Nasher

Vandenberg very impressive. Built like an outhouse. Much better input from Dawes, Lumumba and Garlett that quarter. Tyson and Hogan - gush.

The Wona game on. Told my 7 year old son that I watched this whole game with him as a baby sleeping in my arms and nearly threw him with excitement. He thought that was hilarious. Feels like yesterday, where the hell is the time going?

On the thread listing, if you click where it says "xxxx replies", it brings up a list. The centurions and double-centurion: Member name Posts beelzebub 282 ManDee 149 old dee 125 daisycutter 125 Dees2014 105 jnrmac 104 Edit: Looking at the list, this is my first contribution. Damn. Did so well in keeping my nose clean.

Garland's "breakout" (as much as I hate that word) year was in 2008, not 2010. 2010 was just picking up where he left off after he missed all but the first game of 2009 with a foot injury. http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/11905-2008-player-review-20-colin-garland/

Garland doesn't belong on that list; he was established in the side and playing regular, good footy by the time he was 21. I know it feels like he's been around forever but the guy is only 26, he's only just reached "well in to his career" now and his best footy is arguably still ahead of him. I agree with the gist of your point, though.

I think if your midfield sucks to begin with, then by definition you can't have good depth. I agree that people confuse "lots of nearly good enough players" with "good depth". The likes of Aidan Riley fit squarely in to this category for me. Midfield depth is a 1%er anyway. Of far more importance is having the midfield group in your best 22 be par or better if you want the side to be competitive.

Give this man the prize. I've removed "Dick" from the filter. If anyone ever finds silly words in the filter that need removing, PM me rather than just hoping we might stumble on it in the thread.

Yes. Have some pride, damnit!

Amazing how the two innings were almost mirrors of each other actually. In addition to Southee and Johnson sucking immensely, it was hard to split Boult and Starc's performance with the ball after both absolutely tore through the oppositions middle-lower order. In the first three overs of his second spell, Boult had 5/1. Wow.

Great finish. The McCullum Show aside, it was definitely the bowlers' day (Johnson and Southee being wayward notwithstanding). Boult was amazing as was Starc. Tim Southee had a game to forget all round - a golden duck to go with his 2/65 off 9!

I have changed the title. When I saw "West Coast Sniffing" I was thinking of an entirely different subject.

At the end of the day, everyone who watches has their own opinion and their own bias. If you ever find yourself reading conflicting reports and wondering which to believe, my advice would be to just believe which ever one makes you happy. To me, it's unimportant whether Spencer was overall okay or terrible in the eyes of people I don't know in a training run I didn't see. I get more out of the little snippets of facts (not opinions) - like TDI's report of the Dunn/Roos exchange or the report of Dunn whacking Gawn behind play.

How would you have done it? Players in this environment have no viable choice but to lie in my opinion.

Who exactly has said that? Emphasis on "any". I doubt anyone would equate missing a handful of NAB games to doing basically no training at all for months.

If you are immature and irresponsible I imagine it's pretty easy not to know. You get the summons and ignore it.

This. Surely we knew what we were getting here, anyway. Hands up who thought, "model, responsible citizen" when we took Garlett?

I really struggle to understand what is gained by putting a second year rookie ruckman "on notice". It isn't going to make him get better faster. Just let the kid develop. To be truthful I struggle with the concept of "on notice" at all. All AFL players are aware of how quickly the end can come and they know if they don't perform they're gone - have a look at Cam Pedersen's comments last year. It's just stupid hyperbole that supporters spew out in order to make themselves feel like hardarses, I think, that has no reflection or relevance to reality.

Exactly. If Hogan or Tyson have poor seasons, are we going to put them in the gun? In theory everyone is tradeable, but in practice only the middle 1/3 of the list are tradeable and only the bottom 1/3 are on notice.

It must just be a coincidence that players who spend most of the pre-season injured have poor seasons.

With all due respect Sir WYL, perhaps the funeral may offer a little perspective on this issue?I was spewing about this yesterday, but now that the dust has settled I'm just left with trace disappointment. I can't quite bring myself to take the silver lining view that others have, but I've come to terms with the fact that I have to wait another year to be amazed. It isn't a long time in the context of a career and it's not going to impact our flag chances this year (lol). It's just a bummer for those of us that love a bit of instant gratification.

I lol'd. It was that, or cry. Bloody hell. Why??!!

Almost the entire second page of the thread was deleted. I wouldn't take it personally. (I didn't delete them and don't know what was in them.)

Spot on old dee. I'm in the same boat; I didn't know either. Judging by the response it would seem plenty didn't. Most of us don't read every letter of every bit of information the club publishes, or necessarily take it all in or remember it if it wasn't important to us at the time. 2008 was a long time ago. It's only become topical now because the relationship has gone to custard, hence the question. It's exactly what AGMs should be for - getting clarity on points that members are concerned about.

Denham is the embodiment of "that guy" everyone knows at least one of: barracks for Hawthorn, knows everything that is wrong with the lowly clubs, has an opinion on everything, and has a mouth permanently open with ears permanently closed. He's paid to be an angry, thoughtless moron and does a wonderful job of it.

What a first rate crap post. Who are you to judge a player for the life decisions he makes after his football career has gone down the dunny? Sooner or later all footballers have to recognise that the dream is over. Some recognise that their body is not up to it, or just plain don't want to spend the next few years flogging themselves physically and mentally for the 0.001% chance they might make it. It's their life and calling it the "easy option" and just makes you sound jealous and bitter.