Dr. Gonzo

It's not the reason for the increased rights deals though. That's a plus for the AFL not channel 7.

The AFL is also completely disengenuous claiming the extra $50m in media rights revenue is solely due to having GC & GWS in the comp. The rights would have continued skyrocketing regardless. Channel 7 values these expansion clubs so highly that they schedule their games on secondary channels in their home markets. Foxtel would have seen maybe a 0.1% growth in NSW & QLD subscriptions due to the expansion clubs. I don't really have an issue with the financial support of the expansion clubs (the academies are another matter) but the AFL's justification is absurd.

It's why I think giving up our pokies assets is idiotic, unless it is costing us in other areas namely sponsorship. The evidence is that it doesn't therefore the club should maintain this key source of revenue.

Maybe he's just not that good?

Yep exactly - in my eyes there's a difference between champions of the club and champions of the league. A guy like Neitz is a club champion borderline league champion in my eyes. Garry Lyon was a league champ cruelled by injury. Schwarz could've been if not for injury. No one else comes close since Robbie Flower in my time watching. When you compare them to the best of the best (Voss, Hird, Judd) guys like Wilson and Woewodin just don't cut it. Powell isn't even in the same ball park though very useful player for us across a few seasons.

Until we lose a game then every man and his dog will want to talk about it despite having no idea of how it was really handled

Good players not great. Nowhere near the level of all time greats of the game.

Disagree, Ablett Snr as an example was a champion without a flag. Same as our own Robbie Flower. Buckley never won a flag. Champion players can exist outside champion teams.

Inside footy or footy record?

You're too nice OD, I was thinking more like 5

They'd already started going monthly last year I believe so this was on the cards. I wasn't a regular reader but was always good for a flick through but with the amount of online blogs etc these days it became a bit redundant.

Those guys may qualify as club champions but none of them were league champions in the way a Voss, Hird, Buckley, Black, Judd etc were

I assume you're being sarcastic here

That's funny, considering the thread is titled "What would YOU pay more money for..." (emphasis added)

We've never had a champion midfielder since I've been watching (1988)

He had the yips for a period last year (kicked 4 points vs NM from memory?) but also kicked some handy goals one in particular against the Crows to start our avalanche when we were down by 4 goals.

He looked very good last night, excited to see how he progresses this year. I think people forget how young he still is.

Better than laughing at/pitying us like they were 5 years ago

Let me guess, Watts would've dominated right?

Was Bugg off the pace or did his two misses at goal standout?

Bugg in Stretch out but otherwise probably spot on. Although I could see Pedersen getting a run at the expense of Frost.

St Kilda lifted a bit as well, started to lower their eyes coming into forward 50 but having Maynard & Hannan in the middle for large stretches didn't help us.

He has great touch, wasn't convinced after JLT1 but he seems a monty to debut in R1.

Had our 3rd rung midfield for most of the quarter and the Saints took control of the clearances.

He also changed his team of support to GWS on BigFooty