Jaded No More

A lot of my close friends are footy mad. All of them have said that if their team can't win it they are fully on the Melbourne bandwagon... maybe because they know how happy it will make me, but also because of the fairytale notion of it. In fact my Essendon mate said that since he knows they can't win it this year, that he is backing in the Dees, although his Swans mad wife is going to divorce him for doing that.

I'm not Clarry or Bowey... but even lightweight gingers deserve love!

I am sorry to break this to you guys. Jayden was my favourite player a few years ago, but us gingers must unite. Clarry is my favourite now by a long long way. I still love Hunt though. And Eddy Langdon is definitely a favourite as well.

Sounds like Lions will be at full strength minus Hipwood and Ryner. Andrews and that god awful [censored] Robinson back for the Lions 🤮

Nah. They’ll need to fit in 18 midfielders.

If anyone lives in Melbourne and wants Pfizer I know one GP clinic who is going to be administering them to under 40s from next Monday. DM me and I’ll send you their details.

If the club needs help designing our premiership apparel I am more than happy to help them. Free of charge. All I ask for is a premiership.

These stats are getting wilder and wilder. When was the last time a team involved in a lightening storm won a premiership!? Probably never. We are stuffed.

Buddy is a bit of a joke. And no Daniels or Boak is also weird. But overall not bad. Not one Richmond player. Love it.

For me not even being able to watch it with my Dad is breaking my heart. It makes it a little bit hollow if I am being honest.

He is an exceptional player, but doesn't seem like a leader's a-hole to be honest.

I understand how this works. I just find it funny that teams that were deeply embedded in the 8 last year, like Brisbane, have had such a soft draw in the second half of the year. I know that teams come and go in the 8, so it's hard to predict, but still. Geelong with a dream run at GMHBA leading into finals, while we travelled the world the last month.

Another thing to consider is that Jones is due to have twins soon. Any game now will require prolonged quarantining and time away from the family. He may not want to do that without a guarantee that he will be in the team, which is obviously not something they can promise him.

We trained in Melbourne today. I assume we will also depart to SA shortly and stay there if we lose. If we win I wonder if we go home and then fly out to WA instead? Or do we stay in SA regardless then fly to WA directly with less quarantine restrictions having spent a week in SA? Either way, I am glad nobody is expecting a baby soon (except Jones).

I think the dreamtime game is a better model. Two interstate clubs and the atmosphere and crowd was very strong.

I don't understand how there is even an argument that Gawn isn't the best ruckman in the competition. He is the most consistent, and has the most impact both in the ruck and around the ground. Nic Nat can't play more than 10 minutes without blowing up. Good player but not Gawn level.

Gawn will be a 5 time All Australian and the captain of the minor premiers. How can he not be made captain? He has been without a doubt the best and most consistent ruckman in the competition for half a decade now. Suggesting Toby Greene as captain is laughable.

Yep, and the amount of movement within those cities for work doesn't help, big cultural diversity doesn't help, the number of people who live in apartments doesn't help, our ****ty weather in Melbourne doesn't help. There are lots of factors. There is no chance the AFL doesn't finish this season. If we need to pause the finals for 2 weeks to get everyone into a hub in WA then we will. If they need to play the grand final in Tassie they will. There are enough avenues to make it happen.

This is a very hard decision. There is no individual bigger than the club, and we need to do absolutely everything we can to win a flag. There can be no compromises made. Look if he was the sub on Grand Final day, and there was 10 minutes left and we were clearly going to win, of course I would make the sub and let him on and have him enjoy it. But we need to win 3 more games, and that is the priority. If the club is worried that if we need to make a substitution in the first quarter of a game that Jones is going to blow up or break down by the third quarter, than it is a big risk to take. You need to have a medical sub that you think will be good enough to fill a role if someone goes down a minute into the game. Do I think he should be sub ahead of Vanders? of course I do. Do I think that maybe he would be a better sub than Sparrow or JJ? Not on the form he has shown this year.

And two Geelong forwards who looked very shell shocked. You can literally pin point the moment Hawkins goes "ah [censored]"... so beautiful

Fingers crossed for him. If you get anymore updates on his progress please let us know!

I am assuming only SA members got an email... I think getting one knowing we can't go would be like a stab to the heart. I seriously can't believe this is how 2021 is going to pan out. What a total dumpster fire.

Wines had more disposals overall this year, which is why I mentioned the stat sheet. I think Oliver and Bont have been match winners multiple times this year. The others haven't. Miller and Walsh and to a lesser extend Steele all play for average teams which doesn't help. If you ask me Miller has had a better year than all of the above except Oliver. To do what he does in a team that gets smashed nearly every week is very very impressive.

The Brownlow is also a joke of an award. That only midfielders win it says it all.