In this week’s edition, we take a nostalgic look back to suburban grounds, followed by a discussion about the ex-Eagles playing their career best football, and then we will then discuss the downside of appointing an interim coach, as well as other little titbits, and finally,
I (with a little help from my 118 years old Nana) will be casting the Round 14 votes in the fight for the Caseys Nightclub Over 30s Mirrorball Keyring – the only award dedicated to the ageing veterans of our great game.
Caught in a Moment
This morning I was sitting in an old blue-stone building, with cobbled pathways outside covered by some late season autumn leaves, and all the while the whole scene was shrouded in relatively thick fog. For some reason, memories of the old suburban grounds, where the big men played in mid-winter, resonated in my thoughts.
Call me an old romantic if you want, but I remember an era of football that anybody under the age of 45 never got the chance to experience. An era which has taken on its own mythical symbolism over time, where if you believe the stories, the game was played by super skilled TOUGH footballers, who played the game without fear or favour, with no quarter given.
Did I say they were TOUGH?
Under the rules of perpetuating an urban myth, all stories told about the 1980’s, whether it be the VFL, the SANFL, WAFL or one the three hundred different leagues in Tassie, the past is glorified about all that was good about the game, while totally leaving out the bad.
Yes, they were TOUGH, but it was more of a lowercase tough, especially in the era which condoned king hits and other like dog behaviours, while ignoring any long term associated cognitive problems and/or damage.
Anyway, I digress.
Memories of suburban grounds in the midst of winter, shrouded in fog, are amongst some of the best times I spent with my dear old Dad. Every weekend, come hail, rain, fog or sunshine, Dad would top up the car with a couple dollars of petrol and from midday to about 6pm on any given Saturday, it was just the two of us.
Standing in the terraces as a little tacker had its drawbacks, but Dad would always find a way to get a good viewing position, and once in place we held our ground come hell or high water.
Barrackers standing toe to toe in the outer was heaven on earth, and part of that euphoria was the competing smells, like pies, hot chips, chiko rolls, jam donuts, and other such deeply fried delicacies competing with the smells of spilt beer, passive smoking and dare I say it, adding to the mix, the unpleasant stink of the urine and the lollies in the trough.
After the game, as we walked the cobbled stones back to the car, Dad would always buy four jam balls, and we would both munch them down as quickly as possible, with Dad stating, ‘Don’t tell your Mum’.
Given half the donut always ended as a congealed dried up red mess on my t’shirt, I reckon Mum knew our little donut secret, but she let it go through to the keeper.
Some of my best memories of suburban football was walking on cobble stones to the game, on a windless winter’s day with the fog refusing to lift, with supporters standing side by side, trying to outdo each other with their sledges, and all the different smells hanging heavy in the fog, watching the big men fly, right next to Dad – childhood heaven.
Oh, I nearly forgot, the postgame jam balls, our decadent indulgence (but it is still a secret).
Nostalgic memories are great, and while it is important to remember the tales of the days of yore, it does not necessitate that everything past is good, and everything now is bad, weak, woke, or a shambles, etc, etc, rather they are just memories of a different era.
Finally, in much the same way my memories of the 80s are great, my memories of the contemporary game (and I mean the overall experience indulging the five senses), are just as cherished now with some fantastic memories of going interstate for a game each year with a couple of mates.
Hello Darling and Flying Ryan
Jack Darling must have thought all of his birthdays had come at once last Saturday, kicking four goals as an integral part of the Roos one-point win over his old team, and for added insult, doing on their dung heap.
Darling literally celebrated his 34th birthday in style at Optus Oval last Saturday as he turned back time, and he reminded his old teammates their still life in the old dog.
On Sunday past, Liam Ryan, who turns 30 in October, reminded the football world that he is still a weapon as he slotted six majors in the Saints two-point win over the Giants, a week after he had put his hat in the ring for mark of the year.
The resurgence of Darling and Ryan at their new environs after leaving the Eagles (or after being discarded) at the end of 2024 has been a journey worth following.
Jack and Liam were both part of the Eagles 2018 Premiership success, and they will always be held in high esteem at Eagles, but after a few hard years coming out of the Covid era, both knew they wouldn’t be a part of the clubs next Premiership tilt, so for better or worse one went to North Melbourne and the other to St Kilda.
