Macca

All clubs go into denial when things go pear-shaped. It's human nature It's my belief that the premiership went to their heads (Demons) What happened as a consequence was like night following day

Errors were made and key personnel needed to go, but we've made the changes accordingly The players need to buy-in into the coaches instructions and we go from there Apart from the senior players needing to lift, it's our style of play that is all-important We need to share the ball as a first, 2nd & 3rd option. We did that against Freo & Brisbane last year and that was with a fragmented group (and won both games) So team football (first) is entirely feasible, DZ

It's time to look forward, not back We start again after a number of necessary changes both on & off the field David Parkin on SEN today referenced that in order for a team to seriously challenge, that team needs 28-30 bona-fide AFL standard players We've got a ways to go, but with a new coach and a revamped FD & Player list, the new journey begins The first thing that we need to see happening? Senior players standing up, playing well and leading the way At last count, we have about 30 players on the list with at least 4 years experience on an AFL list. It's time for those players to deliver If that doesn't happen, we're heading for another big off-season

One thing that stood out was Kozzie and his 1st or 2nd possession of the match Dashed out of the middle but then pumped it long to an eventual pack and a loss of possession It looked great but in practical terms it was a waste of a possession and a net loss to a forward foray King needs to coach the long bomb out of our players. Good luck!

1 For mine it is a hunger for the ball and to play as a team (sadly lacking the last 2 seasons) Footskills and accurate handpassing, working our way into the forward line at top speed All that is probably a lot to ask but we've at least got to try and play an efficient and effective brand that can work Long bombs should be banned. For our team, those bombs forward serve no purpose other than to turn the ball over Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass until the opening appears

We had an Essendon supporter here for years and he was a decent poster and quite knowledgeable... went by the name of Ash I believe. He put forward a good argument during the Essendon scandal (he didn't convince me but nonetheless, his argument was well thought out) And there was a Tiger supporter here as well for a long time, but mainly on 'Ology ... 'Tgr'? And then of course, there was 'Dr. Who' and his many guises. Trolled here, on and off, for years. I could pick him in a day or so, as his style was unmistakable But Ash & Tgr were fine, as is No.31. If nothing else, they liven up the conversation And the 'Awaken Your Demon' clip hits the spot and is quite funny. I like it Living up to that type of stereotype compares well to the filth, scum & ferals. One can only imagine what their clips would look like

Where the AFL sits in the future with regards to Origin footy is in the lap of the gods. But being a ratings winner and having a sold-out crowd brings in lots of revenue So keep paying the players top dosh to keep them interested? Yep, that'll work I find the whole revisting of an old concept quite fascinating. What has to be remembered is that there are any number of footy fans that are absolute fanatics. You can serve up footy any which way and they're tuning in And the W.A government have invested into the concept so there's a strong commitment all-round Whether any particular individual likes it or not is irrelevant. It's about the masses and the numbers A good example is the t20 sloggathon ... I can't stand it but it's ultra successful. I'd rather stare at a wall for an hour or 2

A lot of people are watching the Winter Olympics (including myself) so there's that But February is generally a slow month for sport on FTA so they got the timing right You missed a good match last night, old dee ... even if it was just for the skills alone I didn't get a lot out of the win but as an exhibition match played with high intensity, it was a winner. But long term? Not so sure I still keep going back to the player payments ... on top of a high salary in a general sense that the players receive from their clubs, picking up $20k (plus) along with all the freebies, is money for old rope (nice work if you can get it!) I was surprised to find out that the NRL players receive $90k for 3 Origin matches. That's a lot of dosh for rep footy (compared to yesteryear)

According to AI, the numbers for the match were excellent for Ch7 & 7Plus A Ratings 'Smash-hit' (apparently) For more details, go to google

