Blocking out just one sun? What an amateur megalomaniac Bill is! Time to Restump Podcast the retributive purple punishment Freo supplied the Suns.

There has to be a sunscreen sponsorship coming Murphy Reid’s way, doesn’t there? Or at least he should be forwarded some of that lucrative green energy climate change cash for an ambassadorial role? Even when the clouds momentarily parted, not even a single ray got close to him!

Call it atonement, making amends or retribution. It was evident Gold Coast eliminating us from the finals last year was still very much front and centre in the minds, and it was as if closure on that fateful event was required. 

You always hear about players memory banking certain defeats or incidents for future incentive use but you never really think grudges are truly held. However, it's difficult to believe the catastrophic finals loss last year wasn’t an extra motivating factor on Sunday. 

The Freo players were on from the first bounce. They were zoned in, super focused, hitting hard and setting the tone. Sure, we’re all locked in and the eyes are on the bigger prize, but it felt like there was more at stake yesterday, something a little extra to play for. 

36 more disposals, 6 more inside 50s and 24 tackles in just the first quarter alone set a conspicuous tone and put an authoritative stamp the game. It said, “We remember, it hurt and here, have some of these apples!”

Admittedly the Gold Coast Suns must have some internal issues, but to hold them to just 3 goals for the entire match, especially considering how dominant, albeit unclean, they were in clearances in the first half, was a stellar defensive performance by the entire team, but specifically the docker dudes down back.

Up forward the inaccuracy disease flared up a touch again, but it looked a little worse on paper given we had 5 rushed behinds.

But there are two ways to look at it. We can finger wag at Amiss and Treacy’s misses, or we can realise that even when they’re off, others are standing up. The forward line is functioning in such a way that this week we got the reliability of Paddy and Jackson while Freddy got his reward for recent efforts.

And when you have a complimenting and individual supportive forward line, a situation summing up and fast ball moving midfield, attacking half backs and a brick wall of a last line defence… you can win from multiple different positions. Heck, you might even win 14 in a row!

This is all getting extremely real. We’re passing each and every test, teams are looking for the chinks in our armour and coming up empty. Have we progressed onto juggernaut status?

We’re now at a stage where we have built something meaningful, so we have something serious to lose. So, we need to surround the current climate with sensible and measured commentary. If you can find that anywhere, please let us know! Meanwhile feel free to come along for our often unreliable, absurd and irreverent take on it all on the pod. 

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The difference between Shai Bolton and us Freo fans? Shai's head is literally in the clouds, ours metaphorically are! Do we even remember what defeat feels like? Time to Restump Podcast the cutting of the Cats claws.

We don't want to speak in a forgone conclusionary tone and we don't want to put the purple cart before the pony, but is use of the term ‘dynasty’ a little premature? 

Yes, we know, we hear what you're saying... ‘But Geelong didn't have Tom Stewart or Bailey Smith and Jeremy Cameron only had the use of just one arm!’ Well... we didn't press the Wharfie Time button, so it all cancels each other out!

Thursday night's scoreboard may reflect a narrow 9-point Freo victory, but it was effectively a 5 or 6 goal comfortable win. If it wasn't for our inexplicable wayward kicking, with the exception of Paddy Voss, Geelong wouldn't have gotten a look in. 

3 goals 11, a scoreless Josh Treacy shot that didn’t make the distance, a Jye Amiss out on the full and a couple of posters to Sammy Switta and Murphy Reid! We couldn't have hit water if we fell off a jetty! Josh and Jye were like blind darts players in cyclonic conditions! 

Yet despite the mayhem, despite the fact we couldn't win a centre clearance early and that we were dealing with a 28-point deficit at some stage, there wasn't any panic in the coach's box, on the ground, in the stands or in the lounge rooms.

It never felt like it was out of control. Both teams were punishing mistakes on their scoreboards, but the difference was we were handing out punishment in ones. However, you were quietly confident it'd get rectified. 

Talk about rectified personified! 3 goals 11 turned into 13 goals 11 in the final quarter. Did we find the accuracy switch or what? And from being on the wrong side of a 3 to 10 centre clearance count, we soon found our midfield mojo to win 15 of the last 16. 

Individually speaking, All Australian ruck, Brownlow and Doig favourite Luke Jackson has no peer at that moment. It must be a tad difficult being a Melbourne supporter watching prime time LJ putting on absurd spectacles... and we don't mean the Mason Cox kind.

