rjay

Absolutely it is...and you could see the drop off in crowds and interest last year with a lot of one sided games.

Unfortunately it is a money driven industry and that drives me to distraction, I would like to see a lot of what you are saying but it's just not going to happen. TV fronts the money to keep all teams viable, TV demands the best drawing games on Friday night, TV gets what it wants because it's paying the bills. We're the fools who just take what's given have a grumble but love the game and turn up regardless of how many times they kick mud in our faces. The MCG would not be the stadium it is today without the AFL and the home ground arrangements. The MFC and Cricket could not afford the up keep of the ground let alone the re build. The AFL would be headquartered at Waverley and that's where the GF and other major games would be played, the MCG would have become a run down or down sized relic from the past. Waverley was the bargaining chip and once the AFL got what they wanted Waverley disappeared, it had nothing to do with our generosity.

Aggression also may mean you give away easy free kicks, but we will disagree on this point because I'm wrong. Controlled aggression and a competitive streak is what I like to see in a player. 'Ben', the aggression thing with Watts is blindsiding you. Let's just see what pans out with him this year, I think a telling comment was made by Neeld recently when he remarked that "he didn't need Jack to get any more relaxed". The kid is casual in his approach and yes he does lack the aggression of others but as Gibbs is showing this year that can turn around to a degree. He's never going to be Joel Selwood but he certainly has the goods to be a Goddard or Gibbs type. I was happy to see him take the game on a bit more last week and kick a couple of goals, I thought last year he showed a bit down back but didn't really make the opposition pay. If he's prepared to take the game on and not only set up but kick goals from half back, to use his pace, height and skills to advantage then we will have a player, maybe not what you wanted, maybe not the key forward we all wanted but a class player non the less. Compared to this time last year he is miles ahead, couldn't get a touch in the intra at Casey last year, couldn't get a touch in the NAB. To date he has probably been our best player in both. Still at 21yo, a long way to go for Jack...

Agree 'Macca', you can never doubt his commitment so he will give it his best shot.

I think they are both poor in the defensive art of spoiling, whether one has more aggression or not the end result is the same, the opposition have the ball.

Looks like a rabbit in headlights when he has the ball doesn't he 'Macca'? I'm hoping it's a confidence issue and he can get over it, he won't be the best kick around but surely he's better than what he's produced recently.

I get that...but equal billing is not going to happen when you have clubs with massive supporter bases that's why there needs to be an across the board cap to equalise the spending and allow all clubs the opportunity of the ultimate success. In the end it is the only way for a club to really build a supporter base. All of the big clubs with the exception of Collingwood have built there memberships on the back of consistent premiership success. Unfortunately for us it is a distant memory and that's why our supporter base is ageing. There were a lot of Melbourne jumpers around in the 60's but by the 70's they started to disappear. Good management and on field success but in this time the AFL will need to put something into the mix or we could end up like the EPL where only a few teams have a chance for the life of the comp. a very sad state of affairs.

At a touch over in the old terms 6'1" you could get away calling him a tall mid.

Watching him last week I think this is where he got into some trouble 'Macca', he was looking for the quick give and when it was closed down he was rushed in his kick and the results weren't good. I think he has no confidence in his kick and the opposition know he is going to give off and are closing him down. He needs to take best option and use his kick when it is on or give off when it is on, at the moment he is very one dimensional and is looking to get out of taking responsibility for kicking the ball. I know the coaches were on to him about kicking when it was there for him last year so lets see how it pans out but he needs to get better, that's an understatement.

I think they both share a problem with spoiling and one is not better or worse than the other, you either spoil effectively or you don't and your opponent gets the ball. I didn't think Dunn made good choices last week and some have been clouded into thinking he played well because of his long kicking, some to not so good positions. I think Dunn has done well to hold a place on the senior list but I also think he is in a very similar position to Matty Bate who was moved into the midfield to see if he could revive his career last year, unfortunately he failed. It's in Dunn's hands now. As a defender Watts has a long way to go but as an attacking option off half back I would say he is streets ahead of anyone else we have and is a lock to take a spot. Dunn has a bit of competition to lock down one of the other defensive posts. That's my assessment.

I don't like the idea of these so called taxes on the wealthier clubs, I think it is much better to keep the draft and salary cap, forget free agency and bring in a footy department spend cap along with a footy facilities cap. Then at least we will get an even playing field as far as the game goes. The AFL already has the means to distribute money through their current equalisation methods, they just need to make sure the spend is evened out. Let the clubs do what they will with a surplus, maybe they will invest some money back into the community and community football. Maybe they won't use tax payers money to set up these bogus community facilities like the new Collingwood one. I wonder when I will be able to have a kick on the ground or use the gym or pool.

