The heart beats true

Calm down. We lost a practice match against a team that has us beaten for contested footy for the last 3-4 years - and we were missing 3 of our best 4 contested players. The week before we beat the premiers in a practice match. Where were these comments then?

We’re busy that night anyways.

Good decision by the club. Speaks more to our values, and shows we listen. Happy with this.

Sparrow is going nowhere fast. He’s been given the opportunity and just doesn’t look up to it. I hope he can turn it around but he doesn’t have any X factor that makes him special.

If you can’t stop the bleeding in a practice match you’d have to be somewhat concerned about our defensive structures. Has been a Goodwin problem since day one of his coaching career. ?‍♂️

How is that a free kick for English but not for May? ?

It’s had to know what to make of this game. We lack our trademark intensity at the coalface, which is rectified by adding Viney and Oliver, and are lacking some class ball use and control - Salem. Im I am disappointed about the lack of forwards available. It’s been a glaring problem for 2 years and it’s the thing we need this time of year to work on the most.

Yeah, we are getting sucked to the contest to quickly, where they have the experience to know to keep one out the back and trust someone will win the ball.

Free kick bulldogs

Ok, gotcha. Me thinking it’s outdated and offensive is virtue signalling - but not the organisation that has spent its 150 year history, and its considerable financial means, LITERALLY signally to society that is doesn’t value women. I think they might have me covered on that one.

Why don’t you take your wife. I’m sure she’d love to go.

Or they figured that holding it at any of these clubs would isolate 50% of the audience and it would therefore be inappropriate- yet it’s somehow ok to do the same thing to a different 50% of the audience. It’s poor form, and I’ll be letting the club know we expect better.

I’m guessing you’re not a woman and therefore unable to attend this event to hear senior officials from the club speak? Its not hyperbole. It’s an outdated, inappropriate venue. Are you really trying to defend the decision to hold this event at a club like this?

Gross. These clubs are surely on the way out. Who would think this is a good idea, or even relevant in 2021? It’s lame, and as supporters we should expect more.

Are you saying Steve O’Dwyer wasn’t good looking? How dare you.

All of those accolades, plus he’s fighting it out with Strawbs Odwyer as the best looking ginger to ever pull on the Red and Blue. There’s nothing he can’t do.

Robbie Flower played in some truly terrible sides, was as thin as a rake, and played with no protection. He was the most courageous and skilful player I’ve ever seen - and he retired when I was 9. I love Max, but he’s no Robbie.

Sorry, I’m confused. You’re personally offended because he got fired, but the ‘left’ have a victim mentality. ?

Nope, not even close. Made a massive misstep with Goodes, oversaw a club that was proven to be racist after that, and then called it ‘a proud day’. He has lost his ability to read the room. They had no choice but to push him out.

I pay for Kayo. I literally start my subscription on the day the regular season starts, and cancel it to end after the Grand Final. That way I end up paying for maybe 7 months of service, I never have to worry about missing out on seeing a game in the current environment where schedules and access are changing, and if I want to watch some Fox footy shows I can. It helped keep me sane in 2020. I also can cast it to any TV if I’m travelling. I hate watching games on the phone. It’s hard to swear at the umpire and hold the phone at the same time.

I feel sorry for any club having to decide on leadership positions and groups. All it usually amounts to these days is if you were in a leadership group and now you aren’t then your name gets flung around by the slot fillers on draft radio. I say name a captain and VC so there’s less to get offended next year.

For sure. I agree with you. I’m more venting my frustration at how confusing this makes mental health issues for the general public, when they don’t hear about it except in these circumstances. You’ve got to wonder what the point of it being reported on actually is anyway. It’s certainly no good for him if it’s true, so why is it all over the papers? It just adds to the public cynicism.

I’ve had my fair share of mental health problems. I take meds everyday that really work for me, but I’ve also ended up in hospital from being in some fairly scary places inside my own head. I’m very upfront about it to anybody, as aside from being a Melbourne supporter, I appear to be a fairly well adjusted, well mannered and ‘in control’ person. I absolutely loathe the confusion that these kind of situations create for the general pubic around mental health issues. It really does come across, as others have noted, as a ‘card played’. I know for a fact that this has been the case in the AFL in regards to recreational drug issues in the passed. If it truly is the case that a player is having a mental health crisis then the AFLPA needs to have an agreement with the media that it doesn’t get reported on. It’s a better outcome for the player involved, and much better for the community - who can understand mental health problems as diverse and unique, but not feel like they are just a PR stunt.

They look like they are having a great time.

I believe it revolves around inter-office relationships.