La Dee-vina Comedia

A couple of years ago, what you're saying here (which is eminently sensible) would have been described as "moneyball". But because moneyball is now inextricably linked on this forum with Mark Neeld, it's a word no-one now wishes to use. In short, the recruiting strategy seems the same but the recruitment decisions seem to be of a higher quality. Perhaps we are being helped by more players being attracted to Melbourne with Roos at the helm giving him a better pool to select from.

Garlett's arrival suggests to me more time by Salem and JKH in the midfield. That's a good thing.

It probably should be pointed out that our demise was caused - in part, if not in full - by our alignment with the MCC in the late 60s and 70s. The MCC starved the football club of funds and refused to accept that football was becoming a professional business. When Barassi returned to the club in 1981 he demanded that the MFC be freed from the restrictions of the MCC. He got his way, but the damage had been done. It's not the alignment per se that was the problem. Just the attitude of the 'old boys' at the MCC at that time who saw cricket as the club's primary purpose and football as something that generated a bit of cash during the winter.

So, if I'm reading you right, you believe John Ralph and Emma Quayle are worth one cent each. Is that right?

I love this. "Leave the game alone"...but get rid of the sub rule. The game evolves so the rules have to evolve with it. Coaches are paid to win games, not make the game enjoyable. Rules keep changing because to not do so would allow the coaches to turn the game into an unwatchable mess. On topic, it seemed to me that the "congestion problem" wasn't as obvious this year as previous anyway. Have I just got used to it or have the coaches (or the rules committee) found a way to beat congestion?

If it's the game I remember, our coach (Barassi?) had all our team on one side of the ground when kicking in from a Richmond behind with Robbie one out on the other side. He won almost every contest. And if I recall correctly, that was the last game coached by whoever the Richmond coach du jour was (Bourke? Jewell?). Not that being sacked by Richmond as coach was anything special. In those days it happened with monotonous regularity.

Demonland is where all the big questions get asked and answered. Sometimes. So what's a wowwy pop?

I'm not sure limericks count as poetry, though.

In my mind I'm always trying to think who has been the second best, third best, fourth best Demon I've seen play. The gap between who they might be and Robert Flower is a gulf. It's impossible to explain to those who didn't see him play how good he was and how gracefully he played. It's a bit like trying to explain to millenials and Gen Y just how dominant the Beatles were. I'm not old enough to have seen Ron Barassi play for Melbourne - perhaps someone who did might enlighten the rest of us as to who was the better player. And if it's true he only won one B&F (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), can anyone explain why? He was simply the best footballer this club has seen in the last half century and possibly longer.

Two thing's are clear: 1. Don't link your Demonland name to a specific player or coach. They prove to be more transient than anticipated and then your name seems so outdated. 2. Players shouldn't link their Twitter account names to their club or playing number for the same reason.

Deliberate irony? I think you'll find "clean cut" generally means someone with short, straight hair. But I know what you mean and agree with your sentiment.

I haven't been reading this thread for a while but wish to make two points: I can understand the players' reticence at "plea bargaining" with ASADA if they don't know what evidence ASADA has, particularly if the players don't actually know what the were injected with. Why would anyone plead guilty when they possibly are not? It's similar to the standard US cop and court shows where people plead guilty to a lesser offence than take their chances with a trial - even if they claim to be innocent. Once the plea is accepted, players will be tainted for life. With respect to Hird not being in the country this week, it makes perfect sense. As the designated Essendon coach and a Brownlow medalist he would have an invitation and normally be expected to attend the Brownlow Medal presentation. If he had done so, it would have been a media circus distracting from the main event. While Channel 7 would presumably have loved it, one can imagine that the AFL, the Essendon FC and the players themselves (all of them, not just Essendon) would not. Being out of the country avoids the criticism he would have received for turning up...or failing to turn up. It's the smarter option.

When did BH "leave"? Perhaps it was after Paul Roos started and he mis-heard that Roos had a "No BH policy".

What we really need at this time of the year is a thread that tells us who has posted under multiple names. For example, surely E25, Ben Hur and Jose Murinho haven't just disappeared completely but have come back under different names. Disclosure: I've techncically had two names because I can't spell. I was originally La Dee-vina Commedia Edit: I mis-spelled my mis-spelled name. I'm not even sure I have the mis-spelled version right now, anyway.

Has that ever happened?

It's the time of the year. They haven't forgiven Carlton for beating them in the 1999 Preliminary Final.

Good points, well made

I think Paul Little is Essendon's main powerbroker and I can't see the club going broke while he's there, given his personal net worth.

I can't see how losing this case in any way impacts on James Hird's future at EFC. If the club were concerned about him they already had an opportunity not to re-engage him for 2015. Given the club and Hird were on the same side in the Federal Court matter, I just don't see them parting ways just because a procedural case went against them. (I'm not taking sides here. I don't care whether Hird coaches or not. I just don't see why today's decision makes a difference.)

Given international events today, it's somewhat ironic that the Essendon Football Club was founded by a Scot, Robert McCracken.

Does anyone know why Stephen Dank turned up at the Federal Court today? What purpose did it serve?

Does this mean the Preliminary Final is now on hold to allow West Coast to appeal against Essendon having played North Melbourne in the elimination final?

I'm not one of the mods, but I think I should give you a warning. This is Demonland. We don't deal with facts here. (But well said, nevertheless).

I just hope you have a big pool of people you consider to be morons.

I'll assume you meant Bailey and Neeld, not Neeld and Roos. If not, you must have a very small group you classify as elite if Roos couldn't make it.