La Dee-vina Comedia

I agree about the saturation issue. I'm no fan of Thursday night football (unless it's a special occasion, such as the night before Good Friday or ANZAC Eve) as it has the effect of diluting the weekend. I'm also not psychologically ready for it. It's the same with cricket. Why we're playing international cricket in Australia in November makes no sense to me. Clearly the Australian public isn't ready for that, either.

I have an alternate view. Instead of being satisfied if he "can take a few games by the scruff of the neck" my preference is for him to become a consistent, solid option. Someone who gets picked every week, takes contested marks and kicks goals regularly without necessarily dominating individual games.

Nup. He was just a kid being influenced by his Manager and his Dad. Let it go.

Personally, I think booing should be reserved for umpires and anyone associated with Collingwood.

While I like your nostalgia, you do realise there is nothing stopping you from sitting at half-time with your thermos and fruit cake and discussing the progress of the game with your family, friends or bloke sitting next to you? And I'll defend the game and the spectacle as it is today. Apart from anything else, getting to watch it played on grass instead of mud and while sitting undercover instead of standing in the rain help make the experience better. Players are fitter, stronger and on average, better skilled. It's the non-football activities which are spoiling the experience. For example, I'd much rather watch a Reserves match than a couple of mascots doing handstands.

Which reminds me of Michael Voss's famous sledge when he tried to put his brother Brett off when having a shot for goal: "My Dad slept with your Mum last night". (Although I don't think he used the words "slept with").

While I can see the resemblance between Nick Reiwoldt and the animal (an alpaca?) I can also see where Sam McClure got the inspiration for his hairstyle. (Sam, if you're reading this, it's time you grew up and got a proper adult's haircut).

I would suggest that the synergy of linking Hames with Harmes should be a marketing opportunity made in heaven. Would it be appropriate to ask contestants at the quarter time break to do something with their r's?

This is an important part of the investment equation which some seem to not understand. While we had good value from Hogan as a player we also extracted value from him as a trade. There's no way we would have got May and Kolodjashnij without having had Hogan to trade. I know it's commoditizing players to describe them this way, but Hogan was a valuable asset both as a player and as trade currency. In other words, his value to the club extends beyond the years he played with us.

I'm not having a got at you my dear Watson, but saying we lost 47 goals assumes that if Hogan hadn't played in those games where he kicked those 47 goals, his replacement would not have kicked any either. That's highly unlikely. It's not possible to know what that number might have been, but it's certainly not going to be as high as 47.

Is someone trying to equate him with the Eureka Tower? The red stripe on the side of his top = the red bit on the building (supposedly a candle wick, apparently), the rest of the blue on the jumper equates to the majority of the glass and the yellow glass at the top of the building equals his noggin.

What are you talking about? You've got a whole Wikipedia entry!

Wouldn't it just be easier to put the toy puppy teddy down with a toy injection?

Surprised he came to Melbourne, then. He's taking a huge risk.

Not only are we now a tough side, but we seem to be more disciplined. I noticed on Brownlow Night that we had no-one ineligible through suspension. I may be wrong, but I think no other team had zero ineligible players.

I like this line in the MFC release just emailed to me: "The addition of Kolodjashnij will enhance Melbourne’s transition play from the backline, while defender May is one the biggest names switching clubs this off-season." I haven't checked, but I suspect Kolodjashnij will have been the biggest name, while May will likely have been the shortest.

The big effect of playing two true ruckman is not just that one of them might play forward but that our two genuine KPFs won't be spending time as bit-part ruckmen. That means McDonald and Weideman will be in the forward line together for much longer periods not just because they won't be up the ground rucking but because they won't need to spend as much time off the ground to give them the energy needed to run all around the ground as the second ruckman.

I think that's overstating Kent's historical performance. Yes, he kicked an average of 1 goal a game (63 games for 63 goals) but that works out at approx 10 goals per year over his 6 years with us.

How many people at age 23 think the same way as when they were 17? I just wonder whether Hogan has lost the degree of interest in football that he had when we first recruited him. There's no shame in that. I'm pretty sure when I was 23 I would be embarrassed to still love doing the things I loved doing when I was 17. Moving clubs and States may well be what he needs to re-generate enthusiasm for the game. (And if he becomes a dominant player in the competition in 2019 I'll console myself with the thought that it would not have happened if he'd stayed with us.)

Don't cry for me, Jesse Hogan The truth is, I never left you All through my wild days, my Neeld existence I kept my promise Now keep your distance

As an aside, and placed in this thread because it's the most problematic...I haven't had a day at work as unproductive as this one since the day Paul Roos was announced as coach. Damn you Demonland!

Although it was done much earlier in the Trade period, it always seemed to me that Preuss coming in was a sign that the club knew that Hogan would be leaving. It now makes sense that Preuss and Gawn can play in the same side with McDonald and Weideman.

Wow. You got through the five stages of grief in record time!

Striking visuals. Unbefitting of Demonland.