Patterson didn't have "early years". Bev knows her stuff (she ought to, she consorted with the odd genius). We won 5 and 1/2 of our first 7, 5 of our last 6, and one in the middle disaster. I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but we beat Hawthorn by 6 odd goals about 3 rounds from the e...

And Rocca will hurt us how? He had no base before he got hurt. The one possible job Rix could do in today's footy is stand next to Rocca. As someone said about a few pollies a few years back, they are suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome.

Rix on Rocca - nil all draw.

Hasn't Max Markson just got him a gig on Big Brother for a $20K starter?

Carl, surely, and not just for his time with us. What'd he play, 300 odd? Captain-coached a club with distinction, then went back to his roots and prevailed. Great player, wonderful athlete and developed a genuine football brain.

By all means, let players play on instinct. Like Gram. His instinct is to freakin' panic whenever he gets the ball. Watch him - when he gets clear now his head goes up, he holds the ball high and he swings his kicking leg across his body like an ice hockey sweeper. It is calm footballers who use the...

How does Grant survive on an SEN part time gig, anyway? What happened to that much touted CEO's job he was going to rush back to? Still, I applaud his "loaves and fishes" capability that ensures he can feed the masses on an SEN part time wage. The brief must be on a "no win, no pay&qu...

Go back almost 12 months. We played Sydney at the Dome. Lyon didn't play BJ as a 1/4 back - he sent him out to go one on one with Adam Goodes (note -not tag him, but go one on one). BJ was being freed up to do what he is capable of doing - going and getting it, rather than waiting for it to arrive. ...

John Worsfold got a couple of years grace with a side that was seemingly close, yet needed changing. Then he played off, then they won a flag. Not 18 months on, with only 5 missing from that premiership side, they gave up after round 5. They fair dinkum gave up. The richest side in the country, gave...

I'm still struggling to understand how a side that sits 5th, with a 4-3 record, and 2 of the 3 losses are 2 undefeated sides, is so hopeless, and without a future.

I have questions, I've admitted. But, it ain't over at 4-3 in the first third of the season.

Bad luck does not a bad footballer make. When he came back at the start of '07, and went wrong, Lyon was livid he hadn't been scanned properly or regularly in the lead up to his comeback. Now we have questions. It has been suggested that Goose's original double break caused nerve damage that prevent...

No argument - but his is now. They still have 15 odd premiership players from 2 years ago but can't beat an ordinary side on their own dung heap.

They have a flag, agreed, but it was a narrow strategy, and now they pay.

Let's be fair - the Eag's whole game plan was designed to protect 3 players - Jerr, Kousins and Cudd. Every kid and import under The Pharmacist was given one job - protect the 3 guns. Lo and behold, when they ain't there, the rest can't get a kick. What a shock. Worsfold's whole plan revolved around...

By dismissing Blake and Fisher they've made a statement about ball use. This game, in 2008, is even more about good ball use. Blake's float and Fisher's either a metre too high or 3 metres short.

The selections were right.

As a 35 year member, supporter, devotee, I'll relate an epiphanous moment. 20 odd minutes into the last quarter against the Dogs I left. Rarely do it, but I was struck. I was overwhelmed by a sense of pointlessness. I have been waiting, like so many others, for the "Great Generation" to st...

I must be looking at some other paper named "The Age". Best: Dal Santo, S.Fisher, Riewoldt, Hayes, Harvey, HUDGHTON, Armitage. And before you do your rag about votes, why not wait until they actually publish the damn things, on Monday. Let's wait and see whether your favoured news medium, ...

Did he do the shut down job on Murphy after 1/4 time? I get the feeling they are turning him into a run with type. Seemed to work tonight.

Rodger, Rodger, Rodger, what a sad bastard you are. Yep, we aint setting the world on fire, but we are winning. You use words like pathetic as if we should be disgusted. It's nonsense. Give me a 2-0 start any year, especially with improvement to come.

It'll be Max, believe me. He is the king defender. We know it, they know it.

I sat right above an exchange of play on the Access One side when Raph pulled his fumbling team mates out of the shyte twice in a short exchange. Keeps his head over the pill, maintains his poise and has great balance. Plus, he has real good hands. The potters will finish up eating their own nonsens...

Gem of a footballer, gem of a man. No one bleeds more for the joint than Max. Dead set loveable.

Very twee Large. Point is we will be at our best under this regime next year, because they will have had a full year with the support crew in place. However, and this is from the highest echelons, the confounding element is the talent of the players. From the coach to the conditioning gurus, they be...

I've had the odd drink with his paternal cousin Fraser (yep, Fraser Dempster, good idn't it, and a G tribute christian name, what more could you want.)

His kness are fine. He's never gonna be a giant, but he tries.

When one considers the fact that all the key changes have been made from late July (the appointment of John Peake) until late November (the appointment of Dave Misson), I'm willing to give them more than just 1 year. Facts are that the previous embolders had no stuff the incoming could use. Sad, but...

Every time I turned to look at the Idiot Box tonight, J. Brown was up the ground seeking the pill, and winning it. His midfield couldn't find the ball so he went and got it. The young chaser didn't seem to me to interfere with his progress too often. My guess is the Warny boy had it over 20 times, h...

The Enclosiure De Animale (French version) has it done. Raph is a RJFFPABRAB footballer. Keeps his head up in contests, always makes himself available to get out and seeks progress down the ground. To those who use the run down from behind argument - is this new? How many fellas have been run down f...