The heart beats true

The commentators aren’t allowed to tell us how absolutely terrible these 2 teams are - but we can see.

This is an embarrassment

Absolute stinkfest.

This is the problem the AFL has now. It’s too beholden to the broadcasters data. So they know that a horrible Carlton or Essendon game will get big ratings numbers, regardless of how poor it is. It’s starting to become diminishing returns though. There’s no growth in a consistently poor spectacle. Carlton have 5 Thursday or Friday night games in the first 6 rounds. Last year they had a 1 win and 11 loss record against the top 10 teams. They are poor by any measure, yet they get served up, no matter how bad they are.

That was a mark. Horrible umpiring.

Love hearing about any Flower, but why is this thread titled like a B grade True Crime Podcast? ‘But who really was Jett Flower? The answer will shock you. That’s next week on… A Person Of Interest’

I love that @No. 31 comes over with Carlton war stories. It’s like hosting an exchange student who seems exotic at first - until you realise they come from somewhere without toilet paper or running water.

I miss the old days, when we could at least save the hyperventilating and panic until the games started.

A quote from the article stood out… ‘And now the Demons, who don't get to open their 2026 season until Sunday in a game against St Kilda, were forced to witness the two produce matches that would rank somewhere among their very best…’ Tracc was incredible in his Suns debut game and deserves the credit, but I’ve seen Clayton play a lot at Melbourne from 2017-22, and his performance on the weekend honestly wouldn’t rank in his 40 best performances. He was pretty good. That’s all. Nothing more. He’s still a long way of what he was. A long way.

I think the stand rule is theoretically easier to understand from the outside. Yet to see it enough to ensure they don’t over complicate it. I also don’t mind the idea that it gives you a clear advantage. If you have the ball and skilfully kick to a teammate who has the skill to mark then that needs to be its own in game advantage of sorts. Too often over the last decade taking a mark only gave opposition teams time to set up their zone. Now the advantage flips to the side with the ball, particularly if they are willing to handball forward of the mark and take that space (therefore reducing the value of a defensive zone again). Windsor ran into this space a lot in our Practice game, and it made us much more dynamic looking. This is what the league want. Running forward, skilled kicking, less emphasis on defensive zones.

Cracking footy

Harris Andrews should get weeks for that.

All players should collectively choose ‘Take me home, country road’ as the only song to play after each goal. If the AFL want music let’s simultaneously make it meaningless, and ruin the fun for Queenslanders.

Who?

This broadcast is great stuff from the club. It’s so good to see.

Jon Stewart’s take on the half time show was very, very entertaining.

45 Million Americans speak Spanish. Bad Bunny is Puerto Rican. All Puerto Rican’s are American. As someone who used to live in the US it always makes me laugh at the Australian perception of America. It’s an incredibly diverse place. They have a broken electoral college system, but don’t mistake it for total ignorance. When I think about the US I often think about Yeats’ poem The Second Coming… ‘The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity’. I think about that line a lot actually. It’s the root problem.

I hope he takes her name.

With all due respect the need for one comprehensive facility has nothing to do with supporters attending training, and everything to do with player and administration cohesion and retention. Name another AFL club that trains at 2 separate facilities every week, an hour apart from each other? This is the ONE issue I firmly believe the members can, and must, hold the administrators and board to account on. We can’t know the inner workings of relationships and game plans, but we can very clearly see that we haven’t had a home for a very long term. The first thing Goodwin said when asked about the club was ‘I won’t miss driving to Casey’. It’s pathetic that it hasn’t been sorted, particularly in light of the Premiership and the boost of income that brought to the club. It looks less likely everyday, and it’s the one issue our members are right to be furious about. I live in the inner West and see Bulldogs players every week out and about - because they live here, as it’s 10 minutes to training. Where do our players live? Our administration? Close to the freeway so they can go in 2 different directions for no reason other than the board hasn’t got its act together for generations? No other business I know would do this.

The only real solace in that season preview is at least we aren’t Essendon.

[censored].

The Brisbane Bears?

Was one of the three Judd McVee, because clearly he’ll say anything to anyone?

Love a bit of Fontaines. I particularly love their first album. Saw them at the Forum in ‘23. I skipped the last tour because I came home from the ‘23 show and said to my partner ‘I think I’ve reached an age where simply by liking a band I make them uncool for younger people’.

Nice work from Steven Smith. Makes a smart appointment, and then uses the announcement to remind us he was a better player than Cook. Well played.