Had a sneak look at that other thread!

It astounds me how much can be written about nothing new.

TRAITOR

Well I've left Paris for the first time ever and I've got to say the key to traveling there is to learn to use the underground.

Best thing my wife and I did was to leave the Novatel Tour Eiffel ( HORRIBLE - I will write a book) and move to the Novatel Mont-Parnasse (classy and good value for money)

Rome is a lot different - I really miss the stuck-up attitude which you do accept as convincing if it's maintained for long enough

(cf MM)

Oops - left the Mercure Tour Eiffel and went to the Novatel Mont-Parnasse ( both Accor hotels)

I grovel in apology.

Oops - left the Mercure Tour Eiffel and went to the Novatel Mont-Parnasse ( both Accor hotels)

I grovel in apology.

Enjoy. How much do bananas cost in Paris? Are they discussing you know who in Paris?

Well it is finally out, most of you out there are cupboard contributors!

Hiding away in darkened rooms living a secret life on the Demonland site.

Shame on you all.

Now is the time to "Come Out"!

It is not that hard and you will feel liberate when you do.

Just tell your loved ones for a start it is not that hard.

This is the best I have felt in 2 months!

36 hours after the Port game it occured to me that I do not have to worry about:

- the injury list

- team selection

- will the coach have a clue this weekend

- will Davey final spark up

- will the captain have a good game

- do we have any chance of winning this weekend.

Now I have 4 -5 months of Freedom from worry it is all hope and delusion of a great 2012 before reality sets in around April 2012.

Have a good day guys!

Heard Michael Nettlefold from the saints on the SEN this morning.

He said they would lose $1.3 million this year.

Came in after the start but I thought he said $900 000 was due to playing at ES.

He said every year it is like writing a cheque for that amount and posting it to Collo.

This is in spite of having 40 000 members, being up near the top of the ladder the last three years and playing in the last 3 GF's.

Also said they are way down on FD spending etc. compared to richer clubs.

They believe they run a tight ship.

Said they would be asking the AFL to play all their home games at G next year.

Won't happen but they do not have a contract to play at ES since the "new Deal" a couple of years ago.

That surprised me.

So how are the likes of the Dees, Dogs, Port and North supposed to compete?

Seems like surviving in the future will be hard let alone winning a flag.

Perhaps finishing 13th and not making a loss might be a bigger achievment than I thought.

Still feels sh--y!

Edited September 6, 201113 yr by old dee

Don't you hate it when office politics hits you outside the office?

Enjoy. How much do bananas cost in Paris? Are they discussing you know who in Paris?

Bananas 2 Euro 99 per kilo in Paris. Rasberries, the same ones we get in Melbourne 3 Euro 95 compared to $15.99 in Melbourne. 1 Litre San Pellegrino .97 Euro compared to $4 in Melbourne.

Heard Michael Nettlefold from the saints on the SEN this morning.

He said they would lose $1.3 million this year.

Came in after the start but I thought he said $900 000 was due to playing at ES.

He said every year it is like writing a cheque for that amount and posting it to Collo.

This is in spite of having 40 000 members, being up near the top of the ladder the last three years and playing in the last 3 GF's.

Also said they are way down on FD spending etc. compared to richer clubs.

They believe they run a tight ship.

Said they would be asking the AFL to play all their home games at G next year.

Won't happen but they do not have a contract to play at ES since the "new Deal" a couple of years ago.

That surprised me.

So how are the likes of the Dees, Dogs, Port and North supposed to compete?

Seems like surviving in the future will be hard let alone winning a flag.

Perhaps finishing 13th and not making a loss might be a bigger achievment than I thought.

Still feels sh--y!

Not good & what does the AFL do, sinks the boots into clubs like ours by ensuring any good talent will end up at GWS or GC,corrupt draws which favour bigger clubs & sink endless money into new clubs. The agenda is for new clubs to win flags not foundation clubs!

Anderson & Demetriou should hang their heads in shame that a gun was put to other clubs heads to either pay $800K + for a 20yo or lose them to GWS & GC. So we r going to have 20yo earning more/same than the top seasoned/proven players.

