Lucifers Hero

The Age has surveyed 'club bosses' and 16 have respodsed. Each day the write up one or two topics. Today it is low attendances. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/friday-night-plight-games-start-too-late-say-club-bosses-20220618-p5aurg.html Crowds are, on average, at their lowest since 1996 with the exception of the past two pandemic-affected seasons. What can the AFL and clubs do to bring fans back to the footy? Schedule games earlier on Friday nights (proposed by 7 club bosses) Streamline the ticketing process 5 Bring down the price of food and beverages 4 Take more consideration of local sport timeslots 3 Consider making the games shorter 1 Boost the match-day experience 1 Friday night start time the lingering effects of COVID-19 to be a significant reason digital] ticketing behavioural stuff with crowds that turn people away. a back-to-basics approach to entice people back to games: curtain-raisers, public transport concessions, kick-to-kick on the ground after games, lower food and drink prices, and increased advertising should all be considered to ensure the trend of lower crowds does not set in. not enough weight given to local circumstances, such as when community sport is most often played, to ensure there are not clashes that make it hard to attract spectators. making the games shorter if the crowds did not bounce back in the next 12 months. “We must make sure the environment and the timeslots ensure families feel safe and comfortable attending the football,” Nothing new to followers of this thread. Note: Apologies for bold font, it came with the 'cut n paste' from the article.

Players with covid: Round 6: Viney and Lever Round 7: Jackson, Sparrow, Kozzie, ANB and Petty. Ben Brown was a close contact. Petracca caught the nasty flu that has been going round and affected a few on the list. Poor Petty, comes back in round 8 and starts getting patched up in and since round 11. Not much time for healing of any sort. Hopefully with two recent consecutive 9 day breaks (and an 8 day break to follow) has/will help them all recover a bit and they can fire up this week.

Agreed. We have return games vs Freo, Coll and Lions. We've lost to the first two. I feel we really need to win at least one of the games vs those 3 teams and this week vs Lions is a good place to start. They will all be full of confidence for the return games (on their home turf) so very keen to beat Lions this week.

If that is the case the club has kept him off the injury report to protect his privacy and give him space to get well. The worst thing would be having it in the headlines or worse social media where really unsavoury people lurk and who knows what they might troll him about. This last comment isn't about your post, more a general comment but it may be best if the reason he hasn't been on the injury list doesn't get much airplay on DL. On the bright side he was in the pics when Turner's debut was announced.

Great, not! So it looks like they put us on Friday night when we play interstate but not when we play the two big clubs, Coll and Carlton at the G. In one fixture article it looks like Saints/Lions on a fri night but not our game vs Carlton. Without looking back I'd say we will have had the most mid week games and the least Friday night games of any top 8 team. Not great for crowd size and gate revenue.

Weightman didn't get a free yet played a brilliant and courageous game. He is a much better player focusing on getting the ball on his merits, of which he has plenty, rather than getting cheap frees. The fuss over his 'skill' to milk frees, ironically may be the making of him.

Finishing 2nd. First final vs Freo at the G. Perfect! Lets see how Freo would go with a crowd of 70,000 dees fans hungry to see a dees final on the Hallowed Turf, rather than the 25K they played in front of a month ago. Not to mention with a healthier team not decimated during the game by injury to key players.

Jackson should look long and hard at Tom Boyd's experience. Wanted to come home and was traded to Bulldogs for a huge sum. He was taunted by teammates about it and got into fisticuffs over it. Even tho he was critical in winning their 2016 premiership he left the game a few years later disillusioned and with depression. He could have been one of the all time greats. He was never really part of the team. Neither was HW$NBN who took the big money. Not in any way suggesting any of that would happen to Jackson. But going to Freo where some young gun players, yet to earn decent $, have to sacrifice $ now or in the future to accommodate his contract would take a lot of maturity. Not sure he has that maturity at this stage. Ironically, Jackson played an equally critical role in our 2021 premiership as Boyd did in 2016 at not dissimilar age. Still think he will stay.

