La Dee-vina Comedia

I'm struggling to see how Rivers and Brown get votes ahead of Gawn. Or a few others. Still, if that's how you saw it, so be it.

I'll predict the Tribunal will suspend him for two weeks which will be appealed. On appeal, it will be downgraded somehow and he'll be fined a large sum, maybe $20,000, which will be donated to a community cause, with a suspended sentence of three weeks should he transgress in this particular way again.

Equally, we're not yet gawn. (Sorry)

I think a Royal Commission is required to get to the bottom of this.

Did your calculator explain why the numbers don't add up to zero? (Not that it makes much difference, but the home and away figures add up to -2.)

You made me go back and look at TU's post. I think it is a double negative, but it's not clear cut. If it had been said positively, it would have said "There is no-one on the list" rather than "I doubt there is anyone on the list..." I like a good argument about semantics. And as to the issue, I agree with TU's point. Anyone else would have been criticised if their opponent had kicked 5 on them.

I think Toby will be playing, but I don't think he should. (But I also don't think GWS will win next week, whether he plays or not).

I couldn't find a spot for Langdon... 6. Oliver 5. Gawn 4. Petracca 3. Lever 2. Neal-Bullen 1. Brayshaw Apologies to Viney, May and Langdon.

Seems to have recognised his limitations and keeps his kicks reasonably short (eg, 30-40 metres) so that they more regularly hit targets. Thought he was one of our best last night.

I believe Daisy, Leppitsch, Bartel and J Watson are the best at the special comments role. They all have one thing in common - recently out of the game (or still playing, in Daisy's case) as either player or coach. And it shows in the commentary which is more about strategy than the efforts of individual players (which is the "go to" of the commentators longer out of the game, such as Wayne Carey and Matthew Richardson).

I think Hibberd is the least likely to be the medi-sub because he lacks versatility. If a defender is injured and needs to be replaced, Brayshaw can go back (if it's one of the smaller defenders) or McDonald if it's a tall. Structurally, they can be more readily replaced by Jordan, Jones or Melksham. In other words, those three provide more options than does Hibberd as the medi-sub. The more surprising non-selection as an emergency is Weideman. Not because he should be the medi-sub, but because the idea of four emergencies is to cover all positions for a late change and there is no true tall player as an emergency. I guess if any of our talls need to be replaced before the game, Melksham will come in.

So, if it was a real team instead of one with midfielders masquerading as wingmen and forwards, who would go out and who would come in from the 40 man squad? Assume for a moment that all the true defenders selected (ie, Lever, May, Allir, Stewart, Rich etc) and forwards (Hawkins, McKay, Greene, etc) remain in the team. Would Petracca miss? Would Salem get in? Fritsch?

Not quite fair. Half the Board is leaving, too. That includes Mark LoGiudice and Jeanne Pratt who have each been there over a decade and therefore overseen the appointment of at least 5 unsuccessful coaches.

Not sure what you meant here. North Melbourne? Making predictions about that club's relocation to Tassie or its demise once a new Tasmanian team joins the competition?

Not one of ours, but I have just been advised that the last time Essendon won a final without Sheedy as coach was in the Preliminary Final of 1968 when Jack Clarke was coach. Just makes me feel better writing that down.

I knew when I made that comment that I was being foolish for the exact reason you identified. You are quite right to have picked me up on it. I've allowed myself to be captured by my own confirmation bias! Now that I've admitted my error, I guess I won't be able to get a job with the AFL.

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.