La Dee-vina Comedia

Please complete: A priest, a rabbi, a sheik and some Buddhist monks walk into a bar...

I don't mean this flippantly, but traditionally strongly supported by Irish catholic families in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Hence, lots of children leading to a large population to draw from. Similar for Collingwood, too.

I always like Joeboy's analysis, even if I don't always agree. I particularly like his segue from Spargo to Garlett. I'll defend ANB. He set up many goals with some surprisingly precise kicks. I thought it was one of his better games. And a three word analysis of the coaches' box: Slow to react

Never like things being "pencilled in". I much prefer something like ink that can't be erased and changed.

If I can be indulged with a fourth: The team will have an extensive review of what went wrong in the last few minutes and learn from it. The same thing happened to Richmond early in 2017 and they went alright after that.

1. The AFL will now realise the folly of the nomination rule for ruckman and abolish it...possibly even before the end of this year. 2. The AFL will now realise the folly of the way the protected zone rule is enforced and abolish it WHEN THE OFFENDING PLAYER IS BEHIND THE PLAYER WITH THE BALL AND MOVING OUT OF THE ZONE 3. AFL will now realise the folly of making untried and unnecessary changes to the rules and will not proceed with zones next year. OK, so 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

If we retain water carriers and ban runners, the water carriers will become defacto runners. I'd like to ban the water carriers, too, but I suspect that could end up endangering players' health. Although, perhaps the players could run to the boundary for a drink each time there's a break instead of the water carriers running on to the ground.

Oh, OK. I didn't realise. (I've just looked at the MFC announcement yesterday of the team which says Hannan has a jarred knee.)

Hannan? He's not on the list. I thought he was omitted. Or do you mean Hunt?

Nicely said.

This post annoys me. I can't work out what the censored word is. (The rest of the post is fine and makes perfect sense).

Nearly had a heart attack! Please write "maximum" when that's what you mean. I thought for a moment that "max" meant Gawn and for some reason he was lining up in the VFL. I know it's a completely illogical thought, but reading social media can have that effect.

There's nothing in this thread or the SEN story that confirms that Sam McClure's statement is correct. It may well be, but does McClure have a good track record with these sort of statements?

Agree. Reasons why Jones might have had a poor game: illness received a knock early in the game which affected his capabilities carrying an injury slow to recuperate from Darwin game young children at home kept him awake all the night before non-football related personal problem that distracted him was playing a specific role on coach's orders which was new to him was due for one poor game after about 200 in a row with no-one concerned about his performance. Could be any, all or none of the above. Let's wait until he has more than one bad game in a row before we start questioning his future.

Not sure I can agree with this statement. Even with Max dominating the hitouts, the Bulldogs still had 39 clearances to our 30 for the game.

I should add that SOS deserves high credit for agreeing to participate at all, given where his club is at.

While I agree with your assessment, Carlton supporters appear to think SOS won the battle. And it was a battle.

I admire anyone who is prepared to watch that first half once more, let alone twice.

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - President John Adams (although said in a court case before he became President).

"...it was England that transitioned soccer, or what the British and many other people around the world call “football,” into the game we know today. The English are credited with recording the first uniform rules for the sport, including forbidding tripping opponents and touching the ball with hands." I like that the British have been the leaders and creators of so many sports and sporting competitions - soccer, cricket, rugby, golf, tennis - but are so abysmal at all of them.

Is that what you saw or what you want? (Could be both, I suppose).

Fritsch spent most if not all of the last quarter on the half back line and played very well there. That might be a hint that Vince is in trouble and that the match committee believe they've got a replacement for Fritsch on the wing. Of course, as someone mentioned earlier, that might just have been to cover Jetta who I hadn't realised spent a lot of time on the bench in the last quarter. Anyway, I think Vince and Hannan would be the only two players who might be replaced although I wouldn't be at all surprised if there is no change.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good theory.

I thought it was the other way round. In the book "Tom Brown's School Days", the eponymous character goes to Rugby School which, the legend states, is where a game of football (soccer) was being played when one of the players decided to pick up the ball and run with it, therein inventing the game known as rugby, obviously named after the school in which it was first played. There's an American sports historian whose name escapes me who once said (and he may have been quoting someone else), "Soccer is a gentleman's game, played by gentlemen; Rugby Union is a thugs' game played by gentlemen; while Rugby League is a thugs' game played by thugs." Not sure what he would make of our game.

Them's fightin' words! But we'll (hopefully) have to agree to disagree.