Does anyone actually work harder than Andrew Brayshaw? Is it possible to actually work harder than Andy Brayshaw? Not that anyone had forgotten, but he just gave everyone a reminder of his courage and capability conveying a compelling and commanding case of captaincy consequence.

Murphy Reid is outrageous, Shai Bolton is ridiculous, Paddy Voss is preposterous and the 150-game celebrating Captain Pearce is tremendous.

But overall, it's the confidence of the collective. It’s the belief and the hunger and the selflessness across the board that has us in this enviable position a game clear at the top of the tree.

We could bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs, but.... wait, we can bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs! So, join us on the pod as we bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs!

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Lukey Ryan loves to operate with time and space, but even he never thought he’d get to take a leisurely stroll in the park and stop for a cup of tea during a game! Time to Restump Podcast the tiptoeing through the tulips win over the Kangas. 

The Kangaroos just absolutely skedaddled. It was as if Luke Ryan was on the back of 4X4, armed with a spotlight and a Winchester! Was there divine intervention? Not since Moses parted the Red Sea has a safe and spacious passage to the promised land inexplicably appeared!

It was a remarkable record tumbling day down at Bunbury, brought about by the contributions of both teams. You don’t win 12 straight if you’re not a serious outfit, but you don’t destroy any opponent by 120+ points, hold them to just 3 behinds in a second half and put on 19 goals on the bounce without their deficiency assistance. 

However, at the same time, you can’t manage such a feat if you’re not rolling out an airtight functioning system and combining it with a relentless worth ethic and an insatiable hunger. 

Is there another ruckman in the league whose teammates willingly handball to? Maybe Brody Grundy but it’d still be due to a lack of comparable options. Hayden Young’s first thought is ‘get the ball to Luke Jackson!’ Even Luke Jackson’s first thought when he gets his own ball is to handball to Luke Jackson! He is the AFL player prototype and unless there’s a relaxing of the ethics and laws around cloning, he’s going to remain a one-of-a-kind collector’s item. 

We gotta talk Sammy Switkowski. JL’s Einstein, the sharpest man in the west and I’m pretty sure a former Sale of the Century showcase winner! He’s taken 9 injury plagued seasons to get to 117 games and he’s potentially in his career best form. His work rate is unquestionable and on Saturday he saw personal reward with an equal career high three goal feat, something he has now managed three times. With two of those occasions coming this year, he’s a vital piece of the September puzzle.

I know we’ve won twelve on the bounce, we’re twelve and one for the year, we’re top of the tree, a game clear of Syndey in second, three and a half games and thirty percent ahead of the Hawks in third and 3/1 favourites for the flag…. but, for mine, the hype from all corners of the industry is a little uncomfortable. There is an unwanted element of forgone conclusion commentary about us and it’s just a little bit unnerving. 

Yes, the ship has to leave the safety of the harbour at some stage but that means navigating unchartered waters! Give me back our comfortable underdog status, remove the intense magnified focus and let us return to our familiar footing of flying under the radar! 

Oh, who am I kidding, it’s like a Tupperware container…. even if you could find the lid, there is no putting the lid on it. The lid is so far off, we can’t even see the lid! The lid is in outer space! So, we live now, we throw cautious  optimism to the wind and go mental enjoying the thrilling journey and we worry about any possible unwanted consequences if or when  they arrive.

We’ll all take a breather over the bye, but before then, there is still plenty of purple praise to promulgate. So, put on your pants, pour yourself a piccolo, pitch in, park yourself on a plush perch, press play and partake in the purple prattle on the pod. 

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It wasn't exactly the fist through the wall Clarko style, but JL left his mark at the GABBA, in more ways than one. Time to Restump Podcast Freo's felling of the former ferocious felines.

He usually aborts his bouts of irritation inspired ire at the precise moment before impact, but JL's emotional reactions are evolving. A couple of annoyance fuelled batters of the beam above head at round 12, we wonder will windscreens O'Brien be required by seasons end? Is it a pressure outlet? A sign of a how real it has become? Suddenly we've genuinely got something to lose! Or, more likely, are we just theatrically highlighting something entirely insignificant for a moment of semi-comedic value?

What a way to bring up 11 wins on the bounce against a rampaging Lions outfit. Yeah, wait a minute... rampaging, really? Who are we kidding... the Lions were all Aslans, they never came out of the wardrobe!

