Macca

I'm assuming this is the one yeah? To post a song - just copy and paste the address bar (here) for whichever youtube clip you want to post up. The address bar will initially just copy as the 'text' but once you press post, the video will then magically appear (well, maybe not magically but you get the drift) By the way, the song is kinda cool in a corny sort of way ... I like it ... speaking of Viv, how good was he in the inaugural world cup? 3 direct hit run-outs (?) including both Chappell brothers I believe. What a player!

How were they nb? While I'm here, a couple from Elvis Costello (and the attractions) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhLztdvgpFY

Roos and Lyon led teams are renowned as teams that create stoppages and then in turn, win the clearances. I'm supposing that if the whole list is well drilled with this way of thinking, then it stands to reason that those teams should end up being better at that aspect of footy than those teams who play a vastly different or somewhat different style. And because so many players congregate around the stoppages these days, a clearance won in that situation can often lead to a score (as long as the ball movement is crisp) As a way of playing the sport, it makes perfect sense if done well. Many footy fans describe it as ugly footy but with these 2 coaches, it's all about effectiveness and finding a way to win ... where we need to improve dramatically is with our ball movement once we win the ball (that's not necessarily a reflection on tonight's game, more so an overall objective)

Yes rjay, Newton showed a bit tonight but we also did miss Viney & Vince. The top sides often have at least 6 players who reach around about double figures with regards to contested possessions and given the nature of how footy is played now, that's the benchmark. 94 players averaged 8 contested possessions or better last season ... of those 94 players, we had 5 so we're not too badly off ... the average and the disposal efficiency needs to improve for our blokes though ... N Jones 11.59 (22nd), Tyson 9.64 (59th), Vince 9.18 (66th), Cross 9.00 (69th) & Viney 8.75 (75th) Uncontested possessions can often be equally or more important these days but if a team wins the clearances by a decent margin, that team nearly always win the game. It's also worth noting that we led the league in creating clearance situations last season (I believe) - now we need to win those clearance numbers (easier said than done of course ) Top 100 (contested possessions)

A few stats worth noting ... We nearly broke even in clearances (28-31) but we did win the centre bounce clearances 10-5 Inside 50's in our favour (43-37) We won the tackle count 67-49 (although that stat can sometimes be misleading) Clangers 44-36 in our favour Lachie Neale had 9 clearances for them whilst our best was Tyson with 5 (N Jones & Cross both had 4 each) Our 4 leading uncontested possession winners were Lumumba (14) N Jones (13) Tyson (11) and Cross (11) ... no real surprises there but those 4 were the best at creating options. N Jones (10) and Tyson (9) led the way with the contested possession count but we need a half a dozen of our players around the double figures mark in order for the team to win games consistently.

A few observations All the new players showed a bit (Vandenberg, Lumumba, Hogan, Newton, Garlett & Frost) Although it was sort of expected, Lumumba stood out - he'll be more than a fine acquisition. Our general field kicking and kicking to position was reasonably good ... what was noticeable was the hit-up passes often being marked at the highest point (and taken at a good clip too) We again came out after half time and had a real dip - in many of the games last year that was the trend (especially in the first two 3rds of the season) We played as a team and ran the game out well - the result was unimportant in the whole scheme of things. In close is where we need to improve a lot but we weren't terrible. Our attack on the ball was good. The usual suspects made the same sort of errors but that comes with not having a star-studded list. We'll have to make do with what we've got. We can't afford to fade out for a quarter though (against any opposition) If we keep up that sort of endeavour and application we showed for 3 of the quarters tonight, we'll trouble a number of sides (mainly those outside of the top 6) Gotta be for 4 quarters though. Edit: spelling

Yep, we've sort of gotten lucky so far (converting the compo we received) I do agree that we mucked up the compo that year RB ... being the 1st year of free agency I'm not sure many of the clubs were all that ready - they all should have been of course. All the clubs knew free agency was coming in and the probable repercussions that were coming with the changes in player movement. Edit: added 'probable' as in some ways the clubs were entering into unknown territory.

And with that compo pick (#48) we chose Dean Kent Kinda ironic

Jimmy Fallon with guest Christina Aguilera from last week ... 'Musical impressions' (Jimmy even does a version of Bowie doing "Grand Old Flag")

The bowing was fast and furious ... just goes to show what happens to the batsmen when they have to face a multitude of quicks at 150klm plus. Their young bloke (Milne) looks a likely type too - nice action and swift. Starc just keeps getting better and better and Cummins is still learning ... he's got to know that Williamson was going to tee off but sometimes it's hard to think on your feet. I reckon he was trying for a yorker but just didn't execute well enough. Great finish all the same. As for the tournament, there seems to be great interest from an overseas point of view but we should be getting a lot more matches on free-to-air here ... CA should have worked out some sort of deal.

