The Panglossian

Despite this great start, I'm not 100% confident.

I might have a nibble at the $12. for SA.

As you suggest, Titan, the Aust batting is thin apart from Warner and Smith.

We've been pretty competitive v. Port on the Adelaide Oval, though we haven't beaten them there yet.

The first AFL game there (?2012 or 2013) we lost by about a point, but we actually won. The home town bias of the umpires that day was beyond belief.

3 hours ago, AngryAtCasey said:

Anyone catch any of Day 1 yesterday?

Rolled the Lankans for 117 and 2/66 at stumps when rain hit.  Wickets were shared.

I must say I was concerned with Joe Burns dismissal.  He didn't look to have any idea against Herath.

Herath's a good bowler.

It was a good tactical move to bring him on in gthe second over. It probably caught Burns by surprise.  A poor shot, but I wouldn't write him off on the strength of that one dismissal.

Warner's shot was a shocker, but I always think bat to pad to stumps is a bit stiff.

1 hour ago, Vagg said:

Mono there was a more recent exponent of the art.  Danny Hughes used to use the drop kick out of full back with great aplomb.  Think he was pretty much the last guy at the MFC to use it.

Are you sure that's right, Barrie?

I reckon Danny played after the drop kick had faded out.

But he could barrel them with a torp. And he was so tough!

Tassie did the big drops.

Torpedoes are banned by coaches, yet they allow dribble "check side " kicks with players running into open goals.

Players love practising those fiddly skills like curvy dribble kicks from impossible angles. You see AFL players (and kids in parks) spending lots  of time having fun practising those things.

I contend that training and practising in the special skill of spiral punting should be a routine part of AFL  skills drills, which would be thoroughly enjoyed by the players.

I think it could be worth 2 or 3 goals a match if all Melbourne players were the best in the league at torpedoes.

Have a look at "Fork ''em's" You tube post above. See how inspiring those torps were !

Demonlanders will yawn that I'm on my old hobby horse again, but there was  an interesting incident yesterday involving Jeff Garlett doing a torp.

The ball ended up at our full forward line, but had to be relayed back to a player with a free outside 50.  Garlett had the ball right on the full back line. He effortlessly torpedoed the ball 65 m back to the waiting Demon.  Yet I'm sure that if Jeff had to have a set shot from 45, he'd pass it off, knowing he couldn't make the distance with a drop punt.

I think players should practise torpedoes,since there are occasions when they'd be the kick of choice.  e.g.  a set shot from 55 after the siren, or running from defence and spotting a forward 60 metres downfield requiring a kick over the back. Dunny occasionally lets one go from full back, and critics complain it often comes straight back. But in a situation when you're, say 3 goals down with three min to go, it's worth a "punt"( a torpedo punt!)

Coaches ban torps ,because they're  so liable to come off the side of the boot and create a turnover. However this unpredictability can be an advantage, creating "chaos" near the goals. Would anyone ever argue that turnovers   never occur with drop punts?

With current players' skill levels, and the large amount of time they have to practise skills, I think torps  should be part of our training programme.

I'm suggesting a "torpedo-inspired  recovery!"

3 hours ago, jako13 said:

What if the voice call of touched was a player.... as a defender you should assume the voice was anyone's and play it through until a whistle has actually sounded. If our players Sheppard it through instead of punch it through then they are just dumb footballers

The umpires have high-pitched, squeaky voices!

I reckon we'd have won but for the 11 from Johnsons first ball.

No balls must be avoided at all cost.

I saw Lyon at the movies a couple of weeks ago. He was with his sons. They looked pretty porky...not like sportsmen at all.

They're by Lyon from Brett Lovett's sister, correct? Perhaps they've inherited Brett's body shape. I hope they can play like him or the Loin chop!

Did anyone else hear Freddie Flintoff drop the C... word when he failed to put away a loose ball while batting in the BBL last night?

Mark Waugh and Gilly tried to cover it up humorously by saying "yes, he said he tried to CUT that one , didn't he" !

I don't know how they managed not to burst out laughing.

There are no words that can suitably describe that effort from Rhino.

If anyone stayed up to watch it, I am extremely jealous.

I had no work on Thurs am so I stayed up. When I went to bed at 3.15, I couldn't get to sleep because my heart was still pounding!

There was huge irony when Phillander was given not out caught at short leg, because his hand was adjudged by the third ump to not be in contact with the bat when the ball hit his thumb.

We lost the (?2005 or 2009)Ashes because Kasprowicz was given out caught behind when his hand wasn't on the bat, and we only needed about 2 to win!

It looked like we were going to not win this series ,due to the DRS preventing this error from being repeated.

However it wasn't clear enough from multiple replays, to overturn the umpire's decision , in my opinion.

With 4 overs to go, and two wickets to get, it was hard to be optimistic. The bowlers looked so tired.

I was cursing the time wasted the previous day when Doolan couldn't hit it off the square. Also the time lost due to rain early in the Test, which wasn't entirely made up for by the early starts .

I also felt Clarke under -bowled Smith.What did it matter if he served up some tripe and got belted? We had so many runs to spare.

Great article by Chris Cordner in the Age today ,criticizing the Australian Test team for their sledging and general behaviour.

I agree with him that we can beat the English without this boorish larrikinism.

In fact, I think sledging increases the steely resolve of the opposition ,usually.

