Buffalo

Don't read too much into Watt's stats - I was there and a lot of his possessions were in the backline passing from one pocket to the other under no pressure. So you can discount about half his possessions in real terms...

Just got back from the game, and although a little disappointed, we did have our best backs and best forwards out of the game - and that's where we lost the game in the end - no marking power. But a couple of other disappointments regarding a few players who just didn't show anything today: 1. Jeremy Howe - No real awareness today and his marking (or attempted marking) was nowhere to be seen. Got a few possessions, but was caught with the ball, or turned it over. 2. David Rodan - Honestly, he was blowing and struggling to run 10 minutes into the first quarter, and went downhill from there. 3. Luke Tapscott - Got the ball a few times, but on at least 2 occasions kicked the ball to Rodan, who was surrounded by Gold Coast players with the inevitable result. 4. Colin Sylvia - Starting to play like Moloney - gets the ball but half the time ends up giving the ball to the opposition. Overall, disappointed with our spread today, particularly after half time - but it was damn hot! And I did like the looks of Terlich, Watts, M.Jones and HOGAN!!!

Couple of quotes from the greatest football coach ever: "Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work." "Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing."

No more NAB cup games - only the Grand Final left. Doubt whether MFC will arrange a practice match, but you never know...

On the subject of Jones, his media conference was pretty impressive - I think he must be taking lessons....

If you have Firefox, you can install an extension called "Flash and Video Download". I have it set up to download videos in MP4 format - never had a problem with it. It can download practically any video you can play in a browser (for more info, go to: www.fnvfox.com)....

You can download the videos from a PC, put 'em on a USB stick and watch them on a big screen TV (as long as you have USB playback on the TV that is) - pretty good quality as each file is almost 400MB...

Video should be available on Ports website sometime tomorrow...may even turn up on the MFC website as well.

In both these games the opposition has killed us in the possession count...so no difference to last year...

Hogan will be an absolute star - Jordie must never kick the ball...

It's interesting to see the demarcation the AFL makes between "the Club" and an "employee". It seems because CC was a "football manager on a second tier down from the board" his actions are seen as independant of the Board (Club). The two are apparently not interchangeable. I'd be interested whether an employee on the first level down from the board would constitute "the Club." I won't hold my breath waiting for an answer from the AFL....

The club has been found not guilty of tanking because the AFL have still not defined what tanking is...so no club can be found guilty of something that does not exist.

I'm still confused about the "official" reason for the $500k fine...MFC were found not guilty, but its employees were (for some reason other than tanking)...so the club is responsible for it's employees comments and actions. Ergo, the fine is for employing the wrong people? Bit harsh...As a poster says above, Goodbye Essendon...

So, by definition now, any coach can lose games by moving or leaving out players, and the club will not be found guilty of tanking - as long as any directive has not been issued by the club! I'd like to know what their definition of "club" is, because I would have thought CC was acting on behalf of the club in his role as The FD manager....just sayin'

If the only charge is "manipulating results", there are far more blatant examples the league could have investigated...and they are more recent than the games we played in 2009. eg. Fremantle vs Hawthorn in Tassie, GWS dropping half it's side for the Whitfield cup. Almost everyone accepts that the losses Freo and GWS experienced were manipulated. The games MFC lost were very hazy examples. As we all know, we were in front against Richmond at the final siren, and only innaccuracy cost us against Sydney. The only reason we have been targeted is due to the Brock McLean setup and the fact that Angry wanted to be seen as Mr. Integrity...

I know about Sanderson's comments, but the poster on 'ology goes a bit further..."his (Bailey's) response to the AFL has been accepted."

Word on Demonology is that Bails has not been charged with anything...

Dr. Dank to 1st year Essendon player.... Here, let me just lie you down on this table while nurse here gives you an injection...oh, and just pop this in your mouth and swallow. Now lie back down while we open a vein and feed you some nice bluey, red stuff...Nurse, another $10,000 donation from the club please....

I love the way CW has denigrated the titles of the "Sports Scientists" at Essendon to "Phys Eders"...

The HUN is reporting that Geelong and Gold Coast may need to answer some questions regarding their employment of Essendon's fitness staff...the demons may actually make the finals this year by default...

General comments around the footy traps....Essendons supporters worried it will tarnish Jobe's Brownlow....Hawthorn supporters want Brownlow given to Sammy....

Yeah, I think this is more up his alley, because he knows nothing about the game of AFL...

Stephen Dank is not on the list of staff members at MFC (although Jason Taylor has finally been listed - National Recruiting Manager)....

And this year it will be 4 games, and the year after 8 games etc. etc...what's your point?

Just a word about the reporting of Gawn's hamstring: from the AFL website: "MELBOURNE ruckman Max Gawn has again been relegated to the long-term injury list after sustaining a hamstring injury during pre-season training..." from the MFC website: "RUCKMAN Max Gawn has been placed on the long-term injury list, following an injury to his hamstring during training early in the pre-season..." If you want to be alarmist, remove the the word early from the report. I mean, we all knew about the hamstring injury - it occurred a number of weeks ago.