Macca

Open Minded drifted to 4.50 in the end and looked the winner a fair way from home I was on Madam Superior with Ollie on board and it looked good for a while OM too good though

All our picks have shortened or are shortening ... but that's always a good sign even though the dividend is lower I got good odds with Defiant Dancer, Criaderas & Sky Lab as I got on early Buffalo River ran really well last time and just got pipped by Regardsmaree which was carrying 6kgs less. Set weights tomorrow but Buffalo is carrying 4kgs less (And J Kah is on board)

Yep The kid stays in the picture (Chandler)

Yes, the big dividend definitely needs a small wager! You wouldn't want to miss out if they all salute I reckon we'll get at least 1or 2 winners out of the 4 though, all the same I've started the weekend well with 'The Regiment' winning (just!) Couldn't resist the double winnings with Laddies. Got a few quinellas & win bets to come but am already in front

All 4 winning is showing odds of about 800-1 But Buffalo River winning with the other 3 placing will net you 30-1 3 x Value Bets along with a very strong chance in Buffalo River gives a few options Good luck to all having a punt!

2nd Value Runner (Saturday Randwick) Race 8 No.13 Sky Lab 5.50/1.80

Superman is out of my race then! Phew! Anyway, post up another if you like and I'll post up something later as well

Yes but not all the time Gorg Depends on who is doing the Best Bet tips (which is Gator most of the time - but not always as he has the odd week off)

Here are Gators tips for Flemington on Saturday And Gators Game Plan can be found under the RSN Central category on the RSN Podcast Site

No worries Got my eye on a 1 or 2 at Randwick ... the racing at Flemington is very competitive especially the last 5 races

Same as last week, we both may as well have another go if the others aren't in yet (maybe wait until tomorrow evening?) The place multi is already sitting at $5.20 (with a boost) so 2 more picks could get the odds up to 15-1 or 20-1 n.b. Last week's successful ADATR 4 Pick saluted at 12-1. The team effort paid off!

I've always maintained it's about getting people together Spent decades at local level doing the above and we assembled in some murky venues!! But it worked and the Bentleigh club would probably lift their game if they knew a couple of hundred people were rolling up I've popped into the Bentleigh club on occasions outside of game days and it would need to be better presented as you've indicated But that is entirely possible with the right sort of communications

5 winning seasons in a row like what happened under Northey is what we desperately need ... starting this season Do that and we will challenge for the flag at some stage in that time And the off-field benefits will follow accordingly The club has to be ready to cash in if we consistently play finals too. Lots of new memberships from a huge growth area like Casey would be a distinct possibility as long as we start winning more games than we lose and as long as we have a greater presence in the Casey precinct The Pies are a good example of sustained finals appearances and what it can bring ... only 2 flags in 60 years but they play finals a lot. Result = big membership numbers and financial security Casey has huge pockets of land to be filled with new dwellings from new home buyers. The 350,000+ residents could be 400,000+ sooner than people think We are behind the eight ball because we've only played finals once in the last 14 years. That's bad for business and stating the obvious rjay but that's the difference between our club and other, far more successful clubs

3 big Group 1 races out of Flemington & Randwick coming up this Saturday as well as a host of other Group & Listed races ... promises to be another big day. The best of the best up against each other Flemington - Fields, Form & Odds Randwick - Fields, Form & Odds

Best Bet Randwick R4 No.10 Criaderas 5.50/1.90

As previously stated DM, the large majority of Demon supporters and members are MCG people and that is always going to be our real & spiritual home. It's where we play our games and hopefully that will never change As for the training base it's a different story so why not Casey? I can see that facility out there being top-notch. Over time you could seat 5000-8000 with matches involving the Mens practice games (which happens now anyway) the Womens team, Casey Scorpions and perhaps an under 18 team and other junior teams (creating a pathway) Bit breezy on the wings but with some creative thinking that could be fixed And of course at the same time acting as a proper training base with all the bells & whistles. And there's any number of the 350,000+ people out there who could jump on board I also believe that the club needs to promote & market the Bentleigh Club on match days when we play interstate ... there should be hundreds there. We own the place so why aren't we using it properly? Ok, it's a little bit out of the way for some but it is ours You put on $2 coffees, $4 schooners and free finger food and you'd pack the joint out. Didn't we strike 50,000 members a couple of years ago? That's a lot of untapped customers

I don't agree. Good clubs keep their good players (in a general sense) The players are out at Casey a fair bit as it is. And I've outlined some of the logistical issues in earlier posts There's 3 choices as I see it ... A new inner City facility (highly doubtful in my view) Gut feeling is that it won't happen (at least in the next 3-5 ,years) Leave it as it is (Gosch's & AAMI) ... an unsatisfactory ongoing arrangement (are we the new Fitzroy?) Casey but not all-in (but only if the State & Federal Governments come to the party with a large majority of the funding) And Casey might be the only choice with regards to having a State of the Art facility that we can call our own What's your outcome in the near future and what about long term? Got a reasonable alternative? I drive past Gosch's Park occasionally and when we are training on those occasions the whole thing looks amateurish. Like a suburban club but surrounded by 2 of the busiest roads in Melbourne. Can you imagine if we're still there in 5 or 10 years time?

