Grapeviney

I hate the build up for this game. Cannot stand it.

I would gladly throw this game to whoever if we had a fair and equitable draw.

But it's just another game to me.

Hate the build-up? Well, I guess that's your bad luck. You think Geelong and Hawthorn supporters don't get pumped for Easter Monday? Or Anzac Day for Pies and Dons? Dreamtime etc

Outside of finals, these are the premier fixtures of the draw. Why you wouldn't want to retain it, and get a fair and equitable draw thrown in for good measure, is beyond me.

That's what the good sides demand and get.

No, I'm not referring to this week's game, but a time in the not too distant future when we're nearer the top of the ladder and the Queens Birthday game will once again be the genuine match of the round blockbuster it's been in years gone by.

I don't need the media to validate what I'm thinking but it was nice to hear the 6PR radio guys talking about next week's game tonight, saying it's now shaping up as a really good contest and that Melbourne are in with a serious chance.

I long for the day when we come into the QB game with an 8-2 or 9-1 record and the 'G is jammed with 80,000 fans, at least half of them in the mighty red and blue.

The sooner that day arrives, the stronger our grip gets on retaining this important fixture, and the greater the chance we have of securing similar top-billing games in the future.

Just a latent after thought, but why did we choose to kick against the wind in the first quarter after winning the toss (ie against a wind that appeared to be more than favourable in the first but had apparently dropped to no more than a light zephyr by the third)? Was that a significant decision? Port seemed to be kicking at goal from some distance with ease in the first quarter.

It was a strange decision. I would have thought use it while it's there.

I was at the ground and in the first half it was probably a 3-4 goal wind, but it died right down at the main break and what was left shifted more towards half forward in the second half.

Whatever else happens today, the club should strongly consider playing all our NT matches in Alice, rather than Darwin.

It's a normal Autumn day here - there's no oppressive heat or humidity, and there'll be no problems with recovering from the energy-sapping conditions the players have to endure in Darwin.

the annual Gat Ball.

It's usually a pretty classy affair..

Ken was a prefect at Northcote High School when I was there, dragged me in to the prefects room once for smoking behind the shelter sheds and made me clean the room.

Sounds like you were there about the same time as my father was Robbie - Ken Emselle was a couple of years ahead of him and was head prefect at the time.

I believe Kevin "Skeeter" Coghlan taught Maths at NHS during this time too.

But he's training hard and wants to play.

Where's the proof to support either of these claims?

If you're referring to his tweet about getting back in the gym, that's hardly evidence that he's "training hard" or even that he's training with footy in mind...

My somewhat cynical and and biased thoughts:

Geelong: a high school kid is bored in class and scribbling over his text book

Having just watched the Cats on telly, i wholeheartedly agree with your assessment.

Central Australia is one amazing place. Coming here I pretty much thought I was visiting Uluru but its much more than just Uluru. Yesterday I took a 4 wheel drive bus trip to Finke Gorge National Park, 138 Km west of Alice past Hermannsburg. The Cycad Gorge and Palm Valley are strange relics of tropical Gondwanaland plum in the middle of Australia. An extraordinary landscape. Its a great time to visit because recent rains have seen an explosion in flora and fauna that disappear during long periods of low or no rain.

The extraordinary about the NT is that there is still alot more amazing country to see like Kakadu and Arnhem Land to name two. They'll have to wait for another trip. Tomorrow its the West Macs.

Get up here Dees Fans!

Good stuff Demoniac.

I was in far north-east Arnhem Land yesterday, at Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula.

Visited a traditional Yolngu ceremonial ground at nearby Gulkula, where I stood on top of an escarpment with sweeping views of the Gulf of Carpentaria, which was absolutely stunning.

Also visited a fantastic indigenous art gallery and archive in Yirrkala.

Off to Alice tomorrow arvo for Saturday's blockbuster.

yes, his room at the gat fronts directly onto the beer garden (though beer is the not the main substance consumed)

spot on DC

The preferred beverage at the Gat is spirits... of the methylated kind.

