John Crow Batty

Freo very Melbournesqe tonight. 49 to 35 inside fifties and yet trail by 65 points.

I like to see him retire at the end of the season. I imagine he is still earning a fortune providing average output and leadership. He epitomises everything about our poor decade. Goodwin has to find somewhere to hide him every game and he’s keeping the next hopeful out of a game. If the old won’t go away then the new won’t come.

I guess if its a healthy sign that the players vent and vituperative against each other according to the coach then like wise it would be healthy for the fans to vent and vituperate at our pathetic no show this season.

Despite the rashness of the timing of Jones bump on Walters it was good to see some angry stuff from him. Sorely lacking all season. We never looked back from it afterwards. Wanting to see some of that stuff from our leaders every game. Good game from Viney too. Some of the sting from the recent criticism has caused an itch that needed a vigorous scratching.

Goes to explain some of the over the top wild celebrations to a first goal kicked seen in many matches. I am sure we all have seen plenty.

Garlett’s main problem is that he lacks physical strength. A school boy physique amongst the gorillas. Far too easily knocked off the ball and that looks like he’s not trying hard enough. He looks he is trying to me. Opponents check him closely because they know it takes little to move him off the ball but he is slippery if he is given room. Give him an inch of space though and he’s off to the races. A more adept forward line around him will take the heat off him and he would look like a million dollars.

Our midfield would have to to be the worst combined for disposal efficiency. Brayshaw, Oliver, Viney, Jones are all sub par. Harmes is somewhat better but not elite. One or two have to go. Looking at you captains. Viney, get fit, better and smarter or go. Jones now becoming dead wood. Best to move on and make room for someone new. Our future has better chances with the other three and fresh blood.

Best round of the season so far. We can’t lose this weekend.

I am all for father/son players as long as they not pumped up to be better players than they actually are, nor touted as captain material and fast tracked to be the next captain and the fathers recuse themselves from positions that lead to potential conflicts of interest between family and club. That’s the way it is ...is it not?

Still waiting to crack my bottle of Malmsey Madeira 1900 vintage reserved for our next flag. As old as our first ever VFL premiership 119 years ago. Was primed to be cracked open in 2000 so after that shellacking it has remained in the cellar waiting for our next flag ever since. I was getting the corkscrew and decanter ready last year but now it looks like it will be gathering copious dust all over again.

Jones has a secret weapon to keep him playing for the next few seasons.

One of about a dozen players that could not be any worse than the current incumbents I guess. But would anyone else want the job?

I would be shocked if Viney Senior or Nathan Jones would put the interests of the club first.

Why is it allowed for Grundy to pull the back of Gawn’s jumper everytime at ball ups? Blatant holding. Same thing happened numerous times last game.

Another thing I noticed but not mentioned was that Gawn was being held in ruck duels around the the ground. I saw at least 4 times his opponent grabbing and stretching Gawns jumper in an attempt to stopping him getting upward movement to ball. These were blatant actions right in front of the umpire.

I reckon we could make more money by selling our home games to Optus Oval in Perth and Adelaide Oval. Guaranteed 40,000 plus fans every game. Interstate fans will pay good money to boo and laugh us.

The leadership has been the common denominator to our inconsistency over the past few seasons. Jones might have been suitable for captaincy 5-6 seasons ago but now he is long past it. Seems everything at the club is revolving around keeping these two co-captains in their positions irrespective of the greater needs of the club. Jones shuffled around all over the ground to make him fit in somewhere to the detriment of other players and structures. Viney I suspect would never have been captain if his father was not at the club. Good B grader at best. Both very poor in last quarter when it counted. What is his fathers important job at the club exactly? Several generations of players have had stunted development. Too many new players start off promising then decline to journeymen status. I get the feeling nothing much is going to change whilst those two remain captains and certain “old boys” still remain at the club. We may rise again to be a threat but certainly to come crashing down again when success is near our grasp.

Two of the last three game we squander a solid lead in the last quarter to lose. Other game we kick seven in the last quarter when game is already lost. Absolutely faaarked in the head team.

McDonald brothers - back to the farm.

Won’t happen. He won’t get past the second.

Dees top injury list ladder. Last round was the injury list grand final between us and GWS. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-afl-injury-ladder-just-how-healthy-is-your-team-20190527-p51rpl.html

Time to retire the elephant in the room just like all the circuses have done with theirs.

Add Hogan 8 possessions, all handballs.

Oliver ranked 43 out of the 44 players for disposal efficiency. Only Josh Wagner plumbed lower depths.

I thank my mother in law for saving me from this experience and perhaps also saved me from buying a new phone.