binman

That's exactly where I've landed. There's enough variables in the game, without having one that is not actually needed.

And a skill, if not executed spot on (which it frequently isn't) can, and often does, have a direct bearing on the game.

And pretty rude I have to say. Don't stop if you don't want to talk. Got soft ball questions too. And did actually say he hadn't 'got thru' a training session yet.

So do I. The dees seem to love playing teams in the rise and putting them back in their box. And the blues are coming off two very tough, physical games. Hard to back up again.

But i did see it too. I thought it was bizarre. But it clearly wasn't a club organised thing. A door stopper on the way into training- which was at Junction oval (which is frustrating- the media knew it was there obviously but fans didn't? Or at leastvi didn't- I would have gone). Oliliver looked and sounded [censored] off.

I wouldn't worry too much. English isn't his first language. And he doesn't have another.

Fair points. But what do you think he might have said about the pies if they had come from 5 goals down with 7 mins to go? Tbat was a seriously impressive win - stronger for longer and massive belief. In fact we might look back at that win as a critical step in out journey to a flag - one because of the belief it instilled (do we hold of the crows the next week if we lose that match?) and two it may well end up being the reason we play the lions week one of the finals at the g not the gabba. And speaking of the crows, seems bizarre given he played for them, that Jenkins didn't even mention our win over them. The following week they hammered port! And the tigers had the second highest team rating for a losing team all season (thanks dd). Thst was also a very impressive win.

By the by, I have it on good authority (straight from the rabbit's mouth in fact) that yes, he likes the nick name Nibbler, but prefers it to be pronounced Nibbla.

By the by Andy, I spoke with Fifa and they have moved the Tilly's quater final from Monday night to Saturday arvo, so i can watch it live. Good of them I thought. Funny story - they initially said how bought sat night binman?. No, no no I said. That won't work. But if you could make it 5pm, that would be perfect coz i can watch it at fed square before heading to the G to see the mighty dees demolish the blues. At first they were confused, thinking I meant France. And Denmark were already out. But we got there in the end.

I can join though can't I?

Don't mention the war...

Went out on a limb did steve on Sam, who was a top 10 draft pick. Sammy still has to play 13 games to play more AFL games than Omac, who went at pick 53. Should get there. But I wouldn’t put my house on it. And IIRC Steve and I also debated nibbler's value too......

That, and, in my view, the best weather in the country. My mum lived in Perth for a few years, and I visited in the school holidays. Fell in love with the weather - I hate humidity and I love the dry heat and of course the beaut freo doctor that comes in during summer in the late arvo and drops the temp to balmy not crazy hot like Melbourne can get. Saw my first ever live gig at a pub when I was 15 - hoodoo gurus at the I think joint called the lizard lounge. Probably no longer there.

I used to play cricket with Ralphy. He's actually a top bloke. He was a better bowler than footy analyst but (I actually think his news stuff is pretty good - should stick to it).

True. And the hawks too. But it’s one thing knowing how ti beat them, another thing being able to implement the plan to do so. The blocking of the corridor and covering outlet handballs and kicks requires elite fitness and enough players who can spread hard an defensively gut run And i don't think the Cats do. That said, I'm assuming the pies will have way more run and nor be evidently fatigued as they looked against the hawks. If they don't, then I'd almost say the cats are favourites to win.

I don't think so, no. I think the pies will finish top. Second will so just fine. Top spot is fugazi

Agree. I will not be surprised if the pies to give the cats a touch up. The cats looked slow and old against Port, who just had a nightmare in terms of their outs. If the cats were the real deal thiis season they would have hammered port at home, even with their two big our in Hawkins and blicavs. That said, even if they do win well, it will surely be yet another physical, tough game for the pies. The cats will use the same tactics of ageing teams accross every suburban comp - play to hurt the young bucks with plenty of sharp elbows and extra mayo on their hits and tackles. There's no tommorow for the cats - it's basically an elimination final. And then the pies have to front up Fridsy week against a desperate and hard at it Lions outfit. And not at their comfort zone ground where they can use their leg speed and ability to spread (not to mention the benefit of 80k screaming fans), but at the smaller docklands. All on the back of the back of three uber draining games against Port, blues and cats. And without daicos and murphy. Big test for a team that many annoited as the best team in the AFL by some margin.

