u/Essington69

Fiction status regularly causes sports fans to selectively remember how a player performed over their entire fictional career, a phenomenon that certainly applies to Specky. His extraordinary achievements between book 5-8 are rightfully revered, but it is a disservice to compare this all time great peak with the sustained excellence of legends who were top liners for a decade or more. Here are the facts-

Take out book 5-8 and you get

2 parents who don't like the game

1 Rival: Derek "Screamer" Johnson

1 severe knee injury while playing for Booyong's U14s

1 Boots of Glory victory while playing for Gosmore Grammar against former side Booyong High.

0 Best and Fairests

0 Brownlows

0 Norms

Compared to books 5-8

1 Girlfriend

Making the U-15 Victorian squad

Convincing former rival Screamer to pursue his talent of playing piano

Potential friendship ending battle between Specky's mates Danny, Gobba and Robbo over them battling for the attention of a French exchange student

1 match at the MCG on Grand Final day

1 baby brother

1 call-up to represent Australia to play international rules football with his mates in Ireland

This is not to say we should minimise that unprecedented stretch, but rather that there needs to be a clear distinction between a prime and a career, particularly since you cannot put anywhere near as a small blanket over any everything Screamer, Brian Edwards or Johnny Cockatoo did in the books, nor could you do it to an all time great in any other sport.

How can you honestly say someone is the greatest of all time when he couldn't even pass a math test from the new teacher?

This is now a sub for supporters of the Australian soccer team in the A-League, the Central Coast Mariners.

Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory's groups for the AFC Champions League 2

[Ralph] "Essendon are set to be handed a 7th umpire contact fine of the year. They received a $20k fine for their 5th but the fine for the 6th was smaller ($10k). So who knows what happens now after Jye Caldwell's second incident this year."

A reminder that any actions (alleged or otherwise) by complete strangers who play sports on the weekend is not the responsibility of some of their random fans that you don't like the comments of.

First time two matches in the same round have ended as a draw since Round 7 1977.

Will Hayward takes a great mark, slots the goal and then limps from the ground

This weekend, for the first time since Round 22 2017, all 10 Victorian clubs will play on the Saturday/Sunday of a round. Since 2017, at least one Victorian club has played a game between Monday-Friday of a round.

[Beveridge] Adelaide has tabled a five-year deal to Izak Rankine, keen to lock away the superstar before he hits a contract year next season.

Home plate umpire Emil Jimenez did not grant Julio Rodriguez his ABS challenge and threw out Mariners manager Dan Wilson. Next half inning Jimenez doesn't grant Jonathan Aranda his ABS challenge until third base ump Doug Eddings steps in.

People have forgotten that book 1 to book 8 Specky Magee wasn’t indicative of his whole career

Josh Worrell currently has the 69th most disposals in the league, with 420 disposals.

Is Isaac Kako in danger for this off the ball incident involving him, Josh Worrell and Archer Day-Wicks?

Tonight, Collingwood and Geelong will run out only 2-3 minutes before the start of the game, with the coin toss taking place 60-90 minutes before the game. It is an initiative by Collingwood players who went to the NRL State of Origin and saw what it did for building momentum by starting immediately

[Twomey] Bombers football boss Daniel McPherson has resigned at Essendon. Club has been canvassing different options for the role for some time.

Cos Triple H loves reheating the nachos

[Ralph] The AFL has told clubs the (State of Origin) game will be a week or so later in the pre season. Less promotional stuff on the day before so players are off legs, more players on the bench, a shorter game.

[Morris] Turns out 'Ken Oath' is licensed to a surf brad in Brisbane. Facing copyright infringement issues, the Tasmania Devils have 'paused' the marketing campaign and the sale of their merchandise after less than 24 hours.

Port Adelaide’s Joe Richards out for a month with a finger injury

Adelaide United sign Jacob Brazete

Charlie Kirk if Jake Stringer was the shooter