Great outcome AFL!

Not good & what does the AFL do, sinks the boots into clubs like ours by ensuring any good talent will end up at GWS or GC,corrupt draws which favour bigger clubs & sink endless money into new clubs. The agenda is for new clubs to win flags not foundation clubs!

Anderson & Demetriou should hang their heads in shame that a gun was put to other clubs heads to either pay $800K + for a 20yo or lose them to GWS & GC. So we r going to have 20yo earning more/same than the top seasoned/proven players.

Great outcome AFL!

Simply put the AFL can't afford GWS to fail and therefore will do anything to help them. That means stuff the other clubs except maybe GC. What we should have done was ensure that no player under 22 could be taken by screaming through the press so that the AFL could not then say all the clubs agreed to it. We now know that was another AFL head office lie.

It's my understanding that ownership of the Docklands stadium is transferred to the AFL after a determined period (25 years from memory).

Does anyone know when that period is slated to end?

Surely the AFL is hanging out for this point in time, because all clubs will prosper.

^^ I thought I read today something about 14 years (re: St Kilda's complaining, reported in The Age).

We had a good laugh when I said Redleg would be impressed.

They Looked at me as though I came from Mars.

Haha.

I just tell people I'm addicted to meth.

Much less stigma attached.

Smooth

Enjoy. How much do bananas cost in Paris? Are they discussing you know who in Paris?

General strike in Rome - re austerity measures by the Bersculoni govt.

Could be a paradigm for if we fail to win a premiership soon - will report further

All fruit is seriously expensive in Paris and generally unavailable in the UK where dairy and deep fried are the staple foods.

Rome has a better balance of food readily accessible.

Little discussion here about what we're not talking about though I sense deep interest just under the surface.

Still found no reason to emigrate - though our daughter has for marital reasons to Swansea in Wales

Lois Vuitton knock-offs cost €20 ($28) : good enough to fool me ( though to be truthful all the would need is two handles joined by a bag)

Will keep observing .......

General strike in Rome - re austerity measures by the Bersculoni govt.

Could be a paradigm for if we fail to win a premiership soon - will report further

All fruit is seriously expensive in Paris and generally unavailable in the UK where dairy and deep fried are the staple foods.

Rome has a better balance of food readily accessible.

Little discussion here about what we're not talking about though I sense deep interest just under the surface.

Still found no reason to emigrate - though our daughter has for marital reasons to Swansea in Wales

Lois Vuitton knock-offs cost €20 ($28) : good enough to fool me ( though to be truthful all the would need is two handles joined by a bag)

Will keep observing .......

Just saw Open Mike on foxtel featuring Kevin Bartlett. He certainly is a self absorbed human being. Also as we have seen in the past he is never wrong, according to him.

^^ I thought I read today something about 14 years (re: St Kilda's complaining, reported in The Age).

You did, I've just read that too.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/saints-say-they-cant-afford-etihad-stadium-20110906-1jv1x.html

14 years... I know it's a long way off, but by then, the AFL will be able to run a seriously profitable model for all teams.

It'll be the interstate teams that they'll need to worry about then, not Melbourne ones.

What I can't get my head around is how the operating costs are so much higher than the MCG.

...or if the price of bananas will ever go down to the original rate.

Edited September 6, 201113 yr by Gareth Keenan

You did, I've just read that too.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/saints-say-they-cant-afford-etihad-stadium-20110906-1jv1x.html

14 years... I know it's a long way off, but by then, the AFL will be able to run a seriously profitable model for all teams.

It'll be the interstate teams that they'll need to worry about then, not Melbourne ones.

What I can't get my head around is how the operating costs are so much higher than the MCG.

...or if the price of bananas will ever go down to the original rate.

Geelong make $500k for a 20000 crowd. They get 8 of those games a year. Over $4m, We break even or have to send a cheque to the AFL for the same crowd at the G. Anyone see anything unfair in this?

