La Dee-vina Comedia

Seriously? Where did you pluck this figure from?

I reckon there's a PhD thesis awaiting someone with the time to analyse Demonland over the last decade or more looking at subject trends. I suspect the "home base" discussion peaks in February every year because there's basically nothing else to talk about. Let's get the season proper underway as quickly as possible!

Do any other clubs have multiple training sites? I seem to recall Richmond built something out at Craigieburn. Do they use that as well as Punt Road? What about Essendon...do they still use Windy Hill for anything as well as Tullamarine?

Our "brand" is the name of a major city rather than a suburb or a country town. We shouldn't need a bit of signage on a building to market ourselves. There are far greater and better opportunities available to us than that. It just needs some creative thinking. To be honest, I'd rather we spent money building relationships with the City of Melbourne and anything else which is symbolic of Melbourne the city than spend it on a home base.

Presumably having list depth doesn't just help when there are injuries. It should also help intraclub training so that when a team of "probables" is playing the "rest", a higher quality of the "rest" should help improve the "probables". Imagine how poor the "rest" must have been in 2013. It would not have been much help to improve the capabilities of the then "probables" in any intraclub contests.

I often wonder about the value of playing a "probables" team against the rest. Firstly, it means the forwards are playing on inferior quality defenders, and vice versa. Is that really helpful? Secondly, how would a player feel if left out of the "probables" team? The latter point shouldn't really matter, as that's what happens with selection each week anyway - but nevertheless, I suspect it does hurt some players more than others.

Surprising comment. Not so much for its meaning but because I would have expected something more coach-speak and meaningless such as "he's in the mix", "he hasn't missed a session" or "he's done everything we've asked to put himself in the best position".

Am I the only who has no idea what this means? At the time of writing, two people have "Liked" the comment, so it must mean something to someone.

No room for Auberon Waugh? (That's not in any way a clue. At least, it's not intended to be one. I have no idea of the connection.)

I'm a bit disappointed that so many people have a view based solely on the number of extra Premierships that would be added to our record. A dispassionate view should be taken and the merits of the argument should be the same whether we get zero or ten. I lean towards the Carter view, but do not know enough about the history to go all-in and support him.

I've looked at the Petracca goal kicking vid a few times now. I don't know whether his ball drop is different or not. But what does seem different to me is the kicking action. Somehow it looks smoother and more effortless. It's as if previously he was always trying to kick the ball out of the ground with tremendous force. Of course, I could just be remembering him attempting shots from 50m+ out in which case the extra effort might have been necessary to ensure he made the distance.

Is there a possibility that the players' collective bargaining agreement includes a clause that states players are to have a rostered day off once every so often? In that context, "managed" would mean managing the requirements of the CBA.

Does having a sparrow help?

What seems to be the ranking of our mids after Oliver, Petracca, Viney and Brayshaw? In other words, what is the preferred order for our trackwatchers of Sparrow, Harmes, Jordon and Dunstan (and anyone else)? I'm assuming for this discussion that if Pickett and ANB play as mids, it's just in cameo roles.

Good to know. During last year's break he decided to put some serious ink there. I prefer the more recent addition.

Handed over ownership of his home in return for a list spot?

Clubs have had success and failures with both types. We've chosen players who (apparently) had great disposal skills but never got the ball (Maric, Strauss, Blease and to some extent, Jack Watts). Others were athletes who became great players, such as Jim Stynes. If they were your only choices, who would you have selected - the skillful players or the athlete?

The other side of the coin is what happens at the end of the season to players who have been on the list for two full years without a senior appearance? If any of Laurie, Howes, van Rooyen, Woewodin, McVee, Moniz-Wakefield (any others?) don't play, will that be it for them at Melbourne?

Or the WalkingCivilWar Stalking Gallery

It's not a question of multitasking. I expect he's already doing that. Unless Williams' time was not being used properly, he must have to give up doing something else to take on this role. I just hope that whatever he gives up has either become superfluous to needs or has been taken on by another assistant coach who can do it to a similar standard.

In principle, I see nothing wrong with Williams coaching goalkicking. But if it's a new duty for him, it means he must have given up something else. I hope we don't lose more than we gain through that change.

Shtarker! This is KAOS! We don't do loading here!

I look forward to the media reporting on the 6 "quarters" of football. to be fair, "sixths" just doesn't sound right.

I think it was on tissue paper that then got caught in the rain.

I note that Demonland has got a bit hyperbolic and changed the title to "SEN: Dees the Best Side on Paper" when, in fact, SEN only said that we're "one of the best sides".