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Messages - ianh

1
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 9 2022 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs GWS
McKays absence certainly tests the "like for like" replacement process, for as has been noticed we simply don't have a spare key forward. Kemp has the height but not the game style, the only other fit player with the physical attributes is Akeui who is miles off and a defender anyway. Yes the simplest replacement cog in the machine is Kemp, any other cog will require re-engineering if the machine is to function in the same manner as before. But the Kemp cog is a vastly inferior one to McKay. Perhaps a bigger cog in Mirkov though he is well off AFL ready. I like the idea of Kennedy and Cripps resting forward, with Hewett or if he is not fit Dow going into the mids. Fogarty (or even Motlop though I don't think him ready) in for Martin. Plowman if fit might come in Martin causing a further rejig, or in place of someone who would be unlucky to be dropped - Boyd Çottrell or Newnes perhaps. Carroll stays in for mine. All in all my preference would be Kennedy and Cripps to rotate Forward and centre and Dow into the midfield, but I suspect the match committee will go Kemp forward and keep the re-engineering of the machine to a minimum.
2
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 8 2022 Post Game Celebrations Carlton vs Adelaide
Had a chance to really put a team to the sword and didn't follow through in the last quarter, albeit that the scoreboard didn't reflect our continued superiority in general play.  Percentage could be crucial at the end of the year and ours is pretty disappointing.  Still I'd rather be rueing a lost opportunity to build percentage than a lost opportunity to bag 4 points so all in all pretty happy to comfortably win a game we should have comfortably won.
5
Ladies Lounge / Re: AFLW - Contracted or uncontracted?
Contracts don't seem to mean much in AFLW.  The expansion  clubs seem to be free to raid and the clubs don't seem to want to stand in the way of players making a move despite contract status.  Don't quite know how it works as a matter of law - prima facie a contract is binding and could be used to deny a player wanting to switch clubs - but maybe there is something in the terms of the clubs entry into the competition that prevents clubs from holding a player to a contract.  Or perhaps it is just a matter of clubs accepting that most players have and need vocations outside of footy and they won't stand in the way of same.
6
Ladies Lounge / Re: AFLW 2022
An exchange over at Talking Carlton re the B& F


ianh wrote:
Had the pleasure of attending the AFLW B&F last night which was again held at the Aviary at Crown. Last year was a cocktail style event (minus the cocktails dammit) but this year they went all out and provided a 3 course meal. In my view far better as you got to meet others at your table (unless of course you booked a whole table) whilst still being able to mingle and catch up with familiar faces. My daughter is due any day now and there was a chance that she might be induced this week, so we didn't know if we would be attending until Tuesday, then discovered tickets had stopped selling on the Monday - presumably so numbers could be finalised for catering. Lucky I have Diesel's number and all got sorted out pretty quickly w3hen he intervened. As a bonus got to thank him directly on the night and have a good chat.

The night was as enjoyable as these sorts of things can be. The count itself is always a bit tiresome but this time there3 was an early bolter in Harrington and a lot rush from Prespakis to keep the count interesting at least. And Mimi the Magnificent (not to be confused with our new car Mimi the MGnificent) came home with a rush that suggests with as full season she probably would have taken the prize from them. And the event was well hosted, Harford though he went on a long while was nevertheless entertaining and informative and Mua kept the crowd entertained.

The players were very available to the fans for a chat, a photo and a genuine thankfulness for the support the fans are giving to the program.

All in all a great night and well worth the $190/head.

Lastly and by no means least noticed that Maddie Prespakis had 2 guests with her both being Brisbane players. I wonder what that might mean - are they possibly coming to the Blues? Are all 3 headed to Essendon****? Will watch that space with interest.


Report this post Delete post
Thanks Ian... More of a wordsmith than me
:thumbsup:

Go Blues


I went to the B&F Thursday night
And I'm convinced that the future is bright
With Mimi the Great
And the brain under Harford's bald pate
They'll make all the others look crape.
7
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 4 2022 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Gold Coast
Don't panic, if he is up to snuff it'll happen eventually.

