Macca

Mogul presented and then didn't run on. The winner (Pyledriver) wins at 20-1. Carrying a bit of condition was Mogul but no excuses. Form is tricky, all the same. Nearly all the horses are first up after a long break.

Good thinking Wadda The racing on Friday night & Saturday night from Ascot is first class A lot of familiar names with 10 Group races to choose from. We should be able to find 3 winners amongst those events. I was on Frankly Darling as well ... Mogal should win too. Mogul is a full brother to 'Japan' (who races in the Prince of Wales Stakes tomorrow) Addeybb is in the same race ... won 2 G1's in Oz in our Autumn.

Yeah I've had a bit of a flutter tonight Wadda Just a couple of one-off doubles & win bets. As you said, some handy types running around and the favoured runners usually find their way into the finish. Great racing to be had. Should we resurrect the Monkey Business thread for our best bets? AFL & NRL back in full swing as is the EPL from Thursday onwards. Maybe get our picks in before Saturday? We may need a break during the winter racing as has been the tradition (apart from having an interest in UK & Irish racing festivals)

As for our collective leadership on the field, where is it? Of the experienced players who set foot on the ground last Saturday, how many came close to playing at their best? Gawn - yes, Petracca - yes All others, no. Oliver is below his best (as he was last year despite winning the B & F) He's got the ability to be pure A grade and should be dominating. Jones, Salem, May, Lever, Jetta, T-Mac, Brayshaw, Fritsch, Harmes, Langdon, Melksham, Tomlinson & Viney can all play much better than their current output. And none of them are rookies who lack experience. So why is that? Whatever the answer is, it can't just be the coach. Goodwin may not be a great coach but last year's pitiful performance was on the players IMO. We beat Essendon and things might improve but I'm not holding my breath.

We need to look further than the coach ... and previously, its often where I have looked (first) But not this time. We have deep cultural issues and the A-end of the problem is the output of the players. So does the fish rot at the head PF? I believe so but not every time. Were Skilton & Ditterich poor coaches? Record says maybe but neither coach had the cattle Either did Barassi who lost 21 games in his first year nor Roos who lost 18 games in his first year. Have we had the same type of Board for all these past decades? Do we need to look at the Board, Jackson, Pert & Mahoney as well? I say yes. Let them sort it out for once. So we've got a problem at the top and a problem with the output of our experienced players (who go missing when the heat is applied) Cause and effect That's My Take!

There's a few things in favour of Goodwin being retained until at least the end of 2021 The biggie is the financial aspect ... as others here have pointed out paying Goodwin out is an added expense we simply can't afford. Let's not forget that we posted up a loss of $1.5Million in 2019 despite still receiving the Pokies & NT money. And we are going to be front and centre with our hand out to the AFL to help try and balance the books this year & next. I reckon we'll win enough games this year to keep his head above water too. 7 or 8 wins will suffice in a 17 round season. Now, that's not my ambition for the club more so what I reckon will probably happen. And we did win 2 finals in 2018 so there's that. The players are more at fault in my opinion ... self satisfied and we switch off when we shouldn't (all too often) We've got too many on our list who just aren't up to it. We're a decent side on paper only. The same blokes who can play well go missing way too much ... the 2nd half against Carlton was your perfect example Goodwin may not be a great coach but he's not nearly as incompetent as many here make out. We could change the coach but I'm not sure the results would change that much.

