Earl Hood

If everyone is available it is May back in for Petty and Fritsch for M Brown. Weid and Brown another solid hit out at Casey. Need to try to maintain consistency of personnel and roles with the caveat that all players maintain their form and younger ones might need a rest. Injuries will inevitably provide opportunities to bring in new role players.

Gee controversial Nasher. So in all sports, you have just written off the likes of Ronald Dale, Polly Farmer; in tennis, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, cricket Don Bradman, Bill Lawry; golf Gary Player, Jack Nicholas...etc. It is a minefield and maybe you are right based on modern training, bigger physiques, full time professionalism etc but those playing 60 years ago can only compete against their peers, win and dominate.

You forgot to add his clearances today, more than some of our designated running midfielders.

6 Gawn 5 TMac 4 Lever 3 Langdon 2 Salem 1 Kossie

What is going on with our mids at stoppages, getting smashed.

Let’s get some stoppage clearances this half!

We seem to have lost that mid to forward connection again! And set shot accuracy!!!

Paid a mark

The fact Sparrow trained with the squad this morning and the others mentioned didn’t, says to me it’s Sparrow again.

Sparrow or Jordan perhaps?

Looks like Petty for May Hibbo for Jetta M Brown for Fritsch. Brown trained with the forwards, Petty, Hibbo with the backs.

Squad is training at Gosch’s now. Mitch Brown, Petty and Hibbo in the squad.

Our new president has close links with govt, VicSport, Tennis Australia and the Tennis Centre Upgrade committee. If only she could convince the govt to include elite indoor training facilities in the next stage 3 upgrade for use by the worlds best tennis players in December/January and MFC the rest of the year. And surely there is a potential social club venue already existing in the tennis complex somewhere that could be commandeered for MFC in season. The tennis centre is under utilised for most of the year. That would give us admin in the Southern Stand, elite gym/training faculties across the rail tracks and a social club inside the Melbourne Tennis Complex and our training ground at Gosch’s across Swan Street. And I still think we should demand access to train on the MCG once a week during the season. At the end of the day the Tennis Centre is a huge under utilised asset, it is in our precinct, surely we could work something out with the govt.

And I am taking oxygen as well, haven’t been at such altitudes for years.

What is LJ’s contract situation? Is he due to resign at years end?

Thanks that is interesting. For a big match where you have 75,000 there is massive cross over of people outside the ground before they enter and then sit cheek by jowl, and scream and yell! Thank God for that zoning.

Not just poor form and a cost cutting exercise by the MCC operators but it defies logic to me anyway. What is the point of the 75% COVID crowd limit if you squeeze everyone into 75% or less of the seating? What is the difference then between 75 and 100% from a health risk point of view?

Gee those coach’s votes are interesting. Tracc was good but didn’t think both coaches would give 5. And I presume only one coach appreciated Lever’s efforts. I thought both coach’s would have worked out that Lever stuffed up numerous Geelong attacks by intercepting marks, by just being in the way, forcing cats to kick sideways and then there was his intercept of the cats guys streaming toward him. Gee it is interesting that your own coach didn’t rate Lever higher up the tree. Like mids are going to get 25 to 30 on a usual day so they always get the media votes but I thought Coaches might see things differently for the role players like Lever.

No she won’t be swinging left. I used the wrong term, not politics, more her economic thinking is conservative, tends to parrot the usual Business Council propaganda as I remember some of her comments.

At least Swooper worked out the Lever stuffed up numerous Cat forward entries and gave him recognition. Numerous times the cats got the ball on the rebound but found they had no targets, they could only see Lever and when they took him on they lost every time. Great game by Lever.

Basically we need a replacement for May. That would be Petty for me. Then the Jordan, Swallow and Jetta positions are all up for grabs but do we have suitable replacements? Not convinced. And would love one of our big forwards to come in but don’t believe they are ready yet. Weid didn’t get a kick and BB only played a half in a practice match.

I know her from ABC TV Breakfast appearances, don’t always agree with her politics but she is very competent.

I am reminded of Steven King’s wild boot swing at a loose ball back in 2005?, you know the boot that rearranged Jeff White’s face and he needed substantial facial reconstruction. That was deemed accidental, could happen to anyone! Well we all know it was reckless, high contact and severe impact and should have incurred several weeks suspension. Now we have Hawkins who does dish out a lot of damage because he is so big and strong. I would like the AFL to at least have a good look at this one. Throwing your arms around indiscriminately doesn’t mean you aren’t responsible for the outcome of your actions!

6 Lever 5 Petracca 4 Gawn 3 Fritsch 2 Langdon 1 Oliver

Loved the holding the ball against Oliver in that quarter. It followed about 6 tackles on Geelong players in the same passage of play which were all called a ball up.