La Dee-vina Comedia

If Tom McDonald plays it makes a mockery of the medi-sub rule (although not for the first time this year). Nevertheless, if he's fit, he should play. I thought Viney and Harmes were our worst two on the ground - even though both were in the Herald Sun's "best players" - but would persist with them. Both just need to be told to take the first option and stop assuming they can break every tackle. So, unless there are injuries, no change. (Weideman for T Mac is the obvious replacement if that change is required).

Presumably Mitchell's pay rise was already factored in to the 2022 figure before Clarkson decided to exit/was shown the door. I would be very surprised if Mitchell is getting any extra dollars above what he was expecting to get in 2022 just because of the change today.

I suspect your understanding of the soft cap is correct. However, paying Clarkson out presumably is no more than the payment he would have been entitled to in 2022. As such, it doesn't affect their soft cap as the 2022 number is the same. The only difference is that the Clarkson dollars are counted in 2022 on an absent voice. Where Hawthorn benefits is from 2023 where Clarkson's salary - which is presumably one of the highest for coaches in the competition - disappears from the soft cap allowing (one would assume) Hawthorn to employ perhaps three or more assistants in lieu of Clarkson.

I wondered about this. It's not as young as it might first seem. Clarkson was 37 when he started; Hardwick was 38. Going back a bit further, Sheedy was 34, Matthews 34 and Barassi (as playing coach) was 29. Edit: Clarkson is now only 53. Clearly young enough to take on another senior coaching job if he wants.

Channel 7's commentary would likely have been: if we had cleared the ball, "Look how much pressure the Dees brought to the defensive side of the contest" if the Bulldogs had scored, "Look how much room the Dees gave the Bulldog players"

Couldn't it be the other way around? That is, that McEvoy was supporting Clarkson? Mind you, as Captain, his job would be to tell the club exactly the impact - positive or negative - of any situation.

Proves he's ready to be a senior coach.

I assume the blue dots are disposals? And the red/orange/yelllow is time spent in that part of the ground? As a matter of interest, is this data for the whole game or part of it?

Apart from any medical reason, it's a good marketing strategy. If people fear they may miss out on something that's important to them it might make them get vaccinated.

Did he? Every week Spargo, Pickett and Neal-Bullen (plus the wings) assist in the backline. Are you sure Spargo was actually moved into defence? If so, I didn't see it, although it is always hard to identify specific positions players are in when watching on TV.

It would be peak Carlton for them to sack Teague now, replace him with Clarkson and then discover that the new coach and the rest of the football department are unable to work together resulting in the football team once again going backwards.

Where are you getting the "6 hours" from? Assuming the flight is to the Gold Coast, it's a 2 hour flight plus 30 minute bus ride at the Gold Coast end. That's 3+ hours at the Melbourne end. Are the players getting together at the Melbourne end first?

Um. What?

Is 'ironic' the appropriate word to use here when noting that a comment that Cunnington has 'lost a nut' is liked by someone going under the name of 'Rodney "Balls" Grinter'? (Good luck to Ben, by the way.) Of all those teams, I'm backing Melbourne for the upset. I think this week we'll surprise everyone by finally overcoming a bottom half-of-the ladder team.

And in a related point, if certain age groups have been locked out of the process until it's too late to be fully vaccinated before the Grand Final. Round 1, 2022 is a different matter. I'd be all for it then.

I wonder whether Nasher can add some Prozac to the Demonland software servers? I'm just about ready to slash my wrists, not because of the MFC situation, but because there are so many "woe-are-us" posters on this site spreading misery like it's a delta strain!

Are you sure it's not one of your diabolical mid-week conundrums?

I have no idea if McGuire is correct, but given he works with Fox and the broadcasters need to be consulted about the scheduling of all games, I can see how he might have been leaked this information. If this game is going ahead, I assume it's Darwin instead of the Alice because that's what our sponsor, the NT Government wants. Whether it should be in the NT at all is a separate question. I'm not sure why there's so much anguish. Surely Adelaide is less incentivised than us to try hard wherever the game is being played.

I seem to recall many of the players claiming to have enjoyed "hub-life" last year as it gave them a chance to bond better. A two week stint in northern Australia and Perth while all living and working together may help re-bond them at a time when we are looking a little shaky. The bit in italics above is pure speculation. But it is no different from speculating that two weeks away from home or various long distance trips is going to be detrimental. Or, to pit it in simple Neeld-speak, it is what it is.

I've just put TBC into Google maps and it's come up with the Templestowe Baptist Church. I would have thought Demons and the Baptist Church might not lead to the best possible outcome.

It bugs me that Melbourne supporters anguish so much over interstate travel. The non-Victorian teams all do far more than we do every year (apart from Covid-affected seasons). I'm pleased to see the club doesn't complain and just gets on with it.

Wait. 19 degrees in Melbourne this Saturday? Surely not.

Not sure you can say Hardtack necessarily shares this view. What he is doing is sharing his age by referencing this Monty Python gem.

Is Bowey a confirmed 'in' or are we just relying on the prognostications of Jay Clark? That's not to say Clark is wrong, but before getting too excited I'd like confirmation first. I think it's a good idea to get some games into the "next best" after the starting 22. We may need them in September and I would rather have them with some experience of the senior team game rather than coming in cold.

Post of the year. Not so much for its content (as entertaining as it is) but for the dedication you showed in attending in the first place. Edit: For those not in Melbourne, Picket's description of the weather today is accurate. I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd bumped into Macbeth and some witches while he was there.