Whispering_Jack

This is a new one

Statistics Casey had substantially more possessions, more inside 50s and more of everything except free kicks and scores on the board. The free kick situation seems to be a recurring problem. Is that due to a lack of discipline? * D. Barry 1 goal 1 behind 16 disposals 10 kicks 6 handballs 6 marks 2 tackles 75 Dream Team Points * S. Blease 23 disposals 18 kicks 5 handballs 5 marks 1 tackle 83 Dream Team Points * M. Evans 2 goals 26 disposals 11 kicks 15 handballs 4 marks 4 tackles 103 Dream Team Points * J. Fitzpatrick 1 goal disposals 11 kicks 7 handballs 7 marks 23 hit outs 98 Dream Team Points * A. Georgiou 15 disposals 7 kicks 8 handballs 2 marks 4 tackles 51 Dream Team Points * J. Harmes 16 disposals 6 kicks 10 handballs 4 marks 1 tackles 45 Dream Team Points * J. Hunt 2 behinds 12 disposals 6 kicks 6 handballs 2 marks 1 tackle 39 Dream Team Points * D. Kent 1 goal 1 behind 28 disposals 18 kicks 10 handballs 6 marks 1 tackle 1 hit out 101 Dream Team Points * J. McKenzie 30 disposals 12 kicks 18 handballs 5 marks 6 tackles 108 Dream Team Points * V. Michie 2 behinds 31 disposals 18 kicks 13 handballs 7 marks 1 tackle 108 Dream Team Points * D. Nicholson 1 goal 26 disposals 9 kicks 17 handballs 6 marks 4 tackles 102 Dream Team Points * J. Strauss 20 disposals 13 kicks 7 handballs 6 marks 2 tackles 79 Dream Team Points * L. Tapscott 1 behind 23 disposals 16 kicks 7 handballs 7 marks 84 Dream Team Points

2014 Peter Jackson VFL Casey Scorpions 4.6.30 7.9.51 8.10.58 9.12.66 Coburg 2.0.12 6.2.38 9.3.57 11.8.74 Goals Casey Scorpions Evans 2 Barry Best Fitzpatrick Kent Nicholson Rosier Smith Coburg Featherstone 4 Anderson Christensen 2 Carnell McConnell Robertella Best Casey Scorpions Michie Evans Fitzpatrick Tapscott Nicholson Kent Coburg Featherstone Linton McConnell Blair Sturgess Christensen Statistics McKenzie 35 Michie 34 Evans 30 Kent 27 Blease Nicholson Tapscott 23 Strauss 22 2014 AFL Victoria Development League Casey Scorpions 3.3.21 6.4.40 8.7.55 10.10.70 Coburg 4.3.27 10.5.65 12.6.78 13.9.87 Goals Casey Scorpions Lang 5 Gawley J McDonald Murray Rennie Saunders Coburg Brancatisano Cleary Morrow 2 Boyd Bzenic Hemala Madden Lindon Rogers Van Der Byl Best Casey Scorpions Lang Corry Saunders J. McDonald Thwaites Welsh Coburg Hemala Brancatisano Brandt Rogers Phelps Golding

