Diamond_Jim

Thanks bjDee

Box Hill in Surrey looks like a very nice place. Apparently named after the Box trees that grow there. The man who invented television (John Logie Baird) lived there and conducted some of his experiments on the Box Hill. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_Hill,_Surrey Must say I like the local Box Hill Oval (Vic)

No problem with Thompson but I think the likes of Dal Santo or even Harvey may give us more of an X factor. Hard to judge on last night's game alone but while he got several clearances I do not recall many of them being well directed clearances. More like just pumping it forward. (Understand the Crows were under extreme pressure last night so he might be forgiven.)

The SCG is so small. Thompson's first kick from the centre circle was nothing spectacular but it landed 15 metres inside the 50 metre arc. Would be a good venue for a 12-14 a side game

Agree.... we need a quiet start to the season where we can rack up 3 or 4 wins in the first five games and then move on. Freo in the West would be nice and I would not say not to Port in Adelaide (seeing we gave them home ground advantage in Alice Springs.) No fears of playing Essendon but playing them in a homecoming of the Angels scenario in the first round (probably our home game as well) would be plain dumb. To those who say we should not be afraid the simple fact is that football is a game of "inches" and there is no reason whatsoever to give your opponent one inch. We already manage that well enough by playing in Alice Springs and Darwin plus our enforced visit to the Cattery!!

Boy the Hawks are very good at judging the 15 metre kick

Jake has served his penalty and as a player he should be welcomed to the MFC. He should not be "venerated" as I am afraid will happen to those of the 34 who return to Essendon next year. Instead he should be treated as any other player pursuing a sport at an elite level. If there be anger and indignation (which is not inappropriate) it should be firmly directed at the Essendon Football Club and the AFL. It is obvious that neither of these organisations appreciate the damage that has occurred to the game not only by the drug taking itself but by the way that fact has been handled by the EFC and the AFL. If one needs evidence of the damage that an issue like this can cause you need only look at the recent Olympics. People who were once avid followers of this sports fest either turned off or watched it with suspicion. Welcome Jake. I hope you have a successful career at the MFC.

Just got an email from NAB offering 2 tickets for the price of one to the Hawks v Bulldogs match. (First time I have ever received such an offer.) Surprised me a little as I would have thought this match would be heavily attended. Anyway .............. Go Doggies !!

It appears that WADA has been hacked by Russian cyber experts.Would have thought their data would have been better protected. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/13/wada-russian-cyber-attack-espionage-group And a big month coming up for CAS: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/13/maria-sharapova-doping-fate-cas-october

The AFL site has an article on how they might pay for Mitchell, O'Meara and Vickery It includes the following comment: "With Bradley Hill likely to depart for Fremantle and veterans Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Shaun Burgoyne and Josh Gibson taking pay cuts to play on in 2017, the Hawks are understood to have the salary cap space to accommodate O'Meara, Mitchell and Vickery." Mmmmm is what I say. They must be big pay cuts and Hill must be on real money to free up around the 1.2 to 1.5 million a year you would need for those three players. Link to full article here: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-09-13/hawks-reach-for-stars-but-at-what-price

Thanks Redleg.... much appreciated for a workplace sustained injury "half your salary for the next 2-3 years " is not a whiz bang pay out. I appreciate AFL is not your normal workplace but it just seems light. It does have the benefit that a player who is contracted would not easily accept an allegation by the club that they have a career ending injury and thus minimises the chance of rorting.

How do they (the Hawks) do it. The trade blows ones mind but then you move to salary cap for a top team full of top grade players. Amazing !!

Could someone please expand on the salary cap rules if you pay out a players contract on the basis of career ending injuries. You will recall that Lamumba was placed on the long term injury list with only 2 or 3 rounds to go. This required special approval from the AFL under the rules. It was presumably done for a purpose and I don't think it was the usual purpose of allowing a rookie upgrade.

But what about equalization Eddie ?

That is the unknown is it not. If he becomes a top 10 player on our list rather than one who goes in and out of the team we have a big win. Fingers crossed but MFC is usually not the place for fairy tale endings I'm a big believer in dividing the team into groups of 6or so. The top 6 are those who not only get picked every week but who would reasonably walk inot any other club. TBH in 2015 it was hard to find that top 6. Now with Gawn, the youngsters and Watts coming on it gets a little easier.

Just went to the Collingwood VFL site by chance. We could perhaps learn a few things from them. First: Cost of entry is zero for home and away games. The club run website provides clear and consistent game day reports including quarter by quarter reports Here's an example: http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2016-09-03/vfl-live-qf-v-williamstown-2016 KC and others do a wonderful job updating us on this site and I like the coaches notes on the MFC listed players. Small thing and an example of what clubs with money can do

When you look at these guys you have to ask yourself if it is reasonable to expect first year players to compete against men at AFL level. No wonder they need to be rested in their first season

Slightly related.... but now Geelong are complaining that Iike GWS getting a prelim at Spotless they should get home prelim finals at Kardinia Park http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/sport/afl/afl-preliminary-finals-geelong-cats-fans-angry-over-gws-giants-spotless-stadium-final/news-story/d3e473a880dc44568b074b6f4d4e8ee8 One would like to say no chance but the AFL is a strange beast. Of course if you scream loudly enough about a prelim they might give you a first round final to appease you. I might have more sympathy for them if they did not schedule all their games against the big clubs for the MCG during the home and away season !!

As an aside Oscar McDonald went to St Pats Ballarat and got a perfect VCE score. Seems like he was a whiz at maths http://www.mailtimes.com.au/story/1556848/wimmera-students-rewarded-for-vce-scores/ Hope he is finding time for some serious Uni study

And that is probably why Adelaide want to offload him. At that price he needs to be in the top 5-10 midfielders in the game. Memories of MFC and Woewodin spring to mind. Seriously if he is on that kind of money there has to something going on at Port which begs the question .... could it be that they have already committed to pay more to one of their stars... who knows ..... but interesting

That was due to all the finals being one state one game finals and included a derby in Sydney and two Victorian teams at the MCG. It was always going to be a record

Two players who would have gone top 5 in the same period while the Swans were top 4. By the way the Swans still have father son access from the South Melbourne days as do Brisbane with Fitzroy (so they do not suffer there.) Sorry that is a huge leg up in the scheme of things. (albeit small in comparison to what GWS and GCS were gifted.)

and we beat Hawthorn.... but it doesn't fill me with hope after losing to ..... you know who they all were !!

A question for KC or any other close to Casey please. Does the MFC have any input into who Casey selects to make up its the Casey list of players? Although Casey listed players are able to be drafted by any club it seems to me a possible way of grooming some late developers to play the kind of football the MFC is implementing. Appreciate there are rookie spots and the like already there but this may offer just another (albeit) small advantage.

ANB couldn't hold in his place in an underperforming midfield. Trengrove might come good. Bugg .... who knows. Lumumba ?? Is that enough spots?