Little Goffy

It seems to me that all the injuries happen when the knee doesn't rise enough to actually be effective for getting a rise off someone anyway. Certainly the injuries to Petracca and Longergan that was the case. I do worry that the leap would risk being removed entirely, but I feel like there must be some level of detail that could remove the bulk of the remaining injuries of this type. On the other hand, it is such an instinctive motion that it could be very hard to retrain.

If Patrick Cripps wins the Brownlow this year, I propose the AFL reinstate his suspension in 2022 so that Lachie Neale can get the Brownlow he should have won. Then, they can correct the preposterous 2023 result to say Bontempelli gets that Brownlow, and hey presto, peace justice in the world. Neale has the Brownlow he deserved, Bontempilli gets the Brownlow he deserved, and Cripps gets a Brownlow that isn't tainted by the second most obvious and consequential political distortion of the tribunal since the Barry Hall hit was cleared.

Whats with everyone lining up to join the Hawthorn bathroom party this week?

What has it been, four years in the bottom four for Hawthorn? They've had their tails up for 8 weeks and I'm open to the idea that they really have turned a corner, BUT with their next six being Geelong (away), Freo, Collingwood, Crows (away), Giants (away) and Carlton, I think I'll wait at least that long before I start setting them as a perfect rebuild role model or imagining they are anywhere close to a flag. Christian Salem is a good player who sometimes brings out elite moments and elite games, and very very rarely has a stinker. We'd be wise to keep him and he's a realistic part of our coming premierships. Even from the most ruthless perspective, his value to us is far beyond his cost in salary cap space or potential draft picks. Maybe it is worth noting that Hawthorn would probably be one of the clubs interested if Salem did become available, given his overall consistency, ball-use, defensive effectiveness and calm head would be valuable in a young team. Maybe we could swap him for Sam Frost?

We really need to get ahead of the curve and start a sweepstakes for what the next shafting will be. After all, it'll help our relationship with AFL HQ if we're seen to be actively promoting spot gambling.

"Sauce, no onions"?

I'm guess approximately 1000 other people found themselves up against the same predicament and thought 'I'll get WalkingCivilWar to shove food into these faces for a couple of hours of quiet at least."

WOW. That is soccer level. If that isn't fined and publicly shamed then Melbourne may actually have a legal case to challenge May's fine. But hey, it was probably a 'football act'. Or football acting, maybe?

I was having a look at the run home and yikes what an epic winning streak we are about to have! Six of our remaining eight games will be proverbial 8-point games against other teams in the traffic jam, with only the Eagles and Dockers either definitely in or definitely out. Meanwhile, Magpies are basically done travelling for the season now. It is all MCG except for one game at the SCG. BUT with their faltering form and with a finish against the Blues, Swans, Lions and Demons, they may yet drop out of the 8 as fast as Maynard dropping for a free.

I didn't watch the game but now that Collingwood have lost it'll be funny to watch Maynard staging. Does anyone remember roughly what time of the game it was?

Good job Freo. Right result.

Bontempelli doing his thing; Almost double his nearest teammate for contested possessions, metres gained, leading the team for 1%ers, score involvements, and chipping in with a contested mark and mark inside 50. A shame his shots missed or he could once again be the Dogs best forward and best midfielder on the same day. Dogs in real trouble when Tassie comes in if they don't get a very good trade for Smith and then ace the next couple of drafts. Sanders, Darcy(F-s)), Ugle-Hagan(Ac) and Weightman are the only serious talent they've acquired in five seasons. Meanwhile, what happened to McKercher and Duursma?

If the Brisbane game marks his return to form, we may have to rewrite this thread's title; Show some respect. Clarry's back. Please get off.

