Nasher

6. Green 5. Gysberts 4. Davey 3. Moloney 2. McDonald 1. Frawley

No doubt - I'm from the other end of the country and I've never been to Darwin. My post was just based on my understanding, which was obviously incorrect. Do you know why they play footy there during the eastern summer then? I had always assumed it was because that was when the weather was more favourable, but that doesn't sound like it's the case at all. In that case, the point that the timing could be better stands. Either way, I don't like that our players are being subjected to such brutal conditions. In 'development' years it doesn't matter so much, but if we were a premiership contender then that's a significant disadvantage IMO.

Thank you for ignoring my point completely and waffling on about crap I already knew. I feel much wiser now. I'm not against playing in Darwin in general, but there needs to be a bit more sense put around when it happens. I like Jacey's suggestion of putting that fixture directly before the mid-season break (or a bye in next year's fixture). That solves the crux of the issue in my eyes.

BENDIGO BOMBERS v CASEY SCORPIONS Sunday 30th May Queen Elizabeth Oval 2:00 PM (VFL RADIO 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM) BENDIGO BOMBERS Backs Flaherty Shinners Cloke Half backs J Williams T Slattery Hardingham Centreline Reimers Crameri Dyson Half forwards Daniher Quinn Carlisle Forwards M Williams Neagle Skipworth Followers Bellchambers Houli Colyer Interchange (from) Bock Delahunty Gray James Ladson* Page Scanlon Silverlock Still CASEY SCORPIONS Backs Panozza Martin Stockdale Half backs Cheney McNamara Bail Centreline Wall Daniel Bell Strauss Half forwards McKenzie Dunn Hughes Forwards P Johnson Newton Maric Followers Spencer MacReadie Nicholls Interchange (from) Chivers Fieldsend Healey L MacDonald* McGough Mohr Simpson Smith Taylor * 23rd player RESERVES PORT MELBOURNE v CASEY SCORPIONS Saturday 29th May TEAC Oval at 3:00 PM PORT MELBOURNE Backs Thornton Keely Wall Half backs Suckling Kyriakides Pitt Centreline Scipione Johnston Neville Half forwards Smith Burstin Muling Forwards Burge Martin Oakley Followers Fanning Debruin Free Interchange (from) Bond Deledio McGarry Marriot Mullins Pianto Purcell Sengstock Tanti CASEY SCORPIONS Backs Chivers Mohr Burke Half backs David Bell Patti Lees Centreline Weekes Fieldsend M Johnson Half forwards Woodhead Simpson Sykes Forwards Smith Purdy Waite Followers Cleven Petropoulos Plummer Interchange (from) Bedggood Charalambous Creed M Dowse Leeds Risely Tynan

Exactly who I was thinking of when I wrote that. Different type of player, but same story really.

^ This reason is what makes the OP a very good question IMO. By all reports, that game was an absolute killer, and it was 100% due to the weather, which was a typical evening in Darwin in May. As I understand it, they don't even play footy in Darwin until the wet season, which is our summer. That tells me that the Darwinians don't think this time of year is the best time of year to play footy there, so why do AFL clubs think it's a good idea?

Disappointing but fair. You'd think the slog would've been toughest on the young bodies. That makes no sense. They'd be rested because they'd be fragged after the Darwin slog. You can't rest them a different week when they're (presumably) sore now. We're cactus in this game either way - now they're going to be primed to embarrass Carlton next week. Really excited that Gysberts is getting a run.

175cm, 75kgs. You need to be exceptional to make it at that size unfortunately. Not saying he doesn't deserve the shot, but I'd think he'd be a pretty long shot to make it. And I wouldn't bother outside of the rookie draft. He's probably the sort you'd take as a rookie if there was literally nobody else you fancied left.

Agreed. This is a tough assignment of the highest order -- Mission Impossible is accurate. The best the side will be capable of will not be good enough - I just hope they do get close to reaching "best".

If it's softened up again next week (or whenever it's played on next), will the timing still be a problem?

This is the first week he's had a number figure rather than 'indefinite' isn't it? I'd not expect him to get much beyond the Casey reserves this year -- so yes, this season is a wash. To be honest I wouldn't have expected him to pull on an MFC jumper this year anyway, even if he was fit.

