Dr. Gonzo

The way we are playing right now? We beat the Lions a week ago. We beat the Pies a month ago. What are you on about?

Understatement!!

Crows picked through our zone with ease at times and seemed to match us in the contest (particularly centre contests) although I haven't seen the stats. They're a decent side and have Burgess who would be priming them for this time if year so no surprise they came home strong. Don't forget the Pies only just got past them, twice. Having said that if it wasn't for Rankine we probably would have put them away before half time. I thought JJ needed to be better, it doesn't feel like he's really grabbed the opportunity having Oliver out has been. He's been ok without being outstanding. When Oliver returns I think JJ is first dropped. Woewodin has been ok for a first year player but I don't think he'll stay in the seniors much longer either. Hibberd should return nd help out backline with some leg speed.

67k+ is a supreme effort considering where we were a decade ago.

It will I agree, and it just further dilutes the product. More doesn't mean better.

Wildcard playoff teams work in the NFL because of the division/conference formar. In fact they not only work but they're a necessity especially when you have a team winning a division with a sub .500 record and/or another team coming 2nd with a strong record. In the NBA it is a joke especially considering how many games they play. The AFL is the same, there is no need for a wildcard round. It's just a way to try and gouge more money out of the tv rights deal, same as the gather round. The season is way too long, they'd be better off going to a format where every team plays each other once. But it is inevitable, the AFL has had this on the cards since they introduced the pre-finals bye.

I can, they're a good young team who like to move the ball quickly. We should be able to account for them but it won't be easy.

Yep you retain your consecutive years of membership. We switched to AFL membership around 1997 I think but my MFC membership is recognised since 1989. You're better off signing up to AFL membership first and contacting the MFC to let them know. Make sure they remove the direct debit from your current MFC membership though. The biggest benefit is in regards to finals tickets. Last year most MFC members would have paid $80 each to go to our two finals games but as an AFL member you only pay a $20 or so booking fee. AFL Silver members pay full price for prelim tickets ($170ish I think) but full/gold members get in for basically nothing again ($20). Full members get first access to GF tickets if your club is playing and pay half price ($200 or so) but Silver members are unlikely to get tickets even if they're club is playing so you might need to get a GF guarantee through MFC on top of your AFL membership until you become a full member (current wait seems to be around 18-20 years). The cost is basically the difference between a silver ($470) and full ($645) AFL membership so it basically evens out. But you'll be paying full price for any GF ticket (around $400). All the ticket prices above are based on tickets on level 1.

Agreed but the pressure is different. Umpires are under mental pressure, players are under mental and physical pressure. Umpires don't have to worry about making a decision before getting barrelled into and ridden into the ground so I think they're incomparable. I know others will disagree but that's my opinion. Umpires in AFL are swayed by the crowd/momentum of the game far too much. This does happen in other sports too but I feel it happens to a larger degree in the AFL.

What do you consider proof? Whispers in the sky? It's happened overseas (pretty sure there was an NBA official caught cheating and definitely in soccer) so don't know why AFL would be immune

Those are skill errors though. You can't compare them to umpiring errors.

Yep I did! Sorry mate 😳

Agreed although I wouldn't call Viney a lesser light. He is a gun.

Luke Beveridge agrees

Better for Collingwood if Brisbane lose

I love the idea of Bowey forward for Spargo. I would like to see one of Bowey, Salem or McVee forward of the ball to assist our delivery inside 50. Bowey and Salem have shown they also have decent goal awareness but Salem gives us a bit of extra toughness across half back so Bowey forward would be great. He is a much more penetrating kick than Spargo too so would be far more dangerous around the 50. Tomlinson should never have been dropped in the first place and Petty's form/injuries make this an easy choice. I'm not a Smith fan but he has been decent when given some opportunities this year and I agree that his versatility makes him an ideal sub. Jordon must be rubbing his hands with glee! In: Tomlinson, Hibberd (if fit) Out: Petty, Spargo

So was that his Beastquake moment last night or is he keeping something up his sleeve for September?

Happens every week, not just Trac but Clarry and Viney too! Remember how frustrated Trac was against the Cats? It really is disgraceful umpiring to let that stuff go, you want to open up the game clamp down on the scragging. It happens across the comp too, of course it's not just our players that cop it. I'm sure some Melbourne players do it to the opposition as well we just don't notice it.

Oh right, gotcha! I thought you were referring to the cheersquad and the lady was WCW 😂 I'll definitely be trying to get on over to that side of the ground in future, last night we snuck into M50 in the last quarter as I could see there were plenty of vacant seats but that's a reserved seat area - is M52 reserved seat or reserved bay?

I don't know what's worse, mistaking their names or my dad thinking Trent is Jared's son 😂

I've sat near the cheer squad before and it's great but I hate sitting behind the goals ground level.

I like Jono Brown but him sooking it up on Fox after the game was

I hate it. When I was a kid we would sit in the old red seats, MFC members reserve in the Olympic stand. I don't mind sitting with opposition supporters sometimes but I hate being outnumbered every single week especially when we're playing interstate teams. I went for an MFC membership about 10 years ago but the seats we got were in the southern stand next to AFL members. I might have to try my luck at MFC reserve in northern stand next year or sitting up on level 4 there occasionally.