The heart beats true

The only thing certain about tonight is that 21,000 people will still make enough noise to create some very questionable umpiring decisions.

Wonder if they’ll target McVee like they did Bowser last year? Hope our boys are a wake up to it.

That’s no fun. Disagree with me damn it!

I disagree with the notion that a sporting environment isn’t inclusive because we don’t have an openly gay player. Why would they come out? It’s just unnecessary pressure. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t openly gay players at clubs that everyone at the club knows is gay. It’s just means it’s not in the paper. Conversely the NRL has had openly gay players since the 90’s - but that was the opposite of inclusivity as someone basically tried to extort Ian Roberts and the Newspapers were going to publish the story against his will. I do totally agree about the corporate sector falling over themselves for cultural stuff though. It’s all just an excuse for them to talk about themselves.

So to run a massive multimillion dollar entertainment brand you need to have been able to kick a football in the 90’s? The people who run record labels usually don’t come from being drummers in great bands. I find this an outdated argument. Bad decision making is bad decision making - personal history won’t change that. Thinking that ‘if only we could get David King or Luke Hodge involved it’ll all make sense’ is weird. Maybe Hirdy? He’ll solve it. Worked so well last time.

Your insight here is a really interesting read Coach. Just to be clear none of my frustration about our ‘bye’ has anything to do with training loads, or winning games. It’s to do with the fact that more than half our list have family interstate, and at best they could have visited them for 2.5 days. This is the second year that’s happened. It’s frustration about the quality of their lives. This is their only chance for 8 months to see them, and a lot of these players are very young.

I know you didn’t mean to, but you just made a really good case for Nibbler. His tackling against Collingwood was fantastic.

Sounds good. You wanna lend me the $2000 for airfares?

He marks the ball, and is a genuine threat in the air - especially in a contested situation. Neither Brown or TMac have been able do that in the last 18 months. I’m not advocating we get him now, I just wish we grabbed him for free 18 months ago. 35 goals last year.

I prefer Suns. I don’t need to hear Huddo yelling ‘Carlton pounding the bums’.

Suns look horrible

I said it last year but Levi Casboult would be perfect for our game style. Competes so well in the air.

Surely we have to balance what we are now, with continued success.

Do folks really think we are any chance to trade up for Reid? I don’t, and I also don’t think that should necessarily be the goal. One player has never been our strategy.

Saints woke up to Richmonds wet weather game plan, which amounts to ‘kick it off the ground’. Tigers need to get some cleaner ball to stay in it.

Facts. It’s only about money. The club can dress it up all they want, but the minute there’s more money to be made at that G we will be out of there.

Last year we were banged up and exhausted. This year ever other club except for us gets a good break. It’s not about questioning the mentality of the playing group (or the idea of Saturday training) - as we know in reality this ground will go well beyond the point of breaking. It’s about being given equal access to both a physical and mental break. Managing ultra competitive athletes is as much about protecting them from themselves as it is about training.

As always, thanks for the update Kev. It’s terrible that our players are training on the Saturday of their bye round after playing just days ago. I’m very surprised the players didn’t go to the AFLPA. I would have.

Yep. Means we’ll get less support at the ground, when as a supporter base we’ve shown up very well this season at the G. 2 of the top 7 most attended games of the season, and 3 of the top 20. We also have no games in the top 15 least attended games of the year. That will change with the Alice game. Will probably get about 6,000 again, giving us the second lowest attended game of the season. There’d be 30,000 at the G.

If we don’t get Leigh Matthews openly barracking for the Lions in Brisbane we instead get Luke Hudge openly barracking.

Dangerfield cops a lot for being a flopper and acting like he’s been mortally wounded, but to play out the game with a punctured lung would have been incredibly painful. He’s obviously tougher than he gets credit for.

Makes sense. He was unsighted after half time.

🤣 Don’t tell Demonstone!

I hate the 50 metre for not being aligned with the top of the square. It’s a 360 degree game, players don’t know if they are in line with paint that’s often 25 metres away. Just bring them back umpire.

Remember when umpire descent was a rule?