pitmaster

Hmmm, I think I smell a warrior.

Absolutely. The context matters though. People were sold a pup over many years by campaigns of self interest. They were warned but every city had to have a casino apparently. I avoid the joint like the proverbial. Ditto the pokies.

Sorry to continue the history lesson but I just remembered that the bloke who built the Tennis Centre refused to legalise pokies and a casino because, wait for it, it would be used for money laundering and criminal activity. Go figure! That decision followed a judicial inquiry Cain called in order to stave off the pressure for casinos, and he was howled down for knocking it back. The pressure never really let up. People convinced themselves we needed a casino to be a modern city. What a joke. I thought I should complete the picture. I won't bother you with this again since I have derailed the thread, although it was going nowhere anyway.

Different matter. Both sides of politics were up for that and now, as predicted, state governments are the biggest gambling addicts of all. Gaming, as in off-course betting (the TAB) was legalised by Bolte's Liberal Government but I think you're referring to pokies. If you were around at the time you'd remember the clamour for many years from the media (Herald Sun/ 3AW in particular but I doubt they'd admit their role now) for pokies and casinos because, you see, money was flowing over the border to NSW into Leagues clubs. It was always a mirage but the push for it was immense. Incidentally it was Jeff - again - who handed a ridiculous quantity of Southbank to Crown for a dose of Lloyd Williams overkill.

Absolutely. His Liberal-National Opposition tried to block it; ridiculed it as "Cain's Cathedral" until it was obviously a winner. The Open until then was played at Kooyong. Here's a quiz: which lawn based tennis club in the eastern suburbs included Jeff Kennett in its membership at the time?

You said a Labour Govt would not spend on sport facilities on public land. Correcting the record. (It was also vehemently opposed by J Kennett.)

Talk about NFI. Three words: National Tennis Centre.

You'd think journalists would know the difference between number and mass.

There is no 'greater good of the game' in Clubland. Never has been. It's always been dog eat dog and every club for itself. Only occasionally does it become obvious, like when a ratbag such as John Elliott is in charge of one of the clubs, but it has always been so under the surface. That is why the AFL Commission was created, because self-interest meant the clubs were always tripping up one another and themselves and sending the place broke.

There is no 'greater good of the game' in Clubland. Never has been. It's always been dog eat dog and every club for itself. Only occasionally does it become obvious, like when a ratbag such as John Elliott is in charge of one of the clubs, but it has always been so under the surface. That is why the AFL Commission was created, because self-interest meant the clubs were always tripping up one and another and themselves.

You clearly have no idea how these things are done.

Real smart; we lose our home game in round one only to play on our home ground as the away team in round two. Starting to see why Cornes is not in charge of anything except his mouth?

Not sure it was panicked but it was poor and there were a couple of poor decisions as well.

Murphy - a media koala who can get away with anything because he ain't the typical footballer, but seriously, who cares? Maher - a blatherer. Not a bad bloke actually but suffers verbal diarrhoea from over exposure and relevance deprivation. Cornes - take Maher's verbal diarrhoea problem and multiply by a factor of four. Besides all that I am expecting a record crowd for a Melb-Dockers match at the G. We only need to beat 27K and considering how footy starved we are, and the fact we have had in the past 50,000 members plus another 12,000 MCC types who won't dig twice into their pockets, we should be aiming at 40,000 attendance minimum.

It was encouraging. That's all I'll say. I thought the skills were poor early and all the old issues were there, but that improved, particularly the ball use through the corridor. I liked the fact that we were willing to use the width of the ground to spread the opposition when on the attack. TMac was in and out but looked really strong and back to his athletic self. He was very encouraging. I might have to eat my words about Spargo who is just a tad exciting. Fritter going on as always. Max of course was good, as was Oliver eventually and Trac. May's disposal was a bit iffy but otherwise he and Lever looked to be shaping as a fine defensive unit. Jetta is still unconvincing. Whether he can return to his best remains to be seen. Loved Langdon and Hunt giving us run out of the back half. Petty and Bowey in the B game were standouts so overall some pretty encouraging signs. Of course it was a practice match, what the Poms would call a friendly (despite the antics of that nob Lynch), so it only tells you who is fit, who is running well and how we'd like to move the ball if we're allowed to, and it was maybe at 80% intensity. Put it this way, no-one's likely to decide not to buy a membership on that showing.

Promising signs from TMac. Lever's disposal hopefully rusty. Forward pressure not good enough to stop their run out of defence. Although we lead they looked more threatening when they went forward. Spargo promising.

So good to have a fitness bloke who can speak. Burgo gives you more confidence that he knows what he's talking about. As for his predecessor, I used to worry how he communicated anything to the players because he sure couldn't tell us anything.

We should have struck when John Thwaites was deputy premier to Bracks.

Can you explain, since I am feeling like Sergeant Schulz on this topic?

Thanks for the link. I wouldn't have found it otherwise. Barltett's comments were not as worrying as they were portrayed. They are still committed to the MCG precinct, clearly there are many players including the Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust to be accommodated but unless GB is an outright fantasist it is still moving forward. As to the gubbament making the announcement, it is all crown land after all. Ditto the MCG: the MCC is merely the trustee although true to say MCC members have built the stadium through most of its life but it is still public land. But boy, the personal presentation could have done with a lift. Surely the man can afford a business shirt that buttons at the neck. Just go up a size FCS!

I would be interested to know Bartlett's actual words when he appeared to put the new home back on the state government. There's nothing from him and Pert on the official website. Does anyone have the full quote?

Good enough for me. Hoping to hear more before then.

Maybe we can limit the intrigue. It's no secret when the games are being played since the AFL is posting the dates. Since we're the last mentioned we are probably playing on Sunday the 28th, venue to be disclosed: Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn – Whitten Oval, Wednesday, February 24; Carlton v Essendon – Ikon Park, Thursday, February 25; North Melbourne v St Kilda – Arden Street Oval, Thursday, February 25; Geelong v Collingwood – GMHBA Stadium, Friday, February 26; Port Adelaide v Adelaide – Alberton Oval, TBC; Gold Coast v Brisbane – Metricon Stadium, TBC; Fremantle v West Coast – TBC; Greater Western Sydney v Sydney – TBC; Melbourne v Richmond – TBC.

How much is his membership compared to yours?

Sorry mate, it's not that I mind being corrected, but I like to be corrected correctly. Ladies had the lounge. A speakeasy was far too grungy for a ladies' lounge. The following, I was lazy and copied it from Wikipedia, is my understanding of the term speakeasy: "A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the Prohibition era (1920–1933, longer in some states)." Drinkers could ask for the illegal liquor they wanted without needing to speak in code hence the term: Speakeasy. I did some Sunday drinking in a Carlton sly grog shop. No one ever called it a speakeasy. It was always on the sly.