Redleg

9 wickets to the Ashes, maybe only 8 if Broad does not bat.

Bet Alan Stoneham wishes he had.

Bat to lunch and lead by 500 and 5 sessions to get them out.

I think the job is his if he wants it. There is no Essendon in tennis.

I have only seen one session, friday, but on what I saw, I agree.

Don't forget Watt's wink.

Good luck with the job hunt.

Most supporters would gladly accept on field success while their club was sliding into bankruptcy.

He expressed what many on here have said and every football fan other than Bombers fanatics think.

Yes, all bombers fans are just delighted at the goings on at their club.

I think we will find AD stepping down by the end of 2014 and taking up a position in the Men's Tennis Association.

This is all a very grubby and sad episode in the history of the AFL/VFL.

Looks like we will be bowling soon.

It is going to be very interesting to see how the AFL deals with the problem of a club losing say 10 good players, if what is being mooted by many happens. What will the AFL do to try and keep the club competitive and given the trouble they have had with Essendon, will that affect their resolve.

Hard to argue when you are coming off a pathetic base.

That is always the case. We just have to hope, the change in coaching, playing personnel, a better run with injury and increased fitness, will narrow the gap between us and the rest.

If you insist. Watts winked at me during a stretch, that must mean we will win the flag this year.

Thought Rogers was unlucky with that direct hit from side on, as he dived and missed out by inches on making his ground. He looked in fine form with 11 in 2 overs. First session today will be very interesting. If we can survive and post a big score, the Poms may be completely demoralised and good bowling would most likely see us regain the Ashes.

Other than possible infraction notices which come from outside the AFL, losing 3 draft picks and being removed from a finals series they couldn't win and which would have been tainted had they won any, IMO Essendon will end up with a very light penalty for their disgraceful behaviour during and after the supplements scandal. Rather than attacking AD and the AFL they should be kissing their collective behinds. Their Chairman is one of Australia's wealthiest men and after this is all over he might just pay off the fines etc in one hit with a donation. At $900m we are not even talking about a month's interest. A Life Membership of the club could be his.

It is all BS anyway, as all the Bombers had to do was double Hird's salary the first year of his comeback, or if he didn't coach again, pay out all the money he was owed after the year was up. I am just glad that he is costing the club another million, the only pity being that he is getting it.

Great knock by Smith. Warner having a good series. Johnson great again, this time with the bat and hopefully Smith and Mitch can put the match beyond the Poms in the first session saturday. Haddin has reinvented himself.

At the moment he would need 61.

Aussies struggling in the test. Need a big partnership from Smith and Haddin.

A few observations from my visit this morning. Cross is a general. King is a big boy and when he fills out in a couple of years, could be very handy for us. He has footy smarts. Mitch moving well and more tatts. Vince not as defined in the upper body as I expected, but we know he can play. Hunt is super fast. Michie is very strongly built. Nicho still sprays them. Dunn got a blood nose and just wiped it away and got on with it. Georgiou strong but not tall. Picked up a half volley beautifully and his kicking was fine. He is there to make the seniors. Many of the players have developed physically. Training seems to be done at more pace and with more intensity. Roos stops them when he sees an error and corrects it and then continues. There are far less breaks and they are moving most of the session. Clearly the fitness is improving. Tyson looked ok to me for his first hitout. Jordie did some drills and some running in rehab group with Blease. Watts looks stronger. Strauss looks stronger and was clean and hopefully this is his year. Harmes looked ok. Tapscott is a bull. Jimmy looks stronger and raring to go. Salem is not a big boy but is pretty clean with the ball and has pace. Hogan, all I can say is stay fit and sign him for life. Generally it looked more professional than in the past and I noticed a lot of the players encouraging each other, no one more than Nathan Jones, who kept going up to the new boys and encouraging them.

Heard today from a mate who seemed to know, that NRL will see infraction notices soon and Essendon will be fairly early in the New Year, before the season starts and several players are involved.