Macca

21,800 or thereabouts

Ultimately, sparse crowds can effect the numbers viewing on TV And it could be that those staying away are not staying away for the more obvious reasons (covid, cold weather etc) The AFL needs to promote the games in terms of people attending the games

Exactly ... over 100k members on the back of 3 premierships? Who are the self-satisfied lot? But we're the scapegoat/whipping boy and it will remain that way Crowds are down right across the board so the AFL has got a real problem on it's hands Overall, Simon spoke very well and gave nothing away other than mentioning that the club was handling things and would learn from what had happened

One of the journo's made a comment about Demon supporters being at the snow on Monday instead of the game How childish and he should have been told to shut up by his peers Supporter-speak I don't mind, but a professional journalist? And the media wonder why we have little respect for the way they go about their job It's a serious press conference interrupted by a comment that is better suited to the schoolyard

Ha! I'm following through on my assertion that the latest H/S expose would serve to galvanise the team The restaurant fiasco can be turned into a positive as well (somehow) ... but that's up to the coaches as part of their job description is to show the players how to deal with and react to adversity I'm a great believer in the 'Us against Them' mantra. In its basic form it still works. We can thrive with being the hunted ... feed off it and use it to our advantage Every week the players and coaches are looking at ways to keep the players up and about and fully motivated. That way of thinking has now come from an outside source and from within. A two-fold effect so we will be focused in my opinion

Fair enough We see things differently as I have fond memories of those Finals campaigns under Northey & Daniher. And you'll be pleased to know that I was there at the games yelling my head off in support! But if I carried on like that now I'd give myself a coronary! (John Wren style) '94 was a great ride too under Balmey Even 1976 was exciting when we just got pipped for a finals berth after storming home in the last part of that season Certainly not mediocre in my view but we all see things differently, RBG

For what its worth I reckon we'll beat the Pies even without May We will see a very fired up team on Monday ... and Collingwood aren't that good a team anyway The only way we'll lose is if we put in an average performance ... and I can't see that happening There will be 19 premiership players take the field (20 if we include an improved James Jordon) Relax, we've got this!

You are ruining your own argument talking in such a frustrated manner We all know how much value May brings but it's fair to say that he's made a few errors of judgement of late I want him to play against the Pies but the decision has been made to suspend the bloke and we have to deal with it

They did and if the Swans had have kicked straighter we would have lost by 5 or 6 goals We need to start playing a lot better A lifetime of mediocre rubbish? Are you serious? We were terrific during the Northey years as well as in the Daniher era. A total of 11 finals series contended during that time We didn't win the ultimate prize back then but we played some great footy We're you around then and if so, why would you describe those times as mediocre? I was lucky enough to see Robbie Flower's entire career. Was he mediocre in your eyes as well?

That was one of the best Origin games I've witnessed. Munster & Cherry-Evans were immense and Billy Slater gets a win on the board in his first outing as head coach of the Maroons (in Sydney)

Well, if we're going to win that flag in Melbourne we need to smarten up Brawling in French restaurants, a forward line that is fast becoming dysfunctional and a backline missing it's best player because he can't adhere to the no grog rule All the yelling & support won't matter a jot if the players can't get focused Sydney & Freo made the team look rather ordinary in the last 2 games. The Pies will smell blood and so will the Lions in 2 weeks Need a win don't we?

It's not unusual for there to be disagreement on decisions within the hierarchy of a club. Goodwin would dearly want May to play as he improves the team by at least 2 or 3 goals (in terms of saving goals and setting up goals with his precision kicking) That's not to say that Goodwin doesn't endorse the decision

He struck it very very hard - not sure the keeper would have caught it cleanly so the possible/probable fumble could have been pounced upon ... on the scale of own goals it's low And we know know the Socceroos aren't that good but our lack of high end talent makes getting this far to be all the more meritorious As a realist, I reckon we've done exceptionally well for a bunch of no-names. Bit like the '74 Socceroos As Graham Arnold noted, we are drawing on good old fashioned Aussie spirit Peru will be tough and will go in as favourites but it will be played in front of an empty stadium (due to their crowd trouble) Australia to win in a penalty shoot-out!!

