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Understandable perhaps. But no reason why we shouldn't point out to those frustrated supporters when they are being ridiculously negative in the hope they might look at things more calmly. That personal attack on Dawes and Clarke was completely over the top. Edit to add this quote from Garland today: “It’s tough when you get paid to play footy – that’s all you want to do. And the way the club’s feeling at the moment, I really want to get out there, but I just want to get my ankle right.”

At this rate Georgiou will play more career games for the MFC then Hogan Clark and Dawes combined.

He was a wonderful stab kicker robbie.......but the daisycutter had much older origins....

A spanking is just what we need. The Hawks will get over it.

Somebody being disingenuous on Demonland, I tell you "I'm shocked!"

My info is that he will be with us for 3 years at a minimum.

Published 24 minutes ago - Young key forward Jesse Hogan set to lead Melbourne Demons attack in Round 1

And it still wouldn't be funny or clever...

What if there's nothing to report? Would you prefer they announce today that he is having scans and may have back stress fractures, only to say tomorrow that they jumped the gun and it is only bruising..? (Besides the obvious result being different). Some people just don't think.

What planet are you on? They are injured. And you are questioning their work ethic? Their work eithic is impeccable. In fact prior to Cross arriving it was the best alongside NJones. I'd be questioning your ability to distinguish between the two concepts of injury and work ethic.

I'm not quite sure people are really getting this. The only real rule of law here is the WADA code, policed by ASADA and applied by those who are signatories to it (AFL in this case). Abbott, Essendon, Hird or anyone else with a vested interest can think what they want, but at the end of the day, it's irrelevant. In the Contador case (Clenbuterol), the Spanish Prime Minister came out and said that he was sure Contador was innocent, and he was then cleared by the Spanish cycling Federation (surprise surprise). At which point WADA stepped in, appealed to CAS, and after a hearing he was banned.

I don't care about the start of the season, we just need these boys right come September

Dawes and Clark making about 50K a game each at this point Very annoying

I don't know how AFL clubs work and presume they get a lot of priority access and things but it's not unreasonable to think: - Hogan pulls up not too sore after the game - Gets a bit sore Monday. Doc and Physio think it's just a knock in the back and will settle. - Things aren't better on Thursday so they send him in for a scan but still name him not expecting much. Scan results get back later in the day (and leaked to Barrett). - Specialist appointment booked in either late Thursday or Friday and only then can the club really comment with any surety. I'd rather work out how it's leaked to Barrett. Could be as simple as Hogan telling a friend who spreads it to media or could be someone in the clubs a bit leaky.

So Saty chatted to Hogan after training and he was actually getting a massage from Mark Neeld and Chris Connolly because they are great blokes when Cam Schwab walked in and tripped over Liam Jurrah who was just siting down after doing some training for his comeback to AFL. Schwab trying to get his balance dropped the projector he was carrying to film whiteboard wednesday that landed on Hogan's back and caused him some pain. Dr Bates is going to arrange for Steve Dank to supply some AOD cream and he should be right for round 1. It's all in the past and no one is to blame so we should move on.

Settle down people this is players body we are talking about. He has to get a scan and in to see a specialist before a proper prognosis is made. Even then some times you can't make any comment until a repeat appointment or scan once inflammation has settled. The media can just report whatever they like about 'some kind of stress fracture' and 'some swelling'. The club has to think of the player not just fans. Also they can't create mass hysteria every time a player has some soreness. Geelong have been a completely closed shop under Neil Balme and it hasn't stopped them winning games.

Just to give this some perspective, most knowledgeable Crows, Bulldogs, GWS and Freo supporters are all dismayed that their clubs respectively let Vince, Cross, Tyson and Michie go. We now have a midfield.

Bobby was in Church Street Brighton having a coffee with a few friends the other day; he was probably the most courageous player I ever saw, what a champion.

Undisputed best rover in the League at one time was Bobby Skilton, and when Melbourne played South there was a real problem about who to play on Skilton. It was the only time I ever saw Skilton, and we took Hassa Mann from the centre to try and curb the great Skilton. As I remember it, Mann kicked 7 goals. Irrelevant post, I guess - and maybe my memory is not so good - but if I do have it right, so much for great rovers!

better ?

OD, you are frustrated as are we all... however, most of us (your good self included) don't extrapolate from that frustration to the point where it is the player's fault and that the player should understand how to manage their body correctly for recovery from a complicated injury/procedure... not to mention the fact that most of us don't start accusing the player/players of being lazy and disinterested. Cranky Franky overstepped the mark by a long way.

You have to admire the South Africans for their fighting spirit against the odds. They almost pulled off another Adelaide. As much as our blokes have improved, I doubt they would have been able to do the same - as we showed in the second test, we're not up to it in those circumstances. In any event, to finish the last two series 7 - 1 is a mighty and certainly unexpected effort.

