La Dee-vina Comedia

I don't think the ambiguity about the $500,000 is the biggest crime against the English language in Tom Browne's tweet. By my reading, the Magic Round was played in SA yesterday afternoon. Where's the write up of the result of our game?

Whenever changes are mooted for the rules of the game, there are plenty of posters critical of the proposals. I'm generally less fussed. However, I'm much more concerned about tinkering with the fundamental structure of the game. There is no need for a "magic" round or a 23rd game per season for each team. Furthermore, if the AFL wants to see how not to run a professional sport, watch what cricket has done. By ignoring the "less is more" concept (more appropriately called "scarcity" in economic terms), cricket has devalued its product to the extent that the TV networks seem to have minimal interest in the broadcast rights any more, other than for Australia v England Test Matches. The AFL runs the risk of losing its audience if it changes the competition without good reason. (A good reason would be the introduction of a Tasmanian team, for example).

I'll add Gawn and Jurrah. Gawn, because I've never previously seen a ruckman with the ability to tap the ball to all 360 degrees of the compass with either hand and with such precision. And Jurrah because he's the most freakishly talented Melbourne player I have seen. Not the most consistent, not the best at all aspects of the game (tackling and aerobic capacity, for example) but just the most exquisite in aspects such as kicking and marking.

I'm-a gonna have to live with that, I guess.

My preference would be that my name is pronounced with true Italian purity, given it is claimed that proper Italian is based on the work of my author, Dante Alighieri. I think of him as the Christian Petracca of 14th century Italian poetry. Or not.

Getting back to the dominant storyline in this thread, I recall those dark days of the 1970s when watching Melbourne play on a Saturday afternoon was a pretty dismal experience. On the other hand, music of that time was a great joy. I've recently revisited what was probably called prog-rock in those days listening to a lot of Jethro Tull, Rick Wakeman, Mike Oldfield, EL&P (Emerson, Lake and Palmer), and the Alan Parsons Project. I'd forgotten how enjoyable their music was. For the uninitiated, I recommend Bouree, Locomotive Breath and Aqualung from Jethro Tull, the Six Wives of Henry VIII by Rick Wakeman, Fanfare for the Common Man from EL&P, and, of course, the timeless Tubular Bells from Mike Oldfield.

I can't get out of my mind that some marketing genius got paid $$ for coming up with the gimmicky promotional idea of "23 in 23", meaning 23 rounds of football in 2023 and now the AFL is trying to retrofit the schedule to fit the idea.

I'm quite bullish on the Suns' prospects from here. Notwithstanding Rankine leaving, they seem to have staunched the bleeding of players and they've now got a solid core, with a number of high quality players, upon which to take the next step.

And how many Grand Finals have each played in and lost over the same period?

I'll have the answer to this momentarily.

I've read quite a bit of Shakespeare, Conrad and Dickens over the years. Hasn't helped me understand footy much.

You're not Umberto Eco outlining the plot to the sequel of "The Name of the Rose" are you?

To be fair, we were excrement in 2013 and won a Premiership in 2021. Would anyone have said at any time before 2017 that we would win a premiership that soon?

If he plays the same way with us he'll be considered a clever, evasive outside runner.

Perhaps you could save me from having to read the article...but does it explain why the Bulldogs window is one year longer than ours?

Hopefully just in looks, not in character.

Not a guideline, but a suggestion you may well have now worked out for yourself. Don't choose a name that's linked to a current player. I'm still quite surprised that DeeSpencer hasn't changed his name given he was quick to do so after his previous nom de plumes were made redundant by the departures of Matthew Bate and Alexis Georgiou. Perhaps I should give him the benefit of the doubt and accept that DeeSpencer was a name derived from Stuart, not Jake.

Minor point, but the career and 2022 totals are back to front.

As a matter of interest, do we know how many players (and who) have had post-season surgery? Similarly, who is going to have an enforced delayed start as they recover?

Could have done with the Red Bull sponsorship a few years back before we got Langdon. (Happy to explain my obtuse thinking if required, although I doubt it will be necessary.)

Just in case the Australian Taxation Office is monitoring Demonland, clearly Petracca was not on a holiday at all. His travel costs were entirely directed toward high performance training with this photo the proof.

So, one option being suggested is that the "concussion sub" be replaced with someone called a "tactical sub". Apart from the change of name, how would a tactical sub be any different from the red vest/green vest sub used a few years ago which essentially everyone didn't like? I suspect the 5 man interchange will be the decision because it's what the coaches have always wanted. What matters more, though, is whether there is an increase in the total number of interchanges allowed (is it 75 at the moment?) If the AFL keeps the number of rotations at whatever the number is now (or even reduces that number), I don't really see much harm in replacing the sub with a fifth interchange. Having said that, though, I'm still in favour of massive reductions in rotations overall. Something like 20 per game would be better. It should open up the game and leave the best players on the ground longer. It should also provide forwards with better chances (because there will be less likelihood of onballers be able to defend space as effectively in front of the forwards). We might even see the return of the 100 goal a year key forward.

That's how I see it. It's actually quite a skill to be able to delay delivery of the ball until another player is in a position to receive it. It means that the player with the ball has to have placed himself in open space or have good evasive skills. Pendlebury is as good a player as I've seen at this particular skill. Spargo isn't bad at it either, but just doesn't get the ball often enough.

Nice work. I still reckon my answer was correct, though. Just not what you were looking for! For those who care, my answer was that every person named had as either their first or last name a word otherwise used in English as a noun, adjective, etc. I struggled with Neitz until I realised he's also called "Neater".

If Hunter gets the wing position, I would have Jordon ahead of Sparrow as part of the midfield rotations.