titan_uranus

Carlton, on the other hand, a side that has not distinguished itself in any fashion for eight or nine years, will play on a Sunday on only four occasions in 2009, enjoy six Friday nights and have 16 matches broadcast free-to-air. That's what I don't understand. They haven't played finals since 2001, they only won 10 games this year, and they get the second best draw of all the clubs, including St Kilda, who made a Preliminary Final (and have done so on three occassions since Carlton last played a final). I don't really care about our draw, but it's hard to stomach when you see other clubs getting gifts from the AFL whilst we struggle. It's a chicken and egg kind of thing here: some may say you need to perform well on the field in order to be rewarded with a decent fixture (examples being Hawthorn, Geelong and basically most premiers). Others may argue that you need a stable member base and sponsors for the AFL to look kindly upon you (the obvious example being Collingwood).

I never questioned his ability to bat. I was just saying that, from my point of view, his fracas with Lee probably affected his batting. My point was that I think Ponting's communicative skills aren't flash, and because of that, and the subsequent incident with Lee, his batting suffered. Overall, his batting is fine, it's just at those specific moments where I think some of his other roles can get to him a bit. But maybe not. I'm with you 100%. When you look back on what happened, and India's subsequent actions, you see just how ridiculous they acted. I'm surprised more hasn't been said about Sehwag not walking when he was clearly out, considering what happened over the summer.

Good one deanox.

Breakdown: Timeslots 1 x Friday Night (vs Essendon in 2nd half of Split Round) 5 x Saturday Day 2 x Saturday Night (vs St Kilda at GC and BL at Gabba) 6 x Sunday Early (including 4 in a row between rounds 17 and 20) 4 x Sunday Day 3 x Sunday Twilight (vs Adelaide at MCG, WCE at Subiaco and Hawthorn at MCG) 1 x Monday Day Venues 13 x MCG 3 x Telstra Dome/Etihad Stadium 1 x Manuka 1 x Subiaco 1 x AAMI 1 x Gabba 1 x Skilled Stadium 1 x Carrara Opponents whom we play twice (bold are those who played finals this year): Collingwood, West Coast, Port Adelaide, Geelong, Richmond, North Melbourne, St Kilda

Here's Gillon McLachan's take on our draw: "They’ve got a good footy draw. What they do have is a lot of Sundays. "In the end there’s actually no difference between your average crowd on a Sunday versus a Saturday, but it will have an impact on their corporates. "That’s where the impact is felt, on the corporate revenue. "We try to do the best we can to keep everyone happy in the end and there’ll always be a couple of clubs who I guess will be marginally more disenfranchised or marginally less happy than everyone else." http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tab...px?newsId=69209

New timeslots in some rounds as well: http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=2...mp;newsId=69217 Coll v St Kilda on a Monday night (7.20 bounce at Etihad Stadium) Haw v West Coast on ANZAC day (Saturday twilight, straight after Ess v Coll) Preparation for Gold Coast

It's official: http://www.afl.com.au/Fixture/tabid/10586/Default.aspx

4* night matches in 2 years. Humph. *Edit: 3 this year.

Is this official? Hasn't been released on AFL website, and HUN site says it will come out at 11.30. So maybe a fake? Plus only 4 interestate and Manuka and Geelong. Hmmm.

From March next year Telstra Dome will become Etihad Stadium. Named after Etihad Airways. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...298-661,00.html

I don't see it happening YM. As much as I think he would make a good forward, and he's played there before, he's done so well for us in defence that he should be kept there now. Let him and Martin and Warnock and Rivers etc. gel together and become a defensive unit, rather than a rabble.

I guess because in 2006 we finished 5th, which was the best of all the Victorian teams. But yeah, the amount of people who expected so much of us was a bit bewildering.

I have to agree about Ponting. I don't think he is a great communicator, mainly because he hasn't had to communicate negative things in his tenure as skipper. I think he is a bit arrogant and stubborn at times, which impacts on his ability to both bat and captain. Which is quite sad because White's bowling was better than his batting in Mohali. I'd be happier with White if he could score some damn runs.