Injuries have no such pattern, it is not a cause and effect of selection, and if SoJ does unluckily cop a niggle we've Kemp waiting in the wings, you've gotta blood the kid sometime, and I'd assert Kemp is well ahead of Mirkov in terms of progress and preparation. ;)

You've gotta blood the kid sometime
Now is sometime
Therefore you've gotta blood the kid now

is not a valid piece of reasoning.  I thought about Mirkov and the eductaion Witts could give him but he is simply too far off ready.  I'd like to bring in Kemp as the injury sub as he can cover just about any type who might go down.  Lose a key back? - in comes Kemp.  Likewise medium or small back, or a mid or forward of any size, even a ruck just to compete.
8
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 2 2022 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Western Bulldogs
Originally thinking no changes other than Willo out as I don't believe in giving a guy a second week of potentially no game time. It then forces them back into the 2s with no recent matchday opportunity to run into form. Now know Martin must go out due to covid.

The other who might go out is McDonald for want of a 3rd tall Bulldog to match up on. His lack of pace would be exposed by pretty much any matchup and Kemp could cover for him down back if need be. I see Kemp as pretty much the ideal injury sub because he is the complete utility.

My only remaining question is who to go in. I haven't seen the 2s but write ups are fulsome in praise of Dow and Motlop and say both are ready so those are the names I will go with. Philp got his ribs rearranged when starring so he misses out. Boyd kicked goals and might rise against his old team. Carroll was spoken well of but probably a bit slight and green ATM - look for a debut sooner rather than later however. Walsh is a given if fit but probably not yet. So out Williamson (omitted to more game time in 2s) Martin (protocols) and McDonald (omitted - lack of matchup). In Dow (outstanding in 2s) Motlop (ditto) and Kemp (ideal sub given versatility). Look for Boyd, Carroll and Young to hopefully keep knocking the door down.
11
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: A defence of David Teague and why it must fail
It honestly started out as "in fairness injuries killed us this game, indeed all year, give Teague that much slack" and turned into the exact opposite.  Maybe the breaking of the dam wall I had built in my mind in defence of the coach caused an irresistible tide that looks like premeditation but I genuinely mean the Teague-booster turning into broken-backed camel analogy.  In my defence on another forum where I posted and was asked how I could review a game I hadn't watched after pointing out I never claimed it was a review of anything but rather a comment/reflection/rant I proferred the following " ... the possible explanations are or at least include:

1. Frustration :mad:;
2. Lack of sleep:tired:;
3. Alcohol:drunk:;
4. Lack of desperately needed professional psychiatric help (the cathartic process of getting on fan forums not counting as "professional"):warning::sick::warning:; and/or
5. All of the above 🎯😜

Maybe I should run a poll or just go get that option 4 happening😜."

So thank you for your much kinder response and for saying I write well.  I would appreciate everyone's response to suggestion 4 - I may need urgent intervention😜.
12
Robert Heatley Stand / A defence of David Teague and why it must fail
I started writing this as a comment of the Port debacle, it morphed into a rant on the coaching position.  I am a long time admirer of David Teague and was rapt he got the job and had high hopes at the start of the year.  Over the course of the year it has become increasingly untenable to support his retention of the position.  The post started looking at the injury list and how it has cruelled us of late, indeed all year and how it explained to some extent our poor year.  But the inexorable logic took hold of me and it headed off in the opposite direction.  As per the Sherlock Holmes quote "Once you eliminate the impossible whatever is left is the truth" or something to the effect.  The unpalatable truth.  Below is a cut and paste of what as I say started as a reflection on the Port game and what it told us that showed that to some extent events conspired against David Teague - as indeed they have.

