binman

We will have to agree to disagree. I can't see how a report on an injury, in of itself, could be viewed as a negative article (eg the ones about Jesse's injury - indeed you could argue they were positive as they reported it was only a jarred knee, allaying the fears of demon fans and if you recall there was much rejoicing on DL when the first article reporting this went up). Sure an article criticizing a clubs handling or record with injuries would be negative but these are very rare. I can only recall the ones about the bomber in recent years that might fit that bill, and even with these it was some time before questions were asked. Injuries are a fact of life in footy and each year at least one club has a spate of injuries. Which ever that club is this year will do poorly in your ladder.

Interesting idea MD, good luck with it all. A couple of thoughts. Firstly you have deducted points from Dees for the reports of Jesse's injury. I had assumed negative press meant articles that are critical of a club or put them in a bad light. I don't see how reports of injury are negative, sure bad news but is that what you are trying to measure? You note in the 'How it works section that you won't be including match reports as you want the table to reflect the 'quality of the football club as a whole'. I can't see how including reports of injuries achieves this goal. Just as match reports from poorly performing clubs would skew the results so would a team that have a really bad run with injuries (and usually there s a correlation between the two). Using a metric of reports of injuries resulting in losing points would have consigned the Dees to the bottom of such a table for the last decade (even leaving aside the genuine negative press we have received) The other query was your selection of articles. Obviously there are frequent examples of the same articles appearing in those paper owned by the same company and there also examples where competing companies will report on the same issue (eg both the Hun and the Age reported on Hogans' injuries). How will you determine which article to 'score'?

unless it is to escape the heat

I'm loving the new avatar hood, very apt

Yes, yes and yes. For me this is absolutely crucial. To me the talent pool is the elephant in the room. The game is already suffering i reckon from too few really good players and too many teams. Without a good ongoing supply of talented players coming into the game 18 teams is not sustainable in the long run as the quality of games will be too low and the big clubs will dominate.

I wondered if that was you clint (same photo). Agree on journo even being there but even more unlikely is a news.com.au journo getting the story correct. Seriously the worst news site on god good earth (or at least Australia's good earth)

Can someone with a twitter account tweet the club and ask about Hoges? The suspense is killing me.

What would you know doc (insert smiley face indicating i'm joking)

Desperate for info on Hogan i thought i'd check Bigfooty to see if there was any info (which i hadn't before such is my concern). Read this post 'According to a poster on Demonland Jesse might have done something to his knee.' and this post in response: 'Nothing from the news.com.au article or anything on twitter. Most likely made up.' Gold

Your avatar GTG was never more appropriate!

Yep, i agree. I can see Roos adopting a similar approach. You're right Pyke was really important for them up forward. Didn't he take the most marks last year. Also great kick for a big guy who didn't grow up playing footy

Just curious really as i would have thought doing it near where their hq is would mean they didn't have to lug equipment and players to and from AAMI park. Also I read somewhere on DL that after the trial its back to Goschs and AAMI for more training. It makes sense i suppose if previous data is from Princess Park that they run in the same place but still conditions are likely to be different and 3ks is 3ks. Any who no biggie obviously. Can you bet on the outcome?

Or do it on an athletics track.

Out of curiosity why Princess Park as opposed to say the tan or Goschs Paddock which are near AAMI Park, our gym and offices etc?

. Perhaps - though I'm pretty confident of a dees win!

Roos talked about an early practice match in the interview on Dee TV, but didn't mention a date i don't think. I hope it is before end of Jan because i have leave late Jan and would love to watch it.

It matters in so far as if the club suddenly needs a backman to fill a hole (eg short term injury) and/or Georgiou is starring at Casey he is on the rookie list and can't play unless t a player is put on the long term injury list. This is not likely to be an issue with either Harmes our Hunt as almost certainly neither will be ready to play AFL footy next season whereas Georgiou is ready to go. However perhaps you are right and other clubs were considering drafting Hunt and they didn't want to risk it.

Its hard not to see parallels with the Australian Cricket side (ie the fun being back) in terms of the difference in styles between Arthur and Lehman

That's interesting, if true. Perhaps Taylor had some intel. I wondered the same thing about him being not rookied, however i wondered why Georgiou wasn't the one on the main list given he is mature age and AFL ready whereas Harmes and Hunt are unlikely to play AFL this year.

Spot on rjay, could not agree more. EFC have from the beginning tried to make this all about the legality of the drugs used to muddy the waters on the real issue - the potential health impact on players. At the end of the day that is by far the most important thing. And it makes no sense how confident they are about no negative health outcomes if they cannot say with 100% certainty (ie with appropriate records) what they gave players, in what combinations and in what quantities.

One of the most enjoyable games i have had the pleasure of attending. Arrived late, just as the game was about to start. As anyone who had been to a packed Vic Park could tell you this would ordinarily mean standing way back at the top of the slope, crushed in a sea of maggie fans and not being able to see anything. Fortunately there was one of those old tables right at the back/top of the slope (used by food sellers or the like) that wasn't being used. My mate and i stood on it and had a completely unhindered, terrific view of the ground (from the kew end, looking toward hoddle street) and space around us. Good access to the bar made it the perfect spot. No one asked us to get down either (we were right at the back/top and not blocking any one's view) - in today's over regulated world of trumped up mickey mouse security you'd be told to get down in a flash. An awesome, pulsating game that by rights we shouldn't have won. Jaka and Schwarz were awesome. Both had total x factor. One of Jaka's goals right below us from the boundary was outstanding as was his celebration. At the end of the game out of there in a flash and off to celebrate a great win. Am i right in thinking that was Collingwood's last game at Vic park?It was certainly our last game there.

Roos talks about his trip to Africa with burgs in the second part of the interview on Deetv. Basically says trip was long planned and club agreed to allow him to go. Was very cool about it all, basically said he trusts the players to come back switched on and there are good coaches on deck.

A decent run with injuries is absolutely crucial (it's part of footy culture to downplay the impact of injuries but in my view it is perhaps the biggest determinant of a sides success). Whatever anyone says about Neeld it has to be said he had terrible luck in terms of players being out. Surely we are due some luck on that front. I hope you're right about Hogan because every side needs a super star and i agree that we haven't had one since Flower (Shwarter was very close before his first knee injury and i have no doubt would have gone to be a super star of the game). Super stars obviously help on field but almost as important is the buzz and excitement they bring as well as the new fans that come on board.