Thursday, May 8, 2014: Muffled groans in a sparsely populated ANZ stadium...

"Playing against your former team can feel like turning on your family" was the headline for one of the more obscure football stories of the year so far. Ahead of Lance Franklin's first game against the Hawks on Friday Night, The Age - mired in journalist strikes - turned to the someone who knew what it felt like. A man who had been a favourite, if not controversial, son. A man who had also taken his football life to another state, forced only to return for a grudge match against those he had spurned. The Age turned to Wayne Carey.

Few men would quite know the acrimony that Carey walked into on that fateful night at Etihad Stadium. In his new Crows Jumper, playing against the one he worn so proudly; even on the dais on the last day in September. Many men knew what it was like to play against your old team; but not like Carey did. Of course, Buddy's story likes some minor features when compared to The Kings. Lance's departure was financial; the Hawks couldn't match the offer that the Swans had made. It was also not really acrimonious, there is scarcely a Hawthorn fan over the age of 8 who doesn't think the club better without him. Most of all, Franklin didn't get exercising the option with a teammates wife.

As much build-up as will come for tomorrow night, much of it will be exaggerated. In reality, the game being in Sydney means that whatever angst remains in the hearts of Hawthorn supporters will be reduced to muffled groans in a sparsely populated ANZ stadium. Most of all, they just don't care.

In the news...
Brisbane Lions CEO Malcolm Holmes has resigned, but the club denies he was pushed. "I think Malcolm appreciated where the club was at the moment - he'd achieved a lot of things, and it was now time to move on", said chairman Bob Sharpless. Just which of those achievements he was proudest of is still unclear.

Essendon haircut Michael Hurley has begun mentoring Jake Carlisle in the hope of dragging him out of his form slump. "I've told him not to base his games around stats and goals" said Hurley, despite the stats and goals showing that stats and goals have not been a focus for Carlisle.

And now entering the ridiculous phase, Mark Ricciuto has urged AFL players to go on strike over the Jack Viney ruling. "Sydney and Hawthorn will sit on their bums at the first bounce and strike" suggested Ricciuto, in a sign that head clashes can indeed impair your cognitive abilities.