Hard gig running the highest rating and most loved game in the country.

Exactly.

Hird's ongoing pay arrangements with the club are administered through the league payroll and should have been plainly visible to the AFL.

Ahh No. Just because the AFL manage the pay system doesn't give the AFL the right to go browsing through the records. AD can't just ring up Payroll and say tell me what Hird is being paid this month. That would be a breach of Privacy Act (1998). If he did that that then the same "journalist" would be after him for breaking that law.

I wouldn't count soccer out just yet, my opinion is that it will be the number one sport in this country in the not to distant future. I don't want it to happen but it will take gross mismanagement for it not to take the top position.

Which is why I was rapt with the Socceroos' World Cup draw - Spain, Holland and Chile - sweet.

They will use us as training fodder.

Watched Troy on free to air last night and thought Demetriou would have been good playing Agamemnon.

Those fawning over Demetriou and suggesting his governance issues/incompetent handling of some of the major issues that are/have confronted the AFL in the past year or two are irrelevant would do well to remember that the game's biggest risk is still very much in play.

A substantial amount of money has been pumped out of AFL coffers to establish two new franchises (at the expense of long standing existing clubs some of who are struggling and might die). The GWS one is being outdone ATM by the new A League franchise and could still fail, at which point the future might see a massive black hole in the AFL fiscal cupboard, doubts about the TV rights bonanza and more potential danger to some AFL clubs.

Not suggesting it will happen but if it does, those who are prepared to ignore the fact that AD was so inept and accident prone over so much that was occurring under his watch won't be so smug about it.

Meanwhile the humiliation of Vlad continues: AFL boss Andrew Demetriou halts Essendon's funding

Ahhh Sybil, where you see the hole others see the donut. There's no "fawning" or "smugness" - just a recognition of a tough job well done.

The introduction of GC and GWS are evidence of AD vision and courage - doubt someone who feels the need to qualify by saying "Not suggesting it will happen" can understand this concept

Likewise AFL Media is a long term plan to get internal control of the "TV rights bonanza".

Will we hear from you when they ultimately succeed?

Ahhh Sybil, where you see the hole others see the donut. There's no "fawning" or "smugness" - just a recognition of a tough job well done.

The introduction of GC and GWS are evidence of AD vision and courage - doubt someone who feels the need to qualify by saying "Not suggesting it will happen" can understand this concept

Likewise AFL Media is a long term plan to get internal control of the "TV rights bonanza".

Will we hear from you when they ultimately succeed?

Not sure that it is his vision and courage. Its a commission initiative that he was in charge of implementing. And I don't think the implementation has gone particularly well. Especially laying the groundwork in falafel land for support of AFL. Its negligible. And the recruiting strategy of GWS completely blindsided the AFL and has meant a difficult challenge to garner support while they wallow on the bottom with a team full of unrecognisable names and 100pt thrashings.

Demetriou is doing a splendid job, it's not easy and he is protecting the AFL brand.

At the moment he has Hird in check, soon to be check mate. Bye James, you won't be missed.

Not sure that it is his vision and courage. Its a commission initiative that he was in charge of implementing. And I don't think the implementation has gone particularly well. Especially laying the groundwork in falafel land for support of AFL. Its negligible. And the recruiting strategy of GWS completely blindsided the AFL and has meant a difficult challenge to garner support while they wallow on the bottom with a team full of unrecognisable names and 100pt thrashings.

The implementation of GWS was never going to be easy.

There are those who argue that GWS and GC got far too many concessions - yet the some of the same people continue to deem GWS a failure because they are lingering on the bottom. GWS will not be lingering on the bottom for much longer, once their youth improves they'll make the climb.

I think the implementation has gone about as well as expected at the GWS - given the location.. I don't think GWS will be a success though, but not due to anything in the AFL's control.

Not sure that it is his vision and courage. Its a commission initiative that he was in charge of implementing. And I don't think the implementation has gone particularly well. Especially laying the groundwork in falafel land for support of AFL. Its negligible. And the recruiting strategy of GWS completely blindsided the AFL and has meant a difficult challenge to garner support while they wallow on the bottom with a team full of unrecognisable names and 100pt thrashings.