Haven't seen any of the game bar the clip of Honeys 2 goals.  First time since I have had home internet (and I was an early adopter) I have not seen either live or delayed at least the majority of a game.  But Coles rostered my daughter on for a shift that covered the game time and we decided it being Murphy's 300th we'd watch it after she came home, neither knowing anything of the game (nor having any great hopes).  I managed to avoid all news but my daughter rings just after getting off work to tell me when she turned her phone back on the result hit her as the top item and maybe it would be best not to bother with our delayed viewing ...   So I haven't watched it and probably won't except for the 5 minute edit from Kayo - that and the feedback on here will I think more than tell me enough.  Sad that I can't stomach watching the game, but in fairness to the team it seems we tried but when Port decided to try we just got over-run by a far better team than the one we were ABLE to put out today.  Last week I wrote a rant saying we should pick all fit players who did not play in the Suns game and top them up with those who least deserved to be dropped.  That amounted to about 10 players when injuries and so forth were factored in and i noted that of course such a selection would never happen and such a team would be absolute cannon fodder - but we ended up halfway to that number of changes and the outs were not our worst but amongst our best.  Little wonder we were thrashed on that view.  And looking at it we were down nearly to bare bones.  Who COULD have been in instead of the 23 + 3 we picked, injury taken into account?  By my calculation there were only 6 other players that could have been chosen - 2 uncapped (Carroll and Ramsay), 3 barely more experienced (Owies Parks & Cottrell) and the comparative veteran Fogarty.  No gamechangers there.  And considering that, I think we have collectively failed to give enough weight to the impact of our injury curse this year.  Suppose the worst happened on the "available for selection" front - and given our trend this year it would be no shock - and neither Cripps nor Martin come up next week, nor Saad, nor any of the players who have been a test or worse according to the injury list from Tuesday.   By my calculation that would leave us 29 players from whom to select our 26.  And given the impact on our taller stocks - we had 9 of out 11 tallest players out I heard from one commentator in the preview - our structure was pretty completely shot.  And of course the talls have been that way for a good part of the season.  And in the first half of the season we pretty much won when we were favoured and lost when we weren't - which is not good but is by definition "pretty much" meeting expectations.  The second half we were cruelled by injury and there is a fair excuse in that - except for the fact that our best and worst so fluctuated, our worst all contained the same issues and the playing and coaching staff seemed to have no clue how to stop an opposition run-on.  If this week we lose Saad to injury and Murphy to retirement if no-one else falls over and no-one comes up from injury it becomes 27 from whom to choose 26.  Embarrassing for whoever misses out!  The equivalent of being the last kid picked in the schoolyard game.  But surely that goes a long way to justifying our non-competitiveness of late and maybe our good performances should be lauded as triumphs of will rather than our poor ones decried?  Nah, no matter how you look at it, in the Norf and Weagles games (at least) we choked when it was ours for the taking.  And last week it was threadbare talent pool against threadbare talent pool, the other mob just rose to the occasion and we didn't.  And as for today, well we can no longer say "at least the days of the massive belting are gone" - 19 goals straight conceded!  A 118 point turnaround in 2 and a half quarters!  Am I having a nightmare?  Will I wake to find the reality is  nowhere near that bad?  Surely no AFL 23 should be that outclassed by another, COULD be so outclassed if having a real go?  My hope for today was that we would come and show real intent and commitment and endeavour and if we weren't good enough so be it, weight will stop a train as the punters say and injuries will hobble any side.  And just looking at the score worm - midway through term 2 it looked so much better than that, even at half time one could still say they must have brought the endeavour, but thereafter undeniable and utter capitulation.  I just saw the headline "Teague concedes woeful effort could cost job"!  I have long been a Teague fan - I was rapt when he came to the club I always thought he had the makings of a senior coach, I was pleased to see him get the job and at the start of this year had genuine optimism.  But how can he survive the utter inability to defend that is the hallmark of his teams?  Blame the players sure, they are lazy one way runners in the main, or else limited in skill or footy nous or otherwise but isn't that what the coaching staff are there to work on - skills and strategy and buying in to the collective endeavour?  Three strikes and you're out batter, none out of 3 is bad Mr Loaf, and when you hit the iceberg every friggen voyage Captain Smith you go down with the Titanic no other choice.  As I say I was a Teague booster, I admired his courage as a player and his promise as a coach but this year has eaten away at optimism to the point where surely he has to go.  I know the coaching fraternity has its respect for each other - see the Hardwick approach - and no-one wants to be the guy who the incumbent coach gets sacked for, but the results make this a mercy killing rather than an assassination.  No longer could a prospective coach feel he is kicking a man when he is down, the results of the experiment cannot be interpreted any other way than complete failure of the coaching team to implement a plan, strategy or ethos  in the playing group.  And yes that blame gets shared with the playing group (some of whose papers are surely stamped - veterans time to go, battlers we know you've tried your best, injury victims we know it's not your fault, guys who don't want it bad enough, enough said) and spread amongst the coaching group (all of whom surely face the question of why they deserve to keep their job rather than why they deserve to lose it) but in the end whilst a big part of being a senior coach is bringing together the good work of those supporting you in the coaching and playing ranks and you can't pull your socks up if you don't have any, the job is mainly man management and the simplest and most logical explanation is not that the whole body of assistants and players as a collective just don't stack up, it's that their leader isn't getting it to gel.  And Ockham's razor says the simplest answer is the one to go with.  And here the simplest answer is the head coach can't get the collective to gel.  And if that is the conclusion reached, as sadly I think it must be (for as I say I admire much about Teague and held high hopes), there can be only one verdict members of the jury and only one sentence that that verdict entails.