You are correct with the evaluation of our forwards ... collectively, they are below par in nearly all facets of forward play. And unless we can find some personell who do know how to play as forwards, we won't be winning many games. And I can fully understand why Jackson was/is preferred to Weideman & Brown ... Weideman won't play in front and is therefore of no value as a KPF whilst Brown is pure back up. Small forwards who perform well generally need decent big key forwards to feed off ... so Kossie on his own is asking a bit much (if people here are thinking he'll be some sort of savior) We could rest Jackson (I wouldn't) but his replacement won't improve the team IMO. Unfortunately our forward line improving might have to wait until the off-season. In other words, with a change of personell. In the meantime, in a year where we will struggle to figure, we may as well get some game time into Jackson. I was calling for his inclusion before the season for the same (above) reasoning. T-Mac has regressed to a point where he is only getting a game because the cupboard is bare. He'd otherwise be out. Melksham is overrated, Hannan jogs around, Spargo is too slow and Petracca is needed further afield whilst Fritsch can't kick straight. And our forward line pressure is not AFL standard. Compare our forward line to Richmond's - the difference is stark.

As a few others have mentioned here it's the experienced players that keep letting the team down - as a collective. Been going on for years. Blooding youngsters instead of persevering with NQR's is a necessity. But don't blame the newbies. So it's not one individual experienced player it is all of them bar maybe 2 or 3. And it's never the same 2 or 3 ... seems to work in rotation. Who amongst our experienced players stamps their authority on a match every game? Gawn? Who else? We are lazy and we lack character (especially under pressure) Endemic in the club's culture. We should have crushed Carlton today ... we had a chance to put the jackboot on their throat but we shied away (again) The participation award seems to satisfy. However, we can beat Essendon next week because they're below average as well. After that, who knows?

Best Bet Rosehill Race 8 No.3 Bangkok (Place) $3.30

Yes we need to display high footy IQ with the ball in hand ... either taught and/or Goodwin needs to extract the best from those with those talents (notably Gus, Trac & Clarrie) And our forwards need to work really hard to create targets ... we don't have too many natural forwards but they can at least have a 100% work rate. No excuses. David Williams-like is what is needed. Footy hasn't changed that much in that area, rjay. High work rate = positive results.

Better to show some real character when it doesn't matter. So when the heat really is applied you're well prepared. But judging by your tone anything less than a proper victory against the Blues just won't cut it. There's a few things that need to happen if we're going to play finals (actually contending for the flag is a whole different matter) Leg speed & quick ball movement Proper ball skills especially accurate kicking to position & space. A functioning forward line (the biggie) A connect between the midfield & the forward line. Clean clearance work with a dominant ruckman A defence that plays tight and doesn't leak goals. We've got issues with all of the above so we'll need to improve immensely, right across the board. And do we possess a never-say-die will to win? In every game we play? As always, we live in hope.

Best Bet (Saturday) Flemington Race 2 No.1 Divine Caprice (Place) $3.30

The time honoured Stradbroke Hcp is on this Saturday ... along with the G1 JJ Atkins Plate for the 2yo's. Apparently they might have to lift the weights in the Stradbroke as there aren't enough lightweight jockeys about up there. Dawn Passage is now the $5 favourite and is carrying 50kgs. Looks a half-decent field though with Trekking and a few others in the betting. And the racing returns to the UK this weekend with 3 G1's ... Coronation Cup (Fri) 2000 Guineas (Sat) & 1000 Guineas (Sun) Stradivarius with Frankie on board is currently $5 to win the Coronation Cup.

If it were 50 years or so down the track the AI's could be attending. Now there's a way to build a membership base. All the AI's would be programmed to be optimists so they'd therefore keep fronting up.

Good point Ben If you don't ask, you don't get. So we keep asking in all sorts of areas. Hopefully, in the end, you get what you need.

Gonzo is right though Cards Sometimes the obvious 'ask' needs to be aggressively pursued. It can't be assumed that the Pies & Tigers won't push for both games to be their home fixtures. The comp is just as aggressive off the field. We need to push hard and fight for everything that we can get. I'd also be pushing for a round 1 home game against the Cats and 5 years worth of home games against the Bombers. Maybe 10 years worth to square the ledger.

No it's not that at all ... a lot can happen within the next month or so (AFL bail-out's or possible Government assistance) And right now, a lot of people are struggling financially. And they're worried about their own future's. I wouldn't get too agitated about it all ... not yet anyway.

