1. The AFL sending an email to clubs suggesting they can not rest players this weekend and quoting a rule is just absolute nonsense.

Clubs can do whatever they like with the management of their players from week to week. Let’s look at Fremantle for example. Can’t move from the top and now have a home qualifying to look forward to. Why wouldn’t you rest say Alex Pearce, who is their most important player and carrying a knee? Let Murphy Reid have another week, rest Josh Treacy and Luke Jackson. Same at Collingwood, the Pies can’t move from sixth and will potentially host Carlton in a huge game at the MCG in the wildcard round. I’d rest Nick Daicos and Isaac Quaynor, as he looks a bit sore, as well as Dan McStay and Darcy Cameron, who after Daicos is their most important player. This is the club’s right and the AFL can not dictate this.

2. While I’m on the Pies, they are just an exceptional team under Craig McRae.

So many had them written off. Too old, too slow. The other knock was that they had no kids on their list. They were supposed to drop of the cliff. Well, to the contrary, they have unearthed some great young players this year. Last week, they played five players with under 10 games experience and drew with the Hawks. The best of them to me is Sam Swadling . Last week, he had 29 disposals off half back. Charlie West up forward, I think, can develop into a genuine key as well. The Pies are not falling away anytime soon. Particularly if they do get Lachie Neale next year.

3. People will think I’ve got my Richmond hat on here and are making excuses for another Tigers loss last Saturday at the MCG. I’m not. They were very ordinary and fully deserved to be beaten well by St. Kilda.

But how, in a fierce contested game of Aussie Rules, can one team only receive one free kick in a half of football and only three until three-quarter time. I find it extraordinary and almost impossible. I looked up some numbers on this and a team having one free kick in a half of footy has only happened 16 times in the 18-team era. That’s once in every 191 games. I can see why Tigers fans were losing their minds.

4. Last week, I said Steven King was the coach of the year. What a season it has been for Melbourne.

Thinking about the Demons now, I genuinely think this team has the tools to win in September. This is a high-octane team that can score very quickly and they have only lost once at the MCG all year. They score over 100 points there this year and only a few weeks ago, beat and ran up 114 points on the league-leading Fremantle. If the Dockers make the grand final like I think they will and the Dees avoid them in the lead up to the decider, then they will not fear them on the last Saturday in September. What a season.

5. In last weeks column, I paid tribute to retiring Tiger Nathan Broad. The day the article was published, Dion Prestia retired as well.

‘The Meatball’ as he was dubbed by Channel 7’s Brian Taylor was an era-shaping recruit from Gold Coast. At the end of 2016, the Tigers had completed a poor season. Prestia could have gone to Melbourne but saw a vision and dream at Richmond. That choice paid off with three premierships. Dion was central to all of them. He rarely played poorly in finals. As a midfielder, he never went to ground and was a two-way runner. One of his best moments was kicking the winning goal against Geelong to put the Tigers into the 2019 grand final. But his sealer in the 2017 drought-breaking premiership will go done in club history. Called by the great Bruce McAvaney, who said ‘enjoy it now’. Trust me, the Tiger fans did. A great personality around the club. I reckon Dion could have a career in coaching. Go well Meatball.

6. You love players that make a quantum leap in their careers. The one I’m talking about this week is Fremantle’s Jye Amiss.

Currently on 58 goals, he is at the peak of his powers. His contested marking has really improved and has clearly added size and strength to his body. But the best part of his game is his leading patterns and ability to pick up the flight of the ball quickly. As the deepest forward, you have to identify where your leading space is and then not get into that space too early. At the moment, the timing of his leads is first class. His hands on the lead are like a vice as well. It helps that his team are delivering the ball to him so well. It would be a tough decision for opposition coaches at the moment who the best defender goes to, Amiss or Treacy.

7. Do yourselves a favour and check out the Jose Mourinho documentary on Netflix.

The current manager of Real Madrid is a fascinating character. The winner of 26 major trophies with some of Europe’s biggest clubs. He remains obsessed with the game and winning. He is ruthless and wants to win every game, no matter if it’s a Champions League game or a midweek cup. Jose has swagger and amazing self belief. He famously called himself ‘The Special One’ on arrival to English club Chelsea, of which he turned around in a season. His most famous achievement is the treble he won at Inter Milan. The Serie A, the Copa Italia and the Champions League in a season. He won trophies everywhere he went. He could turn a club around and then leave just as quickly. He shows no vulnerability or weakness. An old school approach in sport these days. If you love sports, definitely worth a look.

8. Credit where credit is due. We are always critical of the AFL at times. But the rule changes they brought in at the start this year, like throwing the ball up and the last possession out of bounds, have helped scoring.

Only one of the top six teams isn’t averaging 100 points and that is Hawthorn, who average 97.86. There have been 14 games this year where both teams have scored 100 points. That’s the most since 2013. Think the Fremantle v Melbourne game at the ‘G a few weeks ago. Let’s hope this continues in September. Going to be an epic finals series, I reckon.

9. I’ve got another 100 per cent lock for the All-Australian side this week, Geelong’s Oliver Dempsey.

There has been a lot of conjecture over the years about wingman not being selected on the wings. It’s not a hard decision this year. Dempsey has selected himself with his form. Over the this season, he has kicked 29 goals. The most of any winger in the competition. His marking ability in the 50 forward effectively means the Cats have seven forwards. I will be staggered if he isn’t an All-Australian player when it’s announced next week.

10. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, why do we not have x-ray machines at all of our AFL stadiums?

This would lead to much faster diagnostics in an injury scenario that could clearly expedite treatment and decision-making. Think of the Christian Petracca rib fracture incident a few years ago. Speaking to a friend of mine who works as an anaesthetist, it can’t be a cost issue as the mini c-arm style mobile x-ray machines are now under $40k. These smaller units circumvent a lot of the radiation safety issues. All the NFL stadiums in the USA have them. It is actually required by the league that they do, and we as an industry should now have this standard as well.