Lucifers Hero

Firstly, congratulations on solving @old55's puzzle!! I thought I had but it was only half right 😿 Thanks for the expansive clue. It did occur to me that each was a cryptic clue for player names but didn't have time yesterday to think it through. Not just saying that based on your latest post, as I am into cryptic crosswords and recognized the usual 'triggers'. You may recall with the 'roamin Bryan' puzzle we had a pm discussion about cryptic puzzles. Anyway, I have solved the second one, I think. Rather than go the 'early crow' like I did with old's puzzle thinking I have it, I'll pm it to you. Unfortunately, I have a busy day so can't finish this or 'old's puzzle. Will check in tonight to see the answers.

I think I just solved 'old's' quiz so my brain is a bit too fried to tackle another one today. Maybe you can show one answer to get me and others started?

It seems I've missed a lot of quizzes during the break!! Tim, is that you I heard complaining about @old55holding out on giving the answer in his quiz? 😉 And you've had this thread on the go for weeks and provided not a single clue! I shall ponder your quiz later today. In the meantime could you identify the items @Demonstoneand @Mazer Rackhamhave correct and show the answer. TIA

Thanks for sharing od. There is some new info re the venues we have/would consider and its good to get a bit more clarification on the reasons nothing has happened. Just don't know why the club hasn't shared that publicly as here we are thinking the Board is wedded to the G precinct and relative inactive. As and aside, does anyone know if The Greens hold the balance of power in the Upper House? That might make it tricky to get a new venue up and running anywhere in Melbourne let alone inner Melbourne.

Not directly related to the Fixture but don't want to start a new thread. Barrett is starting early with his negative 'headlines' of the MFC. Yesterday his podcast was captioned: How 'hubris' got to Dees with a picture of the players after the round 23 loss to Brisb. Today his podcast is captioned: The off-field drama that rocked the 2022 season with a picture of May and Melksham. I'll confess that I haven't listened to either. Not worth the effort as he just whines and whinges.

Of the 6 premiership players OOC this year the one I'm keen to see signed is Kozzie. My guess is: May will get a short extension likely on less $ Hibberd will most likely reitire Jordon is an UFA so can look for opportunities elsewhere and probably will if he doesn't get regular game time. ANB plays an important role but at some point we need to develop someone that can replace him Rivers is important but we have others to step in. While it would be good to keep the premiership list together, I feel some need to move on to refresh the team and make room for those pushing for selection at Casey. imv we would be fine if any of the last four or even all four, moved on. On the bright side none of them would be re-contracted on big $ so the sal cap isn't really an issue on keeping them. Kozzie is the one!

My comment was solely about your reference to 'ask the AFL'. I didn't doubt the comment about the AFL data base and Ticketmaster etc. MFC staff have 'read' access (as a minimum) to that data base. They also have 'update' capability because they have updated my info while I'm on the phone.

The person didn't say anything about asking the AFL so not sure that is correct. It certainly hasn't been the case in the past. Other clubs are showing it on their website.

I felt the same. After all, it was the membership department I called and if they don't have the latest numbers I don't know who does. I wasn't asking for the website to be updated which I can see is a marketing role. The person could have just given me the numbers over the phone. Having said that the person I spoke to wasn't very helpful. The little info I got was like drawing teeth. Haven't encountered that with our membership dept in the past. Maybe you can try, daisy.

I didn't interpret it that numbers are down.

I called the membership department and was told the 2023 numbers will be posted in the new year. I mentioned in past years they started to appear on mfc website form mid Oct/early Nov. The feedback was it is the marketing department who do the update and they have been quite busy.

Update for Howes' two year contract renewal until 2025. Next: Kozzie please. 🤩

After last year's GF Vic was still in lockdown with curfews and only a few hours of 'day release'. It meant there was no chance for players to R and R. So they didn't have much to do except exercise/train. When I read some of the training reports I get a bit anxious that we are repeating last year's error of going too hard too early (Max said the 2022 season felt and extension of 2021 with a heavy preseason workload). But I stay positive and think we have learnt to pace the preseason better this year.

Members vs Memberships numbers was covered in this thread I don't see much point repeating the discussion here.

