Diamond_Jim

not sure it matters much but I think we need say 6 teams to pull away that then leaves say 8 teams vying for the last two spots. The top 4 seem to be pulling away but who are 5th and 6th in the formula I'm not sure. My enthusiasm may return after the bye if we win two out of the next three. PS: On further thought Richmond is probably the fifth team but not sure who is sixth.

I think Spartacus has a big future although I am worried by his "mentor" Caleb Daniels being played down back this season. The spot for the smalls these days IMO is around centre half forward with the skills and smarts to position themselves relatively unopposed for the receive and then give off to advantage.

I'm reasonably sure we will see Preuss in the Alice next week win or lose this week. It's a real pity that the weather for Sunday is windy and that Casey plays at the same time as MFC. Weid, Preuss and T Smith are vying for the one maybe two spots in that forward line. If we had been in some reasonable form perhaps we could have played Preuss this week but as it is GWS will run rings around us speed wise so the selection of a slower player against the smarts and pace of the GWS backline was not a real option. Hawthorn beat GWS two weeks ago by slowing the game down and using pin point passing. As we did when we beat them last year the Hawks were great at crowding the packs and preventing that accurate handball out the GWS use so well to start their attacks. To win tomorrow we need to kick accurately and GWS need to miss. Even when we beat them last year in round 23 GWS had 3 relatively easy shots just before half time that would have seen them in front. Instead they missed and we went in at half time with a small buffer. We blew them away in the third and everyone rested in the last.

That's what will happen. VFL allows for a 23rd player who is only allowed limited game time so if the AFL emergency doesn't arrive until quarter time it still works out fine.

so Weideman, Spargo, Lewis and Preuss are playing for Casey. Some very solid inclusions... Williamstown are sixth on the VFL ladder as against Casey who are ninth so it could be a good game weather permitting.

Fantastic IIRC he and Jim were among the first dual ruck combinations. While interchange was first introduced in 1978 the third interchange player was not introduced until 1994. This made it difficult to play two dedicated big men. Would be interesting to hear about the tactics and the role of the "resting ruckman".

If you think the East Melbourne residents are NIMBY's wait until you meet the gentry of North Fitzroy

nah ... I'll be reading a book in the repository

Our mate JFK returns this week. He deserves some luck so good luck Jay !!

sorry.. I did mean Sunday but had a senior moment I still have flashbacks to GWS' first win at the MCG which was of course against us in a game that we were expected to win easily. They hired a cheersquad which consisted of four or five guys dressed in orange banana suits. That day GWS just ran rings around us with outside run after a good first quarter by MFC IIRC. I fear that Sunday could be the same.

Know how you feel but I think I will still manage to get a whole section of the AFL members to myself for this one so I'll head along to the G. Weather on Saturday could be a bit wild and woolly.

while not quite on the subject of bananas I thought some here may find this news report of some interest. What is interesting beyond the subject matter is the method of reporting. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/05/23/boys-amorous-liaison-with-pipe-ends-with-intervention-by-firemen-and-doctors/

Magnificent site for footy on a nice day. Fish and chips on the Esplanade and a short walk to the ground. The site of ships sailing past the outer wing has to be seen to be appreciated.

Here's a great article that normalises the finances of each of the EPL clubs. Allows for an easy comparison of the various revenue streams. About time our journalists did the same for the AFL. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/22/premier-league-finances-club-guide-2017-18-accounts-manchester-united-city The variations in "commercial revenues" are enormous. The lesser clubs earn around GBP10 M as compared to the mega clubs receiving GBP200M or more.

Must say the crowd numbers surprised me as well. Six o'clock closing was not removed until 1966 and the comp started in 1956. I wonder if they had a special liquor licence that may go someway towards explaining the high attendances.

May we ask your vintage RN ? Sorry Kids is referring to the original night series. It was played near the end of the season and was between the teams who didn't make the finals. The games were played at the old Lakeside Oval and due to the lack of strong lighting both on the ground and in the crowd area the event was notorious. You of course are referring to our magnificent win at Waverley in 1987 Some wonderful history This article contains some info on what they term the VFL night series...(Looks like we won in 1971 !!... the last year it was played) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VFL_Night_Series The 1987 series is apparently known as the AFL night series

that's the benefit of alternative worlds.. you can just move the goal posts so that all of Tracc's shots sail right through the middle.

Great to hear. Some good news at last..... pity the Casey game clashes with the GWS game at the MCG. Another example of impeccable scheduling by the VFL !! PS any more news on Weideman? PPS... just noticed this line in Godwinn's press conferene... Jordan Lewis, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Mitch Hannan, Charlie Spargo + Sam Weideman should all be available this weekend. If the three concussed players make it through this will probably be the first week this season that we have had a net addition to available players !!!

Nah I'm picturing one of those computer generated bars. The walls would be blue (IIRC correctly this is better than white) and then we would project computer generated images on to the walls. One night it could be hell on earth or a similarly themed Demon club and the next a jailhouse themed room of black and white. Of course both themes would be replete with interactive wagering facilities that are now de rigeur not to mention socially acceptable by comparison to pokies. When you get up off the floor after rolling around in laughter have a quiet think.... not as silly as it seems.

Let's be honest there has been nothing good about this season. Every player has gone backwards.... just to different degrees. Sure you can point to a few little glimmers (Hore) but it is probably our most disappointing season for many a year and like most I have seen many of those. Not sure I really buy the off season surgery line but given the injury level it has become irrelevant. With hindsight while the depth last year was not crash hot we probably cleared too much out at once. Mind you I would have done the same. Looking forward to some improvement in the basic form over the next ten odd weeks otherwise the feeling going into 2020 won't be crash hot. I went to watch Hawthorn v Richmond last weekend. The skill levels shown by the Hawks in that first quarter were sublime. Pity they didn't convert. On the other hand we fumble our way forward and then despair when the fast running teams kill us on the rebound.

and where would we put the social club

The state Government have well and truly earmaked that place for a new yuppie suburb deebug. If we had wanted to be part of it we needed to move at least ten years ago if not twenty. Now the Ford site at Broadmeadows might be a possibility... ticks a lot of boxes... but I must admit to knowing little about the long term plans for the site. On a similar note what about the old Toyota site at Altona? https://www.caradvice.com.au/588355/toyota-australias-altona-factory-closes/

I agree with what you say from a Richmond/Collingwood perspective but I see it as one way and perhaps the only way of retaining a near city presence. Perhaps needs to be driven by the AFL but I cannot see the justification for ten mega training facilities being built in Melbourne. If the price was that we trained on different days even the less favoured days (perhaps year and year about with favoured days) it is better that the comparatively sub standard facility that will almost certainly come our way if we persist with the idea of a near city base.

Agree ... the outer suburbs almost self select... if we were a richer club we could possibly go ahead with a solo development but that is not the case. I hope we are also doing the sums on a co-development with Collingwood and/or Richmond.