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1
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by laj -
Reckon their rest Boland for the Boxing Day Test and play Neser.

Cummins in for Boland, Lyon in for Doggett, and have Webster in for Inglis. After McSweeney's unbeaten double hundred for Australia A, on top of recent good form, I thought he may have made the squad.

Loved to have played Richardson but I don't think playing 2 fast bowlers lacking match practice is a great idea, despite Richardson ripping through England A on day  1.
2
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: General Discussions
Last post by LP -
For all the things people worry about regarding the internet and AI, this stuff being done in the USA is far more worrisome, it's literally the genesis of the grey goo as they are already working on self-assembling versions.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adu8009

This stuff will make Drone, Nuclear or Chemical Warfare look like a Sunday Picnic.

For all the good it could potentially do, think about your pepper grinder, sauce on your McBurger, herbs on your focaccia, dust on your carpet, dirt on your shoes, and now think of it in the hands of a Putin, Xi or RedTrump, a failed heart valve, a stroke, pneumonia, blindness, a headache.

Winds farms, 5G, EM, Infrasound, they are a freaking walk in the park by comparison!

What would this guy think, gravy for the mind?

Is your arm itching?
4
Ladies Lounge / Re: AFLW List Management 2026
Last post by crashlander -
After trad week our situation lies like this:

Ins:
[1]   Brooke Boileau
170 cm   28/01/2005      Originally from South Adelaide
Traded from Adelaide, Brooke is a young inside-mid who really broke out this season.

[2]   Lauen Bella
188 cm   12/09/2000      Originally from Sarina (near Mackay)
Traded from Gold Coast where she was one of the competition’s premier rucks. Will bolster our talls leading into the future.

[3]   Claudia Whitfort:
171 cm   31/07/1999      Originally from Casey Demons
Traded from Gold Coast, Whitfort is an excellent athletic defender. We are her 4th AFLW club! Not bad for someone as young as she is.

Outs:
 We traded out 3 players, had one retire and did not renew the contracts on two players who replaced the 3rd. Sounds messy, but we’ve actually only got 2 free list spots at the moment. There may well be further changes, as we have our 1st, 2nd and 3rd round selections for this draft.
On the other hand, we don’t appear to think much of next year’s crop, as we have basically traded out of it.

[1]   Kerryn Peterson
Our former Captain, it was a big call not to renew her contract. Not sure what her plans are at this point, but she remains one of the clubs Physios.

[2]   Eliza Wood
The injury replacement player for Kez, she did an ACL and never got on the field. She was our VFLW Captain, so I’m not sure what is going to happen there, but she may miss the next season if her knee is slow in responding.

[3]   Charlotte Brewer
The injury replacement player who replaced the injury replacement player, Charlotte didn’t get a game this year and was delisted. She’s since been recruited to Collingwood.

[4]   Tarni Brown
The former Collingwood F/D who was good when she came over to us. She has some ‘off-field issues’ which have led to her retirement.

[5]   Mia Austin
Even though she played her best season so far, Mia left to go to Melbourne for more opportunities.

[6]   Keeley Skepper
Keeley had a poor year by her standards. Considering that we swapped with West Coast for next to nothing, neither teams seems to think she has much of a future. A pity, as she was really good only a couple of seasons back.

[7]   Maddison Torpey
Maddy left seeking more opportunities at North. She felt that she was our #4 ruck now.
5
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
… while England Im sure will improve via the law of averages and probably win at least one test I think Aus can send Bazball on its way with a 4-1 scoreline.

I’m tipping 5-0 unless our selectors have another of their far too frequent brain fades 🙄

Khawaja is still in the squad and Jhye Richardson has been recalled after overcoming persistent injury.
6
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: List Building - More than one way to skin a cat
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: Lods – on
No, what we're doing is saying it's not necessarily the case that all the out going players can't be more than covered by the new players and growth in some of the youngsters.
As well as that we should hopefully get relief from some of the disruption and division of last year...and injuries in both 2024 and 2025.
It's two years in a row that our lists have been put under pressure we don't often experience.

So as a result there is no reason for us to sink further into the mire.

It's as simple as that.

There's also the availability of three nominally best 23 players in Smith, Newman and Kemp who were sadly missed last season.

We had three players choose to leave for whatever reasons.  You can debate the impact of their departures or their worth but only one of the three was rated in the top 50 players coming in the 2025 season (Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was included!).  None made the end of season top 50.  Two of them are currently unable to train because of recurring injuries and the third has a dicky knee.

Of the other departures, one decided that he was cooked, another was told that he was cooked, one was traded for a packet of chips and the other five were delisted after managing a total of 104 games between them (and two of them accounted for 81 of those games).  It's pretty clear to me that our list managers, with their comprehensive knowledge of player analytics and player availability, were confident that we could bring in better players.  That's really the crux of the matter, and time will tell, but it's worth noting none of our new players are delisted free agents or State league hacks.  We have gone for three players with runs on the board and in the prime of their careers, two youngsters with potential, two very highly ranked draft picks, and one speculative draft pick.  Then there's the natural progression of the youngsters with another pre-season under their belt.

It's true that we didn't draft a KPF who could have spent a season or two in the VFL, but so what?  By any reasoned analysis, our list is better placed now than it was in 2025.
7
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by ElwoodBlues1 -
Mark Wood done for the series, yet again injured and he should retire from test cricket. Been replaced by Matthew Fisher who has been touring with the English Lions who shadow the test team as a reserves type outfit. Fisher who has the one test wicket is a fairly nondescript  typical English seamer who wont trouble too many Aus batters imo if he does get to play a test or two.
Not to be confused with the young NZ quick of the same name who is a lot quicker and looks promising.
Im tipping Archer will be the next English bowler to pick up an injury and need a rest and while England Im sure will improve via the law of averages and probably win at least one test I think Aus can send Bazball on its way with a 4-1 scoreline.
8
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: List Building - More than one way to skin a cat
Last post by Lods -
Quote from: kruddler – on
Lods...
There is no point finding evidence to disprove those claims as we are drifting further and further away from the point.

The point is you and others like you are putting down outgoings and pumping up incomings.

Simply compare people's thoughts pre trade period and post trade period and you'll see the hypocrisy involved.

No, what we're doing is saying it's not necessarily the case that all the out going players can't be more than covered by the new players and growth in some of the youngsters.
As well as that we should hopefully get relief from some of the disruption and division of last year...and injuries in both 2024 and 2025.
It's two years in a row that our lists have been put under pressure we don't often experience.

So as a result there is no reason for us to sink further into the mire.

It's as simple as that.
9
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: Thryleon – on
Quote from: crashlander – on
The English press certainly do not hold back. Our media is far from blameless, but I doubt we'd see quite the same level of hate being expressed.
You go from chocolates to boiled lollies very quickly over there.

Its the nature of English sports.  They need something to write about.  Follow the EPL for a season.  They display Carlton like pressure cooker in the media.

More like chocolates to rotten eggs :)

But then the Barmy Army will stick by their team.  I guess that they have a good time win, lose or draw.
10
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: List Building - More than one way to skin a cat
Last post by kruddler -
Lods...
There is no point finding evidence to disprove those claims as we are drifting further and further away from the point.

The point is you and others like you are putting down outgoings and pumping up incomings.

Simply compare people's thoughts pre trade period and post trade period and you'll see the hypocrisy involved.