La Dee-vina Comedia

Media coverage seems to suggest the proposed new Board is underwhelming. Would have thought that would align perfectly with the playing list and coaching staff thereby finally giving Richmond members the unity and synergy they pray for.

True story - twice

The inference to be made, therefore, is that Prestia is an incomplete one.

Though didn't Goddard join Essendon before that club's particular problems were known? Prestia, on the other hand, would be joining Richmond with the full knowledge that the club is a basket case.

It's interesting how my tastes in football have changed. I used to think the best part of the footy season was the trade and draft periods. But now we've improved, I think the best period is anything involving Richmond's pain.

Technically, I think the fourth dot point should say, "Damien Hardwick has our unanimous support but we would not be serving our members if we didn't immediately commence a search for the best available coach should Damien wish to move on"

Presumably the stars will align and he'll end up at Essendon sponsored by Antler.

But you seem to forget that at picks 112, 129, 146, 163 and possibly even 95, we'll get who we want because there'll be no other clubs bidding at that time. Just think, we can make our selection at 146 without being nervous about who we might miss out on at 145. (Insert appropriate emoticon here).

I've said it previously, but I don't see Wagner being promoted to the main list as a certainty. He deserves to be but the recruiting and list managing system we work under encourages the club to keep him as a rookie who is immediately promoted at Round 1. That gives us more flexibility at the draft. I don't like it, but we have to use the system to our best advantage.

I'm not sure what you mean here. Dangerfield isn't the captain of Geelong. Ironically, it's Selwood.

There are examples both ways. I expect there have been plenty of players who have delivered for their second or third club. Gary Ablett (both of them), Paul Salmon (both times), Justin Madden, Roger Merrett, Chris Judd, Darren Jolley and David Cloke come to mind as players who had exceptional careers after they moved. In addition, there have been plenty of players who have contributed to their second or third clubs, even if they may not be considered to have reached "star" status. For example, we've done very well with players such as Anthony Ingerson, Jeff White and Dom Tyson. Sure, some trades are a bust, but I don't think it's correct that the failures occur more often than the successes.

Had to check...but yes, we did. Joe Pearce who made his debut in 1904. With some sad irony, given pineapple dee's reference to giving Pearce a chance, Joe died at Gallipoli in 1915. (With thanks to Demonwiki.)

Wish I'd thought of that line first. I'm such a jealous guy.

Petraccattack, you could have been awarded second best post of the day if you'd just written "Starr" instead of king. Of course, if you'd managed somehow to phrase it as Star Key forward, you might have even dislodged Biffen.

Mind you, I was depressed when I read in that same article, "Retiring coach Paul Roos said he was still confident he could return as a rebounding force for Melbourne." I was depressed because I suspect Roos might struggle to get a kick with the Goodwin gameplan.

If we're to have a home game at Etihad (and I wish we didn't) wouldn't we be better off for commercial reasons having it against a Victorian team? I don't accept that from a playing point of view we should wish to avoid any particular ground. If we're good enough, the ground we play at shouldn't matter.

All subjective assessments have their problems. The nomination process provides an unnecessary limitation on the decision makers which exacerbates the problem. The same problems occur with the All Australian squad, the coach of the year*, Norm Smith Medal, etc. They're all subjective. But at least in these last three everyone in the category is eligible. *This will probably send SWYL and Beelzebub off their respective nuts but the Coach of the year should be (but for political reasons probably won't be) John Worsfold. What he's done to keep those players sane and to win three games is more than anything any of the other 17 coaches have done.

Ergo, Richmond is a serious joke. I'm so glad I'm not a Richmond supporter (for so many reasons). Right now I'd be despairing for my club and wondering why the Board members haven't had the guts to resign.

Getting a law degree doesn't guarantee a job as a lawyer, though. I suspect, however, that given his connections via football, he should find an offer somewhere.

If nothing else, I hope Jayden's non-nomination changes the Rising Star voting process so that any player eligible to win the annual award can do so whether they win a weekly nomination or not. It would be rather like someone winning the Brownlow without ever scoring a three point game. Possible, but unlikely. But because it's possible the Rising Star award, like the Brownlow, should cater for it.

Following on from discussion on the Rising Star thread, how is the Harold Ball Trophy awarded? Is it for the first year player with the most votes in the B&F or is it an adjudicated award based on whatever the judges of that award may consider relevant?

Might have been a tactic to avoid the media. If so, poorly thought through. All that will happen is that the media will congregate at his house rather than his now former place of work.

Not sure a 69 year old (69 next month) who hasn't coached for nearly a decade and whose last appointment as coach was a failure would be my choice.

Yes, you'd like to think that before any Board decided to sack a coach that they had had a look at the market of potentially available coaches to see who out there might be better than the incumbent.

Brisbane's Board and management wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't at least make a call to Roos or his manager to see whether he has any interest. I would expect him to say 'no', though.