Whispering_Jack

I have a book, "100 Years of Football: The Story of the The Melbourne Football Club 1858-1958" written and edited by E.C.H Taylor. It's an absolute gem and I derived great pleasure from reading it when I first got it many years ago. I've read it twice since and it makes a great reference book on the club's early days. There's also a little known book about Melbourne called "Highway of Demons" which hasn't been published yet but is being serialised on Demonland. It's also part biographical, part science fiction and partly a paean to a genre of music that was beginning to blossom the last time Melbourne won a premiership flag. My favourite non MFC book is Kill for Collingwood (the best club history by a mile) and Playing God (the best football biography - about G Ablett Snr). One thing that surprises me a little is that whenever we publish an historical article or report on Demonland it receives very few hits compared to some other more trivial subjects. I think it's important for all followers of clubs to be aware of their history and heritage.

Thanks everyone. I've just arrived back from my end of year travels and I can't wait to get a look at training myself. I assume it's on again at Casey next week?

Thanks for the reports everybody. It was reported on Wednesday that Mark Jamar was just walking laps. I don't think anyone has mentioned him in today's training reports. Did anyone see him at Casey today?

I agree that this time travel business is getting totally out of hand - WHO MARRIAGE

I think it's pretty slack on the part of the judges you're referring to. Off with their heads, I say!!! Oops. I think I'm one of them (thanks High Tower for the reminder). Apologies. Guilty as charged. I've been in holiday mode and plumb forgot. I'm in transit back to the big smoke for the next 24 hours but will get onto it as soon as I'm back. In the meantime, perhaps the delay will heighten the suspense. Sorry, WJ

This morsel from Nathan Jones' Twitter: I think that means everyone's training the house down.

There are a lot of $'s at stake here and if the Lions are to get out of their contract with Fev (if that's what they want to do) then the cost will be heavy and they'll be a man short for 2011. A question is whether Fev's behaviour is enough to force a termination under the terms of the contract. Another is whether the AFL would step in and charge him with conduct unbecoming. After the AFL's handling of Sam Gilbert and friends, you would have to wonder if some drunken skylarking on New Year's Eve would be enough considering the AFL's child protection policy (under 18 by their definition) doesn't appear to qualify group sex (or any sex for that matter) with a 16 year old girl as conduct unbecoming. I can see some more double standards coming over the horizon.

e25 is having a brief break but in the meantime anyone who disagrees that the Russian should play at FF in 2011 (and I do) they're entitled to have a bit of an in the Demonland tradition (as long as it's in good spirit).And with that I wish you all a happy new year.

The Human Headline just won't let go of this JUST BETWEEN US .... The question is whether the AFL is prepared to do anything about it at this point in time. I think they'll just ignore it in the hope that it'll all go away.

Ponting out of the final test with a busted finger. And silly me, I thought it might have kept him out of the fourth test.

I think he'll continue in the one day form of the game but his Test Cricket career has to be close to over.

Very good but who is going to see the pitch on day 5 except the curator and 3,000 seagulls?

Has anybody come out of this well? The young girl at the centre of the storm needs some help and there doesn't seem to be any mechanism available whereby she can be persuaded to seek counseling to help her overcome her problems. She's been alienated from her parents who seem to be at wit's end as to what they should do so they appear to have abandoned their daughter (probably the wrong thing to do - they need counseling too). The St. Kilda Football Club and the players come out badly in the way they've gone in with a sledgehammer (covering up their weakness and desperation with a publicly over aggressive stance). If their team had shown the same aggressive attitude on the MCG a few month's ago, then the rest of the footy world might not have had to suffer the ignominy of a Collingw&%$ premiership. The AFL sits in the background endorsing their club's conduct. Nick Riewoldt is mad at teammate Sam Gilbert, painted as a cad for his treatment of his ex-girlfiend (getting her pregnant and dumping her) and of his skipper (failing to destroy the picture). Saints fans are arguing which is the worse sin - the former or the latter. Riewoldt has been hurt by his teammate's betrayal but please ... give us a break Nick. Those of us who have seen the happy snaps (ok, I'm guilty too) know these shots aren't random but were posed. They make Nick, Zac and the other Nick look like, well ... dickheads and Riewoldt comes out of this rather poorly IMO. I accept that Riewoldt probably had nothing to do with the girl who can't be named. However, his claims at the press conference of victimhood at the hands of teammate Gilbert ring hollow with me. Given that the picture was clearly posed, his claim that he’d done nothing more than get out of bed naked and been photographed is a bit of a stretch. Take responsibility for your behaviour skipper! There are players and spectators of 16½ other clubs who are going to be hounding the Saints over this with stupid inane sledging (I apologise in advance for my contribution) about your size and sexual preferences. You'll have to wear it because you deserve it. The cop who's been charged will have his day(s) in court. I won't prejudge him but he seems to be deep in doggy do anyway. Dayne Beams, the last known boyfriend, doesn't come out of it well (nor apparently some of his teammates who let off some steam after the grand final), nor the media, nor the health system or the legal system or the overall culture surrounding the game. I used to scoff at NSW and the NRL system that seems to be unable to throw off it's systemic problems. We're no better off down here.