We're on a roll ... everyone in Baja California knows we beat the Tiges and they're happy drinking Tequilas to celebrate ... so tell us about the game. A Tale of Two Cities by George on the Outer credit Charles Dickens……re-written Paul Roos It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way... How apt are those words to describe the Demons fate for the past years. A team going nowhere….to Heaven or Hell. And indeed it has been the worst of times where the spring of hope was dashed by the winter of despair. But now the Tale of Two Cities has been re-written by Paul Roos. No longer is it London and Paris, but rather Sydney and Melbourne! We all know the Sydney story. A 72 year Premiership drought broken by Roos as coach. He adopted a relentless, structured, disciplined approach to the way football was played, and turned a group of ordinary, average footballers into ruthless role-players. What we saw in the game against Richmond, with his new charges, the Melbourne Demons, was a replica of the same formula. Players who last year were headed for the scrap heap, are re-born as integral cogs in the Roos machine. With the 3rd win for the Season the Demons have already exceeded their output for 2013, but it is the style of play that will win more, much more in the remainder of 2014. Today the standout was Cam Pedersen who marked and fought for everything that came his way. Only credited with 8 marks, most of them would have been contested with a 2 goal output to his balance sheet. 12 months ago he moved around the ground at glacial pace: today he is a different player and truly ripped the game apart at critical moments. Interestingly, it was probably the inclusion of Max Gawn that benefitted Pedersen most. Instead of having to pinch hit in the ruck, he was courtesy of Gawn, able to play a lethal role around the ground and in the forward line. Watts, Jamar, Vince, Tyson, Viney, Jones, Cross, Dawes, Salem……etc…..It was difficult to single out others for exceptional efforts, because there were simply so many contributors. This was the first time for many, many years that Demon supporters were not able to walk away from the game saying that player A or B failed to contribute. Today there were no spuds!!! And unlike previous Melbourne teams, when the opposition got back within 4 points in the last quarter, it would have signaled another capitulation. But not this Roos led team. They simply dug deeper, and now believe that once they have their noses in front, they never get beaten. Just like Sydney…. So now with what is unfolding before our eyes, is it too much to hope for a similar outcome in this new Roos fairytale? Sydney had to wait 72 years. We are at 50 and counting down!! RICHMOND 2.3 4.8 6.16 9.20 (74) MELBOURNE 1.3 4.5 9.6 14.7 (91) GOALS Richmond: Lennon 2, Edwards 2, Jackson, Riewoldt, Martin, Lloyd, Cotchin Melbourne: Watts 3, Tyson 2, Pedersen 2, N. Jones, M. Jones, Riley, Dawes, Viney, Vince, Kennedy-Harris BEST Richmond: Martin, Deledio, Jackson, Cotchin, Melbourne: Tyson, N. Jones, Pedersen, Viney, Dawes, Howe, Watts INJURIES Richmond: Astbury (left knee), Cotchin (ankle) Melbourne: Neville Jetta (Gastro) replaced in selected side by Jimmy Toumpas. SUBSTITUTES Richmond: Shaun Hampson replaced by Ben Lennon in the third quarter Melbourne: Aidan Riley replaced by Jay Kennedy-Harris in the third quarter Reports: Nil Umpires: Fisher, Nicholls, Ryan Official crowd: 56,960 at the MCG

You know the drill ...

Sorry I can't be with you folks but I'm sailing off the coast of Baja California in a southerly direction to Cabo San Lucas and its Friday afternoon here so I can safely tip the Swans to win the Friday night AFL game. Hope the Dees win too and that Maxy does well!!!

Sue - the investigator's lack of funding as part of the reason for delays is still not a valid argument. The test is whether the delay is so extreme as to impair the investigating body's capacity to assess the subject matter and circumstances of its enquiry? I think not. The only time you could maintain it IMO would be if the investigator(s) are completely remiss in carrying out their duties in such a way that it constitutes an abuse. Here, whilst the players might have cooperated with the investigation. Dank, a former employee of EFC, certainly didn't and hasn't co-operated, Essendon hasn't (missing records?) and the AFL has carried on in self preservation mode rather than in the spirit of co-operation. It's hindered the enquiry. If you accept Galbally's argument you would ensure that the cheats in a club environment would almost always get away - they would need only to follow the Essendon blueprint. Hide or lose the evidence and blame everybody but yourself.

Harmes impressed me in a few of his games earlier in the season before he punctured his lung. The week before he was injured he picked up around 30 possessions and I had him marked down as a possible rookie elevation later in the season. I think he's ahead of Jayden Hunt who will need a lot more development time. Harmes, I think could possibly play AFL next year.

