The heart beats true

I can not tell you how much respect I have for you for sharing your story. I’m very sorry for your, and your families, loss. It’s been documented here a few times in different threads that I’ve had my own struggles with mental health - and like you I can very much attest to the value of good professional help. Life can be hard, but it can be also be amazing and so surprising. Who would have thought I would come here today and read such a heartfelt, and deeply personal story as yours? It’s ok to not see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s always a wise decision to get the help you need to light the way for you, until you can see it again. So very brave of you, and so important. Thanks again for sharing. You made me feel really lucky to be connected to this weird, wonderful community of online Demon fanatics. I’ll be barracking extra loud now tomorrow night - for you and your family. Go Dees!

That argument holds up a lot more if Richmond also got a lot more free kicks. Their game a style is very similarly built on contested ball, and getting to the ball first. Interestingly they had a differential 165 free kicks worse off than the Bulldogs at - 86 for the season.

🤣

It’s called unconscious bias. I don’t believe the umpires are conspiring. I believe they have relationships with players and those often cloud their ability to make decisions. It’s not deliberate, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. It’s ok to think it sounds a bit nuts. I agree. Unfortunately the numbers are the proof.

Bulldogs went +31 in the 2016 finals. So far in the 2021 finals they are +17 in just 2 games. It stinks, and unbiased supporters are going ballistic on Twitter.

At last the AFL get to hear how supporters feel about the umpiring bias. I mean it’s every week.

I worked with Wu Tang and The Beastie Boys when I lived in the US. I shot a project with Wu Tang, and it was the first time they’d all been together since ODB’s funeral. So many crazy people in one room, and more baby mama’s than I’d ever seen. Good times. 🤣

If you showed this to an impartial observer and asked them to evaluate it they would say they are the exact same act. Dangerfield went to hospital in the Green incident, but has a very long history of overreacting to injuries - so much so that he was called out about it by his teammates in Adelaide. He played the next week and was fine. If Kelly is tougher, and plays on, how should that help Selwood? if you break Gawn or May’s nose they aren’t going to take their bag and go home in a final. So then the action isn’t as bad because the player plays on? Strange way to evaluate incidents.

Geelong are the most boring team. Their coaching ‘plan’ is like watching local under 11’s. = Kick the ball down the line until it gets to the big kid at full forward whose twice as strong as the other kids.

I was at that game against Essendon, and backed it up the next week for our almost 100 point loss against the Eagles at the G. I’m sure many of you were too. When we win I think about those 2 games a lot. I think about the other Demons supporters I saw at those games as I sat there by myself. The heart breaking looks we gave each other, and the empty seats around us - that represented the family members who’d stopped coming, and caring. At the time I genuinely feared for the future of the club. I don’t care if you just jumped on the bandwagon. Just stay on it. The hard stuff is worth it if you stick around long enough.

The difference in this game is free kicks. The commentary team is finally coming hard at the umpires about it. It’s been ridiculous.

Bombers supporters are booing, and as an impartial footy fan that makes me happy.

I know it’s a small thing in the current climate, but gee I wish the AFL would demand consistency in the camera angles and heights at all AFL grounds. At smaller grounds the angle is much lower and so as an audience it’s much more difficult to judge the distances in kicks and between players. It makes for a completely different viewing experience. With 95% of the audience of games not at the ground (hence the value of the broadcast contract) the least they could do is spend 20k on scaffolding and make it visually consistent.

This game has a distinct 80’s VFL vibe. Essendon vs Footscray at a regional ground with lots of mullets on the field.

If you did that to someone in a pub they would fully expect you are having a go at them. Remember Pubs? Those were the days.

What’s that photo from? Absolutely love it

The 2 things I took out of that game: 1. We are a great team. 2. I’m convinced Rhys Mathieson is Dr D

I forgot how tense that game against Carlton was! Our young forwards went absolutely bananas in the last. It was a great win. I was in the Southern Stand on level 4 (AFL member in those days) with my mum and dad. The Footy experience is totally different these days. I’m much more familiar with this team on TV (for obvious reasons), where as that team I watched live at a ground for probably 16-17 weeks of that season. I’d see all the same Dees supporters at the ground every week. We’d have a chat at half time, laugh at the supporters jumping on the bandwagon as our season gained momentum.

Todd (Jacks dad) took (in my opinion an ill timed) year out of football to go and be a coach for (up and coming, but ultimately disappointing Australian tennis player) Mark Philippousis. It was 25 years ago and I’m still salty at him about it.

Jack was a Melbourne supporter, but then switched over to barrack for Mark Philippoussis.

Britain = Ratten = Teague Pagan= Malthouse = Lyon Inexperienced coach who gets no support, followed by experienced coach whose best is behind then. Rinse and repeat.

Still too soon to be mentioning Simon Eishold in September. It’s only been 34 years. ☹️

Exactly. If you sat through 2013 you can sit through anything.

This is my tattoo over my heart. I’ve had it for about 10 years. It’s by a guy called Scott Campbell whose a really well regarded artist https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Campbell_(tattoo_artist) I was living in New York and missing the Dees. The rig doesn’t look this good anymore sadly. 🤣 If we win the flag I’m a big fan of the Weg Demon @Sir Why You Littleposted a few weeks back. Love the late 70’s/early 80’s vibe.

That was the most bizarre Melbourne forward 50 entry for the night. Behind Max as he marks it are both Rivers and May. The boys had been told late not to let them get an out number in our forward line. The entire team seemed to know what Lever was going to do, and Jordan Lewis said after the game on Fox that he knew he wouldn’t have the distance from there - and that all his teammates would have known it too. We have played the most consistent team line up all year for this very reason. In the big moments you know what your teammates will do. Watch Lever take that huge intercept mark in the last quarter deep in defensive and he just instinctively turns 90 degrees and kick it to Salem - because he knows he’ll be there, because he always is. Brilliantly prepared.