Any way, I think I have used up every cliche possibly relevant and try as I don't want to digress into a coach by coach analysis here (in brief the development coaches are all relatively fresh and seem to have had some successes this year when players have finally been given a shot in the seniors, the forward and defence coaches have their admirers, and if the midfield has seemed shallow it has been off the back of not playing the younger brigade at all (eg Dow most of the year) or where they made themselves known (eg SPS) and these are coaching decisions that even if the strategy if you can call it that comes from the assistant/s should be overruled by the senior coach when, or I should say IF, he sees it is not working, but all Teague's public pronouncements are that he sees that it is working.  **Another cliche I can dredge up "insanity lies in repeating the same actions expecting different results" - not suggesting Teague is insane, but replace "insanity" with "delusion" and measure him up against that amended version of the cliche and it's an ugly picture.**  And don't tell me the defensive strategies are the responsibilty the defensive coach, the offensive of the offensive coach, the transitions of the transitions coach etc etc, first they have to get the "very well, carry on" from the head coach when they pitch the idea originally AND if they aren't working the head coach has the OBLIGATION to say tear up that strategy and play one that works - Teague has presumably ticked off the strategies and has clearly not abandoned them.  One on one defence - yeh let's go with that unlike every other team in the comp, let's do whatever is we do on transition from defence (can anyone discern a plan), let's bomb it long when all our talls are missing (for that matter it usually doesn't work when you have the cattle except when it's a bomb to a mismatch, the quality of intercept marking means "bomb it long create a contest and crumb the spill" works out instead to be "bomb it long and the intercept turns into a rebound" and in our case too often the rebound slices all the way through the midfield who by and large have left their man and don't seem to have any urgency to chase anyway and generates inside defensive 50 entries no defender can be expected to keep out TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME. 

The architects of this mess called the Carlton Football Club may be many but the architects of the mess called the Carlton game plan are the coaches and ultimately their leader and, one last cliche, this is surely the straw that breaks the back of the camel called the Teague-supporters, or at least this one.
13
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Pre Game Promise AFL Rd 22: Carlton vs Port Adelaide
WARNING IRRATIONAL RANT FOLLOWS - WRITTEN AS A NEXT ROUND PREVIEW BUT WITH A FAIR BUT OF VITRIOLIC REVIEW THROWN IN AT THE END.

