Yibbida, yibbida keep your pants on!  The old tyrannosaurus has come clean on his “pay for play” dalliances of the last 15, yes 15, years.  Seems his wife was bi-polar and depressed.  Digger does not know anyone who has been to either the North or South Pole let alone both..  You would be depressed with all that cold weather, turning cold and why wouldn’t you go looking for some warmth.  Fish weren’t the only thing he has been kissing.

Crowds at A.F.L. grounds are down 7% this year and from discussions with some of my learned colleagues we have established the reason why.  Why do they keep changing the rules?  We the collective brains of A.F.L. followers in HCMC have failed to come up with another game that tinkers and changes rules each and every season.  The rules committee have become reactive rather than proactive and fail to appreciate that the game evolves.  The “flood” was introduced 6 years ago when Terry “Plough” Wallace was at Footscray and Rodney “Rocket” Eade was at Sydney.  Paul Roos has taken it to a new level at Sydney.  Wallace has stated that his current charge Richmond will be an attacking team with an aim of 18 goals per game and Eade now coaching Western Bulldogs (Footscray) has the doggies as the most attacking team going around.  The game evolves and coaches will always be able to exploit rule changes as soon as they come in.

The number one most despised rule change appears to be not allowing the defender to knock the arms away of a player attempting to mark.  As long as the ball is within 5 metres the backman should be allowed to attack the arms of a player as long as no contact to the head or shoulders is made.  It used to be called a “spoil” and made the game physical, now all it is is another soft free kick to a forward.

News in rule changes this week is that the use of the interchange will be looked at with a view to slowing the game down.  Did they or did they not introduce rules this year to speed the game up?  LEAVE THE DAMN RULES ALONE for a couple of years and the game will evolve.

Tiger, tigers, tigers oh lord what are we going to do with the Tigers?  Richmond had inflicted on them last week their second 100 point plus defeat of the season by Sydney.  A point here about how/does one piss poor decision change a sides mental approach.  The Swans got away to a flier kicking 4 quick goals, goals then were traded and Richmond looked like getting back into the game.  Matthew Richardson then lines up from 50 out and kicks truly.  Unfortunately a dopey goal umpire reckons the ball was touched, the tigers are deflated and the rest is history.

Geelong bounced back with a 3 goal victory over St. Kilda.  Diggers mate went to the game and described it as “shitful”.  Both teams flooded as is indicated by the score.  Two of the most gifted forward lines in the league scored a combined 21 goals between them.  Both teams seasons are on knives edge.

Melbourne handed out a belting to Fremantle in a very boring game.  Hawthorns home game on the Gold Coast was not a good one.  Brisbane started the game on the bottom of the ladder and got of it by beating the Hawks.  Colac big man Jonathon Brown was a shining light for the Lions with 8 big goals.

In a battle of the birds over in the West, the Weagles got over the Magpies in a close one.  Collingwood took the big step of not playing champ Nathan Buckley.  Air travel is considered bad for his back and back related injuries.  Maybe this will be a future trend but Digger cannot understand why the clubs do not lash out for a first class air ticket and send them over early in the week.  The West Coast look good and maybe Collingwood can be considered a contender.  Only time will tell.

The Western Bulldogs traveled to Adelaide to take on the Powerless having won only 3 of their previous 23 interstate games.  In a brilliant display of running football, the doggies, lead by Murphy, McMahon and West  Only Lade contributed 4 quarters for Port.  Mr. Smug reckons this will be a rebuilding year but Digger reckons he may have time soon to rebuild his house.  Will he be the first coach to be sacked this year? ran the Powerless ragged.

Essendon are on the bottom for the first time in Kevin Sheedy’s 26 year reign as coach of the Dons.  They were abysmal and have now lost James Hird to add to the woes of not having Matthew Lloyd available.  Time for the new baby bombers to stand up.  Fevola and Whitnall were the keys for the Blues but haven’t they been for the last few years.  The Kangaroos got thumped by Adelaide and cost Digger money.

LETTER OF THE WEEK

Dear Digman,

In the past most grounds had a big scoreboard that not only kept the score for the game being watched but supplied lots of other information.  Now all we get is replays and nothing else.  What going down man?

Warm Regards,

Clueless at the rink.

Dear Clueless,

Your name indicates that you are either a member of the Commandants Committee or part of the aforementioned rules committee but I maybe incorrect.  Digger does not get to many games these days but on my last visit to the rink I did notice it was hard to get a score at times.