The reality is though any time you beat Brisbane at the GABBA it's a big achievement and you have to play seriously good footy to do so. Having said that, what has happened to these now somewhat lethargic lions? They gave us so much space through the corridor, Elon wants to launch rockets into it!

After two consecutive premierships has the hunger for the 3-peat waned? There were expectations they'd flick the switch after their previous two losses, but the wiring must be faulty because there's seemingly a disconnect there.

But that's the extent of us being bewildered by Brisbane! 

Our all-round game, our strategies and defensive structure suffocated them. Our individuals’ willingness to perform their roles our system depends on, never gave the Lions a look in.

Paddy Voss, Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss functioned like a well-oiled machine. They're three vastly different roles which, when they work in harmony, all produce the same substantially beneficial outcome.

And hasn't Matty Johnson stepped up with opportunistic permanent midfield minutes and in the absence of a couple of colleagues. To step in and destroy Hugo Garcia last week was big, but to back that up by nullifying Lachie Neale, was something else. Hopefully the ice on the hamstring was more cautionary awareness than strain or tear.

We're 11 straight, we're top of the tree, we passed the Hawthorn test, we weathered St Kilda's pressure and now we’ve dispatched Brisbane on their home turf. If we scale the Sydney summit, the last true test box to tick, holy smokes, the potential big dance nerves will well and truly kick in!

We’re not a soap opera drama but we’re Home and Away this week, playing North Melbourne away at home in Bunbury. However, before then, there’s no time for Lion down! We still need to dissect last Saturday’s successful safari hunt. In the Gabba jungle, the mighty Gabba jungle was the Lion sleeping that night? Or were we simply the purple Lion tamers? Let’s chat it out on the pod. 

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As Vossy always says, "everything is just a mindset." When it came to taking down Callum, will was key! Time to Restump Podcast the Friday night atonement.

On a Friday night in May just over 12 months ago at Marvel Stadium we suffered an inconceivable 10 goal belting at the hands of the St Kilda stranglers. It was an insipid performance, one that had every Freo fan at wit's end. 

But what felt at the time a near West Coast Eagles type depth of despair we'd never surface from, amazing good came from it. It turned out to be the shock wakeup call we needed and the catalyst for absurd change. 

Fast forward a tick over 12 months to another Friday night in May, this time in WA, and the same Saints tried the same suffocating assault on us.

But the times, they are and have been a changing. This Freo team of soldiers now deals with heat. We love heat, we eat heat for breakfast… ok we heat things up and eat them for breakfast, but you get the point. We've grown, we've matured and we've improved. We can now weather the storm, we can dig in, grind and then we can counter punch.

Friday night was an important test for us. Sure, I hear what you’re saying, the Saints aren't top of the tree? But the fact is they were far from that last year. They can though drive you into the ground and pressure you to distraction in true typical Rosco Lyon style. If we were unable to mentally cope with the pressure this time around, then our potential premiership hopes were all but a shattered dream.

The fact is we couldn't really have been more impressive. We went toe to toe with the Sainters pressure for 3 quarters and then in the final term, class won out. 

The Saints threw everything at us and at one stage they got out to a 3-goal lead. Last year we may have panicked and capitulated. This year when we find ourselves in such a position, we see opportunity and respond with, “challenge accepted.” 

Arguably what was most pleasing was being able to perform and win in that manner without the reliance on Caleb Serong, Alex Pearce and Hayden Young. You can't remove three players of such prominence, importance and impact from any team and be unaffected by it, except it seems we can! 

It's always said you learn a lot more from your losses than you do your wins. Given we've now won 22 of 27 games since that fateful Friday night in May 2025, that must have been one hell of a lesson!

There's no time for any laurel resting or momentary complacency though because we've got another big box to tick this coming weekend. After two beltings on the bounce, could you face the Brisbane Lions at a worse time? ‘Beware the wounded Lion’ has never been more prescriptive.

Lyon last week, Lions this week... what are we playing in the Serengeti?

Anyhow, while there's no time for the club to stop and head wobble, there's always time for fans to strut after a victory! So, if there's a pep in your step and glide in your stride, join us as we swagger through Friday's cathartic consecration on the pod.

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In more ways than one, you can’t have a smother without a mother and Luke Jackson just ensured it’s a dual celebration! Time to Restump Podcast the harvesting of the Hawks.

Thursday seems so long ago, yet the Wharfie Time signalling chiming bells continue celebratory ringing in my head. 

