Macca

I'm confident we'll see a change of tack and we'll see it in the first month of the season (re mid/forward connection) We may play a more medium/tall set-up, up forward so as to see more movement from our forwards (the recruitment of McAdam & Billings is a pointer) Petracca mid/forward worked as well so we may see that move again too ... he kicked 4 goals against the Saints & Lions and at other times had 4 shots at goal (in the ĺast 3rd of the season) And Kozzie with more midfield time (at times) won't be robbing the forward line if done properly. Early touches does wonders for Kozzie's confidence

Aiden Markram is playing a great hand on this treacherous pitch in South Africa ... currently 102n.o. defying all the odds in a brilliant performance. Even a half century would have been a major achievement South Africa now lead by 60 and making a game of it somehow. Probably need to be 150+ ahead but who knows on this track? India win by 7 wickets in the shortest test match of all time ... 107 overs vs 109.2 overs (way back when)

Like all the other clubs, much depends on the front 3rd and how it functions Defence is of no real concern and either is our midfield strength but our entries from the midfield to our forwards is all important It's pleasing that we've bolstered our forward line numbers with the acquisition of McAdam & Billings and we might perhaps see some moments from Tholstrup and maybe even Windsor. Jefferson & Fullarton might surprise too adding to the mainstays of Petty, JVR, Kozzie (forward/mid), Petracca (mid/forward), Fritsch and the small brigade And then the connection forward. Our release forward from our midfield and wings needs to be first rate in terms of the mids having lots of time to dispose of the ball forward without being under undue pressure (midfield schemes needs to be B+ at least) and more importantly, the quality of those disposals to the right spots forward If we can achieve 14-18 marks inside 50 per game on average, we'll go a long way towards another top 4 finish. And a number of those marks need to be in and around the hot spot rather than boundary side A more scientific approach heading into our forward line is required and with the acquisition of McQualter, hopefully our F50 entries improve in terms of quality Do all that and we'll finish high up on the ladder again Let's not forget that we've still got a high quality list ... we just need to get the best out of that list

As for the 3rd test vs Pakistan, they did very well in the end to make over 300 after being in real trouble a few times Ponting stated that he reckons the pitch will start playing up and be hard to bat on so it's possibly advantage Pakistan Batting last may be a bit of an assignment but we shall see

The Proteas currently 8-48 batting first in the 2nd Test with Siraj taking 6-15! Apparently their lowest ever score is somewhere in the 70's (in the modern era since their readmission in 1995) 36 the lowest back in the early 1900's The wicket very lively but they've batted poorly Significantly pleasing that the first 3 days at Newlands (Cape Town) being sold out Edit: South Africa all out for 55

You make a lot of very good points, TD. Agree with all Some further issues ... So the South Africans are saying that sending a 2nd rate test team to NZ is a one-off when factoring in the future tours. But can they be believed? The trouble is that the ownership of all the t20 teams in South Africa are from IPL franchises and the IPL hierarchy itself is talking about having another t20 competition in the September/October window (every year) ... so in the future, any test cricket scheduled during those months could be compromised And what's to stop other test nations doing the same thing as what South Africa are doing ... in a short space of time a new normality could exist The ICC needs to protect the future tours when it comes to test cricket but will they? So cricket is in good health but test cricket is at the crossroads (somewhat) A sign of that is the glut of 2 test series that we're now seeing And we should look no further than our own backyard ... after Pakistan we play a 2 test series against the West Indies and then a 2 test series against NZ in NZ. Further complicating matters are the WTC* points gained from test matches. If NZ prevail against a B grade South Africa in the upcoming 2 test series, should they be afforded maximum WTC points? One solution is for cricket to be like soccer where International windows could be created to protect the authenticity of test cricket. All test tours could incorporate white-ball cricket to satisfy the bean-counters But that would require an ICC directive and the ICC is made up of all the member nations where self-interest rules ($$$$'s from privatised t20 comps) *World Test Championship (points)

@Go the Biff @titan_uranus @BDA @Dr. Gonzo @Clintosaurus @DemonDave @Dee Zephyr @Dappa Dan @Gorgoroth @layzie @JV7 @DeeSpencer Leaderboard Tipping Comp 7 - DemonDave 5 - Dr.Gonzo, BDA 4 - Clintosaurus, Macca*, Dee Zephyr, Gorgoroth 3 - layzie, DeeSpencer*, Go the Biff 2 - JV7 1 - titan_uranus *denotes bonus point awarded It's the final week and we play for 3 points (a bonus point is on offer as well) Thus, 10 participants can still win either outright (or share the award) Podium places as well contribute to the overall hall of fame 😄 Bit easier to finish ... but is it ever easy? Good luck Gentlemen! Couple of AEDT Sunday games this week - both vital games too although the Ravens have stitched up the bye. Pittsburgh a hated rival though so any concessions?

