Footy isn't far away

[comrade]

But we had the best defence in the AFL in the second half.

Our mids were the issue in the last two games, not defence.

No, our midfield become dominant and we bashed up on some teams. We protected our defence in the second half of the year.

[Twodogs]

All the media speculation is indicating the footy will be back in some form perhaps as early as June
I doubt there will be any crowd involvement but footy looks like it's back

Is anyone excited by this?

I also keep hearing that there will be an asterisk alongside any team that wins the competition this year but I dispute that
This will be a hell of a test for all clubs

I hope our players are ramping up their training as the return might not be too far away

No asterisk for me. This will be a unique season and the premiership will be hard won.

Shakespeare would have said that a flag is a flag is a flag and any grand final win will still feel good.

[bornadog]

No, our midfield become dominant and we bashed up on some teams. We protected our defence in the second half of the year.

But isn't that what footy is all about? If the ball is continually coming in, your defence is then under pressure.

Of course we have flaws in defence, just like any team.

[Hotdog60]

One thing I gotten out of all this is from watching 2016 season again the good with the bad I have come to realise that how important two players were.
Matthew Boyd and Dale Morris. I'm only up to round 14 but these two and more so Boyd held a defence together. Yes Matty had some howlers in there but on the whole he drove the team to the finals.
What we lack is Matthew Boyd and Dale Morris and we haven't replaced them yet. We need an architect off the back line to guide us along and to point us in the right direction. No one in our current stocks does this.

[bornadog]

John Ralph reporting:

Clubs have just been told under an AFL ruling that WA-based teams can still only train in pairs despite Brad Sheppard suggesting groups of 10 might train together under new state ruling. Clubs told by AFL they must maintain a level playing field

[Dry Rot]

One of the areas that the Essendon players struggled with including Crameri was while they could train and get the miles into their legs it was the lack of physicality of their training sessions and getting their bodies ready for the contact that footy provides. I hope that we have found a way of addressing that with our guys over over the last month or two

Will every team be in the same boat? If so, will the style of footy across the comp be quite different this season?

[Dry Rot]

Tom Harley of the Swans offered for Sydney to host the comp.

[Dry Rot]

What if anything is happening with the VFL?

[Twodogs]

What if anything is happening with the VFL?

Season has been cancelled outright. First time since WWI.

[Dry Rot]

Season has been cancelled outright. First time since WWI.

Thanks.

That is real bad news for our marginal players, especially if they are out of contract.

Meanwhile, the NRL must be over the moon with their players getting together on the north coast, biking, shooting and partying while the NRL is trying to present a plan to responsibly restart.

[chef]

20 weeks away from your kids is never going to work.

[SonofScray]

Split down the middle.

It seems like an exercise in folly and has really emphasised the aspects of the league that I despise. However, I really want our Club to take steps forward and give us some joy. I probably won't be totally in favour until we can go with our families and friends. It's not "back" until we are all there, participating as a whole.

Professional football only exists because of fans. The game can exist so long as there is a ball and a few people to kick it.

[SonofScray]

20 weeks away from your kids is never going to work.

Exactly. This is where the industry's push irritates me. So desperate to get the gravy train rolling that they're trying to put the league above the stuff that really matters in life. Footy is special, I am missing it. But I don't see why the League and all the shit pundits and hangers on in a nasty, bloated industry should benefit at the expense of fans (not present) and players (put into completely different work environment). All for the sake of a compromised competition.

[bornadog]

20 weeks away from your kids is never going to work.

The alternative is to call off the season, no one gets paid as they are not at work, and most clubs go into huge debt.

I don't think they would be locked away for 20 weeks, I hear it is only 5 or so weeks.

Bloody prima donnas some of these players, starting with Dangerfield.

[comrade]

The alternative is to call off the season, no one gets paid as they are not at work, and most clubs go into huge debt.

I don't think they would be locked away for 20 weeks, I hear it is only 5 or so weeks.

Bloody prima donnas some of these players, starting with Dangerfield.

I'm sure they'll give players the option to opt out, so if Danger doesn't want to be away from his family for example - which he is well within his rights - there will be a hungry young kid ready to take his spot.