Whispering_Jack

The drafting of Billy Stretch is going to be a little more complicated than the Viney selection. Much will depend on where we finish which will determine the cost in terms of draft position that we'll be asked to give away in order to get him. The other side of the equation is how he develops personally and as a player. Will he be a top 10 prospect or will he drift? What if we badly need a top key position defender and not a slightly built midfielder like Billy? Too early to make a call I think.

The story isn't about football although the MCG serves as a backdrop but it's by one of the finest football writers going around and about people near and dear to him so congratulations Martin Flanagan - A big occasion at the MCG (not the one you might think)

And if Dank refuses to give his evidence including all of the records of what was prescribed, ordered, injected and otherwise used in Essendon's pharmacological programme to ASADA then on the standards required by the WADA Code infractions will be issued. I think that means 11 players for TB4 and 8 for AOD9604 (although there could be some overlap given Watson's comments). Incidentally, although I don't like this, my first prediction for next year is that, at some point in time, Trent Cotchin will be awarded the 2012 Brownlow Medal.

A good rearguard action from Haddin & Lyon to get the score over 200 but now is the true test of our mettle. We have to bowl on a pitch that's getting easier to bat on, in the heat and with Watto a bit dodgy. Win this and we really do deserve to go up in the test rankings.

A character invented by the Australian and loosely based on Zoe Barnes of the Washington Herald?

Another day, another Chip Le Grand piece direct from the Essendon camp setting out their case for the "defence" - ASADA ignored Watson's evidence. This shows us two things:- the folly of ASADA in issuing an interim report to help bust Essendon on governance issues to keep them out of the finals; and how risky Essendon's strategy is of playing this out in the public. I believe that ASADA has wizened up and isn't saying anything. I suspect that a request will soon be made for Dank to give evidence. Dank will refuse, ASADA will activate the sanction for refusal and then ASADA will strike and issue infraction notices based on what it has now - a strongly circumstantial case or one that satisfies the standard of "comfortable satisfaction". The lack of direct evidence from Dank will be meaningless in the face of all of the other evidence including his interview with Baker & McKenzie, the evidence of the chemist, the tax invoices, the attempts to falsify them, the signed waiver forms, evidence from Charter about dosages and the word of the players. Not to mention Jobe Watson's own confession. And that's not to mention anything ASADA has or will get from the ACC.

Snicko gets Bailey and we're in a real pickle for the first time in the series. Who would have thought it on what seemed such a good track?

Won't make any difference. If we're to believe Davies' version then all he tested positive to was a substance that isn't on the WADA banned list. His version also raises some questions on how he handled the situation with ASADA but, in any event, his case demonstrates how circumstantial evidence can sustain infraction notices in anti doping cases.Meanwhile, Chip Le Grand at the Oz is resembling Zoe Barnes (Francis Underwood's media puppet in the US version of the TV series House of Cards) and presents this apologia on behalf of the Bombers - ASADA relied on 'vague' accounts Most of it is BS and I refer you to Essendon players given banned drugs ... Dons told drug was not legalWADA Statement on substance AOD9604 And here's the published part of Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker's interview with Dank - The science of Stephen Dank You can draw your own conclusions.

As mentioned in the post above, this athlete's story makes the way ASADA operates sound almost draconian but it also demonstrates what sportsmen are up against in the sporting world's war on doping -Matt Davies speaks out about his doping ban

The Casey Scorpions actually had licences to go into their premises at Casey Fields but couldn't get their act together financially to set up a proper pokies venue. I think they've now done their dash and it's a pity that Melbourne couldn't pick up the slack. I've long been a supporter of an alignment with an independent VFL side but I now believe that's going against the trend. The thing that's persuading me otherwise (and this is an observation from afar) is the lack of apparent support from both the old Springvale community and the local Casey community. I say this because crowds at home games are generally poor and would be even worse without the Demon supporters. In the medium term, the blueprint I envisage is that the club must become the Casey or Cranbourne Demons with greater input or some form of union with the local Cranbourne Football Club which appears to be a strong community based club.

You can read between the lines in this article - Sylvia flying solo but Ballantyne expects big things. After a decade of pre season training under Neale Daniher and Dean Bailey, things were cranked up a bit under Neeld but that's obviously not enough for Ross Lyon.

In that case, Essendon are well and truly redacted.

Unbelievable news from the world of 20Twenty is that the Perth Scorchers have signed on Yasir Arafat. And I thought they carried out an autopsy a few months ago.

