Dr. Gonzo

You'd be surprised ??

McGowan writes articles for AFL.com.au mainly centred around stats and data analysis from what I can gather. He also does a fantastic podcast called Trends that I can't recommend highly enough.

Exactly, it's not even about this year for me (although that's be great obviously). It's about returning to full fitness and setting himself up for another 5+ years as a Demon if he can get himself right. If that means only half a dozen games or so in 2020 so be it.

Extreme short-sightedness by the VFL / channel 7. The story goes that old film was either taped over and / or sent to the tip when channel 7 was trying to free up storage space in the late 80s. It's the reason why footage of the 63 and 64 Grand Finals is only available in a limited capacity. Look at the value organisations like the NFL and WWF placed on their video libraries even back then and what they've turned it into now and realise the opportunity lost and the history gone begging. I am one of those you refer to as hoarding games It began with my (or rather my dad's) VHS collection of Saturday night replays when I was a kid (late 80s-early 90s) and morphed into trading for any Melbourne (and some other) games I could get my hands on when I started out trying to find additional games I didn't have from the Northey era and anything with Jakovich in it. I've traded with Langers before and he has a ridiculous collection including many replays or parts of games going back to the early-mid 60s. Unfortunately I don't think I can help him with this query. I love chucking on some old games to have on in the background, eg the other night I chucked on an old replay of our round 22 win against Carlton in 1988 that secured our finals berth that year. I remember sitting on the second level behind the goals as a 6 year old with my dad uncle and cousin for that game because it was raining, we'd usually be in the old MFC members red seats otherwise. Anyway I digress.....

He runs in straight lines, no lateral movement which makes him predictable

You should of corrected them, I would of

The club had to split from the MCC they can't be faulted for that. There were a number of reasons most of them financial from my understanding.

It was in the 80s we were kicked off the G wasn't it? Probably coincided with our separation from the MCC and now things have evomved to the point where it's not feasible for us to return

Couldn't have Viney at the presser as it would have taken the focus off Maxy and offered an opportunity for the gutter dwelling journos to question Viney about how disappointed he might be etc I have no doubt Viney would be hurting about the decision but I also have no doubt his number one priority is the success of the MFC

If he's worth it he'll get the big $$ offer from us. He's with us for the next 3 seasons at least, that's good enough for me

To Hell and Back episode 3

North had a great decade in the 90s, 2 flags (4 since our last) Essendon were a behemoth of the competition until the drugs saga, you could argue they still are and won 2 flags in the 80s and 2 in the 90s/00 Gold Coast are a new franchise the AFL is funding in an expansion market Not really comparing apples with apples Even the Saints made grand finals in 97, 09 & 10 and were one of the top teams for about 3 years at the turn of last decade

Except when we lost by 31 goals ???

Tell that to Barassi ?

Do we want him on the list next year? If the answer is yes you sign him up as soon as he and the club can come to an agreement. To try and play around by delaying talks from the clubs side would be amateurish in the extreme.

Matt Jones and Dean Terlich finished top 5 in our B&F - we were a vfl team!

Kids had a ball my son got his number 5 jumper signed by Petracca and had pics taken with Petracca, Gawn, Oliver and Viney. Players were all great with the kids, my boys are already looking forward to next year's one ? Cassie - Daisy was standing next to where Petracca and Brayshaw were signing autographs to the right if the rent where Gawn was @Cassiew

I'm taking the kids, first time I've been since I was a kid

Petracca ??? Good to see Langdon and Tomlinson out there and Brown looks like he could be a decent pickup - not sure why Essendon let him go. Kossie was great, some of his repeat efforts were fantastic. The tackling pressure inside our 50 is exactly what we've been missing probably since Davey left. Love it. Wasn't sure he'd play seniors straight up but he's too dangerous not to have there. I'd lock him in round 1. Would like to see them put Jackson in one position and let him develop he was all over the shop today and couldn't get in the game. He started ok early got to good position up forward but couldn't take a mark. Then he was almost unsighted taking backup ruck duties and starting midfield. I'd leave him as a 2nd/3rd tall forward with TMac and Brown and let him develop there. He can look at ruck/midfield duties down the track when he builds a tank (I know today he had ruck duties out of necessity)

It's not Viney's fault, he was chucked in the deep end too quickly instead of being able to grow into the role. He is a "jump on my back and follow me" leader (witness his game vs WCE 2017 the TMac winning goal one) but needs to develop his emotional intelligence or whatever you might want to call it. Gawn as captain with Viney as vice captain is a great combo and Viney should regain the captaincy down the track I would have thought. Also channel 7 can get stuffed, instead of "Gawn appointed captain" being the headline it's "Viney loses captaincy" - always looking to create a crisis.

Not many hard nuts in that group - good players when they footy is free flowing but hard tough lockdown finals footy and they're going to struggle

Oh yes it was - every single year we would lose a string of games and lose games to bottom 9 teams that cost us the double chance in finals.

We also beat west coast twice in 1990. The Pies beat us in H&A but we had knocked them out of the finals in 88 and 89 and our September record against them overall means we would've had a chance. Truly the one that got away

You're just a caricature of yourself now. Whatever the club did you would have had a crack. If they had've stuck with Viney or gone co-captains it would've been "typical conservative Melbourne, too scared to take a chance on someone who has a bit of character, too scared to back themselves in and admit they made a mistake appointing Viney as captain, still stuck in the old Hollywood Boulevard days etc etc"