Football Buffoons on Melbourne Radio

[Matt Demon 1,385]

I rarely listen to FM radio these days so I was quite surprised when I tuned into MMM footy today. The cast of buffoons included, G Lyon, Damian Barrett, Brayshaw and Spud Frawley.

I was half expecting to hear some footy talk about the cracker of a game last night but instead heard the most inane nonsense I have ever listened to on any radio station. The buffoons laughed and joked amongst themselves mainly on in-jokes and frankly pubescent boys type carp. What I find remarkable about this is, MMM actually pay these buffoons good dosh to serve up such rubbish.

Rant done with and no more MMM for me.

I find them amusing and enjoy listening to the MMM boys on the train on the way to the G.

[Mongrel Dee 56]

I find them amusing and enjoy listening to the MMM boys on the train on the way to the G.

There might be an age difference thing here - I'm in my fifties now and enjoy a good laugh but these guys don't cut it for me.

I guess it's all relative.

[Matt Demon 1,385]

There might be an age difference thing here - I'm in my fifties now and enjoy a good laugh but these guys don't cut it for me.

I guess it's all relative.

Fair enough, everybody has different tastes. For example, I farted in my bosses office last week, I thought It was hilarious, him not so much.

[Dees2014 2,377]

Really? She's not lazy and she can string a sentence together but what does she actually contribute? Her commentary has overtaken her reporting. Actually worse, her agenda, especially regarding us, then Brayshaw and North and then running the AFL line in peptide sage then running the Richmond line in the Martin saga.

It says a lot when the Peptides saga breaks that the Age commission their investigative journalists (which to me is a tautology) because the standard of their football journalism just isn't up to scratch.

I like their cricket writers, because cricket doesn't come with such hysteria they write proper stories. And of course EQ with her draft and human interest/background stories on players. That's about all I'll actually pick up to read.

By the way I'm an NFL fan and I'm loving this website right here - http://mmqb.si.com/

I bet in one weeks worth of articles they provide more quality writing than half an AFL season.

[Dees2014 2,377]

Really? She's not lazy and she can string a sentence together but what does she actually contribute? Her commentary has overtaken her reporting. Actually worse, her agenda, especially regarding us, then Brayshaw and North and then running the AFL line in peptide sage then running the Richmond line in the Martin saga.

It says a lot when the Peptides saga breaks that the Age commission their investigative journalists (which to me is a tautology) because the standard of their football journalism just isn't up to scratch.

I like their cricket writers, because cricket doesn't come with such hysteria they write proper stories. And of course EQ with her draft and human interest/background stories on players. That's about all I'll actually pick up to read.

By the way I'm an NFL fan and I'm loving this website right here - http://mmqb.si.com/

I bet in one weeks worth of articles they provide more quality writing than half an AFL season.

Get used to it!

Caroline Wilson is an elite investigative journalist. She happen to specialize in the AFL. She is first to break all the big stories, and her insights into the news like Essendon, Justin Martin, Collingwood, and the Lions leaves all other media outlets for dead.

If you want to know what is going on in the AFL she is compulsory reading, no matter what your team.

I might add though, outside the AFL she really struggles. Her reporting from the London Olympics was very superficial and showed her up as having very little sporting knowledge outside the AFL.

[DeeSpencer 23,134]

Get used to it!

Caroline Wilson is an elite investigative journalist. She happen to specialize in the AFL. She is first to break all the big stories, and her insights into the news like Essendon, Justin Martin, Collingwood, and the Lions leaves all other media outlets for dead.

If you want to know what is going on in the AFL she is compulsory reading, no matter what your team.

I might add though, outside the AFL she really struggles. Her reporting from the London Olympics was very superficial and showed her up as having very little sporting knowledge outside the AFL.

She's not an elite investigative journo. If she was she would've handled the entire peptide scheme and the Age wouldn't have send their true investigative journo's Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker.

And you are right, she sure does seem to have a great knowledge of what is going on within the AFL and Richmond. As a lot of people have suggested of late she sure seemed to collect a lot of leaks that most likely came from the same source.

She's compulsive reading if over the top scandal is your scene. If you actually want to learn something about AFL or read something positive then you wouldn't read Caro.

[Soidee 1,496]

She's not an elite investigative journo. If she was she would've handled the entire peptide scheme and the Age wouldn't have send their true investigative journo's Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker.

And you are right, she sure does seem to have a great knowledge of what is going on within the AFL and Richmond. As a lot of people have suggested of late she sure seemed to collect a lot of leaks that most likely came from the same source.

She's compulsive reading if over the top scandal is your scene. If you actually want to learn something about AFL or read something positive then you wouldn't read Caro.

100% correct , spot on!! Mckenzie and Baker are the real deal. Caro's reputation is built on leaks and contacts from within the industry, and the rest of the footy journos are just that...footy story tellers. If you want hard hitting journalistic gold then McKenzie and Baker are your men.

[Harrisonrules 273]

I think there should be a Caro clause in here. She's a goddamn attack dog, and while I hated when she pursued us constantly, her handling this year of the Essendon saga has been absolutely superb. Her commentary on Dustin Martin has also been excellent despite her bias. I've got more time for her now for sure.