Thanks ITFA. If I get a chance I'll call the club tomorrow. Hope you figure out bribe your way back for the GF, if we make it. 😉

@Its Time for Anotherdo you still have the contact in 'Memberships' at the club to obtain the latest figure - it seems they have forgotten to update it to this year. ps Really like your name change. Agree: Its Time for Another!!

I know the example is hypothetical but the number of 'additional' memberships from that source(s) are so few that the impact on membership numbers is negligible.

Not sure about the 'bolded' comment if 'favourable' means winning a premiership or even going to the PF stage. An 'easy' fixture hadn't helped Geelong for over a decade. It is fair to say they were the best managed team in 2022 that peaked in September as we did in 2021. The teams that make the finals by virtue of an easy fixture get found our very quickly during the finals, especially those that haven't been there for a while. The two that made it to a Premiership on the back of an 'easier' draw were Bulldogs in 2016 and Richmond in 2017 both having finished 13th in the prior year. However, both teams had made the finals (with early exits) in the years prior to those premierships. So they were relatively experienced finals teams. Without checking I don't think there is a team that has made a PF/GF or won the premiership 'out of the blue' without prior finals experience. While Collingwood made it to a PF last year on the back of an easier fixture they had a decent and recent finals history. Some might say we benefited in 2021 having been 9th in 2020 but that would be very difficult to support as we blasted all comers out of the finals. 'Dark Horses' don't win premierships out of the blue nor on the back of easy fixtures.

They have to make finals first! So add at least another 365 to eos 2024 as they do not plan to even make finals in 2023! going-to-take-time-bombers-not-entertaining-finals-talk And Scott is preaching patience. A brave man preaching patience after nearly 20 years in finals wilderness! They'll eat him alive if he doesn't get wins on the board.

Change of heart after they drafted him by the look of it. Not the first time a player has been recruited with the promise of a role then find themselves with something else. J. Howe is an obvious one. It won't be the last. At least Owe went into a back line role he had been performing well in. Jackson is yet to lay claim to a fwd role. But Bell thinks it is mfc's fault for our 'narrow' forward play. Time will tell.

Definitely forward : luke-jackson-fremantle-traded-from-melbourne-contract-game-plan-where-will-he-play Note the 'drive by' chip at mfc.

iirc JT said we planned to have Jackson as a fwd. I think it was in one of the 2020 pre-draft interviews. However, we saw something different in him and changed that early view. Maybe Freo will change their view. After all, the best stretch of his career so far was the GF when he was in the middle. At the Dees he learnt his ruck craft from Max. At Freo he may learn from Darcy but Darcy himself is still learning. But then again, not sure what big men Freo have to help get the best out of Jackson. Time will tell.

May not be in theory but Freo intend to play Jackson as a fwd so he is a Lobb replacement in practice. Bell even said we didn't use him enough as a fwd and our game style didn't suit him as a fwd. They intend to change his role to be predominately a fwd. Not sure how Jackson will like that...

Freo can see they have an uphill battle next year: cant-have-it-all-dockers "Dockers CEO Simon Garlick says the club and players aren’t “overly concerned” with the draw that will also include double games against preliminary finalists Brisbane and finalists the Western Bulldogs". (Plus Geelong and Sydney double ups). Just a little concerned perhaps? “There’s no doubt we’ve seen all the analysis over the last couple of days and the double ups and the like that we’ve got some on-field challenges ahead of us..." The downside of finishing in the top 6! "From Round 16, the Dockers will play six consecutive games against teams that finished in the top nine last year – but three of those games will be at home". A tough run home. As Garlick rightly points out what looks like a hard/easy draw now may not turn out that way. Without doing the 'death ridie' thing, I don't like their chances of making finals especially as they need to integrate key players: Jackson for Lobb, O'Meara for Mundy and cover the loss of Logue, Tucker, and Acres who are in their 'best 25'. It may take the first third of the season, when they need to win a lot of games, to settle the team by which time the season may have slipped away, given their tough run home. They are a young side so can see them sliding next year 🤞 to come back in 2024. Which means we will end up with a fairer price for Jackson.😉

Those aren't but the other 4 are almost 'gimmes'! So overall it is about the easiest double ups of all.