monoccular

Well if there are 4 the AFL will have an even greater argument that they cannot afford to have them as full time professionals - unless they sacrifice some of their bonuses of course, so it will never happen. On the other hand one could make a case for reducing it to two full time professionals, but this will never ape either.

Surely if the three maggots can’t get it right, and occasionally contradict one another, enlarging the cesspit won’t produce better maggots, only more of lower quality. Rather like endlessly expanding the number of teams, can only dilute the quality, the same applies for umpires. Eventually everyone can play and get a participation award for trying.

The tiny population is just one negative to a NT based team. Every team that plays in Darwin historically is stuffed the following week - imagine having one with a home base there (even if shared 50/50 with the far more friendly Alice Springs climate). Just not viable. (Same would apply to Cairns).

If Gil and his “brains trust” haven’t yet seen the total iniquity of floating byes in a season they clearly haven’t followed VFL which is an absolute dogs dinner as a “support competition”! Either move a club to Tasmania or handoff the already inequitable schedule.

From TV clips last night he looks a hell of a long way off AFL fitness - will need a huge preseason (and maybe some "supplements")?

We all know which teams will receive favourable "draws" and which will not. Imagine being the poor bugger who gets a round 1 (or even 2) bye, or for the final round or two (unless their season is well and truly over). A finals contender with a bye in the last round, then the pre finals bye, maybe winning a QF so having another - absolute shambles.

Will this be Gill’s bye, bye - another bloody bye?

…. with the usual drip feed leaks in the preceding days And I have just worked out the acronym Make A Gambling Industry Cash

But they are still bloody annoying and intrusive.

QD - maybe the poor signal of 1116 actually spares me pain, are you suggesting ? 🙄

It is hard enough to watch almost any TV programme without that intrusive gambling advertising - and commercial radio especially SEN which I rarely listen to both for the gambling advertising but also the appalling often unintelligible signal (at least in the Bayside area).

The Vaile article is in my mind the most interesting of the three - the NYT one is behind a paywall but the headline suggests it relates to icing specific acutely injured muscles, which appears to be standard practice. Not much is said about the timing post exercise which is probably an important factor. Repetition and alternation seems the go. Certainly refutes what I heard Dermie saying on radio regarding the next morning half hour dip in cold Hobson's Bay "to wash out all that lactic acid"!! If it was still present the next day the poor bugger would be well and truly dead.

Unless defrauding the betting agencies of money is regarded as worse than murder, even murder by arson, then he won’t get much if any jail time.

I suspect that there has somewhere been a breakdown of mid vs defender vs forward total votes for each season. It is who the umpires see most (given their poor visual acuity): another reason to take it out of their clutches.

I though of calling the Downlow after Jab Watson won it —— maybe now should be the DOWNLOWER.

Maybe the AFL will charter Magic 🪄 Carpets to transport the fans - the occult reason for the naming of the round

Are they TAB or Sportsbet odds?

Thanks Demonland. And do you know if, despite their big loss, did Cripps poll votes in media, AFLCA and other awards in that game?

Demonstone - what odds can you give me that there is no market on the outcome of the investigation? Did he umpire any Carlton games, particularly late in the season?

Does a fish still rot from the head? As an aside in the wash up from all this, the Downlow voting needs to be removed from the umpires who find it hard enough to sort of impartially (ideally) adjudicate the game, though who if anyone could be trusted to be impartial and honest?

…. but it would adversely effect gambling revenue 😮😮😮 The entire “Cripps affair” shows that “AFL Integrity” is a complete oxymoron and this reinforces it. $$$$$ speaks I would hope, that if this is proven, they won’t be able to umpire from Barwon Prison. Corruption has always followed the gaming industry - just as surely it does people trafficking and prostitution. 🧹🗑

"...would like to see it squared up to CHF and then kicked to a leading forward...." kicking to a leading forward turned the 2021 GF when we were starting to look done, but hasn't been repeated since.

Thread title needs to be changed from retires to retries

Essendon and Hawthorn wouldn’t know how to find the ground so would have to forfeit Any guesses who will, and who will not? …. you forgot to mention the golden snitch and the quidditch broom stick And since we finished 1 and 5, or 1 and 2, no way we will not play them twice.

I also heard that Tom was in full running mode which is absolutely fantastic news.