The heart beats true

3 Victorian sides have a bye. Why? When can we finally admit this competition hasn’t worked for 10 years and pack it in?

Not so much their supporters.

The best thing about the Barassi line is that it’s named after an Aussie Rules player. Tells you everything you need to know about Australian sporting culture.

Adelaide lack class around the ball but for most of what I’ve seen this year you can’t question their effort.

Interesting observation, and makes me think that we may have a different plan going forward with lower entries and isolating Pickett and Fritsch - hence why Melksham is in.

I didn’t stick around to watch the presentation. What were they playing for? The ‘At least we aren’t North Melbourne’ cup?

I feel for St Kilda supporters. Make or break game and they look shot. They are still treading the same stale water they’ve treaded for most of the last 50 years. Footy is cruel for some supporters.

Cody Weightman frustrated by all the talk about Ginnivan being the most annoying player in the league. Still wants the title.

Are you not a Ben Brown fan Nev? I had no idea.

I see Nic Nat didn’t get up again. How this bloke escapes extreme criticism from the wider AFL community is beyond me. He hasn’t fronted up in shape for 5 years.

Our backline looks pretty balanced on paper - if Riv can step up and take on more of the Nev Jetta stopping role. Forward of the ball I still think we lack some X factor - particularly in the air. If we deliver the ball better and Koz can get to work we will look 100 times better. I don’t know about Melksham, but I do know that he kicks the ball well from half forward and that’s been his role for 3 years.

Honestly who the hell is doing the draw at the AFL? The 2 most interesting games for the weekend (1st vs 5th, and 3rd vs 7th) have been brilliantly scheduled to play AT THE SAME TIME on Saturday night. Meanwhile it’s the 10th placed, very mediocre, Bulldogs getting another Friday night game. It’s weird.

This is a tough game for us. We are going to have to try some things around the ball and work on our forward connection on a fairly exposed deck at Alice. Be interesting to see how the boys respond.

Everyone chill. We turned Jesse Hogan into Steven May and nobody saw it coming until the last few days. When Jesse was deciding what to do Demonland was an hysterical mess. We don’t yet know what players are out there, but we will get something good if LJ goes. We’d be at the top of the list for 80% of the competition.

Be grateful if Clarry doesn't play if that's the case. Pink and Purple are not his tones.

His trade value isn’t going to get us what we need - an experienced player whose better than he is. So I’d say he sticks around. The value of bigger name players who might leave is where our forward line plan has to be. Our midfield and defence is settled. If LJ or Brayshaw leave we trade in the best forward we can get, and Sam is their back up (yet again).

I also heard a rumour from a bus driver once - but when the bus went below 50 the bomb didn’t explode, so me, Keanu and Sandra just got off at our stop.

Does he need an assistant?

David Noble has a lot of credits across the AFL community. He will move on and find a better role. As for North, whose going to put their hand up to do this job now? Inexperienced coach wasn’t supported, and now an experienced guy is gone less than 2 years later. AFL will have their fingerprints all over what happens next you’d think - unless of course they are happy to see Victorian clubs gone. Interesting times.

I read that and instantly thought that Salem was trolling Demonland.

You’re measuring him against a metric that isn’t how I measure his value, or what he was brought into the side to do. Anyways let’s agree to disagree, but with us both understanding that actually I’m right 🤣

Conversely I don’t get why you want to smack the bloke every week.

Another way to read this is: 45 contests - 8 out marked + 1 mark = 36 balls brought to ground. Our forward line coach would love that number. You don’t have to watch us play for more than 15 minutes to realise we want forward 50 stoppages. Brown does his job. He was terrific early against Geelong when we had the ball moving the way we wanted. Not sure you can blame him for much when the ball isn’t down there often.

That it’s humid and everyone drives a Ute?

Wow. The Eagles. Why bother showing up.