Before I fire up let me say I know it is unjustifiably harsh, I know the players turn up with the intent to try their best even if some days they don't fire a shot, I know some busted a gut today and all who play at this level have not only skill beyond us mere mortals but also courage I can't honestly say I know i would display (albeit that courageous is a word that was often used to described my pathetic playing career but largely because to my skill level my courage was impressive rather than it being objectively so) and that they by and large make sacrifices in their lives to ever get to that level but most of us couldn't and/or wouldn't  BUT DAMN IT I HAVE LOVED THIS CLUB SINCE 1968 AND I AM GOING TO BE IRRATIONAL ALL RIGHT! 

With any luck the competition might be shut down and/or this game cancelled due to Covid.

By my calculation there were 14 players not playing today who might be fit enough to play next week ("the Fit 14").  That would be 14 of my starting 18.  If any don't come up it saves another "player" (and I use the term loosely) from today.  That leaves 9 spots including medical sub.  I would fill them with those that most deserve to be there - a mix of performance this week (not that many get a plus mark), effort over the season, effort over their career and those that need another game under their belt to develop (maybe Honey), continue a comeback (Charlie) or show they are worth a place on the list next year (arguably Kennedy, Dow, O'Brien etc)  So category 1 for example would be Newman possibly our best player today, category 2 Walsh, category 3 - well we may as well carry Murph to 300 games now, and category 4 Charlie.

In terms of who played well enough today to have any case to argue for staying in the side - well there's Newman, Walsh, Ed Curnow.  Others weren't disgusting but these are the 3 that I reckon flew the flag.  Of course Walsh is in category 2 (and H Mac if he is fit but for the sake of the exercise I will assume he is out injured) and Ed C in category 3, so let's start listing "THE NON-SACKED NINE"

Category 1     Newman E Curnow (also could be in category 3)

Category 2      Walsh

Category 3      Murphy

Category 4       TBA

Cripps would also deserve category 3 status for his career, but for the sake of this exercise I am going to say (as may well be the case) he deserves even more a rest for his battered body. 

Add Charlie C as category 4 - so 4 more to go.  Given I have already suggested only 3 fit category 1 let's look to categories 2, 3 and 4.  To my mind we should address category 3 first - those whose body of work over their career with the Blues has them deserving to avoid the ignominy of the cull.  Possibles excluding Cripps as aforesaid are Betts of course, Jones and maybe even Weitering albeit he is still young.  In any event Weits would surely get in under category 2 for his season performances.  That would make 22.  I also think JSOS deserves a spot on his year and his drive (and no doubt the family name subconsciously comes into play), so without having any consideration of category 4 we are already at 23 but let's see whether any category 4s deserve to oust any and how many of the names above.

I see the category 4s beyond Charlie as being:

Young guns                Honey Stocker Dow

Last chancers             Kennedy Williamson O'Brien

Comebackers              Nil

I think all but O'Brien have either shown enough or had enough chances to make a decision on their future without needing another look - I won't digress into who I think should stay and who should go that's for the list management discussion, but ... no I won't digress. :smile:

So if  you include O'Brien there is 24, one miss out (be one of the 3 emergencies not medisub) and two other bodies to also be named an emergency.  End of the day I think Honey's goals probably earn him at least an emergency slot and that leaves 1 emergency and I don't give a rat's tossbag which of these underwhelming (I'll again use the term loosely) "players" get that spot but forced to pick one I'd go Williamson as a harder body who is trying to save his career.  Of course if any one or more of the Fit 14 don't come up then one or more of the emergencies and (if we had a run off injuries to the Fit 14 - and let's face it with our injury run this year anything's possible) even beyond might get saved, but for the sake of the exercise let's go with Fit 14 plus 9 plus 3, and I'd line them up with the Fit 14 plus 4 others starting on field ike this:

Williams    McDonald     Parks
Cottrell     Weitering     Ramsay
Carroll       Setterfield   SPS
Durdin      McGovern    Fogarty
Casboult    C Curnow    Owies
Jones        Kemp          Murphy

Then bench plus medisub
E Curnow Newman JSOS Walsh / Betts

Emergencies: MEDISUB Honey O'Brien Williamson

Eddie gets medisub to hopefully limit his workload and set him up fresh for round 23 just in case it is his last game.  Smurph gets to play all day (injury aside) in his 300th, that is how it should be for anyone's 300th if the season is over, and he should retire at the final siren or better still announce it before the game.  Not that I expect he would do that,, but if I ran the club I'd tell him it's that or medisub for his 300th and see which choice he would make - but if he said medisub I'd start him anyway, his career deserves it.  I am a softy/romantic at heart.