Full and accurate record keeping is the underpinning of any business. Blind Freddie could see that the EFC have disposed of incriminating evidence. Sorry to Freddie for using his name in the same sentence as the cheats at EFC. So EFC, was everyone at the EFC so incompetent that they should all be sacked or have they disposed of the evidence? They are the options.. Mmmmm you know what I think. Whatever it takes. Cheat, lie, put at risk, drug use, failure of duty of care, incompetence, blame shift. Whatever it takes.EFC

It beggars belief that any organisation would plan to implement a program that includes administering 11,000 injections of various chemicals and have no records whatsoever of who got what and when. In all seriousness I do not think that you believe this either. For you to accept this you would need to accept that The accounts department at EFC are incompetent. The coaching department are incompetent, The welfare officers, players, medical staff etc. all incompetent.That no body in the organisation thought it unusual to be buying chemicals , paying to have them administered complete with signed waivers by players regarding the administration of chemicals, none of this unusual. That no program existed to record or manage in any way the administration of chemicals to cherished players, the very same players that they monitor everything they eat or drink, the amount of sleep they get and try to maintain their health to the highest levels in society.This is what you expect us to believe? No, you expect us to believe that they decided to bring in some quack outsider and let him do whatever he likes without records without supervision and bench marking, no control. She'll be right mate no we don't need any information no comparisons before and after no recording of possible side effects, no mate don't worry about they are just guinea pigs after all give em another jab or two, oh whats that in that vial give them some of that too she'll be right mate!.. Imagine a professional club embarking on a training regime, they do not record who trains and when, how far or fast they run. And this totally adhoc system does not attract the attention of anyone within the club. That no one at the club asked any questions.This is what you expect us to believe happened at EFC? IMO they had records, they have vanished. What do we think happened to them? 2+2=4 I have no evidence to support my answer but I know it is true.

Do they still deserve to be in the ANZAC day match??? Is this a club that embodies the ANZAC spirit of honesty bravery and self sacrifice?? Did the diggers do 'What ever it takes" or did they operate within moral boundaries and a sense of honour? Take ANZAC day off this club, the have brought the game int direpute and dont deserve it.

Quintessential Demonland.

Yeah, that's clever. Blame Clark for getting injured. SMH. When he was playing, all were lauding him for his courageous attack on the footy in the air. Anyone remember the attempt where he actually damaged the lisfranc? Knocked himself out in the process. And some are silly enough to think that should be condemned in retrospect. Short memories.

Rookie list these days is about 54k after the CBO last year. Add on to this that match payments for a rookie are 3,500-4,000 per game and rookies are the only ones who receive match payments for preseason games, Alex's contract worth this year is already around 65k. Play 10 games this year and he's earnt over 100,000.

Are you joking? Watts has been doing that consistently, and well, for years and it is disingenous to suggest Watts won't take a pack mark.

For no apparent reason i thought Georgiou was going to be another Gillies Glad that he is the complete opposite Hope he plays round 1

Not the desert, south pole I believe. Clark hasn't been heard from since he left the tent with a parting "I may be some time".

Nice work, 45, appreciate it. I like Misbah. Even though there's still some speculation re: Pakisan captaincy, I reckon that it's been about as stable as you'll get for a Pakisani cricket captain over quite a long time now. (He'll probably get the sack tomorrow).

I was playing footy in the country in the 70's and some of the players were still using drop kicks and stab passes. One bloke almost made it to the VFL and his stab passing could cave your chest in. It used to hurt like hell on those cold winter nights at training. Ankle high boots, woollen jumpers, collars, plastic numbers on the back, and endless circle work at training. I reckon I would have liked to see the real Bobbie McKenzie play.

Terrible shock, Dawes is out.

