hemingway

Thinking the same thing, must have wandered onto this thread by mistake. Is he trying to kill off this thread after all? Although he does tend to play the Bud Abbott to all the eccentrics who visit this place. Also appears to be a bit of a chameleon at times, which tends to be a characteristic of those in his profession. So lets not take him seriously. His sense of humour is very very dry.

The boys are back in form.

Recent threads from Earl and others and now your magnificent post show there is still life in the old dog.

Sorry Earl, I was thinking of another fictional character when I read your post. Apologies to you and Milo. Just make sure you observe the Royal Protocols, no touching or hugging the Queen, excluding Elton and Meghan (because Americans hug). Just hope the cucumber sandwiches that you are supplying from China are suitable for the Royal tastebuds.

Milo, the entrepreneur that you are, I had forgotten about your role in The Wedding. Of course, the old Country and indeed the Royals do not have the budget they once had, which is where you no doubt fit in. A quick visit to China, a lick of paint, and I'm sure the imitations look like the real thing!

Red, apart from your good self and a few other stalwarts, the posts on this thread seem to have dropped off lately. Many of the old characters with their peccadillo's seemed to have disappeared into the ether, with the result that the only thing to talk about is football. What's happened to all the chameleons, the perverts, the eccentrics, the boasters, the liars, the weirdos, the freaks, the nuts, the sad and lonely, the non conformists, the entrepreneurs, the drug peddlers, the pretenders, the psychotic, the delusional, the washed-up lawyers and academics and writers, the homeless, and the bizarre characters that used to come and go in the night on this thread. I think I have covered everyone. Oops, I forgot the dead. After 7 years, perhaps its time to close this thread. Let's face it, this is not a thread for mundane, boring or repetitious comments about football.

I don"t need to read this Frog. With our recent wins, I was just emerging from my MFC induced depression to some semblance of balanced mood state. I was even planning to go on Sunday, with a feeling of quite optimism tempered by the ever present trepidation. However,""there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.""

Tend to agree. I'm one of those old fashioned types that prefer to see our players as footballers not entertainers.

These comparisons between players is all a bit pointless. Players have different physical and mental attributes. In the old days, no-one compared Barassi with Dixon or any of the other Demon stars of the time. Barassi was Barassi, Dixon was Dixon. However, they made up a champion team. In the 80s, we did not compare Lyon with Viney etc. Lets hope we play in a Grand Final and Brayshaw dominates in the midfield all day and Petracca pops up in the last quarter and kicks 3 quick goals to win the match. They have different attributes, skills sets and different on-ground behaviours. Its about molding those individual attributes into a champion team.

Agreed. However, Oscar is one of those players whose improvement and development has been hastened by regular selection. Sure it does not suit everyone, but you cannot underestimate the confidence that flows to a young player who is selected each week without the Sword of Damocles over his head. Alternatively, you cannot underestimate the damage to the confidence of a young player who is selected one or two weeks then dropped, particularly when it happens time after time. It is matter of judgement based on the perceived potential of a player and what he can bring to the team in the longer term. However, as a fan it is often difficult to discern the difference between one player and the next. Some go on to have great careers, others are sacrificed on the altar of expediency or the judgement of a coach. Anyway, Oscar has benefited from having the confidence of the coach and selection panel and is repaying that faith in spades this year. Others will be unlucky and will end up playing elsewhere or in a lower league. I often feel sorry for the latter. Its a little like the older player that loses the confidence of the coach, does not fit into the game plan or is not seen as part of the future yet goes on to play good footy at another club.

There were many doubters who have admitted that they were wrong. There are those that still have some doubts or concerns about aspects of Oscar's game and that is probably fair enough. However, for the minority who repeatedly criticized or were unduly negative about Oscar (the word Spud comes to mind), I doubt that there will be any embarrassment. That is the nature of the beast. Just like the workplace there are the whingers and critics who have little capacity for self reflection or humility. I think there are a lot of our guys at the moment, who are beginning to emerge and silence their critics.

People do make things up, every day, all the time. Sometimes its complete fabrication, sometimes there is an element of truth that is then misused to support an opinion. You also have liars, mischievous types, stirrers, and sometimes folks who believe a story but on incorrect or flimsy grounds. However, if you believe the story, you should provide a little more detail as to how or why you think the story true.

Early days but you would think so.

sure did Redders, but I am a day to day man. at a stretch week to week. I do not plan only hope to get to the next day or match. I must go to the Temple soon and seek redemption.

how depressing Biff. hope you are well and glad that you have resurfaced.

I never like wishing defeat on another team, in this case, on-going misery. Maybe wish a little but not too hard. Perhaps Essendon but not others. Bad Karma. We have been there ourselves and know what its like. Better to celebrate our wins.

You can tell that Brayshaw really wants it. He wants it bad. Petracca is a mercurial talent but whether that is fully realised depends on how much he wants it and how hard he is prepared to work.

What has always impressed me about Brayshaw is his intensity and work ethic.

No genuine contrition. Bit like Bank executives apologising without any genuine feeling or meaning. Heard CBA CEO say he was ashamed but he could have used any word as it had no meaning.

It happens a lot in life. In Bomber's case, clearly everyone knew. Even the humble old spectator watched Bomber appear on TV looking (at times) in terrible shape. Sleepy, bags under his eyes, appearing depressed. Whatever, in bad shape. Now you can imagine how many times this would have occurred at both GFC and EFC, indeed even within his own social circle. There are always opportunities for intervention. Not just to ask the question and accept the denials. As a father, you may accept your children's denial of a misdemeanor but if that misdemeanor is as obvious as the nose on your face or persists over time, you do something about it. Not always easy, but if you care, you do something. You intervene and find a solution or get assistance to deal with the problem. You don't accept "no" as the answer. Now that is perhaps a bit simplistic, but it reflects a tendency in today's society. To accept something at face value and not to go the extra yards to do something meaningful. Even if offers were made and rejected by Bomber, it does not appear that anyone took that extra step. If someone is accused of stealing, a simple denial is not satisfactory. You investigate and do something about it so that you have a satisfactory answer and solution to the problem. Bomber may have failed society, the folks who trusted him, his family, indeed himself, but somehow I feel that there are a lot of people, particularly those close to him in both clubs who have failed Bomber.

Yes I agree Doc, I was really talking about the problem of addiction. But I have said my peace and will let it rest.

I understand your position and your comments have validity. However, believe me, not everyone has choice due ....well to life circumstance, personality and mental health. In this case, you have pricked a nerve. I'm not just talking about Bomber and the scourge of addiction but the whole community of addicts that are trapped in a vicious downward spiral. I'm not sure I like the term addiction but rather that folks who are caught up in this world are trapped because of their physiological and physiological dependence. It does not matter if you have money and fame, the addiction is the same. Yes, I have sympathy because the future outlook is not good, and I'm not going to state the obvious. Fundamentally, addiction and mental health go hand in hand. We do need sympathy and compassion irrespective of the person.

BB as someone who knows a bit about addiction, it is a very difficult monster to control. Individuals are a victim to the addictive qualities of the drug.

Just read Chip Le Grand's article in the Aussie. Wow, a frightening tale of a man whose life is in the hands of organized crime and how he has spiraled so far out of control. And indeed, a very scary future for Bomber.

So much more to play out on this. We will be hearing about for some time. "Silks" lining up to take the brief.