Melbourne ventured out to Windy Hill on Saturday, 16 May, 1964 for what was considered a danger game against an Essendon which had beaten the reigning premier Geelong a week earlier. The Demons were off target all day but a five goal last quarter saw their comfortable return to the winning list in front of a crowd of 27,000. Melbourne 1.6.12 2.10.22 5.18.48 10.25.85 Essendon 2.0.12 4.4.28 5.7.37 7.11.53 THE TEAM B: Neil Crompton Bernie Massey Bob "Tassie" Johnson HB: Tony Anderson Brian Roet Brian Leahy C: Graeme Watson "Hassa" Mann Frank "Bluey" Adams HF: Bryan Kenneally Ray Groom Barrie Vagg F: Graeme Jacobs Barry Bourke John Townsend FOLL: Graham Wise Ron Barassi Ken Emselle 19/20: Rob Foster Herb Matthews Goals Ron Barassi Barry Bourke Hassa Mann Barrie Vagg 2 Ray Groom Graeme Jacobs Best Tony Anderson Neil Crompton Graeme Watson Hassa Mann Ken Emselle Bryan Kenneally The Bombers troubled the visitors in the first half but they were clearly dominated after the main break in a game in which defenders Crompton and Anderson dominated proceedings. The game marked the debut of the late Rob Foster who passed away recently. Melbourne won all three divisions played that day against Essendon - seniors, reserves and under 19s. Best player for the under 19 team was Bob Stewart who won the team's best and fairest award in 1964 and made his senior debut in the opening round of 1966 wearing the famous #2 and playing 17 games before being cleared to Prahran in April 1968. Stewart is a deep thinker about the game - Worlds of football conference

Melbourne might well have improved significantly in 2014 and that improvement might continue over the rest of the season but the drafts and trading period at the end of the season will still be important as part of sustaining the benefits going into the future. To that end the AFL Under 18 Championships which begin at the weekend will be a significant pointer to the type of player the club will be looking at in November. The first game is at Visy Park on Sunday morning. The fixture - DIVISION ONE Round 1 Vic Country vs Vic Metro @ Visy Park May 18, 11am South Australia vs Western Australia @ AAMI Stadium May 24, 12pm Round 2 Western Australia vs Vic Metro @ Medibank Stadium May 31, 11am South Australia vs Vic Country @ AAMI Stadium June 1, 11.30am Round 3 Western Australia vs South Australia @ Medibank Stadium June 7, 11am Vic Metro vs Vic Country @ Visy Park June 8, 11am Round 4 South Australia vs Vic Metro @ AAMI Stadium June 14, 11am Western Australia vs Vic Country @ Fremantle Oval June 15, 11am Round 5 Vic Metro vs Western Australia @ Simonds Stadium June 27, 12.35pm Vic Country vs South Australia @ Simonds Stadium June 27, 2.35pm Round 6 Vic Country vs Western Australia @ Etihad Stadium July 2, 5.35pm Vic Metro vs South Australia @ Simonds Stadium July 3, 1.15pm DIVISION TWO Round 1 Tasmania vs Queensland @ Blacktown June 21, 10.30am NSW/ACT vs Northern Territory @ Blacktown June 21, 12.50pm Round 2 Northern Territory vs Queensland @ Visy Park June 28, 12pm NSW/ACT vs Tasmania @ Visy Park June 28, 2.15pm Round 3 Queensland vs NSW/ACT @ Etihad Stadum July 2, 3.35pm Northern Territory vs Tasmania @ Simonds Stadium July 3, 11am

