Thursday, May 1, 2014: I wouldn't call many of them my friends....

Given that Dale Thomas was perhaps the most controversial crossover from Collingwood to Carlton since Mike Malthouse, having them both facing the media before Friday's night blockbuster was always going to be contentious. It would be fine though, so long as no-one said anything stupid like "I wouldn't call many of the (Collingwood) supporters my friends".

But Thomas has never been one to take the easy way, and so - shortly after declaring himself "the enemy" this weekend - he let the Pies fans know that they weren't his friends. But that would still be okay, so long as Mick didn't do something stupid like challenging the media to beat it up into more of a story than it already was.

"You guys want to make it an issue and that's your job. No one can deny your role. You can make what you like out of it, build it up" he raged at the waiting media in his typical 'old man who thinks his wife has hidden his slippers' fashion. "How Dale goes, or how he doesn't go, won't have any bearing on the W or L" he continued, in a surprise declaration that his expensive off-season acquisition was somehow completely irrelevant.

So Friday Night will likely see Dale run through a navy blue banner into a welcome comparable to one Julian Assange might expect should he visit the Pentagon, but one wonders whether that is exactly what he wants. Thomas has always been a big game player, unfazed by the occasional ribbing from 60 or 70,000 witty and informed Collingwood supporters.

I don't gamble, especially where Collingwood are concerned, but if there's good odds for a Thomas best-on tomorrow night; it might be worth a sneaky dollar.

In the news....
St. Kilda signing Mav Weller could return to the AFL football this week as a replacement for the Saints vast array of injured stars. "He's just about ready to go. It might just be that he gets an opportunity this week" subtly hinted Alan Richardson.

Injured Bomber Alex Browne has been shown the faith by the Bombers, re-signing him until 2015. "I can't wait to get back out there, round one, 2015" he said, but who's counting?

And Tiger Brandon Ellis has conceded his team needs to do more to help Trent Cotchin break free from those pesky tigers. "He doesn't ask for much Cotchy, we need to help him out as a midfield group and going forward we just need to keep doing that" said Ellis, brown-nosing to within an inch of his life.