DEE fence

Carlton has strengths no doubt, most here would trade part of their precious anatomy for Curnow, however when the noise is taken out of the media cycle and you look at the actual strengths of the teams it is Melbourne's to lose, outside of extraordinary events Melbourne is too strong. Martin being out also hurts you guys.

Was reading the Carlton site, not too many pro Maynard, lots saying deliberate but cannot prove it.

@Redleg I'd be super interested in your impressions of remorse or otherwise, and any other details you'd care to share either here or DM, the veneration of Long has always rung hollow to me and am interested in genuine interactions. I am passionately pro-reconciliation but don't want Long near the process because I see him as tainted. The act that day was shocking and have burnt about it.

I want Goodwin to come out and say 'OK we're going to train the smother'.

Can we fund/buy a Russian troll workshop to combat the ferals posting? Should be able to buy a few thousand clicks for a couple of dollars

Please could send a link to voting, I am in a super boring conference and need to vote a LOT

Trawling for work, do you chase ambulances as well, have a police scanner attached to the zimmer frame? But seriously, I actually read all 17 pages of the pies thread on the subject, (on Nick's Pies, Big footy is so bad I almost want to renounce citizenship). Lots of woes is us, the world wants to screw us, lots of victim blaming, some very minor acceptance of the fact that he is a good chance to go. In response to the concussion carnage question, I really cannot understand why former players have such an [censored] covering mentality with this. Players do make decisions within a second, extraordinary levels of dexterity are displayed, and unlike the Lynch incident and many others that are offered as examples of why Maynard should get off, this is clearly different: 1, Gus and Maynard were coming at each other with full awareness, predictable movement and time to plan, with no other players affecting the matter. (Unlike the Lynch incident which was a marking contest with multiple players and the uncertainty of where the ball was. 2, If you can't get/affect/protect the ball without taking someone's head, don't do it. The one exemption is the mark but even that I am for placing liability onto the person taking the mark, so if Kozzie put his knee in the back of someone's head, and there is an injury, he's gone, on the shoulder glancing the head, pay the mark. And Kozzie's marking attempts need to be realistic btw. 3, An accident for me, is if you both arrive at the same time, and both have eyes for the ball, and you don't shape up in a way that increases the chance of injury. So a head clash is an accident, lifting your arm is not, turning your shoulder is not (if it means the head is involved). In NFL they are talking about taking helmets off (I don't think it will happen though). In rugby you have to tackle with your arms open, there are examples where you have to own the contact. In non-contact sports such as frisbee (at an elite level) I have seen people both competing for the disc at warp speed in the air (miss), then tumble away so as not to take the body of the opponent, losing significant amount of skin the process, they re willing to compete, and accept the consequences so as not to injure another person. Now I like that Aussie Rules is contact, I want it that way and the heavy body contact, but I still think we can have contact and find ways to be more careful about not taking the head with it. Lastly, I think AFL has also gotten better (apart from flooding and zoning, looking at you Ross and Clarkson), once upon a time (my youth) you would not attempt certain skills seen now, because you were setting yourself up to be knocked out. Now players, I think try more artful plays because they expect a decent level of protection and not a late clip to the ear. It still requires huge courage, the hits and tackles still hurt, the fear and the need to overcome it is still there. But the skill level has gone up. If you want fight watch boxing.

100% Balls, Ross Lyon reckons it doesn't start the moment he's in the air, and people are recognizing that it wasn't Maynard putting his arms up that did the damage but rolling the shoulder that did, and that protecting yourself doesn't get a free hit. I am very Baptists about this, you own your actions. Even Scott was onboard with times change, talks about the work they had to do with Stewart (Fox in charge of the hen house that that may be).

It is has been accepted fact around ethics for awhile now that even a perception of a conflict of interest is as much a concern as an actual conflict of interest, that he doesn't get that is a serious red flag.

it was mentioned on the broadcast, but not afterwards.

@Redleg 'So despite a report on the ground by an umpire, close to the incident and the fact that a player had been knocked out for 2 minutes, with his career and health impacted, Christian attempted to whitewash the whole incident and not even have it tested by the Tribunal.' Spiking the umpires report is the deal breaker for me, the MRO is supposed to be for incidents caught on telly. An immediate direct report by the umpire carries serious weight, the fact that the media was overlooking this with all the commentary from former 'thugs hard men', goes to some serious jury tampering. The umpire being close and with a good view is highly relevant. Have seen some media is starting to pick up on the shoulder as a separate action to the smother. So seriously, MC can really GAGF, don't want to hear from him again, and the MRO needs to be rejigged. And serious props to Laura Kane, past her 1st test in the big chair, stone killer to face down the pressure around this.