Looks a very reasonable line of thinking. For a little while I thought of rivers but that line of thinking didn't last long. I didn't even pm it to ds.

A bit of both. My first thought was actors as I recognised: Paul Newman, Anthony Hopkins, Gene Kelly, Eddie Fisher etc. Then I googled several others who I thought were actors, pm'd 'actors' to ds but was wrong, well at least not the answer he wanted. Went and did other things for an hour or two and looked at the list again. I recognised names of singers: Eddie Fisher, Peggy Lee, Rod Stewart, Carol King, Paul Kelly etc. Then I googled a few more who I thought were singers and they were, submitted 'singers' to ds and response was wrong but 'getting warm'. Just as I was ready to raise the while flag, I thought of singer/guitarists which I knew was wrong but sent it to ds anyway. Ds response was check the clues again without strings. Bingo! Doubt googling the names would work very well as the names are so common.

Thanks for all your work, ds. Today's was torture - a bit easier next time please.

It isn't about leaving mates. They have a bond for life. It would be about securing his future. Especially, if the club has asked him (or others) to think about their future beyond their current contracts. Some might choose to leave before their contract expires if they can get a better long-term outcome. The club needs to do this to have best 22 spots and sal cap space for the next wave of players.

If folks haven't noticed our intrepid puzzler has gone back and highlighted the 'obvious clues' in purple.

Harmes has two years on his contract (OOC 2024 when he will be 29) so if he goes it will be because he thinks it is good for him. Doubt he is on high $ so it might be his best chance to build his financial future especially if a longer contract and extend his career into his 30's. He has fulfilled every possible football dream. Drafted to the team he followed, became part of the regular 22 and most of all has a premiership medal. What a dream come true for a once-upon-a-time, rookie. Will always be a demon through and through. Hate seeing one of our players go at any time but would still be happy for Harmes - he has given all he has to the red and blue.

The top 8 teams that had quietly notched up their Suns game as a win they can think again. Big fight on for the last few spots in the 8. Suns play 5 teams below them so will be pushing their case. Would be delighted to see them make it especially if it means Pies, Bulldogs and Saints don't.

Well, what is the answer related to 🙄

Your wit and ability to word play has no bounds🙃

I'm impressed by the 'fishing rod' connections! Well done, whoever that was.

Not really. He was injured all of last year. Played 7 games this year and was injured again yesterday. Sadly is body isn't very reliable.

This looks like what @hemingwaywould write a few years ago. Altho he would on some, not to often occasions put in a full stop!!

I don't know but Freo have certainly shored up their talent. Either way Freo wins: if the can't trade a contracted player they keep him or if they can they will say: "you want a contracted player then our value in a trade is xxxx..."

It is difficult to see how Freo can get either Jackson or Neale in a trade, let alone both. They may have the salary cap to pay them but little to trade with. They have signed up all their good talent. Those left OOC aren't anything to write home about; some barely 'steak knives'. Would they turn round and trade out a player they recently signed. Unlikely. And their draft picks will not be attractive.

Responses from 16 (of 18) 'Club bosses'. If you could choose one player from a rival club to add to your AFL list, who would it be? Christian Petracca (3) Clayton Oliver (2) Luke Jackson (1) Max King (3) Jordan De Goey (1) Darcy Moore (1) Aaron Naughton (1) Dustin Martin (1) No answer (3) "Oliver and Petracca were the only two players nominated who finished in the top 10 of last year’s Brownlow Medal count, with stars such as Carlton’s Charlie Curnow, Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh, the Brisbane Lions’ Lachie Neale, the Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli, Geelong’s Tom Stewart and Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw overlooked." the-rival-afl-players-club-bosses-would-love-to-have

I think we have our answer on which team won't make finals. Based on last night, it is the Saints. Other contenders have an easier draw and playing more consistent football.

I mentioned Richmond only because they are on a roll, have a very easy draw and could easily fall into the top 4 and go from there.