Of course no AFL club would do such a thing but it would send such a message.  Of course the team would get pumped unless the Port coach completely stuffed up (by which I mean their bus breaks down and they don't reach the ground).  But that is the point - the players today other than the ones I have named forfeited the right to wear the first team guernsey for one week at least and it's only the rules around player lists and availability that save even them.  It was a collective failure and warrants collective consequences.  On on the point of consequences surely the Teague train has been derailed.  He should get on the phone to Clarko himself and offer him the job (and ideally stay on as senior assistant with a Roos/Goodwin deal to take over in a few years).  Again never going to happen, but then neither was my 3QT suggestion he send one assistant coach out to tell the "players" words to the effect "if you aren't going to turn up for us then we're not going to turn up for you" and then turn around and walk off.

END RANT
14
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Post Game Passion; AFL Rd 21: Carlton vs Gold Coast
WARNING IRRATIONAL RANT FOLLOWS - WRITTEN AS A NEXT ROUND PREVIEW BUT WITH A FAIR BUT OF VITRIOLIC REVIEW THROWN IN AT THE END.

Before I fire up let me say I know it is unjustifiably harsh, I know the players turn up with the intent to try their best even if some days they don't fire a shot, I know some busted a gut today and all who play at this level have not only skill beyond us mere mortals but also courage I can't honestly say I know i would display (albeit that courageous is a word that was often used to described my pathetic playing career but largely because to my skill level my courage was impressive rather than it being objectively so) and that they by and large make sacrifices in their lives to ever get to that level but most of us couldn't and/or wouldn't  BUT DAMN IT I HAVE LOVED THIS CLUB SINCE 1968 AND I AM GOING TO BE IRRATIONAL ALL RIGHT! 

With any luck the competition might be shut down and/or this game cancelled due to Covid.

By my calculation there were 14 players not playing today who might be fit enough to play next week ("the Fit 14").  That would be 14 of my starting 18.  If any don't come up it saves another "player" (and I use the term loosely) from today.  That leaves 9 spots including medical sub.  I would fill them with those that most deserve to be there - a mix of performance this week (not that many get a plus mark), effort over the season, effort over their career and those that need another game under their belt to develop (maybe Honey), continue a comeback (Charlie) or show they are worth a place on the list next year (arguably Kennedy, Dow, O'Brien etc)  So category 1 for example would be Newman possibly our best player today, category 2 Walsh, category 3 - well we may as well carry Murph to 300 games now, and category 4 Charlie.

In terms of who played well enough today to have any case to argue for staying in the side - well there's Newman, Walsh, Ed Curnow.  Others weren't disgusting but these are the 3 that I reckon flew the flag.  Of course Walsh is in category 2 (and H Mac if he is fit but for the sake of the exercise I will assume he is out injured) and Ed C in category 3, so let's start listing "THE NON-SACKED NINE"

Category 1     Newman E Curnow (also could be in category 3)

Category 2      Walsh

Category 3      Murphy

Category 4       TBA

Cripps would also deserve category 3 status for his career, but for the sake of this exercise I am going to say (as may well be the case) he deserves even more a rest for his battered body. 

Add Charlie C as category 4 - so 4 more to go.  Given I have already suggested only 3 fit category 1 let's look to categories 2, 3 and 4.  To my mind we should address category 3 first - those whose body of work over their career with the Blues has them deserving to avoid the ignominy of the cull.  Possibles excluding Cripps as aforesaid are Betts of course, Jones and maybe even Weitering albeit he is still young.  In any event Weits would surely get in under category 2 for his season performances.  That would make 22.  I also think JSOS deserves a spot on his year and his drive (and no doubt the family name subconsciously comes into play), so without having any consideration of category 4 we are already at 23 but let's see whether any category 4s deserve to oust any and how many of the names above.

