John Crow Batty

Off field I agree an outstanding outcome. Could not hope for better. The positive admin was already there last year and delivering. A successful administration has to follow up with a successful team. But onfield is where our productivity is. We have a great business now but are only selling an average product at the moment. Next year I am full of anticipation.

Please correct yourself. Go to page one.

The similarity is closer and relavent. Similar age and both great talents in the public eye sunk by their own excesses. The only difference seems to be that deep down Cousins is a nice guy and Newton is a psycho chicken.

Perhaps Mathew Newton can play Cousins in the movie. Has the right training for the part. Both now being commodities they will be exploited to the fullest.

What an absolute joke this poll is. Anyone who rated us higher than a C+ is clearly deluded. Given our easy draw at the begining of the season I thought to get where we are now and possibly an outside chance for a finals spot in the 2nd half of the season would have to be the absolute minimum result after all the hard work, tanking and fabulous draft picks of the past few seasons. Anything less, then Bailey would have got the sack for sure. If we didn't tank last year we would have been not far off this season. The great debt demolition campaign euphoria has IMO distracted many into over rating us. People should read the topic question more carefully.

After all this, I don't ever see him having a regular job. He would be poison for any media organisation. I don't think he could lead a frugal life with the cashout from this story. What next? Perhaps the book deal and then the movie plus a few Womens Weekly, New Idea updates on his "recovery". At best to be one of those who live above their means like the colourful characters that call themselves professional gamblers. At worst the flop house when's he 40 then dead in the gutter like many junkies found in the Richmond area.

A lot of interesting comments. What has struck me most from the past three games is that IMO it appears that the opposition have tried very hard to suffocate us with forward defensive pressure to our back line. In the past it was us that were being reactive and trying to counter the opposition. I don't know what all this really means at this stage. Defensive pressure from forwards seems to be a current trend in the game as first pioneered by St Kilda. Or are opposition sides paying us some kind of respect by changing their game plan to counter ours? Have they spotted flaws in the way we play? I don't see this forward defensive aspect of the game being played by us in return. BTW, I won't be posting for a month or so. Off to China on Business.

I didn't watch it and don't care about it. There seems to be a lot of goulish fascination with this jerk who seems to have burned the candle at both ends and gotten away with it so far. To me it goes to show haw much of a sham the AFL's drug policy is. How a junkie glutton like him can never fail a drug test makes me wonder of what other truths that don't speak their name exist in this game. As for Perth, I go there every year for family reasons. Only has good weather and beaches. Everything else about it sucks. When bad weather hits it would have to be the one of the most depressing cities in the world. The largest two demographic types seem to be up themselves new money fatties or total losers. Perhaps he does have a valid excuse for his excesses.

I'd also prefer developing our own for the future. Most of the names mentioned are hacks or too expensive. Leigh Brown is now playing good footy in a quality side. Their structure makes it easy for him to look good. But if he lost form I don't think they would keep playing him because of his size alone. He looked like a beached whale when we played them earlier this year. At this stage of our game development I don't think it is a major issue to have one of these types. Our scoring inside 50 efficiency is the best in the competition at the moment. The major problem as others have said is getting the ball there often enough or keeping it in there when its not delivered at breakneck pace.

Agree, but I think Jurrah will do what he can do better. I'd prefer a bit of a harder nut type forward.

I appreciate your comments. I note you say that we should develop the same mentality as Geelong. And I agree totally. But alas that is the rarest ingredient in football. Not many clubs have done what they have done. Being like them is not good enough now because everyone knows who they are. What they sprang on the competition surprised everyone. We have to find our own killer ways. There is a wasteland of very talented teams in football history who achieved nothing because they did not have the right mentality. What I pointed out are some of the serial sins our club has committed in the past and is still committing this year. The indicators I have pointed out are ingrained and cultural and have nothing to do with how much we have improved. And I expect to see something better this week against North. A team that has shamed us with their courageous heart. A meaningless game but it will be interesting to see who has the passion. BTW, I was a boxer myself. Ended up as a hum drum sparing partner. My trainer said I'll never make it because I lacked the killer instinct.

Took the profession of White Maggatory to even lower depths.

I think he would be good choice. Very good coach for us but I suspect Mark Williams may get it. Shame for Knights. I think he's gone. Not that I care much for them. I'd like to see them struggle for a long time like we have.

Good luck to him. I always liked him but left his best too late for us. If he does get to the GC then best wishes. In his current form he still deserves a chance to play AFL.

I'll get to the game plan later but heres my beef. 90% of the game is played upstairs with attitude. Every club is professional these days and the true winners wont tolerate anything but winning. Haven't seen much attitude yet from us. We have a fabulous admin led by Jimmy, we have a suite of the best draft picks and are not worth jack [censored] with the old school playing mentality still at the club. And that goes for some supporters who can't hold in their vital juices long enough and soil their pants. Our worst games of the year. Carlton. Snubbed by Judd, Warnock, abandoned by Mclean and Johnson. Yet they cream us every time. Why do we let them do it? North Melbourne. A team with a more slim hold on survival than us for the past 30 years. BTW also a fabulous resume over the last 30 years. Nothings changed for them except they don't win flags anymore. They still cream us at will. West Coast. A team that smashes us purely as part of their normal routine(Cost us a real crack for the flag, 1990). Cream us away when they can't even win a game at their home ground. Too bad for them they didn't get a return game. Other issues Interstate games . Can't win any unless the other teams are having a full blown crisis or playing their worst football for a DECADE. Game plan. Most other team seems to have a game plan to counter our game plan. We don't have one to counter theirs because we think we're Geelong. When we play Geelong. We field a second rate side and hope they go easy on us and they oblige. Why? Because they have bigger fish to fry later in the season and appreciate a mid season rest. Collingwood. The highlight of our year. If only grand finals were played on the Queens Birthday Weekend. Our occasional annual non self administered orgasm if we get to beat them. We will never be a serious contender if don't treat all opposition clubs with the same disdain. For all the positives this club has had in the last couple of years we still haven't shaken off all the on field crap thats dogged us for years. Thats my beef!

