Dr. Gonzo

If Freo get within 5 goals today it will be a miracle. Came out and tried for 3 or 4 minutes before Lions took control.

I agree it shouldn't be personal and like I said I wish him no ill will. I just don't think I've seen that level of criticism other than towards his game (or decision making) - I also don't think he's the kind of guy to take anything the media has to say too seriously.

He is a professional sportsman on almost a mil a year. It comes with the territory, it's not bullying FFS. I don't wish him any ill will but he will face public scrutiny.

It was Scully

@FearTheBeard you seem to be in the know about all the seating/ticketing arrangements at the G so thought I'd ask. Which areas in the Northern Stand level M are generally MFC Members reserved seat areas and which are reserved bays for MFC GA Members (do these even exist anymore)? I am an AFL Member with MFC club support but want to sit in the Northern Stand on Saturday night against the Kangas because I'm sick of being surrounded by opposition supporters or sitting in a sparsely populated bay. Is there an area on ground level in the Northern Stand I can get into as a GA Melbourne member? I know I could sit behind the goals where the cheer squad is but I prefer the wing rather than behind the goals. Cheers

Nah

True, when was the last time we played them at the G though? Seems to always be Docklands or Tassie. Docklands feels like a basketball game half the time the G is a bit different for a younger team.

JHF has been pretty good in just his 2nd season (1st in a proper environment). Usually I would say you need to spread your picks but you also don't win flags without high end talent that comes from top 3-5 draft picks. Most teams have to bottom out after a flag tilt or get gifted academy picks but we have the opportunity to get a top end talent to start preparing for 5 years time when Trac and Oliver are finishing up. If you could do it this year I would (assuming Reid is worth it - I don't know anything about him but I trust JT).

Your faith in the AFL and consultancy firms in general seems quite naive. Of course they outsource the decision making process so it can be seen to be transparent but they also set the frames of reference and have ongoing communications around preferred selection criteria etc so the consulting firm knows the answer the ones that pay the bills wants. Dillon may prove to be the ideal candidate for the AFL based on their criteria but it doesn't mean he is the best available candidate for the game as a whole. It comes down to what is more important, growing the bottom line or the integrity of the competition and governor of the sport. I'm sure I know what their answer would be but it differs to mine. And it's not about another white male. I would have preferred Brendon Gale for example as I think he has the integrity and has lived outside the walls of the AFL Commission/Executive long enough to bring a broader perspective.

Exactly, it is taking an act of desperation, something that has been routinely lauded for 150 years and turning it into a free against. His intent wasn't to put the ball out of bounds, his intent was to deny his opponent possession.

Hallucinogens help cut through the BS but I understand they're not for everyone

Problem is they review every decision, not every non-decision. So they won't look at the non-decision not to pay a 50m penalty to ANB after he was tackled after taking a mark for example.

It's not just the AFL doing this though, ANZAC Day seems to have been co-opted sometime in the mid-90's to be more about a celebration of the military rather than solemn reflection of the horror and futility of war. If anything it should be seen as an advertisement for all the reasons not to join the military rather than the glorification it has sometimes become (eg at today's game I swear I saw fighter jets flying overhead).

4th highest Demons home crowd ever and 5th highest Demons home and away crowd ever. The only match since 1964 that exceeded last night was 2017 ANZAC Eve with cracked 85k and was Richmond's home game.

As bad as they are Collingwood is worse

Yes, a time to solemnly reflect on the horror and futility of war.

And Van Rooyen was getting pushed and scragged at every contest without hearing boo from the umps. Ludicrous and infuriating.

Who was on Cumberland in the 1st? Rivers?

I think I get a warped view of the crowd because I'm in the AFL members where we were clearly outnumbered - it seemed like they had about 70% of the crowd but it might feel different if I was in the Northern Stand.

The contract is an easy out but I think it's more trying to balance his furious attack on the ball with not giving away frees/getting reported. When you go 100% that can happen and it seems he's second guessing himself in order to avoid the frees/suspension. It will click soon and he'll have another game like round 1 or last year v Port.

He was getting scragged and pushed under the ball all game. The pushing under the ball will come with strength/positioning but the scragging was bloody frustrating especially when they were paying them down the other end. Same story with Oliver getting a free against him for holding coming out of the centre bounce, that was bloody rich considering he is tackled at every contest before taking possession.

Knowing how to and being able to is the difference between flags and spoons.