bing181

Time to review the "If we beat Hawthorn I'll ..." thread. Form an orderly line people ...

Can't ask for much more.

Kicking ourselves out of this. Got to be able to hit targets.

If we lose this, it'll be through turnovers. Need to tighten up our disposal. A lot. Still, loving the endeavour.

Notice he's kicking it more - time spent at Casey isn't wasted.

Only one quarter of footy, but so much to enjoy watching that. Credit to the players and coaches to have them come out and play like that. They believe they can win.

Can we hold you to it?

Perhaps starting to look that way.

Rested. Regardless of how he plays, it seems pretty clear that his body is fairly shot, and just getting up each week is touch and go. "Dawesy definitely [needs a rest] with a six-day break, with his body the way it is at the moment,” “He came in, after having a weekend off and played really well the first game, but we’ve got to be mindful of that. There are some tough games coming up and we’re going to need all of our players playing well."

Demonland delivers yet again.

H has had a couple of concussions. Pleased that the club is being responsible and prudent in putting his longer-term health and well-being first. If there are other issues, presumably the club will deal with those as well. If they are private issues, the club is right to protect individual player's privacy.

Advancing years has taught me that there are far more conspiracy theorists than actual conspiracies.

Whoops, spoke too soon. 3 Missed tests in a year? Not a good look Lizzie. (There's an Oscar Wilde quote in this somewhere ...) http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riders-react-to-the-lizzie-armitstead-case/

It's not 10% for all the teams - Sky have over double what Orica Green Edge do for example. It's clear that it gives them an advantage, though a lot of the big bucks goes in building and running a Grand Tour squad, and then doing those races and everything that goes into them. If you're not sending half your team (plus everyone else they need) out for 2-3 weeks reccing all the main stages, you can start to make serious savings. Worth remembering also that while Sky have been dominating the TDF, it's a pretty level playing field everywhere else. You only have to look at the RideLondon race on Sunday in Sky's backyard ... highest placed Sky rider was 26th.

Not disagreeing at all, and yes Sky's budget is higher than anyones ... but not THAT much higher. 10% more than Katusha, then similar to BMC, then Tinkoff etc. Sure, it's whopping compared to the smaller teams, but that disparity has always existed. Sky have managed to snap up the best cyclists - over half their team at the tour would have been leaders on many other teams - but it's their focus and single-mindedness that makes the difference. Look at BMC, first of all they have two GC contenders, and then they have Van Avermaet going for stage wins. You wonder what might have been if the whole team was there for Porte, and only for Porte. Even that time loss with the wheel change on Stage 2 - where were the other BMC riders ready to give him a wheel? As for doping, the subject of the thread ... the only way anyone could be doping at the upper echelons these days is through products that we don't know about. The scrutiny is so intense, as is the internal pressure, and cycling is an international sport, so what happened with the Russians and their lab is hard to envisage - the French labs don't take any prisoners. Cycling was pretty well brought to its knees through doping, and the sponsors and managers know it. Lower down, could be a different story, but I knew a pro in a smaller team who said to me that given the little amount of money involved at his level, it wasn't worth the risk. Still, no doubt it's going on, and presumably always will, it's the equivalent of the jumper tug while your opponent is running for the ball.

I'm always the first one here to cite stats, but I really question that stat on Harmes or what it's really saying. There were a few of them that got to where they were headed, so count as effective disposals, but they were hardly lace-out on the chest, and the receiver really had to work.

Hard to know how Jack W is seen off-field, AFL leaders have a tendency to be hard-nosed pricks, and not sure that's our Jack. On the other hand, if on-field leadership is standing up under pressure, making a difference, and leading by example, then Jack showed that today.

He's also almost permanently at the coalface. Butchering the ball when you're under the cosh is a bit different to Harmes' numerous efforts where he was in the open, but still couldn't deliver a 30m pass and have it reach its intended destination.

Mitchie for Harmes. Both have been playing off half-back. Someone for Hogan if injured: Weideman (long bow there ...), if not, Pederson or, shudder, Dunn. Kennedy or Oliver for mystery injury of the week.

I always look for positives after a loss, but am struggling to find too many after this win.

Almost unwatchable. I don't even know how a coach can respond to what's going on, just poor decision after poor decision. Kent's kick backwards and right across the ground to someone who was no closer to goal than he was ... some of this just beggar's belief. Harmes has 20 possessions, but hardly a kick has reached its target. etc. etc. We may win, but not going to take much satisfaction from today, whatever happens.

Vandenburg. Missed the option up forward, then missed a simple handball. Story of the day so far.

Disposal. Really poor. Would love to see the "Marks from opposition kicks" stat. Kicking ourselves out of it.

I don't know that they do (though how would I know!) ... we didn't have anything like the depth we have this year, and Brayshaw was always ahead of anyone who could come in. He was also probably ahead of Oliver on fitness. Looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.

Needs another thread, but selling Page very, very short. Was an amazing soloist, writer and arranger, and there's a real depth to his work across a variety of styles and techniques. For his example, his acoustic work, his work with alternative tunings etc. etc. I was never a real fan when I was younger, but as I've got older and started to look past the riffs, and have become a convert. Also, feel like you're selling Clapton short. Yeah, primarily a blues guitarist, but his touch, imagination and the beauty of his lines and his understatement surpass limitations of style, and how can you ignore songs like Layla, White Room or of course, While My Guitar? Envy you seeing them! I've seen Page/Zeppelin live, back in the day, and Chuck Berry tried to chat up my wife (before she was my wife) when he met her backstage: does that count?