Diamond_Jim

It will get worse, Foxtel at present pays the lions share of the TV rights money but gets the lesser games on an exclusive basis. If they want to increase their ailing market they will pressure the FTA co-bidder for more exclusivity on the bigger games. NBN for all its faults will eventually settle down and 5G which comes at the end of the year has speeds most of us could only dream about.

And on a somewhat related note::: The so-called “big six” Premier League clubs have won their persistent battle to be paid a greater share of the income from the league’s burgeoning international TV rights, which have for 26 years been shared equally between all the league’s clubs. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/07/premier-league-big-six-win-battle-overseas-television-rights A closer read of the above article will reveal that it is not as simple as my quoted paragraph but it's a worrying trend. Perhaps more worrying is this comment from the same article: The change has been agreed at a time of more generally advancing financial ambitions of the major European clubs. Andrea Agnelli, the chairman of Juventus and the European Club Association, told the Guardian in a recent interview that he wanted to “reshape” European football by having more lucrative matches played in the Champions League from 2024. The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, also recently proposed a new 24-team format for the Club World Cup, featuring Europe’s biggest clubs, which would deliver $3bn for each four-yearly tournament. That proposal has been shelved. And I thought following the A League was hard enough ?

True to say he hasn't been bashing down the door and I think that is why the final selection is still so open. Petty would be a bolter so I suppose it's between Smith and Hunt. Strange Wagner's not in the mix.

I suspect he's used to being a big fish by comparison to a footy club CEO which really doesn't carry much power given the role of the AFL. If not for the ball tampering he would probably walk into a role on the AFL Commission or the executive if he wanted to. The ball tampering has brought a dark cloud over his administration of the great game of cricket. I'm sure he'll pick up something in any event.

FTA is becoming increasingly frozen out. Just have a look at the recent cricket deal where the BBL a game almost "made" by Channel 10 is now behind a play wall. As the article says it's not now just the battle between pay and FTA but it is the pay channels themselves carving up the content. In a way we are lucky that there is only Foxtel as the player in the pay TV space but you can be assured that just as Optus has gone after Champions League rights the streaming companies will not be far behind in Australia. Ina few years the NBN will be fully rolled out and while it won't be what we hoped for in terms of speed it won't be bad. Let's say the blockbusters were packaged as a separate bidding package. You can be sure those at the AFL are doing the sums.

There seems to be no end to the tricks that owners of sports content will get up to grow their revenue. Apparently in the EPL they put the season(s) up for sale but carved out a few packages which included the bank holiday weekends and the like. For these packages the televisers including those who held no other part of the television rights could bid separately. One package went to Amazon Prime .. so yes to get those games you need to subscribe (in Britain at least) to Amazon Prime. The rest of the season is covered by BT and Sky. I think streaming is the future but deals like this show how easily the ultimate consumer will get screwed. More facts on these developments in the Guardian article below: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jun/07/amazon-breaks-premier-league-hold-of-sky-and-bt-with-streaming-deal

One question... Was Tim Smith officially included in the Casey bench or is this our supposition. And a suggestion: Could we bold or give a different colour to those players from both teams who are named on an extended bench ? Go Dees PS.. I notice we already bold MFC players so perhaps a different colour for those on the extended bench.

you could be right but that would mean that Tom Mac would need to play relief ruck which would weaken the structure

I think that the inclusion of Harrison, Petty and Hunt on the extended bench means that the selection committee has left the decision until after Friday training and of course an up to date weather forecast. Sensible decision...will make for an interesting open training session.

As others have suggested I think you need to analyse both players against their present competition and bear in mind that we will have at least four new players being added to the list at years end. VDB is a mid fielder so there is the present four musketeers plus Stretch, Tyson and JKH at Casey and say one new midfielder from the draft. That makes a big queue along with all the other mountains he has to climb fitness wise. Kent's mountain is smaller but he sits along Bugg, Garlett, Spargo , Hannan and ANB plus I would suggest another draft pick. Realistically he's almost behind all of them.

Having watched Pedersen about five times for Casey this year T Smith four times (twice live) at AFL level they are distinctly different types of players. Smith is one who can really bullock and get out the quick handpass from a scrambled pack. He can crash a marking comp and of course take the occasional mark. Pedersen is more your traditional marking player... think Tom McDonald. At VFL level he uses his strength to impose himself on the competition. His ground play is probably not as strong as Smith's. He's also not to my knowledge super quick at decision making in the sense that if he takes a mark 60 metres out it is not often you see him slamming it onto the boot Melksham style to a player 30 metres from goal. Will be fascinating to watch how the forward line works with these three talls. I like many others am a great fan of Pedersen and think at present he delivers more than Weideman. However Smith's performance at AFL level has really sold me that for the sake of team balance he's the man ! Hope Pedersen plays a blinder and we see Smith back soon.

Does anyway know if any part of the MCG super box revenue goes to the club...same with the catering receipts and ground advertising. With electronic banners around the ground I expect to see clubs demand some degree of display time for their own sponsors; Wait till Adelaide and Port play hard with Adelaide Oval on these extras assuming their agreement to move from Footy Park didn't win them that battle anyway.

Understand...could have made myself clearer... they all play the same/similar position in different ways

Interesting with Bugg, Garlett and Kent in the seconds and Spargo playing well. Hard to see us keeping all four. Dion J is another on the cusp. The others almost answer themselves save for Balic who may choose to walk if he does not think he is on track for a senior spot.

I love the VFL but the other problem is that some of the clubs attract hard drinking vocal supporters. It's relatively easy to avoid them by taking your own chair and finding a quiet spot on the ground. Often you find yourself sitting next to senior players and their families just enjoying the sunshine. Funnily enough the old grandstands are generally devoid of the abusive supporter who prefer the terraces. Not suggesting any changes but perhaps some of the supporters need some lessons in anger management.

yep ... in the even older days HBF was where a young player often debuted....It was not considered a vital position unlike say CHB.

Playing Collingwood in Round 1 especially on a Friday night would be a wonderful outcome. What footy fan is not excited by the first game of the season. It would almost guarantee a 75K crowd year in year out.

I suppose that is the reason he would be offered for trade this year if he wants to go. If Freo wait until next year he could just refuse a contract and put a price on his head assuming his desired club finishes low enough on the ladder. BTW I assume the draft picks for the delisted players etc are not tradeable. Would not be hard to manipulate the system if they were. PS: I'd never heard of Ed Langdon before today !!

There's single camera coverage at all matches

and that's why we need to get rid of the compromised fixture. The likes of Collingwood and Richmond will only grow more powerful if it continues.

Aaron Davey changed football in the sense that he was the original small forward defender. A role that all forwards now aspire to. Before Aaron, backmen just loped out of the backline looking to give it off. His run down skills changed the time and space dimension on the field forever. Hard to go past him

What do people think of Fritsch playing in the Lever role. He certainly has the marking ability and the speed. May just be a little new to the game to have the positioning skills. That would open up up a spot for a wingman.... Stretch perhaps?

There needs to be some quiet adult discussion about ALL the so called blockbusters including the Derbys. They have for some time been seriously compromising the draw for no reason other than the pursuit of money. Friday nights need to given out on a pre agreed merit formula or rotated. Don't think anyone is going to do MFC any favours ... we are just the bunny in the headlights at present

I suspect that most of them have worked Eddie out by now. He's not as smart as we used to think he was.

Yep.. I'd like to think we have become a Republic in the next ten years. If so I can't see the same holiday being kept as it would be controversial. Would like think we celebrate Republic Day on say July 1. If that happens the concept of a fixed Monday holiday would disappear as well. Now about Eddie and his Ponsford stand deal !!!