John Crow Batty

Well, its not the end of the world and it was always likely that a few of our top 22 will suffer some serious injury this year. At least he appears OK to resume as the season hots up. Lets see what Bailey can get out of the rest of the boys until he recovers. Warnock had a bad season last year on the back of several seasons of solid progress. Lets hope its just a hiccup for him. If we are to be a genuine top side we have to brush these setbacks aside.

Sad to see her go. She was good but for her to really make it she had to be exceptional. Too many good commentators around and the novelty of having a female commentator wore off long ago. A lot of sexist guys around too that would never take her seriously.

OK, thanks for all the effort. Lets all get back on board. This is going to be a big year.

please explain

Can the moderating team offer some guidance to all what is an acceptable size of signature photos? Are they still allowed? I have been getting conflicting advice. On the one hand I have been receiving moderator advice on what is an acceptable image size and on the other signature images are being removed by other moderators without any warning. Is there a specific policy on having these images or acceptable sizes? If there is a specific policy I don't mind complying and it would be good if it was spelt out clearly so everyone understands. At this stage it just seems to be at the whim of individual moderator preferences.

Thats a good point. Just goes to show its a new ball game each week with its own unique challenges. A lack of mental preparation or understanding of what to expect. Too much good press has never done us any good. Or perhaps a case of paying too much attention to the battlefield map and not listening to the jungle drums?

They know we are a soft touch because they are on our "lack of respect" list and we don't put them on our radar.

I think Mick Malthouse has said the most insightful comment to how we play when he bemoaned last year how we don't put enough value in playing our best for 4 premiership points every week and not just save our best just for his boys. Now how come they don't intimidate us?

Last seasons team was far better than in the previous three seasons. What I still cannot understand is why this team seems to think that 4 points taken from fancied teams are far more valuable than taking 4 points from every other team.

I agree with Grandson of a Gun with more consistency and ruthlessness and also jnrmac. But is it going to happen? Judging from last seasons performances this team has not shaken off its perennial losers mentality. The difficulty is getting the team to switch on for most or all 22 games. Too many times last season we didn't show up to play against sides we were evenly or better matched. Not that we were outplayed but we didn't come to play at all. This is a long standing problem. Another telling game IMO although we won it was against Richmond late in the season. Played like millionaires against a weak side that played with spirit. We are still demonstrating all the "full of ourselves" habits when we smell success that have been around this club from the late Northey to the end of Daniher eras.

So far I would consider St Kilda a failure. Though they did the important thing and kept themselves in the mix to have every chance season after season and only luck has denied them. But that brings up the fickle nature of winning a premiership/s. Who would other than the hopeful club faithful have expected Brisbane's great run in 1999/2000 and Geelong's in 2005/6. Or even Port, Hawthorn and Collingwood's singular wins in between. Nothing is guaranteed and I would say the odds will still be somewhat against us winning a flag with our current group no matter how good their potential is. There are still many deficiencies in our game. The talent is there but the rarest ingredients are finding the winning attitude and having luck on your side. And as I have said ad-nauseum before in other threads, if we still save our best footy for when we play Collingwood we will have no hope.

He's just trying to be not as boring and predictable as most other pundits who are loathe to stick their reputations out and play it safe year after year.

You are being too optimistic. Should be tempered with; 2 or 3 players will have injuries that might ruin most of their season. 2 or 3 players will play below expectations. 2 or 3 players will not improve at all. 9/36 or 25% of players not achieving expectations is a more realistic optimistic prognosis. But I do have high hopes like you for the other 75%.

What juvenile types like him need is a good strong woman to get them back in line. Someone to cut down his rampant machismo. Don't know much about his wife but she seems to be an attention seeker herself. Always getting her face in the media and the party pages of the news. I used to be bit like him. Too many vices, parties, drinking, trouble on trouble and destructive relationships. Finally met the right woman and she changed my life. No shrink neccesary.

The only winners out of this will be the bookies. Fev will get payed out and there will be a series of big whale bets going around for a few months. The best the club could do for him is to pay off his creditors first before he gets the balance.

