rumpole

Now hear me out … After hearing and reading all of the reports from many of the experts in the media, I think one thing is very clear. The Melbourne Football Club has a poor culture, it’s poorly run, badly coached and players are rushing to desert it like rats on a sinking ship. One commentator is even comparing our situation with the time the club sacked Norm Smith which was followed by years in the wilderness. We are cactus. My recommendation on how to solve this is for the AFL to do exactly what it has done in the past to give clubs in distress a leg up in their time of hardship and need. Only this time to be proactive and provide draft relief in advance so the competition won’t have to hold up a perennial basket case for a number of years. A couple of first round draft picks should do the trick. Come on MFC. Make the application for draft relief to maintain a competitive AFL for all clubs!

The likes of Cornes, Morris, Sam McClure are the equivalent in journalism of the American “yellow press” who use eye-catching headlines and sensationalized exaggerations for increased sales. They are characterized by exaggerated headlines, unverified claims, partisan agendas, and a focus on topics like crime, scandal, sports, and violence. In Britain and here, it’s called the “tabloid press” and these days it’s equivalent can also be found on Tik Tok and other social media platforms. These guys are television’s equivalent of clickbait. So yes, they are doing their job but it’s a low grade of journalism that relies on speculation and innuendo, often has little regard for the truth and rarely does any fact checking which is why this story clearly deserves the contempt many here have heaped upon the above trio in this thread. They’re doing their job which is to attract ratings from a mindless public.

They must have been great times to produce so many great men with fantastic work ethics both inside the footy field and in their occupations. Jim Sandral was a true man of the land who liked his sport but also loved his work and the country life in the days before the game was truly professional. The club lost too many of its best players too early because they needed to secure their futures. Vale to Jim Sandral on a life well lived.

And if the match committee wants to rest Max a bit longer

What number does he get? Surely the club will hold Gus’ # 10 for a season. I’m looking at the number 34 which is vacant. 2024 Melbourne numbers — 1. Steven May 2. Jacob van Rooyen 3. Christian Salem 4. Judd McVee 5. Christian Petracca 6. Caleb Windsor 7. Jack Viney 8. Jake Lever 9. Charlie Spargo 11. Max Gawn 12. Lachie Hunter 13. Clayton Oliver 14. Jack Billings 15. Ed Langdon 16. Bailey Laurie 17. Jake Bowey 18. Jake Melksham 19. Josh Schache 20. Adam Tomlinson 21. Matt Jefferson 22. Blake Howes 23. Shane McAdam 24. Trent Rivers 25. Tom McDonald 26. Jed Adams 27. Marty Hore 28. Will Verrall 29. Joel Smith 30. Alex Neal-Bullen 31. Bayley Fritsch 32. Tom Sparrow 33. Tom Fullarton 35. Harry Petty 36. Kysaiah Pickett 37. Kade Chandler 38. Oliver Sestan 39. Koltyn Tholstrop 40. Taj Woewodin 41. Kynan Brown 42. Daniel Turner 43. Kyah Farris-White 45. Andy Moniz-Wakefield 50. Ben Brown

2024 AFL MID SEASON DRAFT SELECTIONS: 1. North Melbourne- Geordie Payne (Tassie) mid/fwd 2. Richmond- Jacob Blight (Peel Thunder) Defender 3. West Coast- Jack Hutchinson (Pies VFL) Forward 4. St Kilda- Max Hall (Box Hill VFL) mdifielder 5. Hawthorn- Jasper Scaife (West Perth) FWD 6. Brisbane- Will McLachlan (Geelong Falcons) FWD 7. Adelaide- Toby Murray (Crows SANFL) FWD 8. Western Bulldogs - Kelsey Rypstra (North Adelaide small fwd 9. Carlton- Cooper Lord (Roos VFL) - utility 10. Collingwood- Ilro Smit (tall ruck/fwd) 11. Melbourne- Luker Kentfield (Subicao WAFL) tall fwd 12. Port Adelaide- Logan Evans (Port SANFL) half back 13. Essendon- Saad El Hawli (North Bullants VFL) speedy wing/half back 14. Sydney- Tom Hanly (Gippsland Power) small forward 15. North Melbourne- Brynn Teakle (former Port Adelaide player) ruckman 16. Richmond- Campell Gray (Essendon VFL) key position player fwd/back 17. Brisbane- Luke Beecken (SANFL Woodville West Torrens) mid/defender 18. Adelaide- Pass 19. Collingwood- Ned Long (Former Hawks player/Pies VFL)- midfielder 20. Richmond- PASS 21. Brisbane- Darcy Craven (East Perth WAFL forward) 22. Adelaide- Pass 23. Brisbane- PASS