I don't get the talk about connection, it was the execution, and this becomes a feedback loop, you hit the early ones, the others go through easier. when they keep missing then everything becomes manic. I don't believe it is the system. I would have liked to see more use of the corridor though, thought First Crack was right about that, we went cautious. Also re Goodwin and coaching and forward line, Tmac fell off a cliff quicker than anticipated, BBB too, if we had Petty and Melk in the team I think we would have been just fine. We didn't have the best fwd line but we had enough of a forward line and we know it works, this is just one of those years we're we get unlucky with injuries, not the coach was blind to the forward line. If there was a spare FF going free for a price we could afford that was better than what we had in 22, I don't know about it. Grundy may not have worked, but it was worth a punt, Goodwin has the credits in the bank. I also don't think a week off for JvR is the end of the world, he needs a reset, has some work to do for the prelim. Wasn't happy with his game at all.

I have to say the comments by Gawn and Trac worry me greatly, he was so close a few years ago to being done. Evidence suggests that these concussions are cumulative, and I can't help thinking about Paddy. I have been guilty of taking Gus for granted, we'll really miss him on several levels. Really hope to be wrong.

If he said ‘inflicting damage’ someone please find it and post it to every twitter account there is. I have been replying to ads many tweets as possible, not much to do here.

I initially thought Rivers forward might be the go, but in the last quarter of the H&A season I have seen Rivers forward 3 times and he's never seemed likely when kicking for goal. Love him to bits but he needs alot of work to be a goal kicker. FWIW Harmes would get eaten by Cripps, I think Viney needs the job.

Am sure we are in furious agreement, I don't disagree with anything you've said. My point about time goes towards intent, and that the 'footy action' taken, the smother, doesn't minimise the fact that Maynard hit AB as part of a plan. This incident started from the time Maynard started running at Gus, his intent is very bloody close to intentional.

You're a brave bloke arguing a POV and I get your points, I just don't agree for the following reasons: 'Fractions of seconds' is all it took for Maynard to make choices to roll his shoulder, he already knew where AB was and was going. AB was predictable, Maynard had ~2+ seconds to make a plan, which he executed. AB didn't unexpectedly change direction. There were two actions. The smother yeah that's fine. The shoulder to the face, not so much, the second action is not automatic to the smother attempt, i.e. like punching a ball and your momentum and the other players brings his head into your elbow. Maynard completed a second action that sees him miss the GF. Fractions of a second is not relevant here, he had time to consider and execute two different actions.

Looks good for a week. Really helps with Brayshaw gone. Do we have any news on the St Kilda scratch match? Tmac no, Grundy for Tmac, for JvR keep Laurie. Spargo and Harmes no thanks, would rather have Jordan. Salem has dropped but it doesn't mean others have gone past him. Thommo as sub. Carlton riding their luck, I have to believe we won't murder the bed sheets like Thursday.

I think 3 weeks is soft, in finals, defenceless player, double it, 6 weeks. And while I realise I'm preaching to the converted, but I still want to say, kicking in danger has always been a thing, the fundamental 'footy act', spare the excuses about the smother, that was just cover to put a hit on. I don't care if Maynard meant to knock him out or not his intent was to hit. By the way, Laura Kane getting involved is huge news. Expect to see more about this.

6 months ago I was leading into an end zone against a younger opponent (side by side/same direction) going at maximum speed, competing for a high disc, had launched to catch, with feet off ground (maybe 50-60cm off) when another team mate (small/brave & new) ran straight in front of me with <2-3m space. I was still able to tuck up so I didn't collect them in the head and get my arm out of way so I took the impact on the chest. Maynard had choices, his head was turned tracking where Gus was, and lined him up, don't tell me this incredibly fit athlete, whose reactions I couldn't have touched even 20 years ago didn't have time. That aside anyone notice Cox's dog act, trying to twist Trac's leg in the 4th, really needs to be called out was deliberate.

He rolled the right shoulder in, he had a choice, could have rolled left, guilty as don't care about post facto BS.

Richo is a dog and all the other [censored], clearly turns his shoulder into Brayshaws head. FAAAAAARKKKKEN CUUUUUNNNNNNTTTS

I feel like we picked our best team, Pies have reacted to us, not the other way around, but must admit the wet worries me. Cox selection is a hail mary, Viney needs to murder Cox early , preferably he gets sandwiched between Kozzie and Viney going full tilt.

Just tell them Pies are MAGA supporters

Work for the UN World Food Programme in Baidoa Somalia, Head of Office, 680,000 beneficiaries. Emergency Relief and Nutrition Programmes but trying to switch it up to resilience projects.