He may need help but it doesn't appear he wants it. This is a free country and he does not have to take it. Must be on some kind of death wish spiral. I'm sure this guy has been offered more than his fare share of support in the past. What more can be done for him? In the old days these guys were locked up in a monastery for their own good. Thats what he needs. Frankly I don't care what Brisbane does with him. I'm just relieved he or Voss didn't come to us.

Reminds me of a first hand experience when I was young in the 60's. A kid I knew called Tony from the next street was hit by a car driven by a very drunken star player from a high flying VFL club at the time after an end of season [censored] up. Is currently listed on their TEAM OF THE CENTURY list. I didn't see the accident but saw his brains splattered on the cars broken headlight soon after. Tony didn't die but lived out his life as a shrivelled quadraplegic in an institution. He had a hole in his head big enough to fit a mango in it and had the mentality of a baby. Visited him a few times and he passed away only a few years ago. His family are still shattered about this tragedy. I won't mention any more info as this incident is not in the public domain. So much to remind me about this drunken ex player with Fev. Unlike now however these incidents were usually covered up by all concerned so he will be remembered by his football record alone unlike Fev will.

At tis stage I still like to see Jamar rucking and I believe he has the goods to do the power forward role but I'd like to see how our current forward line players develop in the coming season before considering touting him for the role. These days 40-60 goals would be considered a successful seasons return for these types and I think Jamar could easily manage 40 if he played forward. Campbell hasn't even played yet so we should not get ahead of ourselves with "what if's" . Teams that rely on big power forwards generally don't have the variety of diverse, interesting and exciting forward potential we currently have. Inside 50's has been the problem for us and not the conversion rate.

It amazes me why India will still not agree to 3rd umpire reviews. Supreme arrogance or something more sinister?

I don't think it would be a bad idea to get in some proven players with maturity, experience and form. Professional cricketers play a lot older than most sports. Some one in their late 20's can still have 10 good years in them. Gilchrist is a recent example. Hauritz is a player who's been around and still appears to be getting better. This youth stuff seems to be getting too PC. The Australian team has serious problems that appear long term. Leadership is one. Ponting has had it. Clark appears to be flaky and backsliding fast. As for other current team members who could lead? Hussey I'm not sure. Best bring in someone like Cameron White who is a proven performer and leader IMO. Perhaps a poison chalice for him but the team could not be any worse with him leading..

Wishing everyone most happy fornication in hell tomorrow.

QUOTING DAPPA DAN As with most of these suggestions for fixture changes, there's an immediate merit to it. But then, a season isn't 11 games long. It's a marathon. If, say, we won our first 6 games... then went badly at the end of the year, I'd feel jibbed. Also... if you think it'll make the end of the season better, it'll almost certainly make the start of the season less important. Teams will be trying harder at the end of the year when their situation becomes clearer, and taking their foot off the gas at the start of the year. As with most of these suggestions, the league will only change them when MADE to... Like when new clubs come in. I love the idea that it'll stay a final 8, even though that's less than half of the teams in the league.

I think you misunderstood me. I don't advocate a conference system but want to see the current very long season and finals system improved. I want to see action at all stages of the footy season. I want to see teams sitting at 10, 11, 12 and so on at midseason having a real crack in the later half of the year. The draft system rewards mediocre teams for tanking. Offering a wildcard for the top performing team that finishes below seventh from mid to end of the season is of far more value and interest. It would develop a secondary race for a finals spot that could create enormous interest and genuine competative games at the lower levels. It may also scare a few of the top clubs too.

Thanks Dapper for the info. In response to Benno, the teams play each twice in their division then play the balance of games against teams(once) from other divisions and also I believe the other conference too. Not sure of the exact details or fixture formula. As for the wildcard system, I believe it could have merit for our comp and is worth investigating even for academic interest alone. For example the best performed team that finishes below seventh for the second half of the season gets the eigth wilcard sport irrespective to where they finish on the ladder. Thsi will provide incentive for lower ranked teams and slow starters to play out the season in full and also fuel interest. Could not be any worse than the current system and will also discourage tanking to a degree.

Which was the last Wildcard team to win the Superbowl? Was it the Oakland Raiders but that seems a long time ago?