Why would you even bother to read her anymore. She trolls the AFL for sludge, reports what she wants from leaked information. I've also given up on 360, the Footy show and Kevin Bartlett. I live a very happy life just going to watch the demons, win lose or draw. ..Oh for at least a draw. Football is becoming football again for me. Sick of all these ego maniacs who have tried to become bigger than the game itself. Even Jake Niall wrote about Melbourne's tanking this morning in the Age. When did we get fined for tanking. News to me. Very little truth or enlightenment.

Edited September 22, 2013 by Harrisonrules

[Je Roos Salem 661]

I see what you're getting at and generally I agree, but sometimes this blokey stuff can be okay. For some reason that I can't quite explain, I prefer the Saturday night team of BT, Darcy and Richo over the more standard white bread Friday night team.

It's kind of like sitting by yourself at the footy and eavesdropping as a bunch of drunk yobbos spout garbage all night; it's unintentionally hilarious and somehow makes the game just as enjoyable as a well-analysed game of footy would (though obviously in a very different, almost "guilty pleasure" kind of way).

The Saturday night team is the apocalypse of football broadcasting. BT contradicts himself, is stupidly confrontational, says garbage facts about players and doesn't provide any decent analysis, is obsessed with giving his opinion on possible injuries and suspensions and has regular hiatus' in calling to stir up the other members of the team while the game is going on. Isn't even self-aware of his shortcomings. Darcy and Richo are incredibly bland and predictable. It's an amateurish clownfest and it doesn't even stop when the game is good. Don't know how you can prefer that over Dennis and Bruce, who although are both past their prime and more prone to errors, you can tell they are far less media minded and just enjoy watching and calling rather than creating some variety act while we just want to see a game of footy and have the players' names called when they get the ball

[Dees2014 2,377]

She's not an elite investigative journo. If she was she would've handled the entire peptide scheme and the Age wouldn't have send their true investigative journo's Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker.

And you are right, she sure does seem to have a great knowledge of what is going on within the AFL and Richmond. As a lot of people have suggested of late she sure seemed to collect a lot of leaks that most likely came from the same source.

She's compulsive reading if over the top scandal is your scene. If you actually want to learn something about AFL or read something positive then you wouldn't read Caro.

Disagree. If you had have read my thread more carefully I doubt whether you would have written this. I said Wilson is an elite investigative journalist specializing in the AFL. Mckenzie and Baker make up the Age investigative team who cover many topics, including the AFL accasionally, and are easily the best at it in Australian journalism. I can tell you from personal experience they admit that they have nothing like the in depth knowledge that Wilson has of the AFL, but what they do have are elite investigative journalist skills which they sometimes apply to the AFL. Both of them are in awe of Wilson's knowledge, skill, tenacity and courage in the face of often hostility of her targets and even attempted intimidation (which they all say comes with the territory).

To make criticisms of Wilson "because she relies on leaks" is absurd. What do you think good journalism is all about? It is all about leaks in one form or another. Investigating "rumours" though a number of different sources until they become facts ( or not). What makes Wilson so good, is she can pick up the phone and talk to anyone in the AFL, any club or anyone in the sporting establishment because she is so well respected, and sometimes feared. She checks her facts, often three or four times over, and people tell her stuff because they know she does this. It is in stark contrast to Mark Robinson who seems to make it up as he goes along, and it all seems to be unfounded opinion from him. The worst sort of lazy journalism.

Where I think Wilson comes unstuck is she is very one dimensional. She was frankly embarrassing at the London Olympics when her lack of knowledge of sport outside the AFL was exposed for all to see. Also, for officionados of "the Offsiders" on Sunday mornings on the ABC, she always seems to bring the discussion of other sports back to the AFL, even when it has little to do with the topic. Her general knowledge of sport in general is seriously lacking, but of the AFL it is second to none.

Edited September 22, 2013 by Dees2014

[T-34 409]

She has very little interest in the game of football, as anyone who has seen her leaving games as soon as her media commitments are over can attest.

Caroline is not remotely interested in football the game, her real interest is in football the politics, and in point scoring against those she obviously has some greivance against.

The stories she has gone hardest at involved a possible notch on her belt involving clubs or personalities with which she has had an axe to grind like Schwab, Brayshaw etc.

She has an excellent network of informants who are well connected but for mine she picks and chooses her targets to readily, and as such don't really take alot of interest in her commentary.

[old55 21,349]

The Saturday night team is the apocalypse of football broadcasting. BT contradicts himself, is stupidly confrontational, says garbage facts about players and doesn't provide any decent analysis, is obsessed with giving his opinion on possible injuries and suspensions and has regular hiatus' in calling to stir up the other members of the team while the game is going on. Isn't even self-aware of his shortcomings. Darcy and Richo are incredibly bland and predictable. It's an amateurish clownfest and it doesn't even stop when the game is good. Don't know how you can prefer that over Dennis and Bruce, who although are both past their prime and more prone to errors, you can tell they are far less media minded and just enjoy watching and calling rather than creating some variety act while we just want to see a game of footy and have the players' names called when they get the ball

oh boy wowee!

[Biffen 12,330]

Caro bounced back superbly this year and deserves a Walkley for her brilliant expose on the drug riddled Bummers.

Pity she had such a terrible 2012, clutching at straws, sniping at cuddles and Scwhabby.

No one can accuse her of trading on her looks.

Ever.