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Joined March 2020
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I care too much about the teams I support to actually watch them play. It's easy to watch with no investment but if Carlton, Sydney Thunder or Arizona Cardinals are on it's too stressful...! Fond of sporting history - there's a lot of that already so I struggle to keep up with new history every year.
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The current era is India’s most successful, but there are periods gone by where they were also a tricky proposition.
New Zealand took 28 years to win a Test match, finally triumphing in 1956. There were plenty of skilled individuals before that but not a complete team.
Through electric bowling, dashing batting and acrobatic fielding the West Indies made themselves one of the most popular teams throughout history.
South Africa’s all-time XI had some interesting decisions behind them. A slew of all-rounders throughout the country’s history as well as some celebrated names…
The all-time XI for Australia would capture any audience’s attention whether with bat or ball. The team will be presented in batting order, and…
Everyone has their opinions on what an all-time XI would look like, and the beauty of the exercise is that no-one is wrong. However,…
Now that we have 21 teams based on surnames, it’s time to look at a few selection changes based on feedback and additional research…
The composite team has some of the greatest big men of all time, as well as some current players still going strong. Back line…
The W team has a prolific midfield, a talented forward line and a mercurial backline. Read the previous alphabet teams here. Back line David…
The V team might not have the depth of others, but there is enough quality to trouble some of the best sides. Back line…
With a forward line as potent as the one boasted by the T team, there would be plenty of shootouts. Back line Bill Thomas…
The S team is surprisingly light for scoring options, but with a midfield as good as this, there will be plenty of opportunity. Back…
The R team could have been a true family affair, with the likes of Rocca, Riewoldt, Rankin and Richards all having claims to multiple…
The P team is one that has a fine balance of class, flash and toughness, with several milestone holders among their number. Back line…
The ‘O’ team doesn’t have much out-and-out star power, but can boast plenty of consistency across the board. Back line Max Oppy (Richmond 1942-54)…
The N team is short on depth, but high on quality, with one team's era heavily featured. Back line Ian Nankervis (Geelong 1967-83) 325…
The M team has well over 1000 players eligible to be selected in the squad, so to have reached this 25 is no mean…
We move now to the L team, with firepower enough up front to outscore almost anyone. Back line Wes Lofts (Carlton 1960-70) 167 games,…
Up next is the K team, with three generations of one family all finding a spot in the squad. Back line John Kennedy Sr…
We move to the J team, and one of the most dynamic forward lines of any squad thus far. Back line Horrie Jenkin (Fitzroy…
I just took the tweet as Kane leaning into the joke that he hates the long term contracts. 50 odd people tagging him in the Freo announcement for the laughs as well probably didn’t help.
'Way to ruin the holidays': You'll never guess who has a problem with Freo gun's monster contract extension
Except Barrett has a national reach and ‘credibility’ by writing for the league’s masthead – and being paid for it – and Macca is a biased fan commenting on articles out of the love of the game and his team just like everyone else here.
Incidentally extremely negative views about Collingwood are the correct ones to have 🙂
Why the Blues' draft-first trade period approach could mean disaster for Michael Voss
I’m actually impressed.
The inanity of trade radio and all of this rubbish finally made Kane Cornes say something I agree with.
'SANFL flag on hold': Cornes rejoices after Port backtrack on mega-deal 'as good as done' involving forgotten Sun
Loved the subtle and not so subtle nods to incidents from the past – Arthur Whitelaw’s cheque merry go round was fantastic.
Genuinely surprised that Peter May ranked so highly but he’s not really that out of place. I think the key difference is that the specialist batting was better than the all rounder batting – only Kallis and Sobers have records close to anyone on the specialist side while only one player can bowl at a time so having 11 great bowlers can only do so much.
The Sobers-Bradman Trophy: Who would win in a Test between the best ever all-rounders and specialists?
“Corne should limit himself to talking about the game he understands…”
We’d like that because in essence it means he would just be quiet 😛
'They're on something': Voss' brutal return serve for Kane Cornes over whack at 'shocking sport' NRL, highlight-less GF
Two Warne moments (who else?) come to mind:
Cullinan pulls Warne’s flipper for 4. Benaud: “Well, that looks to be the one he shows them…” Cullinan is bowled two balls later by a much more vicious flipper.
