Earl Hood

Ken was in form 6 and I was just starting out in form 2 and yes I did start smoking early like most of my mates.

Your father may have been in the same year as my brother.

Sounds like you were there about the same time as my father was Robbie - Ken Emselle was a couple of years ahead of him and was head prefect at the time.

I believe Kevin "Skeeter" Coghlan taught Maths at NHS during this time too.

Small world I am best of friends with Skeeter's daughters and my only interaction with Northcote High School was to thrash them at tennis, playing for Box Hill HS. As I remember the central division was Melbourne High, University, Northcote and Box Hill so it was hard to get a win in anything for us at Box Hill in those days.

I had a family get together this week. The in laws come from up Shepp way and found myself talking footy with Tom Rotcliff's uncle. It seems MFC threw every thing they had at Tom at the end of last season. He talked about Tom meeting Roos and PJ at the Gee and Tom being blown away by Roos knowledge of football in general but was astounded by Roosey's knowledge of the Lions game plan and that he kept asking why they failed to follow their own plan. It seems Vossey under pressure would ditch his own game plan and the assistant coaches didn't like it one bit. And it seems Roosey had a fair idea that was the problem. Tommy agreed. The uncle said if Voss had been retained as coach Tommy would have come to Melbourne. But in the end they doubled his contract offer after five young kids left o he took up the offer. With out that he might be a Demon.

The other MFC issue he brought up was Chris Connolly who played for Shepparton United. He said they brought him up especially one night to look at A young Micheal Barlow at training when he was still playing for SHepp United at 19 and had won the B&F for the comp. apparently Connelly had a look,and said there was nothing there to work with. And moved on to pick the young kids in the National Draft, who we know went not so well. Of course Barlow was over looked by many and went pick 80 to Freemantle but then played phenomenol footy in his first year before he was injured.

But if only we took some of our inside knowledge and used that for picks.

Thought Salem may have been due for a run at Casey, but not displeased. Happy with selection, as I have been all year really.

Yes I agree I thought Salem needed a run in the magoos with only 8 possessions last match. Jimmy is a bit stiff I think.

Blease isn't worth anything of value. If anybody really wanted him they could pick him up in the rookie draft after we delisted him.

Uncle can you do the light bulb trick for us?

I am one of those - but I didnt vote for the joke that is this current government.

Gee Nutbean, never picked you as a mummy boy! But you seem to have your political values in the right place. To me it is about values not the latest policies, although yes sometimes tough love is required. But for heavens sake can we spread the pain evenly, it is not just about kicking the poorest and the weakest.

And Bill didn't get a blowie from Monica either.

RTG he made it clear he did not have a sexual relationship with that women! That's on the record.

Still at the end of the day a team with 13 professionals got done by a team of part timers. Was he just calling it as it was? An unacceptable and a [censored] poor effort perhaps!

Brett Kirk for me. Ling is a wonderful ambassador and I have I have enormous respect for him, would be a great alternate choice, but Brett Kirk's apprenticeship is further ahead. MFC not a team a talented players, just guys that need to get the most out of themselves like Kirk. Agree Lyon and Roos style is compatible.

Not on board with Voss or Worstfold at this stage, but would consider Worstfold the better. Kudos to those that've pointed out Luke Beveridge - seems a decent smokey

Is Ling still running all those bars and bistro businesses in Geelong that Frank Costa set him up in, outside the salary cap of course? We would need a full time apprentice for Roos, one who is fully committed to coaching. Not sure that will be Ling.

Good outcome tonight Port had a tough tussle against the Hawks but got up to win, hopefully they have a let down against us next week. Gee given the Hawks were playing away in the cauldron I reckon they got well looked after by the umpires, not just for the 50 50's they often got but for some obvious ones they were not pinged for, I.e Hodges infringement in the goal square in the first quarter against Wingard, play on! Really.

Watching the game tonight anyone else think the Hawks have done well with the umpiring? Given they are playing interstate in the so called cauldron Port is not getting any freebies and the Hawks are getting the 50 50's nearly every time!

Should we shut this thread down as no one will pay this tax, err sorry levy as the fat cats have been given ample warning to rearrange their tax arrangements before it becomes law.

What im worried about is because he is delisted, and just say he decides to comeback next year, isnt he fair game for any club to draft?

Maybe we could get a special compensation from the AFL that because he had depression and the special circumstances that he be allowed to go to his club of choice which would be us.

Short answer is yes he would be open to all clubs in the draft.

If he ever returned, he'd just nominate for the draft like anyone else. We would have no special claim to him, but you'd like to think that no other club would take him before our first pick. After that it would be fair game.

Hopefully he would keep things quiet but let us know so we pick him up late in the draft. But to be realistic as soon as he nominated for a draft, some clubs would be all over him. But good luck to him, what a lost talent to football. God it gives me the grips losing Mitch.

