John Crow Batty

Undermanned WC at wet and wild Geelong. A recipe for a smashing.

I would like to see the media use a high frame rate camera which can show clear slow motion the hand passing technique used these days with particular scrutiny on the bulldogs implementation of the skill. I reckon at least half of the hand passes will show up as throws.

Beware the hungry tiger. Their form has been getting back to near 2020. They won’t want to be 3-3 after this round with the prospect of facing the bulldogs next week. We seem to be riding on cloud nine and in party mode at our unaccustomed position at the top of the ladder. We have to be 100% switched on and ready to push back a tsunami of pressure. We have the players to shut down their talls but their smalls and midfielders pushing forward will be harder to deal with.

Players like Trevor Castles, Ross Fisher and Robin Andrew are in the pantheon that have cast in concrete 100% winning records for MFC. They are truly the unimpeachable undefeated.

I would happily concede them the last quarter as long as we win the game.

She is the new club president and hopefully she will deliver and ensue the club is successful. The last thing we need is a president distracted by gender politics. She should concentrate on the nuts and bolts of running a successful football club. I like to see her follow the Peggy O’Neil style. I hope she doesn’t turn out to be our Joan Kirner.

Although we were 8-0 the signs of our decline were evident before the St Kilda game. We won 4 games by under a goal and the only big win was against second last side Fitzroy. St Kilda exposed us and we never recovered. We only won a further 2 games again against Fitzroy and bottom side Hawthorn.

Richmond will squirm at the prospect of being 3-3 and likely 2 games out of top 4. They have more to lose. They will come with all guns blazing and eager to spoil the Jones celebration as well. We are riding on cloud 9, what could go wrong? I hope the players are a 100% switched on.

This statistic would have been even more impressive if the opposition had not been exceptionally accurate in the limited opportunities they have gotten. Its not just points for and against. We have conceded 47 goals and 31 behinds for fewer scoring shots on goal conceded than every other club.

Fake poppies have been associated and sold for ANZAC day remembrance/celebration(call it what you like) for as long as I can remember. Actually the Essendon jumper looks pretty good. Ours is not bad either.

Not many clubs have the advantage of training on a ground the same dimensions of the MCG. All clubs would love to have that luxury. Success leads to power, wealth, extravagance and the need to maintain success and dominance on an ongoing basis. Training on a ground that has the same dimensions as the MCG will be an advantage to further hone their game plan. It’s all about them maintaining their power in perpetuity over the rest of the competition. They are not going to have the same list of champions for too long. The draft will even them out in talent.

A smartarse Richmond supporter I know said to me that he hopes that Jones bathwater tastes good, we are in for a shock and enjoy the dream whilst it lasts.

Shane Crawford played 305 games including 14 in his final season. Missed a few through injury. He averaged 22 disposals a game and 47 tackles in 2008. Jones has only effected 20 tackles in 13 games since beginning of 2020 season and averages 13 disposals a game. During the 2008 finals series Crawford averaged 23 disposals a game including 25 in the GF. He was widely regarded in their top 3 best GF performers. Jones current output is nowhere near to what Crawford produced in his final season. Crawford deserved every game in his final season on merit. Currently we are blessed that we performing so well to be able to hide Jones somewhere on the field.

A fine drop, I prefer overproof molasses based rum with dunder and muck fermentation.

What are you drinking?

Then you must be drunk.

If you thought he was a jibbering whatever you obviously were still somewhat sober.

I don’t recall seeing his first game but dozens of games he played during the dark days of royal blue. He was just about the only memorable thing about those days. I did see his last game as well in 1987 when he was our leading goal kicker. He could have played another two seasons as forward if he wanted too.

At least 50 games.

Not the grace of Robbie Flower but just as effective.

Never mind about playing 300 games. Jones talking about playing finals this season. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/this-year-is-different-jones-says-dees-are-better-than-2018-20210419-p57kby.html

Geelong planned a huge celebration match for Corey Enright’s 300th in 2015 at our expense and lost in a boil over. Question is is where the players head space is at in such an important game. Has to be 100% on beating Richmond.

Lucky for us we have has a fantastic start to the season. If we had lost a couple then for sure he would have been dropped and it would have taken the whole season for him to scrape up the required games. I guess the logic is we can afford to carry him whilst we are running hot. If we win against the tigers it won’t matter if he has an ordinary game. He will be rightfully honoured. But the game has the potential to leave a bad taste if we lose and he has a shocker. I guess he will play limited time and no where near where he might be exposed. As with yourself I can’t fathom out what his role is other than to guard space. It will be interesting if Jones is put to pasture after his 300 and we make the GF. Will fans expect him to be recalled to play the GF though clearly nowhere near best 22? That will be a conundrum.

Our fearless leader in another existence was a Roman god or two.

Robbie Flower retired as our leading goal kicker in 1987. But he knew his time was up and when to bow out.