Earl Hood

I reckon Paul Roos knows more about footy than me.

Probably just a tad more I suspect. And me as well.

Got pinged twice, incorrect call on both occasions. I think he may have run over that Umpire's cat.

My main point was I thought he would be able to slip both tackles but he kept running in a straight line and got caught.

I thought Salem struggled a bit in his first full game today. Eight possessions, He got caught twice in tackles when I thought he would sense the player coming behind him. Got pinged on the second one which was appalling umpiring but I expected him to slip that tackle. Anyway early days, probably struggling for fitness levels at this stage.

Strauss isn't a left footer.

Strauss has a number of strengths. He's good good speed, is strong and a very good size. He's an excellent kick who can get the ball to travel quickly. That said, he has some things he needs to work on.

Axis ( or is it sponge) Bob

I stand corrected, but he has a reputed lethal boot which we have seen little of. I hope your are right and he turns it around but I just don't see the potential this season. He looked run of the mill on Saturday but let's keep our fingers crossed.

I looked up my work diary today, 25 October last year we had Tommy in to give us a talk about men's health, well being and team motivation. He was fantastic to listen too for all us footy tragics, but to hear about his relentless agenda of visits to schools, prisons and country footy clubs was mind boggling. How many people, kids did he touch I wonder?

He met us at lunchtime in Melbourne but was then due for a talk in Colac later that day, then back home by the evening. Tommy was a one man band, he drove himself everywhere yet somehow kept up the relentless fitness regime of a run, a swim and what was it 700 sit up, push ups and so on? In our short meeting my impressions were that he was such a life force filling the room and that he was indestructible surely. A larger than life figure whose relentless mission in life was to motivate others to achieve their potential.

Tommy seems to have been one of those great human beings who just wanted to help others with no ulterior motives. In this day and age he was unique.

Think you are wrong there Hood I'd say there will be no winners out of this and the figure of $500 extra tax for over $200k is fanciful, it will be more like $4k.

This Government is finished and all they will do is stuff the coffers with Tax for the next Labor Government to squander, they don't have a snowball's hope in hell of re election when people like me won't vote for them. I've always hated that smug [censored] Hockey and this hasn't done anything to change that.

Yes I got that a bit wrong. By winners I should have said non losers! That is there are those who have avoided the knife, such as the fuel excise for miners, really that is a joke, I don't mind farmers getting fuel subsidies, but the miners can pay their way and I suppose the other group is over 60 superannuates paying zero tax on their income. That is just not sustainable and this was an opportunity to deal with Peter Costello's fiscal time bomb. If we have a crisis this would be one of your first targets because the % of retired people not paying any tax will sky rocket in coming years.

As for the budget fallout well there is the cheer squad at News, Andrew Bolt and the shock jocks to limit the damage in the short term and there will be sweeteners in the next budget.

Your average swinging voter has a short memory I think. At least that is Tony's plan.

Any idea what the applause was for?

Has anyone worked out the reason for the cheers yet?

Great to have a queue for senior selection. Shame about Strauss, looks to have a great AFL physique and the requisite skills -maybe lacks the fire in the belly

Not sure about the AFL physique? Strauss is mostly another MFC vanilla recruit. Apart from a so called lethal left foot I am not sure what is weapons are. He was getting there until the horrible leg break so I have given him time but I just don't see where he can make a difference. Dunn has him covered for experience and smarts off half back, then there is Grimes, Garland and co, so I am not sure where he would fit now.

Disagree with whoever said it will be a sad day

it will be a hilarious day and a great moment for Australia as we weed a bunch of disgusting drug c heats out of the system

Suffer Essendon. Suffer hard you cheating pricks.

I seem to remember that we were sailing very close to the wind around the same time!! Are we definitely in the clear?

I did the double header yesterday , inner city living has it's advantages,

Blease - my comment when I got home to my lovely lady "some really good stuff but with one or two of his usual schoolboy errors"

Michie - a really good solid game, same with McKenzie, Evans

Riley - a bulldozer that works really well in mud

Tapscott - getting back to where he shoud be, he had a a cut under his eye, by the look of it

Hunt - agree, worked his way into the game

Barry - was surprised as well on how well he went

Toumpas - relax , he is getting there

Fitzpatrick - I asked Andrew Nicol, went over on his ankle in ruck contest, blew up straight away, they don't think really serious

Where is Strauss at? Saw him a few times on Saturday but dont think he had any impact at all. I think he was playing forward?

