Macca

3 of the first 5 winners to Craig Williams ... he's on 2nd favourite Demolition in race 6 and the favourite Creedence in race 8. Having a day out. Cash Affair jumped slowly and got too far back - ran 2nd and got home well. Weir mentioned that settling midfield was the ideal spot. Winner too good, all the same.

Eagle Farm to host Deja Vu race? Here is the race in question ... Eagle Farm Race 3

Weekend Specials Italian Serie A Sunday 6.30am $2.10 Juventus Win & +2.5 Goals Match Score vs Roma Portugal Primeiri Liga Monday 4.30am $2.65 Benfica Win & +2.5 Goals Match Score vs SC Braga

Nariko scratched DZ ?

Best Bet Flemington Race 5 No.5 Cash Affair $4.60

Well done @Grapeviney ... that post of your trip was wonderful reading. Fabulous snaps and video clips. It was kinda like a bucket-list all on its own in a whirlwind tour - hard to top that one. I did something similar at the Sydney Olympics with Mrs Mac & Scout Mac. You'll have those memories forever GV - great stuff!

A few decent betting races for the weekend with the Group 2 $400k Ted Van Heemst Stakes being the standout race from Ascot ... Galaxy Star ($1.65) probably wins with Willie Pike on board but Material Man & Gatting could both give a good sight. Out of those 3 you'd reckon with Perfect Jewel & Prying Tom running on perhaps. The Ted Van Heemst Stakes is the often used lead-in race to the Perth Cup (to be run on 5th Jan) Also of interest is the December Hcp from Warwick Farm - just the one turn over the 1400m as they run out of the Shute at that venue - as illustrated here Ted Van Heemst St - Ascot December Hcp - Warwick Farm Christmas Hcp - Morphettville Open Hcp - Flemington

I reckon Mahomes for MVP ... he's played great and he's also had a huge impact. Donald, Brees & Rivers have all been fantastic as well but the kid gets into the picture. Meanwhile, the Pro-Bowl selections are out ... Chargers lead the way with 7 selections whilst the Chiefs & Steelers 6 each. Read more here - 2019 Pro Bowl selections for every team: Full NFC, AFC rosters

Just the 1 point on offer this week but what a vital point it could turn out to be! A reminder that week 17 carries 3 points. The Rams look like certainties but finding 2 more looks tricky. A number of divisional games and they're often close. Anyway, good luck all. Leaderboard in the Comp 6 - JV7, Dr. Gonzo, DeeSpencer 5 - layzie, Dappa Dan 4 - Go the Biff, Clintosaurus, Dee Zephyr 3 - titan_uranus, Gorgoroth, Macca 2 - Demon Dave

Ha ha! Just a gut feel Dappa ... Foles and all that. Home field, trap game for the Texans. Everything on the line for Philadelphia. And in this unpredictable season, most of the games are more line-ball than we've realised. The Vegas lines have often been way off-beam. More so than I can ever remember. We've seen a lot of upset wins so we could expect more of the same. Didn't Foles take over at the exact same time last season? And then ...

@Dappa Dan and others ... I had a go at the Playoff Machine and came up with the following notable results. Of course, they all have to happen for my final standings to be accurate. And what are the chances of that happening? Especially the road win projections! Regardless, we are heading for a colossal last 2 weeks. Week 16 KC loss @ Seattle Saints win vs Steelers Eagles win vs Houston Chargers win vs Baltimore Week 17 Colts loss @ Titans Bears win @ Minnesota Chargers win @ Denver Eagles win @ Washington

I reckon we'll know a lot more after viewing year 2 of the concept with the different logo's, names and all the rest of it. But I won't be watching it in terms of the excitement of winning. More so as an entertainment package and whether it could gain traction with a younger audience as the mainstay. We watch footy with one aim in mind - winning. Take that aspect away and AFLX has to be viewed differently. And if that different viewership attracts good numbers, they may be on to a winner. Time will tell. I'm about as old school as it gets with some sports (AFL, Test Cricket, the Horses, Soccer) but I see AFLX as Sports Entertainment or as pure entertainment that has an appeal to certain demographics. Much like Big Bash, WWE or ESports. And those 3 forms of entertainment alone bring in the big $$$$'s.

When it is all said and done there is not much more that the AFL can do here in this country ... others may disagree especially those looking at grass roots level but to grow the game in a major way we have to go international. You make some very good points on the potential benefits that may come about so why not take the game to the world in AFLX form. The fantastic stadiums are all there so it's just a matter of sticking up the goal posts and away you go. It's a very clever concept if you think about it. I don't believe the long term focus is local anyway but they have to start somewhere.

There are a few major differences between both the BBL & AFLX though BM. t20 was already successful on the world stage when the Big Bash was launched so it was always going to get a captive audience. AFLX is starting from ground zero so it needs the stars playing to have a good chance of succeeding. The comparisons for me lay with the demographics that both forms of sport are vying for ... and that's why there is so much opposition - especially here on this site. Old school, old ideals and old values vs New Age. That's why the debate rages and will continue to rage. Seen it before a stack of times in various sports including cricket and horse racing. On that, NSW racing is aggressively challenging the Victorian stronghold and a lot in Victoria don't like it. Bring it on I say. The more competition, the better.

