La Dee-vina Comedia

Really? I don't think anyone cares two hoots.

It's a bit more generous than I was expecting, but I have no problem with the AFL giving the Gold Coast a hand. What does surprise me is that all of the additional picks appear to be unencumbered. I was expecting the AFL to require at least one of the picks to be traded. That would have given the Gold Coast one or more mature players rather than another 18 year old. Of course, Gold Coast can still trade these additional picks on their own volition.

As are his ears.

Sacked? Are you sure? Just because Viney, Misson, Jennings and others have left the club it doesn't mean they were "sacked". Would they have been sacked if they didn't leave voluntarily? Who knows? But let's keep to the facts.

With all due respect, I think the order has to be the other way around. Get the off field right and then on field success will follow.

What's the tune here? It certainly looks like it's been written in the form of song lyrics.

I wonder if he was born in Australia? There's all sorts of legal protections over the use of the word 'Anzac'. I would have thought registering the name of a child as 'Anzac' wouldn't be allowed in this country.

There's an excellent article from Chip Le Grand in today's Age which explains why expansion into western Sydney has been so important to the AFL, and, by extension, the poorer clubs such as ours. A second team in Queensland won't provide the same benefits (even if it were ever to be successful) but the principle is the same. In short, the AFL would eventually wither away if it didn't pursue a north-of-the-Murray strategy. The consistent failure of the MFC to be successful is unrelated to national expansion. We were dreadful from 1965 to 1986 when it was still a 12 team competition and all because of poor back-of-house administration. If we want to succeed, we have to stop blaming the AFL Commission, Gillon McLachlan, the umpires, the media, the poker machines and betting companies, and recognise that success comes from within.

I'm unclear what this comment is doing in a thread about Jack Trengove being delisted at Port Adelaide. Seems a bit off topic.

The biggest surprise in this story is that AFL Trade radio is apprently up and running already. Must be organised by the same people who bring you hot cross buns in January.

I'm not sure if we're agreeing or arguing! I agree that Jones should not be captain and that he is lucky not have been dropped during the season just passed. When I said that his season was OK because he wasn't dropped, that wasn't intended to be a ringing endorsement, just a statement that if he had actually been any poorer, he would have been playing in the VFL side. However, as I've said many times on Demonland, the team's capatin doesn't have to be its best player. It has to be someone who is guaranteed to be in the team's best 22 when everyone is available but more importantly has to show leadership on and off the field. (In my opinion, showing leadership on field was not that important until they changed the rule about runners being on the ground). Off field leadership includes stuff we see - such as media interviews - as well as things we would have no idea about (setting training standards, meeting/greeting sponsors, setting professional standards, working with the younger players, etc). As Jones in 2020 could not possibly be guaranteed a spot in the best 22 and as neither Jones or Viney are good media performers, I don't think either should be captain. Getting back to the point of this thread, how a player goes in the Brownlow is no indicator of whether they should be captain or not. Low vote numbers mean just as much as high vote numbers (does anyone believe Dustin Martin would be a good captain?)

Oh dear.

He wasn't dropped to the reserves. You may believe he should have been (and at times I did, too) but he kept his position in the side.

As a matter of interest, have you changed since you were 18? Are you taller, heavier, more (or less) dedicated to your studies or job? There are lots of reasons why drafted kids develop differently, and that's before taking into consideration the skill each club has in developing players.

Jones had an OK year - not great and not particularly bad. But he didn't spend much of it in the midfield. He spent most of the season on the wing or the half back flank with occasional stints forward. Whether Jones and Viney should be captains is a good question, but their polling in the Brownlow is probably the least worthy metric by which to assess their suitability for the job.

In 2013 I pined for mediocrity.

It might be seen as a yawnfest to some, but it is still consistently one of the highest rating TV programs of the year. I note the AFL or Channel 7 (or both) have said they are making some changes to it this year to stop it dragging on so long. It will be interesting to see what they are. (Mind you, I won't be watching as I'll be working. But in interests of full disclosure, if I wasn't working I would be watching. I can't explain why, but I always find it strangely compelling.) My prediction? Patrick Cripps. And most votes for a Melbourne player: Max Gawn

Hence, she still gets one more than most.

Perhaps we asked to be relieved of the Darwin game? I'm surprised how many people in this thread are finding negatives about the loss of the Darwin game given that there seems to be uniform and unequivocal detestation for it each year when we play there.

Looking at that right forearm, I fully expect to hear he's gone to Hollywood to play Popeye.

Actually, Dec can go one better. He can talk about his first game and talk about his last game (but not mention there were none in between).

About his foot never being 100% again, is that a published fact or your opinion? (Genuine question). He used his right foot more this year than previously, so it woould seem he is conscious of the problem of being a one-sided player, but I agree he certainly needs to improve that part of his game.

I'm not sure I agree with you. Judd was a superstar player but I'm not convinced he was a particularly good leader. That's not intended to be a criticism of Judd as a person. Some people are leaders, and some just aren't. And that's OK.

Is it, though? Are we expected to automatically assume that because a former assistant coach made the statement it must be true? He might be wrong. After all, if that was the problem, and the coaches were aware of it, why wasn't it fixed?

I'm not in favour of a Wild Card weekend. It just allows weaker teams an opportunity to make finals to be beaten up by stronger teams. A team that is 10th on the ladder after 23 rounds is in the bottom half of the ladder and shouldn't be eleigible to play finals under any arrangement. I accept a wild card round might keep some momentum going, but I'd rather go straight to finals instead. (By the way, what happened to 9th?)