Whispering_Jack

Where's O'Keefe been?

Just listened to the tape and don't understand the drama. Nothing new and it seems to me that it demonstrates that the AFL and the EFC were doing their level best to make a deal that would have circumvented the anti doping rules.

I'm reporting this to Adrian Anderson. He'll fix it all up ... no, wait.

The Plaintiff in this case must think the Supreme Court justices are a humourless lot and in need of some laughter which is, after all, the best medicine. Another windfall for the legal fraternity from the gift that keeps on giving.

Precisely.

There's black and white and there are shades of gray in between. It seems to me that there's a conflict between the opinions of some of Gysberts' teammates if we're to believe what's been expressed here:- demoniac - "According to one of his Melbourne team mates he just did not have the work ethic required. Same team mate ask Gysberts to train with him in the offseason and do all the sessions in an effort to lift his endurance and intensity in preparation for pre season. Fair to say Gysberts did not quite commit." Vogon Poetry - "Gysberts was an introvert and was crushed by the hostile atmosphere generated by Neeld and his philosophy. This has been confirmed to me by both players and staff who were there at the time." Dean Bailey was Gysberts' first coach and had him for two years during which time the player showed he had the natural talent that made him a first round draft pick but also the limitations as mentioned in earlier posts. The off season to which demoniac is referring most likely was 2011-2 which is when Neeld took over the reins at the club so there were issues that were well and truly embedded by the time Neeld arrived. I would suggest that an introvert who had limitations and was already shunning the opportunity to take part in a regime of self-improvement would have fared no better under the coaching of Paul Roos or Simon Goodwin than he did under Mark Neeld and later under Brad Scott. The comparison between Gysberts on the one hand and Petracca and Oliver on the other is ludicrous because the latter two have already demonstrated their desire for self-improvement and are already showing the benefits of that. So who should we blame? Was it Bailey, Neeld, the hostile atmosphere in a dysfunctional club, poor recruiting and list management, "burn out", Gysberts himself or the tooth fairy? Upon whose judgement do we rely to make the call? I suspect that it was a combination of a number of factors and issues that beset him and indeed the club going back a number of years that led us to the uncomfortable period we've experienced since our last finals appearance. Thankfully, those days are behind us and to bring us back to the discussion at hand - the areas in which we have improved immeasurably are coaching and recruiting. Kelly is going to be a great player but the trade that netted us Tyson, Salem and ultimately Hunt (as Redleg has pointed out) works for me.

The SA Under 18 trials got under way today -MCDONALD’S SA U18 TRIAL TEAMS For the record, the first trial game was close with the Blue Team beating the Red Team 11.6.72 to 10.7.67.

Proof http://www.demonland.com/images/fiji.jpg

In Fiji. Bananas everywhere.

It's possible to look at this situation in different ways. James Hird is a human being, a husband and a father who has attempted to take his life. In that respect, I think most other reasonable human beings should be looking at how he can be best helped to overcome whatever it is that brought him to that place. If he had a broken leg, it wouldn't be hard for us to understand that he needs proper medical attention, possibly an operation, followed by rest and recuperation. Mental illness is somewhat more complex but I see no reason why people need to go into whether or not he "brought all of this on himself" - we simply don't know and it's irrelevant at this point in time. In my view, the general community, the football fraternity and in particular the Essendon Football Club and its supporters should all be working together to help him in any possible way they can which at this stage is not to do or say too much, to leave it to the health professionals and let him know they have everyone's full support in his quest to get better. That's what I would expect we should be doing in the case of a broken leg and this is no different. I've always maintained that Essendon played this saga out very poorly. Hird was part of that but we can't even say definitively whether it was the factor that brought him to the place he currently occupies. However, I don't think the recriminations and finger pointing in the media from his father, lawyer and some Essendon supporters and others playing the blame game is going to help anyone - neither Hird, the Essendon Football Club or the sport itself.

The thread was reopened on the basis of the reported improvement in Hird's condition. That does not mean that it is open for people to be insensitive to his mental condition or that of others who suffer similarly. Please don't offend here. Discussion on other aspects including Hird Senior's comments is topical and permitted as long as it doesn't stray over the red lines alluded to in the opening paragraph.