Let's pretend we're nice guys to Steyn, Morkel, Philander etc. They won't have the broken morale the Englishmen displayed when things started going against them for a change.

Happy to say i was proved wrong by Haddin.

He kept wicket well and batted like a champ.

I hope Wade replaces him in time (only due to the MFC connection)

Hey Biff, what's Wade's MFC connection?

Does he barrack for the Dees?

If so, I can't help but hope he becomes Haddin's replacement,though I hope that's not too soon.

Haddin has really improved his keeping in his thirties, so it's not too late for Wade.

Yes we have a batting weakness.

Watson and Bailey have been sub par in the first innings in all 3 games.

But putting a score on the board first up is important. Chasing is always harder.

Harris is gone.

And we have to bat last.

We have given them the game!!

Absolutely right, WYL.

And I reckon it was a gutless decision by Clarke, with our collapse for 98 last Ashes Boxing Day at the forefront of his mind.

He saw the clouds and a bit if moisture in the pitch and didn't have the confidence in his batsmen to tough it out for a session then benefit from the huge advantage of RUNS ON THE BOARD.

We might still win this game, but it will take a heroic effort, instead of cruising to a trouncing like in the first three tests.

Let's hope we win the toss again, bat first again, and storm to 4 nil, with Warner smashing a ton in a big partnership with Rogers.

We have to make up for that debacle in the last Boxing Day Ashes Test......what a huge disappointment that was!

Oh no!

Let's hope we win the toss again, bat first again, and storm to 4 nil, with Warner smashing a ton in a big partnership with Rogers.

We have to make up for that debacle in the last Boxing Day Ashes Test......what a huge disappointment that was!

Harry Trott suffered mental seizures that may well been epilepsy or alcoholic in origin.He was in the prime of his career at 31-nearly the same age as his distant relative.He was Captain of Australia at the time ,having returned victorious from an ashes tour .He was born in Collingwood ,played for South Melbourne ,Victoria and Australia.He recovered from a long stint at Kew to captain his state again.His story is extremely sad.There was an oval named in his honour in Albert Park which has since been removed by parks Vic.

Are you saying that Jonathon is a distant relative of the 19th century Trotts? Where did you hear that? Interesting!

For the history buffs-this is not the first time a Trott has walked away from test cricket in his prime due to mental stress.Can anyone name the other time ,player, circumstances etc.

Perhaps Harry Trott was shell-shocked?

No I just googled him,and he finished cricket long before WW1.

His brother Albert committed suicide 4 years after retiring from cricket.

You're not referring to Marcus Trescowthick trotting back home , are you?

I reckon one of the crucial decisions in the first Test was Clarke's courageous choice to bat first. There always appears to be greenness in first morning wickets, tempting captains to bowl.

But if you get runs on the board....even an average total, the pressure goes firmly on the opposition.

Also, prior to the game we all thought England had the superior spinner, so batting first was a good idea.

One slightly worrying point is that Rogers, Watson, Bailey and Smith didn't succeed with the bat(though Rogers was involved in a 60-odd opening partnership in the 2nd dig.)

We can't always rely on Haddin and Johnson with the bat, though it looks like Clarke and Warner are in for a good series.

I watched a bit of Dooland on Cricket Australia TV. He looks technically sound and reliable.

Did anyone notice how much Cook and Carberry struggled against Siddle at the start of the 2nd innings. ?Both were very lucky to survive.

Farad Ahmed 5/58 so far.....cleaning up WA tail.

?? a chance for Brisbane Test!?

I' d like to have a word to the Pom selectors,and earnestly request them to include Jayde Dernbach in their Ashes squad. Leave out Jimmy Anderson and pick Jayde!!!!!!!!

Mattie Wade has the happy knack of escaping criticism.
It's no surprise when he drops a catch or misses a stumping, since he fumbles so often in the normal run of play.
If you watch him closely, you'll see his head jerk upwards when the ball bounces, unlike top class keepers, whose heads remain still.
He's a good no.7 or 8 batsman at test level , with a terrifically flexible game(attack or defence).
I haven't seen enough of Paine, Hartley or (can't remember the NSW 2nd keeper behind Haddiin......ex Victorian.....bats well too....how old is he.?)
We need a better keeper in England.

Just thought of the NSW keeper.....Peter Neville. Went OK as a batsman when Haddin returned to the side, too. And what a great slip fielder!

I'm a disillusioned Victorian supporter.

I think we have a captain with very low intelligence.

What a catastrophic decision to send Tassie in on a perfect pitch, when all our fast bowlers were out injured, and we had the best (?only) spinner in the match.

I think it was a gutless decision. White saw a bit of greenness in the track, thought about Hilfenhaus, and tried for the easy option. He does it over and over again. There is no inspiration or leadership skill in his demeanour. And he's too scared to bowl himself, even after getting 3 for 4.

He just made enough runs at the end of the season to get another contract after a shocking first two thirds of the season.

I say drop him, and make McDonald captain if he's fit again next year.

Oh Dear, Macca.

Not a good weekend for Demon and Hammer supporters. Lucky we're used to it!

I think we might have been getting ahead of ourselves!

A bit like Ratten complaining about winning 13 and not making the Finals!!

Thanks Macca.

But I am really worried about how we'll go against the South Africans.Hope you're right!

Didn't remember you're a Hammers man!

But Chelsea have already won two...and they're ahead of us in the alphabet,so won't they be above us?