La Dee-vina Comedia

Wrong. You're a Melbourne supporter which clearly shows you're smart.

Blind-spot? Didn't Oliver get a number of off-the-ball free kicks against the Giants?

I've watched St Kilda in two games - against us and against Essendon. In both games the Saints persisted with short kick-ins (ie, 15-20 metres, usually to the pocket) as teams used to do regularly before this rule change. It seems that they haven't modified this part of their gameplan to suit the new rules. Conversely, we appear to have done so. It helps that Steven May is such a good kick. We appear to have been lucky with two recent rule changes which have matched with our recruiting: Steven May to full back with the aforesaid change to kick-ins; and Ben Brown just when the rules have made it easier for key position forwards.

What the hell was dermie rabbiting on about with everything? I always find Dermott's comments to be a really good example of highly articulate sophistry ultimately tending towards meaninglessness.

Like Mark Lee's arms. (According to the one and only Jack Dyer.)

Thank goodness. Your suggestion that he had embargoed some stories made me wonder what else he knew about St Kilda which was so much worse than the Rod Owen story that it shouldn't be told. What I found surprising in the story was that Melbourne was considered to be so much more professional than St Kilda and therefore a better environment for Owen. I'm pleased, but still surprised.

But is that his mistake or the fault of the player who kicked it?

If the remaining 5 players are all mentioned in the Changes for Next Week Thread, we've reached maximum harmony on Demonland.

Whatever else is in the contract, I hope we get better control over his hairstyle.

Don't tell WADA.

I'm quite comfortable with Brayshaw on the wing. I thought he was good in that role against the Giants, especially in the first and last quarters. But if (and it's a big if, in my view) Melksham comes in, does Brayshaw take Sparrow's role, whatever it is, and Melksham go to the wing?

I admit that's better than I had expected it woud be. If I'd been asked to guess, I would have thought it would have been something like 36/50. I must be reading too much Demonland where the losses get magnified!

I know this is a thread about Tom Sparrow (or Tom Barrow according to the Herald Sun) but in response to the criticism of the umpires in this thread, I'd just like to say that I thought the standard of umpiring was pretty good. In fact, and not just in our games (where umpiring always seems better when you win), but across the board I think umpiring has been better this year. Perhaps it's the generally free flowing games. Maybe less congestion removes the umpires from being so noticeable.

Killjoy

6. Gawn 5. Langdon 4. Hunt 3. Lever 2. Pickett 1. Petracca Unlucky: May, Salem, Brayshaw

I'm not a fan of having two of ours tackling one of theirs. It means the opposition has a spare player somewhere, usually nearby, and if the ball does get released, that spare player may be off to the races before we know it.

Is "Brukie" otherwise known as Peter Brukner, former MFC club doctor (amongst other things)?

You have a job? Surely this is an April Fools Day joke?

Pen, paper and a postage stamp. Address it to Mr S Goodwin at the MFC.

Weird. Why does Stephen Dank's bonce appear in this photo? He doesn't appear in the original post (at least, not for me).

If only it were true...

I think it's disrespectful not to appreciate the effort that the paper went to to translate the English language into the Sydney language.

Good perspective.

When I read the thread title, I assumed it was a temporary shutdown for some technical reason. I was cursing Andy for not including the word "temporary" in the title until I opened the thread, read it, skipped a heartbeat and then thankfully realised the date. While I'm here, it's never too often to thank Andy, WJ, Nasher, the mods and anyone else who keeps this site going for, well, keeping this site going.

Maybe it all depends on the Mystery Injury of the Week. Although if there are no injuries, I would still contemplate switching Jetta for Hibberd, but only if Hibberd is truly fit. Otherwise, I can't see the need for any further changes.