That's true 'WYL' but I think it was on the back of a couple of things. Premierships in the late 70's and though the 80's generating young supporters and Ian Dicker who is a very smart operator taking advantage of the situation. The Casey move may prove a good one but will count for little unless we get runs on the board (consistent success) and will take a while then to filter through. Who will be our Ian Dicker 5 to 10 years down the track, let's hope the ground work is done by Don and his crew now to ensure we are set up for the future.

As we know she has no idea about football, the game. So if it was a question about the playing of football I would suggest she is permanently on holidays.

If you take Joel Selwood as an example there isn't much to worry about, he hardly misses any games.

They have before.

Believe it or not there was a knock on his disposal at the time, doesn't seem to be a problem now.

He had a couple of good games first up but seems to be in search of a position at the moment. I think the big hammy he did at the dome put him back quite a bit and he still hasn't regained the depth he had in his kicking before that injury although some of the track watches have noted it is back. One of a few that needs to move forward this year, wouldn't write him off as a BP special just yet.

Might have missed Hogan or Toumpas though. Who knows what the GWS deal was, we can only surmise.

Sorry couldn't agree with you on Schwarz, I know he is a good demon man but he really is suited to a more lightweight role like the one he has now at SEN. Wilson creates some conflict which is good for the show but they really need Thomas back for this to work or at least someone like him who is not in the pocket of the AFL. Lloyd just can't string 2 words together and his effort at judging Carlton after the round robin was laughable and shows he is trying to make an impression by making the big statement. This show won't last out the year if it keeps putting up performances like last night. Hutchy knows it, he can be a bit of a d.... but he is a smart media operator and it's why he is pushing to get more of Jeff and setting the stage for more conflict with Wilson.

It's usually blacked out on the radio site during game time and put through the AFL site so you may get some pre game up to about a half hour or so before the game on 5AA then have to switch. I think this is how it still works.

I swear he has no idea (well he has no idea) that his broadcast can go outside his own state. The guy is a total DH makes Rex Hunt look like Einstein.

I remember you pushing for Hogan all through the pre draft period and I had the one misgiving that he had yet to play against men, it's one reason I was pushing for Toumpas (couldn't believe it when we were able to pick him up at 4). You always believed then he would have no problem stepping up to senior company and I've seen nothing to say that won't be the case.

No, if you read my post then you will find that I don't suggest that at all. I think the AFL are taking on too much getting involved in this and it should be left to the appropriate authorities and people better qualified to handle the issues. The AFL may be trying to do the right thing by the players but my bet is it's more likely about the image of the game, I think they will get their fingers very badly burned. By the way there has been some really healthy debate on this site in the past on drug issues and some on here have some very sad and emotional stories to tell. If you haven't seen them (the threads) they're well worth checking out. All I know is the current system doesn't work, by the way it's not a zero tolerance system we have in this country, there would be no needle exchange for one thing if it was and the AFL's 3 strike policy is most definitely not. Some say it should be zero tolerance, some say it needs to be treated as a sickness rather than a crime. It's not an easy problem to fix, there is no simple answer. ...and again marijuana is not "an almost totally harmless chemical" as you have stated elsewhere, I've seen first hand the damage that it can do and before you hit me with the alcohol one yes I've seen the effects of that as well. It's just the wrong argument, none of these things are safe and some people are more susceptible than others.

I thought the same and it was the next kick, handball or the contest that was the problem. At least we weren't doing that dinky kick to the pocket and getting tied up so something is being done about the kick in and that's a positive.

I don't think you really answered my question about the quote but I think I get where you are coming from. I believe that the AFL should stay out of the testing for illicit drugs apart from match day testing, which is in line with the WADA testing procedures. This is the realm of law enforcement and not the AFL. I think though that you dismissed 'Jimcor' to easily and although as you say dealers are at the bottom of the line there is a line and if the people at the top perceive they can gain an advantage they will take it. If they find a weakness they will exploit it and in the case of sport this could be in the manipulation of results....but I think there are better people to handle this than the AFL although they have aright to be concerned. I don't agree that marijuana is a totally harmless chemical, this is a stupid thing to say. I do agree there are inconsistencies with alcohol and I think it should be decriminalised and controlled as other drugs should be but to say it's harmless is a total crock. It's links to mental problems cannot be just written off for the convenience of making a legalisation argument. As for our man 'Dickie Peterson', I wouldn't be quoting him as an authority on anything, sounds like he is another addict looking for an excuse for his behaviour and is blaming the mythical 'them'(and I'm not meaning Van Morrison's Them).