La Dee-vina Comedia

Seems to me Neil Craig has issued Tom with an instruction. "Don't kick it...ever. Always look for the handpass option". Maybe it's time he said the same think to Nicholson (actually, just joking. Nicholson's pace means his combination of run and kick makes him a 60-70m player. Just, at the moment, not an accurate 60-70m player. Craig needs to get Nicho working on his kicking).

I think Joeboy was pretty close to the money. But I need to ask Joeboy, why "Dunn - good but flawed"? I get the "flawed" bit but struggle to find the "good". Every week Dunn and Terlich play in the backline and Terlich gets about 10 more possessions per week. I don't see Dunn as contributing much. And as I've written before, I think his kicking is over-rated as his big hoofs go too high leaving it relatively easy for the opposition to spoil. What do you see?

6. Garland 5. Fitzpatrick 4. Terlich (started poorly but improved) 3. M Jones 2. Frawley (would have got 6 votes if votes were cast just before he left the ground) 1. Dawes Neil Craig needs to show Jack Watts some video of Chris Dawes's desperation. His chasing through the middle of the ground was exemplary and a part of the game Jack needs to improve. I'm actually surprised Watts has been given votes. I didn't think he played particularly well - not badly, but not well enough to get my nod for votes.

Actually, overhead a discussion at the ground yesterday where one guy said GWS was after Jamar. I've not heard that before (apologies if it's already been posted elsewhere). If so, I'd be quite happy to trade out Jamar at this time. He's been a good servant and deserves our thanks, but I'd rather develop the younger talent on the list.

i thought the umpiring was the worst I've seen. But I didn't think it necessarily overly favoured the Swans. But can anyone explain what happened when Jack Watts was penalised in the forward pocket, city end? He had the ball, danced back and forth around a couple of Swans, took an eternity but bounced the ball and then (I think) hand passed it. Umpire paid a free against him for incorrect disposal. Did the ump think he bounced the ball when he was tackled? Clearly he bounced the ball before being tackled.

Four, if you include Nick McKenzie whose name appears at the bottom of the article. Mind you, Baker and McKenzie (the journos, not the law firm) are a bit like Lennon and McCartney. Both are credited with writing what perhaps only one really produced. (And, for trivia freaks, it's 50 years this week since The Beatles recorded "She Loves You")

Presumably Essendon is using a PR firm and that firm suggested it. And probably wrote, or at least vetted, the script. The better question might be, why does the PR firm think it is in Essendon's best interests for the President to speak publicly now? The timing hints at the possibility Essendon was aware of The Age front page story today and wanted to get some positive spin out there in advance.

Perhaps I was sub-consciously thinking too negatively hoping that wet weather might reduce the losing margin.

It's quite possible Neeld seemed like the "good cop" at Collingwood because he worked under "bad cop" Mick Malthouse.

Doesn't mean Neeld was necessarily wrong. Might be the players who needed the kick up the backside. Nevertheless, what's done is done. My hope is that the Neeld toughness provides some residual benefit so the next coach, whether it's Craig or not, is building on what Neeld put in place and not tearing it down and starting over. I don't think any of us can stomach a rebuild of a rebuild of a rebuild.

But does he have enough pace to go with his height and strength? I'd say he doesn't. Pedersen does - but doesn't have enough height. So, I'd play McDonald on Tippett, Frawley on Reid, Dunn on Mumford/Pyke and Garland on Bolton. And prey for rain on Sunday. And while I'm predicting match-ups, I suggest Nicholson will tag Hannebery.

Gee...put your neck on the line with that prediction!

I suspect the Jesuits at Xavier College don't spend a lot of time educating their students about what's kosher and what isn't. Conversely, not a lot of Jewish kids have made it onto AFL lists, although there have been a few including Ezra Poyas, Mordy Bromberg, Henry Ritterman and most famously, Ian Synman.

And listen to Kevin Sheedy regularly starting sentences with "To be perfectly honest..." which I suspect means he's about to tell a porky.

Not to mention "yeah, nah" If he was being interviewed by Andy Maher, I wonder whether we heard the marvellous "comparisons are onerous" - which I've heard the aforementioned use at least twice.

As a matter of interest, what did this say before you edited it? I'm guessing you're making a "bold prediction" that Melbourne will beat Sydney this weekend by 6 points. But what does the "I have just come back from" mean?

Is that correct? Wouldn't he have been at Richmond when PA won the flag? And, of course, he wouldn't have won a premiership with the Tigers.

No and no

For those who didn't see the game and haven't got the time to watch the replay, this sums up the game in just a few seconds.

Not only will we have a different coach, but half the team will be different. Seven players named on that day are no longer with the club and another five are questionable because of known injuries (Grimes, Blease, Jamar, McKenzie, Clark). In addition Magner can't be picked if Grimes is.

Does being captain make a difference? Not just at Melbourne, but at any club. Didn't Luke Hodge come back after an injury via Box Hill? Having said that, if he's fit - and that's a big 'if' - I see no reason for him not to come straight into the seniors.

Oh well...forget everything I just wrote, then

Perhaps I should have said someone who works for him read Demonland and mentioned it to him...

My reading (which I admit is not extensive) leads me to believe that the players and the people in charge at Essendon were deceived. I don't want to suggest by whom as to do so could be defamatory - but it doesn't necessarily have to be the first person one might think of in this situation. Could be a supplier, for example. I wonder if that means the players didn't check whether AOD-9604 was prohibited because at the time they were not aware they were being injected with it. There is a similar precedent for that player in Western Australia who was excused (I think) for having a positive drug test because the drugs were introduced via a surgical procedure when he was under a general anaesthetic and he had no knowledge of, nor did he give consent, to their administration. I can't believe Essendon continues to be confident that their players did nothing wrong unless there is a genuine reason for that confidence. Surely it can't just be spin.

Or maybe Hutchy just misread Demonland where a number of posters have been promoting him as our possible next senior coach.