I hadn't considered that aspect until I heard Brett Rosebury, who had just broken the record for most games officiated (503), mention it in an interview on SEN the other day. Though he said that in making it easier for them to cover the areas of the ground, means they can emphasis decision making skills over endurance for both current umpires (eg in terms of training mix) and attracting new umpires (eh put greater emphasis on decision in the selection process). He also said there's no doubt it would mean experienced umpires like him could stay in the game longer. Interestingly he also supported having some professional full time umpires (he liked the idea of a mix of full time and people like him who had other careers), which would be supported by having them umpire at AFLW and thought there would be plenty of young umpires keen to be a full time professional umpire. It's no brainer in my opinion to have full time professional umpires, so i was really interested in his take.

A career ending leg injury is no good. But a better outcome than brain trauma and CTE that impacts for the rest of a player's life. And tragically, that life may not be that long for some with the clear link between CTE and suicide and many other adverse physical and psychological outcomes.

There were no injuries related to running around in work boots and playing at glacial speeds back in the day?

And other factors such as head to head record, record at the venue, injuries and how the two teams match up against each other in terms of game plan and personnel (eg we match up well against the blues, not so well against say the crows).

I have long been a critic of the club's comms on injury (and commms in general). But agree, it's only two days since the injury. Let's all chill a bit. The media have conditioned us to need our information sugar hits ASAP. Accuracy be damned. Better to be first than right. I'm going to assume he's not playing again this season. Any outcome to the contrary is a bonus. Personally, I don't think petty out is the blow most in the media are making it out to be. I mean, yes he has looked very good up forward. In the two full game he has played in the role. But its not as if we have relied on petty to score. We kicked north of 100 points against the lions and crows without petts up forward. Or Fritter for that matter. We have fritter, Grundy, Brown, smith and Tmac as potential options. Yes fritter is not the contested mark, bring the ball to ground option we need. But have the media forgotten he was our leading goal scorer in 2021 and 2022? Melk plays tall, and has been terrifc at halving contests against much taller intercepting defenders. Oliver back in, and the brilliant form if gus, allows tracc to still play 60% forward when we come up against the very best oppp midfield. Tracc, when playing forward, demands one of the opposition's very best defenders. And with his sheer strength and ability to win one on ones, they can't risk putting a small on him. With Smith's athletisim and leap, using him as sub gives us tactical flexibility to bring him on if we need some height up forward. And we have JVR, who seems to thrive in big games. I actually think the biggest issue of petts being out is our need for a tall forward who can push up the ground and provide a marking and/or contest option at half back and the wing. Max can't do that all day solo. And we don't want JVR using up his petrol tickets amd/or getting smashed from pillar to post. Grundy can play that role (though his lack of pace worries me). And Grundy doesn't need much forward craft to halve marking contests, smash into packs and bring the ball to ground inside 50 I reckon tmac is the wild card. Much depends on how he comes up, but if he is more mobile than he was when he has played this season (which is possible if his surgery addressed the issue he had with his foot) then he is the perfect fit for what we need. Good kick for goal too. Snake Baker 2.0? I have to say Brown looks miles off, but maybe there's time to get him into shape for a meaningful impact in finals? Snake Baker 3.0? All of which hlights how ridiculous Jon Ralph's assertion that petts is as big an out structurally as daicos is for the pies. Daicos is critical to the pies method of transitioning the ball. Whoever replaces him in that role needs elite endurance, elite vision, elite running power, elite speed and elite kicking skills. Have they got such a player running around in the magoos? And perhaps more importantly, unlike us, the pies have not trialled alternative game plans, sytems and roles during games. Pretty late in the day to do so now.

Pretty handy I'm guessing when you're running 10 to 15 kms a game.

Under no circumstances should you google that in a public setting.

That's a great point. Can mess with players heads bit i reckon 9lie maybe it did for the bombers against the Eagles?), but still if we have a safe enough lead with say 10 mins to go we can be a bit more aggressive (eg not go into tempo, chip it around mode like we did against the tigers in the last 3 mins or so) than we otherwise might if need be.