It's definite now, there's something wrong with the throw ins. It's the same every week. The boundary umps are slinging it one handed, then turning to admire their work..which is sub standard.

It was repeatedly happening last night v. The Bulldogs.

We should plant someone ( brave) in front of the ruck -men, so he can either tap it out uncontested, or get a free

A short throw in cost us a goal in the final term as I remember it as well. Is it these yellow balls? But it is now common for the boundary throwing to come in very short, setting up a chance for an intercept.

Joe Hockey's Budget on tuesday night will be savage and a true horror show

The economy is not in that a bad shape...We still have a AAA credit rating with the IMF.

We wait and see what transpires....Competition is being killed by these narrow policies.

WYL a lot of air time has been spent predicting a dire budget needed to address the so called budgetary crises but my guess it will seem somewhat benign compared to the doomsday talk. There will be some winners and many losers but their losses will be minimal really. Just my thoughts. A deficit tax may upset some but it is likely to impose an extra $500 a year on someone earning $200K a year.

Roos might tweak Salem soon with full runs in the magoos before elevation.

I think Salem is ready for a full run next week. Watching some highlights today and Salem's goal which was good but I loved the fact he celebrated by running out of his way to give Murphy a shove in the back to emphasis his efforts, this from a kid who has played 3 quarters of AFL! Looks lo me like he has some grunt as well as talent.

It's only been 8 weeks.

Nasher

Of course you are correct I am just frustrated.

Now that I have calmed down it was a lost opportunity but there are things to work with, we obviously can be attacking by foot off half back, we just can't make it count on the score board. We are battling on well with N Jones being tagged out but Vince and Tyson have stepped up. I like JKH and Salem so there is light at the end of the tunnel. Watts was better but gee he should be able to make a difference up forward when it counts toward the end of the game.

We need to be patient, after all its only been 7 years, these things take time.

The free against Dunn did not have to be paid in the context of the game. Once again we get shafted by a soft free. It was such a fantastic effort by both teams until then. The umpires had put the whistle away... No, there was still one maggot prepared to take the game on the whistle!

That wasn't a soft free, there is no such rule, it was not there period. A backman has a right to stand his ground or does he have to run away now? That decision was utter bullshyte at a crucial time in the game. Umpires just floor me sometimes. Why pay that Shyte at that time in a game? They don't do much for their own cause.

Second half, Jones, Vince, Viney have to take control of the mid field or we are going to struggle. The forward line can function if the ball is delivered.

Terlich has been fairly terrible.[/quote

Gee he has a go though!

what's happened to Spencer? Is he GAwn?

He is injured, an ankle I think. Not sure what happened to Fitzy today, he didn't reappear after he went off before I got there. We are getting light on for fit ruck men.

How was Bleasey defensively?

30 touches is promising.

The whole game was a defensive scrap. Blease tried hard, got involved, made a few errors but who didn't today? I liked Tappy today, played some tough footy in the packs and kicked a couple. He got cleaned up in the last quarter and thought oh no here we go again, serious injury. He came off with plenty of blood on his face I think or was it just mud? He came back on with face strapped up, I would say its a broken nose.

Jimmy tried hard all day I thought but not sure lighter bodied kids are going to put in a blinder in these conditions that you will rarely if ever see at AFL level.

Good to see Jack Trengove in the stands, still in moon boot and with crutches but is in good spirits it seems.

Interesting to see if Roughy goes down for the head high bump to a Swans player, was it in the second quarter? He should go down but I wonder after the Viney verdict how they will adjudicate.

Hmmm maybe I jumped to a conclusion there! Buddy got two in the end I think. But really those 4 goals in the last from stoppages were superb by the Swans.

But really it is good for footy, if the Swans, ranked as the third or fourth next best side, couldn't beat the Hawks at home with Mitchell, Hodge, Lake out and Cyril out by half time, you might as well just play the Grand Final now with the Cats and be done with it.

interesting that with the others out Cyril had to play midfield and his hammy went by half time.

0.7, then a dropped chest mark up forward, then gets a free within range and tries to,pass off but directly to a Hawk defender. Get him off!

Except they can't because Goodes is stuffed and subbed. Maybe Buddy will do something in the last.

Buddy 0.7 I rest my case!

Anybody watching the game tonight? Buddy has 0.6 to half time. Absolute shocker in my opinion. Buddy kicks straight and the Hawks are 5 or 6 goals down not 7 points. Buddy has kept the Hawks in it so far. Is he a double agent or still getting over the road smash? Gee I hope the Swanies can get it together in the second half