Mazer Rackham

Surely not Susan? Don't tell me she's in on the fix as well! First Trump, now Susan. What can a man believe in any more?

Yarran. Buddy. Heretier. You have to be clumsy, a la Fine Cotton, to get caught. Even when not clumsy ....drenching on race day as an example. The trainer of some 20+ years experience says, oh, can't you do that? It was an inadvertent mistake. Won't happen again (until next time). Steward says, fair enough. On your bike. Damian Oliver. Bets on a horse that he's not riding, in a race he's competing in. 20 grand. Turns out it was the first and only time he's done that. How unlucky to get caught that one and only time! Then the stewards bend over to "negotiate" his penalty so he can ride in the spring carnival. The nags are so crooked it amazes me that anyone punts on them at all. The AFL must avoid drifting down that same path, even to the slightest degree, at all cost. We must be able to believe what we see.

Bloody ASADA! Hopeless. (Or is it WADA this time?)

Even as the EFC drug scandal unfolded, it seemed to me that the MFC "not tanking" drama had been a trial run for the AFL. They were able to hone their skills in investigating/not investigating, punishing/not punishing, and giving backhanded rewards. And, if they had had their way, there would have been no investigation at all and therefore nothing to ensue. You have to wonder, how many dramas have they been able to cover up entirely over the years?

Bang! And that's it in a nutshell. In the cosy brotherhood of the AFL, the real crime of the EFC is to embarrass the league. But like a bunch of blokes on a buck's night out, or at the cricket club on pie night, nah, we're all mates here, no harm done eh! We'll look after you because we're all in it together and we look after each other. No hard feelings. But mate, for gawd's sake, don't do it again. ASADA has forced their way into the clubrooms ... the bloody wowsers ... and tried to shatter the protective shield around the sacred brotherhood. They are not cool. They are outsiders. They tried to send the strippers home. They told Dabba's missus what happened on the golf weekend! They're a bunch of dobbers. They are not one of Us. For that they cannot be forgiven.

It has cost the AFL a lot of time, effort, money, goodwill, etc etc, handling the EFC drugs affair. It screams out that they would not want to go through that again. Why oh why are they not sending an unambiguous message to all clubs and players that they will be dealt with harshly if they dabble in drugs. Instead with their half-and-half message, "if you get caught we'll be on your side ... we may have to do you over but we'll look after you as best we can", they are inviting another episode. Not in the same form as the EFC case ... some new variation ... as clubs test the boundaries. If your dog eats food off the dining table, you give it a whack on the snout. You don't say, "ooh, naughty boy .... naughty" ... and give it a pat.

I read about a very similar thing in an old magazine called "Forum". Only it was a lady cop. And the guy in the story did indeed get off.

No. Holland. Urgh. You poor fool. Those monks invented beer specifically because mayo on fries is an abomination in the eyes of god.

If you even need to ask, I feel for you. Anyone who puts mayo on chips needs to miss 4 rounds of footy, train with Viney, educate youngsters on the dangers of mayo, get shoved around by Lewis, and spend a few Saturday nights at the emergency ward seeing the damage caused by mayo ingestion.

As long as he didn't put mayonnaise on them I'm okay with that.

He strikes me as a southern and coke man.

It's a bit like finally not finishing ninth only to get beaten by the team that did finish ninth.

Christ, I hope he's a Good Bloke, or this could get ugly.

"It's Brownlow madness at Charlie Shark's Easy Money Emporium! If your selected player leads the vote count but loses the medal as a drug cheat four years later ... CASH BACK! Up to fifty bucks! Conditionsapplyandgambleresponsibly."

Every time he seems to be edging towards the truth, and therefore the realisation that his heroes have feet of clay, he retreats to his standard duped/rogue scientist/good blokes defence. The guy must be on the edge of sanity. It would be enough to drive a lesser man to drink.

If the AFL give medals to Mitchell & Cotchin, then those players can presumably sue for lost earnings, loss of enjoyment of life, etc etc. AFL don't want that. If the AFL don't give medals for 2012, the record books will always have that empty line there. In years to come ... 50 or 100 even ... people will want to know why. And they will remember what EFC and the AFL did in the years 2011-2016. The AFL DEFINITELY don't want that.

