Macca

Here's a series of podcasts that are well worth a listen. Most enthralling! From the Great Bookie robbery as well as various tales of ring-ins & rorts in the horse racing industry Not overly long either so packed full of interest from a bygone era The Game Podcast Series (Dr Turf, Andrew Rule & Various Guests)

The issue with Rodgers is that at his age, he'll need to be protected (Brady/Belichick style) So how is your offensive line looking? And the Jets can't expect to be getting an in-his-prime Rodgers, more so a QB who can hit targets in a more conservative way It can't be all on Rodgers so you'll need a strong running game to complement the passing game Do that and you're more than half-way to the playoffs. Needless to say, you'll need a decent defence as well Exciting times though, as Rodgers on his best days is fantastic to watch. How many best days does he have in him? Maybe 6-8? That's the key

Well, the bookies have the 49ers as 2nd favourite (5-1) to win it all What do they say about the oddsmakers in Vegas, they never lose? haha 4-1 Chiefs 5-1 San Francisco* 9-1 Baltimore 11-1 Eagles*, Detroit 12-1 Cincinatti 15-1 Buffalo, Houston, Green Bay* 20-1 Dallas*, J.E.T.S* Others ... 30-1 LA Rams*, Atlanta* 35-1 Chicago* 50-1 Jacksonville* Of the above, I reckon the Packers, J.E.T.S, Detroit, Cinci, Houston & the 49ers are 'unders' Overs? Rams, Bears, Dallas and maybe even the Chiefs *Teams that have a following on this thread

Brett Favre lit the place up in 2008 with an 8 and 3 start before things went South So it will be interesting to see how Rodgers goes. Like Favre, Rodgers is a gunslinger so all eyes will be on Aaron Much will depend on your offensive line and the ability of your wide receivers (tight end?) Previously, Rodgers made a few WR's so you never know

The new Champions league format is a virtual Super league Initially 36 teams and one big ladder (table) 4 groups of 9 teams where each team plays 8 preliminary games (4 home & 4 away but 8 different teams) The top 8 teams after all the preliminary games all qualify for round of 16 games Teams placed 9th to 24th play 2 leg home & away matches in order to qualify for the round of 16 matches (another 8 teams) So in order to win the Champions league a team will need to play at least 15 matches and up to 17 matches It's a league in itself

Ha ha 'Let's' There's no other J.E.T.S fans here, Gonzo! (unless bub wants to join us!)

Boys will be boys but a bit too much? Maybe way too much? Max ticks most, if not, all the boxes but is maybe a bit too trusting of the players It's impossible to make an accurate appraisal but the numbers are adding up and I'd be surprised if the player standards haven't dropped to some some sort of degree Going back 10 years or more, we had an issue with the player managers (according to Roos) But the players are connected to the player managers so I reckon what Roos said back then was quite pointed (players ruling the Roost?)

