sue

I see the HUN is saying that the player's penalty could be as little as weeks because they were not party to the legal delays caused by Hird & EFC and thus generous backdating is possible. What sort of message does that send to sporting administrators? Start bogus cases, appeal etc but make sure the players aren't involved and then when the guilty verdict comes in, the player's penalty will be a joke.

Totally dominated Q1 into wind without much scoring. But for the first time in almost living memory were passing with precsion to players in space.

Roos seems less concerned than people here: Melbourne coach Paul Roos said he wasn't too concerned by the change in momentum and didn't blame his side for taking their foot off the pedal. Roos said the Demons stopped competing as hard at the contest, but he was pleased with the way his side moved the ball in transition early on. "I think today what we saw in the first half was what we're trying to work on both defensively and offensively," he said.

True, but the way Hird & co have behaved makes it too easy for one's darker emotions to emerge.

What about an interview with the press or a full statement rather than a few photos and tweets. Please post the tweets. I bet they said bugger-all.

I think the HUN takes that line for 2 reasons. First it curries favour and gives comfort to Essendon supporters who, if they had half a brain, would be feeling pretty bad. Second if the players and club are clobbered, the expectation that the HUN has created that they should have been let off, or at worst miss a few games, will create just the sort of controversy that the HUN likes.

Whichever view of the whole MC saga you take, I cannot forgive him for not apologising to the MFC more profusely in public after all the support we gave him. All I recall is that he said he felt guilty - maybe I missed a detailed statement from him? - in which case I retract. For a man to bravely admit to depression in public, why the silence? Did he feel so guilty that he just wanted to hide?

I have no problem accepting that a change of environment is recommended for someone suffering from depression. What I can't understand is how moving from one professional football environment to another can be considered a significant enough change. Even if you believe his move was genuinely for this reason, it sounds risky to me.

All this speculation about the AFL throwing Essendon out of the comp is off the mark. More likely that Essendon are arrogant enough to start a new league in competition to the AFL. (At least I think I'm joking....)

A good idea for our nerves. It would have an interesting effect on next year's preseason plans and conventional wisdom if most Essendon players don't play till Round 1 and they go on to have a great season. Assuming they aren't rubbed out entirely of course.

Calling it now. A number of D'landers will make bold predictions with no real justification and when they are accidentally proven right will say 'told you so' and when they are wrong hope no one will remember, including themselves. There is a future here for those selling 'predict your unborn kid's sex' with 'money-back if wrong'.

It is true that the twitter messages also appear on the website. However when an organization makes a last minute change they should use every method they have to communicate it. It may fail to reach some, eg. those who have already left, but it is disgraceful not to try. Everyone stuffs up from time to time and I expect the PR-types were all concentrating on the Family Day and may have thought they could get away with an hour delay without upsetting too many, not knowing it would stretch even longer to breaking point. Nevertheless, the MFC should issue an apology. I expect the reason they haven't is because they fear it may then lead to the stuff-up appearing in the media. But they should realise it is likely to anyway, especially when there is not much AFL news. And will only look worse if they haven't apologised. Apologise, and even if there is an article in the press, it will be greeted with a giant yawn.

I don't think it is unreasonable to suggest that it is best if those personally affected complain to the club. If others do, there is a tendency to dismiss them as serial complainers. Probably a foolish tendency, but nevertheless true in many organizations. In any case, I trust that the club issues an apology and an explanation.

Where are these 'many' Redleg? I think you meant 'a very few'.

The pressures on the AFL that are discussed in this article suggest that the AFL cannot afford to get things wrong about drugs. A long drawn out international battle may be a disaster. Maybe the wet tram ticket will at least be dried out first. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/a-giant-of-the-game-wayne-carey-passes-judgment-on-the-afls-big-problem-20150307-13wykm.html

Saints taking over by a large margin as game goes on. AFL rushing to the drawer labelled 'soft penalty ideas'.

If I recall correctly he had no chance of catching or even putting pressure on that player regardless of his fitness level. Given the conditions I'd rather a player wisely conserved his energy rather than put in an effort purely for show. Almost every player looked stuffed at some time or other - just had to point the camera at them.

Do we really need another thread were we can argue about which players are hopeless (which appears to be the garbled intention of the thread title)? Alternatively, maybe confine all such discussions to here. (Good luck with that.)

So will the AFL when they play the Saints on Saturday. If the Saints thrash them, the AFL will be desperately looking for small penalties. If Essendon does well, the 'real' Essendon players may be shaking in their boots.

Hird-speak from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-06/james-hird-denies-essendon-bombers-players-have-broken-ranks-in/6286532 "The group is united on that decision and, obviously, we want the identity of those (charged) players protected. "But we also want the individual careers of players to go ahead." Obviously only 4 players have a career in need of going ahead. Here's an idea James: Draw straws and just have one player who has not been charged join the group of 25 whose identity is being protected. Then we'll never know which of the 26 has been charged since there is a possibility that any one of them has not been charged. And more players' careers will be able to go ahead.

Just in case you were not being ironical: 1. Clear skies mean the sun is in your eyes some of the time (and for TV viewers it can be horrible since the broadcasters often don't seem to change the camera aperture to account for grandstand shadows. Not easy if you are at the ground sometimes too) 2. 30 is far too hot regardless of a breeze. If conditions were great, why did the clubs have all those fans? If the breeze is fast enough to cool players, it is probably playing havoc with the footy. Hardly great conditions.

Sorry mo64, all West (of Vic) Australians look the same to me.

Port have no chance for the flag this year then because they had a goalless quarter and one where they only kicked 1 (plus a misjudged poster).

That struck me too. I sweat profusely at the slightest exertion so I'm familiar with the symptoms. It makes you feel really down.

Funnily enough if I was a Port supporter I'd have to say the same things about some of their players last night. Though given Port's position on the ladder I guess they weren't 'usual suspects'. ed: I see Ross Lyon agrees.