Redleg

I am away.

Will have to see how dates are going.

Apparently WJ did not know about the dinner and had another engagement as well.

This is really a tiresome point. We got exactly what the rules contemplated and provided for in the Frawley situation, nothing more, nothing less. His contract offer from the Hawks, coupled with his age and our ladder position, determined what we got. We did not get special treatment from the league. We got what the rules said we would get. The Lions with 3 flags in a row and another GF in 2001-2014 with a better list than we had, did get special treatment from the league in getting a PP. The media have acknowledged that. No one has explained that.

Happy for Gill to ring Katie to play Women's footy, I was more bemused that he was chasing a 34 year old, who had not played footy, other than one game 10 years ago, for 20 years. She was his tennis coach, but he has probably never seen her play footy, yet rings her to play in the women's league. As to the meeting with the players on the CBA, this is the most important item of the AFL for the year, as it will impact in the future on funds. Gill is a master of "glad handing", he does it all the time, yet could not bring himself to come down to Torquay, to see player delegates who had given up their free time to fly in for the meeting from all over Australia. He is paid a bloody lot of money to do just that. This is actually a strategy of the AFL, to delay talks until the pre season competition and back the players into a corner over striking, which the AFL knows will make the players unpopular with the public. Gill is a dill for not going. How many crappy events does he attend during the year, but can't find a day to attend to one of the most important. While I have no view on the percentage sought by the players, I believe Gill has acted very poorly and Dangerfield is correct in his disappointment.

1. He may not be one of the negotiators, but he is the CEO of the AFL and this is the single biggest issue ATM of the AFL, with its biggest asset, the players. 2. He would pop in, if for no other reason than to show respect, as stated by Dangerfield, to player delegates who have flown in from all over Australia. 3. I don't know if he did make a call, but from what Dangerfield said, it appears he didn't. 4. Of course he is allowed to allocate some time to women's footy, but they weren't playing the last couple of days. How hard would it be to pop down to Torquay and if nothing else, welcome the guys and have a drink or a meal with them and give them some encouragement on the issue. When that is added to the comment of Dangerfield, that the AFL has refused to discuss the issue for the last month, it is not a great look. From the AFL site: GEELONG superstar Patrick Dangerfield has called on the AFL to show the players more respect after League CEO Gillon McLachlan chose not to attend their annual two-day conference. AFL Players Association delegates gathered on Thursday and Friday in Torquay in western Victoria amid increasingly tense pay negotiations and the possibility of a pre-season strike. McLachlan declined an invitation to attend, with executives Ray Gunston and Andrew Dillon sent instead to present to the AFLPA board. Dangerfield, a member of the AFLPA board, said players were disappointed with McLachlan's no-show and the League's approach to the long-running negotiations. "It's been difficult to negotiate (and) the AFL have been really difficult in coming to the table … they haven't spoken to the PA in the past month," Dangerfield said. "So to get this opportunity today was wonderful, albeit without the CEO in attendance. "There were some disappointed players who flew across the country to be here yesterday and today, and we were perhaps looking for a little bit more respect than what we got.

Interesting that Kate Sheahan, Mike's daughter, was rung by Gill to play in the women's league. In an interview she said, she played until 14 and then one game for Uni in 2006, when she broke her wrist and that was it. So she has played one game of footy since she was 14, 20 years ago and that game was 10 years ago and the AFL boss finds the time to ring her to play. Not knocking women's footy, but says a lot about the quality of players. It also says a lot about the time preferences of the AFL Chief, who can't find the time to even pop in to the negotiations for the CBA, the single most important agenda item ATM for the AFL.

I prefer my Demons cup.

Good thing Rumpelstiltzkin wasn't around then.

And for the Romseyites, "And the dogs are happy all day."

And Eddie rules the World all day.

Who could forget?

Have you forgotten the Roman sandal and that great current language, Latin.

Might have been, George on the Outer would know, I believe he paid for them and was very generous.

That was pre-ban.

Attended a a small function with Macca as guest speaker a few weeks ago and thought it was just about the best one I have been to, in terms of learning something new about the club. Macca was honest and informative and you couldn't help but feel that the club is now in great hands, from the CEO down. You got the feeling we would leave no stone unturned, in our quest for success. Also the Pizza was great. Must find out where it came from.

The boys look in pretty good nick, in the training photos.

Thatch all folks.

Lucky the players only train houses down and not whole apartment buildings.

Think you missed my point. Players destroying houses so plenty of work in building industry.

Construction industry in full flight as AFL teams train houses down.

Think they use yoghurt and crushed ice.

I have gone off ice creams. Must be change of life.

But Saints, Blues and Bombers already have Fyfe.

Yes we passed.