Sometimes the move of a senior player to another club works well for all parties involved. The Roos and Saints are happy with their respective inputs, both players look like they have a renewed spring in their steps, and their old club gets the opportunity to rebuild unencumbered by ghost of Premierships past.
The story of Jack and Liam is a great watch, but they are not alone as there is a number of players who head elsewhere later in their careers who suddenly rediscover their form from a few years earlier.
Selectively recruiting an old bull, it is a bit like the midseason draft, a totally underrated resource to strengthen lists with ready-made tough hard bodies with something to prove.
Interim Coaches
Essendon and Carlton are known for sacking coaches during a season (and sometimes before the midway mark) which could be deemed detrimental to the ongoing growth and development of both clubs.
I like what Josh Fraser and Dean Solomon have done thus far, and yes, it is possible both interim coaches could be asked to be the senior coach for 2027. However, my question is, does the interim period between senior coaches stagnate programs, directions, and list management decisions at both clubs for half a season?
Josh Fraser
With Carlton winning four games straight, the noise makers at Lygon Street are putting pressure on the club to appoint Josh now.
Four straight wins and an outside chance of making the Wildcard Weekend, emotions are running high with hope at Princes Park, but as a cautionary warning, they have been down this path before with David Teague (Teague was a good coach).
As a club, Carlton is an emotional mess, making decisions which need a level head based on the immediate high or low. Appointing Josh might be the right choice, but when Vossy was axed (resigned – what a crook, he was hatched), the club stated they wanted to go a thorough process and some small success shouldn’t interfere with the processes.
In my mind, that process should have started immediately, with the new appointee given half a season, not only for club security, but it would also mean they were part of the post season decision making.
Hypothetically, if John Longmire or Ken Hinkley were appointed coach sometime after the end of the season, then it is highly likely their philosophy about the Blues list and future game plans and style would be different to Fraser’s. I’ll take it a step further, if Carlton drags the chain appointing their coach, then it is highly likely the new appointment would have little to no input into the post season comings and goings.
If, again hypothetically, the process had started the same day Vossy cleaned out his drawer, and a new coach was appointed today, then that coach would have a valuable run of eleven games to start the rebuild with a direct say in the post season wheelings and dealings
Josh Fraser, and some of the senior players, have all admitted they are now playing to the game plan of Vossy (which coming from the players astounds me), which in my eye makes Fraser the favourite to be the long-term coach.
Fraser’s style of delivering a message with a total buy-in by all at the club has been flawless to date, and if the Blues had already started their process a month ago then the appointment of Josh Fraser would be a no brainer, but as at the time of writing the Blues coaching position is still in limbo.
Dean Solomon – to Hird or not to Hird
Essendon is a club with so many different moving parts, with the left hand not knowing what the right doing most of the time.
With all the commentary about the return of the prodigal son James Hird and his redemption story, this discourse has stifled and scared away any conversations or considerations by other candidates, except for the interim coach Dean Solomon.
Club President, Andrew Walsh, has thrown his support behind Dean Solomon, however, we are talking about Essendon, and the desires of the President does not carry as much weight as it would at any other club.
I’ll confuse this scenario further, as Dean Solomon stated when he became the Interim Coach that he wasn’t interested as being the long-term coach (he has softened a bit since then), and other viable alternatives have all indicated they wouldn’t be applying for the job, whilst the internal support for James Hird would see him appointed, basically as the last man left standing.
Unlike Carlton, which has quite a few candidates lined up, the decision for the Bombers fundamentally breaks down to Dean Solomon versus James Hird.
For the sake of internal harmony at the Hangar (or as close as they can get to harmony), the Essendon decision needs to be made as soon as possible, with the only decision being the redemption story of Hird or the steady hand Dean Solomon has displayed in the last few weeks.
Make a decision Essendon, and start the rebuild as from yesterday.
Titbits
The AFL dropped the ball over the weekend scheduling the conclusion of one game and the start of another at the same time as the Socceroos brilliant victory over Turkiye.
I would love to know the respective ratings for the end of the Lions and Tigers game and the start of the St Kilda and Giants game compared to the World Cup game, where the Socceroos, in the immortal words of Teddy Whitten, “stuck it up them” Turks.
