John Crow Batty

If Viney was demoted and it causes the issues you mention it just confirms this club is a bunch of [censored] losers and a lost cause.

Why the hell is this captaincy issue taking so long to sort out? Name Gawn and be done with it. What’s the point for speculation to drag on for 6 months? Not impressed.

If we also had 88,000 plus members I guess we could afford to lower the price as well. It’s like Made in China but with quality over there. Our low numbers have absolutely nothing to do with price.

At least he will be fresh for the second half of the season when a spare ruckman is of most value assuming Gawn is fit for the start. Gives Jackson an opportunity to have a game if we need to play two ruckman.

Having co-captains is a poor compromise because the club is too weak to impose a strong leadership. It filters down. Name the captain and that’s it. No ifs or buts. It’s not a novel experiment anymore as when Roos first did it.

CHAMPION DATA’S 2019 AFL LIST RANKINGS Melbourne Adelaide Richmond Essendon Collingwood Geelong GWS Giants North Melbourne Hawthorn Brisbane West Coast Port Adelaide Sydney St Kilda Western Bulldogs Carlton Fremantle Gold Coast

Decent mark? Contested marks 2019 - Nil. For career, 27 at an average of 0.09 per game. He is a good kick for goal but he tends to hang off the contests just outside 50 waiting and calling for a teammate to win the ball and get it to him. Never mind looking after an opponent or winning the ball himself. Seriously if his teammates were deaf, he would never get the ball.

Our problems then were far deeper than a few ageing players. That has been well documented.

The lack of ruthlessness keep the likes of Jones playing for us well past his time. Many better players have been tapped on the shoulder at successful clubs. That’s the law of nature that our club seems to have forgotten.

If other clubs supporters had true respect for Jones they would be trashing and cursing him like we and others do to the likes of Selwood, Martin, Rance, Hodge, Franklin and other players who know how to win. They would never speak of Jones like that. Jones gets soft respect because he is ineffectual and benign and they are happy to have him keep on playing forever for us.

Reading that the contract negotiations for 2020 were protracted after a mediocre 2019 gives me the impression he wasn’t inclined to give up anything and his personal interests came first.

A changing of the guard like in 1987. Flower, Moore and a few others who were fixtures through years of inertia moved on. Flower could have easily gone another season or two but knew his time was up even though he was finally tasting finals success with more on offer. Was our leading goal kicker with 47 goals that season and was still contributing unlike Jones who had a very ordinary season in 2019 at same age and similar games tally and should have made the hard decision.

I thought this kind of propaganda disappeared with Schwab and Whiteboard Wednesday. Nothings changed. We are talking as well as walking the crap. Should have shut up until we actually achieve something positive.

Jesse is not missed. Alive and well on Demonland, like he never left.

The only sport where a play starts with the quarterback fiddling around with a bent over teammates bum and ends up with the ball. Weirder than those bum cheese sniffers from that other code.

Keating was a bog standard average ruckman in regular season games but played like a dominant superstar during finals. In the seasons they won their second and third flags he played almost as many seconds games as senior appearances. They alway trotted him out finals time because they knew he would rise to the occasion. In 10 season he averaged only 14 games a seasons and only three season with 20 or more games. There was talk at the time suggesting that he was held back to keep him fresh for playing finals.

He’s ready to sign a new contract. We have seen this all before with richly talented but lazy types who realise their potential in contract signing years but then revert to type straight afterwards. Just leave the signing off till the end of the season and that way we can be sure he works his butt off for the duration. I want to see two, three, not one breakout seasons in a row from him before I am convinced he has matured for the better.

I really don’t like these self serving and self congratulating gestures by big organisations. It’s likes sharks promising to eat more people to help combat global warming. Everyone and their dog are jumping on the bandwagon. People can feel good by pretending they are doing something worthwhile when actually they are only getting entertained. Whilst the state is burning we go to cheer at the footy. Plenty of money has been raised and the AFL would be better off just donating their share. Victims will be well compensated already. What is needed is real action against climate change and preserving the environment. I would only approve of the game if the intent is foster awareness and action on climate change. That’s not going to happen.

For an example of some of the dodgy fund raising, minor but poignant. Yesterday I took my car in for a service at a dealership. I was told if I forgo the washing of my car they will donate $10 to the bushfire appeal. I told them no, wash my car and I will happily donate an extra $50 myself and why they don’t just donate the money without any pre conditions on customer largess? They are a big organisation. They are saving more money and time by not washing my car and $10 donation per car is a pittance for them. Can I be sure they will be actually donating the money? More likely are being self serving and taking advantage by donation shaming.

I have issues to where is the accountability of all the money being donated, who will co-ordinate and distribute it and how it will be distributed? There will be many people who have lost everything who need money but many others will be compensated by insurance etc. Will some go to upgrade fire prevention services? There may be millions poured into token efforts to save the few injured animal rescued. What is certain is that the money will not help restore the destroyed environment, burnt forests and lives lost both human and animal. I have donated money but have absolutely no clue to how it will be spent. I just hope organisations and fund raisers do the right thing.

One aspect of the Daniher/Northey eras and to a lesser extent now with Goodwin is that when on the cusp of tangible success and it appears achievable we get stage fright and exit ingloriously. I can’t recall any of our finals exits with the exception of the elimination final in 2004 against Essendon since 1987 that were fought out to the finish or we being unlucky. We tend to fold like a cheap suit and get tossed out in an ugly manner.

We were definitely too cocky and arrogant in 1990 against WC. As keeps on happening for us when the media pumps up our tires we fall in hole. Everyone was saying there’s no way WC could beat us. We had an undisciplined and lazy start, were jumped early, game totally lost at half time and played catch up footy for the remainder of the game but never got close. For those who are too young to remember that game was eerily similar to the round 23 debacle against Collingwood in 2017. As for the the comparison between the Northey and Daniher eras, Northey wins hands down. He was remarkably consistent with a workman like list that in many ways over achieved. Daniher had better talent but inconsistent year to year results. It was the “Hollywood” golden era for us with too many easily satisfied players.

Phil Rhoden, stalwart reserves player and Gardiner Medal winner who only played a few senior games but arguably one of the best booming drop kicker in the games history. Was a joy to watch him kick out from the goal square 65-70 metres every time. Always worth getting in early to watch our reserves games to watch him. He was a master of such a difficult and rare skill.

I got my pack in WA on Monday. Pleased that it was free of useless junk. As for the scarf I have concerns that if we bomb out of the finals race by round 6 it might be a danger in the hands of depressed supporters. A baseball cap or beanie would have been a wiser gift.

You are right, in his first few seasons he copped a lot of criticism and controversy for the way he played. Richmond supporters were angrily demanding why he ever got a game. But I don’t see OMAC if he ever reaches similar heights receiving as much attention. Other than his outstanding play, his controversial onfield antics, wearing his spirituality on his chest and his version of “Elvis has left the building” whilst wearing a flashy white suit, headphones and riding a skateboard shows he is also an attention seeker with ego issues. He and Israel Folau have some similarities. Somehow I believe he enjoys all the lampooning and mockery thrown his way. He knows he’s going to heaven and all his knockers are not.