I wouldn't rule out Government assistance to a large degree either ... the footy clubs are such a big part of our lives so $10Million (each) to the clubs that need it can be seen as an investment. With a promise to reduce costs as part of any deal. The FD's were becoming too big anyway IMO. Money being wasted needlessly? I reckon so.

Sure ... but one has to be realistic as well We'd probably need to raise about $10Million within the next year just to offset the expected lower dividend at seasons end - and next year. Gate receipts - right now, negligible. Next year, who knows? Sponsorship & memberships ongoing? Without crowds, that's another issue L_36 The immediate way is to slash costs. Player salaries is the biggie but the money is guaranteed against budgeted incomes. So, in effect, we'd be raising money to offset player salaries. And most know that. I'd say $20Million needs to be raised but that's a huge ask. And right now, for many, charity begins at home. I'm not against your idea but I reckon the real answer right now lies with expenditure being slashed along with a greatly reduced salary cap as well as a much much smaller FD. The clubs are probably being briefed on how much they will be funded by the AFL. From there, a drive to raise funds can begin. And that can happen sooner rather than later once the whole business plan for all the clubs is enacted.

A dozen clubs (at least) will need a lot of financial assistance from the AFL ... the borrowing of $600Million will see to that. But the money will need to be paid back and it will be the AFL that will be in debt when they bail the clubs out. Therefore, the usual end of season dividend will almost certainly be greatly reduced. Thus, club expenditure will need to be greatly reduced as a consequence. And the debt will be largely driven by the guaranteed salaries to the players ... albeit with a percentage drop. FD spend is still going on re coach salaries etc etc. Ongoing. All this whilst the income streams have slowed to a trickle. Again, ongoing.

Well it's our doing if we somehow managed to talk the Pies into handing out the home status for the QB clash Gonzo. Mind you, as previously stated, the Pies probably made more of a profit from the QB clash over the years due to their 20,000 x $1000 memberships which allowed them control of that Western Stand. So now they get to double-dip yeah? And it was our initiative with regards to the ANZAC Eve game I believe (?) ... along with that opening home game blockbuster against the Cats in 2018 (whatever happened to that arrangement?) For a while there it looked like we had 3 big games every season lined up. PJ was doing a power of work in that area.

The smaller clubs have probably been told to shut up and toe-the-line otherwise they risk being compensated down the track. Might also just be an 'Understanding' similar to don't bite the hand that feeds you. We'd have to play finals for the next 10 years running just to go close to catching up to the big boys. And that's a big ask for any club considering they all have recruitment restrictions along with a moderated salary cap. A more realistic approach would be to play finals in 5 of the next 10 years with (hopefully) a premiership thrown in. 2 flags in 10 years would see the masses in total shock.

That's been our doing where as most of the blockbusters previously were handed out without too much fuss. We are a long way behind despite PJ's terrific work in that area. Collingwood especially have been given a dream run for decades. It's not crying poor either ... more so stating the bleeding obvious.

No it won't change DJ ... in a general sense the compromised draw is based on how many supporters a club has and by default, how many of those eyes will tune into prime-time TV. It's a commercial decision but ultimately, it disadvantages the smaller clubs (specifically the 4 smaller Victorian clubs) It hasn't helped that we've been a poorly performed team for decades and there is a correlation there but the Saints, Doggies & North have copped it even when they've performed well. Same deal for us prior to 2007. So any compensation handed out to disadvantaged clubs is fully deserved (if parity is sought)

Yep ... and for the past 2 decades we've been 'drawn' to play many of our home games against low drawing interstate teams as well as travelling 6 - 7 times against interstate opposition. Every season for season after season. It's any wonder we have been forced to sell off home games to the NT. Not sure doing that was necessarily our choice either Cards. It was a case of have-to (IMO) to balance the books Meanwhile, the big clubs clean up with their version of 'Hand-outs'