The Bleacher Report Extra long copy & paste but some very interesting talking points 32 Thoughts on the NFL's Biggest Talking Points After 2024 Preseason Brad GagnonAugust 30, 2024 Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Each Friday throughout the 2024 NFL season, we'll be performing somewhat of a leaguewide check-in, with quick-hit takes from all 32 NFL squads based on news, fodder, trends and/or results. And with every team now having completed the preseason and started preparing for Week 1, we're ready to take you around the country with thoughts on the latest happenings. Let's jump into what's dominating the national football conversation this week. AFC East 1 of 8 Rich Barnes/Getty Images Buffalo Bills: The Keon Coleman buzz is picking up now that the summer is wrapping up and nobody has really made waves in a receiving corps that took some major hits in the offseason. I'm not totally convinced the rookie second-round pick will be ready to overcome a lack of top-end speed early in his career, but working with Josh Allen sure could help. Miami Dolphins: What's up with Odell Beckham Jr.? It's starting to sound as though there's some frustration within the organization regarding OBJ's lack of availability despite passing a physical at signing and starting offseason work with the team. Miami can't let this become a distraction, nor can the Dolphins afford to rely heavily on the 31-year-old in 2024. New England Patriots: In naming him the Week 1 starter, Jerod Mayo stated that "Jacoby (Brissett) gives us our best chance to win right now." Considering that the team isn't likely to win much anyway, and that Drake Maye outplayed Brissett as the summer wore on, I find it hard to believe they'll stick with Brissett for too long under those circumstances. This might get awkward soon. New York Jets: The margin for error is quite miniscule for the Jets in this tough division, and it's a shame they still don't have a key pickup in Haason Reddick. It's so very Jets to get into a situation like this, and a bad omen for what's to come. I have a feeling this will become uglier. AFC North 2 of 8 Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Baltimore Ravens: Not trying to be sensational, but is anyone else a little worried that Lamar Jackson's weight loss could make him even more vulnerable to injury? Yes, he might be faster. But will he also be more fragile? There's my glass-half-empty take. I hope I'm wrong. Cincinnati Bengals: They likely know they can survive Week 1 at home against New England sans Ja'Marr Chase, but they really need to be at their best one week later in Kansas City. That being the case, it's imperative that they resolve this contract dispute by next weekend in order to give Chase some time to get reacclimated. Otherwise, this could truly impact their 2024 fate. Cleveland Browns: That Deshaun Watson restructure gives them more than $60 million in salary-cap space, which could be more or less carried into next year but also makes them a potentially major player between now and the trade deadline. A lot of intrigue right now in Cleveland. Pittsburgh Steelers: It really had to be Russell Wilson. Not that the embattled veteran deserves a free pass all season, but you're better off giving him a shot and replacing him with Justin Fields than the opposite. I'm not sure Wilson could have come back from losing a summer battle with Fields. AFC South 3 of 8 David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Houston Texans: It of course won't be ideal if Will Anderson's ankle injury lingers into the start of the season, but the Texans do have the talent to get by while the sophomore first-round pick gets reacclimated after missing much of this summer's work. Amazing how far this team has come in just over a year. Indianapolis Colts: The challenge is already pretty tall with Houston's progress and Jacksonville's talent, but not having Jelani Woods (toe) and Samson Ebukam (Achilles) for the season (the former is done for the year and the latter is unlikely to come off injured reserve) makes it even harder. This year might be all about Anthony Richardson's progress. Jacksonville Jaguars: I love the trajectory rookie first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. is on ever since a shaky start to his career in Jacksonville on the practice field. Guy is a gamer. Tennessee Titans: I try not to read too deeply into preseason stats, but it's certainly not a bad thing that Will Levis completed 85 percent of his passes this month. If Levis can get his accuracy on track after ranking dead-last in the league in on-target rate in 2023, he might have a chance to become a franchise quarterback in Tennessee. AFC West 4 of 8 Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Denver Broncos: I've been saying it all month. Zach Wilson's still got a chance in this league. Kansas City Chiefs: I still don't know what to make of an always-buzzworthy receiving corps that had the luxury of releasing Kadarius Toney and Justyn Ross but felt the need to collect New England's scraps with JuJu Smith-Schuster. There's uncertainty surrounding Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy for different reasons, and Hollywood Brown and Justin Watson need to stay healthy. I don't trust this unit yet, for good reason. Las Vegas Raiders: Not rolling with three quarterbacks is such a non-story. If you're down to your third quarterback in a single game, you're likely toast in that affair anyway, and there are always third-stringers available during the week. Carter Bradley