We got the test we needed against a formidable opponent, in the form of the Hawks, and we aced it. Consequently, any trace of a doubting Thomas tendency is now terminated! 

What a thrilling and thoroughly entertaining game it was. It wasn’t 3 minute bursts here or there like we have been performing in recent weeks against lesser opposition. It wasn't working out to a lead before cue in the racking it. This was a 4-quarter high skilled, tactic changing, pressure fuelled grind in which we were better for longer. 

It took some doing but despite the Hawks enjoying a 22-point margin half way through the final term, it felt one goal either way was the open flood gate difference. 

But late in the piece when there were nervous tension and uncertainty about whether we could raise the level required to get it done, those Wharfie Time church bells sounded! The instant activation of the Freo folk on the field and in the stands, turned the stadium into a giant spine-tingling electrical field, signalling caution to the wind be thrown and sparking inherent motivation.

We've grown up as a team. We can handle pressure and dish out physicality; we have a great complimenting role balance across the board and seemingly a game awareness at all times. We now possess the ability to change things up and adapt on the run if need be.

Case in point - The first half we extended the Hawks exclusive use of the corridor and provided them the equivalent of a police escort. The result of which saw Jack Gunston feast and poor Lukey Ryan and at times Brennan Cox left holding the bag. 

But there is now a hunger for change when things are going sideways. The identification of the issue and the rapid responsive buy in to collectively protect and guard the Fremantle fairway in the second half, was Hawk chokingly productive.

Are we getting our Paddy Voss back? There were signs the passiveness is perishing. The ironically defensive job he delivered on James Sicily cannot be overstated.

And what about Michael Frederick! Freddy just Krugered the Hawks, slicing them to bits as he rolled out his career best game. 

But do we get there without Caleb Serong's second half? Josh Treacys brutal contest winning competitiveness? Or would we all really be enjoying Monday without Luke Jackson's absurd period of mind-blowing dominance and that mother of a smother that had to be seen to be believed?  

We're now 8 on the bounce and we've just knocked off a major adversary. While other hopefuls may rear their heads, we've still got the Brisbane box to brand and the Sydney space to swipe, in terms of current contenders. But after Thursday we'll happily meet those subsequent challenges with a pep in our step and a glide in our stride.

It felt like Thursday was a pivotal point in our end of season endeavours and we got the answer we were all hoping for. 

We're in rare territory so we make hay while the purple sun shines. Come for the celebration and stay for the conversation as we relive our handling of the Hawks.

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If that was the trailer for the upcoming ten to twelve season series of Young and Younger, pass me a pen and point out where to sign! Time to Restump Podcast the downing of the ducking dogs.

We've seen prolonged purple patches and periods previously suggesting the Hayden hysteria was warranted, but, after Friday night's performance, it's official.  

Forget about their work around the ground for a moment because we don't want to suffer a celebratory overdose, but Hayden Young and Murphy Reid's antics in front of the Sean Darcy toothpicks was the height of absurdity!

Murphy Reid destroyed the ancient Egyptian sun dials and timekeeping techniques with his scintillating siren snatcher, while Sir Isaac Newton is now questioning everything he thought about physics after Youngy's banana bender from the boundary. 

However, while their highlights steal the spotlights, Sammy Switkowski deserves a ton of love. His first half work and 2 important goals kept us in the contest. And let’s not overlook the magnificent game from Karl Worner who not only defended and marked everything that came his way, but partook in numerous offensive plays.

As a team, we seem to be surviving on bursts at the moment, and of course on Boltons, but is it a sustainable 4-point business model? 

Take nothing away from the thrill and excitement of the victory and the manner in which it was secured, but did we allow it to become a tougher task than it should have been? 

Let's be fair to the Bulldogs, they were injury ravaged, depleted and the walking wounded. While he probably only needs one of them, Bontempelli was on one leg, Ed Richards was under a cloud all week, Tim English was underdone and, with all due respect, their backline consisted of Coffield, Busslingler, Selwood and a guy called Buku.

Again, similar to last week, you can only beat who is in front of you and we are making that a habit, albeit against lesser opposition. But can we continue relying on operating in bursts and letting teams back in? I'm just not sure we can regularly escape suffering bouts of opposition scoreboard assaults in quick time against better credentialed opponents.

Last week Carlton kicked 5 goals in 7 minutes against us to almost cause us a disaster. Friday night the Dogs came back half way through the final quarter from 28 points down to get within 5 points. Don’t get us wrong, we're loving winning and it is exciting football, but that is unsustainable! 

