Diamond_Jim

Do you understand the math... the highest paid players are in the 26 to 28 year old bracket. We don't have any high performers in that bracket other than Gawn so of course we are managing our cap well. If Oliver, Brayshaw and Petracca go A grade and hit 25 plus say Salem at A- tell me how good we are then. Anyway the fact remains that at 500k and above he is in the top one third salary wise of the league. Does he deserve that. If you just want to say the "club know best" all the time why do you bother commenting.

It's not too hard to look at player salaries on a metadata basis. Plenty of published information these days. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2019-footys-six-million-dollar-men-for-2018-season-revealed-with-more-to-join-top-pay-bracket-this-year/news-story/1340f19b6f30485d9d3f3025463469f4 https://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-02-22/player-payments-revealed-millionaires-on-the-up what is more difficult is getting a handle on the front and back loading aspects of contracts as they differ dramatically by reference to yearly demands on the salary cap. You'd need to be a brave club for example to back load a four year contract on the basis that the new TV rights (due at the end of 2022) will deliver say a 20% increase in the salary cap but I am sure some will be doing it.

Even at 500k that outs him in the top third percentile wise. I just don't see value for a player that is merely useful in a well performing club. Trust it's not a four year deal. https://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-02-22/player-payments-revealed-millionaires-on-the-up

There's little doubt that the outright physicality of GWS and the Lions' response spooked the umpires. Luckily they didn't ruin a very good game. I think it was the last quarter and four talls went for a mark on the wing and all four collapsed to the ground and the ball ran free. Comical. How the umpire found a free kick out it is equally comical.

If ever in London the Lords museum is well worth a visit. Outside the museum is a small lawn section with a bronze statue of Mr Lord pulling the pitch roller. Makes a great photo. Very disappointed by the Lords Tavern.

Get the remaining wickets for less than 30 runs and we have a chase of 450 over five sessions on a decent wicket. Go to stumps tonight at 2 for 180 and it's game on tomorrow On the present form (Smith aside) of the batsmen it is a hard ask

At 600k per year he's certainly not being paid as a bottom six player. More like a top ten

Notice in the first half at least the number of times the ruckman took possession at the centre bounce. Duhhhh..... Goodwin

yep... we have never been good in the so called dead rubbers but hell... this is for a series win !

ahhhh...... give us two days and 500 is possible Need 3 wickets at least this session The forest burning is complicated Wadda. I agree it's horrible but as a percentage of removing trees.. Australia is probably worse and Europe is miles worse. And then some turkey on 3aw says we should reduce aid to Indonesia PS Boomers lost to Spain. We were five seconds off winning.... and now we know Storm lost in the last two minutes !!

$600k... puts him into the top ten at least pay wise. Is he worth it ???? Brisbane have had their chance... remember when we sold them wins Go Giants

Interesting question and it immediately raises who in each line is the tactics man. Backs... May or Lewis or Salem Forwards.... Petracca but definitely Melksham if fit Mids.... Because we have co-captains the strange thing is that perhaps it could not be either of them. (one or the other would be put out.) Does Brayshaw have the tactical nouse

An aside just turned on to watch the Storm who play in an hour and caught the last half of the NRL women's match. Excellent quality. As a sport it it appears to be far more transferable quality wise between the genders.

We've all known the Australian batting is poor aside from Smith and Danke Shane of late but the total failure of Warner is alarming. There will be changes this summer with at least Khawaja, Wade and perhaps Warner on the outer. Not sold on Paine although the ACB have painted themselves into a dark corner with their sacking of Smith which in hindsight was a gross over reaction. (Six months perhaps at most.) Melbourne Storm play tonight so after the Boomers losing, Geelong winning and the Poms on top there is hope for us yet. Heavy smoke haze here in Asia. Happens most years with forest burning in Indonesia. It's not the trees but the peat in the earth and it burns non stop until the rains come. Air quality levels are high so no exercise recommended which gives an excuse for more kayo watching.

And a wicket at the Oval Butler out

Some seriously empty stands. Perhaps the AFL need to look at last minute discounts etc

So... I assume we are all hoping for Geelong My eyes on Nic Nat and his connection with the midfield. Hope our coaches whoever they are watch as well.

From that article: "The A-sample didn’t return any evidence of a banned substance in Rioli’s system, but the finding was that there was evidence of urine substitution, which is known as a “prohibited method” If it wasn't a complete substitution this makes it even stranger.

Here's a well written article in today's Guardian on Chris Scott. It contains the following paragraph which is apposite to our coach. "The language emanating from football clubs these days is softer, almost mystical. The days of the autocratic, raving lunatic driving a team towards a premiership are thankfully long past. You’d lose your young players if you carried on like that now. You’d probably have the police at your door. These days, many of the senior coaches speak like yoga instructors. Along with their players, they’ve embraced mindfulness and meditation. The key words at football clubs are “connection” and “vulnerability”. It’s the antitheses of how the previous generations of Australian men were raised, taught and coached. It’s refreshing, and it clearly works. " https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/12/pressure-mounts-on-geelong-as-chris-scotts-detractors-line-up

Wagner did enough this year to justify a further contract. Well done. He isn't the problem.

The AFL hate the WADA regime. They would much prefer to be like the major codes in USA and enforce their own policy. First offence for PED in the NFL is a four match suspension.

They lost 5 for 50 from when Root went out but the current pair have put on 45runs for the ninth wicket. Overall a decent performance by Australia with many English players getting good starts. Australia will need to wrap up this partnership before it does damage. I still don't think it was a smart move putting them in.

two quick wickets after tea. Game on All out for around 250 would justify sending them in

There's not much doubt that Langer runs this team. If they had taken the Root chances it may have been different but 300 plus is looking inevitable

Why pick Siddle and Marsh and send a team in England heading for a big score