Yeah the 49ers have got the bye so if they rest a player like Purdy, he won't have played for 3 weeks when week 2 of the playoffs comes around. But if he gets injured by playing next week, then the risk won't be worth it Definitely a bit of a dilemma as I recall about 10 years ago when the Packers (who had the bye) rested Rodgers and the whole team came out rusty in week 2 of the playoffs (the Giants won that game and then went on to win the SB) The 15 & 1 regular season record voided there and then! What the 49ers could do is strengthen their offensive line so Purdy can't get hit easily. Just use the game to try out different schemes. Run the ball primarily as well As for the Rams, you may as well get ready for Detroit or the Cowboys as it's a tough assignment either way. On the other hand the Packers have to win to get in and the Bears would love to play spoiler against a noted rival

It sure does Also, there was a misconception about that the Eagles held the tie-break over Dallas but not so. The Cowboys now lead the NFC East and they now control their own destiny The Eagles are now in the wild-card position and are now on the road throughout the playoffs unless Dallas slips up next week at Washington At this stage the Eagles will be on the road in week 1 of the playoffs against whoever wins the NFC South (and that could be one of Tampa, the Saints or Atlanta) Meanwhile, the Packers also control their own destiny. Packers win next week and then it will be Green Bay or the Rams at Big D in the first week of the playoffs depending on whether the Rams win or lose against the 49ers next week (unless Dallas slips up against Washington with the Eagles winning) Confused? There's about a dozen other stories & scenarios but that's what divisional football delivers. It's a great system (in my view)

Leaderboard Tipping Comp 7 - DemonDave 5 - Dr.Gonzo, BDA 4 - Clintosaurus, Macca*, Dee Zephyr, Gorgoroth 3 - DeeSpencer*, Go the Biff, 2 - JV7 1 - titan_uranus *denotes bonus point awarded In the final week we play for 3 points but a bonus point is in offer as well Thus, 10 participants can still win either outright (or share the award) I'll post up next weeks games asap but the scheduled times aren't programmed yet nor are the lines available However, it looks a much easier week for the road teams (shudder)

And obviously, there are numerous times when such a move is impossible ... e.g. when time is running out with no time-outs left As you said, there has to be a better way I'm surprised we haven't seen similar incidents previously as the Americans like to dot every i on these sorts of things

#68 was interviewed after the match and he was a bit coy about the whole thing stating that he did what the coaches asked him to do He may be guilty with not being forthright & specific enough to the referee and also, there was a 3rd player involved sticking his bib in which could have created even more confusion I reckon when #70 came charging in stating that he wanted to become eligible that meant that #68's request might have been voided (at least in the Ref's eyes)

So if #68 was saying to the ref that he was eligible, was #70 saying the same thing seconds later (remembering that 2 players can't be eligible) #70 could have replaced #68 in the ref's eyes (and ears) so when #68 catches the ball in the end zone, he's regarded as ineligible Could be that in the confusion, both players claimed that they were eligible but 2 players can't be eligible There's a chance that the players mucked up but again, the process seems quite amateurish So it is always assumed that WR's, RB's & Tight Ends are eligible receivers but anyone else has to state their intentions to a ref (who then passes that info to the other team) Again, I can easily see how errors can be made with such a system especially as the seconds are ticking by at the end of a match

You have to wonder why they don't have a fail-safe method of reporting as eligible? Seems a bit archaic and amateurish to have to report to a referee what your intentions are Apparently no.70 had been reporting as eligible a few times during the game so when he came rushing over the ref might have thought it was #70 only as 2 players can't be eligible Noisy crowd in the heat of the moment you can see a player not being heard properly No conspiracy from my point of view, just a mistake at a confusing moment And this sort of thing must have happened previously plenty of times where a player's message not being heard properly (especially in noisy stadiums like Seattle & KC)

