Little Goffy

Madden spent a lot of time forward, though he certainly excelled when he was the primary ruck (a Norm Smith medal seems emphatic confirmation). I'd take Gawn as first ruck without hesitation but would not complain if we slotted Madden in up forward and as relief ruck.

A couple of sub-Gawn games in round 2 and 3. Standard Gawn excellence in rounds 1 and 4. But these last four weeks have been exgawndinary. Meek and Chol's lack of accountability (whether personal or a matter of assigned role) could open the door for Gawn to have another massive impact against Hawthorn this weekend. Touch wood. Invoke the blessings of the beard.

BBO was just cruising the streets for sweet old ladies with superb moustaches.

At the end of 2022 he was seven seasons into a career of extraordinary achievement and, of particular interest, extraordinary consistency and durability. If that had been the symmetrical halfway point of his career, he would have finished as the all-time leader of every known inside midfield stat. He also had never missed a game after debut.

I look at it a bit like Celiacs disease. For every loudmouth who might not even have the illness but who feels a need to preach to everyone about going gluten free and FODMAP, there's a whole collection of people who are getting on with quietly adjusting their diet and longing for proper pizza. You have to be gracious even to the attention-seekers in order to do right by the quiet sufferers. You can bet there would be dozens of AFL players, coaches and staff who are managing some form of mental health problems and 'masking' it enough that it never comes to the public attention. As for us supporters, I've known a few over the years who were very clearly displacing all kinds of issues into football. Imagine being so table-thumpingly upset about a Brent Prismall mis-kick that a suburban football club goes quiet for a moment. Which reminds me; has everyone already seen the short video made by Norwich football club about a year ago? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX8TgVR33KM

On the good ship 'let forwards be forwards', through all misfortunes we sing a merry song because destiny shall prove us right.

I'd say guess who but that smile gives it away. Game stats in the top left is a nice touch.

*hat tip in affirmation of sentiment*

In the whole of last season we had four games where we cracked the 100 point line. We've now had two in three weeks. Nevermind the opposition - that applies just as much to last season. I'm beginning to be hopeful that we can indeed learn to really attack in unpredictable and opportunistic ways. 12 individual goal-kickers is a nice sign. We really want this wave of young players to learn to other find a teammate or go after the goal, and never step in the chasm between them - the pointless long bomb. Particularly interesting given that we basically went into the Eagles game without a single classic full-time key forward target. Touch wood we may now even have two tall swingmen, in Petty and Turner, with all the appropriate caveats until one or both of them really put together a solid stretch of form. Also interesting to have seen Chandler rolling right back into defense at times. I think there's a rule against calling someone a swingman if they are under 180cm, but any versatility that allows us to switch and bait our forward line without sacrificing other areas of the ground is valuable. It takes zero imagination to picture a future where each of Windsor, Tholstrup and Langford can move between other roles and forward time, offering entirely different match-ups and maybe maximising their effective time on ground. A lot of ifs and buts. The seeds of a really effective whole-team attack are there.

Looks like someone nudged the bowl of miso soup again. Be calm. Watch the soft vortex. All will become still and clear once more.

I think I'm entitled to a smug burp.

Righto, I'm back on deck after dinner out with the family. Let's get this rolling.

Freo and Port both having bad wobbles means the chase to pass them on the ladder is a real one. Hell, Carlton could be in the eight by the end of today. A bit harder for us with our garbage percentage. Unless one of the current top 8 also has a few wheels come loose the gap could be too much and everyone except the current 8 and Carlton could be competing for 9th. That said... there's a realistic stumble risk from each of Adelaide, GWS, Geelong and, notwithstanding their obviously growing confidence, the Bulldogs. Plus, the Suns always go down at the end of the day. And I, for one, am still not discounting a total implosion by either or both of Hawthorn and Collingwood.

To be fair, this instance is just a straight-up case of public sector cuts based on false efficiencies. It might genuinely be ten years since anyone has had actually had the job to keep public health information up to date or useful, because it doesn't lead to any saleable unit or middle-manager-measurable KPI. I believe it is called 'running the government like I run my business' and the punters love it. Anyway, I did find the reference to Jack Fitzpatrick as a 'sporting champion' to be amusing as well as alarmingly dated.

