Whispering_Jack

Well done Aussie - I still have his autographed #33 jumper at home that I paid a fortune for and while I blame for ending his career. Bought it at a silent auction and the following week he injured his ankle on comeback for the Casey ressies and he never played for the club again. Go Aussie - I might tape the replay and wear the jumper watching it.

I agree in the case where it is proved that the substances injected are banned or possibly awaiting WADA assessment but if the evidence strongly indicates banned substances without direct proof, the capacity to whitewash is limitless.

They continue to select him in Melbourne teams for NAB Cup and practice matches. Could he be a dark horse for selection in a couple of week's time? Jones leads VFL draftees

AFL tribunal, not ASADA, to decide drug penalties With this news and based upon recent AFL form, I think we can expect some interesting findings. Perhaps a smallish fine and a couple of individuals (who are never going to get jobs in the industry) banned for life and yibbida yibbida, that's all folks.

I don't claim great expertise in this area and don't know what was in the documents the players allegedly signed but my guess is they might struggle to succeed. For players to voluntarily undergo the sort of "treatment" that allegedly took place at Bomberland last year and not ask some serious questions seems problematic. Perhaps a few of them really are dumb?

The twitter news from the Casey Scorpions suggests there will be some Demon represention at Casey Fields tomorrow even allowing for the 27 strong squad heading to the Gold Coast plus injuries and a few rested players: Possibly Dean Kent, Dom Barry and a few rookies, I would suggest. With a few showers and a top of 22 predicted and a reasonably empty car park, it should be a stark contrast to last week.

Some interesting insights into the feud and tensions within these Yuendumu families coming through in the evidence:- Liam Jurrah hit me with machete: alleged victim Liam Jurrah trial Day 4: Alleged victim in witness box Liam Jurrah trial Day 4: Police officer put through hoops over pressured witness statement

Some home truths and straight answers from Mark Neeld in an interview by the Herald Sun's Jon Ralph that every Demon supporter should read from top to bottom: Melbourne coach Mark Neeld under no illusions about where his side sits He also talks frankly about the reasons why the club ditched some of its early draft picks. He adds that the process of lifting the club will take time and require patience and modest expectations in the short term. And naturally, because the club's playing group has flown under the radar for so long during the pre season, the expected media blooper - Lachie Plowman of GWS, who was picked at #3 in the 2012 National Draft might have something to say about this. Viney was taken at 26 as a father/son but, Ralph obviously feels like I do - that Jack would have been a worthy top 3 in different circumstances .

Teams for Saturday: Melbourne 1. Jesse Hogan, 2. Nathan Jones, 4. Jack Watts, 5. Jimmy Toumpas, 8. James Frawley, 10. Shannon Byrnes, 12. Colin Sylvia, 13. Jordie McKenzie, 14. Lynden Dunn, 15. David Rodan, 19. James Strauss, 20. Colin Garland, 21. Cam Pederson, 22. James Magner, 26. Daniel Nicholson, 27. Tom Gillies, 30. James Sellar, 31. Jack Grimes, 32. Michael Evans, 35. Luke Tapscott, 36. Aaron Davey, 38. Jeremy Howe ,39. Neville Jetta, 40. Mark Jamar, 42. Jake Spencer, 45. Matt Jones, 46. Dean Terlich Gold Coast Suns 1 Jaeger OMeara, 2 Zac Smith, 3 Jared Brennan, 5 Jarrod Harbrow, 7 Karmichael Hunt, 9 Gary Ablett, 10 Dion Prestia, 12 Sam Day, 14 Matthew Warnock, 15 Daniel Gorringe, 16 Rory Thompson, 17 Steven May, 23 Charlie Dixon, 24 David Swallow, 25 Danny Stanley, 26 Matt Shaw, 29 Tom Murphy, 32 Brandon Matera, 33 Aaron Hall, 34 Jack Hutchins, 35 Michael Rischitelli, 36 Greg Broughton, 37 Jesse Lonergan, 38 Joel Wilkinson, 39 Timmy Sumner, 42 Kyal Horsley

There are two levels to this story. The first is the processes taken by those responsible for overseeing the activities of the sports scientists in the player's supplements regimen. The club has apparently conceded that some practices were irregular and is investigating them. The potential is there for both the AFL and Essendon to engineer outcomes that might whitewash the conduct - a fine, some sackings and then business as usual. The second level is where it gets difficult for the Bombers and that is if the supplements used in injecting players is identified. They may be entirely legal or they could be banned substances. Then there's also the possibility that they were substances that have not yet been classified. With Dank having been involved at Bomberland after he was flicked by the Sharks, there's room for more than just concern. Even Robbo said it was "alarming". I haven't heard what Caro's had to say about the latest revelations but it would be unusual for her to stay quiet.

Apologies for departing from redneck ignorance and innuendo but let's return to something that resembles the facts: Liam Jurrah trial, Day 3, afternoon: Did he smash a car at Little Sisters?

Yeah, but look at all the laughs we're missing out on because he's not playing us form week to week.

I hope it wasn't a waiver form.

