hemingway

looks like a beautiful ball drop.

OD you have obviously not drunk any metho.

Nothing has changed. I suspect that “values” are not part of their mission statement.

So true, its very special to see a champion run or compete in any sport. You realize there are the good, the very good, and the outright champions who are a different species altogether. I raced at a level where I came up against guys that you knew were just that much better and no amount of training was going to make up the gap.

Your comments about the 400 are basically correct without going to the physiology details. And as you know, the whole race is flat chat so somewhere between 200 and 400 the bear will get you. By the time you have 50 to run its well and truly on your back. Now riding back in the big V. Certainly miss the courtesy of SA drivers and the fact that the roads are so quiet. Here its getting increasingly stressful so I ride defensively all the time as I do when I drive. Fav rides include Beach Rd, Albert Park and Burnley and Kew Boulevard. Beach Road is becoming very stressful for cars and other riders Also enjoy country rides.

All I know Gough, which is not much, is that my best races and training sessions ended with a spew. Carefully avoiding coach, other athletes and officials. My favourite race was 800 but once I joined senior ranks and did not have the kick graduated to 1500-5k. I remember being well beaten to the line in a club race by a 400m runner, an Olympian of the day, who cruised past me effortlessly with 250 to go. He was running an 800 for training and I realized that this was the future of 800m running at the national and international level. So I stopped taking the 800 seriously that day. Once of my criticisms of Aus distance running over the years is that Aussies train and race for state and national success not international success. There are exceptions but this has been the normal practice. This means that most male and female athletes race at a shorter distance than they should. The great Cuban Alberto Juantorena was an example of someone who got it. He raced in Mexico over 400 and 800 and on that day middle distance racing was changed forever at a world level. Cathy Freeman was an Olympic and World Champion 400m but gee she would have been unstoppable over 800m. I guess in her case, she didn't need to and only ever wanted to run 400m. She can't be criticized, but there are many other Aussies who would have performed better by racing at a longer distance than running their favourite distance. Like you, I now ride a bike.

There were so many, particularly in our two winning finals. As a spectator at the ground, the most spine tingling and exhilarating play (when I caught a glimpse of footy heaven), was the Hannan run from the wing to goal. And re-watching it with BT's commentary wasn't bad either.

Yes Gough. Middle distance 800/1500/5000.

My guess Punt is that coming from north of Albury, you are a bourbon and coke drinker or beer drinker. If not, I think you may need rehab.

I was always a spewer when training and racing. For me, it was always a combination of busting a gut, literally running until I spewed and taking in food or fluid within 3 to 5 hours of exertion.

Great reports. And love the constructive comments free from bitchiness. Very encouraging to read those comments about the past and the present.

Now Red, a good education and degree, perhaps a dubious occupation (although I will give you the benefit of doubt due to all your pro bono work), I thought you had some class. You do not sample $3-$5 bottles. Poor old Mrs R. Despite his proclivities Uncle at least drinks some good stuff. And he lives in Romsey.

Sounds like some family or friends are going to be the beneficiaries of your generosity.

How hard is the ground surface at Goschs ? I assume there is a sprinkler system. It always looks well grassed but this hot spell must be drying out the ground. If so, I would be decreasing the amount of time doing hard running sessions.

Strange how anyone could have doubts because he came from Collingwood. Perhaps it suggests that old tribal loyalties still run deep, yet that is juxtaposed against the way supporters quickly embrace players from other clubs. Any other comments from his time at Pieland are just rumour. There are often critics when a person leaves an orgnanization, sometimes simply justification from those remaining. I think that it is remarkable that he lasted as long as he did at Pieland with Eddie.

Yes my dear Watson, except that I would say it’s like growing up in Melb in the 60s. It is expanding on the edges but it really is just a big country town. Just visit Adelaide on the weekend and wander the empty streets. Sunday is still a day of rest. If you pine for less congestion, lower house prices, and white australia (apologies to the Sudanese in the North) it’s the place to be. And if you like food, wine, beaches, festivals it is paradise. And there is also some alternate behaviour that may appeal to some on this site. It is also the murder state of Aus, with macabre, grizzly murders a speciality. Given the number of power shortages in the State, you have a lot of opportunities to get up to mischief in the dark. However, if they know one thing, the mighty South Aussies know how to organise festivals. They are brilliant. Tour Down Under, Clipsal, Womad, Fringe, the list goes on. And unlike Melbourne you don’t have to queue as there are not many people. But even in Paradise, you need to escape. It is just far to nice. I love Melbourne but it has become a gridlocked, congested city, with road rage, anger and impatience waiting around every corner. It is no longer placid or peaceful. It is Paradise Lost. Adelaide by comparison is Paradise incarnated. It’s just that it’s football supporters are insufferable. The rest of the population are so nice you want to scream. But you do have to explain everything in longhand. A direct question is rude so rather than bowl a yorker you have to bowl a leg break around the legs. It does feel that the World has left Adelaide behind. But there again there are no terrorists, no anxiety, no worries. It is the most underrated holiday spot in Australia if you include the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, the Clare, the Barossa, Kangaroo Is. Just a pity about the footy.

Fair enough, your support and positivity for J is admirable. I have no argument with your last sentence.

Hopefully Goody left all that behind at the Dons.

For families, Sunday 4.40pm and night games are a stinker. Also for country folk who have a long journey home by car or rail. Oh, I forgot, the scheduling is for TV, streaming and those sports fans with their wide screen, high definition, radiation emitting screens.

There are a lot in your camp, including young people. Professional sport has changed the whole landscape of sport and viewing sport, so that we view everything now through a veil of cynicism and skepticism. Sadly, superior performance is now viewed against our doubts of doping. Whether it be a team or an individual. Since the beginning of time, cheating has been part of life therefore also part of sport. But the big money and the big interests in sport have taken cheating to a whole new level to the point where we are no longer surprised, and, indeed, expect it. I guess you either like it or lump it. I like it but swallow with the odd lump. At the end of the day, I still enjoy the beauty of the sport tarnished as it may be.

any enjoyment left OD ? other sports?

Fair enough Saty. The problem is that JG has history, has form, has a footy CV. Im sure we all hope that he has a terrific year because JG at his best is good for the team. However he will have to become the footballer he’s never been .....consistent over the whole season. He has to bring consistency in attitude and application. In short become the footballer he has promised to be but never has. But he’s back, apparently fit and displaying a good attitude. He needs to be as he is playing for his career. He will need to be showing form early so he gets selection. If he starts at Casey and can’t crack the Seniors, I suspect his form and interest will go out the window and it will be all over red rover. I hope he surprises us all.

Agreed more like 2nd half of the season. He needs as much time as possible to get his knee 100 per cent right and properly conditioned. One would expect the Club to take a cautious approach knowing whats at stake if there is another problem. I do think that he will have to modify his game somehow. How, I don't know, but his intercept game style where he is often coming from the side and leaping and landing on one leg worried me before the injury and doubly worries me post injury. The Ox only returned to play out his career by changing the way he played.

Potentially a better player than Brad with more strings to his game. Brad played some good games but he played plenty of poor ones as well. Lets hope that Fritta does not get a dose of second year blues.

Consistency of effort every week from all senior players will be expected. There is no place for inconsistent effort whoever the player. My gosh how the standards and expectations have changed.