Diamond_Jim

sorry NRL

The figures don't lie.... As Kerry Packer once said an Alan Bond only comes along once in a lifetime and there will not be another streaming service that is prepared to lose A$300M a year in Australia alone.

Good result with the Eagles winning If we could win the next two there would be a case for optimism. Need Richmond to belt the Bombers

if every fifth person in Australia subscribed to Kayo that would give a gross revenue for Kayo of $1billion per year. Present AFL rights are $400M.. NFL $250M and cricket $150M .. per year. The sums will never add up.

Foxtel losing money hand over fist... and little chance of growing revenue dramatically plus FTA ad revenues being slashed by digital marketing,. Well reported in the financial press that we have seen the top for the lesser sports and AFL on a global basis is a lesser sport

twenty teams... nice idea and a non compromised draw of 19 rounds. Won't happen. The TV money will soon max out in real terms which leaves eight teams unable to compete without AFL money. Cannot see how they would add another two to the "little 8". Bad crowd at the Hawks match in Launceston. Looks half full at best.

Of course they didn't play us there for a long time. We did give them their first win on the MCG... something we have been kind enough to do for many of the expansion clubs

you're right OD re the move but that is not to say the position of North is not chronic. I suspect that their followers are moving towards their latter years with little regeneration amongst the younger demographic. Mind you St Kilda and to an extent ourselves are in a similar trough. A move to Tasmania if done properly would retain 2/3 of their Victorian supporters and then add another 20k at least Tasmanian full members. The TV money is about to max out so the pressure will be on the clubs themselves to increase their revenue streams. The big 6 or 8 will find ways to spend their money which will leave the others in their wake.

Scott has done a wonderful job and will get a senior role either as coach or football manager. The bigger question for North is whether it takes that last chance and relocates to Tasmania. Eight home games in Tasmania (the Hobart v Launceston issue is a problem) and five at the Docklands. Means the Melbourne followers would get around 10-12 chances to see them. AFL pump money into them along with a mega training facility courtesy of the Federal and Tasmanian State governments. This would be ready in say three years at which time the club would move all its admin etc to Tasmania. The deal is there to be had and the only people who would complain is Hawthorn and well... who cares about them !!

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.