Greig: “OHHHH he’s got him has he caught him yes he has! He’s got him it’s a hattrick! Yes he’s gone! He’s GONE IT’S A HATTRICK! That’s a hattrick to Shane Warne, a great moment in his career… WHAT A CATCH BY DAVID BOON.” All in approximately one and a half breaths.
Two of cricket's iconic voices that still echo a decade later: Remembering Richie Benaud and Tony Greig on their shared birthday
I think the word you’re looking for is ‘egregious’ – a gregarious egg lay would be very different indeed.
This is the most inexcusable of the four GF losses IMO – 14 was Hawks at their peak, 16 was Dog destiny, 22 they just weren’t ready yet. 2024 would have been about the right time to rise to the top but I wonder if 22 ended up leaving some scars that affected this year.
September scars: The Swans' latest GF loss will cut even deeper than the rest
Nah, LRT was fantastic that day and deserved it.
Every grand final of the 2000s, ranked first to 25th: Which classic is 'the most underrated decider in footy history'?
Hill was absolutely the mark of the year (H&A season only – Heeney was incredible). He pretty much levitated to the top of the pack. Plus the TV direction on Elliott’s mark was genuinely atrocious and ruined its prestige.
Reid’s goal was the best of the three nominated but we really didn’t need three facsimiles as the finalists. Moir, Bont, Merrett, Fritsch, all fantastic. One of Daicos’s reminded me of Ballantyne’s 2011 GOTY (incidentally I also think that was a wrong call; Betts dancing around a couple of Essendon players while right on the goal line was my favourite for that year – in the same match as Walker’s mark!).
Forget Cripps - Harley Reid's bog standard Goal of the Year was the most ridiculous win of Brownlow night
Just putting this in the news article because it’s the best spot, but I wonder how Don is feeling about Taberner being delisted. Biggest non-Essendon discrepancy between hype and output in the comp.
AFL News: Port's brutal selection call as Hinkley defends coaching future, former Dees president urges Goodwin axing
But that’s incorrect – you don’t just rely on stats. Contemporaneous reporting, context of the time, style of play etc all factor into it. Adam Voges has a Test average of 61 or so, but is he really a top 5 batter of all time? No.
I don’t understand why you’re comparing Siddle and Armstrong in any event; very different bowlers and players.
Cricket's State Of Origin: The King leads this Victorian all-time XI, but there's plenty more star power behind him
“He’s caused us to be talking about this now. Why would he think it’s a good idea, after what happened before the Grand Final last year, to go to a pub?
“He’s done nothing wrong here – he’s out until 9pm, he’s home before half time – but to put yourself in this position, what’s the risk-reward here?”
Sorry let’s look at the first part of that second paragraph again.
“He’s done nothing wrong here”
So why even bring this up at all?
“He’s caused us to be talking about this now.”
No, your pathetic obsession and desperation for any content that’s not about the on field product has caused you to be talking about this. Why not talk about the games ahead and whether the Hawthorn momentum can continue on, why not finish up a deep dive on the 10 teams that didn’t make the finals and where they fell down before focusing on the 8 still in with a shot, why not discuss the absolute inanity of three running goals by media darlings being nominated for Goal of the Year instead of Bont beating three defenders, Moir soccering it through on debut, Treloar from the boundary? No no, let’s continue the pile on Ginnivan for a complete nonstory.
Seriously.
Man has dinner at pub and is home at a reasonable hour. News at eleven.
AFL News: 'Hasn't learned' - Ginnivan slammed for finals eve pub visit, Cornes rips into 'pathetic' Port
“Why they will: They’re white hot. The Hawks have won six of their last seven games and 13 of their last six”
Quite frankly anyone who can win over two games for each one they play deserves favouritism. Hawks to win 😛
Why every team will win the 2024 AFL premiership... and why they won't
Selector’s ‘run him out’ of the squad, huh… didn’t know Alex Carey had a second job 🙂
Bairstow's international career appears over after selectors run him out of squad to face Australia
I know the reference but I can’t remember the episode for the life of me… is it the one where the crew lands on a planet made out of Rimmer’s psyche?
All of the home teams for Friday and Saturday
GWS
Carlton (perversely 3/4 expert tips going to St Kilda gives me more confidence)
Port
The Roar's AFL expert tips and predictions, Round 24: Three doesn't go into two - who's getting their hearts broken?
There was a comment from Vic Richardson (I believe) who said after the 1930 series that Bradman was very successful, but Australia wouldn’t have beaten the blind school without Clarrie Grimmett. IIRC Neville Cardus also had a similar sentiment.
