John Crow Batty

Same as always, always give the underdog the first sniff and then we get bitten badly.

Don't worry, we have still yet to play Brisbane.

In Adelaide

I imagine tassie supporters would flock to any AFL game featuring the home state even if their AFL preffered club is not playing. Young kids will also start following the local side and the fan base will grow steadily.

This is definitely a season defining game. The jump will be stratospheric compared to what has been our lot if we win. We have wasted wins this season with poor attitude and lack of confidence to take the opposition by the scruff of the neck. We have been good enough to win all our games even with suspensions and injuries. We have not been one of the clubs that played [censored] but pulled out last minute wins. We have been on the losing end of those games. If we lose today I wil be devastated.

If I were invited to something like the premier club area I would show some respect. Bad form to embarrass someone who inivited me. Then again a small sin in the big picture. We have been starved for success for so long that some supporters are expected to lose it in celebration.

In past seasons over the last decade we never had the opportunity to seize the moment. This season we have. In 1988 we were victims of stage fright. In 2000 we were one of the pack and took our opportunities to make the GF but had to come across a team that was nigh on unbeatable that season. This season we have as good a chance as any other club.

That appears to be like a culture clubby thing. Currently we have the three stooges approach. There could be a separation of powers and an umpires 'umpire'. Two actually making the decisions and an overseer who does not make normal play decisions but has the power to override incorrect decisions, give directions and also enforce desired interpretations during the game. But in a team approach and with training and familiarity they should all be mostly on the same page after a few games together anyway.

Yep, arguably the biggest elephant in the room. Should be like Gridiron where umpires work as a team for the whole season and officiate every match together. Then they might develop a consistent approach.

The open nature of the game with no limitations on player movements makes it impossible to have clear and defined rules unlike other sports. In reality there could be unlimited technical free kicks payed in every pack situation. As long as the umpires interpretation adheres to the spirit of the game and apply duty of care considerations I don't have much issue. I don't like over technical interpretations or allowing deliberate actions that may be legal but designed to hurt opponents or dangerous play to milk frees. For example players that duck into tackles or milk high tackle frees like Selwood style should be penalised and not the tackler. A player going for a mark leading with his boot forcefully into a players kidneys should be penalised for dangerous play.

Sam Rowe gives his support to Jesse http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/sam-rowe-urges-caution-as-jesse-hogan-recovers-20170516-gw6fyy.html

I got the impression that the Crows worked him more harder with pressure than usual. Didn't faze him though.

I prefer we look for experienced solid players well performed players like a Lewis and Hibberd type. Forget a big name gun especially one that might bring along some baggage. We are going to have to pay big bucks to keep the likes of Oliver, Hogan Petracca, Gawn and Hunt for the long term if we start tasting success and other players will get more too. Don't know why there's so much interest in Schache. Done bugger all and will cost a premium just because he was a prime draft pick. Let others go for the big ticket players and we should look at who they discard to make way.

Yep I am optimistic. Given the closeness of the season this is the opportune time to seize the moment. Have to start winning the bread and butter games on a regular basis and not just fire up for a big game.

Wow that is horrible. Fingers crossed. Lance Armstrong had it and made a complete recovery when he was young.

Neeld was handed the poison chalice. Whoever got the job under the then current administration would have drank the poison. The club was disfunctional at every level and needed a clean out from the top down. Good thing the AFL intervened. That he still can hold down a job in the game shows he wasn't a total loser.

Spud Frawley bouncing himself. http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/sport-and-outdoors/fox-footys-bounce-called-out-for-racist-segment-on-chinese-broadcast-of-shanghai-afl-game-20170515-gw53qd.html

And all the tea in China.

Although I don't think the China games will work its worth trying out for a few more seasons just to get this international missionary experiment off the AFL's chest permanently. Then get back to business as normal. The Suns did their best to get things off to the worst start possible. Shows their enthusiasm.

The MRP seems to be punishing consequences and not actual intent or causes. If a player breathed garlic breath on an opponent and caused him to vomit that will be 2 weeks whether he meant it or not.

Certainly something you should investigate. And any footballer gets a lot rougher treatment than dished out by your little daughter.

Still think that weird neck injury he sustained may be the root cause of his concussion problems. Googling neck injuries and concussion brings up a lot of converging info. He could have suffered permanent damage with that injury. He was a gun in the making before then and lost it since.

Well you have to wait for lunch. If peckish, one could eat the skin also. Add a dash of salt and cut up with knife and fork into neat strips.

This is our kind of airline. Forget about China Southern. http://www.traveller.com.au/plane-passenger-orders-special-gluten-free-meal-on-ana-flight-and-is-given-a-banana-gw3gsq