Hey, don't get me wrong this season is an improvement for sure and am hoping it will continue with all my heart. Still a lot of areas to improve on. And in many areas we could have done a lot better this year. These are the topics worthy of debate rather than trotting out spin. There is no such thing as a satisfactory season for the team while there is a flag up for grabs. And no level of improvement is ever good enough until we get one. John Northey said after 87 that we have to take all opportunities when they arise or else we'll never get there. We never did but to his credit he took a lame duck team as bad as we've ever been to finals within two years of taking over. Thats been the problem with this club, too satisfied with too little every year and appetites too easily satiated. Everyone is happy with excuses why we haven't done this or that. Seen all this before for decades. If we win 12 or 14 next year I still wont be happy because I'll be [censored] off at the one or two games we lose(most likely interstate) but could have done better. And if we ever manage get to a GF and lose again I'd be more [censored] off than ever. Everyone assumes improvement will continue but it is not guaranteed. I still believe other clubs with finals aspirations are more hungry than us at this stage of our development.

I really liked the way the team has been playing exciting fast football in the last few months but it appears opposition sides are now countering it recently and as yet I haven't seen a plan B in place. From the Richmond game onwards I have noticed changes. Opposition sides are putting enormous forward defensive pressure on our back line. While we still look great when the games spreads we are getting murdered at clearances and stoppages all over the ground. Our forward line looks exciting when the ball is moving forward but becomes invisible when the ball is going the other way. Despite having the second most dominant tap ruckman, we can't take a trick at centre breaks and conceding too many cheap goals at backline stoppages. Our tackling pressure is way off. Too many missed tackles in the last three weeks. Granted not having a fully fit Moloney and Silvia does not help but our midfield and onball structure is starting to appear as a major weakness at the moment. It appears more set up to spread rather than get to the ball first. Things started looked shaky against Richmond and it was only because they tired that they didn't break us first IMO. In the Port game our structure didn't look right. A bit top heavy with Newton, Warnock and Morton adding really nothing to the game we are good at playing. I think playing these guys was only a gesture conceding the season was over. More midfield and backline stoppage grunt was required. I'm starting to think our game plan is all one way and it is other teams that are doing their homework and not us. These are just my amateur un-expert opinions. What do others have to say?

Agree with this sentiment. Although we did win two interstate game this year the reality is not as pretty as these wins will appear on the fact sheet. As I said before we barely scraped in against Port in bad form and internal strife at a neutral venue and Brisbane who are playing their worst football in 10 years. Things are back to normal for Port and they payed us back double. In both these games we surrendered big leads to spirited fightbacks from teams playing mediocre that should have been crushed. We were too kind. They would have crushed us if the situations were reversed. I was a bit more pleased with the Freo game but why did the team have to wait for the point of no return to start playing? But they are like blood brothers in playing attitude so not unexpected. I believe interstate sides know we are poor travellers and it is a simple formula for them. Apply some pressure in stoppages and contests and we will wilt easily.

I agree it is a good ad and unexpected. It is a novelty to see the club spend money on projects like this after all the money hassles of the past.

We beat a side in bad form with an internal crisis at a neutral venue who sacked their long standing premiership coach a few weeks later. The other against a side playing their worst ever football for 10 years. Both games we hung on by the skin of our teeth after having big leads and barely withstood off spirited charges that nearly sunk us. They were pathetically bad but had a red hot go at the death. We were just ordinary bad and got lucky.

Yes I work and of course I have bad days but not when it counts or every other day. Collingwood can afford an off day or two. They've already done all the hard work to get to the top. As can Geelong also. Every no show by us is a step backwards and mostly has nothing to do with off days. There is a regular pattern of bad habits in commitment to interstate games and with moderate sides which we have a realistic chance of beating going back for decades.

In all seriousness, i've been following this club for over 40 years. I'd like to see them win a flag before I die. Chronic pain punctuated with fleeting pleasure in this time. I used to think every year we are only a few seasons away from a win. Then the years mount, 10, 20 of shame for the club and in 87 after 23 years, wow! maybe. Sure we will win one soon. No, maybe next year, then the next and the next and the next then 10 years later hope bubbles again but no. A few years later we run into the Bombers. Another 10 years and more misery we are now here. Everything looks promising again. But the playing culture remains the same. I may not get to see the Demons next flag but you young ones be prepared to wait 40 years or maybe never for your chance. It's not going to happen until the team changes it culture and play winning effort football every effing week of the season.

I'm just agreeing we are absolute shite when when travel and I'm sick of hearing the developing side excuse touted for our recent no shows interstate or elsewhere for a failure to have a red hot go. Aways has been the problem and seems it always will be if we keep on accepting this. Wheres the effing inner soul in this club? Whats your opinion BTW?

Agree totally. Do the "developing side' apologists have an opinion?

Thanks very much for that, looks like the SCG is the only ground with perhaps acceptable win levels. Marrara and Stadium Australia too few games there. Granted that in the 24 years of interstate history there has been 9 interstate premierships and nearly the same for interstate grand final losers. Improvement interstate is required or else we'll never be any good.