That's what I thought too initially, but dismissed it immediately. When journalists are trying to sensationalise (as they are in this article) they toss the word "star" around like chocolate. I'd interpret "St. Kilda star" as "one of the 40-odd players on the St. Kilda list".

Don't you think the fact that they met her at a high school football clinic would ring alarm bells for anyone with half a brain? You're right in that in all likelihood there's probably not any criminal wrongdoing (morally is debatable - and not a debate I want to get in to), but all I can say is that these guys are obviously not very bright.

Indeed. It's quite possible it was 18 year old guys having sex with a 17 year old girl. It's also possible it was 30 year old guys having sex with a 16 year old girl. That's why it's completely silly to speculate or pass too much judgement at this point in time. There aren't enough facts available to have any real clue as to what happened.

In three years time he might be fantastic, there's no disputing that. There's a million other case studies with ruckmen where that has happened. Look no further than Jamar himself. Right now, he's not good enough to be in the side. I really do think it is that simple. He offers nothing when not in the ruck, so IMO even if is an adequate ruckman, there isn't room for both he and Jamar in the side. There seems to be this perception that because people don't want Spencer in the side right now that we've written him off for good. That's not the case. In between black and white are many shades of grey; I don't want Spencer in the side yet.

He was found guilty of a lesser charge (not the initial charge), one that amounted to less than 100 points. So he still accrues 'penalty' points but does not get rubbed out. Think of it like a suspended sentence.

I was going to make some wisecrack along the lines of "I'd still choose...." then came back to the same predicament - I can't decide between the two. Don't really want to anyway.

Even if we did, we'd have to fall across the line to get in and even then, we'd just be making up numbers. We're still looking at 9-12 IMO -- which I'd view as a successful year under the circumstances.

If you want to know why we ran out of puff, read the reports on the conditions from people who went (there's a few on Demonology -- see this thread: http://demonology.midnight.net.au/Index.PHP?Mode=Forum&SubMode=DisplayPosts&MessageThreadID=32398&BoardType=0) If you're still in doubt as to why we ran out of puff after reading that, then read it again.

Is Jamar really at huge risk of injury by playing alone? Jamar got through the Port game without breaking down - if he can survive that he can survive anything. That argument is just paranoid hysteria IMO. There's no evidence that Jamar playing 99% of the game in the ruck will cause him to get injured. And it why would it put his career in freefall? He'll still be our best ruckman next year regardless of any injuries he gets this year. Development can be done at Casey. You lose a huge amount of run by spending a valuable spot in the side on a ruckman who spends 5 minutes a quarter on the ground. As rpfc said, there's no second ruckman in our best 25 (probably our best 30 atm) so we shouldn't play one. To do so would sacrifice vital run at the expense of something which is not entirely necessary.

I think guys like Morton are just as valuable at 75% fit than the 22nd best player in the side anyway. Especially when that player is a Dunn or Johnson. Not sure the same applies to Wonaeamirri especialy since his best is still some weeks away. Still it was nice to see that he hadn't lost that "touch". Can't wait until he's back proper.

I couldn't choose either. Agree with RobbieF's assessment. Barry Prendergast will still be thanking his deity of choice on a nightly basis I reckon.

^ This. As for Macdonald, I'm happy enough with him. But as Enforcer25 alluded to (but articulated poorly), I find it hard to see him fitting in the side when all these "developing" players become "developed" players. He'll be squeezed out eventually, but until then I'm happy for him to keep getting a run. Good ordinary footballer IMO.

His actions deserve a fine and that's it, and even then if Thompson had any decency he'd pay the fines as he was the perpetrator. Hall appeared to attempt to bitch slap Thompson at one point and made contact with fresh air. The rest was just wrestling and carrying on. I thought Hall did a reasonable job of controlling himself given the circumstances and his history.

Miller too important forward at the time. After tonight, I've got no friggin' idea whether or not I want another ruckman in the side. Jamar can't go it alone forever clearly, he was completely dead on his feet, but as Jaded points out it's hard to imagine how we could've been better off with Spencer playing instead of Jetta. Too hard. Thank $deity I'm an armchair supporter and not a selector.