Wrecker45

Have heard Maynard has been impressive in the match simulation. Very quick and clean hands.

Judd never got the 3 tattooed on his back. No commitment. I like this Taranto already.

I'm not going to derail this thread so will only comment on this once and won't respond. i am not privy to the structure of the Essendon football club. But I doubt very much Hird, a coach who had no previous coaching experience was the head of every department and responsible for all their practises within the club. Hird claims he agreed to a cutting edge programme within the rules. All the players signed a waiver that clearly stated the programme must be within WADA rules and not detrimental to any players health. Hird could have handled it better but I truly think he his a pawn that the AFL needed to hang everything on. Particularly, after he wouldn't cop the slap on the wrist they were offering. The Government at the time were calling it "the blackest day in Australian sport" well before there was any evidence. The AFL stood side by side with the Government in the press conference. At that stage it was political. Someone was always going to hang. Essendon could have cheated much more than any of us know. There are no records so how can we tell? The fact they have no records cannot be Hird's fault alone. Every piece of electronically stored and transferred data has a record. The fact this cannot be found suggests to me that it is much bigger than just being hidden on James Hird's laptop. This to me is the key. Again without being privy to the structures within the club I doubt Goodwin is responsible to oversee the integrity of Missions work at Melbourne. The fact Bomber Thompson got these people to the club while director of coaching and yet seems unscathed suggests to me Hird is a scapegoat. There are so still so many questions and yet so little answers I just think Hird is the fall guy.

I still think Hird is a scapegoat (not blame free) in this sorry saga but he has handled it the worst of any involved. Regardless he needs to move on with his life and I wish him and family all the best.

Back to the original topic. We would hate to de-rail a thread. My wife was a teacher in the inner east before we had our first child. Christmas carols and all other forms of Christmas celebrations were forbidden by the the principal at the school she taught at. Unfortunately, that principal still remains. I have no problem with and infact embrace other cultures celebrations but we should not hide away from our own traditions. My 2 just about 3 year old daughter had the time of her life over Christmas. Now she can't wait for the Easter Bunny. They are both traditionally religious celebrations but as far as I am aware the tooth fairy is not. And as soon as she looses a tooth, money will be under the pillow. The tooth fairy will come and vanish. I am not a religious person but I do believe in providing a magical childhood for children.

Better than me. I cant get past or over 1 - 9 - 6 - 4

HT - I will spend my valuable time finding evidence the IPCC was formed as a committee with its sole goal to find what damage carbon dioxide did to the planet and no other terms of reference. But when I do will you acknowledge it is stacked in one direction?

Great post Daisycutter. There aren't many free thinkers around. FWIW I believed in green house effect / global warming / climate change until the facts changed. (I still agree with the greenhouse effect in controlled environments and agree the climate always changes)

Would have contributed earlier but I got banned for a month. 1) Whelan - the single greatest moment in my lifetime of supporting Melbourne was when he flattened Hird and TJ kicks impossible goal from the boundary line. The only time ever in my life I thought we were going to win the premiership. Whelan handballs it to him as well. Whelan was aslo the only fullback I can remember when I was happy with the kickouts. 2) Travis Johnstone - The number 1 draft pick before our tanking. We deserved it and TJ was the "Rolls Royce" of that draft. His foot skills were electric and would be better in the modern game. A pleasure to watch and when he was on he was on. He could cut teams up. 3) Stynes- revolutionized the way the ruck is played. Personified tough. 4) The Ox - what could have been. He was the one. Crippled by kneed injuries 5) Brad Green - Tougher than ever given credit for. Captain of the club and should have remained captain when Neild came on board. Never forget the 2000 GF. Brad Green got punched in the throat, Whelan missed though injury and Woey did a hammy. We were down 3 of our best players in generations, we just didn't know it at the time. 6) Tingay - I'll never forget his ferocious tackles. Had skills to burn. But ran the other way when it wasn't as important as it is in the modern game. Could kick it 65m. 7) Alan Johnson - the first number I wore as a kid on my jumper. Was the most skillful player I can remember. 8 Farmer- The wiz. In 1998 we were in it to win it and it was on the back of Farmer. I've since met him at a pub and he said leaving Melbourne was the worst thing he ever did. 9) Strawbs O'Dwyer - Under Norther big Strawbs was a cult hero. Early days for me but I loved him. 10) Grinter ) - Every player in the league was scared of him. So were his neighbours but was gifted and skillful as well as scary. 11) Flower - I saw him play but can't remember much more. I went to school wanting to be Robbie Flower in the school yard.

The very fact you admit that it is committees and not science says it all.

If it was science you couldn't just stack committees with a pre-determined outcome. Bye Bye climate crap.

Aaron Davey could kick them from well outside 50m and he'd have to be at least 30kgs lighter. I think it has more to do with twitch fibres and timing than weight.

Actually everything has changed. Climate "science" has been run by committees and authorities for decades. Trump is stacking them all the other way with "deniers". The "science" is about to change.

Dare I say it he reminds me of Andrew McLeod the way he just takes the game on with blistering pace.

I haven't been there myself but have heard... Garland fixed up Hogan in 4 or 5 one on one contests. ANB training well and showing strength amongst some other midfielders. Oliver running hard and completing drills with Daniel Cross.

BBO I love Daisy and will take that as a typo, particular given every previous reference to arms you have written has involved your selfie stick.

Sorry, you did too.

Seat belt legislation had much more influence on this than alcohol.

I'd have Daisy. No brainer. Demonland has a Women's Football Board and she is the face of Women's Football, as well as a great ambassador of the MFC. Gawn is the other obvious one.

Lamumba was one of their best the year before. Not hard at that rabble, they're going backwards.

Melbourne's debt is 52 years.

I'm over this thread, don't know what Oliver blew and don't really care. If my life was on the line I'd prefer a drunk Oliver, Simon Black, Travis Johnstone or anyone else with proven elite level split second decision making over some obese tom, dick or harry with no reflexes that is sober. But everyone has to obey the law and Oliver hasn't in this circumstance so let him cop his punishment and let's get on with it.

Jack Viney's dad might be underselling himself. I have the team of the century hanging up in my office.

Quite the opposite really. I hope socialism does well somewhere and all the lefties can unite in one spot and spend their days protesting and arguing about who is the most persecuted. Unfortunately, that is a pipe dream and socilalism has failed everywhere. Capatilism will always rule and I'll live the rest of my life listening to lefties complaining about it.

Sorry I forgot the country leagues were established and had established sponsorship and supporter bases. You're right it is different to women's football that has none of that. Your final point is correct. I'm one of those out of touch and clueless that voted for Brexit and Trump.