I don't want to diminish in any way the nature or the difficulties that indigenous footballers faced in those times but it's important to note that our society in general was so much different then as well - in all aspects. It's taken a few decades of education and confronting the truth to get where we are now but we still have a long way to go. I was reflecting on this after I heard about Maurice Rioli's passing. He earned respect from all because he was a champion footballer but how many of his people have that opportunity and what happens to those who don't make it?

I know that a number of Demon supporters have visited Phi Phi Island and seen the memorial and the facilities built in Troy's honour. If you can describe these or have photos please feel free to post about them. I've heard a lot about them in the past and peoples' recollections of Troy and of the education centre at Phi Phi would be appreciated.

The problem is the combination of the rule that GWSG can pick up uncontracted players and the fact that GWSG has much more room in its salary cap than the other clubs. This basically knocks competitors out when the issue boils down to money alone because they simply can't even enter the bidding race. You can't begrudge someone like Garry Ablett Jnr for going to the Suns in those circumstances. I would maintain it would be different if GWSG made a grab for a young player coming out of his first contract after being drafted as would be the case with someone like Tom Scully. The AFL should have taken younger players into account IMO and prevented the taking of uncontracted players under these rules with less than say four year's service. Fotunately, someone like Scully has his family close at hand and he's much better off being close to his natural environment than in a place like the outer western suburbs of Sydney. He has more chance of expanding his earning capacity in years to come at a club like Melbourne which will be knocking on the door to success from 2012 onwards than at a pioneer club where the wheels could quickly fall off.

I've passed on your wishes to Rhino Richards and just in case he was the wrong RR, I also sent a Xmas email to Rodney Rude Seasons greetings to all.

You'll be pleased to know that James Wall is a stayer at the Casey Scorpions. The December edition of Inside Football reports:- Interesting to note that, of the losses mentioned, only MacReadie was a regular during the past season and his departure will be offset by Matthews' return (if successful). It's also arguable that the influx of Melbourne's exciting new tall youngsters, most of who will start in the VFL, together with the new rookies will help Casey make up the gap between it and clubs like North Ballarat and Williamstown and make for an interesting 2011 for the Scorps.

Tom - welcome to Demonland and please feel free to come on and assist whenever these issues might arise. It's much better to get the correct picture straight from the horse's mouth so to speak than to rely on guesswork and speculation. Cheers

I've met Chris Connolly a few times and have found him to be quite amiable and not abrasive. However, I can imagine that in the context of an employer speaking one on one with an employee it's possible that in the course of being truthful about a player's prospects beyond the term of the contract offered, Cam might not have liked what he heard. He had the opportunity to bite the bullet and work hard in 2011 to prove CC wrong and earn another year as others have done in that situation or he could have gone elsewhere. He chose the latter course. It's history now.

You can add Langer to the list as well. All were given more than one test on return and, in this case, there's a shortage of alternatives so they'll stick with Hughes at least for Melbourne and probably for Sydney assuming Katich is gone for the duration. BTW: Where do England's cricketers stay when they're on tour in Sth Africa? With their mums.

I guess that makes Barry Hall a complete psycho.

Hauritz 110 n.o. in the Shield game.

Yes, the series is alive but this could be Australian cricket's one swallow for the summer unless Punter strikes some form with the bat and a spin bowler materialises from the heavens. Cricket is very different to AFL but I do like the analogy between our situation in test cricket and the way Melbourne fell away late in Daniher's reign as coach. The differences were that we could have seen it coming better with the cricket as Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist and Lee were nearing the end. There's no draft in cricket but we're blessed with a fantastic cricket nursery (our Under 19 team that won the World Cup is chock full of talent). The answer now is to persevere with Hughes and Smith and I like Cameron White for his aggressive attitude. Perhaps he might get another test chance after the World Cup notwithstanding that he's a Victorian. Other than that, we still have an enormous battle on our hands to save the Ashes. Even if we can salvage a win or a draw in the Boxing Day test, we need to win the toss and hit a big first innings score in Sydney. If we're going to rely on a bloke who's had a couple of month's first class experience and best figures of 3fer to spin out the Poms and it works, I'll shout "a Beer". Who is he?

If we had two of him there would be no problem, so it's a matter of priority and also a matter of whether we have a suitable half back to replace him and release him to the middle. I think he has what it takes to become one of the most effective midfielders in the competition. I admit I don't have a great deal to go on and it's more of a hunch than anything else but, on this, I trust my instincts. In the practice match v Essendon at Visy Park earlier this year, he spent possibly 1½ quarters in the middle at the feet of Mark Jamar and while that combination was in operation, he picked up possessions at will and Melbourne dominated. The rest of the time, Essendon was in control and it won the game reasonably comfortably. That and the fact that he played mainly midfield when he captained the Vic Metro Under 18s and his skills and athleticism are all I have to go on but it's worth a try in the NAB Cup IMO.