Webber

Not what we wanted. Must win tomorrow now. Port in Adelaide is going to be very tricky. Dogs are gone….

Aliir has given Naughton an absolute bath.

Except it was the absolute definition of insufficient intent to keep the ball in, or not to run it out. A free kick every day of the week.

Acrylic on canvas.

Thanks Luther, was part of a series based around Tom Wills/football. Ironically, given the niche awareness, they sold very well. This one, apart from being a bit ‘dark’ in context, is rather large …. 7 ft wide, tends to dominate a wall.

Absolutely agree, LDC, he still hasn’t been given the ‘resurrection’ he deserves, although I suspect it’s coming. Martin Flanagan has been Tommy’s champion for years, for reasons his John Button oration outlines. It hasn’t happened yet, despite his bronzed immortalisation outside the MCG, probably because of the hangover stigma of his being an alcoholic suicide. I think it’s maybe now about timing more than anything, even if there’s a waning appetite for history and legacy in what has become an essentially corporatised sport. I would say that very few devotees or outright fans of the sport are aware of its significance - the oldest codified football sport in the world, of which MFC are the inaugural club, under whose name its rules were first written. The vast majority who I get to bore with these facts, young generations included, actually do find it fascinating. That there was such an extraordinary personality at its genesis is of course equally fascinating, but wholly unknown to those fans. That Flanners book and Greg de Moore’s remain the only substantial biographies of Tom Wills is extraordinary. I like your ‘Tom Wills round’ idea.

Extraordinary man, troubled yet transformative. Herewith a brilliant article by Martin Flanagan, who also wrote his own ‘fictionalised’ novel about Tommy - “The Call”, and my own portrait of Tommy (a death scene), the exhibition of which Martin opened… https://australianfootball.com/articles/view/Why+Tom+Wills+is+an+Australian+legend+like+Ned+Kelly/133

Don’t forget ‘sweeper’. Heard both Salem and Lever referred to as such this year.

Not to be confused with Geelong of course, who were ‘The Pivotonians” before becoming The Cats.

Are you suggesting there might be a perception bias on Demonland?!

Fabulous.

Not at 3am I didn’t. Watched at home, live. I did watch other GF replays at Walkabout Covent Garden, but can only really remember the stinky, beer-sodden carpet. Haha. Even that drive to the pub was a waste of time.

I was living in London in 2000, and fully prepared to fly back for the GF - in Thursday, out Sunday or Monday. Only miss a week of work, at worst. Was just about to press the go button, and my brother convinced me not to, because in all reality we were likely to lose as Essendon had been so dominant (he’s an MFC supporter). Thus I watched it at 3am Saturday morning London time, enormously thankful in my misery that I didn’t make the trip. Has to be b) and b).

Great stuff again guys. Particularly enjoyed and agreed with your assessments of Tom Sparrow and his future, and about James Harmes being at his best for the big games.

Sounds a bit John Doe from Se7en! 😳

Was it Ivan of Coodabeens call-in fame? I’d offer to paint a team portrait, ideally mural size (yes, I’m serious) prints of which all you on here would have to pay for, but at Demonland mates rates, of course. 😎

I think he’s an inside mid….bullish, and with a good first 5 metre ‘charge’. Good hands, big kick but pretty squiffy yesterday, just needs more games and confidence that comes with it. As you say, deanox, will never be the primary selection, but will toil and become reliable, I’ve no doubt.

Wasn’t directed at you specifically, AF (tbh I forget who says what), just a more general vibe that Fritsch is bizarrely maligned. He isn’t perfect, much like every one of his mates. Clarrie is a horrible set shot, Tracc murders a good amount of his field kicking, Kozzie overruns the ball a fair bit, Dogga runs under it, Harmesy tries to take on too much, Nibbler can be fumbly. Fritta sometimes lacks a defensive edge. I think they’re all great, in a wabi-sabi kind of way. But here’s the thing. He is, by any measure anyone can use, our most potent, effective forward. For this reason I have no doubt he’s the first member of our forward contingent picked every week, and he should be. That his worth continues to be questioned, despite his shared flaws, is utterly baffling to me. He’s the first forward I want playing every week, because he is our best forward.

The Boo factory’s gonna have to work overtime to get them home.

Don’t believe you.

And yet, playing like it’s a grand final. West Coast are the biggest form yo-yoers this year. They don’t deserve finals, but then it’s ugly seeing Essendon in the 8 instead. If Eagles do get in, they’re going nowhere without Kelly.

Im not so sure .. Depending on matchups I think it a line ball between him and Hibbo. Both were great today (especially Smith) I reckon you might be right, Smith could stay.

Tmac in for Fritsch. OBVIOUSLY.

Yep, May would obviously be a better match, for every reason. I liked Harry’s game in his absence a lot though.

That’s where he’ll end up, but shhhh…..