Diamond_Jim

We were talking earlier in this thread about "footy speak" and how comments by coaches and players are so predictable. Have a look at this interview with Dan Ricciardo.... (I think he barracks for the Eagles) https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/interviews/2017/6/daniel-ricciardo--p6-in-qualifying-a-good-recovery.html Q: You always wear a smile – but lately we’ve seen that other drivers are more on the smiling side in press conferences. Is that because the new owners make the environment more relaxed? DR: Yeah, they have supplied everyone with a good dose of marijuana and I just got it naturally in my system! (Laughs) But what I have always thought is that some seem to be bored – and probably not grateful enough to be here. Then I think to myself: go and do another job! Because I think for all of us it is a dream come true. Even on bad days! Maybe more drivers have started to understand that more now.

It takes a while for the penny to drop for some of us but perhaps Goodwin was persisting with Weideman in the seniors because ultimately he was hoping that he would take the role of the second ruck/forward a la Boyd at Footscray. Hopefully it was a good idea that is just one year early. Great to see the Weid get some ball because at Coburg in the forward line he was just "not there."

but we were young and tired when we lost that game last year ! No excuses this time.... in fact the Collingwood game is the easiest... we need at least 2 out of the next three

A pleasant afternoon in the sunshine of the AFL members at the MCG. Suns played one excellent quarter and Hawks kicked straight which kept them in the game. Hawks supporters are not quite desperate yet. They still enjoy their glory days and remember when. I am waiting for when they turn on their players like every good depressed supporter does. Great to watch Ablett. His intercept and near goal in the third was just magic to watch. He is also wonderful around the pack. They will miss him big time

these guys could really learn from the soccer commentary. The game is not about them. They get their chance to spout their "wisdom" in the many breaks. As I have said so many times would love an alternative commentary stream of crowd noise only.

ok... 1. The waivers are probably no issue as there was a lack of "informed consent." 2. Not knowing what the substances were is not a major deterrent except it makes it harder to prove that the damage is caused by the substance 3. The damage itself can be an issue but let's assume you can show the "physical" damage and then monetise that damage. 4. Now comes the big one and that is showing on the balance of probabilities that the substance caused the damage. One can show that a class of drugs is more likely than not the cause of the damage and that would get you home. If however the damage can be caused by multiple events common in the community other than ingesting the class of substances it is far from certain that on the balance of probabilities the player has proved that the damage is caused by the substance. Remember that while the defendant is in theory the club who may be sympathetic to the player and not argue liability etc, the person paying the money and who in practice gets to decide most things about how a case is run is the insurance company. I assume that LM's costs are at least to some extent covered by the AFLPA but because he could have costs awarded against him should he lose it is a major financial decision. The moral is of course that EFC have got off lightly in that even if LM is wrong in his claim the worry that the club has caused to LM and other players and their wives is absolutely reprehensible and unforgivable.

King in the development league does underscore the list management difficulties with ruckmen. If you need 3-4 on your list as some suggest... where do they play ... the development league is not really the long term answer. In the old days teams played two ruckmen so it was not as big an issue. Not sure what the answer is

Can a player play say a half for Casey today and then be emergency for Monday? Thinking about JKH

you just dropped the big scoop Demon 77.... well done !!

Shows the importance of Riewoldt not just in what he does but the influence he has on the opposition. The other team watch him which frees up other players. Riewoldt playing last night would not have seen the Saints win but it might have been closer Would be interested ti hear comments on the relative game styles of the two teams. Saints used a strong forward press that Adelaide managed to break with relative ease.