is on the practice squad, and that's a good thing because he's at least got more upside than Nathan Peterman. Los Angeles Chargers: It's true they needed more insurance for Justin Herbert following his loss for a good chunk of training camp, because Easton Stick simply wasn't the answer. But Taylor Heinicke might not have been their best option, at least for a conditional sixth-round pick. I'd have preferred Ryan Tannehill, if possible. NFC East 5 of 8 Sam Hodde/Getty Images Dallas Cowboys: It's become clear the Cowboys aren't convinced Dak Prescott is the guy beyond this season, and that they're prepared to make him prove it in 2024. Now, it appears Prescott is coming to that realization. This season really is the ultimate gamble for both sides, and it could easily be a win-win if Dak bets on himself, delivers and the team benefits greatly as a result. New York Giants: They really didn't have room for Allen Robinson? I know he's far from the player he used to be, but there ain't much experience in that receiving corps or locker room. If the Lions see value in the guy, it's odd the Giants didn't see any. Philadelphia Eagles: The James Bradberry injury is strictly a depth hit with with three other veteran safeties on the roster, but that could matter considering Philly's luck in the secondary last season. Keep in mind that Bradberry also could have gone back to cornerback in the event that the question marks beyond Darius Slay don't pan out. It all counts in what should be a tight race atop the NFC. Washington Commanders: New receiver Noah Brown goes way back with both Terry McLaurin and Dan Quinn, and he has the ability to flourish for Jayden Daniels. I really think his signing could go down as a superb under-the-radar late-summer move. NFC North 6 of 8 Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images Chicago Bears: Low risk, high potential reward on new acquisition Darrell Taylor, who absolutely has the ability to explode or at least establish himself as an asset in a new environment. The former second-round pick has just 13 career starts under his belt. Detroit Lions: General manager Brad Holmes is now officially on the record with his Super Bowl expectations, which is a beautiful thing to absorb without shock considering the long, painful history of professional football in Detroit. The NFL is a better place with a competitive Lions team. Green Bay Packers: I voiced my concerns last week about Green Bay's chances if anything happens to Jordan Love, and that really doesn't change much with Malik Willis on board. It's hard to buy into Willis right now. Again, why no Ryan Tannehill? Minnesota Vikings: A lot of late-summer changes put the Vikings in a tough spot to start the season. If they fall to the Giants on the road next Sunday, they could be in big trouble with the 49ers and Texans coming to town in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively. Could be a bit of a wasted season for the league's best receiver, Justin Jefferson. NFC South 7 of 8 Chris Graythen/Getty Images Atlanta Falcons: Something really, really bad would have had to transpire for Taylor Heinicke to get significant action with the Falcons in 2024. There's really no downside associated with trading him for a conditional Day 3 draft pick. Carolina Panthers: It's a shame it didn't pan out for Terrace Marshall in Carolina, because the talent is there and this isn't a team that has the luxury of letting skilled players walk on rookie contracts. That said, the lack of production speaks for itself. We'll see if the 2021 second-round pick can deliver in a new setting in order to jumpstart his career. New Orleans Saints: OK I'm back on the Spencer Rattler bandwagon. At the very least, there's a not-too-low ceiling there and I'd love to see them give the rookie fifth-round pick some work in what I'm convinced will be a lost season in New Orleans. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The running back trio of Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker is nightmare fuel for fantasy football peeps, but it's great to have options in that new offense considering how bad the running game was in 2023. NFC West 8 of 8 Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images Arizona Cardinals: I am a little concerned about what a tough season-starting stretch against the Bills, Rams and Lions will do to this rebuilding team's confidence, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they played spoiler here or there considering the ceiling with Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr. and the lack of tape on them available to opposing defenses. Los Angeles Rams: The Rams are dealing with a lot of eleventh-hour tweaks following a summer that included several key injuries. As a result, I'm thinking they would lack cohesion and chemistry in a very tough spot next Sunday night against the Lions. San Francisco 49ers: It's hard to believe the Brandon Aiyuk situation lingered as long as it did, but it got put to rest in the nick of time and it's exactly what the 49ers needed. They truly couldn't have afforded to compete without him for the entirety of the 2024 season. Not with a flawed quarterback in a top-heavy NFC Super Bowl race. Seattle Seahawks: I'm not surprised the team doesn't appear to be willing to discuss a new contract with Geno Smith right now. This is a guy who should have a tenuous grip on the long-term starting job. Hopefully they aren't fooled into rethinking that if he and the offense deliver with a soft start against Denver and New England.