State dominance? The Vics seemed very happy as winners and it didn't look manufactured I reckon in the short term (3 to 5 years) the interest will be high enough (public & players) After that, who knows? Long term, there will need to be real passion and rivalries (especially if S.A enters in the fray) You get what you pay for so the money paid to the players effectively made sure of the buy-in (in my view) The game was an excellent exhibition of the sport. Certainly worth a viewing on 'Mini replay' or even the full replay As is often the case, the answer lies with the masses, with regards to the long term future of the concept

The $20k per player helps! (up to $45k per player with marketing deals added on) Along with all the other freebies (Accomodation & fly-ins for family etc etc) Holiday money covered, thank you very much! Although it must be said that each NRL player receives $90k if they play all 3 Origin games Money talks but the games would pay for themselves with cash to spare (NRL at least) The all important TV & Streaming numbers have yet to be released for the AFL Origin game

One game (WA vs VIc) is about right for now. At least the next 2 years in W.A After that, SA can enter the fold maybe every 2nd year with the Vics involved every season A gather round in WA could work as a trade off or just have another gather round with an extra game added I'm a fan of the origin format and always have been. But it's about whether it can work or not (long term) I was concerned it was going to be a bruise-free game but it was like a normal game played at a higher standard (way less fumbles & clangers) The lightning handpasses and accurate short passing was a real step up

Daicos is not an in and under type but he dominated the game tonight. Doesn't waste a possession and got it 38 times tonight The bloke is a star

Soccer has it's Charity Shield's as does Rugby League (Rabbitohs & Dragons played tonight) The NFL has it's Hall of Fame game as well in the pre-season So as a season opener per se, I reckon it can work but WA deserve to host the game (or a game) next year and beyond Need to get S.A involved somehow but that's the tricky bit It was a fair-dinkum match played at a high standard so that box was ticked. Needs the support of the viewing public, both short term and long term

High standard game but for the spectators, are we passionate about the format? About winning? A lot rests with the under 35's. If they love it, there's a chance it can work long term Will be interested to see the TV & Streaming numbers. At a guess, I reckon the numbers will be very good But long term, Gonzo?

Just for you @hardtack And for those who have never seen it, or haven't revisited for a while Here's Angry & the Batmobile

Excellent evaluation He's a step behind instead of a step ahead. At his best he would swoop in at lightning pace and dish it off quick as lightning to a player on the move All those fast-twitch muscles at play. Sheer brilliance But we haven't seen it since mid 2023 and 2 and a half years have passed He might get it back, but week after week of that former brilliance? 40/60

Well worth another look, especially if you like your sci-fi thrillers 'Limitless' 11.45pm Sunday 15th Feb SBS World Movies

I got lucky in the 2nd week of the playoffs when I took a few chances just to try and get back into the running (after having a horror week 1) Just dumb luck, DZ!

Aussie Michael Dickson had a fabulous night punting. Getting huge raps in the States too (Punters are rarely even talked about) He's come a long from being on the fringes as a draft candidate in the AFL. His initial dream became a bigger dream, that came true

Leaderboard Tipping Comp (Final) 27 - Macca 26 - Clintosaurus 20 - BDA, Gorgoroth 19 - Dee Zephyr 17 - Go the Biff 16 - ElDiablo Quote selection

If we can keep our defence healthy and intact, that can help us win games Petty, Lever, Turner, CJ, XT, Salem, Howes, T-Mac, Adams and perhaps even Lindsay the likely candidates Whilst we're developing, our defence could be a strength, building the team from the backline What is true, is that we need a big man presence up forward, and down back. We've had it before, but those era's are in the past I wonder how King sees it all? Is he the type to try the players in different positions? I hope so, as we really don't have a lot to lose by experimenting

Defence wins Championships!

Turns out you were right, layz!

I don't remember that but if so, all the more reason for a late change (or 2) It was a monumental stuff up and set the tone for the next month of losses Also reckon playing low skilled tall forwards lends itself to long bombs forward from the mids. Take the talls away and the mids need to find more mobile targets