La Dee-vina Comedia

Excellent post by The Fork. For additional insight into indigenous issues, I strongly recommend a book called "Raft" by Howard Goldenberg. The author is a GP who spends his holidays relieving other doctors working in indigenous communities. His stories are funny, sad, confronting and humanistic. A very accessible read.

Cameron Schwab's press conference highlights one of the emotional issues. In answer to Q8, Schwab says "...when he goes home" (meaning NT). The very next question, Schwab answers with "...to get him and bring him home". I don't know Liam, but I suspect that "home" is, to use a cliche, where the heart is. And perhaps his heart is divided. If so, that's an enormous emotional burden for anyone to carry. (Thanks to demonland7 for providing the transcript).

A bit of distraction is in order. The Age online describes Liam as "Melbourne forward". The Herald Sun describes him as "Melbourne star forward". Is the Herald Sun overstating Liam's position in the game or is The Age playing him down? In short, is Liam a "star"? My view? He's exciting, he's green and he's not yet the full package. So I don't think he's a "star". But I also think he has genuine potential to become one. Let's hope he gets the chance to get there.

Thanks for filling me in on O'Brien. I'd like to think his 22 MFC games weren't that memorable. The alternative - that my memory isn't so good - is a less palatable option.

I remember those days and quite a bit before, too. But I can't recall anyone called O'Brien. Can you please remind me - what was his first name and his jumper number? And did he play many games?

Warning: the following is not intended to re-start a debate about personality. Compare the body shapes of Ablett and Tom Scully. If Scully does not build up his body size, particularly around the hips, I think he will struggle to convert his talent. And that comment would have applied whether he had stayed or not.

I haven't renewed yet (but will soon). But why hasn't the club sent me a reminder? Would have thought the best method to get 2012 members is to pursue 2011 members yet to renew.

Being short and a little chubby meant he had a low centre of gravity which in turn made it difficult for players to knock him over. He used that physical attribute particularly well. I always liked him. This discussion leads to another question. Which of Peter Moore and Brian Wilson - being the players recruited from other clubs in that period who won a Brownlow with us - contributed more to the club? Too close to call, for mine.

I wouldn't mind at all if it's a "Geelong 1-2 weeks"...didn't Ottens come back in time to win a premiership with the Cats? I could live with that sort of injury concern.

Really? Which ones? I realise it's an opinion and you're entitled to it, but I'm struggling to get three. I'd have Trengove and McKenzie, but I remain to be convinced that the other three are in the best 22. Tapscott is the next closest in my view and I hope by the end of the year he is, but right now...?

I'm yet to see a game this year. But the stats suggest a kick to handball ratio more suited to a long kicking game. If that is what the changed gameplan has delivered, I'm all for it.

Part of the problem is "lexicographical inflation", that is, the misuse of other words such as "star". The Herald Sun will call a player who's played five games a "star", which means other words are needed ("superstar", "champion" and "elite") to describe players who are better than a five game player. Inflation has also struck other words and phrases like the dreaded "110%" instead of "100%" and "average" and "ordinary" meaning "below average" and "worse than ordinary" respectively. I don't know how to describe "elite" other than to point out that there is a difference between an elite player (such as G Ablett) and a player with one specific elite skill (such as , perhaps, Aaron Davey's left foot kicking).

OK, so the deer is Watts, the rabbit is Trengove and the skunk is, er, gone. So who's the butterfly? I'll say it's Jaded.

Apparently this is the Wangaratta ground where Essendon plays St Kilda this weekend. The winner will be the team kicking with the tide. Source: 3AW Twitter Reason for edit: Attribution

Great idea. I'm no fan of the tracksuit/polo top being worn at club functions or when representing the club in the media, but I suspect players will still be wearing the sponsored gear at most appearances. I note players will get one blazer when they start. What happens if they grow out of it?

...and how you play tough, uncompromising, smart football.

Now we have a 'Locker Room', I'm looking forward to the 'Knocker Room', where posters slag off at each other. Then we can have an 'Ocker Room', a 'Shocker Room' and if Robert de Niro can be persuaded to buy an MFC membership, a 'Focker Room'. BTW, I think the Locker Room concept is a good one.

Agree. In fact, as much as I have had an anti-Collingwood bias all my life, on this one, I can't see sufficient evidence to criticise Collingwood. And I wonder whether the numbers of off-field personnel moving in and out of Collingwood (and Melbourne) is any different to any other club? I suspect St Kilda, Essendon, Geelong, etc have seen just as many off-field personnel changes. It's just that we don't know about them. [by the way, I don't know if "exactually" is a typo or an inspired use of the English language. But I like it.]

Yes, my apologies to Hutchison and Dunn. In trying to explain my memory of Graeme Osborne as an on-field journeyman, I should have clarified that I meant to compare those players' inability to hold a fixed position, not to compare their actual abilities.

Kicking goals on Graham Osborne wouldn't necessarily mean a player could kick goals on a more, er, experienced full back. My recollection was that Osborne (number 7?) was one of those players like Greg Hutchison and more recently Lynden Dunn. That is, a player of no fixed position who would willingly fill holes but was never able to hold down a position (or to put it in Herald sun speak "didn't make the position his own").

Nice thought process Robbie. I was going to ask whether MFC could get a sponsor which conflicts with the AFL's agreement with Virgin. But have just realised Collingwood has Emirates, so there shouldn't be any problems. Reason for edit: Confusing my UAE airlines. Corrected Etihad to Emirates

For what it's worth, my compliments to Axis of Bob and rpfc for this interesting and very well articulated debate. For the most part, both have avoided personal criticism and provided interesting arguments which more than anything show how a forum such as this can open the minds of all of us.

And I thought John Kennedy left the Hawks to go to the Swans on his own accord. Should have looked for more clues.

I think media performance is an essential component of the role. One of the captain's responsibilities is to be the face of the club in the media. A good media performer will avoid answering problematic questions. Poor responses to the media can lead to greater scrutiny and ongoing problems for the club. In short, a captain must be a good media performer.

A question for all the Trengove-for-captain promoters. What does he offer as a leader that Jack Watts does not? I just wonder why he (JT) is seen as more "captain ready" than JW. For what it's worth, I'll repeat what I've said elsewhere. It would be foolish to select a captain based solely, or even primarily, on on-field performance. Given I don't know enough about each player's off-field performance, I'm not prepared to nominate any player for captain.