The injury risk is overplayed considering that any player can get injured anytime, anywhere. The AFLX games are as much an injury risk as simulated training and way less a risk than practice games or the real stuff. And we play less practice games these days so the overall injury risk has lessened anyway. Did you watch AFLX last year rjay? I did and the games were like touch football with very little tackling and almost zero congestion. And there was very little chance of fatigue injuries when considering how short & sharp the contests were As for the appeal of the concept, whatever floats your boat I say so if AFLX gains a large audience, so be it.

That is a costly fumble by the Rams

And there will almost certainly be a stack of road winners this week as well JV - maybe up to 7 in all ... it's turned out to be a more interesting comp than I had ever envisaged. And more so this season with 12 participants. Duck eggs all round again this week so you are still joint leader along with Gonzo & DS. And everyone is still in contention. We allow for joint winners. Leaderboard in the Comp 6 - JV7, Dr. Gonzo, DeeSpencer 5 - layzie, Dappa Dan 4 - Go the Biff, Clintosaurus, Dee Zephyr 3 - titan_uranus, Gorgoroth, Macca 2 - Demon Dave

I'm assuming none of those 3 games had started when you posted up your tips so no problem TU

For the concept to have a chance of working the stars need to be front and centre. Agree on the stadiums but the AFL now own Docklands with that whole 'Marvel' thing to boot. We play less practice games now and there is no longer a pre-season cup so these tackle-free AFLX games are in some ways replacement games. A chance for the stars to show off their skills without all the congestion.

The other bit is why so many are so surprised. This is what the AFL do ... we've got footy in every State & Territory and now they are looking at expanding their horizons. First tried in the 60's with the Galahs and then at various times in Canada, the UK and elsewhere. That didn't work so they've embarked on a totally new concept. Those opposed can please themselves.

Given time, AFLX will find its target audience and could well be a going concern. I may be wrong but I've already come across a number of people that like the concept (no wrinklies) So prepare yourself Wyl ... your worst nightmare may come to fruition.

The hybrid version would be better for me if it were 9 a side ... more tackling would result. And therefore more injuries. So it will stay as 7 a side. But it is not about me nor should it be about me ... or you for that matter. We are not the target audience. And that is what I am trying to point out ... once you realise what the concept is all about, you'll understand it all.

Some people = Hundreds of Millions and counting. That is a lot of 'Some People'. As for the money earned, good luck to anyone who can earn vast sums I say. Sport is also all about entertainment these days so if a decent audience is gained, the money is sure to flow. In fact, sport has changed to such a vast degree that I now choose to embrace 'New Sport' with all the add-ons because to not do so is pointless. Who wants to live in the past? With AFLX, we may look back and ask why someone didn't think of the concept decades earlier as many do with t20. Or it may fail. It's worth a go even if people like you and I don't care for it. The potential audience could well exclude a number of certain demographics and still have a vast audience. They aren't necessarily aiming at the over 45's but that demographic and the oldies could well jump on later as has what has happened with t20. Footy is all about the winning & losing so AFLX probably needs to have that factor ... by contrast, t20 flourishes as pure entertainment (4's & 6's being the mainstays) I thought t20 might have needed rivalries, tribalism et al but it doesn't seem like it needs those aspects as a primary driver of the sport. It is immensely popular so acts as a good pointer to the future of sport. Especially here in Australia. Entertainment comes in many forms these days and because you work in that environment Wyl, you should have no need to be convinced about what can work. Where as many see t20 as a threat to Test cricket (I don't), there should be no such concern with AFLX vs AFL. It's just a different version with a potential new audience. And injuries can happen at training and often do. AFLX was virtually tackle-free last year so the risk of injury is low anyway. Simulated match practice has the same sort of injury risk.

I never called AFLX a 'New Brilliant Marketing Option' ... and I neither personally support the new concept nor do I condemn it either. If the AFL wants to expand their interests, that is entirely up to them. It might work, it may not. But if it does work, the sky is the limit. You've convinced yourself that it will fail based on your intense dislike of the concept - which is the wrong way to view things. Get with the times and get with the program Wyl - you are getting left behind. Embrace the new and broaden your horizons.

AFLX is way different to State of Origin - chalk & cheese. The public had lost interest in State of Origin once the competition became National. The injury factor came to the fore once the interest started to wane. If hundreds of millions of $$$'s are generated from overseas interest in AFLX then having players injured will just become part of the new version of the sport. Now, that interest may not ever eventuate but that is why the idea is being put forth in my opinion. It will either work or it won't work - nothing ventured, nothing gained. And the one thing I will always give credit to the AFL is their marketing of the sport ... in terms of general interest, crowds, stadiums, TV viewers, Media rights and all the rest of it, they are brilliant. I believe as custodians of the way the sport is played that they leave a lot to be desired but as marketers of the sport, they are king when considering the sport is indigenous to Australia. So, they'll market AFLX, that is a given. And they may well market the hybrid version very well - they are extremely cashed-up so they'll give it a good go. Same as they'll keep throwing 10's of Millions at GWS & GCS until those 2 markets prosper. It's grow or perish these days. Let's just see how it all plays out ... 5 years hence we might all have different opinions.