La Dee-vina Comedia

Except for those on ventilators in hospital, obviously.

How about "Facebook user". Is that a group?

Happened to hear the new Carlton President's press conference today. If I were a Carlton supporter I would have been very happy. Contrary to my expectations (and probably prejudices), he provided a clear picture of intentions. Not only has the coach gone, but 4 Directors (including Judd and Jeanne Pratt) are leaving and the four replacing them all appear to have skills which can help the Board. One is Diesel Williams who will become the Football Director but the others have different skills. He also claimed that no decision on a new coach has been made and that they will set up a sub-committee (or maybe he said a process) to work through that. He also said that no decision had been made on whether the next coach needed to have previously been a senior coach at AFL level. I was impressed. (And then remembered that everyone in football lies.)

Worked for Sydney with Paul Roos, but you are right that it is more often unsuccessful. The one thing Carlton has got right this year is not sacking Teague during the season and replacing him with a temporary coach. Carlton fell for that temporary sugar hit from when they appointed Teague full-time after his stint as a stand-in coach and now suffer the consequences - effectively 2 more wasted seasons.

Feel sorry for Teague. It's not like recycled coaches are necessarily better. After all, Clarkson, Hardwick, Thompson, Sheedy, Longmire, Beveridge, Roos, C Scott and Simpson were all untried and seemed to do OK at their first club. In fact, since 2000 the only recycled coaches to coach teams to Premierships have been Leigh Matthews (2001, 2002, 2003) and Mick Malthouse (2010). All others have been coached by coaches at their first team.

I agree with you about not having a bye between the PF and GF. Such a break would mean that teams that win the QF and then PF have a two weak break each side of the PF. I'm not sure that's a desirable lead-in to the GF.

I'll bet you'll change your mind if Oliver or Gawn get concussed in the Preliminary Final. In all seriousness, the two week break might provide time for special guests to get to Perth and quarantine for 14 days before the GF. I'm thinking of people such as players' families, RDB, Board Members, Nathan Jones, etc or equivalent for other teams. (Should I be more positive and say "the other team"?)

I'm not sure he can. Doesn't the AFL have an agreement with the State of Victoria that the GF will be at the MCG for the next 30-50 years? If that's right, I think the AFL needs the Vic Govt's approval to stage it elsewhere and possibly that approval has not as yet been forthcoming. I'm not expecting the Vic Govt to be unreasonable. I just think they're not quite ready yet to concede.

Not sure if you'd call them smokies, but Jack Steele and Sam Walsh have each had very good years with very few team mates likely to steal votes from them. I recognise that Weitering and McKay are likely to be all-Australians but as they are both key position players, I assume that won't translate into many Brownlow votes for either. If Touk Miller hadn't been suspended, I would have included him in this group, too.

I wonder about how this works commercially? Has the WA Government had to make a payment to the AFL to be the exclusive "fall back" option or has the AFL had to make a payment to Optus Stadium as a holding deposit in case it needs to use the ground? I guess it could be both. Or neither.

I'm not having a go at Smith here, but couldn't you equally argue that Hunt (if fit) or Hibberd would provide the same value as Smith when it comes to taking intercept marks?

So, only one change to the composition of the eight (although not the order) whether teams play each other once or some teams are played twice. To my mind, this is sufficient evidence that the annual concern about the draw not being even isn't really warranted.

Compare and contrast. Our redevelopment (whatever, wherever and whenever it might be) compared with The Star in Texas. (The three minute video is quite compelling).

I'm not sure about any of the arguments which match our defenders against specific forwards. We play a seven man defence. Lever and May generally play nearly 100% game time, but the others regularly rotate each playing between approx 75%-90% on the ground. I suspect Brisbane's forwards also interchange regularly. As a consequence, the idea that one player will match up specifically on another is hard to execute. I fully expect to see all of the smaller defenders, whoever plays, mixing and matching with the smaller Brisbane forwards. For what it's worth, if Hunt is fit, I would choose him over Smith. I might also be tempted to play Hibberd ahead of Smith should Hunt be unavailable. But I would definitely be playing Bowey (plus Salem, Petty, Rivers, Lever and May.)

Statistically, we're favoured if there is also lightning. Only team this year with a 100% win rate for games including stoppages for lightning.

The harsh b@stard in me says, "Good idea". But, I accept your general point.

I'd also like the pro-unvaccinated to be excluded from the everyday event called the public health system for any Covid-related illness, too.

Are you vaccine hesitant? This graph is for you.

60+ more games of experience, particularly 60+ more games of playing with essentially the same teammates. The stability of the playing list, coaching panel (albeit with some changes) and admin (again, with some changes, but well managed) has also helped.

Jaded, you've previously informed us that you are Jewish and now a ginger. You're not this guy, are you? Surely not...

I think the Vic announcement states that there are 430,000 Pfizer doses and another approx 400,000 AZ being made available with bookings opening for 16-39 year olds tomorrow at 7 am.

I note that the FDA in the US has just in the last 24-48 hours provided Pfizer with final, formal approval. I suspect some of the vaccine hesitancy is caused by the Emergency Use Authorisation which has enabled it to be used up until now. According to my US contacts (who I should point out are not in the medical field) there is a view there that many in America believe the Pfizer that has received its final approval is a different product to the one in use until now. That is, they believe it must be an updated and therefore better and/or safer vaccine. All simply due to a misunderstanding of the approval process. I wouldn't be surprised if that's one of the reasons for hesitancy here, too.

Food for thought. And data from a proper source, too.

I watched the last half again last night. I was astounded at how much Neal-Bullen contributed. His hard running had him gathering possessions, tackling bodies and blocking space all over the ground. In addition, the possessions he did get were well directed to players in good positions. It's amazing what can be seen on a second viewing.

This is really interesting. It shows that not only are we doing well now, but we have also set ourselves up for sustained success. If I were a Geelong, Richmond, Hawthorn or West Coast supporter, I could live with these numbers because it's a consequence of having been successful. On the other hand, it suggests more pain is in store for supporters of Carlton, Collingwood and St Kilda.