Fair go Satyr. The military industrial complex has been busy making sure the truth about 9/11 and the international Jewish bank conglomerate/world government never comes out. Even though they control the whole world, they still have limited resources. They've only just now got to item #3 (Zaka and his "fear of needles").

Obama faced two problems early in his presidency. One, he had this idea of "working together", "hands across the aisle". He did not count on the venal self interest of the Washington diehards who had absolutely no interest in such a Pollyanna concept and in fact were hostile to such lollipops and butterflies. Two, many of the sitting Democrats -- his supposed political allies -- were against his reform agenda. Reform in Washington? Too many vested interests all around. Healthcare, banks, campaign finance ... all missed the mark for the above reasons. By 2010 the makeup of the congress had changed and it was (even more) uphill from there. Strangely enough, Trump has a better chance of shaking up Washington. But his approach, to burn the joint down, will also fail, for the same reasons.

If you're going to take that attitude then it's clear nothing can convince you of anything, ever. I see your game. You want a job sitting on the AFL drug tribunal!

I agree they've got a strong case. But think of the principled mob they'll be arguing it to. Might as well write a letter to Santa. It'll have the same impact. (Tthey might get their wish, or a lump of coal.) The AFLPA will be very keen to argue the point, unless Gil tells them that they're in fact not keen to argue it.

Who would they strongly argue that to? The Anti Fairness League The About Face League The Awfully Fickle League The Arbitrarily Functioning League Gil wouldn't even break stride

And that might be the reason why the AFL doesn't award them the medal. Can't sue for 4 years of lost "Brownlow winner" earnings if they never won it.

Satyr, it's Remembrance Day. No need to remind us of your horrific ignorance on the subject of drugs in sport.

Encounter an unprecedented drug regime and ask no questions Allow a quack to inject unknown stuff into you without checking with ASADA Let this happen multiple times Avoid telling drug testers that you're taking anything at all (apart from Panadol) Run away from the captaincy to swill beer at the Ashes Take your sweet time not doing the obvious, ie handing it back All class

Scene: AFL house. Gil McLachlan is dancing around his office. GM: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! (The door opens, Mark Evans enters) ME: what's up Gil? what's all the racket? Are you on that web site I showed you again? GM: Yes! Yes! Y-- oh, it's you, Mark. Great news. Unbelievable news. Really incredible. And no-one saw it coming! ME: Are you talking about the US election? I didn't think you were a Trump guy. GM: Oh, it's not that. It's better than that. (sings) It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the crop ... dut! ..... dut-dut-dut! ....... dut-dut-dut! ....... dut-dut-dahhhhhhhhh! (he starts shadow boxing) ME: Well? GM: It's Jobe, mate! He gave it back! He gave it back! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! It's the eye of the -- ME: I wouldn't have thought that's good news. Nothing to do with that whole mess is good news. GM: Yes, but it means I don't have to ... to make a ...... to ... to make a ... ME: What? GM: (whispers) ... the "D" word! ME: Decision? GM: Don't say it! Don't say it! You'll ruin the moment! ME: You know what this means, don't you? GM: Yes! I don't have to make a ......... dut! ........ dut-dut-dut! ..... ME: It means now we have to work out what to do about Mitchell and Cotchin. (GM freezes on the spot and turns white as a sheet) GM: You mean ..... it's the "D" word after all? ME: Yes. GM: Oh my god. Now I know how Hillary Clinton feels. ME: Come on Gil. Get a grip. Remember the other "D" word. GM: You're right. Get a grip Gil. You can see a way through this. You can-- I've got it!!! ME: What? GM: Find me two women who can be crazy girlfriends. It seems Mitchell and Cotchin might have hidden from drug testers in 2012! ME: Huh? An investigation of that could take years ... Of course! I take my hat off. You're a genius. GM: No, Mark. I'm better than that. I'm a Deal Maker.