Macca

There isn't an award where the midfielders don't dominate proceedings Even the coaches very rarely give votes to backmen & forwards. It's a midfielders medal now as it's hard to standout as a forward and backmen are now part of a zone with flooding a common practice The only way things will change is if we go back to open forward lines as a staple (and what are the chances of that happening?)

A fair result Cripps & Viney also polled well above expectations But the player with the most clearances and 2nd in contested possessions wins the award. Fair enough And be careful what you wish for with regards to the umpires not voting on the award ... do we really want biased, dishonest, unfair, compromised people voting on the award? People like Buckley, Cornes & Robbo? No thanks Leave it as it is but I do agree that the stats should be given to the umpires as a guide Mind you, I've seen plenty of 15 or 20 possession games being the standout and equally, plenty of high possession games having a low impact The umpires may be placing a high emphasis on clearances & contested possessions (Neale, Cripps, Viney etc)

The good old trap game! 😐😁

Having players who are past it (but still contracted) is just a legacy of pro sports (soccer is a good example for those who follow the round ball game) And all the AFL clubs will be affected sooner or later same as all the clubs get burnt with draftee busts So it won't be just our club Lengthier contracts are now a staple in the AFL as they are in sports all around the world Across the board, players reaching the end despite being contracted is going to happen more than we realise (to all the clubs) But what should also be a staple in terms of list management is front ending lengthy contracts. Do that and the payout is kept to a minimum if retirement is imminent So in the quest to win big, 2 or 3 list spots may need to be sacrificed ... over time, it will even itself out (when factoring in the aforementioned occurances to all 18 clubs)

Big North London derby at 11pm tonight ... for those who can't watch it live, SEN are covering the game Liverpool vs West Ham could be interesting (11pm as well) whilst in Europe there are some excellent match-ups PSG vs Marseille (4.45am), Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid (5am) & Torino vs Roma (4.45am)

@DeeSpencer @Dee Zephyr Tips! 2 points are being given away this week unless ... (the dreaded trap game)

Just a guess but 6th from the right? Johnny Townsend is 80 now. Ken Emselle is 79 ... in the back with the dark hair?

Bills Dallas Eagles

@layzie @Gorgoroth @JV7 @DeeSpencer @Go the Biff @titan_uranus @BDA @Dr. Gonzo @Clintosaurus @DemonDave @Dee Zephyr @Dappa Dan Only one winner in the comp so DeeSpencer picks up a bonus point as well - well played! We play for 2 points this week so good luck Leaderboard Tipping Comp 2 - DemonDave, Go the Biff, Dr. Gonzo, layzie, Clintosaurus, DeeSpencer 0 - Everyone else 🤔

8 & 9 might win the NFC North! In other news the Eagles, Bills, Chiefs, Ravens, 49ers, Falcons, Cowboys & Dolphins could all create separation soon enough ... maybe even the Bucs, Ravens & Browns as well Jags & Lions, Rams will be thereabouts and should bounce back And there's a few that could battle long seasons!

Saints Chiefs Chargers

@Clintosaurus @DeeSpencer @Dee Zephyr Don't forget your tips

Of course it is layz Up until now I wasn't buying into all the talk about favouritism and the old boys club but enough is enough. I should have made the switch years ago But it needed a blatant example and we just got it. Anyone who thinks we're on fair ground is where I was for years

So the king hit by the thug is a football act this year but next year it won't be a football act And they wonder why we don't trust anything they've got to say

I see Whately did a complete about-face, as did Maher At first both were looking for guilt and indeed, both found fault ... but once the verdict was handed down, both fell into line with the group-think. Weak as [censored] Patronisingly telling Melbourne supporters to move on

The Byron Pickett type bump on defenceless players went on for years before the league acted. Never mind that a player could have ended up in a wheelchair anytime whilst the glut of deliberate bumps to the head went on (and yes, I'm aware that Pickett played for us) Laura Kane is talking about closing the loophole at the end of the season with the type of king hit that we witnessed but why not now? Simple reason ... they'd be therefore having to admit that the thug did the wrong thing and should have got weeks (in other words, it's too soon) As to whether it happens again? There's a fair chance it will happen again and it could be Maynard as the perpetrator again. After all, they've said that he had no case to answer for so why not continue?

I reckon when he kicked it, it was to a 1 on 1 ... and JVR then created separation Do that enough times and you'll kick a good score. So Gus' option to kick long was a good option Besides which, a player kicking the ball anytime, in any direction, should not be king hit There's been far too much onus put on what Gus could have done instead. And all that is totally irrelevant The thug lined Gus up and took him out with a king hit (which he has done before, 3 years ago) (and copped weeks)

The word around the traps is that up to 20 current players are part of one class action and that Gus might be one of those 20 players So why would a governing body go into bat for someone who is suing them? Especially if they know that they will be paying out 10's of $Millions regardless

Because the prosecution wasn't interested in challenging anything Read the transcript for proof ... disinterest from the prosecution is the best word to describe what went on The tribunal had already made up their minds before the hearing had even started (almost certainly under instruction from high up) And no appeal for such a heiness act? The most violent act this season goes unpunished? The sad part is that any number of neutral supporters have no problem with what the thug did. Baffling actually (maybe they want the biffo back like the 70's & 80's?)

He was kicking to a 1 on 1 much like we did in the '21 finals series. Which is perfectly ok given the circumstances Anyway, what's that got to do with Gus being king hit? Not pointing the finger at you but the victim blaming that is going on is stunning Quite obviously, the thug did the wrong thing and that's all there is to it

All that is irrelevant anyway Maynard did what he did and that's where it starts and finishes How about 'What if Maynard didn't take out a defenceless player?' Have you ever seen a player take out a player in similar circumstances when playing? And by the way, Maynard has form. He received a 2 week penalty for committing the same offence a few years ago (curiously, that prior suspension wasn't mentioned in the tribunal hearing. Or the umpires report) As Redleg said, it's a stitch up Correct The dividends alone can amount to at least $12Million per annum and that fugure can vary. You can't fight City Hall The only way for a fair deal is to become a big club ourselves. And that's easier said than done

I'm not sure the defence at the tribunal was of high standard either ... maybe 5/10 But the prosecution was quite pathetic. They really didn't say anything and it did not look like they were looking for guilt at all 0/10 And why was the make-up of the tribunal personnel changed at the last moment? Were they placed there to get the desired result? To say they were soft would be understating things

Yes, we were led to believe that Laura overuled Christian with the backing of Gil & Dillon and then sending the thug to the tribunal But what we didn't know was that the fix was on. It was all a ruse much like the thugs violent actions But then no prosection of any substance, lame questioning of the perpetrator and token references to the plight of the concussed victim etc etc The AFL hierarchy should have been horrified (Laura, Gil & Dillon) So what did they do? Nothing apart from a bs summary and no appeal. At the very least, they had to be disatisfied with the tribunal's prosecution. So why not get a 2nd opinion? They let themselves down extremely badly in terms of addressing the most violent act we've seen on the field this season

At Buffalo this week. Touch road game, SS

And a good start for all of us is to not watch Footy Classified tonight ... that smug [censored] will be in his element so I have no wish to destroy my TV