I believe that is all to do with electronics.  Now that scoreboards have the capability to show replays the replays are played ad nauseum.  Maybe the attention span of today’s football followers require constant replays.  At most grounds there are also many televisions showing the complete game and the score can be gotten from them.  Reminiscing with the Pearlman last night and this subject came up.  Pearlman remembers from his youth going to watch the Cats at Kardinia Park when this ground had a scoreboard.  From any vantage point you could see the score, the scores from the other games, get the Melbourne race results, the name of the umpire, the dew kicker results and also the results of the SSB little league game.  How times are changed.  Despite spending millions on the new stand at Kardinia Park, the scoreboard now is not even electronic.  They have a guy manually changing the score the old way.  Digger wonders if he gets a free pie from the ladies committee after the game, they were usually burnt.

Regards,

Digger Intheouter

Email Digger at diggerafl@yahoo.com.au

It is official the A.F.L. website is the slowest in the world.

The Hawks take on Melbourne on Friday night at the MCG with the big question can the Hawks bounce back.  Melbourne are humming along at the moment and should be too strong for the Hawks.  The Demons by 4 goals.

The Ravens come to Melbourne to play Richmond at the rink.  Adelaide are chock full of confidence and the Tigers must be at the other end of the scale.  While the Richmond team is full of kids and still learning the ropes at the top the Ravens have seasoned veterans and a settled side.  Hard for Digger to say this but another 100+ point flogging is on the cards.  Ravens easily.

The Kangaroos travel to Perf to play the Dockers at Subiaco.  The big question here is can the Dockers fans behave.  Security will be tight for the insipid spitters.  Fremantle at home should be able to beat the ‘roos who look closer than ever than hopping to the Gold Coast for the next three years.  Freo by 28 points.  Collingwood and Geelong at the ‘G on Saturday night should be a ripper.  The Cats reckon their back and the ‘Pies showed last week they are tough customers.  Buckley should be back for Collingwood and Geelong are just about fielding their strongest team for the year.  The open expanses of the ‘G should make for an entertaining game and I am back with the Cats.  Geelong by 5 points with Ablett kicking a goal in the dying moments.

The Swans travel to their home ground on Saturday night to play the Western Bulldogs who are the home team.  Confused, Digger is!  The Swans will flood, the ‘dogs will run and we will see more blokes running in circles and kicking backwards than at the soon to be held soccer World Cup.  Two ex-Geelong players, Peter Street for the Western Bulldogs and Paul Chambers for the Swans will be the ruck men at this game.  Streety is in rare form.  The home team to win.

Two teams that have won 4 of the last 5 premierships between them would appear to be a great game.  However, with the Powerless currently in 15^th spot on the ladder and the Bears sitting in 14^th it may just turn into a real struggle.  Surely Port cannot go as bad as last week but the Lions may have a new surge of emotion.  Not a match I want to watch and in tipping a winner I find myself lost.  OK, it came down heads, Brisbane.

Just as unfortunate as above is Carlton taking on the disappointing Saints at the ‘G on Sunday.  Can the Blues put back to back wins together or can the Saints assert their talent to the degree required.  Saints by 5 goals.

Final game of the round sees Essendon hosting the Weagles.  Maybe if the Bombers played Chris Judd they may sneak over the line.

Chris Judd

3^rd overall selection in the 2001 draft

2004 Brownlow Medalist, West Coast B & F, All Australian

2005 Norm Smith Medalist

22 years old and playing his 100^th game this week.  Has only missed one game since debuting and is the Weagles current captain.  Will retire a legend and could just about beat Essendon by himself.  Weagles easily.

Well Ms. Andrea still leads the footy tipping competition by 2 games and is embarrassing Digger not to mention a few others.  David from Applecross is tied with one of the legal eagles in second.

The experts select,

flea

Digger

Sid Schooner

Pearlman

crazy fool

Eastern Bloc

Flea’s tips can be found tomorrow on the website www.cfnr.co.uk  Flea can be heard on SEN radio from 7.00pm to 9.00pm Australian time every Thursday night with Bruce Eva.  Maybe going by our experts results the gig should go to the Pearlman or Andrea.  Eastern Bloc has time zone constraints (knowing him that should be restraints) and his tips can also be found on the web site.  Appears our Crazy Fool is going for the rounds lowest score!

Stop changing rules and bring back the big scoreboard,

Digger

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