time. Please just put us out of our misery now.

How could you not? Crows are top of my list for who to get behind in finals because they have ANB.

Be that as it may, I highly doubt he’d be paying tribute to his brother if he didn’t happen to have a gash on his head that bleeds profusely. Anyway, I’m not meaning to be a killjoy. It’s a nice nod to his brother and it did stir up memories for me too.

I did remember thinking last week as I saw the blood pouring down his face, that it was ironic that a helmet would have prevented that injury.