Little Goffy

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that Petracca has not slacked off too much from his preseason.

There was one exception on the day which just emphasized the shame of the others. Jordie McKenzie. Respect.

That 16 minute quarter issue would suggest the best plan is not so much to have a relief ruckman as to just reduce the amout of cross-field running the primary ruckman has to go through. So, I can see the value in having a ruck-ish forward up there to just bang the thing around when a clean tap is rare anyway with so much congestion Plus there's less value to having them do their tall target thing when the ball has already been up forward long enough to see a stoppage. If the ball is up there long enough for the primary ruckman to get to the stoppage without busting a gut, then great. But otherwise, saving a ruckman a dozen 80m runs in a game could be the difference at a few late-game stoppages or getting into position for the classic match winning mark.

If the players aren't one the track at 12.01 I'll be bitterly disappointed.

I checked my list of 'Things victims of stalking and harassment really really want.' Couldn't find 'Lots of attention from strangers especially on the internet' anywhere.

There is complexity in your point that I appreciate. Personally I have a very complex relationship with police. My work has actually involved a huge volume of distant yet detailed observation of the mostly more boring side of the endless slog that police generally manage to work their way through with high professionalism. Hell, I can vouch that police even manage to be courteous and professional to some truly awful people. On the other hand, I think where our different complex points are getting tangled is that I am also aware of levels of unprofessional and unacceptable behaviour within police that cannot be pointed to as a collection of isolated incidents that might anger individuals who have personal bad experiences, but as patterns of behavior within organisational culture which continue to be protected by some senior networks within that culture. Similarly, on the one hand I am the kind of person who doesn't hesitate to call police and to stick around and monitor situations like 'crazy guy outside mall' or 'brawl brewing up on street near seedy pub'. On the other hand, I personally would not feel safe in police custody and would be highly concerned for the well-being of a great many of my friends if they were taken into custody for any reason, however minor, incidental or erroneous. Importantly, from an observed, sustained pattern, I can have a fair and reasonable concern that many people I know could not be sure of their rights or dignity while in police hands. One particular example comes to mind - in my work I've heard a number of times people raising a moan about the 'Do you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?' question. The issue is of course the perception that Indigenous people are being offered special treatment. But a deep thinking session about why the question is asked that way brings the realisation - people are asked specifically if they are Indigenous in order to protect the dignity of police. Imagine if the question was made race-neutral. It would read, "Do you identify as belonging to a category of people who can, based on extensive evidence, family and personal experience, reasonably be in fear of mistreatment while in custody and during the law enforcement process?' Anyway, while I was just joking about Queensland, I really don't think Vic Police is the worst, despite the recent shameful papering over of the unwarranted raid + arm shattering incident. A bit of the old 'if they run, then they must be the enemy' (Full Metal Jacket, I think?) Probably New South Wales has the poorest reputation at present, what with all the stripping children and stuff. That was policy, not one-off incidents. It was an unambiguous policy of harassing attendees at music festivals because, you know, 'those people'. BUT, for all that, by way of olive branch, there's no denying that there is a layer of people who act like the police are some kind of irredeemable fascist jackboot force, and many of that mob are horrendously pretentious juveniles or straight-up low-lifes. I do see your point there and can at least respect that you are primarily expressing your irritation at that useless attitude.

Ahh, I see what you did there. Very clever. A bit of the old 'tell us all your secrets and be judged, or I'll just assume you have secrets and judge you anyway' routine. A lot of police have done a lot of 'questionable' things and there are still aspects of warped culture and corruption that keep festering and refuse to die. Australia's generally, are among the best in the world these days but still have plenty of rot in them, whether it is corruption, bigotry, or such vain-glorious creepiness as this particular instance. And there's still an awful lot of people who have vivid, sometimes very recent memories driving their mistrust of police. It's not so simple that you can just say 'did you get stiched up or are you a P.O.S?' That's not a mature way to go about things at all.

It's really only ridiculous because of Queensland. And I wont bite at the other silliness.

Forgive me, I need to mention Neale Daniher's final game. Ripper of a game against Essendon but the taste of ash lingered a long time after that one.

I've got recollections of a really annoying Sydney fan at the SCG late in a game against the Swans where we had been solidly in font and then Sydney just blew us apart in the last. This fan just kept yelling 'Ten goal quarter' in Boganese. Not a good loss.

There is absolutely no doubt that Nathan Jones is slimming down for his new, more outside, role.

I enver really got to see much of them playing, but Stephen Tingay's recipe for a chicken cacciatore in the Trevor Barker memorial cookbook (I forget the name of the book - it might just be 'AFL cookbook') was a real winner and very easy. Also quite forgiving of lazy cooks like me with a tendency to wander off and do other things.

Poor guy retired for health reasons then watched on as the entire playing group gets to not play and still get most of their pay! No wonder he wants back in. Seriously this guy can't take a trick. Not even eligible for JobKeeper.

Could be Matthew Lloyd. Could be Cameron Mooney. Could be any of a number of our esteemed and pickled Demonland posters, too, depending on the kind of shots.

I'm jealous about the knife. Looks so dense and sharp you could just toss onions across the room at it and they would cut neatly.

This may actually be the worst thread in the history of Demonland. Is there an 'ignore' button for threads so I can not see it on the landing page?

I propose we merge with Matt Damon. We agree to use his name, but he wears our colours and gives us his fans, and money. Sorted.

Meh, just explain tot hem that they can take a 'proper' pay cut now out of respect for the thousands of people in the AFL 'family' who have just become income-free, or the AFL can just sort the problem by reaffirming the '25% of all AFL income' line the players were so keen to have, and strangling the salary cap and permitting renegotiation of contracts. They are entirely within their rights to, for the same reasons that QANTAS had the right to immediately stand down 80% of their employees. Oh, and a side note - not many people are aware but a similar clause exists in tenancy policy. So any tenants out there (if they are aware of their rights) who has been stood down due to coronavirus does in fact have the right to break their lease without penalty. But they don't know because thye don't have the legal team of QANTAS helping them!

All too true. Might as well have the club go out to our older members with pre-filled Demon Will Kits.

Hell, even the tag of 'future captain' has been too much of a burden for several over the years.

I just caught myself thinking of our odd little community as being like the people you've been sitting in the same seats near for years. Don't even have to like each other, might often be annoyed by our manners or vehemently disagree on something, but still, there's a certain sense of shared experience and humanity. Everyone look after yourselves and each other. The virus is an awful thing but you can shunt the odds a bit in your favour, and a bit in society's favour, by doing all the little things. 1%ers, n'all that jazz. Take care everyone, gotta be fresh for when the season restarts, and plenty more seasons to come.

Basically an even game except for about ten minutes. (prepares to be flamed)

On the bright side, I am now more confident than I have ever been that our pre-season and list are in their best condition in almost 60 years.

Pretty sure that was the trigger clause. "Oh crap, Demons have won a final. Activate the President of Madagascar protocol!" But we'll always have Lily's vibrating explosion-in-a-jar goal celebration.

Some people are really messed up. I don't know for sure which disturbs me more; The crazies who seem to be fantasising that things aren't so bad and that the million or so people in immediate risk of bankruptcy or homelessness are just entitled leftie kids having a sook. or The crazies who respond to any criticism of the lack of the response as if it can only be some kind of fake news strategy secretly promoting... um... past labor party leaders? I'll try to reassure myself that it is just a few people on a forum. As for watching at a crowded pub... that's just dumb right now. Dumb and irresponsible. Which is why we need much more action to help the people and businesses that NEED to close.