Elusive Tunbridge

Since there is an active training thread and you've chosen to post on this one, I'm guessing you're exactly where you want to be. For your own inscrutable reasons.

There'd have been no process without the persistent pressure of the Aboriginal people over decades, and the critically important support of the unions at Wave Hill in the sixties. You can whitewash history, but whitewash washes off and the truth always reemerges. Without pressure there is no process.

Card trolling, Dr Lecter?

Ignorant ranting has always been Australian - in fact, it's universal. And then came the internet.

I admire your view on suitability for AOTY - but if you look at the list, fame and form always trump other virtues. For those who think Goodes' contribution to indigenous advancement is limited to going off at a mouthy spectator, you really have no clue. But AOTY is like an Oscar - no-one would ever believe that it goes to the most deserving.

Exactly. Australian Aborigines were doing perfectly well until the left started rabbiting on about racism. I blame it all on Gough Whitlam.

"Colin Garland is ... set to miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his right ankle on Thursday. A small bone spur had been troubling Garland, who finished second in the club best and fairest last season, in recent weeks. Melbourne decided it was best to deal with the problem now to give him every possible chance to be available for round one." The sky is not falling.

Less talk and more action - on a discussion forum? Give over!

Was it Kelvin Moore who told him he'd never be a footballer so long as his arse pointed at the ground - prompting Jacko to do a handstand?

This is a terrible blow to the prospects of our club. Can I get my membership money back?

"Garland, who enjoyed his best season to date in 2013 – capped by a second-place finish in the club's best and fairest count – nominated Jack Grimes and Nathan Jones as his favoured contenders for the role. Grimes held the captaincy alongside Jack Trengove - who has announced he was stepping down from the role - through Mark Neeld's tenure in 2012 and 2013. Garland says both Grimes and Jones exude exceptional leadership qualities." Close the books.

Better to suffer from premature expectations than no expectations at all.

Amen

Thanks, ben. All the fun in baiting bullies lies in the thunderbolts they hurl from their meagre dunghills. Encore, please.

You're conflating two points here, possibly because you don't understand the nature of structural racism, although robbie explains it clearly enough. I give him credit for making an interesting argument, although it doesn't convince me. Note that I didn't reject it. On the issue of his treatment of the indigenous players, robbie has already pointed out the impossibility of establishing the "truth" there, and though he may not be inclined to give Neeld the benefit of the doubt, I am. May no-one comment on club issues without being "privy to the internal machinations of the club"? Give over. You cherry-pick robbie's post for points you can characterise as trite, while ignoring (misunderstanding? not even reading?) the bulk of his post. Who refers to playing the feminist card, the racism card, the bullying card? Misogynists, racists, bullies, that's who. You don't "call views into question" - you aggressively dismiss them. When someone ends a post with "pathetic", I'm never sure whether it's a final judgement or a signature.

I believe Neeld's game plan was unsuited to our players and inflexible, and this was obvious to me from the beginning. I'm not convinced that it was racist, but I understand robbiefrom13's argument and I don't dismiss it. I don't know the facts about Neeld's dealings with our indigenous players, and so i am inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. So I regret that I can't enlighten you. I note the bullying tone of your response to robbiefrom13. Your response to me is in the same vein. This is my well-considered response. I don't propose to argue for something that is self-evident.

You are cursorily dismissive of a lengthy, well-argued and thoughtful post. Unsurprisingly.

You obviously don't know your Grimm's Fairytales. Happyish endings come at a hellish price.

Two players have said they'd like to be captain now, and both have been reported on the club website. I don't believe we'll see any more hats in the ring between now and February. Co-captains Grimes and Jones is my tip.

Agreed, sue. He's moving backwards, has already knocked the ball to advantage, and knows there's a player behind he's likely to collide with. If he did intentionally duck his head, that seems like a pretty good idea to me.

A menacing pair of eyes tattooed on the back of NJ's head - scare off the Magpie tacklers.

If certain players - e.g. mids - know that they must come off immediately after a goal, no message has to be sent to them, and their replacement will be standing at the boundary without any further message from the box. No surprises for anyone, no uncertainty. If they are left on for three minutes, who's keeping time? Who decides to make the switch? Who tells the player? Clearly coaches prefer to automate the decision, rather than add tasks to game-time player management.

Holing up between here and New Year with saké and the Studio Ghibli collection. Happy Holidays, fellow secularists.

Actually I'm not so keen on lighter fluid - but liquid peat doesn't do it for me, either. With you in the Highlands.

Islay malts - I'd sooner drink lighter fluid.