sue

There is more to it than stats. While much of what he says is true, the situation is changed because the playing list has changed a lot, so we can now at least have some hope of improvement in time rather that hoping for individual saviours. Did any of our previous teams beat Geelong at Geelong? Did we get thrashed by a desperate, though admittedly junior Essendon, or did we lose in a close game partly because of bad kicking - something that afflicts even good clubs from time to time. I don't recall a loss in previous years like the one to St Kilda. It is facile to say we have found a new way to lose, but we didn't even get to that position in previous years to be able to find that new way to stuff-up. I also can't recall having to play against 3 top teams in a row in previous years. Our previous teams would have emerged from that whammy with an ensuing string of 100 point defeats by every team in the league. Sure there is a lot to be worried about. So while the stats don't look good, I still feel more confident than before. [censored] off and disappointed, but more confident.

says who I wonder? I wouldn't open the champagne just yet if I was at EFC.

You must have watched that through your crystal ball to be confident. I wouldn't draw any confident conclusion from that. But I'd be prepared to weakly guess that he will play and Roos is trying to keep EFC guessing without telling a whopping lie, since everyone knows that once a rookie is promoted they usually play immediately.

Because it is a way of commenting on the topic and making their view known to other readers of the thread. If they merely didn't post, no one would know they were sick of the discussion etc.. Of course, if someone continually posts that, you have to wonder. But if they just do so occasionally, and after many others have posted, it could just show they hand't closed their minds and had another look at the thread. But after seeing the newer posts, they still felt the same way and wanted to convey that. I see nothing wrong with people saying they are sick of a thread (or of this particular discussion!).

I don't necessarily agree with what LG said, but I do not see how someone saying that a subject is exhausted is somehow telling us what we are allowed to talk about. It is his opinion that the topic is exhausted etc. You can agree or disagree and keep posting. Even when people say 'close the thread' , it is often merely a strong way to expressing that they are sick of the subject. They'd probably be surprised if the mod ever did close the thread.

I might have agreed with you on the basis of the video, but then I saw the blow by blow report of the proceedings. Seemed to me it came down to believing either the EFC player or the guy he punched. Since it is rare for players to dob others in and there was no evidence of personal history, I'd believe the St Kilda bloke. Surprised the tribunal didn't. Ed not really surprised.

Pass me the smelling salts.

Gasp, what if large slabs of Demonland are too.

True. It was also quite possible that Watson of all EFC players may have become the out of form player that surprises everyone by suddenly inspiring his team. No way of knowing but I doubt we'd be happy if N Jones was down of for and then was out. We'd prefer he play and find some form. Likewise there is no point in agonizing over some replacement suddenly becoming the rising star of the century. We just have to play to win no matter who they throw at us.

He will for sure. The totally upright AFL tribunal will figure EFC has suffered enough this week regardless.

Perhaps he is merely suggesting that if there is any chance of a bias being perceived, a judge should step aside regardless of the seriousness of the case. For example, the judge who was going to be involved in the Eastman re-trial has just been correctly ruled out on the grounds he merely had some association with the prosecutor in Eastman's case 30 years ago. (BTW Eastman was probably the fall guy and it was the Griffith mafia killed the Federal police commissioner).

What is your favourite TV/Radio commentary team? the mute button

But the CAS verdict could be well into 2017 at best. If the Bombers keep losing for months (and of course we all hope they do at least for the next match) then it will become impossible to wait for CAS. Also, it may well be that paying out his current contract is not affected by misdeeds that occurred during an earlier contract. We don't know what is in the contract, but EFC may perhaps have difficulty arguing against paying him out even if CAS rules against the players. If so, then sacking him now may be no more costly than waiting for CAS. Not to forget that some further WADA/ASADA action against him rather than just the players may be 'legally' required in any case to avoid a payout. Which is even more delay. It would be sweet for most Demonlanders if the Demons could put the nail in his coffin this week. But most of us are living in fear for obvious reasons.

Yes it is yes and no - not clear as I said. Obviously points are more (indeed most) important. But I don't see that making up percentage difference can easily be made up later in the season as you say. You need to get those extra 'for' vs 'against' points whenever you can. Leaving it to a last minute rush can put unnecessary pressure on the team close to the end of a season, eg. can't rest a top player, or must hammer a mid-level club with a tiring effort when all that might otherwise be needed is a comfortable win. Nor do I think it is clear that not hammering a weak club early in the season allows a club to pace itself. For example, once a top club starts hammering a weak club, the last quarter often turns into a relatively relaxing training drill.

Not sure if that is true given their need to get into the top 2 and WCE's sightly higher percentage at the moment.

If you want some therapy have a look at Bomberblitz. I like the thread with the gloriously illiterate title: Hird. Pressure is mountain.

Cloke has a license to throw people out of the way - he just did it in general play to a player who clearly did not have to ball. Should have been clear to the umpires.

If you live in NSW the odds are worse because every GWS and Sydney game is on fta. So while that guarantees at least 2 fta appearances for other teams when they play those two, it means there are few slots left for other matches. I guess the same may be true in WA etc.

Everyone happy with the latest MRP decisions then?

Doesn't sound like you are speculating, so would love you to explain how you have such inside information.

You are nit-picking about separating broadcast vs print as that somehow demolishes my point. Especially as the distinction between the two is vanishing. Anyway I was addressing the term 'independent' and pointing out that there is little independence in Murdoch's media. Murdoch's non-print media was no different on the Iraq war than his uniform print media. But the uniformity in his print media is more glaring since there are so many so-called independent ones. Anyway back to the footy - The Suns will recover once they get their injury list down I think.

I usually try to not look on the pessimistic side of things, but when I last looked at the ladder, WCE were several spots above us. If we win this it will be time to buy our finals tickets for 2016.

It can, but not Murdoch's empire. Prime example is the Iraq war which divided opinion throughout the west. But every one of Murdoch's 'independent' papers supported it. What a coincidence.

The trouble with that is that it leads to 'professional' free kicks given away to stop the play when the other team has a possible advantage.

You have to hand it to them. It's like a burglar being convicted and then having someone suggest he should get off because his mother brought him up well but neglected to read him the penal code as a child even though she told him not to steal.