La Dee-vina Comedia

Unfortunately, it seems most if not all coaches seem to susbcribe to the idea that stopping the other side from kicking goals is number 1. I wish you were right. Football would be in a much better state if you were. It is interesting to note that in soccer, your goal (meaning where the team scores, not the team's aim) is the one you defend; in AFL, your goal is the one you attack. It would be a shame if AFL ever changed so a team's "goal" becomes the defensive one.

Hawthorn and Essendon have been tipped to head to the Gold Coast, though it’s unclear whether they will go to Sydney first - a 14-day quarantine period would be required if they head straight to Queensland. Melbourne, St Kilda and North Melbourne have all been linked to New South Wales, with several areas including Manly, Coogee and Wollongong named as potential hub locations, though Olympic Park is a strong option. That leaves just Carlton and Richmond with their new homes unclear. That means our catch-up game vs Ess won't happen for at least a month. I wonder whether the 14 day quarantine starts when a team arrives in Queensland or leaves Victoria. If it's the latter, Essendon could go to Sydney first to play us and then play in Queensland the following week.

Goodwin's biggest problem was letting Jack Watts go thereby allowing the status of whipping boy to be transferred to himself.

"By the powers vested in me by no-one in particular, I hereby announce that Willmoy is not allowed to enjoy, celebrate or otherwise have any warm inner glow should the Melbourne Football Club win the 2020 Premiership." Same goes for all the others saying this season should be dumped or doesn't count for anything. In fact, someone should put together a list of all those who have said so. Might make for an interesting read later in the year. Mind you, I don't expect us to win the flag this year, but whoever does absolutely will have earned it.

I've always thought Rattan was a good coach. He had already done well at Carlton before he was ignominiously dismissed , and then had the advantage of honing his skills under Clarkson. St Kilda has made a judicious choice.

If I understand the process correctly, we only need one more mircale and we'll turn into the Saints.

Should there be a bye round, I wonder whether Melbourne might play Essendon in that week? If so, I presume that game would be played in one of the interstate hubs.

Hate to argue with you Demonland, but he is wrong. For someone who's job is to read the news, I'm surprised he hasn't picked up on the point that the players and officials he's talking about are subject to stricter contact controls and mandatory testing twice a week. That's what makes them "special".

At full forward, of course. (For those who remember the Hawthorn graffiti in the 1970s).

Of course they would. But I doubt Bartlett would have said anything about onfield performance other than bland comments that would have added nothing. Hence, Whately's approach of asking him questions to which Bartlett could give interesting answers.

More likely, Whately realised that any questions about onfield performance would have been played with a mundane, straight bat which would have added nothing to the conversation. Far better to ask questions on topics that would at least have a chance of getting interesting answers.

OK, fair enough. I have a different view in that I can see how alcohol and gambling can be enjoyable and harmless, although I accept not for everybody, whereas I believe the bad far outweighs the good with respect to firearms and tobacco (apart from a few exceptions such as firearms used by law enforcement, farmers, military). And just for the record, I don't drink much, I don't gamble and just in case my wife reads this, I don't use brothels, either.

Haven't heard that expression before. I rather like it. I wouldn't mind the double of a Covid vaccine and a flag in 2020. What a topsy-turvy year that would be!

Usually I find we are on similar wavelengths on many topics, but today I'm not sure I understand the point you are making. But I'll leave it there as I don't think the rest of Demonland needs this conversation extended.

Yep. Unlike many on here, I wouldn't have objected to betting, either. Very comfortable with that position as well as being strongly against any firearms and tobacco sponsorship. The difference is that firearms and tobacco lead more directly to illness/injury and death. Alcohol and betting sometimes do, but most times do not. I also wouldn't be in favour of sponsorship by a legal brothel, either (or, obviously, any illegal ones.) That position is more about what image the club projects, rather than any moral objection I have to prostitution.

Do you think you would still feel that way if we won this year's flag?. It's easy now to say that us winning won't happen. (It's been easy almost every year since 1964 to say that it won't happen.) But if you really mean it, you have to say now that you would feel that way even of we win the flag. My view is the opposite. I think this year's flag will be the one that will be the hardest to win, whoever wins it. They (or we) will have overcome the most disrupted schedule with the most complicated set of training and living rules, at least since the end of World War II. It will be a victory worth savouring.

Quite right. Because he was already in quarantine, the suspension wasn't "visible".

I think the club has stated that it won't take sports betting (or any betting) sponsorship from hereon. I think they might get a payment from the Responsible Gambling Foundation as part of that decision. And I'm very happy for the club not to have any firearms or tobacco sponsorship.

Didn't know anything about this brand but Google tells me they're from the Adelaide Hills. It's quite impressive to grab a sponsor from under the noses of the two Adelaide-based clubs. Well done.

Did McKenna actually do anything wrong? I thought I read that he was cleared of any breaches of the AFL Covid protocols. If I'm mistaken, then of course Robinson should equally be critical of McKenna.

Good news that we're not in as much financial trouble as we might have been. At the same time, though, we should spare a thought for the staff who have lost their jobs during the process. When the President says the club has "taken costs out", cut I expect most of that will be jobs. The club has done the right thing, but we need to remember the human costs involved, too.

Interesting viewpoint. I'm not sure, though, whether I would class playing footy as a "privilege". I see it as being no different to any other career opportunity that someone might be good at.

9 to go? We've played 3 of 17 (more if we make finals), although I accept that the season may yet be shortened.

Things are getting really tough now. We're told scores weren't kept and Geelong still won the game. Presumably on the basis of a coin toss or rock, paper scissors.

Would visiting clubs, such as two Victorian clubs, be able to play each other halfway through the 14 day quarantine period? I appreciate that for the average visitor, quarantine might mean complete isolation, but i could see that it might be different under the protocols the AFL would be putting in place with the health officials in those places.