Nasher

Freo don't care whether they win or lose. If we'd won, we'd have had to have a moment's silence and a week in mourning. It's not the same coin.

I'm not going to pretend I have any idea of the actual fitness levels of our players. They clearly don't work hard enough during matches, but anyone attributing that to Misson's fitness program is just guessing.

If we'd won every game and won the flag, it would still be hard to make a case that Darwin was a success. Or that it wasn't a success.

First time I've ever seen the MFC be accused of being dumb for following good governance practice.

The punishment seems light, but let's not forget it's only "disrepute" they've been charged with and 'convicted' for. In that regards, it makes sense that Hird's sentence is equal to Connolly's - he's been found guilty of the same crime. The outcome of the ASADA investigation, and therefore any charges of players taking substances prohibited by WADA rules, are still yet to come. For those upset about the outcome, don't forget that this hasn't fully played out yet. I'd say the worst is still yet to come.

These things aren't mutually exclusive. How about players who take behaviour and recovery seriously *and* are okay with the kids at clinics *and* play like demons on the field? Just an idea.

Ashley Mallett said Ashton Agar was easily the best spinner in Australia. He may be eventually, but he isn't yet. Shane Warne once said Bryce McGain was the best spinner in Australia. You might forgive me if I don't take MacGill's word as gospel.

I do love it how if someone doesn't agree with our point of view, it must be because they're not being objective. FWIW, I don't agree with the POV you and autocol have put forward, but I appreciate the way in which it's [mostly] being argued.

From the document http://www.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/EssendonFC-notice-of-charges.pdf If the supplement is recommended then a letter of informed consent will be produced and given to the player to sign prior to the first administration of the supplement, the player will have a right of refusal and also be able to refuse the supplement at any point in the future. As part of this informed consent the player will also be made aware that it is our competitive advantage and in being so that they are not permitted to speak about our supplement program outside of [Reid], [Hird], [Robinson] and … Dank. It sounds to me as if they weren't even permitted to speak about it with each other, let alone players from other clubs.

...unless he turns out to be a complete spaz of a coach, in which case it could only be a serious negative.

We will beat Footscray next week. Ok maybe we won't. It's fine to delude myself so I can bring myself to watch though, right?

One game to go then a few weeks off, then we finally start the ever successful pre-season. Full marks to everyone still watching us; I know full well how hard it is. I'm just about out of steam.

One to go.

Geez this is hard to watch. Only one more week left. Can't come quick enough.

Agreed. For the question of why now - well why not now? This would be unbelievably stressful for a 20 year old athlete who has naively placed his trust in his senior peers at Essendon; especially a charismatic club legend like Hird. And I agree with you, it would be an absolute kick in the guts to see Hird carrying on like a pork chop in front of the cameras as he should be.

Feels like he's been around forever doesn't it? He is only 25 and is now a solid, reliable defender. His improvement has been there for all to see over the years, and this year he's taken it up another level again, showing many of our other players the way they should be approaching the game. Well done Colin, you're one of the few that has done me proud this year.

Fascinating read isn't it? I got to point 56 and thought "jeez, the Doc has done the right thing here, poor bloke getting tangled up in all this", then read points 58 and 59 and... oops. You could actually draw an asterisk at each point where a new person became well and truly embroiled in poo. What a train wreck, just one governance cockup after another.

Interesting stat on Viney: % of ground time per game for this season. Against Freo, he spent more time on the ground than he ever had before, recording 82%, with his previous highest against GWS in round 9 where he clocked up 77%. His median is 76%. Compare this to senior midfielders: Nathan Jones: minimum 82% (equal to Viney's highest!), median 87%, maximum 92% (against Freo). Colin Sylvia: minimum 73%, median 87%, maximum 96% Matt Jones (who I loosely classify as senior): minimum 54%, median 80%, maximum 96%. As a side note, this makes it obvious why he was recruited: ready made midfielder. Jack Grimes: minimum (excluding when he was injured in the first quarter against Carlton): 78%, median 83%, maximum 94%. In summary, the *most* amount of time Viney has spent on the ground is less than the *least* of some of the senior mids, and well less than the median for all of the senior mids I looked at. Bottom line is that he's clearly still being treated as a kid or a second string midfielder - and rightfully so - but it puts his performance in to perspective. What's he going to be like when he's got the tank to run through the midfield full time?

Viney is (easily) the best player of the three. Terlich has had the best year.

I'd like to put my hand up for that one, too. Saw him play against the Tassie Devils (when they existed in the VFL) at Bellerive (may have even been in a final?) and he was lightning, I'd never seen anything like it. I was stoked to see it translate at AFL level. He changed the way small forwards play the game.

I think it's disappointing, personally. It's good that he'll be fit for pre-season, but he has been a huge part of Casey's form this year and I reckon he'd have wanted to finish the job he started. Not the end of the world, just a bit of a bummer I think.

I'm not normally prone to snobbery - the very working class conditions I grew up in virtually proclude it - but I consider the rank and file footy gossip mongers like Barrett to be beneath me and not worth wasting energy on by hating them.

I share Ben-Hur's view, though I also believe he has to be picked after his 51 disposal game in the VFL. Performance like that just has to be rewarded.

At work today, no TV. Couldn't bring myself to listen to a live radio stream, for some reason the pain of getting flogged seems so much worse when the vision of the game is left to my imagination.

WJ, eloquence of the written word aside, I'm not sure that's all that different to what BH is suggesting (no doubt he will correct me if I'm wrong here). I certainly interpreted "hate" to mean "found him very difficult to work with" even if that's not what the dictionary says it means.