Lucifers Hero

??? I like kittens ???

Crowd of 14,636 at Hawks game. Even allowing for it being an i/state opp and Mother's Day it was a fairly dismal effort by their 80,000 fans. Not winning games? Hawks fans = fair weather sailors, perhaps? Edit: OOps, just say SWYL and Dame Gaga's similar posts... As an aside the Cats/Roos game at Marvel Stadium up the road had 40,000+...

We had better get to and win some serious finals in the next two years as when this contract expires he is a Free Agent. He will be quite a prize for another club getting him free. He seems a loyal type but one never knows. Have been a fan since before we recruited him and is my equal #1 favourite player alongside Hunt. I know AFL is now a business but it is tough seeing favourite players go to other clubs. Salem is one I really want to be a one club player.

There is only one team that can confidently be predicted to win each week: Geelong! For the rest, complacency is the favourite's worst enemy. So nearly every game is up for grabs.

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Not seen a lot of love for Fritsch. Thought he played his best game of the year. A way to go to get back to his best but a really consistent game. Cut off a lot of offensive efforts. Was clean in marking and disposal. Will only get better from here.

Was it Goodwin being arrogant or the players. In particular the mids kicking i50? Jones, Stretch, and Viney were the worst offenders and kicked to advantage of the GCS defenders who continuously marked. Hopefully, high bombs are not coaching instructions but just lack of skill or footy IQ. I thought our fwds worked hard to try and make good on the rubbish delivery. Goodwin had a +1 in defence as per last week, until Dew decided to even up the numbers. And we played more man-on-man than zone, so less goals over the top (at least that is how it looked on tv). Having said that 3 defenders had shots on goal (Lewis, Frost and Hore) so clearly they were pushing far up the ground. Again not sure if it was the game plan, the GCS fwds taking them there (Dew crowding our fwd line) or our players being stupid (other teams keep their defensive arc around the middle of the ground when opp crowd our fwd line). While I'm on it why on earth was Frost taking a set shot for goal from outside 50 when a shorter pass was in order. Its not as if kicking is a strength. Would agree with a line thru Stretch and Oscar but unsure on Hore. Really liked his coolness to slot that goal and his modesty in not even thinking to celebrate his first AFL goal - he knew there was not time and need to keep focus. A lesson some of his more seasoned team mates can learn.

Not sure this is the right thread. I'm a bit worried about Sam. I can no longer find the tweet but a few days before last week's Casey game a footy scribe tweeted that Sam had closed his twitter and instagram accounts. Anyone have any info on Sam's 'soreness' from that Casey game as he is not on the latest injury list? Coincidence? Hope Sam is ok. He is young and all the noise and negative attention around his contract could be quite disheartening. Hopefully, he is back playing soon and can get some confidence up. And tells his manager to pipe down about the contract to media folk. Change manager even!

Fed Govt money to AFL Clubs It is like an episode from Yes Minister! Criteria for funds: Influential politician connected to club or electorate. Social causes: Ethinic groups, Indigenous groups, disabled groups Other sports: AFLW, local footy, Community use of facilities. Research projects. Quotes: ‘‘Didn’t we give money to Richmond and Collingwood in the last few weeks, too?’’ ‘‘We did. They both got the standard $15 mil. Frydenberg was involved. Richmond were doing something with their Indigenous learning centre – they’re naming it after William Cooper, and I think they threw Bachar Houli in there, too. Indigenous AND multicultural/Muslim. They’re smart. Dan Tehan’s a Richmond man, by the way. ‘‘The Pies got the money for some kind of research project with Monash – and of course, they’ll spend it on their Taj Mahal as well. Always get looked after by Labor. Shorten is a Collingwood convert. He used to barrack for the Swans. Convenient". All, too sad to read really. Melb the only Vic team not mentioned ? Others not mentioned. Freo, GCS, GWS, Port. Our disadvantages: Not having an inner suburban home ground to piggy back on to get funding. We are late comers to all the causes other clubs use to get handouts and it will be hard for mfc to come up with something new to back our cause. We don't have an electorate that connects emotionally to mfc nor do we have an influential politician connected to our club. Casey connection because in government's eyes it may compete for funding to an mfc city base. Time for our 'big end of town' members to get on their bikes and cultivate some Spring Street and Canberra relationships. BTW, does anyone know MCC's position on this? Are they in their batting for us or they don't care? I will now go back to not reading this thread as it is far too depressing...

It was ugly. But: We dominated the game. We lead on the scoreboard all game, except for a few minutes in the last. We deserved to win. However, our i50 entries are still rubbish. Mids, please lower eyes!

Everyone is entitled to an off day which are few and far between for Gus. He'll be back.