I've just had a horrible moment of losing all faith in Australia's health information services. Circumstantial confirmation that this info hasn't been updated in at least ten years, and also that this particular item might not actually be a myth. Myth: People with type 1 diabetes can’t participate in sports or exerciseFact – Many Australian sport champions have type 1 diabetes, for example AFL player Jack Fitzpatrick who plays for the Melbourne Football Club.

The traditional Vietnamese drip coffee is sphinctal anxiety in a cup for me. Which is unfortunate given my now copious connections to Vietnam and the fact that the circumstances where choices are limited that way are also the moments where emergency WC (Bathroom, not Eagles) access is not reliable. Freo have spent the whole of tonight looking like their most immediate concern is indeed the nearest bathroom. The top 8 really is open for any team which gets some consistency in their game.

I sometimes get a kind of gastro reaction to certain smells, like badly burnt toast or that acrid black smoke that comes if low smoke-point oils go into a too-hot wok. Like clockwork, three separate urgent trips to the bathroom in the space of 20-30 minutes, and then everything fine again. Anyhoo. Just thought I'd help take people's mind off this game.

Flicking channels... check the score. Hmm, low scoring quarter. "And here are the players coming back out from the rooms." Took a moment to process that reality.

During the week I found it genuinely amusing any time I ad flicked past claiming that tonight's game was a major contest between two big rivals. Essendon v North is the clear 'who cares' game of the round. Even Demons v Eagles can we watched with an edge of 'will the Eagles break through and send the Demons back into crisis, or will the Demons continue the grinding turnaround of their season.' But this... EXCITEMENT: Can Essendon continue their 12-game streak of being between 9th and 16th on the ladder? Only a low-margin win can keep them safe!

Yep. Just adding to the noise. Tom McDonald is seriously respectable. I suspect I say it so often that it bores people, but I love that level of player who always contributes solidly without ever being a top star. Having said that, he remains, and I suspect shall remain, the only player to have kicked a goal after the siren in a grand final while 17 adult men dry-humped in a pile just to the left of the mark. That, at least, was spectacular.

It could be a genuinely even rising star award by the end of the season. Levi Ashcroft has been very good but not an instant explosion like his brother. Murphy Reid is playing his role superbly but might not accumulate enough attention to 'win' the award. Over at Essendon Archie Roberts has been pretty consistent and punctuated that with some big numbers in a couple of games, while Kako and Caddy are both doing fine but will of course be overrated due to the Bomber hype-machine. Sam Lalor's numbers go up and down but he seems to always contribute, and his best as an attacking mid rolling forward is huge. 2 goals and FOUR goal assists against the Lions is nonsense for a teenager. Then there's about half a dozen players which their clubs would be perfectly pleased about their progress and contribution, but who aren't standing out as being competition leaders. I'm not sure where Langford and Lindsay fit into that. I do know that I like the way they play and that they both have been improving with each passing game. Very interesting to see Langford getting the hang of his de facto wing role, averaging 400m gained in the two wins. Final note on our two guns is time on ground. We are managing our kids' time much more conservatively than other clubs are, with 64% for Langford and 62% for Lindsay, compared to 75-80% for most of the award contenders. Who knows, it may result in a more durable first season from them as others fade a bit late in the year.

Fun bump. Nice to visit a thread from before MFCSS was formally added to the official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. 'Demon Deragement Syndrome' was a valid competitor, but MFCSS is what will go down in history. Much like Max Gawn. Did anyone else notice late in the Richmond game a moment where a pack collapse with Gawn in the middle of it and bodies dropping everywhere, and Gawn hits the ground and for a moment he is just watching the chaos around him with this happy grin like he is watching his kids figure out a new toy? You can also see the same kind of joy in the gif Demon Disciple posted above. You don't often see players just smiling like they are having a good time. I'm glad he is literally the best ruck of a generation, because otherwise I'm sure some sour-faced twit or cleansed-toned-moisturised potato in the media would be having a go at him for 'lacking intensity'.

Sinnema, White and Walsh. Jason Taylor must be investing all his effort looking at the 2026 draft already, just to look busy. "Why yes, this year I really would like four picks in the early second round, thank you."

Unlikely to work. No spirit to communicate with.

Had to brush some dust off the archives to verify that one.