Whispering_Jack

Collingwood's strong action against Heath Shaw and Alan Didak on the eve of the 2008 was said by many to be the making of the club as a premiership team just two years later. The Tigers might want to reflect on that when they complete their investigation of Martin's conduct and I'm sure the AFL will be an interested party as well given the number of women who attend the football. You only need to look at the problems soccer is suffering as a result of the alienation of certain supporter groups to realise the potential danger to the game if the issue is treated in a less than serious fashion.

It's started already ... Gold Coast fighting losing battle to keep Jaeger O'Meara and Dion Prestia

It won't be easy without a first round draft pick.

Tom Baker ... Doctor Who?

Ainsworth and Simpkin are the AIS/AFL Academy members training with Melbourne this week. Academy talent pool out to impress at AFL clubs

You seem to forget that one of the main objections some had about her at the time was not so much for her reporting of fact but for the way in which she blurred the line between fact and opinion so that her journalism on the so-called "tanking saga" became editorial dressed up as reporting of fact. Hence, for example, an anonymous person's observation that Cameron Schwab appeared "ashen faced" when Melbourne won its second game of the season was somehow conclusive proof of "tanking" or when Chris Connolly stuck his head into a meeting for 30 seconds in the "vault" and joked about it, she dramatised the meeting into something it was not. We now know of course, that her source for the latter was a disgruntled former employee with an axe to grind against her club. Nevertheless, we're still free to draw our own conclusions. In her latest report on the Essendon saga, she's telling a narrative about evidence given by players at the CAS hearing. Whilst I agree there isn't enough context given about the evidence and how it was introduced, it hasn't been contested anywhere that the players gave evidence on the question of their knowledge, that the judges were "troubled" by what they heard or that separate tests on two Bomber players found heightened levels of TB4 (which is in fact old news). Whether that's enough to create comfortable satisfaction as to the player's guilt remains to be seen but it doesn't mean by accepting Wilson's reporting of what she was told about some aspects of the CAS hearing, that people necessarily should accept her methods and the way she conducted her inquisition into what happened at Melbourne.

Not really.

If "time served" is taken into account, one hopes that it's noted that in this case, the time was out of season and involved a few relatively meaningless NAB Challenge games and the players could otherwise train and keep themselves fit for the season.

http://snpy.tv/1TowcXK

It's not clear from Caro's article why the players were called upon to testify but when a court or tribunal finds some of the evidence "troubling" you would have to start feeling somewhat uncomfortable if you are charged with an offence. I was already comfortably satisfied about the players' guilt but this new "evidence" doesn't seem to help the players because there are certain inferences now open to CAS upon which to draw in considering the guilt of the players that probably weren't taken into account by the Tribunal. It wouldn't help the players on the question of their penalty if found guilty if CAS concluded that the players failed to mention the so called "good thymosin" when discussing the supplements they had taken. After all, the obligation on the part of the players to be aware of what they have ingested into their bodies is paramount. Not looking good for Jobe; nor for 11 others at his club and a few elsewhere including one at Melbourne. In recent times, I've felt that the players might get off lightly because of the way the saga has dragged on (much of it due to the way their club, coaches and officials conducted themselves) but I can't see them getting off without serving some significant time. And as for Hird and Reid - they rightfully should, as suggested above, be suffering from loose bowel movements ATM.

The Demons aren't fancied to improve according to the Premiership market courtesy of sportsbet.com.au $4.00 Hawthorn (steady) $6.00 West Coast (out from $5.20) $9.00 Fremantle (out from $8.00) $10.00 Geelong (in from $34) $11.00 Port Adelaide (in from $15) $12.00 Sydney (out from $6.70) $13.00 Richmond (out from $11.50) $18.00 North Melbourne (out from $15) Western Bulldogs (in from $18.50) $21.00 Adelaide (in from $34) $23.00 Collingwood (in from $34) $23.00 GWS (steady) $51.00 Gold Coast (out from $23) $67.00 Essendon (out from $44) $101.00 Melbourne (out from $95) St Kilda (out from $64) $151.00 Brisbane (steady) $251.00 Carlton (steady) Punters Say Geelong Cats Got Recruiting Raid Right

He might - after all, there was a fairly good precedent set this year with AVB who also came from the NEAFL.

No mother didn't care for football but she did have a role to play and it's mentioned in one of the earlier chapters which is in the archives section. Christmas 1954 and a visit to Myers with my cousin and aunt. They bought us each a tie with a Melbourne player kicking a footy ... I've never looked back.

Are you certain? Next year happens to be a leap year.

I get the feeling that very few of our new recruits to the AFL will be getting games this year other than with the Casey Scorpions aside from Clayton Oliver who looks to me to pass the test of AFL readiness. Of course, Christian Petracca who has been on the list for 12 months should debut but there are about half a dozen others who need to develop physically, mentally and skills wise in order to get to wear the guernsey (outside perhaps the NAB Challenge). Sam Weideman appears to be lightly framed and, coming off the stress fractures to the ankle, will need time. The two Kings will remain well behind Max Gawn, Jake Spencer and a couple of the back ups who combine forward work with brief ruck stints. It's make or break for Jayden Hunt who needs to show that he's finally over the back problems that held his development back in his first two seasons. Both Hulett and Wagner will be stepping up a significant level from where they played this year into the VFL. All in all, most of our recruits to AFL have a lot of work to do to get out of "nowhere". Besides, three players traded into the club and the handful of those who missed all or large slabs of 2015 through injury would also be ahead of them. I think that's ultimately a good thing because it allows these youngsters to develop at their own pace without pressure which was also an important aspect of the was Roos nurtured players with much success when he was with the Swans.

And awaaaay we go ... Geelong Falcon Alex Witherden shapes as future first-round draft selection Can't wait for the first phantom draft

The question about the possibility of sanctions against Melksham was asked of Jason Taylor at the club's recent pre draft function and the response was that the club had advice that the possibility of any major sanction was low. I don't know what source such advice came from but, after a long time in the law, I can say that I would never give that advice to anyone.

There is no shortage of former Melbourne players still running around in the Northern Territory Football League. Brent Moloney makes his debut today joining Austin Wonaemirri and John Meesen at the Tiwi Bombers. Moloney pumped for NTFL debut at Tiwi Bombers

And Schwabbie's lawyers could be lurking as well so to save your house, I've deleted your defamatory remark.

Taken by the Bulldogs - they should have kept Daniel Cross two years ago. Their loss - our gain.

Shannon Byrnes won't be with Casey next year, at least in a playing capacity. I read that he's signed to play elsewhere.

Welcome back Viv ... (did he ever leave?)

Wasn't it Wayne Read who made that statement about Fabulous Phil?

Wallis is a father/son pre selection (we could have done the same with Jake Lovett had we chosen to rookie him). The others are presumably within the respective clubs' academy areas and therefore eligible for preselection.

Paige Cardona lists her Top 20 Rookie Prospects. Since we have pick 6, it's certain that a majority of the players on this list will be available to us but I have a feeling we have another outside the square selection coming up. If we take one of these players, perhaps it might be someone who started off 2015 unfit or didn't quite have a full season at TAC Cup level at least - to match the four we picked up in the National Draft. The following players have been pre selected in the rookie draft - Reuben William (BL), Tom Wallis (Ess), Jesse Joyce (GC), Kyle Galloway & Sam Murray (Syd).