It seems that the years are starting to dim some peoples' memories since I recall it was only a few years ago that the tributes for Troy would already be flowing in at this time. Perhaps, my message was right and that the world continues for the great mass of people no matter what disasters occur across the world whether they be natural like tsunamis and earthquakes, fire and flood or man made like the situation in Syria where 130,000 people including many children have been killed in a vicious civil war. I still remember walking away from the Box Hill ground after a VFL game at the same time as Troy who had an injured knee at the time. He was friendly and cheerful and willing to talk footy to a stranger. He continues to be missed.

There's nothing that's strange in the world of AFL these days. Clubs let players go for various reasons and we shouldn't place too much on the spin coming out of Adelaide. They were desperate for a half decent draft pick and the story about not renewing Vince's contract at the end of the year was for home consumption (as if they would so easily have let him go if he stayed and won next year's b & f!). There's always a risk with recycled players. They can turn out like either of the Josh Kennedy's or be like Tom Gillies (who cost us virtually nothing BTW). The Bulldogs were said to have let Cross go because of his age and the fact that they had too many players in the aging category who they're going to have to cull in the next few years. At Melbourne however, he'll be the oldest player and three years younger than Junior was when Bailey sent him packing. We know the risks. It was a judgement made by the recruiting people and the coach in who most of us have placed our trust and we'll see what happens. If it goes "belly up" we'll know who to congratulate for their great vision and if it works we can all rejoice in the fact that the club's on a winner at last.

Is there a link to either of those statements from Thomas or Black?

Cale Morton a Demon again!!! I wish him all the best and hope that he's a star with the Demons for many years to come. He deserves it.

Permit me to gloat a little about the 49ers. I taped their game v Atlanta but, I prefer the beach at Frankston at this time of year so I won't get to see them win the game that got them into the playoffs for a fortnight. Here's a piece I got off the web:- This Colin Kaepernick looks like an absolute revelation since coming into the team a little over 12 months ago. Here's hoping for more in 2003/4 and that Jesse Hogan has the same effect on the Dees next year!

The Poms are coached by a "Flower" but the way things are going for them, it could well be a "Bailey" or a "Neeld". I saw the ICC official rankings on Foxtel last night and was bemused at the fact that they're ranked 3rd and we're 5th. I presume they change the rankings at the end of a series? Ryan Harris is our best ranked bowler followed by Peter Siddle with MJ nowhere in sight and --- no surprise, Clarke's our best batter but NZ's Ross Taylor is ahead of him by one spot. I know Taylor has had a good run this year but I'm still a bit surprised.

If there's one coach who excelled with picking up discards and turning them into significant team members, it's Roos. I will look forward to how things unfold with our very much restructured midfield mixed with some young up and comers, Nathan Jones and a small group who have yet to live up to their promise. This is the type of raw material that Roos has in the past, turned into a successful on ball brigade.

Kubrick was one of the finest. 2001: A Space Oddysey still ranks as my favourite movie. And in Clockwork Orange, he surely predicted the carnage at Melbourne in 2013!

My bad.

This is a nicely worded piece from Litza writing in the Footy Almanac Has anyone heard from Stephen Dank? Makes one feel all Chrismassy!

The Age has a feature about what the clubs are up to and where they stand at the start of the festive season. Here's their take on the Demons:- MELBOURNE The workload: A three-day leadership camp to Sorrento with Leading Teams gave Melbourne a chance to develop and introduce Paul Roos' new game plan. Before and after, fitness boss Dave Misson has implemented a solid program filled with lots of game-specific running. One to watch: Jimmy Toumpas might only play half the season next year, but the former No.4 draft pick is flying on the track to give himself every opportunity to make a big impression in the games he does play, having increased his running times markedly. Medical room: Chris Dawes had knee surgery and is on the way back, as is Tom McDonald after shoulder surgery. Mitch Clark has set his sights on a return in the NAB Challenge after missing much of 2013 with a foot injury. Dom Tyson was nursed through the early stages. WHEN THEY PLAY NAB Challenge Feb 14 v Richmond, Etihad Stadium Feb 28 v Geelong, TIO Traeger Park Practice match March 8 v Hawthorn, Casey Fields It may be Christmas but the footy never stops

As has been pointed out elsewhere, if Scully was playing for Hawthorn or Sydney, he would commit far fewer clangers because of the quality of player around him. At GWS he also racks up the highest ratio of 'clangers' per $s in a pay packet but the lowest ratio of 'clangers' per kilogram of the combined weight of his parents. I got those from Sam the Stats Man who knows everything there is to know about stastistics facts and figures.