La Dee-vina Comedia

That's troubling. I always thought it was just Richmond supporters who were like this.

I'll boldly predict that the AFL will from 2023 or perhaps 2024 onwards allow teams to have two medi-subs from which to choose. Initially only one will be allowed to play in any game and then this will be changed in a subsequent year to both being allowed. The AFL will do this to allow clubs to have a tall/key position sub and a small/on-ball sub to choose from. Let's see how well this post ages.

I assume there's something about Mitch Brown's game that both Essendon and Melbourne have observed that stops him from getting regular game time. We know he's an excellent kick and that he regularly scores goals when given the chance. I assume, therefore, that there's something else that negates those positives. I don't wish to disparage him unnecessarily, but surely there's an aspect that we can't see?

Ross Lyon was just recently bemoaning the fact that clubs could not make their players do anything substantive when not training or playing football. He claims when he was coach, he wanted every player to either be studying or working part-time. I can recall when Peter Rohde was coach of the Bulldogs he also required it of every player. Do we know whether all our players are working or studying part-time? Langdon has his coffee business (and, I think, is studying Commerce), Brayshaw and Tomlinson are studying. Who else? And what are they doing?

Has it ever been confirmed whether any or all of the players who missed a week due to "Health and Safety Protocols" actually had Covid? If they did, some might still have lingering symptoms. By the way they've been playing, I'd say ANB is fully recovered, but I wonder about Jackson and Brown. Of course, if none of them had Covid, then we need to look elsewhere for their poorer than usual form.

Maybe the chanting has disappeared because of the inane music clip played after we score a goal. Why is the music even thought to be a good idea? It's a complete emotion killer.

A bit of symmetry for Tomlinson given the first game he missed following his knee injury was against Sydney.

Make up your mind! 🙂

The club needs to talk to the MCC about gameday. It would be great if the music being played before the game and during the breaks was being performed by indigenous artists. (It's a different issue, but music after goals being scored should be abolished, though.)

This isn't being flippant, but didn't they play well together for Casey? If so, did they understand each other's game better or was it just weaker opposition?

With names like that, no wonder the midfield looked bland. Having Brown in the side doesn't help much, either.

Is it time to sack our forward line coach? 🙂 (Emoji added as there's no sarcasm font).

I'm not convinced that the 4.35pm timeslot is any better or worse than any other. I suspect for every person that doesn't like 4.35pm, there's another who does. After all, as a community we all lead complex lives. Someone who can't make a 2.10pm timeslot (perhaps attending children's sport or working) may be able to make it at 4.35pm. Conversely, a 4.35pm start might interfere with dinner plans - but for that person, a night match would be no good, anyway. People with young children have different timing needs than young, single adults, and so it goes on. It is clear on Demonland that every timeslot and day of the week has supporters and detractors. I suspect the best thing for the AFL to do for all clubs, is to have a big a mix as possible to provide opportunities for all. On topic, I thought the 29,000+ crowd was decent. I doubt the 4.35pm timeslot was the reason for there being fewer than 30,000. It's more that a Freo game, like most games against interstate teams, is lacking significant numbers of opposition fans.

I've tried replacing "instant coffee" and "beverage" with "AFLX" and "game" and you're right. Quality matters.

Still has Oliver's skin tone.

Please explain. Does Ed Langdon (surely you don't mean Eddie McGuire) have a business which involves coffee?

I think Richmond, and to a lesser extent Sydney, are bigger stories. I would expect winning teams to get more frees paid to them because they're generally first to the ball. Hence, Richmond's and Sydney's numbers seem more unexpected than the Bulldogs.

Busy week for Match Committee this week. There's a real chance we might see one or two new faces against Sydney, depending on who's ready to return. Imagine, for example, if none of McDonald, Langdon, Harmes, Salem, Petty and May are fit to play? We shouldn't really be playing Melksham or Weideman but might need to. I could also see players such as Laurie or Rosman getting a chance, if they've been playing well enough for Casey. My best guess is that May and Melksham will go out for McDonald and Langdon (and Dunstan as medi-sub). If this happens, one of Weideman or McDonald will have to play in defence. Edit: Just saw the post that said that Goodwin on radio said all of Salem, Harmes, Langdon and McDonald will be good to go. If Salem plays, does Brayshaw go back to the wing, in which case Rivers stays? Or does Rivers have a rest and we keep Jordon on the wing? I'd suggest keep Bryahsaw in defence given that Jordon has consistently been one of our best in the last few weeks.

Not sure about this one. My suspicion is that he ended up being asked to play as one of our "tall" defenders to compensate for May's absence and Petty's injury. At times, he appeared to be on Darcy, for example. Normally he would be accountable for the opposition's most potent small forward and even though Shultz kicked 4 goals, was Hunt nominally his opponent at the time? The real issue here is that we were hopelessly undermanned right across the ground once May went off, Petty was injured and with Petracca ill.

Didn't happen. Nevertheless, Bowey sits equal second with number of wins before a loss. Equal with Kelvin Moore (Haw, played 1970-84) and Alby Ingleman (Carlton, 1905-08). The loss must have hit Ingelman hard. He only played 3 more games after his loss. Mind you, they were all wins, so he finished his career with 21 games in total - 20 of which were wins. We'll get another opportunity every time we have a first-gamer to see if that player can knock off Bowey and at the same time claim the V/AFL record.

I haven't received an such email. For those who got it, did it say all members were being asked or a random group of which you happened to be chosen?

Turned 32 on Anzac day.

I imagine there are connections with other clubs, too. For example, Walker and Dangerfield were teammates for a long time. Dare I say, Walker also fits Geelong's age profile, too. Nevertheless, if the story has any basis in truth at all, I could see Sydney needing a replacement for Buddy.

Another reason to win tomorrow: If we do, Jake Bowey will equal the record of 18 wins to start a career in the V/AFL.

I wonder if there was much discussion in those days about the problem of having an odd number of teams and whether there was a big enough talent pool to allow a tenth team into the competition? Keep in mind that this is two years after WW1, so many men of prime footballing age would either have died on the battlefield or returned with serious injuries, including what we now know as PTSD.