The news this week of the impending issue of show cause notices has once again raised concerns about the fairness or otherwise of possible sanctions against players accused of ingesting prohibited substances. There is a concern that this occurred without a deliberate decision on their part and it's therefore unfair that they should be charged, especially after a long drawn out investigation, but this is almost completely irrelevant under the World Anti-Doping Code and furthermore, if the length of the investigation is determined partly or wholly by the actions of the parties involved they don't deserve any consideration for that either. The principle of "strict liability" applies to the WADA Code meaning that athletes are ultimately responsible for any substances found in their bodies regardless of how they came to be there (the one exception being the case of a substance administered in a hospital to an unconscious athlete) - see AFL (WADA) Drug Code This would seem to eliminate the arguments put in defence of the players involved in the Essendon situation. They claim they don't know what was injected but strict liability means athletes have a responsibility to know what they ingest - see hereThe rationale for the strict liability principle was set out in a Court of Arbitration for Sport case, Quigley v UIT: The strict liability principle does not cater for the careless or ill-informed player, it does not cater for the unwitting consumption of contaminated supplements or the use of a banned substance not intended to enhance performance.Another area where there is confusion about Anti-Doping Rule Violations is that many think a positive doping test is essential to prove a violation took place but this is not the case - see here Doping, as defined by the Code, is the occurrence of one or more of the following anti-doping rule violations: * The Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athletes Sample. * Use or attempted use by an athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method. * Refusing or failing without compelling justification to submit to Sample collection after notification as authorized in applicable anti-doping rules or otherwise evading Sample collection. * Violation of applicable requirements regarding Athlete availability for Out-of-Competition Testing including failure to file required whereabouts information and missed tests which are declared based on rules which comply with the International Standard for Testing. Any combination of three missed tests and/or filing failures within an eighteen-month period as determined by Anti-Doping Organizations with jurisdiction over the Athlete shall constitute an anti-doping rule violation. * Tampering or Attempted Tampering with any part of Doping Control. * Possession of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods. * Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking in any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method. * Administration or attempted administration to any athlete In-Competition of any Prohibited Method or Prohibited Substance, or administration or attempted administration to any athlete Out-of-Competition of any Prohibited Method or any Prohibited Substance that is prohibited Out-of-Competition, or assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation or any Attempted anti-doping rule violation. Article 10 of the Code affords the athlete with the possibility of avoiding or having reduced sanctions if he or she can establish how the substance entered his or her system, demonstrate that he or she was not at fault or significant fault or in certain circumstances did not intend to enhance his or her sport performance - the burden of proof is on the athlete. No Fault or Negligence means the player needing to establish that he did not know or suspect, and could not reasonably have known or suspected even with the exercise of utmost caution, that he or she had used or been administered a prohibited substance. One of these form of violation relates to "attempted administration" and this naturally requires proof of intent. In the case of the claims against Essendon players:- * they signed "waiver" forms that listed prohibited substances; * the club purchased banned substances; * it has been suggested that there is evidence of attempts to tamper with purchase invoices; and * one player (Watson) has publicly stated that he believed he might have ingested AOD9604. The players need to prove they checked for themselves that the listed drugs were approved for their use. However, there had not been a single suggestion that any one player actually carried out an independent check to ascertain whether this was the case (despite the fact that they regularly attend education sessions on doping organised by the AFL). Checking with their own club personnel (doctors, trainers etc.) does not count - see here. [NOTE: I haven't even started with TB4] A google search on the drugs listed on the waiver forms alone would have raised alarm but apparently in this case, neither the players, the medical staff, coaches or club officials took the trouble to research the matter further or get a proper determination. Instead, they relied on Dank who claimed he got approval for the use of one of the drugs (AOD9604) from the "bowels" of ASADA. Dank has had the opportunity to produce the evidence sought which, if he's telling the truth, would have cleared the matter up without the need for such pain and concern among the players, the club and its supporters. But Dank has refused to take up the opportunity and ASADA will now act against him, the club and the players. It should be noted that virtually no athlete has had sanctions removed. Some very rarely have had sanctions reduced (ignoring reductions to 6 months for incriminating other cheating athletes which Essendon players have not done). The WADA Code is a voluntary behavioral code. People are investigated, prosecuted and judged under sovereign law merely by being a citizen, or by being in the particular jurisdiction when a crime was committed. The AFL, by voluntarily signing up to the WADA Code, accepted the provisions of the Code which are specifically different to those in sovereign law. The argument put against ASADA is that it bungled the investigation as evidenced by the length of time taken to deliver a final report. Given the resources available, the lack of co-operation of many of the parties and the complexity of the matter, does time matter that much if time is what's needed to get the truth? And if delay is what leads to "abuse of process" which should absolve offenders then the message being sent by this camp is that all you need to do to avoid being sprung for doping violations is to ensure the evidence is destroyed, that no co-operation whatsoever is afforded to the investigators and that the public be treated to a glittering display of smoke and mirrors.