It's most likely pretty well irrelevant at this stage. He's suffering from something where there's a lot to be done before he can deal with what happened at Essendon. This is personal, we should wish him well in his recovery and leave him alone for now ...

This sounds very sensitive ... please be careful about what you write.

I drove past the Elwood Canal last night near the Elsternwick Golf Course and the canal had broken its banks and flooded the southern end. If you're planning on a quick round of golf there today, I think you can forget it.

The Age article doesn't seem to present a firewall problem - The Block 'in serious negotiations' over sale of Gatwick Hotel. According to Victoria Police - ""The Gatwick has been a part of St Kilda's rich history and very much a part of policing within St Kilda."

Happy to make it early 2017. Mr Leg canceled so it's his job to reorganise.

Yes and GWS put a lot of development into the kid who comes from AFL heartland in Albury and plays for the Murray Bushrangers. His father Paul played for North Melbourne and Brisbane and his grandfather Bob played finals with Footscray. How much work are the Giants are putting into Brander who is with Bendigo Pioneers. Jack Powell is from Canberra which has had a strong local competition for aeons. Lovely. I don't object to academy zones per se but the AFL has turned them into a joke with the pretence that they're meant to help foster and develop talent in areas underexposed to the game.

I thought you had been banned from partaking in pizzas Red. Something to do with the number of kgs displayed on your scales.? I also attended that evening and can confirm that McCartney was a very special presenter who is really positive about the direction of the club and particularly about our younger brigade. Declan's in good hands.

Then you would most likely enjoy this one pitmaster:- Casey Scorpions favourite and key forward Tim Smith gets a shot at the AFL

Dank's has to go into the history books as the greatest coward in Aussie sport. He not only failed to get himself off but, despite his bluster, never lifted a finger to deliver on his oft repeated promise to help players get off. Weak.

Declan drafted as a rookie to join Tim Smith - we know him well also!!! A big day for Scorpions recruits as Oscar McInerney was also taken by Brisbane.

Our second rookie draft pick for 2017 and we know him well. He's the Bull!!!

The AFL site's Callum Twomey is one step behind us but he has put out an interesting article about the leading prospects for next year:- Ten to watch in 2017: Looking forward to next year's draft stars

Is it ever too early to start talking about the next draft? Not in my book - especially as the Demons now own a first round draft pick in the 2017 AFL Draft. And I'm not going out on a limb when I nominate Eastern Ranges forward Jaydin Stephenson (DOB: 15/1/1999 Ht: 188cm Wt: 76kg) as one of the sure things for that draft. Stephenson burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old in last year's TAC Cup finals and booted three goals in a losing team in the grand final. He has enjoyed another consistent season and shapes up as one of next year’s most exciting prospects. Naturally Stephenson is a member of the AFL Academy squad:- LEVEL TWO NAB AFL ACADEMY (draft-eligible 2017) Vic Country: Tyrone Hayes, Aaron Darling, Kane Farrell, Aidan Quigley, Lochie O'Brien, Hunter Clark, Luke Davies-Uniake, Oscar Clavarino, James Worpel, Tom De Koning Vic Metro: Jack Higgins, Lachlan Fogarty, Patrick Naish, Joel Garner, Jaidyn Stephenson, Sam Hayes South Australia: Jordan Houlahan, Darcy Fogarty, Thomas Schmusch, Callum Coleman-Jones, Andrew McPherson Western Australia: Jake Patmore NSW-ACT: Charlie Spargo, Jack Powell, Jarrod Brander, Nathan Richards Queensland: Jack Clayton, Connor Ballenden, Brayden Crossley Northern Territory: Dominic Grant Father-son trio headlines Academy squad The signs are that next year's draft will be strong at the elite level and, unlike yesterday's midfield draft, there will be some good tall prospects in the mix. Tall prospects head latest AFL Academy additions As for Stephenson, he suffered a late-season set back when he broke a hand at training and missed the AFL's Under 17 All Stars match but will be back in action for TAC Cup season 2017 and close to #1 (but of course we're all expecting our first pick to be in the high teens). 2017 AFL Draft Prospects Top prospects on show in U17 Futures Game

And in a shock development that caught the rest of the world by surprise, Stephen Dank failed to file the required paperwork today as required by the AFL anti-doping appeal board.