Jimmy Johnson spoke brilliantly on his induction into the ring of fame. Not bad for an 80yo A true legend but I was surprised to know that Jimmy only coached Dallas for 5 years (but what a 5 years it was!) Of course there's a backstory to his departure and to why it took so long for his induction but that was a memorable presentation with all those great players in attendance As for today's game, it could go either way with the score being 7-3 the Cowboys way at half time

Rams 49ers Chargers

Went to games in the late 60's but have no memory of the encounters. The old man was Fitzroy so have vague memories of Fitzroy games at Brunswick St as a little tacker But the game that stands out was against the Hawks in '72. The same game that Hudson did his knee. Another memory of that game was watching the reserves with Philip Rhoden and his booming drop kicks from the kick-outs ... at least 70 metres time and time again. He could kick a footy that bloke One of my lifelong best mates was also at the same Hawthorn game but we didn't know each other then. Both of us were standing behind the goals at the Glenferrie Rd end In another game that same year I was delayed getting to Arden St for the North encounter ... got there at quarter time and the score was Melbourne 11.7 North 0.2. Didn't get to see it and it still haunts me!

Cricket is done but we've got a good match-up tomorrow (Lions @ Dallas Saturday Night Football) But at this time of the year teams can start resting a few starters if their playoff spot is entrenched ... Dallas is the 5 seed and can't move from that spot unless the Eagles somehow slip up Detroit can finish no worse than the 3 seed but can't finish any higher unless the Eagles or the 49ers falter in their last 2 games (which is unlikely) Still, Prescott vs Goff will be worth watching Game kicks off at 12.15pm

Chris Lynn can hit a long ball ... deep into the 2nd deck, boundary ropes not a factor!

There's room for all 3 formats (the 2023 ODI WC Final was the most watched cricket game ever, apparently) t10 is popular in the Middle East and the '100' in the UK is also very popular. New comps in the USA are getting a foothold as well. The Yanks watching cricket!!! And as much as I don't particularly like Bazball, that type of cricket will bring in new fans (and the Poms can see themselves getting hold of the Ashes with that type of cricket - they love it) So cricket is in a very healthy state right now and I believe close on 170k patrons were at the MCG for the Test against Pakistan 40k at Optus Stadium (Perth) & 30k at the Gabba for recent big bash games are very good numbers

Yeah I've been watching the t20's (not intently) but lets face it, there's not much on TV anyway as an alternative And I don't want to be part of the fun police! My biggest issue with t20 is that it's quite repetitive so you know what's coming next (the hoick to cow-corner) Light entertainment with almost zero passion involved. Who cares who wins? But it's a bit of fun and apart from the threat to Test cricket, quite harmless Test cricket and the administrators of Test cricket need to find ways to keep the 5 day test relevant, innovative and vibrant. And there is a way but Australia, India & England need to lead the way

We're still going to see a lot of Davey as he's indicated that he'd like to go on and play in the 2027 ODI World Cup! In the meantime, he'll earn an absolute fortune from all the various t20 comps worldwide (and good luck to him too) I remember reading once that Brad Hodge played in 8 x t20 comps (per year) in his last few years. Good $$$$'s It's now possible to play in 10+ t20 comps as there's probably at least 25-30 comps that players can participate in. And that's a real threat to the future of Test cricket as money talks

It's all over (that was quick) Pakistan could have won this test if they'd held their catches. When they had us 4-16 in our 2nd innings they had to capitilise Bit of an enigma of a team. Plenty of talent but they don't know how to win The Aussies played well when we needed too. By contrast, we know how to win And I agree, @Hopeful Demon , Cummins steps up time and time again when we need him too A big occasion player A different bowler to the great DK Lillee but the same mindset. McGrath the same

They're going on for an extra half an hour after those 2 wickets fell And this thread never fails to bring opposite outcomes as soon as anyone sides with a team one way or the other So I'm loathe to call things Australia's way (now) because you know what happens then, Lex! Pakistan needs to swing hard and go for it if they're any chance of winning

My comments were more pertinant to practice or intraclub games in a general sense not high-drawing games per say The existing stands could act the same way as being high up in the bleachers at the MCG (bring your Swarovski's!) As for AFLW games, if our would-be buildings incorporated a large grandstand on the back straight, then the viewing would be ideal if one of the ovals was situated in front of that stand (might have to run North to South though because of the setting sun) Alternatively, just play the AFLW games at Princes Park A lot depends on the configuration of the 2 ovals situated within the race track Another alternative is for the buildings required (with a grandstand?) to be built on the Western end of the racecourse (where the horses currently are once they pass the winning post)