The answer would be bugger-all for the two AFL games and record breaking for the Socceroos and their magnificent win, especially as word started to filter through that they had the Turks on the back foot.
It’s one thing for the AFL to be trading punches with PV and his mates up north, but seriously, trying to compete with the World Cup juggernaut, especially when the Socceroos are playing, was always going to end tears.
I don’t care how wrong the umpires can be making decisions, but could you at least be consistent for the entirety of a match, and across the board for any given round, as what is being dished up at the moment is not only shite, but bloody frustrating and confusing as well.
For the record, I rarely if ever complain about the umpires, but with four umpires for each game and 36 umpires over a round, there seems to be 36 different interpretations of holding the ball, push in the back and interference off the ball, and don’t get me started about ruck interference, and the friggin arc.
Somebody at Alberton must have stood on a crack, or was crossed by a black cat, or broke a mirror, or stepped under ladder, as if there was an award for the most disappointing team in the competition, the Power would still finish second.
The difference between the Power being top four and where they are now is approximately 15 or 16 points, equating to five losses.
Whoever is putting pins in their Power dolls, please stop as the intended damage has already been achieved.
What a round of games next weekend, with evenly matched teams playing in ‘eight-point’ games. The entire makeup of the top ten (not first and second) could be drastically altered by the end of Round 15.
Disco’s Over 30’s Casey’s Nightclub Award (Nana’s choice again)
This award is for the players proving there is life after 30 in the AFL and it is theoretically sponsored by the once legendary nightclub located in the Glenferrie Station arcade, Casey’s Over 30’s Nightclub. On any given Wednesday or Saturday night the more mature singles of Melbourne would pack the joint to the rafters. The smell of cheap aftershave and perfume was truly overbearing.
There are many players in the AFL thirty years of age or older performing gallantly and as such The Mongrel Punt have introduced this award specifically for the elderly citizens of the competition who will be competing for The Mirror Ball Keyring.
Similar in style to the Coaches Votes, the voting system for this cherished award is the top ten elderly citizens of each round will be ranked with ten being the maximum and one being the minimum.
Votes for Round 14
10 Jack Darling (NM)
9 Luke Parker (NM)
8 Rory Laird (Ade)
7 Jack Macrae (St K)
6 Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
5 Tom Atkins (Gee)
4 Patrick Dangerfield (Gee)
3 Tim Kelly (WC)
2 Brodie Grundy (Syd)
1 Max Gawn (Melb) Max is very stiff not to be higher up.
Leaders Board
37 Brodie Grundy (Syd)
33 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
30 Luke Parker (NM)
28 Jarman Impey (Haw)
27 Lachie Neale (Bris)
26 Max Gawn (Melb)
24 Jack Gunston (Haw) Toby Greene (GWS)
20 Jeremy Cameron (Gee) Jack Steele (Melb)
19 Tim Kelly (WC)
18 Patrick Cripps (Car) Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
17 Jack Macrae (St K)
16 Zach Merrett (Ess)
14 Scott Pendlebury (Coll) James Sicily (Haw)
13 Jack Cripps (Coll) Christian Petracca (GC)
12 Luke Ryan (Freo) Jayden Short (Rich) Jack Darling (NM) Patrick Dangerfield (Gee)
10 Tom Atkins (Gee)
9 Taylor Walker (Ade) Dayne Zorko (Bris)
8 Bradley Hill (St K) Jake Stringer (GWS) Nic Newman (Carl) Rory Laird (Ade)
7 Ollie Wines (PA) Ryan Lester (Bris) Tom Stewart (Gee)George Hewett (Carl)
6 Alex Pearce (Freo) Brayden Maynard (Coll) Alex Neal-Bullen (Ade)
5 Callum Wilkie (St K) Rory Lobb (WB)
4 Jake Melksham (Melb) Elliott Yoe (WC)
3 Jake Lloyd (Syd)
1 Blake Acres (Carl)
In previous weeks votes had been given to Harris Andrews, however he does not turn 30 till December, and the same applies to Peter Wright who doesn’t turn 30 until September.
Fin
Have a great week and may your team win.
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