Macca

A boilover - 'Manuel' wins after leading all the way. Against that field? Wow! Whooda thunk-it? I reckon I did a 'KB' ... 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th (and probably 7th!)

We're about to find out how good 'Whispering Brook' is too ... but it's a crack field with any number of winning chances. Last year they dawdled up front and then Hartnell won in a blanket finish. There is a bit of early speed this time so hopefully we'll see a truly run race ... I've got a F4 going in the race but I reckon Redkirk Warrior gets into the finish.

Yep ... but the Hayes horse looks a goodin' It was a tough race to find a clear winner. Social Spin nearly always leads but Hawkshot drew the 1 barrier and as we found out, has excellent barrier speed. Too good.

Because it drew the 1 gate it had to be run for luck ... jockey could have switched to the outside but I reckon the horse was ridden to instructions. With 2 leg multi's there's always the option of re-booting.

It's great ... but sometimes the choices just can't get a run. Naseeb the classic example. On any other day the run presents and it wins by 2 lengths. A good thing beaten. That's racing.

'I am Immortal' with a gutsy win in the Blue Diamond Prelude for C & G's ... fought hard to line - always a good sign. The Blue Diamond is shaping up as keenly contested affair. The next race for the fillies will tell us something too.

We're both on it Wadda ... Naseeb is his best bet of the day so fingers crossed.

2 from 2 so far for James Jordan over in Morphettville today ... I was on Blue Hope in race 2 so 'Safari JJ' might be in for a decent day. Got a few multi's going with his selections. Go here for his tips

Nature Strip just way too good for that lot ... beat a few handy types such as Voodoo Lad though. Just too quick and they can't get near him. And how lucky is Chris Waller inheriting this horse? Like winning lotto.

I think it's 6 from 7 ... Phar Lap territory!

Craig Williams mentioned that the track is running really well Wadda and it's still a Good4. Anyway, the super-tipster @Dee Zephyr has got 1 on the board again with 'Crack the Code' saluting. Looked the winner a long way from home. Hands & heels as well - often a good sign. A blackbooker.

Yeah I was thinking of putting up a 3/5 exacta ($12) as I've been doing quite well with that type of exotic bet in the racing off-season. Can one multi up an exacta with win bets Wadda? But I am doing a 'Deeza' and will be putting on a box6 F4 in the CF Orr Stakes ... only issue is that I narrowed it down to 8 choices then PL (in advance) kicked in! Anyway, I'm on with our 3 choices so good luck everyone!

If the AFL wanted the concept to work at a local level you'd reckon they'd be more inclined to want to get most of the locals onside. But instead of that, there seems more of a backlash to the new wiz-bang ideas. With each new innovative idea comes more scorn. It's as if they're doing it that way deliberately. Which makes me think they can really only be aiming at a younger audience (35 or under) and a possible international audience in the same demographic. Play to your audience. A percentage of those in the older brackets could jump on later (that often happens) I do like the idea of Aussie rules being played at a number of those classic arena's around the world but that would be years in the making. Also, their business model might be decades long (think China) It's one evening, probably paid for by sponsors but lets face it, the AFL is cashed up so the cost would be a drop in the ocean anyway.

I don't reckon it matters ... the concept is an attempt at a potential cash grab that may or may not happen (down the track) At Melbourne we take the NT cash and the pokies cash ... without it we'd be cactus by now. As individuals we take the cash ... and why not?

Under 35's is more the demographic

You shouldn't feel offended ... you are not the target audience. You never were. Neither am I Who are we to judge what other demographics can like and dislike? Besides which, the AFL has already got our money.

In the practice games players do get targeted ... a young Hogan had his vertabrae feactured in a game against Geelong. Missed a year because of it. Brayshaw had his head knocked about (purposely?) and missed a ton of games as a consequence. I am way more concerned about the 2 practice games yet most here probably 'Just want some footy' The practise games are becoming more meaningless every year.

Money and a jog around ... at a guess I reckon the AFL/Marvel are putting up a million for the players. 50k each for the captains & 20k for each of the players. All for 20-30 minutes of tackle-free footy Give me some of that! As an aside, I wouldn't be letting any of our top dozen players play in the JLT practice games. The risk of injury is far far worse. Another aside ... AFLW has gained an audience despite most people that I run into having zero interest in the concept. Good on AFLW I say.

Big Saturday coming up with the highlight being the star-studded field in the CF Orr Stakes. The good horses are back and the value that comes along with it all. Here are 5 of the standout races ... CF Orr Stakes Rubiton Stakes TS Carlyon Cup Breeders Classic Eskimo Prince Stakes

Best Bet Caulfield Race 9 No.4 Avilius $3.00

Post Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Runners up 3rd place 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 cowboyfhell/ Macca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regular Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Runners up 3rd place 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall Medal Tally Gold Silver Bronze Gorgoroth 4 0 6 Macca 3 1 4 JV7 2 2 1 ---------------------------------------------------- cowboy_from_hell 1 3 1 DeeSpencer 1 2 3 Clintosaurus 1 2 2 Go the Biff 1 2 1 Dappa Dan 1 1 1 Strafford 1 0 0 titan_uranus 1 0 0 pantaloons 0 2 0 DemonDave 0 1 0 Dee Zephyr 0 0 1 

And many who have polar opposite views now had the sane view at the start of the Jack Watts 'Journey' DZ. Starts off as eager anticipation and then either 'Can't let go' or 'Lash out' There are no winners

And the irony is that many here are calling for the club to recruit some outside run. Previously we've recruited that way (Morton, Toumpas etc) but it's definitely a case of buyer-beware. Again, we draft them out of high school which therefore means there are no guarantees.

Ha ha! Oliver attacks the ball with a manic desire yet rarely, if ever, gets crunched. There is a lot more to footy other than an ability to kick the ball well to position. In Watts' defence he does have gteat vision ... A grade vision. But you've got to have many other prerequisites to be a topliner.

Clayton Oliver is a good example ... take away his manic attack on the ball and he becomes just an average player. Not sure that stuff can be taught either although it has probably happened. Development is key but it is still up to the player themselves.