We're now 7 and 1 after a third of the season and we’ve set our year up magnificently. But on some level, we are yet to face a test of the current best. This coming Thursday we'll get answers and a much clearer picture of where we are.

However, we probably shouldn't rely on bursts of freakish dominance or leave doors open late against the Hawkers. 

Anyway, right now it's about just enjoying the moment. So, if you're still reminiscing about Friday, and looking for like-minded Freo folk to join you in calling the ridiculous high tackle free kick count a load of Bullduck, your search is over. 

More adulation, plenty of nonsense and a sprinkle of balance on the pod.

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He did his best from beyond the field, but the days of Jack Newnes' haunting Freo are done! Time to Restump Podcast the little too close for comfort Carlton clash.

Luke Jackson and Shai Bolton went on a ghost busting rampage, ensuring the hint of haunting from the previously problematic Jack Newnes was extinguished. Two finer games from the pair may never have been seen previously.

It's difficult what to really make of the Saturday night result. The four points were secured which is obviously the main goal but to be 40 points up in the final quarter and win by 14 against a broken team that was minus 121 points in final quarters this year, is a little unnerving.

Was it simply that 'cue in the rack complacency' crept in or something more sinister, sinister beyond the supernatural Newnes nudging?

It felt like we kept Carlton just at arm's length for the first three quarters before turning up the heat and stunning them with an absurd period of purple dominance at the start of the fourth. It was a 40 point margin over the Blues in a blink of a Bolton eye as we banished the battle from being in the balance.

However, with 7 minutes left on the clock Carlton repaid the punishment of sorts. They scored 6 times in those 7 minutes kicking 5 goals 1 to reduce the final margin to a tick over 2 goals. 

Were we under siege, unable to undermine the assault? Or had we timed our prevalent purple patch earlier in the period with precision?

If it was the latter, it is probably not a practise we should get too familiar with because, while we appear in final four form, a fellow final four outfit may not allow us to finesse so freely! 

Football is rarely perfect though and the unpredictability is part of the presentation. We know all too well that inexplicable performances occur. So, when a period of perplexity plays out, it's more palatable when you still procure the 4 point prize.

We're enjoying the best start to a season since 2022. We've only been six and one after seven games twice, once in 2010 and the aforementioned 2022. We're in good nick, we’ve pretty much done everything we could have and we've set out season up perfectly.

So, why does it feel like we need a proper test? Why does it feel we need to touch the fire to see if we can handle the burn? Is it because 5 of our 7 games so far have been against current bottom 8 teams?

You can only beat the opponent in front of you but maybe there's cause to gently lean on the hype brakes. A hapless Eagles two weeks back, a broken and known second half deficient Carlton on the weekend got within a couple of goals of us and we have a shell of a Bulldogs team this week. All you can do is win but do we need to reserve some judgement until we face the likes of Brisbane, Hawthorn or Sydney? 

They’re questions we all don’t want to ask or be asked, but they need asking. Thankfully, everyone has an opinion and it’s all momentarily subjective. Consequently, there are currently no wrong answers. 

So, pick up your proton pack and PKE metre, pile in, pitch in and partake in the process of probing the preceding potentially paranormal purple performance on the pod. 

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Sometimes they’re derbies, sometimes they’re simply leg stretching, workload management periods. Time to Restump Podcast what was arguably the most mundane Western Derby in history. 

Inevitability is the thief of suspense. Has there been less excitement to the build up to a Western Derby? Unsurprisingly the lack of hype and interest for the game met expectations. There was no pulse, not a moment of angst as it all felt a bit soulless. 

No Optus Stadium fire hydrants need replacing because there wasn’t a single spot fire on the day. Derby greats of yesteryear from both teams would be shaking their head in disappointment, bewildered about what the Derbies have become.

Is it a sign of the times, where the “It isn’t a good look” folk have too much influence? Are the finger wagging purists in charge, frowning upon anyone who colours outside the line? Are the players prioritising earning capacity over the love of the jumper?

Or is it simply the West Coast Eagles are so dreadfully uncompetitive, they’ve sucked all the derby fun out of existence? While the smart money is on the latter, it was still played in far too good a spirit. 

I simply can’t recall ever having these thoughts regarding a derby ever and I have seen every single one. 

