Lucifers Hero

Someone needs to take him aside and have a good talk with him. He would do well to take a leaf out of Matt Rowell's book when he went as #1 to the GC: head down, work hard, earn respect, roll with the punches.

Glen Archer played a big role in their downfall. He micro managed the list cull, football department overhaul including the signing of Shaw and Noble, hiring/firing assistant coaches. Buckley gave Archer free reign to be a defacto CEO/Football Manager. Now they have lost their whole recruiting, list management group. It will be a long road out of the wilderness. It isn't a club for a newbie coach. They need Peter Jackson and today's Roos equivalent; a 3 year senior coach who has the standing and gravitas to wear the media blowtorch while a coach-in-waiting settles in, builds the list and a decent game plan put in place. In other words the Demon blueprint with different actors.

I did say not in June and July. More next year. fine - play them in March, April, May and August when its a bit warmer. Or if the AFL want JUne and July Thursday night games with crowds schedule them in Qld, Syd or Perth. If Melb played Brisbane at the Gabba in a few weeks rather than at the G they would probably get over 40,000. It isn't rocket science. It is just dumb to have Thursday night games in Melb, in winter especially vs i/state sides. And a novel idea: play them at Marvel where there is a roof to offer some protection from the elements.

The AFL know Thursday night is a fizzer for attendances: “It was a soft number but it was Thursday night, it was a few thousand below forecast, and it was cold, and all of the above,” McLachlan said. -small-afl-crowds-mclachlan How dumb to schedule a Thrusday night game during a bye week and only 1 game today. I suspect we won't see many Thursday night games in June and July next year. Reckon we will get a bigger Thursday night crowd than Richond vs Port when we play Brisbane as their Fitzroy supporters will come out like the old South fans did - they get only a few chances to see their teams play in Victoria.

His 2022 form doesn't matter one iota when it comes to his contract. Its about standards, behaviours, character, teamwork, role etc. The AFL world has seen enough to know he is a star who will have occasional form lapses just like every other player in the game.

tbf that was when he caught covid. We don't know how severe it was and it may be a slow recovery for him. Hopefully the 9 days without a game help recharge the batteries not only for him but all the players that were ill with covid or whatever it was that swept through the club 3 weeks ago.

That is the message being put out there: "Bailey Smith entered the AFL as a cleanskin. He has told associates he had never touched illicit drugs until October of last year, in the period following the grand final". "Those around him say that this period of post-season excess was an aberration - a window of poor choices - and that he has since rebalanced his life..." smith-tackles-poor-choices-head-on-with-illicit-substance-confession In the video floating around yesterday he didn't look like a novice. More recently, his reaction a month ago, to a coll supporter pointing to his nose suggests Bailey knows about using substances.

The 'fix' is on its way: Bailey is young, he made a mistake, he needs support, ipso facto sanctions aren't the right option. Rinse. Repeat. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2022-bailey-smith-white-powder-photo-western-bulldogs-investigation-news-updates/news-story/a9573fc0707d3aba543d146ee2fe4ea5 The AFL acknowledged Smith’s statement on Saturday afternoon and said it would interview him “in the coming days”. The AFL Players’ Association said it would support Smith during this time and was “confident the Western Bulldogs will do likewise”. “Bailey is a young man who has made a mistake, but importantly has owned that mistake and, even more importantly, has put steps in place to learn from it and grow as a person as a result of it,” the AFLPA statement read. “The AFL environment is high pressure and high profile and Bailey has previously shared his battles with mental health. “When issues such as this arise, there are typically two alternative approaches people think should be taken. “Condemn, sanction and shame the player involved or support, educate and try to use the issue as an opportunity for growth.” imv the AFLPA is saying Smith should not be sanctioned. Don't expect to see anymore discussion in the media. Case closed. tbh I feel sorry for him to be going through this. It could easily be one of our youngsters. My frustration is at WB, the AFL and now the AFLPA. They should apply the rules consistently and Bailey being 20 doesn't excuse him. I can see the case building against May; he is nearly 30 he should know better. I hope the AFLPA use their negotiating skills with the AFL on his behalf.

By playing the 'mental health' card over and over again in the Statements, with AFL blessing, they have shut down media discussion of Smith's drug use. Other cases of out of season drug use have had 2 -5 weeks suspension and Bailey should get similar. To be served after his 2 weeks suspension for a head expires.

Opinion or intel?

Joel Smith shown as an emergency yet the injury list shows 4 - 6 weeks. If he is ok to be an emergency wouldn't he be better off playing a few quarters to be ready for the seniors if need?