Once the AFL and the club sort out the salary cap repercussions of Angus’ forced retirement, the list place vacated can be filled in the mid season draft (if the club wants to pick someone). The more interesting question is what happens in the case of the player currently under suspension pending completion of the investigation into the charges alleged against him? What happens in the event of a player found guilty and suspended for a period beyond the end of his contract? Can the contract be terminated? What happens with his list place? Note: these are hypothetical questions and are not related to a particular case.

Strange night for adjudication. The official free kick count was 30 to 20 in Collingwood’s favour for a total of 50 free kicks on the night. I recall quite a few holding the ball decisions being paid that were of a kind let go in last weekend’s Hawthorn v Melbourne game so I checked the stats from that game (20 - 17). That’s 26% less and I’m wondering if the AFL has issued a directive to the umpires about enforcing the holding the ball rule this week? I guess we’ll see as the round unfolds.

6. Christian Petracca 5. Bayley Fritsch 4. Alex Neal-Bullen 3. Christian Salem 2. Max Gawn 1. Kozzy Pickett

This one intrigues me - the name conjures up the legendary street fighting kickboxer from the movies. Jean-Claude is a gun!

What I find ridiculous, if not actually corrupt, is the gifting of two end of first round draft picks in 2024 which are ostensibly subject to review but which are apparently “tradeable” in 2023. If North trades these picks then they can be bundled together to provide sufficient points to enable a trade to be concluded for pick #4 giving them the ability to draft a Ryley Sanders. Meanwhile, once the picks have been traded and used in 2023, how can they be reviewed in 2024? No wonder the clubs smell a rat.

In hindsight, the Grundy trade might not have turned out to be a great idea after all … 54bcfb77-4f38-465f-8131-732cfd7e24ae.mov

Surely the true irony is that in the case of Petracca in Round 22 the goal umpire’s decision that he thought it was touched stood because the vision was not definitive while in the ANB case the goal was overruled even though the vision was again not definitive?

So if one of those three shots at goal that hit the post went through the goals, it would have been Carlton that’s fragile. We lost to Collingwood, one of the premiership favourites, by 7 points and beat them the time before that in mid season. We also beat Brisbane, the other favourite. That doesn’t suggest fragility to me. The only thing that’s fragile is the unhinged arguments put forward by this [censored].

The problem the AFL has with gifting Sanders to North Melbourne as an NGA is that they have to tamper with two of the rules applicable to NGAs. They have to include Sanders into the system which involves development and training with the club over a number of years, not a few weeks as would be the case here. Then they would have to give North the added advantage of the right to match a bid for him inside the top 40 selections. This sort of compromising of the draft system would be seen by many observers as a bridge too far if not outrightly corrupt.

Ask Port Adelaide fans what they think of the same umpire’s handling of their recent games vs Carlton.

The Herald Sun article about Goody’s contract extension was written by a real journalist called Glenn McFarlane.

I think one of those three would have to move on in 2024. Sadly, it might be Ben Brown whose body seems to no longer be able to come up from week to week. Perhaps a playing role at Casey as part of their list and mentoring our young forwards.

Appointed to the Gold Coast post today.

I’ve heard that Clarry completed the club’s main training session today and worked freely. He’ll be back to take on the Blues on Saturday night!!!

I would have rested Grundy this week by selecting him and then having him as a late withdrawal to retain the element of surprise. That is assuming we’re not breaking any AFL rules by pulling a swifty.

Going early but I think we might have one this week. Just can’t decide if it’s going to be Judd McVee or Jacob van Rooyen.

I stand corrected but I think he might have said it was only their third Friday night appearance at the G in eight years. They’ve played some of their Friday night games at Marvel. In any event, and I stand corrected again, they played there earlier in the season when they beat Geelong and twice last year on Friday nights so that makes four in two years.

Hibbo is odds on favourite for this week’s mystery player of the week.

Why can’t they be called the “Tassie Tigers”?. After all, the VFL has set the precedent with Richmond and Werribee, both teams have The Tigers as their mascot?