It's about the 350,000+ people out there Wyl and whether they get on board. Also, you keep forgetting that I would want the club to hold on to our inner city roots & history. No abandoning of that It's also about a State of the Art facility that we could call our own But the club will probably just meander along and not do much at all I agree with old dee on that but am merely pointing out what could be done instead I would also prefer the club to be a powerhouse on the field (ongoing) but what are the chances of that happening? There's always hope ?

We saw the governments plow tens of millions into the Geelong facility angling for votes (?) 250,000 live in the Geelong area but over 350,000 live in Casey. Same reasoning could apply OD. But as you said, it's whether we are prepared to move there (in part, not totally) In the meantime, Gosch's & AAMI is the alternative and will be indefinitely (in my view)

Bartlett's comment that the decision on an inner city facility will be left with Pakula & the Premier with a 'hope' that we might hear something this year doesn't sound very promising at all But I've never had any hopes for such a thing getting off the ground anyway. It might still happen of course but I'm doubtful So it's sharing Gosch's & AAMI Park or move to Casey ... or a bit of both as it is now But if we can get good funding at Casey I"d be making the move. Maybe not lock stock & barrel though. Keep a few other options open I've outlined my reasoning in the above posts so no use repeating Anyway, Port Melb seems like a bridge too far whilst with regards to the Saints, there was nothing wrong with Moorabbin to begin with Waverley is also a fine facility as well. There is such a thing of being a bit too fussy

Well let's give the hundreds of thousands of people who live out there something to do ... support an AFL club like the MFC And by the way, the people who live in Casey are just normal people. There's nothing wrong with them. I reckon we'd be welcomed with open arms if we committed And no, I don't live there We could have the best of both worlds within 5 years ... a top class State of the Art facility whilst maintaining our inner City history & roots as well as playing our games at the MCG The $5Million that was spent on Casey recently is the pointer in my view. The money could keep coming if we commit

In your opinion. I disagree. Tens of thousands of junior memberships would be a good starting point. That's if this underforming club can finally start winning The scope for growth out in Casey is enormous whilst we can keep our inner City roots and ageing supporter base. It's time for change Wyl The alternative is Gosch's (which is rubbish IMV) and an inner City facility that is nothing but a pipedream. Ain't gonna happen in my opinion So more of the same or you take a chance without abandoning your history

Because they're getting paid to do so. They are professional sportsmen once contracted to the club Truth is we're not a destination club anyway unless we entice with big amounts of dollars Players get drafted to all sorts of places in Australia these days so I don't see the problem anyway Take the money and then act like pro's is how I view it. What's the average salary $400k? Not too shabby You really believe this inner City facility is ever going to eventuate? And I'd take Casey over Gosch's paddock any day of the week It's not like any of us supporters need to be there anyway. Less training reports on this site - who cares? What does it matter? New and existing players can be encouraged to buy or move to the South East corridor so as to cut down on travel time. 30 minutes each way is nothing if living in Endeavour Hills, Glen Waverley, North Dandenong and the like To my way of thinking its all pointing towards Casey anyway but the board probably doesn't know how to convey the message And the players might only be at Casey 3 days a week. 2 days off per week isn't it? Matchdays are obviously elsewhere and they might have another day in another location

'Personally' or are you thinking it hurts the club being partly based out there? Does it really matter where we train?

Casey is not in the middle of nowhere ... it's a huge area with hundreds of thousands of dwellings that is growing in huge numbers by the day. The area needs a lot more infrastructure but the club will only need a proper facility (hasn't $5Million already been spent out there in recent times?) It's in many ways a golden opportunity if the club was wanting to add on to the facility out there as we'd get State & Federal funding (IMO) as apposed to the pipe-dream that is the could-be inner City facility. Can't see the latter happening anyway. To me it's just hollow talk & rhetoric emanating from the board It's not like we'd be playing out at Casey, just training and admin etc. Similar to Tulla & Dingley but further out. And having a proper base out there gives the club a chance to grow its supporter base and membership The players are supposed to be pro's so they'd get used to it. They'd be going against the traffic in the morning and late in the arvo the same. It's 9-5 these days as a player (with a day or 2 off per week and loads of holidays) You can hold meetings anywhere, gyms are gyms no matter where they are and the playing surface can be the best in the business (as the Junction Oval was historically) Truth is that most Demon supporters are really only interested in watching the team play games on the MCG (or on the telly) so where our training base is, is quite irrelevant to the masses I'd be angling at Casey whilst getting the State & Federal governments on board. Take the money & opportunity whilst it's staring us in the face It's all pointing towards Casey as I read it anyway