Unfortunately, in my working life I have seen several corporate HQ/Divisonal moves. If not properly done it can rip the heart out of an organisation. If we only use the oval where do all the offices, gyms, pools and other facilities go? Where is the parking? WP sounds like a fantasy...

RN, WP might work as a training venue but not as a whole of club base as we have several hundred full time and part time staff who live in all parts of Melb and rely on public transport. They have good transport links to mcg precinct with trains and trams. Many would not or could not readily get to work at WP and we would be faced with potential $ payouts, recruiting and training new staff. Not to mention loss of valuable experience. These are the same reason why Casey won't work for us. Also, Mirvac are heavily involved in WP surrounds and are in the throws of their 'finale' development. Fair chance it will build more housing on land other than the oval. And HFC have a freehold over the park and own some of the facilities. Last thing I want is for our training base to be under the eyes of the Hawk's supporters who live around the boundary of the oval. Enemy territory. Edit: just read your latest post: 'Beggars can't be choosers'. We already are beggars. We would just be moving our cup to WP. Would rather stay begging at Gosch's.

I predict that if we lose watch the 'Sack Everyone...', and 'Sack X' threads be resurrected with a vengeance! In which case a self imposed holiday from DL for a few days to avoid the meltdowns will be a good idea.

A feel good story about Lockhart's path to AFL: From Docks to Dees He has missed only 2 games since debut due to injury. Last line of the article sums it up very well: He won’t be back on the docks any time soon". It seems he has taken ANB's spot in the team, having been selected ahead of him several times. Will be interesting to see who goes out when Hannan comes back. Given the huge wrap Hibberd gave Lockhart for being 'hard as nails and one of the toughest guys he's met in footy', I doubt it will be Lockhart.

They must have heard it early at end of 2nd qtr as it looked like the Syd player kicked the ball before the siren went.

DJ, I'll be happy with any sort of win. Good/ugly, big/small. Nonetheless, it will be good to avoid a heart stopper like last week so a big margin with 10 min to go will help.

GCS have won 3 games by +3pts, +5pts and 2pts. They have lost their last 3 games by -73pts, -49pts and -23pts. Hardly an in-form side. Granted, our scoreboard performances have not been much better. But at last our coaches have tightened our game plan behind the ball and the mids and forwards are working better defensively. The team clicked last week and I reckon it will be better this week. We will win!

Maybe. I'm not happy about Viney being in or more correctly making the call himself. My point was given that Viney was selected, ANB was the most likely out. That the club wants to settle the side and not mess with the midfield or back 6/7, the other options were Stretch or Lockhart both of whom imv give us more than ANB. ANB just doesn't have enough strings to his bow and is limited in the positions he can play. Not meaning to put him down just the way I see the merits of the forward half players.

That is the crux of the issue. He has had one good game this year. If we are honest ANB has always been a 'bottom six' role player; a' journeyman'. He needs to fix his weaknesses and have more strings to his bow than tackles, 1% and pressure acts so no matter how well he performs in those areas he is at risk of being the first out from the forward half. More so now that other forwards are improving their defensive and one-on-one work. Given that Viney is in I can't see who else to take out as the club wants to settle the side (great idea at last) and it is easier to take out a defensive forward than unsettle a back 6/7.

you win dc? My original point was we won't be moving the club to Casey as (several hundred) admin staff (who live in all parts of Melbourne and often rely on public transport) would be more affected than players. Still think that, even if it takes players an hour several times a week to get there. Casey is not an option for a whole of club venue.

the starting point was their abode not the mcg. Anyway, the original point to which the travel time relates was it is the admin staff that would have travel difficulties to Casey more than the players who tend to live east and south of the cbd and travel outside peak time against the flow of peak traffic.

I have no idea od. For me this is one of the most depressing threads on this board as every Vic club is getting tens of millions for their existing grounds and we are homeless. I usually don't read this thread but was lured back by the orange 'Hot!' flag - thought something good may have happened for us. Alas not, just another club getting more millions.

1/2 is based on players generally travelling outside peak hour and travel in the opposite direction to peak travellers.

iirc our admin staff are located at the MCG? Can't imagine prising them out of there. Casey is a problem for staff who come from all corners of Melbourne and would have to go there every day. Moreso for those that rely on public transport or are part-time which would include some of the medico and fitness staff who may have practices elsewhere. As for the players, the impression I have, most live inner east, east or south. A drive down the freeway will get them to Casey in half an hour and that would be only a few days a week. I doubt the club will move football staff from AAMI further from the admin staff at the MCG. As the decision makers are senior admin and the Board I see zilch chance of Casey being our base for the whole club.