Dr. Gonzo

You can play tough without playing dirty though.

Anyone who believes in the integrity of the AFL may as well believe in the tooth fairy! Look at the way they manipulate outcomes and punish teams who don't toe the line. I'm not a fan of theirs but the way the AFL handed down a punitive trade ban on Sydney because they signed Buddy from under the nose of GWS was an absolute disgrace. Never mind the million other examples you could come up with of them manufacturing a desired outcome.

I've heard from someone who was at a function with Tim Lane late last year that Lane told them the AFL was clear Maynard would not be suspended. Lane said there were two times the AFL got heavy handed with him over a story, the Kieran Jack "lost draft papers" story and Maynard. They are a bunch of rank amateurs but they get away with it due to a compliant media and a parochial (and for the most part, relatively stupid) supporter base.

Yes and it would've been some mild karma had he missed next week. Alas....

Hopefully it shows next week

It's been coached out of them, coaches would rather play conservative and force a stoppage than risk the ball being lost by a tap on and teams being opened up on the rebound. Coaches want slow, controlled, risk free footy. It's boring.

This includes anyone who holds an AFL or club membership by the way, your credit card details on file.

Removing players from the field should have happened 10+ years ago but the AFL won't do it. They've written it into their charter or whatever that 18 a side is sacrosanct for some bizarre reason. They really should reduce numbers to 14 or 15 a side, would make defensive zones less effective too as the holes in the zone would be too great and teams would pick their way through with ease forcing defense to go man on man

Good idea not to let guest passes on level 1 but probably should look at disallowing them on the initial sale altogether! Don't worry I always make plenty of noise against the Pies, it's in my DNA. Even as a kid my dad tried to stop me singing Grand Old Flag walking out of Vic Park after Jakovich booted 7 and cost the Pies the minor premiership. I sung it all the way back to Hoddle St and got plenty of dirty looks along the way.

It's not the only change, I heard on the radio a couple of weeks ago Gerard Healy (I think) complaining about the "fend off being automatic prior opportunity" saying a player putting their arm up isn't always trying to fend off, sometimes they're trying to protect themselves from the tackler. Next weekend I noticed they had stopped paying holding the ball when players out the arm up to fend off the tackler! Now I don't necessarily disagree with the interpretation but just deciding to change the way a rule is administered halfway through a season without any communication about it is farcical.

I had 3 devices going, got in on my phone first on 4G about 2:08pm I reckon. Was surprised to be able to get 9 tickets in M18 so I'll be representing amongst the scum and villainy in the AFL members. Will make it all the more sweet if we can knock them off, we bloody owe them (more than 1)!

You'll get shouted down but you are 100% correct. Of course most supporters will take winning ugly than losing in an entertaining game but when people decide if they're going to bother going to games or not the fact it isn't that great a spectacle, more often frustrating than joyous, would definitely play a part. I don't think it's limited to Goodwin/MFC though, it's a problem for the competition as a whole. Boring footy with little individual brilliance that used to make the game the best on the planet.

Yeah but insufferable Cats and Saints fans are infinitely more tolerable than insufferable Pies/Blues/Bombers fans. Even with their flags I haven't found Tigers fans to be too insufferable, the trauma runs deep at Punt Rd 😂

He has been outstanding, I was thinking yesterday he would be close to top 5 B&F to date.

Solid win in the end despite some prolonged sloppy periods especially in the first half. The real test comes in the next couple of weeks though, let's see how we go against Freo and the Pies. Eagles losing by 99 points today makes last week's loss feel even worse 🤬

Saints supporters must love playing against Petracca

Hunter been much more effective today than Billings has been this year

Far better quarter, the margin now reflective of the difference between the two teams. Hopefully we run it out and win by 50+.

Dudded by the AFL again.

A win is the only acceptable outcome today. 3 on the trot would be disastrous, especially considering our opposition.

Norm (10 flags as player/coach) RDB Robbie Mueller (reading the book 125 year history of MFC Mueller was ranked by Hobbs/Palmer as 7th in a list of best 50 VFL players in last year's 1933-1983 - big game player who arguable won the 48 flag off his own boot) La Fontaine Chadwick Warne-Smith Neitz Max *Checker for his impact on the club though not as a player

We should change to Narrm permanently. It has more relevance than the name of some 19th century British lord.

You tend to get leeway if you've got a history of playing at least some good games. Billings has been pretty underwhelming since round 1.

May started on Waterman and was switched after Waterman was giving him a bath.