La Dee-vina Comedia

6. Watts 5. Tyson 4. Gawn 3. Jetta 2. O McDonald 1. Stretch Vandenberg misses out because he only played 2.5 quarters. Hopefully he'll carry on from there now his touch is back.

I don't understand your first line. If you mean we've lost our last five games, that's not right. We won against Freo three weeks ago. If you mean we've lost our last five against the Gold Coast, that's also not correct as we won earlier in the year. So, what did you mean?

In that case, your point is valid and I withdraw.

Irrespective of his quality, it would seem unlikely. According to Caro in today's Age, but there may not be any rookies in future

In the time since he played his first senior game, has he ever been left out of the side apart from injury?

I don't think these stats are at all fair. Assuming they are career stats (for the time both Dawes and Pedersen have been at Melbourne) it includes games played under a more defensive gameplan under Roos as well as games when Neeld was coach. Of course the average scores were going to be lower then. The fact that Dawes and Pedersen happened to play in many of those games was probably not the major reason the total scores were lower.

Unless you're American, in which case it's reversed. Of course, you could practise your spelling as much as you want, but try spelling under real match day pressure...

What's better? To be a qualified idiot or an unqualified one?

There's nothing wrong with Thompson's logic flow (although it may be factually incorrect). It's conceivable that if the banned substance was used it might only have been used on 12-14 players because of the timing of the injections, the type of injections each individual player was getting or from knowledge gained from results found in blood work. Mind you, if his statement is factually correct, was that point argued in front of the Tribunal or CAS? If not, why not?

My favourite goal is the one that puts us more goals up than there are minutes left in the game.

Viscount, I'm not sure what you're reacting to, but I don't believe I said anything about cutting any contracted player. My comment solely was that an older player with the lingering effects of concussion might choose to retire. I even went as far as saying I was neither proposing or opposing the idea of Lumumba retiring. How you interpreted that to mean that I favoured termination of his contract escapes me.

I admit I missed the PSD reference. But (a) how often does a really good player end up in the PSD? and (b) how come I keep reading on here that no player would want to go to the EFC...and now there seems to be the possibility that someone might, there's been a 180 degree shift in the argument. That's Robbo logic!

I know a few Essendon supporters. Their view is that any "positive press" from having the number 1 pick is offset and more by the negativity of receiving the wooden spoon (without any additional opprobrium from being accused of tanking to get there). As far as having planned for a player, I'm sure they've planned for more than one player and will be happy with whoever they choose whether its at pick #1 or #2.

I didn't see the game. But here's no logical reason for them to tank. The evidence of many years drafting shows that there is no significant difference in the likely success of two players picked successively, whether it's with picks 1 and 2 or picks 41 and 42.

Cedric Cox. When was the last time there was an AFL player with the name Cedric? (If ever).

If that were true, it would make a Good Friday game really interesting to watch.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Lumumba retires. I have no inside knowledge and I'm not a proponent for or opposing the idea, but I would have thought older players getting lingering concussions might consider whether continuing to play was in their best longterm interests.

A verbal selfie?

Wow. I like the way you've jumped from Robbo "intimating" that the Bombers tanked to accepting it as fact.

If this were to happen, how do you see the team lining up? In particular, who moves to the backline to take on O McDonald's role?

I can't believe this gift to Demonland hasn't been pounced on yet. Where are all the "that's all he's marking" comments? I know it's been a long season, but has everyone on here just given up?

In reply to question about whether Hulett is ready to replace Dawes, Demonlanders provided the above answers. Come on, guys, this isn't good enough. How will our selectors know who to choose if we can't provide them with consistent advice?

As a matter of interest, which is the worse troll...an A+ or E- troll?

Unless he's smaller than Brent Harvey, by definition he's not too small. However, he might not be good enough for a player of his height.

I know it's just a 30 second clip, but what stood out for me was the slow pace of the game. Admittedly it's unwise to draw any conclusions from half a minute of footage but it appears that the step up from seconds to firsts may be more immense than I realised. In which case, it's pretty tough to mark any player, experienced or not, on their performance after only one game after promotion from the VFL.