We are lucky enough to be on TV this week, so I hope we play decently.

This game has been postponed, even though we have the team in Sydney. Apparently the powers that be decided it was more appropriate to suspend the entire round, rather than redistribute the Bye (which is coming up).

I am not sure this game will ever happen, which is a pity. However, the Corona Virus has been screwing up our lives for sometime.


We really need our players playing this week. There are a lot of guys who need game time to impress, especially the guys coming back from injury. I would have loved to see Kemp going around again, for example.
The other issue I have is a structural one: talls in the team. Last week we didn't have Wooller, who has been very good. We did not have Mirkov, who needs as much time on the ground as he can get. We were thrashed in the ruck, as young Gundry isn't up to handling guys with as much experience as Ceglar as yet. We were smashed because we couldn't extort a clearance. Hawthorn always had silver service coming from the centre and our young defenders struggled.
I don't know that Mirkov would have done a lot better, but simply giving Gundry a break would have been a positive. For that matter, when Mirkov gets a tap, it generally goes where it is supposed to go. That doesn't happen often in a Carlton midfield..
Anyway, it matter little. That game has been lost already. Now this one isn't happening. Timing is not good.

Let’s get an idea of what everybody’s doing ...

My wife just asked Google to tell her a joke.
Google replied

Q: What's black and white and black and white and black and white.
A; A Collingwood player  rolling down a hill. ;D

(didn't say they had to be good jokes


When in Rome
A little boy from Melbourne had gone to Rome on holiday with his family hoping to see the Pope. Anyway, a couple of days after they'd arrived, the Pope was doing a tour of the city in his Popemobile. The little lad was a bit worried that the Pope wouldn't be able to pick him out in the crowd, so his Mum said "Don't worry, the Pope is a footy fan, so wear your Carlton jumper and he's bound to pick you out and talk to you."

So, they're in the crowd, but the Pope-mobile drives past them, and stops a bit further down the street where John Paul gets out and speaks to a little boy in a Collingwood jumper. The lad is distraught and starts crying. His Mum says "Don't worry, the Pope's driving around tomorrow as well, so we'll get you a Collingwood jumper and then he's bound to see you."

The next day arrives, and the boy's got on his new Collingwood jumper. The Popemobile stops right by him, John Paul gets out, bends down and says to the lad "I thought I told you to f*** off yesterday!"

Sunday afternoon in Sydney. They have been much better than expected, especially in their ruck division. We will need to win in this area if we are going to be competitive.

Backs:  Brodie Kemp  Ed Delany  Cody Hirst
Half-backs:  Tom Williamson  Luke Parks  Cooper Stephens
Centreline:  Jack Carroll  Sam Petrevski-Seton  Sam Ramsay
Half-forwards:  Josh Honey  Ben Caluzzi  Jack Newnes
Forwards:  Corey Durdin  Ben Crocker  James Parsons
Followers:  Aaron Gundry Lochie O'Brien Matt Kennedy
Interchange:  Fraser Phillips Ryley Stoddart Matt Shannon  Tom North
Emergency: Dale Marshall Lachlan Swaney

It is good to see Gundry back, as he has been OK so far, but the fact that he has no back-up is frightening. I don't know if Swaney or Marshall can ruck, but Delaney appears to be the only option.
It is good to see Kemp named. Hopefully, he can show something sooner rather than later.
Our overall lack of size bothers me, but we do have some talent out there.

We have a poor record against Hawthorn this century. We need to change that, and today is a good time to start.

I guess it tells you something of the way I think in that I am always anxious until the final siren goes. In recent years, we have grasped defeat from the jaws of victory too often. We need to make me feel the confidence I had when I when a boy: I believed we could win every game. I badly want that back.

Voting is as usual: you have 15 votes to award pretty much as you will, with the following provisos:
[1] 15 votes in total, no more, no less.
[2] No more than 10 votes for any one player (even Cripps)
[3] Three players at least must get a mention.
[4] A grade for the game, A+ (what I want to see) to F-.

I hope we play the way we want to play, as I want to have difficulty casting votes. Because so many need a mention, this is.

One thing that really pi55es me off ... If this is the future where we'll need them due covid forever and a day (as forecasted today by the NSW government), where does that leave people who don't have a mobile at all or a compatible phone?  Talk about rage against the machine.