Could the AFL step in with their own sanctions with regards the unruly behavior? Of course, we still don't know all the details and the latest is that May didn't make the jibe about the GF & Jake

Are we still in possession of Schwabby's $80k desk? If so, that should cover things

Sometimes there is a simple explanation to a complex question Not only do we not have anywhere near enough younger supporters but because our members are generally much older, they are staying away for all sorts of reasons. And I suspect the oldies much prefer day games And the oldies aren't very loud nor do the oldies like noise. Especially loud nouse. This is true even when we're not talking about the footy. Nothing much is going to change either despite all the urgings. It's not rocket science And it will take more than a decade to change the age demographics of our supporters. And only after a long period of sustained success So we're not necessarily introverted, we are just a quiet, older, more consevative crowd situated mainly in a conservative and more quiet part of the MCG (MCC area & Northern stand) That is who and what we are

Socceroos get past the UAE This team of largely unknowns might just make it to the world cup One last hurdle and it's a tough one ... away to Peru at 4 00am next Tuesday

Yes it was a particularly nasty thing to say - could be the grog talking but that's no excuse It's lucky he's such a good player but the club and leadership group saw fit to suspend him anyway. A brave call If we defeat the Pies without May all will be ok (at least for us supporters) but if we lose, there could be some fallout and the natives could get restless. And the media will get stuck in you'd imagine We just have to win ... forward line needs to fire and the backline will have to make do without May again And as we all know he's way more than just a top level full back. He's the general back there and organises the other backmen like he's another coach. And the other backmen play better with May playing his role We didn't need this sort of thing to happen but it has happened and we're just going to have to make-do without him

I did a thread here on our inside 50's in the GF with a full description on what happened with every entry - took me a day to do it! Easy to find with a quick search We win another one I'll do it again. We had a very open forward line in the GF & Prelim but since both those days our forward line has been crowded by nearly every opposition team with Sydney doing it and then playing us on the fast break - soccer style So targeting our forwards hasn't been easy this season ... we've become the hunted and that was to be expected

I believe Percy Beames kicked 6 goals in the 1941 GF And he was a rover! Norm Smith kicked 7 in the 1940 GF But Fritsch at any other time may well have won the Norm Smith Medal ... did he get 2 votes from every person allocating the votes? Petracca of course was magnificent and a worthy winner of the medal From inside 50 entries in last year's GF, Fritsch was targeted 9 times where he won the ball 8 times and kicked 6 goals 2 behinds. A fabulous strike rate especially in a GF

"Demons to destroy Pies and their finals aspirations" A DEMON DEMOLITION Undercard May vs Melksham in the rematch of the century (half time entertainment) ... referee'd by the maitre d of Entrecote That should ensure a bumper crowd!

A heavier fine ($10k - $15k) would have fixed things but a $5k maximum fine (PA CBA agreement) almost forces those imparting the punishment to go heavier ... which ends up being a suspension Community service is also part of it but is that strictly adhered to? We are in the business of trying to win the only prize on offer (the Premiership) and every Home & Away win increases your chances of winning the big one ... and any loss lessens the chances You do not want to be playing a prelim final against Brisbane, Fremantle or Sydney as the away team And you don't get many chances at the top as us supporters know full well ... we are in our window and the time to win big is right now May had to cop a sanction for breaking protocols but suspended? Not for mine As for the actual fight, it doesn't look like he threw the first punch and in that situation you might feel inclined to fight back for fear of more fists coming your way. Jake might have wanted to go in for a bit more. Who knows in that sort of chaos? But we don't know the full story so my opinion is just that, an opinion I wouldn't have suspended him on what we currently know to be true (breaking concussion protocols)

If we lose a close one against the Pies then May's absence will almost certainly be a contributing factor And that would make it 3 losses in a row with Brisbane up next The Pies would be looking on with glee A suspended sentence, a heavy fine and lots of community service should have been the outcome Trouble is that the PA have been able to cap the fines at $5k So a $15k - $20k would really hurt May but that sort of figure can't be enforced

It is for Collingwood these days!

Just give the bloke a fine, not suspend him Hurts the team more than the player. I'm all for doing the right thing off the field but would we suspend him on the eve of a GF?