Red and Bluebeard

No need to feel guilty. As others have said, stay here on Demonland, and join up again when you can. Don's comments were aimed at those who can renew, but lose interest until we start winning.

Picking a Dees supporter for a mate is not considered a fault around here

Your bravery is clear, Redleg, but don't go to the level of crazy-brave, and start discussing said faults here ...

I heard this one many years ago, and then promptly forgot it after laughing for about a week. Anyone have an origin story for this?

I see where you are coming from, but there is also the chance that the AFL will impose some penalty even if they are found not guilty, just to remind euveryone who is the boss ...

I like your work, Crawf52, but I know you can do better than that. How about on ANZAC Day in 2015, the Dees take on Essendon, who are still distracted by the never-ending investigation into peptide use. After Melbourne win by 20 goals, ASADA announce that they are broadening the enquiry to include Collingwood and the AFL itself, and, as an interim measure, suspend the entire AFL executive, including Eddie himself. Eddie froths at the mouth, and threatens to walk away from the game if he is not re-instated immediately. Faced with an offer too good to refuse, the rest of the football community accept Eddie's offer, and he disappears forever to become the eternal president of Newcastle in the English Premier League. Three weeks later, ASADA announce that as a result of the enquiry, both Essendon and Collingwood are to lose all premiership points for the years 2012-2015, and for the next three years as well, for good measure. This means there is a total of 7 wooden spoons to be split between the two clubs. The decision is made by a coin toss, and the opportunity to do so is auctioned off to the public, with the MFC being the beneficiary (as compensation for being the last club to play Essendon). This raises approximately $100 million, which propels the Dees to the top of the rich clubs table. Essendon trade out all of their players at the end of season, bring in an entirely new list, and then get done for tanking. Collingwood get fined $1 billion, which means they are eternally in debt, and can't afford to pay their players, who have to work for a living while training. Consequently Collingwood get thrashed every game for several decades ... if we are going to dream, then let's DREAM!

The prospect of barbequed alpaca had my taste buds quivering (although magpies burnt to a crisp or hawks slow-roasted on a spit take some beating ... )

He didn't say how much it cost -- probably about 5 times the market price for similar products, and then will only work sporadically ... Does that make this the 'No dunny brush' thread? Or the 'No need for a dunny brush' thread?

Which thread is that, Redleg? The one with all the banana recipes?

Todd Viney. A midfield with Todd, Chunk, Toumpas and Jack Viney would be worth watching ...

Well said, Biff. IMHO one of the annoying things about watching a game live (especially from the Northern stand) is the constant distraction of players running on and off the ground like blue-arsed flies. This move, no matter how silly the AFL's process is, may also reduce high-speed collision injuries, due to the players having a little less energy.

Surely you mean "Of Yoda in some ways me you remind"

Just offer them a few bananas, Redleg, and watch them come running ... even a smoothie if they are any good!

Karma is a !*&^#@&*!@#^%*#

Ironically, if Healy had stayed he would have played in a grand final (and to be technical, Wells and Alves both got premierships, not just GFs). Wasn't Healy in the opposition team when we beat the Swans by about 80 points in the semi-final in '87?

It is not as simple as that, in my experience, at least in Victoria. My daughter, who was born in May, missed out on the cut-off date by a few weeks; if she had been born on or before April 30th, she could have started school in the year she turned 5. However, she was just the other side of the line, and had to wait until she was almost 6. I think what you might be getting at is that even if your child is eligible, it is possible to delay them starting for a year. In my experience, an increasing number of parents are doing this, reasoning that if the child is a little bit older and more mature, then they will generally do better at school, particularly towards the end of secondary school. As a result, it is not rare to a P-plated vehicle driving into the school grounds. My kids are now all well past primary-entry age, so I am not up to date any more, but I thought I heard that the April 30th date had been moved earlier again, to the end of February. This would mean that a child born after March 1st could not start school in the year that they turn 5, which will have the effect of pushing up the average entry age. However, you are right on the money about some kids being much older than others; when mine go to a birthday party, I make sure I ask exactly how old the birthday kid will be!

Beard is good. Beard is right. Beard rocks!

So how do you get a champion team? I think there is a sense in which certain champions will help make a champion team, and others who won't, or as G.K. Chesterton put it "There is a great man who makes every man feel small. But the real great man is the man who makes every man feel great." For mine, Robbie Flower was the kind of champion who made teammates into better players; we can probably all name some others who aren't or weren't. I am also reminded of a debate in the NBA yonks ago about the relative merits of Michael Jordan and Earvin 'Magic' Johnson. Every NBA coach surveyed said Jordan was the better player, but each would choose Johnson over Jordan as the foundation of their team. (PS sorry about the font colours --- I just had this feeling that text in this forum should only be written in red and blue ... )

We beat them at the MCG in 2006, when Neitz kicked about 7, including a couple from outside 50. That was probably the last time, unfortunately (and also probably Neitz's last dominating performance for the Dees).

How about Micah 7:8 "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me."

That reminds me of the old Scottish custom of always betting on England. When asked why, the answer was along the lines of "At least you get the money if the #^*^#@*%^s win!"

She'd probably argue that the sun rises in the west to avoid agreeing with us

Chin up, OD. One of my favourite Churchill sayings (and there are a few): "When you are going through hell, keep going". Sitting in the comfort of my armchair, I would have liked the MFC to go in harder and test this in court. However, I am not on the board (perhaps fortunately for the club :-) and don't have all the information, especially the so-called evidence and the legal opinions on our probability of success. But we move on, and within a few months, all of this will be forgotten, especially if we win a few games early in the season.

"Confusing? No more confused than the Melbourne players were when they were victim to some very strange team selections and on-field moves that season." It is confusing Caro, but not half as confusing as trying to follow your pronouncements and make any sense of them, let alone connect them to reality ...

The penalties on DB and CC are too harsh, IMHO. A year out of football for a misinterpreted joke? Even if it is loose lips, it seems to be very harsh for one comment at one meeting, even if some did misinterpret it (I don't believe that, but it seems some in the media do). The penalty on DB is way too harsh --- if we didn't tank, why is he being punished at all? What exactly did he do? The comments at his final presser after being sacked? How do you spell scapegoat? Why is DB punished more harshly than Trigg? (ironically at the same club!). If I were DB, I would probably take this to court ...