John Crow Batty

This situation is no longer destabilising for the club. IT HAS DESTABILISED THE CLUB. I don't think the club or any other club for that matter can withstand the current publicity barrage without avoiding serious damage and hope to get on with playing decent footy for the season. The statement from Toms manager yesterday was unbelievable and incredibly dismissive and insulting considering all the heat this has generated. Stating that Tom won't be entering contract discussions till the end of the year so that he can concentrate on his footy. Surely by now Tom and his manager should be aware that by their stonewalling and selfishness they have created a monster. If Tom is inclined to stay with us he will realise the damage this has caused and will endeavour to sort out this situation quickly. On the other hand if has already signed with GWS there is nothing much he can do but ride out the storm and keep on pretending. I think now that Bailey has to make a strong stand for the clubs sake and kill this cancer one way or another. If he doesn't get a firm commitment from Tom then make it clear to him and the rest of the world that he won't be playing with us anymore. This will clear the air but not without pain. It would be a sad loss but any other way out will be a sign of weakness and resignation. We don't want to be Sheedy's proxy star player development team.

Being in this company is an ominous sign.

I saw the 64 GF on TV I think. But its so long ago I can't remember.

I have been hearing stories that Tom won't be playing Friday night in the NAB cup. Something about knee soreness. Any one know any better?

I tend to agree. I don't think we will see Frawley back for an awful long time. And Scully with knee soreness? :? Must be training too hard. I hope it doesn't become a long term absence for him also.

Who knows, he might turn out to be someone like Michael Tuck. Good to see you back e25. When did they let you out of jail?

I am starting to get sacrilegious thoughts that it won't be a bad thing if we get hammered in line with past efforts at AAMI. I want to see a tough start for us before we get to the real business.

I ripped off half my big toe nail once when kicking a drop kick. It can happen and is extremely painful. Not a problem with clunky old fashioned boots with solid toes. I agree it was a very low percentage kick for all except a very few. The advantage of it was its low fast trajectory and extra distance. It was also better suited for the more static game played pre 1980 hence obsolete for a long time now. The torp is just as unreliable but a fluffed torp will not grub along the ground as a fluffed drop kick usually does.

He may have been a very good drop kick but I don't recall Danny ever kicking one and I saw him play many times. I have trouble recalling if I saw any one else kick drop kicks from the mid eighties onwards.

Have mixed feelings. Of course I would like to see us win but would not be too concerned if we lost. Winning games in Adelaide has been near impossible for us. If we win there in the NAB cup it will be for cheap inconsequential victories at a painful venue hat has cost us dearly when we play for premiership points. Glad we don't go there in the regular season. All I really expect is that these matches turn out to be sound preparation for round one. If we start the regular season well it will prove we had a good NAB cup regardless of how we perform there.

I don't think he has the frame and bone structure to carry too much extra weight. Will look artificially puffed up and might slow him down. I think a year or two of natural physical maturity may help more.

I have made a resolution with myself. Cross horns, I solemnly promise not to discuss on this forum anything further to do with Tom Scully and his contract situation until post round 11 or unless verifiable news appears in the meantime. I encourage others to do the same.

I had the honour of meeting Eddie MacGuire a few years ago. When I told him I barracked for Melbourne he replied with, "Well you better get out there and rattle the tin".

Hey Fork, if I were you I wouldn't be too worried about the odd rule change and less so about others talking about them. Our games has evolved enormously in the past couple of decades and continues to do so. Our game is unique and fast flowing and not stifled by constraining rules like offside and encyclopaedic law books, etc which affect other field ball games. Because of lack of restrictions in player movements, negative tactics continue to creep in to stifle creative play and shift the balance in favour of negative play. Any potential rules that ensure the fluidity and freedom of of our game and resist it from becoming a melee should always be on the discussion table and open to all opinions pro or con.

NO MORE BRUCE PLEASE!

I suppose the square could be kept, or go back to the old way where the mark is lined up with the centre of the goal. Or even having a half circle marking zone from goal post to goal post which would extend out 7 metres which is as wide as the goal mouth. Another advantage of the arc proposal is that a full back can kick the ball on the run and get extra distance.

Disagree, good to see those in charge going on the record sticking their necks out and aiming for the top. To be satisfied with just being competitive is a timid safety first approach.

There are a lot of players who can kick booming drop punts with greater accuracy than torps but we usually only see them in action when they are having long shots at goal outside 50. Expanding the square has merit. Another version of this idea is drawing an arc from behind post to behind post extending out 15-20 metres from goal. This will allow the kicker freedom to shift play wide either side or straight ahead, or change direction quickly before actually disposing of the ball. This will create freer short and long options up to the wings and beyond.

I agree there are few if any AFL players around that could kick a torp consistently. I guess one in five attempts I've seen in the past few years did what they were supposed to do. As for the drop kick, it's long dead but I still miss it. I can still kick it quite well and can get an extra ten metres further with it than any other kicks I can do. I mentioned in the recent 1971 Annual Report thread about our Phil Rhoden. I would say he was by miles the best drop kick I've ever seen. Only played a few senior games for us but many seasons in the reserves. Used to kick out from full back and nearly always got to the wing or centre with it. And rarely fluffed one. Anyone who went to the MCG early got a treat watching him kick out including opposition fans.

For years we had to peer over the fence and watch the green grass grow on the other side. Now we have to watch our backs. Sheedy may be casting desiring eyes on Scully but not because of revenge. Lock up your pretty daughters now. Theres a lecherous old man lurking.

The socks look red but I agree the jumpers look pinkish. Could be something to do with the reflective properties of the material affecting the camera.

I profusely apologise for almost offending you.

If this alleged GWS offer is true it could turn out to be a cancerous situation for the club until resolved. I hope the club takes a stand if it knows as truth what many suspect. Give Tom our best offer based on what he is worth and a couple of months to mull over it. If he doesn't bite then send him to Casey to bide his time till he gets to GWS. I'm sick of this club being treated like Cinderella. I don't want to see endless speculation and angst like what happened with Gary Ablett. What will happen when our next rising star is out of contract? Get tough.

Yes, said without heart. These guys don't speak or act with passion and feeling anymore. It's all professionalism and spin. This club, not the supporters has been soulless for a long time. I hope things have changed for the better now with Jimmy at the helm. If they don't do it for him they'll never do it for anyone else.

Neitz when captain said a stupid thing after we were beaten by Adelaide in the qualifying final for the prelim in 02 after having the game in the bag. He said the players would never ever perform as badly as this shocker of a fade out again. So in the first game of the next season they did exactly same thing again. And again and again for a few more seasons on.