pantaloons

I have a novel idea. Let's unveil him on Queen's Birthday to much fanfare.

I honestly couldn't tell, but on reflection, probably Carlton.

Embarrassingly, I was wondering why people were booing someone I didn't recognise wearing #39 for Carlton on Saturday. Didn't realise until I went home and watched the replay.

Chris Dawes, JKH - we're going to need to employ a bouncer outside Roosy's office door soon.

For what it's worth: Ducks in 7, with some serious potential for an upset here. Avs in 6 thanks largely to Varlamov. Sharks in 7 but I have a BAD feeling about this one. Can't pick LA on principle. Blackhawks in 6. This is the series I have the most confidence in picking. As for the East, I haven't seen as much of these teams but here goes: Bruins in 5 Penguins in 6 Canadiens in 6 NYR in 6

In my opinion, we are guaranteed to have 2 of the top 4 teams in the NHL knocked out in the first round (losers of the STL-Chi and SJ/LA series. I'm happy the wacky system keeps us away from the only team I really fear in Chicago, but LA is a great team. We've finally got our forwards healthy, with Hertl returning two games ago and Torres set to go in Game 1. It's a must that Pavelski goes back to the third line, giving us three very high quality lines. I like us all over the ice except in net. Niemi, while his numbers aren't disgraceful, has been very poor this season, and his backup Stalock has been the better goaltender. Quick singlehandedly beat us last year. My heart says San Jose, my heart also says get ready to be broken. Will almost certainly go at least 6 games. I'm happy St Louis fell into the matchup with Chicago. At least while we and LA are belting the living snot out of each other they'll be doing the same. I also expect Dallas to thoroughly push Anaheim. Bring it on.

I couldn't open it, Jack, so I just have to assume that the Essendon supporter has written an article blaming everyone else for Essendon's rort.

Look, I just don't think we are going to agree on this. It's convenient for Dermie to look back on it with rose coloured glasses since he instigated what was an embarrassing and unsuccessful incident, particularly in light of them getting spanked right after the brawl. It was more than four years and a good bit of tanking later that they won a flag. I'm not denying that full-blown fisticuffs can have an emotional impact on a team. I just think its an extremely long bow to equate the line in the sand game with any kind of positive outcome for Hawthorn.

Some perspective on this game from an Essendon supporting mate of mine: "Oh yeah, and that game in 2004 when Hawthorn was captained by a girl...I forget her name....blonde woman....Gloria VanDerBelt or something like that....when half their team was suspended because they started a fight when they were two goals behind in the 3rd term, drew a "line in the sand" and then proceeded to lose by about 85pts with Lloydy kicking ten match-winning goals on that guy who the Hawks gave up pick 6 to get....what was his name....oh yeah, Essendon reject Danny Jacobs."

Thanks Goodvibes. All Demonlanders should read this. I'm guilty of some of the things you talk about and you've given a good reminder of a better spirit of posting, so thanks. As usual, I'll be at the game this week, and I hope turn up of Melbourne supporters isn't so feeble that I can hear my own voice when we kick a goal. I'm moving on in my grief phase and am accepting that this year is going to be a lot tougher than I expected. Every win is going to be cherished. And like Shawshank, the light and the end of the tunnel is going to be hard-fought and incredibly sweet.

If we did finish last and Frawley left, I'm not asking for special assistance, I just want the AFL to follow their own rules and not change them in order to disadvantage Melbourne. Journalists like Mark Stevens tweeting that pick 2 for Fraley would be 'overs' simply don't get it. If he meets the criteria for a pick after our first pick, which he will, then it must be given to us. As for the priority pick, the AFL need to stop fluffing about and make a clear decision. If we do finish bottom, then either give us pick 3 as warranted or scrap the system.

In the spirit of bargaining, I say we ask for last year's priority pick they denied us as well and go for picks 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The successor?

I note the use of the term "None. Zilch" at the end of the clip. Was this the work of Enyaw?

You have violated Demonland's first commandment: Thou shalt not get excited about Melbourne's prospects.

Melbourne on the bottom of the ladder, losing to dog vomit teams, half the team injured, best players bailing at the end of the season, supporters preparing for life after the club is thrown out of the comp into oblivion, draft picks 1, 2 and 3 coming our way - welcome to Melbourne in April! I chose my US teams between grade 5 and year 8 for random reasons, none based on team success. I chose my NBA and NHL teams well but slipped up picking the Kansas City Chiefs. My advice: pick teams in cities you're likely to visit one day so you can get to games and build an emotional connection with the team and city, and try to avoid clubs with tortured histories and track records of mismanagement. You'll be back in sporting therapy otherwise.

I'll pay Fisher, Stanton and Mundy, but Shaw was father-son, and Dawson, well, no.

I get what you're doing with the blanks, but Thompson in 2000 was a great pick at 16, and McLean and Sylvia - still going - were certainly worth their draft standing in the 2003 trash pit. There's no question though that some of the picks were disgusting reaches (Molan, Cook, Gysberts), while there's room for varying levels of debate on the failings of drafting development on those we took around where they were supposed to go (Morton, Bate, Blease).

Don't be silly. It's the 8th straight year.

Even the scoring worm on the AFL app looks depressed.

On the radio they said it was very swirly, and probably slightly favouring GWS in the first quarter.

One of a few things the last few years has taught me is that I'm a Melbourne supporter first and foremost, not a footy supporter. I love the game, but eight years ago I was watching at least four games a weekend. Now I watch the Melbourne game (won't today as I no longer bother with Foxtel and the days of congregating with Dees friends and family to watch interstate games on TV are on hiatus) and don't bother watching any other games over the weekend. I had the last four minutes of Cats-Pies on last night for some background light while I sat with the iPad after watching Tower Heist on PVR. If we ever ended up merging or being thrown out of the comp, I'd obviously be shattered, but would have absolutely no difficulty leaving the sport completely and never watching a game again.

I haven't read it yet due to The Age booting me off the article, but good to see pantaloons making a Where's Wally style appearance in the accompanying photo.

Watch as the AFL creates a way to bail Sydney out when Buddy retires in 4-5 years.

Cool. As long as we get to keep the 2005 premiership cup that was being engraved for us after Round 3.