Whispering_Jack

Pre season training at Casey on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=320986624587832 I can't log in (not on FB) and my wife doesn't have Flash Player so I'd appreciate any translation of what's on there.

The same as it is every week during the wet season. Hot and steamy with thunderstorms on the way. Years ago Darwin was almost destroyed by a cyclone on Xmas Day. Not my cup of tea.

OK - its Tiwis by 21 points with about 15 minutes left. Austin is playing but apparently little impact.

Thanks for bringing it up Elwood 3184. Today happens to be the day of the NTFL's Wonaeamirri-Gregory Cup match between the Tiwi Bombers and St. Marys which was introduced last year as a tribute to the late Matthew Wonaeamirri and a means of recognising the career of Leon "Foxy" Gregory, the first Tiwi islander to win the Nichols Medal. The Wonaeamirri Medal goes to the player judged best on ground for the Tiwis and the Gregory Medal to the best St Marys player. The game is actually under way and I'll see if I can contact my sources to find out if Austin is playing for the Tiwi team.

Don't worry DC - everything including politix - is taken with tongue in cheek on this thread. Everything except the thing we're really not permitted to mention here.

Gawn to miss season. At least it means we will have two terrific recruits in Max Gawn and Jack Viney ready to step into the big stage from round 1 in 2013.

Those are the real issues on this thread. Politics, corruption, greedy people with dysfunctional lives, sociopaths, overweight ugly parents and bananas. Don't want to start any fights but weren't some of them liberal pollies like Malcolm Fraser born with silver spoons in their mouths ensuring they never needed to go out and earn an honest dollar or two? What did you think of Sir Billy Snedden?

Bloody hell! Does this mean I have to tell the grandkids that there's no Santayana?

It's hard luck but will be character building. Max - your sponsors are 100% behind you and wish you well on your recovery and rehab!

Do the selectors have it in them to omit one of Ponting or Hussey?

The sad part is that we don't live and learn - at least not at Melbourne. I agree with Bush Demon. You need to go back as far as the Norm Smith era to understand how a strong and successful club fell from grace and how internal divisions at the top festered to this very day to prevent it from realising the ultimate in success. Such divisions have existed and continue to exist at other clubs but I don't believe the effects have been as widespread or as devastating anywhere else than at Melbourne. In many ways, our story is like a Shakespearean tragedy with the starting points being the seemingly invincible Norm Smith as the regal coach ruling his domain with a strong army led by his loyal soldier hero Ron Barassi and aided by the prince of administrators Jim Cardwell. The Melbourne Football Club lived in their shadow for decades, went through one or two periods of revival in those times but lost all of its wealth (and I'm not just talking about its material wealth) and was never strongly enough administered to sustain any success. What we have often seen are successions of leadership, nights of long knives and faceless men plotting to overthrow power . The force that brought down our best ever coach and caused us to lose our greatest ever player and a magnificent football team was ego and greed. Mark Neeld is now at the helm and in many ways starts his coaching career, like many others before him at a club that still waits to be fully united as it was in the 50s and in most of the first half of the 60s. If that can be achieved during his time here, then the club might finally find a true successor to the great Norm Smith.

The worry is whether this surgery was required as a result of failed earlier treatment following his injury in the Gold Coast game at the end of the season. We've already seen a failure in Neville Jetta's original shoulder reco apparently requiring him to undergo further surgery which has affected his pre season so far. I don't believe this reflects on the previous medicos at the club but it is a bit of a concern.

I didn't like what they dished up tonight. Perhaps with one of the Melbourne teams involved I might have an interest.

Folks ... we don't need this please.

Jurrah has wrist surgery Minor surgery which will not affect Liam's pre-season campaign.

I spent many a Saturday watching netball matches and found the sport problematic because of the prohibition on the good old fashioned hip and shoulder. Sustaining a knee injury is such a dull and uninteresting way to get hurt.

Well, as for Norman Gunston, who could interview Guns 'N Roses better than him?

In the context of the administration of our game (read business), our expectations are truly stupid. I know I'm straying off topic but really ... for the AFL to claim that it has an "integrity policy" is risible. I expect the AFL Commission to act fairly and deal with integrity on all matters but it has not done so in the past and therefore I do not expect it to do so in the future. One example was its clear conflict of interest in the way it framed the rules pertaining to the entry of the new franchises and how they gave them a competitive advantage over other clubs which resulted in some clubs finding it impossible to retain their young players while, at the same time preventing them from receiving proper and adequate compensation. For the commission to oversee this process in its conflicted position is IMO far worse than anything Bock did or that thug from Essendon before him. End of rant.

I understand that the old doctors resigned but have we announced replacements?

Many posters on this particular thread would be familiar with the influence of Molly Meldrum over the years. Molly is currently in a coma after a fall at his home. Yes, he's been weird and whacky at times and he barracks for St. Kilda but he's been a lovable part of the scene since his Kommotion days. Let's pray for his return to good health.

I'm not certain that Max was part of ruck plan # 1 in the first place. He's young, raw and big and ruckmen take a while to develop. Despite the optimistic outlook for the injury, I would expect the club and its medical people (assuming we have appointed a full time clib doctor) to take a conservative approach to the injury to minimise the possibility of a recurrence. Don't expect him back any time before the end of April.

I'm not a qualified medico like pringle but I'll accept his prognosis. I've also heard from a physio who says it's not usually a serious operation. He should be running in two weeks and training in (dare I say it) 4 to 6. My two sons played a substantial amount of football at both senior (amateurs) and junior level and never suffered knee injuries (they copped others but their knees were free from trouble). On the other hand my daughter suffered an acl injury playing netball. She subsequently didn't play sport for two years before making a comeback with her netball team. She lasted four weeks before injuring the same knee and we feared the worst. However, it turned out that she suffered a medial meniscus tear - same as Max. I've just checked this out with her and she emailed me that the surgery on the medial meniscus tear was a minor operation and much shorter than the reconstruction. She was already walking on it within a week and it was close to fully healed after a month or so although she was still doing physio etc for quite a while. For sportspeople who have access to quick surgery and good rehab facilities, it shouldn't be a problem. I have to quote her last line to show how long she's been out of the football loop:-

A knee injury as a bottom ager in Under 18s prevented him from being involved in the under 18 system. Dees planning to use him as a power forward. Wasn't really thinking about AFL during the year - thought he might play VFL till clubs started taking interest. There are some good quality players in suburban football coming on. Training more intense, structured and organised. Impressed by the strength of the players - mentioned Howe and Frawley. Neeld told him not to limit his goals to Casey but to keep his eye on getting into the Melbourne team.

... is about to be interviewed on SEN.

Medial meniscus tear - not ACL. But time out still not known.