binman

AFL grand final 2022: The Bart Cummings preparation that had the Geelong Cats trained to the minute (theage.com.au)

Great name for a goth speed metal band

He'll probably end up living in Glen Waverley, or is that Mount Waverley?

Yep. Things such as this don't happen in a vacuum

Just beat it Luke.

C'mon faulty, don't be that person. This issue is too serious for culture wars palaver. It just distracts from the issue at hand The tone of this thread has been measured and almost to a poster, people have qualified their views with variations of 'if true'. Leaving aside the polemics, if the allegations are true, what is your view on the situation (as opposed to your view on other's responses)?

Slander by who? The ABC?

Hardly. The players families represent more than word.

Not just them, but the club as well. If true, then any number of work place laws have likely been broken, not least the responsibility to ensure a safe working environment.

Gil McLachlan doing presser now. Streaming on the Age now 'On face value, it's hard to find more serious allegations'

And? How does that go to the issue of whether it is resolved or not? Again, the Hawks can choose to accept the finding of the report they commissioned and act accordingly. That's to say, resolve this as best they can. The three key people alleged to have behaved so horrifically are no longer at the club, so nothing direcly to resolve there from a Hawthorn perspective (ie they don't have to sack anyone). But i will be totally shocked if they don't make a serious and meaningful attempt to find a path to resolution with the players and their families. Even if you mean resolved in legal sense, i'm no lawyer but guilty people often deny wrong doing. Doesn't always stop them being found guilty By the by, you didn't initially ask if the authors of the report spoke to the alleged perpetrators. You asked who the authors of the report were. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but an implication one could could draw from that question is you are somehow questioning the professionalism of the report's authors and therefore their findings.

So you said. And i''ll repeat: What does that mean? Resolved in what sense - a legal sense? If resolved in the sense of the Hawks taking responsibility for their behaviour, choosing to accept the findings of a report they they themselves commissioned, and choosing to believe their ex players and partners, then that is wholly up to the Hawthorn Football Club. By the by, what the hell does independent witnesses mean? Independent of whom? And i'll add. what point are you trying to make about the authors of the review? What's your motivation for asking that question? By the by, one assumes it would be easy enough for you to answer your own question. Try google.

What does that mean? Resolved in what sense - a legal sense? If resolved in the sense of the Hawks taking responsibility for their behaviour, choosing to accept the findings of a report they they themselves commissioned, and choosing to believe their ex players and partners, then that is wholly up to the Hawthorn Football Club. By the by, what the hell does independent witnesses mean? Independent of whom?

I'm struggling to process this news If the allegations are true, and reading the ABC article it's hard not assume they are, this is beyond comprehension. Horrors like this sound like something that has come to light from the 1950s or 60s, and that collectively we all say that's horrific, thank god things have changed. But it is alleged to have happened in the last 15 years. I'm shocked. Again, if true, this is on another level all together to the bombers drug scandal. Both scenarios involve a complete breach of trust, but this is something else entirely.

Forgive my ignorance WJ, at the level your grandson is playing how demanding is it aerobically? And how much, if at all, has that aspect changed in say the last ten years?

Good get by the dogs to get Jones in, but they are still need a big defender i reckon. Tomlinson would be good fit. The blues might also look at him

Huge thanks to KC from Casey for all your intrepid reporting of our maggoos. Top shelf work - you must be thrilled with a flag!

During the VFL grand final, the commentators mentioned that Mitch Johnson (i think) had worked really hard to break into the Sharks side and that when he wasn't playing for the Sharks was playing for Pakenham (i think). They also discussed the fact Crossley was a carer and Munro was a paramedic. On the back of those comments, i had a number of reflections: That is a crazy level of commitment - all three players , but travelling to and from Gold Coast to vic to play footy is hard core There must be hundreds (thousands?) of players who are really close to AFL standard, but for whatever reason (choice, luck, not quite good enough etc) have not made the jump to that level Any elite sport is built on a foundation of community, amateur and semi pro participation - and AFL is no different However, unlime soccer or bball, AFL can only draw on a homegrown pool, with the exceptions of Irish imports, and that pool is necessarily thin given footy competes with rugby x 2, bball and soccer in terms of a pathway to playing a professional team sport in Oz Without that foundation, there is no AFL - at least not in the elite sense I know all of that is not news to anyone, but it occurred to me that i don't really have any sense how healthy suburban and country footy is. Demonland has lots of posters who are involved in some way in suburban and country footy, be that as a player, coach, admin - or just fans of a local club. My question to those who have an informed view is, how healthy is suburban and country football?

I wonder of Longmuire is a bit of an acquired taste. Reminds me a lot of goody in his early days of senior coaching. Bit of of a my way or the highway, super intense vibe.

From memory it was only just behind the ball, as i was watching the ball and still saw Smith go down. And yes, Matthews was behind Smith, such a dog act - on any player of course, but Smith was as fair a player as they day is long. It was a genius coaching move putting the much taller Smith on Matthews. Was thrashing him and Matthews, who was in the last part of his career, couldn't handle it. Iron or sew on?

I could not be more ambivalent about Grundy. But if he ends up at the dees then he'll have my 100% support.

Lobb is the answer, if we can land him. No superstar salary required. JVR will be our superstar.

Weid is a hail Mary. And if he is pinch hitting the ruck that means, in all likelihood plays forward the rest of the time. He couldn't break into the teams a forward this season when we desperately needed a second tall forward. Can't see it happening next year, regardless of how good he is as a second ruck (and i rate his ruck work) And as much as i rate Tmac, and in particular the role he plays for us, he is at the tail end of his career, and a lisfranc is crap injury for any player, but particularly for a fella who is 100kg and his role involves running 10 plus kms every game. We need another genuine tall forward.

A huge problem for us in terms of Jackson leaving is how few players there are in the AFL who can play as a tall forward and reliving ruck. And players who fit that bill AND who are gettable right now are as rare as hen's teeth. We need a ready made replacement, no a draftee. Who else is even remotely available other than Lobb?

I was at opposite end of the ground - standing behind the goals at the Royal Parade end. I have hated Matthews ever since. That was such a satisfying win.