Batting stats for all current test captains. I've given their average overall, their average when not captaining and their average when (since) captaining. Michael Clarke Overall 51.82 (8240 runs - 27 centuries from 105 matches) Captain 60.05 (3543 runs - 13 centuries from 37 matches) Non-Captain 46.97 (4697 runs - 14 centuries from 68 matches) Mushfiqur Rahim Overall 32.43 (2173 runs - 2 centuries from 38 matches) Captain 42.52 (978 runs - 1 century from 14 matches) Non-Captain 27.15 (1195 runs - 1 century from 24 matches) Alistair Cook Overall 46.51 (8047 runs - 25 centuries from 102 matches) Captain 47.02 (1834 runs - 7 centuries from 21 matches) Non-Captain 46.36 (6213 runs - 18 centuries from 81 matches) MS Dhoni Overall 38.77 (4459 runs - 6 centuries from 83 matches) Captain 42.18 (3037 runs - 5 centuries from 53 matches) Non-Captain 33.06 (1422 runs - 1 century from 30 matches) Brendon McCullum Overall 38.09 (5219 runs - 9 centuries from 84 matches) Captain 50.95 (1121 runs - 3 centuries from 14 matches) Non-Captain 35.63 (4098 - 6 centuries from 70 matches) Misbah-ul-Haq Overall 48.75 (3218 runs - 5 centuries from 46 matches) Captain 61.38 (2210 runs - 3 centuries from 27 matches) Non-Captain 33.60 (1008 runs - 2 centuries from 19 matches) Graeme Smith Overall 48.72 (9257 runs - 27 centuries from 117 matches) Captain 48.32 (8651 runs - 25 centuries from 109 matches) Non-Captain 55.09 (606 runs - 2 centuries from 8 matches) Darren Sammy Overall 21.68 (1323 runs - 1 century from 38 matches) Captain 22.43 (1032 runs - 1 century from 30 matches) Non-Captain 19.40 (291 runs - 0 century 8 matches) Brendan Taylor Overall 35.00 (1260 runs - 4 centuries from 19 matches) Captain 52.37 (838 runs - 4 centuries from 9 matches) Non-Captain 21.10 (422 runs - 0 centuries from 10 matches) Some interesting reading. Of note, IMO: Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe. Averaging 21.1 in 10 matches, has belted 4 centuries at 52 since taking over as skipper. Mushfiqur Rahim is another of note. Smith's amazing record - 109 matches as captain after serving an 7 game apprenticeship. Leading the way he does with such minimal technique. (I actually started this two nights ago before I heard about his retirement - a great career, a shame that it ended on such a poor note form-wise, though that's often the way sport goes) And the first bloke's average as captain hasn't been too bad, either. Clarke and Misbah have really blossomed since captaincy. Amazingly, Misbah has passed 50 24 times in 47 innings since taking over, though Clarke's centuries have been impressive. He has a touch of feast or famine about him.

The extra TV money covers the outlay. It is paying for itself in the hope that it then grows exponentially. To increase markets you have to turn people into fans - it is easier to do that with a team. I know a few up in Canberra who were not AFL fans at all and have become AFL members to the GWS because they are their team. Leaving aside the fact that my eyes rolled when they told me that - it is exactly what the AFL wants to see, more eyeballs on more games with more ad revenue. If we are talking about the cost of setting them up in terms of image - they have been a terrible spectacle, but so have we and we are the furthest thing from an expansion club.

I went to the closed session today. No one told me to p155 off. I was the only spectator there. It was just specific skills training. Kicking straight over 20m was very impressive. Low sharp passing dead straight. Chest high. Hogan was doing laps. Watts was very upbeat and vocal in the kicking drills. Hunt was a bit embarrassed with the few tat didn't hit the target. Viney was there today Pata The Rehab group arrived about 10:15 Gawn Pedo no sign of Dawes and Clarky. I tried to ask Ben Matthews a question, but was fresh aired. I guess that's the different with closed training. Their mouth is closed.

didnt see it coming....you ?

To be honest, I'm not. I think we'll have to end up making a call on Clark at the end of the season if he doesn't get onto the park for adequate game time. God knows he's taking up a fair chunk of the cap and not doing a whole lot. Obviously not his fault and it must be ultra frustrating for him.

Chris Dawes is starting to really [censored] me off

Just saw the highlights of the 4th day. Wonderful sporting send off for Graeme Smith by both the South African and Australian teams. The equal of the send off the South Africans provided Ponting at the end of his career when last in Australia It's great to recognise the contributions of two outstanding players

That's what we have been hearing for the last 7 years - after being smashed by over 100 points you would have to lisen to the players BS: "We learnt a lot tonight.....". Surely the players heads must be about to explode due to the amount they have learnt over the last 7 years. Call me stupid but I actually kind of believe them this time (in a way that a women would forgive their abusive drunken husband). I don't know why I bother.

I'm feeling much more positive about the upcoming season than i have in years, although i don't believe that the suns and giants will be easybeats like they were in the past.

He's already one of my favourite players - that is, along with my other favourite Demons: Bernie Vince, Daniel Cross and Viv Michie.

Ive heard he bought a camera....

Well I guess its ok to use my username, its for a good cause.

For the HUN to reveal the names whilst trying to shape the story as one of sympathy towards the players is a total joke. For Wilson to be bleating on her high horse about confidentiality after 18 months of reporting about the MFC tanking investigation and the EFC substance investigation via the use of a torrent of leaks of what should have been confidential information is worse.

This is a ridiculous piece of criticism. Had Wilson not identified where the players were going to be named, you'd be crucifying her for withholding information relevant to the story. And it IS relevant to the story, whether you like it or not. Wilson's not the only one to have identified the Herald Sun as the source of publication. What about AAP, among others. Would you really prefer ALL journalists reporting on this story to NOT mention where the players' names were revealed? If so, you have no idea what poor journalism is.