Tarax Club

Carlton's performance while commendable was redolent of previous seasons promising much but ? mark on maintaining the rage. Though you would expect some improvement under Voss. Game of two halves, second half reset showed more determination and spirit. Positives James Harmes unstinting efforts and Oscar McDonald's game on Bayley Fritsch. Backline slightly bereft without five of the premiership seven. Joel Smith and Adam Tomlinson battled manfully against the bluebottle tide. Baffled by the umpiring decisions? Conspiracy theorists blame the Scott Brothers.

Like these fast moving on the ball guys?

Barry we don’t want Rupert to think south of the Murray expats residing north of the Tweed as teasers. Who knows you may get an offer you can’t refuse… Kayo for $5 a month for an annum! More concerned with the ad nausea replays of the game highlights made us feel a little seasick up here. Too much motion to contemplate. Is the Murdoch empire resorting to child labour or are Gibbo’s work experience kids using the viewing public as guinea pigs?

On very limited time Sam Weidemann’s cameo performance showed some promise ‘again’. Fingers crossed the stars align and the young fella finally gets a decent run at it this season. Ditto SOS.

Fawlty?

Some of the intense MFC training action from Earth at Casey Fields this morning.

Thank you Ernie, admittedly have been an admirer of your often erudite contributions here. Long may that continue. After all we have done the hard yards. Time to hopefully bask in a golden period for the club.

Ernest do your avatar proud! In my youth read a number of Hemingway's short stories and novels. Despite the contemporary mania for revisionism, with Hemingway described as being a chauvinistic misogynist or worse. He remains a great writer and character IMM who had vast experience of life spanning the tumultuous early and mid twentieth century. According to this anonymous source "In most of his novels, his heroes are seen charged with high intensity of optimistic attitude which provides them energetic strength to strive with calamities" May I refer you to your back pages in The Old Man and the Sea where despite the vicissitudes of alcoholism and old age his 'imagination of optimization' shines through. "Have faith in the Yankees Demons my son. Think of the great Joe DiMaggio Christian Petracca."

Young fella wearing Wrecker’s old number showed some toe and smarts. One to watch out for coached by that doyen of AFLNT youth coaches Mr Scotia at Nightcliff FC.

Agree with much of the sentiment here. Was BOG against the sCATs, in everything it seemed and followed it up for the big show with a committed performance. Jack has that seemingly rare elusive old fashioned characteristic as a footballer he plays for the guernsey.

The paucity of trackwatcher reports not a problem! In the spirit of synthetic test cricket calls we shall glean the pre-season zeitgeist from the odd occasional brief interview, snippet of vision or Ben Gibson's Training Gallery. Speaking of which Snap #29 Whose accompanying Kade Chandler? Add this Ex-Brighton Grammarian to our list in a heartbeat!

Visiting Casey Fields for training reports now seems to have ‘blown’ into Burke and Wills expedition proportions. Firstly after sorting out the baggage train with errant camels at the Zoological Gardens it is no Caravanserai. Then one needs to negotiate the trollway and the Monash Freeway which is not easy from the saddle of a long-legged ruminant and it’s already a ‘Highway from Hell’ without Bon Scott’s curdled wail and Malcolm and Angus’s three cord thrash. By the time you’ve arrived and survived fruitless hours in the PCR queue your beginning to wonder ‘“What’s this all about Alfie”’. And you don’t give a 🐀’s (test) when you find you are still very much on the outer beyond the cyclone fence. Despite being dutifully doubly vaxxed and patiently awaiting your booster. Meanwhile in the long summer grass you’re having to deal with the ‘locals’, deadly vipers and the natives who are according to some disjointed infrequent reports are not necessarily all that ‘friendly’. The final indignity some upstart probably the work experience factotum gets to choose today’s training Muzak!!! Makes you want to find a tree mark it “X”, dig a hole and bury your binoculars, ear muffs, pencil and notepad for next intrepid pith-helmeted expeditioneers. That will invariably fight their way out 'there' through the urban jungle attempting to illuminate the heart of darkness (sic) at pre-season training.

Or it could be something much more light-hearted senor like these three 'livewire' recruits.

Only a faint but distinctively Ennio Morricone soundtrack can be heard… The characteristic opening scene (as favoured by Sergio Leone) of the vast desiccated landscape comes to life… with the isolated, distant figure of a lone rider riding relentlessly upon his steed… as out of a suddenly awakened dream the cinema lights take effect illuminating the popcorn strewn theatre aisles… The credits roll… A new star has emerged from out west … In the role as “El Gringo” for another Simon Goodwin desperado linguine production is… …Judd McVee

On the biggest stage, on the last Saturday of the season when it counts, the performance of the Viney, Harmes and Brayshaw was irrefutably superior to the purported Footscray trio. VENI VICI VIDI.

Trip back in the Wells machine. Croxton Park Pub on a Saturday night . Bon Scott and the lads… MFC❤️land?

They might be getting bored of Doggy style though. Perhaps we could introduce some bondage And we thought 'Land was family friendly...

Wellsy road safety rules! Sliding Doors moment. Both were safely delivered to their “desired” destinations. Besides the karma bus is so passé post premiership. We now have the karma jet this is your captain (trac) speaking! Isaac Smith can always go to the vault, but Howie may still get to take a hanger or two and kick a sausage. Bucks is out the door and with a recently created vacancy up forward who knows…

Endorse what most others are saying here. Astute observers would of course be cognisant of young Captain Jack’s bravura performance against the dreaded colliwobbles in the AFL’s Covid blockbuster series one. Before injury prematurely ended his 2020 seAson. Grabbed his opportunity by the proverbials last campaign. Stamping his authority with some rousing play making on the biggest stage. Young man on the rise.

Like chronic visual flatulence desperately seeking an enema to end the agony. Bit like JN’s late movie career…

Demons are the heavyweight champions who made the other premiership ‘contenders’ last finals campaign look like a bunch of bantam weights. When the “live” show arrives at the ‘G’ next season enjoy. Come rain or shine whoever.

The Tigers of that era were the champion team with Tommy Hafey coach and Graeme Richmond secretary. Len Smith brother of Norm had laid the foundations of course. Royce Hart was one of the great centre forwards often courageously floating into the front of the pack to take a one grab mark. His drop punts for goal were bio-mechanical perfection, he rarely missed. More Lamborghini Miura than Rolls, whereas Greg Parke was more your EH Holden Ute with a souped-up 186. Possessed a powerfully athletic leap out of the Merri Creek mud of the MCG centre square to take many thrilling pack marks. His kicking as noted previously on this thread was less artful. One of my first demon heroes. Vale GP.

Massive DIO! Titus O'Reilly's Monday Knee Jerk Reaction: Grand Final is a worthy addition.

Jacko was the spark that ignited the the 🧨 demon response but Gus, Max and Kossie (despite v low possessions never gave up.

Unfortunately your top end correspondents press credentials proved to be momentarily invalid but we were able to doorstop #3 obviously pumped and a nice young bloke to boot.