I see the category 4s beyond Charlie as being:

Young guns                Honey Stocker Dow

Last chancers             Kennedy Williamson O'Brien

Comebackers              Nil

I think all but O'Brien have either shown enough or had enough chances to make a decision on their future without needing another look - I won't digress into who I think should stay and who should go that's for the list management discussion, but ... no I won't digress. :smile:

So if  you include O'Brien there is 24, one miss out (be one of the 3 emergencies not medisub) and two other bodies to also be named an emergency.  End of the day I think Honey's goals probably earn him at least an emergency slot and that leaves 1 emergency and I don't give a rat's tossbag which of these underwhelming (I'll again use the term loosely) "players" get that spot but forced to pick one I'd go Williamson as a harder body who is trying to save his career.  Of course if any one or more of the Fit 14 don't come up then one or more of the emergencies and (if we had a run off injuries to the Fit 14 - and let's face it with our injury run this year anything's possible) even beyond might get saved, but for the sake of the exercise let's go with Fit 14 plus 9 plus 3, and I'd line them up with the Fit 14 plus 4 others starting on field ike this:

Williams    McDonald     Parks
Cottrell     Weitering     Ramsay
Carroll       Setterfield   SPS
Durdin      McGovern    Fogarty
Casboult    C Curnow    Owies
Jones        Kemp          Murphy

Then bench plus medisub
E Curnow Newman JSOS Walsh / Betts

Emergencies: MEDISUB Honey O'Brien Williamson

Eddie gets medisub to hopefully limit his workload and set him up fresh for round 23 just in case it is his last game.  Smurph gets to play all day (injury aside) in his 300th, that is how it should be for anyone's 300th if the season is over, and he should retire at the final siren or better still announce it before the game.  Not that I expect he would do that,, but if I ran the club I'd tell him it's that or medisub for his 300th and see which choice he would make - but if he said medisub I'd start him anyway, his career deserves it.  I am a softy/romantic at heart.

Of course no AFL club would do such a thing but it would send such a message.  Of course the team would get pumped unless the Port coach completely stuffed up (by which I mean their bus breaks down and they don't reach the ground).  But that is the point - the players today other than the ones I have named forfeited the right to wear the first team guernsey for one week at least and it's only the rules around player lists and availability that save even them.  It was a collective failure and warrants collective consequences.  On on the point of consequences surely the Teague train has been derailed.  He should get on the phone to Clarko himself and offer him the job (and ideally stay on as senior assistant with a Roos/Goodwin deal to take over in a few years).  Again never going to happen, but then neither was my 3QT suggestion he send one assistant coach out to tell the "players" words to the effect "if you aren't going to turn up for us then we're not going to turn up for you" and then turn around and walk off.

END RANT
15
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Pre Game Promise AFL Rd21: Carlton vs Gold Coast
We can't get away with only midget rucks all game.  If TDK doesn't get up and I am hearing he won't then we need to get the tallest realistic option in.  Casboult if he is fit, given that Mirkov even if over his knee which he isn't expected to be is barely VFL level ATM.  If Casboult also doesn't come up then I think we need to craft a way to get Jones released from defensive duties to be first ruck with SOS a principal relief.  OMac probably been out too long to rush into the ones.  I think it comes down to Kemp or McG.  McG if he pulls up well is probably the better option as he gives versatility.  Eddie back if recovered which he seems confident of, likewise Williams although the official injury list suggests not.  Owies might be in trouble after another quiet game, assuming Murphy is a protected species.  Can't see too many others in the firing line.  I guess SPS is a chance at a return to reward him for responding in the right way to demotion, but if he is out the door at the end of the season as some have it (Gold Coast is the rumour I have heard) then is there much point?