What a collapse! 6 wickets lost for 24 runs ... Watson, Warner, Smith, Maxwell, Marsh & Clarke all gone. Edit: Johnson goes ... now 8/106 after being 1/80 Edit (II) 9/106 now - diabolical.

Thanks for the offer nb but I've got a bit on this weekend On standby at work as well! Have a great night mate

Beck's latest album ... 'Morning Phase' won album of the year/best rock album at the recent Grammy's. The album has received a number of favourable reviews. To sample all of the tracks you can go here ... All Music's review of 'Morning Phase' (Beck) And here's one of the 4 singles that has subsequently been released from the album ...

... and there's more. The same crew who did the Breaking Bad podcasts are back doing podcasts about 'Better Call Saul' Here's the link ... Better Call Saul Podcasts p.s ... Stan TV is airing the show in Australia

Some terrific stuff there JJ ... really enjoyed those 2 tracks. Here's a couple from one of my favourite pianists ... the late, great Oscar Peterson playing 2 of Gershwin's classics ...

Continuing on the Aussie rock/blues theme, here's a couple of blasts from the past (the progressive rock era?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9LGIbXpeGE

With regards to the 9 commentary team ... most TV's these days have an audio capacity where one can increase the crowd noise and decrease the commentary 'noise' ... after that, I turn the volume down. Finchy is going great guns here ... could be a big big hundred (it's already a fair sized hundred) Edit: 2 balls later ... he's out. Top innings all the same and we do bat deep. .

The most important part is how we view ourselves ... the people at the club must know what the benchmark is from an on field and off field point of view ... the people involved at the club right now need to have a clear vision on how to build a team that is top 4 material - it's no good ever comparing ourselves to other strugglers or using one team's meteoric rise as that vision. In the recent past, we've had a lot of people involved at the club that talked big but couldn't deliver. I prefer to see a situation where we get to our goals without any fanfare ... also, I don't wish to see any great fanfare once we get there (we supporters can carry on as much as we like - I'm talking from the club's point of view) Just get the job done with a minimum of fuss. A club is only ever as good as the people it has in it. Right from the top, a club needs talent and a dogged determination. In the space of 18 months, our list has a much more solid look about it - there are some positive signs but we've a long way to go. But it's all about the winning - Roos is re-building the list properly and so far, he's doing a fine job. Instilling self belief should be a lot easier now that we've turned over the list as we have. Those players left over from 5 or so years ago has dwindled to a point where there relevance isn't as profound. Our reliance on them isn't great - the new breed will be taking us forward. That's my view on what we need to stand for ... how we're perceived from the football world right now is almost the opposite and a lot of that perception is correct (but not all of it) .

Yep, saw them a couple of times ... as you said, a great pub band.

'Fortitude' (airs on the ABC - starts this Sunday 15th) A brand new drama that has received positive reviews (anything with Stanley Tucci in it is always worth a look)

While I think of it ... 2 from Paramore 'Ain't it Fun' won best rock song at yesterday's Grammys whilst 'Decode' is from a few years back ...

The Sentimental Bloke (now the Manninghan) was the place to get to as well - although the beer was so watered down you'd walk out sober. Went to a number of other places as well but a lot of us lived around Kew so it was often the Prozzie (so you could walk home and save the cab fare) From memory we saw Russell Morris & the Rubes, Sunnyboys, Models, the Mondo's, Max Merritt and a stack of other bands there ... it was always a good night. Great days. Here's a couple from RM&TR (they were fantastic live)

Some good reading there fella's ... I'm positive I saw The Sports a couple of times but it's all a bit hazy at the 'where' now ... might have been at the Prospect Hill hotel in Kew (the Prozzie) ... that was our main local haunt ... 78 Known Gigs for Prospect Hill Hotel (some of the dates ring a bell but I lived a bit of a 'different' lifestyle back then!) Pub rock ruled back in the day ... and a lot of the bands were way way better live Anyway ... here's a couple of their hits ...

Further news on 'Better Call Saul' ... looks like the show might be a winner if the first episode is any sort of example. Bob Odenkirk joins Andy Greenwald to discuss the premiere of 'Better Call Saul.'

No, but there seems to be an infinite amount of alternate bands around these days to catch up with ... I like the song though EH. The lead singer certainly has a unique style ... I watched the video and then just listened to the song separately. While I'm here ... here's some Eric Clapton (from his album 'E.C WAS HERE' ... 'Further On Up The Road')