One further fact. The four richest clubs in the AFL who also spend the most on their footy departments are in the top 4 spots on the ladder. Another coincidence?

Geelong make $500k for a 20000 crowd. They get 8 of those games a year. Over $4m, We break even or have to send a cheque to the AFL for the same crowd at the G. Anyone see anything unfair in this?

One further fact. The four richest clubs in the AFL who also spend the most on their footy departments are in the top 4 spots on the ladder. Another coincidence?

I am sure they are all just coincidence Redleg!

We should be charging the other teams to play on the G .

When we get better on field we may draw more support and get more leverage on these issues.

I feel like our contribution to the MCG over the years has actually made us financially worse off while the MCG grows as a corporate entity.

The MCG should recognize the intrinsic connection we have there and waive the fees.

Or charge the others double .

We should be charging the other teams to play on the G .

When we get better on field we may draw more support and get more leverage on these issues.

I feel like our contribution to the MCG over the years has actually made us financially worse off while the MCG grows as a corporate entity.

The MCG should recognize the intrinsic connection we have there and waive the fees.

Or charge the others double .

The problem is that the AFL now have more clubs not wanting to play at Etihad, like Saints for example. They could give us less games at the G as a result. The AFL don't care about home grounds other than Geelong and Interstate. They regard the G as a league ground not the home of the Dees. We are in the middle of a major corporate dictatorship.

The problem is that the AFL now have more clubs not wanting to play at Etihad, like Saints for example. They could give us less games at the G as a result. The AFL don't care about home grounds other than Geelong and Interstate. They regard the G as a league ground not the home of the Dees. We are in the middle of a major corporate dictatorship.

Whilst theres not much to argue in all of that, as its quite right, how much weight might anyone give the acrimony and animosity between the MCC and the AFL. The former certainly doesnt like being ridden roughshot by the Vlad and Clowns. The AFL would be cermonioulsy screwed if unable to utilise the MCG in a manner it wanted.

Whilst the MCC wouldnt probably effect any favouritism for us theyd more than likely be at loggerheads with anyone who sought to unfairly disadvantage us ( mfc ) esp as we are part of the MCC The MCC is very much about tradition.

Whilst theres not much to argue in all of that, as its quite right, how much weight might anyone give the acrimony and animosity between the MCC and the AFL. The former certainly doesnt like being ridden roughshot by the Vlad and Clowns. The AFL would be cermonioulsy screwed if unable to utilise the MCG in a manner it wanted.

Whilst the MCC wouldnt probably effect any favouritism for us theyd more than likely be at loggerheads with anyone who sought to unfairly disadvantage us ( mfc ) esp as we are part of the MCC The MCC is very much about tradition.

Trouble is the AFL isn't about tradition, just ask Fitzroy. It's not the VFL anymore it's the AFL.

If "you know who" goes could there be anyone more upset/angry/furious than Barry Prendergast and to a lesser extent Tim Harrington.

Edited September 8, 201113 yr by Redleg

If "you know who" goes could there be anyone more upset/angry/furious than Barry Prendergast and to a lesser extent Tim Harrington.

Yes, BP should have ensured we chose the 5th best talent, so that other players would be targeted by GWS first.

If only he were that smart...

If "you know who" goes could there be anyone more upset/angry/furious than Barry Prendergast and to a lesser extent Tim Harrington.

Actually Redleg I am absolutely over the whole thing,life goes on.

As for messrs Prendergast and Harrington only if he turns into a flyer down the track.

Guys in their jobs are probably fairly steely, win some lose some.

Bit like horses mate,some win and others carry children around at horse clubs.

By the way, why do the good ones break down but the donkeys run around forever?

Edited September 8, 201113 yr by old dee

Yes, BP should have ensured we chose the 5th best talent, so that other players would be targeted by GWS first.

If only he were that smart...

I wasn't knocking them, I was actually feeling sorry for them.

Bit like horses mate,some win and others carry children around at horse clubs.

By the way, why do the good ones break down but the donkeys run around forever?

Because the good ones bust a gut trying to win.