Case against Dons could be challenged in court says key lawyer So now an eminent lawyer maintains that a possible defence to doping is the length of time it took to lay charges. No wonder lawyers (and I'm one of them) get rich and are generally unpopular with the public. I have a contrary view - to mount that argument would be ''abuse of process'' and I'll explain why below.

Peter Jackson VFL COBURG LIONS v CASEY SCORPIONS Sunday 18th May Piranha Park at 2.00pm COBURG LIONS B: Linton Hartley Blair HB: Clifton Fairbairn A Saad C: D Cooper Venditti Sturgess HF: Younan Featherstone Proud F: Clark Anderson Carnell FOLL: Sortino Uysal McConnell I/C: (from) Boyd Christensen* Cleary Guthrie Robertella Robinson Z Saad Thomas Totino CASEY SCORPIONS B: Toumpas, Georgiou, Blease HB: Nicholson, Panozza, Hunt C: Barry, Evans, Kent HF: Rosier, Smith, Michie F: Tapscott, Thomas, Strauss FOLL: Fitzpatrick, McKenzie, Riley I/C (from) Anderson Best Corry Ferraro Godfrey Hillard Harmes Morris Rutherford* * 23rd player Aidan Riley named for both Melbourne and Casey at the weekend. He must be very good then. AFL Victoria Development League COBURG LIONS v CASEY SCORPIONS Sunday 18th May Piranha Park at 11.00am COBURG LIONS B: Ellard J Cooper Robinson HB: Totino Boyd Robertella C: Brancatisano Phelps Dundon HF: Brandt Madden Bzenic F: Morrow Cleary Z Saad FOLL: M Taylor Guthrie Golding I/C: (from) Bean Evans Liberatore Lindon Rogers Van Der Byl Yelland CASEY SCORPIONS B: Corry Corrigan Welsh HB: Hillard Waters J McDonald C: Godfrey Morris Anderson HF: Wyatt Rennie Scott F: Paredes Shiels Lang FOLL: Thwaites Drew Ferraro I/C: (from) Gawley Symons Murray Pears Meadows Westrupp Saunders West Collins Maia Westrupp is the only MFC-listed player in the curtain raiser.

Welcome Aiden Riley!

Croweater catchup Billy Stretch

Between the lines - AFL and ASADA no longer bedfellows

Cough

If you've ever had the misfortune of having to catch a taxi in Sydney, that's really bad news for the Cronulla Sharks

The latest Melbourne injury list doesn't give us any cause for optimism about Jesse Hogan in the short term at least but it appears that a Jack Fitzpatrick has been spared major injury in the Casey game. Hogan comes back from a visit home and hopefully, we'll see some progress on his return. Here's the list from the club's site: Injury list Round 9 Jack Fitzpatrick (ankle) test James Frawley (toe/hamstring) test Jesse Hogan (back) indefinite Max King (leg) 3-4 weeks Jake Spencer (ankle) 3-4 weeks Dean Terlich (concussion) test Jack Trengove (foot) season Dean Kent should also return this week after serving a week's suspension in the VFL.

