Dr. Gonzo

Two key plays in the 3rd quarter which helped turn the game. Petracca fumbles a ball 15m out with a player free in the goal square. We throw away a simple goal. Tmac drops a sitter 25m out on the lead uncontested. We throw away another simple goal. Lions then kicked 3 goals in 5 minutes.

Nah that's rubbish. Hipwood was the difference today, if TMac or Weird could play with his presence we win. We lack composure, play on at all costs can work but not if you start moving before even checking to see what's ahead of you. We sell our teammates into trouble and have no options forward of the ball because we don't have the intelligence to hold things up for a couple of seconds here or there.

All he had to do was hold up for a couple of seconds and he had a player inside 50 with a paddock to lead in to. Plays on without looking and turns it over. So frustrating, they just have no composure whatsoever

These umps are [censored] crucifying us

Tmac jumps in the ruck, Brisbane ruck doesn't jump, free kick???

And we never get the "blocked out if a marking contest" frees paid to us. At least 3 so far today.

Already a bunch of BS calls going against us. tmacs mark on the boundary not paid, HTB against the Lions not paid in our backline And another one right then for God knows what

Hunter S Thompson would disagree ?

Which game?

Probably cos they usually play them at Tassie? I reckon games in those conditions are better to watch these days. Gets it back to an older school style of footy, harder to play keepings off, zone etc Look at GWS/Bombers under the roof but a terrible game. Put that on a soggy Windy Hill makes it a much more enthralling contest.

He is everything I wish Spargo was. Great pick up by the Cats.

He's a buffoon and the game has turned to [censored] under his watch. The sooner he's gone and we get someone competent in instead of a dealmaker given the job because of his connections the better off the game will be.

It also opens up the forward 50 and gets defenders moving which makes it easier to pick the gaps.

The forward structure has made it impossible to tell if they've been playing well or not. Tmac has been poor, Petracca has had the yips but other than that it's hard to say they've been that bad considering the structure and the nature of the forward 50 entries. On the weekend we actually tried to switch play a couple of times wheb we had the ball on the forward flank which opened up space for our forwards and led to I50 marks. Usually we just bang it back down the line making it easy to defend.

Congrats, you just explained the internet.

The season will turn on this week's game, it is probably the most critical one to date. Beat the Lions and we are 5-9 with games against Carlton, Saints, WCE and Footscray over the next month. If we can win 3 of those we're 8-10 with 3 big games in a row at the G to follow. I'm not saying we've got much of a chance but if we can manage to roll Brisbane things could get interesting over the next month.

If we go through undefeated we can still sneak in. Toughest games are probably this week and then West Coast in Alice Springs and the Pies at the G.

E Gate?

Haven't seen the last quarter yet, was listening in the car in between two kids birthday parties.

Players often get "tangled" up with opponents after a mark to delay them, doesn't give the opponent carte blanche to drop their knees straight onto someone's head/neck and risk serious injury. Accidentally get someone a bit high when bumping/blocking you'll be automatically rubbed out, drop your knees straight on to someone's head directly in front of the umpire and nothing at all. Either the head is sacrosanct or its not. AFL once again trying to have it both ways.

I've written him off previously as a "VFL player" but he looked good yesterday. Good 3rd tall option.

How did Hunt not get a free when an opponent dropped his knees right on to his head? Gawn clipped around the ear no free? Forwards blocked off contests all day, no free? I'm not one to blame the umpires but we do seem to consistently get the rough end of the stick.

Loss of car park land = loss of revenue

It's part of the theatre of the sport. Don't take yourself too seriously.

I switched off last night's game at quarter time and switched on The Wire when the kids went to sleep. Same tonight kids have fallen asleep watching on the couch, might keep it on cos it's close but that's the only thing keeping me watching at the moment.