Webber

Jack is the epitome of the tough, loyal and fair footballer. A perfect club man, and I don’t doubt the standard for fitness, dedication and sheer uncompromising game day approach that every player across the AFL tries to attain. He’s easy to undervalue of course because he’s just ‘there’, every game. And his footy now is the best it’s ever been. Taken with Max (and I don’t really separate them) as leaders of the team, it also makes all this questioning of culture seem frankly ridiculous. Well done JV7. You’re the total MFC package.

I might be optimistic here, but I think Verrall (for his age) is showing outstanding signs as a future ruckman. Despite the underwhelming Casey game on Sunday, he showed (to me at least), surprising physicality and competitive spirit against Meek (a man-mountain), and exceptional endeavour in second efforts. He is however raw and clearly learning every minute, but to me, as a potential no. 1 ruckman, he’s got me excited. Don’t forget how Maxy presented as a 19 year old.

Great pod again, boys. Your consistent level of detail is hugely impressive, across the podcast spectrum I reckon, not just footy. Perfect accompaniment to a Tuesday morning exercise session! Thanks @george_on_the_outer for the shout-out on medical/injury stuff. I am indeed a physiotherapist (not an orthopaedic surgeon….don’t have quite the ego for that 😉), of 35 years and counting in sports/orthopaedic work. Am basically the wallpaper at a Melbourne practice that specialises in knees, including a huge amount of post-surgical rehab. This includes long relationships with all those surgeons you hear about in the AFL media. As such, I’m happy to throw my expertise around Demonland FWIW, particularly if it helps to counter misinformation, panic and sheer speculation (all of which hardly ever crop up on Demonland of course).

True that, DeeZone. Maybe the worm is turning. Either way, I’ll keep riding it until he’s acknowledged legend status.

Fancy Nibbler getting 4 votes from the coaches when he got next to zero mention on Demonland! Shocked. 😳

Semantics, Redleg. Crack is more commonly used when referring to a fracture that doesn’t go ‘through’ the bone entire or is ‘undisplaced’. In other words, if you didn’t see the fracture ‘line’, you wouldn’t know the bone is broken. A ‘displaced’ fracture, of which there’s a spectrum of severity, means the bone is not aligned as ‘normal’ either side of the crack/s. Jeremy Howe’s arm last year was a displaced fracture. Very. Nobody’s calling that a crack. As to Maysie’s return, the issue will be pain. Playing won’t make the situation worse. The contrary situation to this would be if someone had a crack in their navicular bone (arch, or midfoot), which is a vital weight-bearing, structural bone. Crack might be there on imaging, but without pain. No way that player plays until the crack is fully resolved, regardless of pain. Reason being that the crack can turn into a bigger crack, and career over. Not the case with ribs, or transverse process.

As they say in the classics….’it ain’t nuthin’. Is a small bony projection off the side of the back of the vertebra that functions as a muscle attachment. The kind of thing that plenty of players in the past would crack from an impact injury, and if not scanned/xrayed (this happened a lot in the past), would just be put down to bruising. When it feels ok, play as able.

Given my (irrational) fear of flying, I would have s**t myself to death on the way down, so might be first on the barbie. But thanks anyway, Skuit.

Flying blind tho, Jaded. Either way, here’s the thing … I’m presuming the vertebral ‘crack’ is however ‘non-structural’, meaning not part of the weight-bearing vertebral body, or the arch protecting the spinal cord. If so, recovery and game-readiness is determined by pain. If pain allows = play. With the rib fractures, assuming they are ‘non-displaced’, meaning not mis-aligned, he’ll miss the next 3 games, then look to first game after the bye. Doesn’t really matter how many ribs (excepting the acute pain factor - OWWW!), but is affected by the fracture position on the rib. If it’s easily exposed to knocks and/or movement, means longer to recovery, and risk of aggravation.

For a moment there George, I thought you’d written ‘empathetic’ 55 point win. Sign of a great culture I reckon, the empathetic win.

As their anthem itself says …… Collingwood FOREVER.

Yep. ‘Handball of the season’ thus far, if there were such a thing.

I feel like Bailey Fritsch gets forgotten in pretty much all discussions about potential goal-kickers for our upcoming games. Just not sure why. He’s easily our best forward, in his prime, an absolute gun, and if stays fit, will win our goal-kicking again this year. #stopignoringfritta

C’mon binners. It’s Demonland. 😉

Nuh. Too many assumptions there.

He’s a proper journalist. Like Greg Baum. They’re on the margins of mainstream sports journalism now, but only because they refuse to be part of the click-bait garbage media that gives brainless ex-footballers prime air and print time. Needless to say the Herald-Sun won’t be knocking on Rohan Connolly’s door.

Not only is he ‘no worse than anyone else’, based on last year’s stats, I’m not sure there’s anyone ‘better’ at the club.

I’d be very surprised if (at his age) they aren’t aiming for a 9 month post-surgery return to play. That would make him available end of May/early June, if it’s been smooth rehab, which by all reports it has. Round 11-ish.

Sad news. Gus was an exceptional, old-fashioned, pure footballer. Loved watching him play, cos he was never anything but committed to getting the best out of himself, and solely for the team. His premiership game was exactly that. They’ll miss him in ways we just won’t know. That it places a shameful, dark context over the QF ‘hit’, and how the AFL behaved then and since goes without saying. Picks 1 and 3 of his draft year retired due to brain injury. This will change the game, and should. Go well, Gus, we of course know you’ll be a presence at MFC ongoing.

Outstanding. And the MFC don’t employ your services because ………… ?

Where we finish depends on injuries/players available through the season. As it does for all clubs. It’s the single greatest determinant of success, even if the least sexy.

Nibbler is still (inexplicably) the flag bearer for many on DL, I reckon.

Very confidently tipping Taj to be the break-out player of 2024. Underrated on here, but has all the tricks, along with an uber-professional attitude. Will exponentially improve with experience. (also tipping he’ll be a whipping boy until his value becomes undeniable).

I reckon the eye tells us, as you’ve just revealed. Knowing the numbers simply doesn’t matter, so shouldn’t be anyone’s business but the players and club. As for any effect on public or media ‘body shaming’, it won’t make an iota of difference of course.

Good. Couldn’t be less relevant to the public. (Cue objections)