Houston Dallas Vikings

Regular Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Silver Bronze 2023 Dr.Gonzo DemonDave layzie Gorgoroth ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2022 DeeSpencer Go the Biff layzie ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021 Go the Biff Clintosaurus DemonDave JV7 layzie Gorgoroth -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2020 titan_uranus Gorgoroth Go the Biff Clintosaurus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2019 JV7 Go the Biff Gorgoroth Macca Dee Zephyr Clintosaurus --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2018 DeeSpencer Clintosaurus Gorgoroth Dappa Dan Dee Zephyr Macca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2017 Clintosaurus Go the Biff Dappa Dan --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 Gorgoroth cowboy_from_hell Clintosaurus DeeSpencer --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015 Gorgoroth cowboy_from_hell Macca JV7 DeeSpencer --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 Dappa Dan DeeSpencer Gorgoroth --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2013 cowboy_from_hell pantaloons Gorgoroth Strafford Macca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Silver Bronze 2023 Clintosaurus Gorgoroth BDA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2022 Go the Biff layzie JV7 Clintosaurus DeeSpencer Dee Zephyr ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021 DemonDave Gorgoroth Clintosaurus Macca -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2020 Go the Biff Dee Zephyr Macca -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2019 DemonDave Go the Biff Macca Dee Zephyr Gorgoroth JV7 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2018 Gorgoroth Go the Biff DeeSpencer --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2017 Macca Clintosaurus Go the Biff JV7 Gorgoroth --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 Gorgoroth JV7 Clintosaurus Macca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015 JV7 cowboy_from_hell Gorgoroth Macca DeeSpencer --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 JV7 pantaloons Gorgoroth Go the Biff Macca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2013 titan_uranus DemonDave cowboy_from_hell Macca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall Medal Tally Gold Silver Bronze Gorgoroth 4 5 7 Go the Biff 4 5 2 Clintosaurus 4 3 4 ---------------------------------------------------- JV7 4 3 2 Macca 4 2 6 DeeSpencer 2 2 4 DemonDave 2 2 1 titan_uranus 2 0 0 cowboy_from_hell 1 3 1 Dee Zephyr 1 1 3  Dappa Dan 1 1 1 Strafford 1 0 0 Dr.Gonzo 1 0 0 pantaloons 0 2 0 layzie 0 1 3 BDA 0 0 1

@Gorgoroth @Go the Biff @DeeSpencer @titan_uranus @Clintosaurus @Dee Zephyr @Dr. Gonzo @DemonDave @BDA @layzie @Dappa Dan @ElDiablo14 Opening game is this Friday 10.20am Ravens @ Chiefs 6th Sept New rules for the tipping comp Correctly Pick 2 out of 3 = 1 point Pick 3 from 3 = 3 points Bonus weeks (Double Points) Weeks 5, 9, 13, 17 & 18 Bonus Point - Applies if you are the sole (3 from 3) winner in any given week For those new to the thread wishing to join in on the tipping comp, all you have to do is put forward 3 Road winners each week. Pick 3 from 3 - 3 points awarded, 2 from 3 - 1 point awarded This week's games (needless to say, a tough start!)

The Hawks remind me a bit of the Demons of '87 They are riding the crest of a wave and if they can get past the Doggies, their probable SF opponent will be the Cats at the MCG Port in Adelaide would be a lot tougher but Port are coming off a straight sets exit in last years finals campaign, so the pressure would be on them I can see the Hawks winning at least 2 finals #StraightSetsHinkley

That's true but a long contract was once upon a time a huge deterrent for a player to shift clubs Now, the longer contract can just be taken up by the club a player might want to go to. 2 years or 5 years, is there any difference anymore?

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Port (1-39) Hawks (1-39) Swans (1-39) Lions (1-39) All up 25-1 #GambleResponsibly

A lot of our kicking issues are related to how we play, game plan, and also, a lack of actual leg speed and an ability to clear away from being under pressure or from congestion or stoppages In isolation and when in the clear, Oliver, Viney, Petracca, Rivers & Langdon can all deliver the ball quite well But we can often only judge on what we actually witness. And it often isn't pretty But for a first year player, Windsor is an excellent kick to position ... he just happens to have an excellent turn of foot, especially the first 2 or 3 steps Earlier in the year (before the season started) I remarked here that we really need to get our midfield schemes right End result - having a player in the clear with the time and space to deliver the ball well, further afield. From any given stoppage Same rule applies when we win the ball back in any part of the ground It's actually quite a basic fundamental of footy and we see other teams being able to do it with a minimum of fuss In the old days the above was just simply called teamwork or sharing the ball until a player is in the clear And we have ourselves been quite efficient in that area previously, but we have to go back to the last half of the 2021 season to see those efficient schemes on a consistent basis

One example By my reckoning, less than 25% of Richmond members attend games on a week to week basis We know that have 100,000+ members Most of their games are at the MCG where any number of MCC & AFL members would be attending their games (non Richmond aligned financially) And then there are the games at Docklands and interstate So their average crowds are 43,692 Allowing for opposition supporters we can at least half that figure So why do at least 75,000+ Richmond members not attend games? (on average)

