La Dee-vina Comedia

6. Oliver 5. Lever 4. Petracca 3. Rivers 2. Brayshaw 1. Pickett

I keep reading that the VFL standard is so much below AFL level that it's hard to evaluate form. If the standard is that much lower, does that also mean playing a full game does not require the same level of exertion? In other words, would a five day break be sufficient for Harmes given the lower level of intensity at VFL level?

Answer: Your post minus 1 (although that wasn't my intention.)

I suspect Clarkson will end up at North. Rather than Clarkson negotiating with Essendon to see if he should go there, he may be using that by-play as a test to see how resolute North are. If North don't panic (and so far, there are no public signs of panic) it might help convince him that North is the team that's ready for him. In other words, he may be deliberately stoking the Essendon fire to test North's resolve, not Essendon's.

It's not the perpetual Collingwood coverage that bugs me. It's Caroline Wilson and Eddie McGuire talking over each other and their co-panellists that I find most irritating. Conversely, watching the discipline of Matthew Lloyd and Ross Lyon who ensure they don't speak when it's not their turn might help explain why they were so successful in their former football roles.

Training threads often go off topic and become unreadable. This one, however, has become quite delightful in its non-football references.

The Beatles opened their Melbourne concert at Festival Hall in 1964 with "I Saw Her Standing There" which starts with the lines, "Well, she was just seventeen, you know what I mean". Times have changed.

Maybe. For those that don't know, Expresso Love is a 30-year old Dire Straits song. Music lyrics in the early 1990s were probably more subtle with their references to that particular physical activity than the music of today. (Mind you, not as appalling as the Starland Vocal Band's nearly 50-year old "Afternoon Delight"). I've always thought Expresso Love was blending two themes - appreciation for a woman with a love for coffee ("tastes just like a peach", "with the honeysuckle musk" and "I don't want no sugar in it"* are all, in my view, references to coffee). NB: *Demonstone - please direct your complaints about the double negative to Mark Knopfler.

The view of someone claiming to be an accredited AFL umpire is that Brown ran forward of the mark while out of bounds. Hence, a correct call. See "Has the Umpire made a Bad Decision" on Twitter

I believe there's a Canberra version of this which asks what would Scott Morrison be if he wasn't Prime Minister? Every day there's a new job added, such as Minister for Health, Minister for Home Affairs, etc.

Given the context was about the coffee cart, I'm a bit disappointed you didn't include expresso love in your post somewhere.

I wonder what they'll do if Clarkson turns them down... It is being reported that Clarkson is "interested" in talking to Essendon, but for all we know, he's just doing that (if it's true) to extract a better deal from North.

Maybe. Or maybe Essendon is working to develop an appropriate severance package. I assume Rutten can't quit or he loses the right to claim a severance payment. And Essendon presumably didn't start working on an appropriate arrangement until yesterday. Hopefully the delay is being caused by Essendon trying to do the right thing by Rutten now that they've (presumably) decided to move him on.

This should be in the dictionary as the perfect definition of irony.

If I were Clarkson, I think North would be a better option. I assume the remuneration will be somewhat similar, given he's got the stronger bargaining position. I think North is better because there's so much upside. In essence, North will improve from where they are and he will get the credit. Essendon may yet get worse. If improvement is not seen at Essendon by 2024, there will be impatience everywhere - from members to sponsors to the TV broadcasters. I expect Clarkson thrives on pressure, but his enduring reputation cannot be tarnished by what happens at North; but it can be by a stint at Essendon.

So, to summarise, we are one of only eight teams who have won back-to-back premierships since 1897. Now, what about back-to-back-to-back...? In recent times there have been Brisbane and Hawthorn. Collingwood has done it and so have we (twice). Any other teams?

Nice work. Reward yourself with some extra Ham-let on your Melb-A-Toast.

Of the 18 teams in the competition today, how many have ever won back-to-back premierships? Obviously not Freo, Gold Coast, GWS, St Kilda or the Bulldogs. Off the top of my head, not North or Port Adelaide either. On the other hand, definitely us, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond, Essendon, Adelaide and Brisbane. So, what about Geelong, West Coast, Sydney and Carlton (surely they must have?)

Is he? Seems to me Langdon and Jordon are our wingmen most of the time, so if Spargo spends any time in that role, surely it's not for "most of the game". But here's a good place to ask: Why did Langdon not play 100% game time in the Carlton game as is his norm? Was he injured? Was it to shake a tag? Was he being beaten? Were we trying to play through the other side at the time? Anyone know?

I've asked this question before: What is "AFL"? Is it: the type of football we play? (I would say, no, it's called Australian Football or Australian Rules Football. Nevertheless, it's called AFL in many places these days, including NSW and Queensland) the Commission which runs the whole code from top to bottom? the 18-team professional men's competition? I think one of the decisions of the 10-year strategy plan should be whether the AFL Commission should be responsible for the whole code AND the 18-team professional men's competition, or whether those two responsibilities should be separated leaving the AFL Commission to administer the code and a separate organisation to run the 18-team professional men's competition just like there's an organisation to run the equivalent women's competition.

Should be an interesting meeting. However, I'm disappointed that your heading isn't actually what the AFL Commission is doing. At least, not specifically. I think the idea of developing a 10-year strategy plan is exactly what the Commission should be looking at. The first two items could be a part of that, although the future of broadcasting/streaming and future technologies needs to be a strategic matter which is more than just the new rights deal. Other significant topics which should be addressed in a 10-year strategy plan include: growth of the game, particularly in the northern states the rules of the game player health and welfare (including, but not just limited to concussion). This should include during and post-playing careers umpiring grass-roots footy, junior footy, women's footy inclusiveness, including indigenous, gay and disabled players and supporters governance at the Commission level stadium quality (infrastructure and service quality, including food and beverage, etc) international growth protection from competing codes and other recreational activities gambling (including sports betting and poker machines) game scheduling (which days? what times? etc) consumer costs, including ticketing, memberships, transport to/from games, food and drinks at grounds, etc I'm sure there's plenty more.

I think Dodoro has been reasonable at picking new talent. However, he doesn't seem to know how to manage the trade and list management components of the job. My suspicion is that Josh Mahoney and Dodoro may have a testy relationship which will see one of them leave as part of this upheaval.

You seem to have forgotten that Stephen Dank has promised to tell his story and clear everyone of any wrongdoing. Any day now... With the soft cap, how can Essendon have more money to offer than North? Surely if Clarkson takes more money himself from Essendon there would be less available for all other football requirements, including assistant coaches. It all seems very much like Melbourne after the 186 game. Headless chooks not knowing who to sack and the order in which to sack them.

Normally I think your posts are very insightful, but I reckon only one of these three make sense. Meatloaf sang that two out of three ain't bad. You should aspire to that standard.

6. Brayshaw 5. Melksham 4. Petty 3. Hunt 2. Salem 1. Gawn Any of the following could have been given the last vote: May, Oliver, Patracca and Viney