It never gets old:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNfGyIW7aHM

ive no problems with vlad

his running of the show depends on 18 companies trying to head in the same direction

does a good job and tries to steer the ship in the right direction at all costs

if somebody or something is out of line he has demonstrated consistently that the preffered way is to hide it and get on with business,atm there is only one thing thats out of line and hes trying his best to hide it

it hasnt worked and now hes on the attack.

bravo ringmaster bravo

Ahhh Sybil, where you see the hole others see the donut. There's no "fawning" or "smugness" - just a recognition of a tough job well done.

The introduction of GC and GWS are evidence of AD vision and courage - doubt someone who feels the need to qualify by saying "Not suggesting it will happen" can understand this concept

Likewise AFL Media is a long term plan to get internal control of the "TV rights bonanza".

Will we hear from you when they ultimately succeed?

I see - no fawning or smugness, just recognition of a job well done but I simply don't understand how good governance is now swept under the carpet and is now a non issue when it was paramount while McLardy/Schwab et al were under attack.

have the bombers released a statement about money being withheld as yet?

I see - no fawning or smugness, just recognition of a job well done but I simply don't understand how good governance is now swept under the carpet and is now a non issue when it was paramount while McLardy/Schwab et al were under attack.

You seem to be confusing the role of the AFL and the role of the clubs.

It wasn't the AFL's job to be hands on stopping Essendon. It was there job to deal with the mess Essendon caused. It's the same as it wasn't the AFL's job to be in the Board Room when we decided to tank, just to deal with the fact we did.

You seem to be confusing the role of the AFL and the role of the clubs.

It wasn't the AFL's job to be hands on stopping Essendon. It was there job to deal with the mess Essendon caused. It's the same as it wasn't the AFL's job to be in the Board Room when we decided to tank, just to deal with the fact we did.

That covers it.

You seem to be confusing the role of the AFL and the role of the clubs.

It wasn't the AFL's job to be hands on stopping Essendon. It was there job to deal with the mess Essendon caused. It's the same as it wasn't the AFL's job to be in the Board Room when we decided to tank, just to deal with the fact we did.

Yes. Essendon drove this. It became an accident and the AFL are working to clean it up.

What the AFL didn't do was step in earlier. In my opinion this is their biggest mistake.

But it is also out of their hands once the WADA code was signed.

I just wish AD would not go overseas for months during the season.

You seem to be confusing the role of the AFL and the role of the clubs.

It wasn't the AFL's job to be hands on stopping Essendon. It was there job to deal with the mess Essendon caused. It's the same as it wasn't the AFL's job to be in the Board Room when we decided to tank, just to deal with the fact we did.

No you're confusing the issue of tanking with the issue of governance.

We should demand good governance from the MFC as we should from the AFL.

Simple as that.

You seem to be confusing the role of the AFL and the role of the clubs.

It wasn't the AFL's job to be hands on stopping Essendon. It was there job to deal with the mess Essendon caused. It's the same as it wasn't the AFL's job to be in the Board Room when we decided to tank, just to deal with the fact we did.

Did we? I mean, did we ever officially admit to tanking or be found to have tanked by an appropriate body (ie, not the media)? If not, I'm not sure that it's "fact". Without going over old ground, there have always been problems with the definition of what "tanking" means, so unless there has been a formal finding or admission, I don't think we should now be saying it's a "fact we did".

Did we? I mean, did we ever officially admit to tanking or be found to have tanked by an appropriate body (ie, not the media)? If not, I'm not sure that it's "fact". Without going over old ground, there have always been problems with the definition of what "tanking" means, so unless there has been a formal finding or admission, I don't think we should now be saying it's a "fact we did".

Some believe we did (tank), others believe we didn't. I'm in the former category, you may not be.

I think it's time for this thread to be locked (at least temporarily) because it covers subject matter being mentioned in other threads about this issue.

I will reopen if and when it's appropriate.