I can remember arguing a case in 2011 after he had played 10 games for us and kicked 29 odd goals that he was as good as Buddy who the AFL were going gaga over that year. He was taller, a better pack mark, as good below his knees and a better kick for goals, and he spent time in the ruck as well. But that argument died when he did his foot! Typical MFC outcome really.

Are all the player managers saying hold off till we see what happens with Chip and thus what is available in the salary cap? It could be nothing more than that.

He's still an utter [censored].

(Oh fine, auto-censor, he's a terrible journalist with no insight, no expertise, and worst of all, no integrity. I'd say that's more offensive than calling him a f-l-o-g, but there you go).

Autocol

He can't write either, the first few sentences in that quote are poorly constructed. It is the sort of sloppy syntax up with which I will not put!

Probably not at the next election? I'll be stunned if they are not booted out. We will officially be the dumbest nation on the planet if we vote for this wrecking ball to have another 3 years at systematically tearing apart everything that's great about this country.

P-man love your passion but you are right we are amongst the dumbest voting nations on earth. There is a reason for that, Rupert Murdoch dominates the papers and we have the likes of Singo owning a number of radio stations that employ the likes of the abominable Alan Jones. In short we live among the worlds most concentrated media ownership. Fat cats with agendas for the rich.

Disengaged voters unfortunately listen to the likes of Andrew Dolt, read the Hun or the Oz and believe their best interests lie with their interests.

I think you are being very very generous saying he has been good for a few years now. He has showed glimpses over a few years that he could be a good player and every now and then played a whole game where he was great. Still, they were few and far between.

I was sick of him and I wrote him off last year honestly. Put him in the 'flat track bully' category.

Glad he has proved me completely wrong and loving his work at the moment, has a fantastic leg on him.

Good boy

In a very dark period Dunn was performing last year I thought and he has got better this year for sure. God we didn't have much going last year to pick out Dunn as the problem.

Oh boy, there are some truly cringeworthy posts in here. But I won't quote them cause I'm nice like that.

Is anyone going to front up to defend this budget?

Amazingly, Robbie has turned on him, now that Tony has asked him to pay a bit extra in tax. So he's out.

Benny is gone, but I'm sure he would solider on defending it like every rusted on Abbott supporter with referral to the budget "emergency" that doesn't exist.

HT perhaps? Anyone at all?

Or are we all agreed that this is the most deceitful and reckless budget from any government in recent memory. Certainly the polls now suggest that.

To hell with Abbott's hateful ideology of widening the gaps in our society, and to hell with his brazen lies and hypocrisy. I hope he gets booted unceremoniously, be it by his own party or the electorate, and his Prime Ministership viewed for the black mark on our history that it has already become.

I will quote one post. This is what I wrote in August of last year, so Lib voters now having regrets, you can't say you weren't told.

The Coalition won't get voted out this side of the next election and probably not then but it would gladden my heart to see them panic and give the bully boy Tony the heave ho. Couldn't happen to a more deserving " you know what I mean". What about Christopher Pyne for PM! anyone?

Funny how he smacks our players yet look who he names in the best.. all Melbourne players. Maybe his Casey players need to pull thdir fingers out and stop relying on our players to do all the hard work. Some of our young players are there to just develop their game.

Always said Welsh wasn't the right man for the job and got hounded down a couple of weeks ago.. Reeks of Neeld like qaulities with us public spray on our players.

After reading that diatribe in the Age, (if it is true of course) attributed to Welsh, I would say he is reading from a different song sheet and won't be around next season. Unless there is some good cop bad cop thing going on but I doubt it. I am sure Roos has moved on from rubbishing players in general. Nothing constructive there at all just a whinge about some AFL whingers. .

A skilled HBF to help drive and set up play out of defense. Someone opposition teams would have to think about putting a defensive forward on. Guess this could be considered another mid but someone with a good kick and speed would be my pick. I still hate watching us get it out of the back half and go long to ruck options. It's the same conundrum as kicking it long into the forward line but with more dire consequences

Exactly!

go away.

Song

Sorry I am still here. Not going anywhere soon. Just asking about the the Toumps upside. I qualified my question by saying it is early days but a I am asking for people to inform me where they think he will be able to fulfil the expectations of a number 4. For the record I think he will be a good player but Will he be more? That was my question.

I think you have to win the cup to get that gong. There is no science to it.

Fair point. I agree he sweats on the ball too long at times and just doesn't pick options quickly enough. The time spent in the twos might be giving him the chance to improve this side though. I reckon he looked a little more like "he belonged" at AFL level today than i can recall even though i still saw moments of the above. Lots of faith that he (Roos) will get this side right and looking forward to watching him improve.

Still looking for the Toumps weapons. Early days I know but he is not big, not fast, not sure of his tank and his delivery is just OK. Just asking, wishing for enlightenment, that is all.

Probably Gawn for a week or so, knowing our luck. Hope Chip will be up and about.

If Mitch was still playing we would be 5 wins I reckon.