the only thing to fear is fear itself. I remember taking a few enforced layoffs myself over the years and fretting because, while I lay around drinking cheap Saigon whisky and smoking endless cigarettes under a ceiling fan...

hang on, that never happened. Damned movie, always with the flashbacks. I still get jumpy with the sound of helicopters in slow motion, too... which explains my angst when Robert Walls called a game.

Brad Sewell has written a piece for theage discussing the Jordan Lewis collision from the other night. Among a few interesting things he says is this little gem...

"On the field, you don't even think of being hit like that because the likelihood is so slim. As a player, the thing I'm fearful of is - ironically - showing fear: the thought of pulling out of a contest and that being highlighted either by the coach, foremost, or the media, is a feeling that is worse than the slight chance of a hit like that occurring.

At the end of the day, if Jordan had put in a short step and had a bit of a look to see what he was getting into, he would probably have been OK. But that's not the way he plays.

All footballers know that ''dogging it'' is one of the biggest insults you can level at a player.

That's why Grant Thomas' crack at Josh Fraser last year had the Collingwood boys justifiably incensed.

I remember Glenn Archer once saying that one of his great of fears was losing face among his teammates because he had pulled out of a contest.

When someone like Archer says that, you take notice."

I'm not going to defend Josh Fraser or back Grant Thomas one iota, by the way... but the scrutiny players are under these days is unforgiving. Quite apart from inner circle type reputations, stuff that stays on the field (also known as the Mick Malthouse defense) is pretty much over ruled by the exposure that current coverage permits... and the peanut comments from the audience regarding players and perceived weaknesses.

As a counterpoint... before the season kicked off, the Ooftits declared they'd be playing a tough brand of footy this year, a brand that would leave opponents knowing they'd played a team not prepared to back down, a team that would back each other and dominate the physical stuff. I reckon that statement was just a development of certain players up there having always had that chest out shoulders pumped style of strut and they just need some kind of slogan to explain it.