Ooh, I'll play. I'll try to be realistic but positive and also controversial so I can be in the AFL media. Judd McVee - Michael Hibberd Kynan Brown - Nathan Brown Trent Rivers - Marc Murphy (lol I know much that'll irritate some people but I suspect like Murphy, Rivers will spend most of his career being either underrated or overrated.) Jake Bowey - Leigh Montagna

That he managed that surge of pace to get across to offer an option late in the game was heroic. Having just followed the play all the way down the ground to be involve in the defensive 50 effort, I suspect he was already spent before he even started that sprint, and was probably ready to puke afterwards. His running isn't just to get his daily steps count up! Low-key role model for all the kids.

I fear I've actually been gaslighted to the point of not being sure of the rules any more. Can someone clarify for me what the rules are about players running into an opponent during a marking contest to keep them out of the contest, when the instigator has no intention to compete for the mark? Genuinely seeking clarification.

6 Pickett 5 Viney 4. Van Rooyen - also wins award for 'most robbed by umpires'. Seems to be a consistent thing that it is okay to block him from marking contests. 3. McDonald - notable moments of important calm experience. 2. Oliver. Not like it was his best game but he was recognizably Clayton Oliver. 1. Nibbler. One terrible howler at the crucial moment doesn't change that he was an important factor in stemming the flow against us for much of the game. Petty would be on this list if just take two shots had gone through, and Rivers would be on this list if he'd just taken two steps fewer! Kynan Brown now averaging 80 disposals and 50 tackles per full game time.

Well, that was unfortunate. But, keen observers will recall that I have for a while had this game marked in as our last lost for the season. So, chin up, it's all good from here.

My neighbour's cat said something quite similar this morning, actually.

A persistent mantra in my head is the 2000 Qualifying final vs Carlton with the Green/Bruce combo. "...they need some marking forwards. Green has been the best of them! He's marked it again! Well, really, the only forward for them." "The pressure's starting to show. Bruce! Bruce! Can he kick a goal! He went quickly - and he kicks the goal! They're in it now!" "Knocked out of there by Leoncelli, across the goal face - Bruce! An unlikely hero! The rookie! The rookie!" "A pair of unlikely heroes embrace. Green and Bruce." Something I noticed when confirming that it was indeed the first season for both Bruce and Green was that in round 13 of 2000 we lost to Carlton by 98 points. So Freo had better watch out this year.

A debut every week since the bye and 8 players with less than 50 games, we're a whole year younger on average than our opponent, and our entire emergency list has 10 games experience between them. Stealthy...

Is that any way for a vassal to talk? Especially after they just gave us back the political prisoner. I just got a whisper of a thrill thinking about a giant infodump on the preposterous AUKUS negotiations. I can only hope there was, at some early point in submarine negotiations, a recorded conversation between Morrison, Johnson and Trump. Johnson: {burp} "What's long and hard and full of seamen?" Trump: "Hur hur hur, I'll tell that one to my daughter." Morrison: "I don't get it. I'd better ask my wife."

Moral of the story; The little boy saves the village from a flood but nobody ever comes to help him and he dies with his finger still in the hole. All that time the village thought he was a naughty boy who had run off, and they only realised he was a hero when it was too late. And that is why Belgium is Catholic.

Obviously would be of interest. Takes a steady flow of contested marks and doesn't go missing from games too much. Seems to be incrementally getting better at providing forward pressure. Probably his most impressive stat is score involvements which is not perfectly consistent but sometimes huge. He has even had a game with more score involvements than effective disposals, which is fun. I'd still be prioritising Lukosious, but you have stick your finger in every hole these days.

Gee, it was interesting noting first the borderline downfield free for the bump on Petty (I wouldn't have called it, but the umpires earlier had...) and then at the other end of that kick it is clear even in that grainy footage that Van Rooyen was bumped to ground by an opponent with no intention of entering the marking contest. I mean... am I forgetting the rules or is bumping someone to prevent them entering a marking contest when you have no intention of participating in the contest not normally a free? Good pickup on Liam Shiels effort there, and the comment on 'not caring what the opposition is doing - rolling the dice' sums up the necessary attitude quite well.