I also thought that, then wondered if he went to the dentist before that training session

"Sources familiar with Smith’s situation have confirmed to The Age that the photograph was taken late last year, at a time when Smith had taken a mental health break from pre-season training". Smith will be making a statement on Saturday regarding the images. ...the club is attempting to gather precise details about the photograph and what was in the bag before deciding on what action to take" bulldogs-investigating-social-media-photo-allegedly-showing-star-bailey-smith-with-bag-of-white-powder Imagine if they suspend him for 2 matches to be served concurrently with his 2 match suspension for head butting!😒

Maybe Tom Morris asked himself: is it time to upset Bevo again. Morris would know the skeletons hiding in every club's closets.

I recall a few years ago Caroline Wilson said the AFL bans commentators from media reports where it might affect a player's mental health. iirc it was when Jack Stevens was hospitalised after being stabbed. She said the media hold back a lot of stories because of the AFL edict. Watch this Bailey Sniff Smith episode disappear down the same rabbit warren. The very same rabbit warren his alleged assault on someone on the GC last year went, after the alleged victim was transported to hospital, police investigated but no charges and the bulldog's did their usual 'nothing to see here' report.

It might help explain the brain fades and need for special leave. Btw, Lachie Hunter is ready to come back from 'personal' leave after a convenient 6 week break... The bulldogs are quite adept at using smoke screens and finding nothing after their own investigations. Maybe Tom Morris got too close to the truth of what happens at the kennel...

Of all the people Ess could have chosen as the 'hero' for the night they chose Hird. Tim Watson, Wanganeen and Bomber have had more success. And Bombers' misdemeanours were in his personnel life not the club. Hird brought the club to its knees and now he is their 'hero' A big Ess effort afoot to PR Hird back into favour. As if that will heal all that is sick at that club. They need a complete clean out of players, staff and board members who were there for the drug saga, just as we did (with a few exceptions) to purge the memory of '186' and what followed. Instead they revert back to their painful history. That they chose Hird shows how misguided they still are. Long may they wallow in the purgatory of their own making.

And on it goes... "AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said on Friday the league had intervened on Thursday because of new information. “I think they [the integrity unit] are always looking at stuff and when more information comes to hand, then I think there’s always an open book and that’s what’s happened here, that there more information has come to hand than earlier in the week and that’s why they’re having a look at it,” McLachlan said on 3AW. McLachlan did not rule out the possibility that May and Melksham could face more sanctions." Asked if the AFL had CCTV footage of the incident, McLachlan replied: “The integrity unit will be working through that process and so whatever information is available, and there’ll, obviously, be interviews, and if there’s other information, they’ll be working through it.” broken-some-trusts-goodwin-says-may-melksham-fight-was-embarrassing New information doesn't mean players or the club withheld it but I sure hope they didn't. New info could come from anywhere or anyone.

Not sure they care. iirc Gil's salary/bonuses are primarily based on Revenue. Broadcasting and related sponsor revenue dwarf that of attendance. Its a simplistic KPI. I'm sure there are others but not sure game attendance is one or if it is, is a significant KPI.

@dingwill have a few words about this!!

"Turner, who grew up in Albury, made the move to Melbourne last year, and now lives with Angus Brayshaw’s parents, alongside teammates Judd McVee and Taj Woewodin". I guess that means Jackson has been allowed to leave the nest. The Brayshaws' are wonderful a demon family (shame we can't get Andrew to join). They have helped set so many young demon lads on their AFL path. Mr and Mrs Brayshaw deserve a medal.

Any questions about the QB game or talk of MND? Very disappointing if not as that is what the pc was for.

The so called 'drip feed' isn't coming from the club. Any info after Max's media conf is from ambulance chasing commentators digging into what happened and nearly everyone comes up with a slightly different version which leads to frenzied headlines about 'twists' and 'new information'. If the players or the club have deliberately withheld critical information the AFL will find out and we take what comes our way. But, I don't think naming the players at the dinner, who said what to who, who stood up to May, where the players were before or after dinner etc as critical information nor is it relevant. Digging for that sort of stuff is just mud raking and the guesswork they make around that is what is being 'drip fed'. Btw, according to Sam McClure the dinner was in a private dining room.

When your train stop is the second last station to the end of the line it isn't very comfortable being in a near empty carriage at 11 pm on your own or worse when the others in the carriage are some unsavoury looking characters. Sometimes it is downright scary. My football going friends live on other train lines so not many options for safe travel home. Before anyone suggests driving to a station closer to Richmond note there aren't many station car parks that anyone would want to be alone in late at night. People could be a bit more thoughtful as to why some of us don't get to every night game. I have been to three night games so far and will go to more but it isn't easy.