Nasher

It’s going to be a long week. I’m in danger of being exhausted before we even get there!

Hibberd isn’t the most polished media performer. He was asked a question about his previous teammates and so he answered. Whether the Essendon players were “victims” or not is beside the point. It’s surely beyond doubt that it would have been by far the most difficult and stressful period of Hibberd’s career. An experience that none of his current MFC teammates (other than Melksham) can relate to. We’ve been crapping on all week about how only MFC supporters understand how other MFC supporters feel. The same will be true for the Essendon 34. Irrespective of whether they invited problem themselves or if they were completely unwitting “victims”, it was a period of great stress they endured together. Of course there will be a tight bond amongst them. Hoping he now doesn’t play because he dared to mention a bond with players who aren’t Melbourne ones, when asked about it by an experienced journalist, is just jealous, spiteful and nasty. He’s one of ours. Don’t dump him because he has love for more than just us. And claims that the EFC supporters are the victims, please. I don’t see myself as a victim of the bucket of pus the MFC delivered 08-13 and that’s absolutely no different. The EFC fans saw the effects of a woefully incompetent administration and their team sucked for a few years as a consequence. Boo farking hoo. Their lives and livelihoods and reputations weren’t soiled in the same way the players were. They had zero sympathy for us and as far as I’m concerned, the feeling is mutual. I don’t want any anyway.

I’d heard about him being told to lose weight, but I hadn’t heard the version of him being told directly by Goodwin that they’d bring scales to the combine and that’s what they’d base their decision to draft him on. He’s added three things to his game since arrival, all touched upon in the article: 1) elite fitness - finds the ball in space now as well as in close 2) slower ball use - his natural ability to get the ball in traffic is now more of an advantage because it doesn’t get shot out to a teammate in no position to receive it 3) kicking! And he’s worked his butt off to add these elements. The best thing in the story about him and Trac is that we’ve snatched a couple of top-end talents out of the draft, and actually managed to develop them to the level they had the potential to reach. And scarily, they’re both still young enough that their best footy is still ahead of them. It’s a great time to be a Melbourne supporter.

Of course not - the intrinsic reward of having played is always going to be present. The point isn’t to make the players who didn’t play feel “the same” as those who did, that’s not possible. It’s to acknowledge the contribution to getting the whole team to the pinnacle. I wonder if the co-driver in a winning Bathurst team feels the prize is cheap, because he wasn’t the one in the car when the chequered flag was waved?

Fair enough, I see where you’re coming from. I guess the difference for me is that I see “the flag” as the sum total of the whole season, not just the result of the final game. That is, the 50 point win in round 5 that Mitch Brown played his only game in was just as much a factor in the total as the win in the Granny. I see the reward for playing in a successful Grand Final as having the memory of playing in a successful Grand Final. That’s something the players who didn’t play will never have, no matter who receives what medal.

Damn, that’s totally what I was going to say.

Do you think that Max Gawn would think his medal would be worth less if Nathan Jones also got one?

I love this. It’s only a small thing, but the Demon by proxy thing is such a great way of creating human connectedness out of a cruddy situation, in a time we really need it. Great stuff.

He’s just doing the prudent thing to prolong his career - I can’t see breaking back in to the side becoming any easier next year. He’s been a good player for us over the years and I’d wish him all the best. I think the likely trade would be a token one.

9pm is completely reasonable in terms of setting an expectation. The boys no doubt have plenty of rec time up their sleeves, being back at the hotel by 9 shouldn’t be onerous. They’re there to get a job done, maintaining standards and discipline is part of that. Pert said it’s not even being strictly enforced anyway. What a beatup.

Degree of confidence would be more or less the same irrespective of where you live in Australia - it’s all done by the same forecasters using the same models. 12 days is too far out. At my work, where we rely heavily on weather forecasts, we basically ignore anything more than a week out. Personally I wouldn’t bother looking at the forecast before Tuesday.

I trust this means the two jumpers won’t be deemed as a clash in subsequent H&A games, then.

Haha. I’ve seen some mathematically questionable awards before (I’m looking at you, Demonland Player of the Year!), but that takes some beating.

Garry could hardly string a sentence together he was so emotional. And he was massively fanboying on Gawn. I loved it. I felt like he was personifying all of us at that moment. Garry’s had a bit of flack over the years, particularly in his role in the Neeld era. It’s clear he loves the club though. All is forgiven in my opinion. He’s one of our people without a doubt.

I want to write a million words, but can’t find any. So I’ll just list the topics and you can mentally fill the content, you can all feel it in your hearts anyway: - Max - Trac and Viney - The whole team on the field at the end, and in the circle - The Perth crowd (new home fortress) - sharing the moment with other Melbourne fans, because nobody else understands

No change. Medi sub: Jordon

I’m totally crapping myself. Hrrrrrgggghh. Seeyas in the post match.

I kind of hope Goody gives Jones a clear no go and he goes home to be with his family for the birth of his twins. Feels cruel to string him out when we can all see he’s probably not going to play.

Lol Anyone who wants Vanders will be able to get him as a DFA. I’m a fan, but he’s just about at the end of the road.

That sucks for Joel. He’ll be shattered.

That’s so good! I’m a bit slow though and I had to stop and think about a couple. Our cute little…Jackson? Oh, Dogga, yes that makes a bit more sense.

Yes, Goody rightfully shirked the question in the same manner a parent never says who their favourite child is. But Max, like any good sibling, knows exactly who the favourite is, and named him up and gave Goody the opportunity to sing Viney’s praises.

What a game. Disappointed as I backed the other horse but I'm not complaining. Amazing stuff. Wish the game last night was like this.

"Categorically not deliberate". That's lovely Haim but that's not the rule anymore.

Unsure when I officially became old but that mullet of Bailey Smith seriously makes me rage.