binman

So i guess he has had no interruptions to his interrupted preseason.

Brain fade. No wonder I stuffed up the tri last week!

My best bet is avilius race 8 at caulfield. Good price too and should be odds on. A class above.

I'm back fellas. Started up last week but forgot to post my bets bet. Which by the way was In her time. Had an ok week last week, with three winner in Melbourne. But not single one in Sydney. Bad does of Punters lament. Accidentally left out a number in my only trifecta bet for the day - Its Invincible, which i really liked - and missed out on a a return of 1700 (would have had the trif 1.75 times). So frustrating. Got the first four in the next (in her times rce) - but only a third of a paltry 395. have not done my form yet. Will do this arvo as i have the day off.

Yes. And apart from the jumper 'issue' there are the facts we often have had to play them at docklands, a ground th hat until recently we have struggled and the not insignificant commercial impact of not playing at home.

Yes. They are. And with each team playing each other one each of the relevant clubs would get 9 home games to try and take advantage of that. But swapping home games each year is the only fair way to ensure some clubs are not unfairly disadvantaged by playing there more often. The best dees related example is the ridiculous number of times we have had to play at kardinia park in the last 10 years and how infrequently we get a return game.

Four points. First rarely does it happen that a team is easy beats one year and world beater the next. Secondly even if it occurs that is an argument for playing teams only once per year. As stands lets say you have to play Cats twice and they go woefully this season you are advantaged over teams that play them once. And lets say you play Brisbane twice and they have a breakout season, teams that play them once are advantaged Thirdly the home games are not really the advantage they once were, with ground rationalization, the trend towards ground having similar dimensions and stadiums surrounds and the growing professionalism of clubs. Finally the current system is a joke n terms of equity - both in terms of determining the finals and commercially. Lord help us if this the best we can expect.

Yes. But you swap each year. Same as nfl

In the AFL the real solution is each team play's each other only once. it is the only fair system. Sure it means much fewer games but there you go. They could expand the finals system potentially to offset (a bit) the issue of reduced games. Perhaps have a wildcard. But that's not going to happen with the AFL's thirst or TV revenue

No, it must be me who is confused.You're right the system i proposed is what will happen. I'll try and find the audio and see what Plough's fix was

Plough Wallace was onto this a couple of weeks back on SEN. Gave the AFL a right spray. His solution was for the AFL to admit their mistake and have cross over semis - ie the team that finishes top on each conference plays the team that finished second in the other. Seems logical, easy to do, fair and would require no logistical changes. As he pointed out the conference B teams would still get their chance to make the GF - and would do if good enough. But in all likelihood neither would win, leaving the A sides to play off. Either way the GF has the two top sides. Simples.

Going into comedy apparently

True nuff. But as Buttifant notes the impact of interrupted preseasons is not just related to recovery and fitness, but also to understanding game plan and implementing new strategies (eg because players can't participate in drills and simulations). On measuring or assessing the impact during the season it is very hard to do - certainly from where we sit. Every year we find out post season that players who appeared to be out of form were in fact carrying niggles they had all season(Jones wit his neck being a good example) or never got to 'full fitness'.

All well and good. Except for the fact that accepted wisdom of experts is that individual players who have interrupted pre season rarely ever get to optimal fitness and teams that have a high number of players in rehab during the off season invariably feel that impact though the season, including the back half. Sam McClure interviews 'sports science guru' David Buttifant about this vert topic. Interesting stuff: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=331320

I can't work out how to provide a link but i heard Kate Roffey being interviewed on RSN this morning. Kate is the director of the Western Melbourne soccer team bid that was successful (which is awesome as i live in the west and my daughter plays soccer so clubs in the area will def benefit. I will def adopt them as my team). Impressive. Fascinating interview, which covers a lot of ground. One element relevant to the discussion of a meeting space for fans is the bids focus n building their own stadium and 'activating' it as part of the strategy to build their fan base and create meaningful connection with their team. Well worth a listen and the dees yarra park plans get a mention. Link to website is here and you the stream is on the right hand side of the landing page: https://www.rsn.net.au/

He mentioned East Melbourne cricket club. Not quite sure if that is existing club or an extinct one he thought we could help revive.

Good post STMJ. I think there is little doubt we will be impacted by the number of players we have who have had interrupted preseasons. History tells us as much. The question is how much (Note: to be clear i'm not suggesting you think otherwise - i'm sure you agree and were just being conciliatory) Of course a mitigating factor will be that most in rehab have been able to keep their fitness levels up, but any disruption hurts to some degree and the issue we have is so many players are having some interruptions. An issue for the dees is the 'Melbourne way' ie goody's way places a huge emphasis on fitness but also high intensity, high impact football that will expose any deficit cause by interrupted preparations. With so few player's rehabbing last year we were able to make a fast start. But one huge positive (and at the risk of jinxing them) is unlike last year Tmac and Viney both seem to have had uninterrupted preseasons thus far. If that continues we will have both ready and raring to go round 1, which will go along way to offset the high impact of the number of players who have had interrupted preseasons

My understanding is omac is rehabbing from back pain. From carrying the backline for the last two years.

I disagree. As I have said a number of times the idea would be a bar, restaurant type space that would be a natural spot for dees fans but open to all. Such a set up would make a fortune if done right. Income helps set up the club and contributes to on field success. But such a space would also have the benefit of being a natural meeting spot and hub for the faithful. Even for away games. I would travel in from altona for a great sport with good atmosphere and plenty of other dees fans for interstate games. Think of the ecmc final. I went to Perth but dees mates, after much humming and aching landed on the sporting globe in Richmond. A place I'm not a huge fan off. But a mfc pub would have been the ideal and it would of been having. Think also of the power of seeing the dees crowds grow and the feeling of having so many members. A shared space would fuel that and help build our membership. Create a dees army. All good and tranlatabke to on field success.

no flacking way

Me. The whole finals things took its toll. Just recovering.

I trust the club to make the right call. They have all the information and of course will have assessed all options and then come up with their preferred option. Their call is yara park. Good enough for me.

Makes you wonder then why savvy, switched on operators like Glen Bartlett and Peter Jackson, after presumably considering all of the facts and relevant considerations, decided yara park was their preferred option. Not.

A couple of points. I didn't mention a social club. I said a bar owned by the mfc. In use all the time. Did you ever go to the old Hilton pub (directly opposite jolimont)? Game days it was packed to the rafters before and after demons games. Just as the cricketers arms is on any game day. A decent bar one train station to the city would always do well, particularly in a a practically dry area. Secondly, a purpose built space would include all the bells and whistles and we would make income from the office space. And one oval is enough. As the tigers, pies etch have shown. I'll bet players don't want to drive to outer woop woop eirher.

Why? Because yarra park is a brilliant idea. One oval is fine for Pete's sake (no issue for th Magpies it would seem) and having our gym, medical stuff, recovery, footy department and admin all in one place will be awesome. Not to mention a space for fans and members. A MFC owned bar above jolimont station would make a fortune - and not just from dees fans. It would be packed every time there was any event at the G. A natural meting place. We would also have a place for the demon shop. The Hawks are going to Dingley, which is not all that far from their current base and there is much to play out in terms of the viability of the project. The Bombers facility might be great but it is miles from anywhere and has costed an arm and a leg. it also does nothing in terms of a base for their fans. I got the election call right OD and i reckon i'll be right on Yarra park.It. Will. happen.