As LH points out it is no longer Friday nights that are the big draws from a TV viewpoint. It is now Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights ... all FTA coverage. We get two of those plus the QB afternoon game (might rate better as a Sunday night game but perhaps a lower crowd.) Would be very interested to see the breakdown by club (home or away) of night time FTA coverage Again as LH says.. I cannot see it changing in the short to medium term but if we expect to attract reasonable sponsorship we have to be able to deliver FTA coverage

not as simple as that.... if you call a witness you cannot challenge that witness (cross examine) unless you can declare the witness hostile. To have a witness declared hostile is a legal process which at its simplest requires you to show that the witness told you one thing and then when he/she takes the stand says something diametrically opposed. Not very easy in practice. There are also rules that excuse a witness from answering if the answer might incriminate the witness. All in all a minefield. On the other hand the Australian Crime Commission who kicked this saga off has some very fancy powers but I cannot see them getting involved... requires a formal referral etc PS The irony is that in the original AFL tribunal decision there was lots of talk about he failure to call witnesses and what if any presumptions could be brought to bear as a result of that action

Adelaide v St Kilda tonight ... would like a win by the Crows so as to get some breathing space on St Kilda The next three weeks... Collingwood, Bulldogs and Swans will go a very long way to shaping the MFC season. Richmond play Sydney next week which will be interesting

would be disappointed to see JKH play in place of Bugg. JKH was just a bullocking player against Coburg. Cannot really remember much good outside play. Bugg on the other hand puts himself into spots to score. If he had kicked 3:1 last week there would be no debate. The problem with players at Casey is that it is hard to assess their form from an AFL perspective simply because the standard and method of play is so different. But for the scoreboard, Coburg impressed me a lot more than Casey last week. Weed in the ruck is a good move just to give him some feel for the leather.

Just came across this article on the AFL site a certain synchronicity perhaps http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-08/afls-integrity-unit-head-departs-for-monaco THE AFL'S head of competition integrity, Brett Clothier, is leaving the League after more than eight years to take up a key position in international athletics.

Thank you so much Dr G .... got my $10 ticket and all is good in the world ... many thanks

as an aside... picked up my AFL members seat for QB last week fro around $10. Did it before the Collingwood win last week so it is a decent seat. Anyway thought I would be confident and buy a ticket for the Bulldogs match the following week at Docklands. As an AFL member I get free admission so I asked to book a seat in the AFL members section..... $60 !! .... just for a seat.... remember buying one a few years back and it was around $10. Think I will just go along for free and wander the standing room until we get well ahead and the Bulldogs fans leave (gotta love my new found optimism !!)

if JKH is in who do you suggest is out .... my feeling is that he will be the emergency

JKH is the emergency... Salem in for ?? (looks like Wagner) Spencer... we'll know at 2pm Saturday if he runs out for Casey ....... unless of course there is something more about Jack W's ankle ??

not really... our bottom six rarely fire so we need to think about improving them if we are to be a serious threat in finals. Hannan was a good find and could fill the bill but it is hard to get excited about the likes of JKH, Bugg, Kennedy etc

Balic in JKH out ... not suggesting a trade ... just asking would it be a good outcome

A good and thorough analysis Dee Licious. Hard to disagree with the thrust of your post although I would have some different views around the edges. For example I would offer the Weed two years not three with a view to extending at the end of 2018 if he shows promise. So far this year he has gone backwards a little and therefore next year is a key development year. Same to a lesser extent with Stretch. On JKH.... he is on the fringe but equally there are around three players in the present 22 who are also on the fringe. Are there better available elsewhere .. I don't know. Spencer will definitely be offered a year but whether he is content I do not know. Perhaps the cost of retention is a two year contract. Trengrove is gone unless a miracle occurs in the remaining part of the season. Time for Garland to go and free up a place on the list perhaps. Your excellent post underscores the multiple issues that must be considered in long term list management. Glad I don't have the job.

never been the same since my butler stopped ironing the paper for me

A journalist's lot is not a happy one in this day and Age. Best of luck to Rohan and his colleagues. Disruptive technologies are shaping this world. I was an avid reader of newspapers... three at least each day if not four when there was an afternoon Herald. Have not purchased a paper in the last five years. Before paywalls I read 2 or 3 including the New York Times but these days it is just the Guardian online. Remember the National Times ?

that is not a bad idea... as I understand it the "management salary" would still be in the salary cap but it would free up a position on the list. JKH perhaps shows enough at VFL level to justify another year but he is certainly on the fringe at present. There are around 4-6 players who cannot seem to establish themselves in the senior team when given the chance. Who goes and who is kept will be a hard decision.