As far as this trial is concerned, I reckon the plural of machete is nulla, nulla, crowbar, axe, stick and everything in between. If you believe some of the witnesses, that's an incredible arsenal for one man to be carrying around at night.

Essendon players were last year urged to have one injection a week It's not suggested that whatever was injected was a banned substance but wouldn't you think someone at Bomberland would ask some questions about players being injected 40 times over a period of months? Especially, the players themselves? All of this during Danks' time at the club - and this part looks particularly ominous. Under surveillance for what?

The rule was introduced because it was recommended on medical advice and therefore I think you would need medical evidence rather than "gut feel" to substantiate a change. And if such evidence existed, how would you tweak it?

I hope the judge and jury aren't minded that way because that's not how the legal system should work. Liam Jurrah's on trial for allegedly committing a violent crime. The role of the court is to determine whether or not he's guilty as charged. If he's found guilty then some of the considerations you've mentioned might come into play on the matter of sentencing but in the first instance, it should all be about determining the facts and not about the issues that affect the communities of Yuendumu and Alice Springs, as dire as they might be.

Thanks Fork. I assume you're countering the first part of my post rather than the conclusion. The Alice Springs article seems to jump quickly from Robson's opening address to Tippet's. The contrast is stark and we can see where the defence is going. It's a dark night and the atmosphere is alcohol fueled. How reliable can any evidence against the accused be?

Complete fluke ... but as the great Jack Dyer used to say, " where there's smoke, there's blue cod". I recently asked the question whether the MFC recovery will come quicker than the Australian Test team's revival and I think we (the Dees) might have nudged ahead a little. Cricket has the advantage of having a larger recruiting ground and a monopoly in this respect. However, the football club at least has the capacity to recruit experienced players from elsewhere (as we've done in the past 12 months) to provide some stability, experience and maturity while the younger blokes develop in their roles. With four players suspended, the wicketkeeper (and half the country's pace bowlers) injured and others recently retired, we're badly in need of experience as well as talent. Back when World Series Cricket came along we had Bob Simpson to lead the team and add stability but who do we have now? Brad Hodge, Nathan Hauritz? I don't think so.

Done and he is the one with 31 on his back (his father wore that number playing in the ammos). Cheers & thanks. Where do I send the banana?

This is probably the best coverage of today's news about the trial - Liam Jurrah target in 'bid for revenge', court hears during his assault trial Remember, this part of the trial is where the prosecution and defence say what the evidence will prove. We haven't yet been presented with any evidence and for those who have already prejudged the outcome, Liam has put in a plea of "not guilty" and unless and until its proved otherwise, he is precisely that.

Sorry to nitpick but Wilson didn't call us "feral". The word was "rabid".

Stop the presses. With that news, they might have no choice now but to fly in a couple of cricketers for the Third Test.

Tim, I don't disagree with most of what you're saying but my point was that the first step in establishing a real team that can survive and thrive in a competition as tough and as hard as the current day AFL, then you need to start with a positive approach. Your opening line is dripping with the sort of negativity that sets us apart as perennial losers. I don't have a definitive answer to the question in your OP but I do know that we need to shake off the loser tag before we get anywhere and, with due respect to your comment about "glib one liners", that means adopting a positive approach and not allowing ourselves to become mired in our past failures. Why discount the possibility of recruiting or developing a star now that we have a new group of coaches and fitness people working on achieving exactly that as well as a team that will get us back to the top? I was fortunate enough to hear Neil Craig at the Melbourne Business Community breakfast on Friday. He made no promises but exuded positivity in terms of his expectations for the future of the team. Hopefully, his talk might appear on the club website and people can then judge for themselves the importance of such an approach when dealing with the club's future.

A good case study might be the comparison between two young speedsters in Sam Blease and David Zaharakis who were both selected in the 2008 AFL National Draft. During the Under 18 Championships of that year, one of our many deficiencies was considered lack of pace through the midfield and two players identified in the Vic Metro team were Blease (a bottom ager) and Zaharakis. In fact, I had my eyes on the latter the year before when it was suggested in the media that Melbourne was interested in selecting him with one of the late picks that were eventually used on Kyle Cheney and Tom McNamara. Blease really impressed me at the championships and he was eventually selected at 17, just ahead of Luke Shuey who went to West Coast. Zaharakis went at 23, Jack Redden at 25, Dayne Beams and Daniel Hannebery at 29 and 30 respectively and Rory Sloane, who made the Sheahan top 50 today (as did Beams), was taken at 44. Given that we also had pick 19 which was used on James Strauss, our recruiting effort that year was, on the face of it, rather unspectacular to say the absolute least. Of course, the blokes we drafted that year have had their issues and Blease suffered that debilitating schoolyard injury but we really do need he and Jack Watts, Strauss and Nev Jetta to come of age this year to avoid the embarrassment of a badly flawed piece of recruiting (and we've had a few of those!) Meanwhile, Zaharakis took no time to get into the limelight at Essendon. Watch him tonight on FOX Footy's 30 minute thrillers starring in an Anzac Day clash for Essendon. And, he's won a b & f with the Bombers. We need our players to step up to the plate early in their careers and progress and develop far better than in the past.