From our purple perspective it was pleasing to see Jye Amiss get on the end of a handful of goals. A day out indeed, but he probably left a couple more out there. Is he back on track? His recent games have shown promise, but we reserve full judgment as you can’t assess accurately against that non-existent pressure.

Murphy Reid is going the right way to get himself a hard tag each week going forward. If Murph was playing for Freo in the early modern period in the 16th century and delivered the same sorcery he is today, he’d have been burned at the stake! 

Josh Treacy and Andy Brayshaw both took the opportunity to let the foot off the pedal as their usual hundred miles an hour input just simply wasn’t necessary.

Jordan Clark was awarded the Rosco Allan medal but… really? We’re not talking about or taking any notice of accolades for anything against that abysmal Eagles outfit. To be fair, the West Coast fans should have all gotten medals for sitting through and watching that tripe their team served up!

All in all, it was a difficult watch in terms of enthusiasm. However, the overriding positive is we’re 5 and 1 after 6 rounds and sitting second behind the Swans on percentage. That’s something to get excited about.  

Not much more we can say about western derby 62, but whatever can be said, we’ll save it and say it on the pod. So, if you’re ready to throw away another good hour of your life after the hours we all lost yesterday, bring your ears, rulers, marker pens and shovels as we finish up, rule a line through it, dig a hole, burry it and never speak of it again!

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The last thing a team with the word wood in its name wants to see, is a carpenter in the opposition working on defence! Time to Restump Podcast Lukey Ryan’s woodworking masterclass and the hard-fought win over the Woodsmen.

It was always only a matter of time, but Lukey Ryan is back to his brilliant best. He’s moving fluently, his timing precise, he mopped up everything and got us out of strife on more times than we can recall. His stabilising influence and confidence he provides others add to an already well functioning defence. Quite simply, the apprentice chippie was too good for the woodies! 

Now that was a win! Don’t know about anyone else but we’re a bit bemused by the negative commentary surrounding the game from a spectacle standpoint. Despite the constant efforts of commentators to suggest we were struggling; the game was never, not even for a second, not in the balance. Every moment mattered, you were fully engaged and locked in and you couldn’t take your eyes of it. 

Admittedly the conditions and consequent errors didn’t help, but there were so many majestic moments amid the madness. Have we become spoilt by dry weather footy? Are we unrealistically captured by the desire for perfection?

Yes, he may have won the game for the Pies had he taken his chances… but how many times did we crunch Lachie Schultz? What about the moments of Murphy Reid mesmerism? Luke Jackson’s 4 huge grabs in a 5-minute period, Dudley applying chase down pressure, the Johnson goal, the Amiss goal, the Brayshaw lunging tackle and of course the Josh Treacy game saving clunk!

I’ll be back in 20 minutes, I gotta go watch them all again! 

Alex Pearce once again showed why the captain’s cap fits and it’s his for as long as he wants. You’d go as far as to suggest he’d be your first picked player if you were selecting the team. He and Josh Treacy have the ability to meaningfully impact the game without necessarily having ball in hand. 

Izzy Dudley’s rise has been meteoric! He’s gone from the sub to the sublime in the blink of an eye. Do we win that game without his contribution? He takes his chances and creates opportunities for others.

Given where they have come from, their journeys to get here and that they’ve had to fight for everything, it is incredible to realise that the tough, combative and courageous Wagner and Worner workhorses are integral parts of the war plans.

Gary Lyon and co going after Murphy Reid, chipping him for the occasional mistake, while somehow simultaneously suggesting he is miraculous, was a strange take. He’s a kid who performs on-field sorcery, something he can’t do if he doesn’t attempt it. What is that quote about missing 100% of the shots you don’t take?

We can’t end this parochial Docker diatribe without stopping, folding the arms and nodding in acknowledgement of and appreciation for Luke Jackson. He got the JL message loud and clear at half time and went on a rampage! In the five to six minute period between the end of the 3rd quarter and the beginning of 4th, he managed four big clunking grabs. Add those to his absurd output and you realise he’s actually going up levels before our very eyes!

We have to get Paddy back up and about. The AFL suits have destroyed his spirit as he now plays well within himself, without the freeing exuberance. He’s regressed inward and that is not helping him, the team or us fans. Could the Derby timing be any better? What better way to get your mojo back than unleashing the Pony mayhem in a Western Derby! 

Anyway, it was too big a win and there is too much more to say and not enough ink to say it all here! So, if you’re not ready to move on from the Gather Round, gather round and let’s continue the purple ramble on the pod.

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