Folding is the worst possible scenario because the WADA Code provides for a club to be banned if two members are found to have committed anti doping code violations. If the club is outed from the competition for two years and is subsequently also sued by players and staff as well as investigated by WorkSafe and fined by them I can see that happening. However, I must stress that's the worst case and I don't think it's going to go that far and further, it's possible that the impending departure of a certain person in high office at the AFL might assist in achieving a better resolution for all concerned given McLaughlan is not as closely involved with the history of the matter.

The self reporting claim is the one that grates with me because it's an absolute nonsense. Essendon started this process of allegedly "co-operating" with the powers that be on the very eve of the "blackest" day announcement. By that time they had either been tipped off about what was coming or someone at the club had great intuitive powers. As to "co-operation", I don't think so and I say this for a number of reasons but foremost is the fact that there seems to be no credible explanation as to what happened to the records of what drugs were pumped into which players. The most important pieces of evidence upon which the Essendon doping programme was based have gone missing/mislaid/destroyed or whatever and the club has no explanation. Yet, they whine about the inordinate amount of time taken to wrap up the investigation? Sorry, I feel for some of their passionate fans - those who like many of us are heavily invested in their team but a great number have fallen for the tripe coming from their club and apologists in the media. I believe that there will be around 40 infraction notices affecting about a dozen of their players and a number of officials and former officials. Obviously, some players will be charged with multiple infractions. The AFL will have to be very smart about the way it handles this. The worst possible scenario is that Essendon might fold and the AFL issue another entity a licence to field a new team next year. That would be a disaster for the true die hard supporters and something nobody wants to see happen.

AOB - That's exactly where he was played in one of the games I saw him when he was with SA Under 18's in 2012 (perhaps because of the hip problems he was experiencing). He did all of the things you mentioned and was a very effective attacking defender who often followed the play (and his man) out of defence and set up scoring opportunities. If he can do that at AFL level, we have a definite asset.

Stats from the game: Dom Barry 14 disposals 7 kicks 7 handballs 2 marks 8 tackles 74 Dream Team Points Sam Blease 29 disposals 25 kicks 4 handballs 5 marks 3 tackles 110 Dream Team Points Michael Evans 24 disposals 13 kicks 11 handballs 2 marks 13 tackles 1 hit out 117 Dream Team Points Jack Fitzpatrick 2 disposals 1 kick 1 handball 1 tackle 11 hit outs 21 Dream Team Points [injured] Alexis Georgiou 10 disposals 6 kicks 4 handballs 4 tackles 42 Dream Team Points Jayden Hunt 1 goal 1 behind 14 disposals 7 kicks 7 handballs 1 mark 44 Dream Team Points Jordie McKenzie 1 behind 30 disposals 18 kicks 12 handballs 2 marks 8 tackles 110 Dream Team Points Viv Michie 1 goal 1 behind disposals 16 kicks 7 handballs 7 marks 3 tackles 1 hit out 104 Dream Team Points Dan Nicholson 22 disposals 11 kicks 11 handballs 6 marks 4 tackles 91 Dream Team Points Aidan Riley 28 disposals 6 kicks 22 handballs 1 mark 11 tackles Dream 102 Team Points James Strauss 1 behind 10 disposals 7 kicks 3 handballs 1 marks 3 tackles 43 Dream Team Points Luke Tapscott 2 goals 20 disposals 18 kicks 2 handballs 3 tackles 82 Dream Team Points Jimmy Toumpas 21 disposals 12 kicks 9 handballs 1 mark 15 tackles 2 hit outs 118 Dream Team Points

It might be sad but if it happens it will also be a day on which drug cheats are caught and punished so there should be no need for tears.I've said it before but the people we should feel most sad for are the likes of Raelene Boyle who worked her arse off to reach the pinnacle of her chosen sport only to have two or three Olympic gold medals stolen from her by drug cheats. That's who I feel sad for. D-Day looming for up to 40 Bombers ASADA issuing bans will not mark the end of the sorry saga

And it's all over red rover ... and over to post match discussion.