Volume vs Context vs Style is always a fascinating argument. Does Trumper’s 1902 get counted as a great series despite an average of 30? His 62 in the second innings (of 80 scored while he was at the crease) at Bramall Lane helped set up a matchwinning lead with Hill taking the headlines, and then the famous century before lunch at Old Trafford leading off one of the greatest matches of all time.
Crunching the numbers: Why Steve Smith's 2019 Ashes batting performance towered over Don Bradman's famous 1930 knocks
I’m going to miss all of the “How will Dodoro get an extra packet of chips” talk though.
Builds time for more hypothetical 18 team-4 sport trades in which Liam Baker is somehow selected for the 2032 Olympic breakdancing and Pat Cummins will find himself in the St Kilda goalsquare with Billy Slater coming out of retirement to be a crumbing forward.
AFL News: 'You'd want to get a kick!' Cornes response to Rachele's Port sledge, Dodoro departs Essendon
The idea of pity for Essendon is completely foreign. The 100th time they shoot themselves in the foot will be every bit as enjoyable as the first. Admittedly, schadenfreude isn’t the most healthy way to enjoy footy, but even with West Coast and St Kilda to come I’ve found myself in the numb zone of not actually caring if we make the 8 now as we’ll be making up the numbers at best.
Six Points: Don't write off the Blues just yet, and is anyone else starting to feel sorry for Essendon?
It’s worth cutting a little slack for the games that have a full deep dive like Adelaide/Essendon being ignored in the weekly roundup – but then we’ve got a new point on Hawthorn when that game got covered which kind of defeats my point…
Didn’t Reid get suspended for tackling a Saints player? Still don’t like it but it’s a bit more understandable in that case.
Six Points: Meet footy's new most hateable team, and why Saints fans need to pull their heads in
I mean sure there’s the old classic Bradman joke “I’d average around 50 or 60 against the current England attack… mind you I’m nearly 80 now.”
But comparing eras like that is utterly futile. The style of game is so far removed from what it was 40 years ago – and rules mind you – that it’s not fair in either direction. I don’t like agreeing with Clarkson but he’s right here.
AFL News: 'Little bit grubby' - Simpson slams WA paper's report of player revolt, Sherrin strike threatens ball shortage
Point was more about the infinite tribunal appeals process with a side order of smart-alec nitpicking. There’s no reason to not know by Thursday if a player cited the previous Friday is suspended or not.
AFL News: Voss slams 'ridiculous' claim Walsh dived in Danger tackle, league open to State of Origin revival
I’d be pretty surprised too if Cripps was exonerated in 2023 for a charge that happened in 2022. I know there are plenty of appeals and delays with the tribunal but that’s just ridiculous 🙂
AFL News: Voss slams 'ridiculous' claim Walsh dived in Danger tackle, league open to State of Origin revival
I’m starting to feel confident in things again – not just the naive yeah we’ll win because we’re Carlton silliness of growing up in the early 00s – but there’s just a little part of me that gnaws away at my mind waiting for the other shoe to drop. I really wish that I could drown it out and enjoy listening to a game live but it’s a work in progress.
'I'm not used to it': After 'two decades of suffering' Carlton have finally arrived, and Blues fans are loving every second
There are two things wrong with FS and academy picks – the 20% discount, and that clubs can match with a handful of magic beans. If it was reworked so that the matching club has to use a pick from the same round the bid is in there would be a lot less discord – pick 4 should not equal picks 35, 38, 42, 44, 45, 47 and 53 or whatever it is.
It’s fairer now than it was in the days of Geelong benefiting so much, but still flawed.
Why is everyone complaining about the father-son rule now that Collingwood are benefitting from it?
Guru, Rookie etc are more of a reflection of the amount of contributions made to the site than any qualitative judgment. I think I’m considered a guru even though I rarely comment because I’ve done 30-odd articles through the years.
That said I don’t really take these articles to be a genuine breakdown of the lists and 2025 prospects; more a fun curiosity as to the honour board for each club, so to speak. Someone like Ryan Burton is comfortably in Port’s top 100 for games played even though it feels like he was only traded a few years ago (2018 WAS only a few years ago, right?) and that’s kind of interesting to me.
AFL Top 100: Can Boak and Wines power Port to elusive premiership?