Dees_In_October

It helped that the Port player just kinda stood there and got no help with a shepherd, but I did enjoy this sight.

They brought out the sawdust at half time. Too bad for anyone who fell in it before that! A tough effort by Clarry though. And there were a couple of handballs that caught my eye as GIF-worthy. Will see what the replay reveals!

20 years old today!

Great win. Could be very handy. I just keep looking at the ladder and then at the calendar and then at the ladder. It's late July and the Dees are well and truly in the hunt

Any player judging their opponent on their haircut deserves what they get!

And amusingly it's exactly that kind of goal (run from half-back) that we would have expected from Jayden! Way to flip the script!

Hunt is the winner of last week's Goal of the Week with 76% of the vote! https://goaloftheyear.afl/vote/round/17?nominee=1&cid=GOTY_Fanzone_playerlink

Deserves an even bigger round of applause when he comes on than after his last comeback!

Rejoice!

So true. You can only hope that a guy like Jurrah coming into our club would have a different experience today. The obstacles were immense, and to some extent, societal and beyond the control of the club. Despite that, I'm sure at the time we felt like we were doing 'everything' to support him. But even in the space of 5 or so years, the definition of 'everything' can change quite a bit, as understanding grows. That the club is willing to embrace what went on in that era, good and bad, bodes well for future players from similar backgrounds. And I think it's a credit to these guys that they're willing to put themselves front and centre to ensure that.

I don't know what I was expecting when I clicked this video, but it's fair to say, expectations exceeded!

To be honest I'm happy the guy can get out of bed in the morning. It's such early days on all fronts. If getting back to work is what's best for him, I'm sure he's being supported to do that, as he should be. So long as the people who see him every day think it's the best approach, I have no issue with him playing his way back into form, which was always going to be needed after he returned.

Seriously though, I tend to agree that aggression is to some extent like any skill- it takes times to hone it properly, know when to use it, or to choose another one from your arsenal. But I think that only applies to players at the younger end of the list. The more experienced players should theoretically already know how to play with a hard edge without crossing the line. And when one of your teammates is suspended, you'd think it would be easier to rein in similar acts. The heat of the moment isn't a valid excuse when the coaches are asking players to stay switched on for 4 quarters. Will be interesting to see if we get better at toeing the line over time.

(Jayden didn't actually kick the ball, it was beamed in from a UFO. #tinfoilhat)

That ball just hung in the air and seemed to get higher and higher. Loved it. More torps please. Also love Hunt's reaction- cool as a cucumber, although maybe due to being a little shocked. Would have been within his rights to have an over-the-top celebration, but he kept an awareness of where the game was at and held back.

Regardless of what went on in this particular situation, some of the comments in this thread do an excellent job of demonstrating the sexism still prevalent in society. And the assumption that some men make that they are the only ones in the room. Is it any wonder women don't always feel particularly welcomed by AFL culture, let alone on boards like this?

Even if the player decides to kick laterally or backwards, I still see it as being up to the defending team: either they choose to go one-on-one and eliminate any possibility of the opposition running down the clock, or they choose to flood the forward line in an attempt to stop the goal and to keep their players free to capitalise if there's a point or turnover. The team that has the ball, won it and possessing it is the advantage they get for doing so. It might look ugly, but it's a skill. Carlton would have done the same thing if 1) they had the ball and 2) we let them. But they didn't. Too bad, so sad.

Trengove? He has some experience in being forced into captaincy inappropriately. Seriously though, will it be announced or will we find out when they come onto the ground? Can't remember the last time we've had a 3rd in line captain.

Everyone on this board knows the amount of (often unwarranted or premature) criticism that Jack has faced over his career and there is no doubt that he has shown great resilience and toughness in response. I have so much admiration for Jack. He's clearly a great club-person who enjoys seeing those around him succeed- who's often the first one in to celebrate a goal with genuine happiness for the kicker? Jack! At the same time, Boyd, in the face of similar negative attention, is not 'lesser' than Jack for having a different response. It takes a very tough person to be honest and say, "Hey, I'm not coping", especially in a pressure-filled environment where people are on your back to perform. It's stigmatising to relate depression with weakness or lack of character when it can come for anyone, regardless of their (perceived or otherwise) resilience, toughness, personality, wealth, ability etc. etc. It's how we as a society support each other and react to it that's most important, not who's 'tough enough' not to succumb. It's fine to say well done to Jack for getting through some really trying times, but we shouldn't damn Boyd by comparison for something that isn't his fault.

It could be a replay of the incident that they showed after the game was over?

I'm undecided if this was a 'stage' or not. What is unquestionable is that it was high and after the siren. Maybe Oliver felt the high contact and took a fall, as is instinctive during play, to make sure the umpire 'sees' the high contact. Obviously that wasn't necessary in this situation, but instincts can take over. Maybe he was genuinely stunned and a little slow to react, as he said in the post-game interview- which, either he is very composed or someone prepared him well for... Either way, I'm pretty sure I saw a shot of him in the change rooms as they went to the ad break at half time, still holding his chin/jaw. So it wasn't nothing.

Tonight, it was me, but in a proud way. So courageous.

I had finally calmed down and then I read this thread and now my heart is racing all over again. Just so AMAZING!

Clearly we should be the ones handling this negotiation!