Considering they've got 100,000+ members, their crowd numbers are quite pathetic The above type of logic is constantly used against the MFC We have no excuses (apparently) but which other club ever has their crowd numbers questioned? It never happens Reality is that we are a small club and I've been saying that for decades so it's not news to me That barren period from 1965 to 1986 wiped out any chance of being a big club So in that time frame, we held no attraction to new supporters. And their kids & grand kids don't barrack for us either Close on 3 generations of potential supporters lost in the wind. And in that time period, save for 1976, we never looked like playing finals So we've been playing catch-up ever since And membership numbers are related to attendees but only about 25% - 30% of members attend. And that's for just about every club Many buy membership as a donation as most members don't attend games. If they did, all the clubs would play to sell-out crowds every match So when factoring 3 game & 6 game memberships, 65,000 members might equate to 15,000 members attending (on average) For the bigger games, the percentage would increase and for low drawing teams, the percentage of members attending might decrease ... big game atmosphere vs low atmosphere games Just my take on it but I'm wondering why the finger only ever gets pointed at the MFC. There again, logic gets thrown out the window with these sorts of things Footnote: South Melbourne & Fitzroy lost their clubs because of similar barren periods. North very nearly closed up shop as well (RDB & Allen Aylett saved them)

Last year we started off with 6 & 13 and ended up with 6 & 11 so not a lot of movement but we now know that we wanted to make sure we acquired Tholstrup so those 2 spots were vital Let's say that the Tigers ended up with 4 or 5 1st round picks. Would they be open to trading 1 of them so as to strengthen their hand in the 2025 off season? They are going to be in full rebuild mode but you can't do that in 1 off season Meanwhile, we're still in the window but maybe that window isn't wide open next year but 2026 or 2027? Imagine going into 2026 or 2027 with Viney, Petracca, Oliver, Rivers (Sparrow in a defensive midfielder role) plus 2 more gun midfielders as part of the new breed We'd be hard to beat

Good points I reckon we'll keep T-Mac for another year so in terms of talls, we might be ok front & back Although we absolutely need a forward/ruck unless we go again with Fullarton (who couldn't even get a run when Max was out) If we acquired a forward/ruck who is not just depth, do we keep Petty, JVR & Turner in the forward line as well? Probably not May, Lever & T-Mac down back is enough but maybe Petty goes back in a swing role (if we add in a forward/ruck) In that situation, T-Mac becomes depth? And there are injuries to consider especially with Lever & May

History tells us that we've often been quite creative in terms of getting better placed in the draft For instance, we moved up in the draft order from pick 6 to pick 3 in order to acquire Oliver But moving up is one thing, acquiring another first round pick would be tricky to pull off

With a reasonable amount of depth with regards to midfielders in the upcoming draft, do we try and get another pick in the 8-12 area? (after somehow moving a pick in the 11-14 area up in the draft) The only way I could see that happening is if we swap next years 1st round pick for another club's 1st rounder this season There might be a club who believes we'll struggle next season so a swap of picks is feasible The Tigers could be a likely suitor as they might end up with a swathe of 1st round picks (To sweeten the deal we can add in a 3rd rounder or 2) Our midfield has a question mark over it and we need to start looking to the future in terms of replacing a player like Gus. Viney is 32 next season and Clarrie & Petracca still need to get back to their best Rivers has stepped up to the plate but we need to look at 2026/2027 and onwards. It's not always about the right now Ideally, I'd like to see us add 2 up and coming midfielders this off-season n.b. It should be noted that after finishing in the top 4* in 2023 we ended up with picks 6 & 11 in the draft (after Academy selections, 7 & 13) *Losing both finals dropped us down 2 spots in the draft order

So what happens now? As @sue pointed out, the footy media is widespread so do they get stuck into Petracca? Maybe for a day or so? And what about all the Roffey & Pert talk? It'll continue here until people get bored with it, but in the media? Or has the cycle run it's course making way for the next story (gossip based?) First final is next Thursday so the bye weekend had it's story to keep footy in the news

Yes, one of the boards is our version of the illuminati And the Demon illuminati got Petracca back on board (they're very persuasive)