The Hawks one looks like a slutty dress.

You say that like it's a bad thing..

I'm in.

The bloke I'm going with has sorted some sort of corporate tent ticket, but I imagine that once I've filled up the tank I'll go and sit with the cheer squad or stand in the outer.

Not expecting a win, but hoping the boys are on song regardless and push Port hard all day.

Anyway, today, I was described as a “thoughtless pervert”.

What am I to make of this? How should I have responded?

A simple "thank you, your honour" would have been sufficient

that as literally the kick between us and the flag. Wed have won the week after.

Nah, we would have been creamed in the GF, just as Hawthorn were.

Flower and Wilson would have missed with injury, and - like the Hawks - we left everything out on the field in the Prelim.

From memory, the '87 GF was a warm day, and Carlton were fresh after the week off.

They say the good players stand up in finals, well what about Robert Flower? Waited 14 years and 269 games to play in his first final and booted 5, following it up the next week with a bag of 4.

I'm lucky enough to be working in Darwin this week so will be flying home through Alice to go to the game.

Can't see us getting up unless Port are flat after last night's win and we can catch them napping.

A win would be sensational - would set up a good game for QB with a big crowd, would love to see 65,000 at the 'G.

BT tonight: "He out of bounds'd on the full it."

Not quite commentary but Richmond mis-spelled Deledio's name on the banner this week.

'Delidio'

Morons

And now we add asides to religion.

I know aside ... the Melbourne side, and they're getting better each week.

God Bless

Jack Riewoldt running away from journalists and scaling a fence at 9thmond sation to catch a train is glorious.

Doesn't sound like he touched on with his Myki card.. If you or I tried the same you'd be assaulted - and then fined - by the those hired goons posing as ticket inspectors and then quite possibly handed over to the cops.

What you're missing is the perspective of an older man who's been there and done that. He's picked this up as a job that's worth doing, not as a career move.

You're right, but all men, even the old ones, occasionally succumb to their egos, and I haven't written off the possibility that PJ and PR might find the temptation to stay on too hard to resist if we're on the threshold of making history.

Now which drug will i take?

Fittingly, there's a red pill and a blue pill..

Plus the players put in $10,000 in as well.

<insert joke about the players 'buying in'>

Awesome job by the FH, every dollar counts.

I reckon people are reading waaaaaayyyy too much into this.

My take on it is that here is a young fit guy who has probably trained / worked out every day since he was a kid.

Then came the injuries, and then the Black Dog, during which it can be extremely difficult just to get out of bed, let alone get to the gym and maintain your (physical) health.

As others have noted, keeping active physically plays an important part in your mental health, and it would seem Mitch is now at that point, recovery-wise, where he feels he can start being active and healthy again.

That doesn't mean he's training for football, or that football is even on his mind. He probably just wants to start feeling good again and is now in a position to work towards that.

C + B: You knock others for making definitive statements yet you're adamant he's thrown his life away and will regret his decision forever and day. The truth is that unless you know Mitch personally, or have discussed it with him, you're guessing just like the rest of us...

Disengaged voters unfortunately listen to the likes of Andrew Dolt, read the Hun or the Oz and believe their best interests lie with their interests.

All voters - disengaged or not - listen to their hip pockets, not the commentariat.

The average Joe isn't going to agree with Terry McCrann that it's a good budget if he's $700 worse off each year.

They have time, but it will take a miracle for the Coalition to turn around the disenchantment over the breakdown of trust. Gillard got crucified over the carbon tax, so the fallout from this is going to hang around for a long time to come. Abbott and Hockey have all but destroyed their chances of re-election with this budget.

Interesting that Labor are running TV ads branding Abbott a liar. I'm not sure to what effect - the carbon tax backflip is still pretty fresh and all this talk of broken promises might do nothing more than be a further pox on both their houses.

It's far too early to be talking of re-election. Howard and Costello delivered a much harsher first Budget (and second IIRC), and took a GST to the '98 election and won another term.

And one-term governments are rare - you really need to screw it up to be booted out after one term.