You make good observations HT. However, I challenge you to name a 'quality' spinner in Australia. We don't have one. We have players like Casson, Krejza, Cullen etc. who are just average to good first class players, but who, IMO, wouldn't get close to cutting it at Test level. It is a problem that I think we will have to deal with for some time until a youngster whom we've never heard of becomes our next spinner. In terms of pace bowling, I think I've read that we're struggling to swing the SG balls used in India (as opposed to Kookaburra here). FFS, we have Troy Cooley employed as a 'bowling coach': how didn't we prepare for bowling in Indian conditions? We absolutely have to study what the Indians do to and with the ball so that we can apply the same techniques. They're getting it to reverse within 15 overs, which is killing us. And as for the batting: we miss Symonds, Gilchrist and Warne at 6, 7 and 8. Now we have Watson (who's had 1 good innings), Haddin (same as Watson) and White (can't bat at test level). They're just not good enough, especially when India have Ganguly, Dhoni and Harbhajan at those positions. With a better middle-lower order, the top order wouldn't feel as pressured.

Got a letter today from the club asking me to sign up. But I thought, when I re-newed my MCC membership, that they offered MCC/MFC memberships. Did anyone else think that?

I never knew this survey existed. Glad I could have my say.

Surely the AFL is smarter than that. Surely they wouldn't schedule 3 games that are almost certain to draw 20,000 or less (I speak of Freo, W.C. and Port). The Adelaide match won't get more than 25,000 either. I don't think I can believe that. I'd say both the AFL and Melbourne would prefer to see us go interstate more if it means less games like these where we don't draw a crowd. That would be because Collingwood supporters always go to their matches. Always. They averaged in the 50,000s for home games this year. Even when they suck, they still draw crowds. Melbourne doesn't.

(edit) Gardiner played one final out of three, had no influence, and did nothing to stem the Geelong tide.

5/9 is woeful. Hayden's was a poor shot considering it was the last over before tea. Katich's, being the last ball before tea, was worse. Hussey's was incredibly poor, especially for someone like Hussey. If Clarke and Haddin are still there at lunch, then maybe we're a chance (to draw).

5 of the best: 1. 2000 Qualifying Final vs Carlton: this screwed up the football community's general thought that the GF would be Ess v Carl by forcing Carlton into Essendon's Preliminary Final. 2. 2006 Elimination Final vs St Kilda: I was sitting top floor of the members, completely surrounded by Saints supporters. Seeing the smiles wiped off their faces when we hit the lead was great. Highlights include Gehrig vs Carroll, McLean's hip and shoulder against Koschitkze and McLean's goal after the arrogant Hudgton tried to shepherd, but hit him in the face. 3. Come back vs Fremantle 2008: never thought 19,000 supporters could sound so loud. 4. Rounds 20, 21 and 22, 2005: BBP sums these three games up beautifully a few posts back. 5. Queen's Birthday, 2004: down by quite a bit in the 3rd quarter, only to mount a successful last quarter comeback to knock the Pies off. Inspiration was Nathan Brown's tongue injury at half time.

On a similar topic: Melbourne prepare for backyard blitz Prendergast basically says we won't be going to new markets for new talent.

Wow, someone updated the list!

Prendergast: One of those things is that you don't have a 'go home' factor. That's because the players that you actually get into your organisation love your footy club. I don't agree with that. I think there have been enough instances of players looking for a change of club to their home state to suggest that the 'go home factor' exists.

Every one of those comments re: Gardiner is wrong. Shows how much you know. People need to realise that players get delisted for a reason.

Here we go again. Sehwag seemingly edges behind, Haddin sure of it, Johnson too, yet Asad Rauf gives nothing. Radio, cricinfo and TV all suggest it was out. Now let begin the debate over TV referrals (which I believe will be present in the Australian home series). Edit: Ha! And to add to our frustration, Siddle then gets Sehwag plumb in front, but it was a no ball.