mauriesy

Well if Jaded is 26, I've been sucking it up twice as long as she's been alive.

Suck it up princess. "As the year goes on you can go one of two ways. You can either sook about it and give up, or you keep fighting. For me it's an obvious answer": Jack Viney. BTW, happy birthday.

But that doesn't mean someone would just take who they get. A solicitor would surely ask the barristers' clerk in chambers 'who have you got?'.

There are still some quite badly-advised cases that go to court. And Burnside doesn't win every case he appears in.

Then there would be if the others were all sitting down.

They have to be granted an interim injunction. Then they have to be granted an injunction. Then, if that's successful, the AFL has to determine how the charges will be determined if it isn't by a commission hearing. Then the charges have to be decided. A 'retired Supreme Court judge' might be less favourable to them than the AFL commission. Essendon's position is not resolved for another twelve months. They may well dig a deeper hole for themselves. The other 17 clubs get more annoyed about the lack of resolution, more and more facts come out in the media (including possibly Dank's records), the parents, the players and the public get more angry. If they lose in the end, they're worse off. It's a huge risk to take. Is it what they really want? More importantly, is it good for the game?

The injunction has to be granted. If it is, it will just stop the AFL commission hearing the charges against Hird until the matter comes before the Supreme Court. It has nothing to do with disproving Essendon's appalling failure of governance.Delay until the 2013 season is over is just what Hird wants.

Has Hird been successful in the injunction yet?

That all you got?

Where has this idea that Demetriou is 'conflicted' come from? Only Essendon, I'd guess. Demetriou only has one responsibility, and that is to the integrity of the AFL and its 18 clubs. If I had the sort of evidence that is contained in the charge sheet, and I had all manner of people (Hird, Watson, Little, plus a host of media commentators) running around proclaiming that Essendon had done no wrong and the AFL was 'conflicted' and out to get them, I'd release the charge sheet too just to provide the evidence that has been sorely lacking and which the public has been in the dark about. Burnside may be moral, ethical and highly principled, but he's still a gun for hire, like every QC (including Rush). Doesn't mean he'll win. Oh ... and the AFL Commissioners aren't dills. All are very highly qualified in business, most with directorships in large companies. One is even a retired Family Court judge who is an 'ardent' Essendon supporter.

Hird may flush out stuff that is not in his or Essendon's interest, then.

Tim Watson is quoted this morning as saying "So if they (the AFL) know what they (the substances) are, why can't they come clean and tell the players and tell the parents so that we can all get on with our lives and stop being fearful about what they may have been administered?" Sorry Tim, I thought that was Essendon's responsibility.

I've read of claims that Dank has files with records of the drugs given, to whom, quantities and dates ... data that Essendon has either neglected to record, failed to release, or maybe even disposed of. There seems to be a problem with the power to subpoena Danks' information (if it exists). I thought ASADA might have such a power but so far it hasn't been used. I'm wondering if Hird (or Essendon) go to the Supreme Court whether the AFL could then subpoena that information and it could be discovered. It could be the danger for Hird and Essendon taking the matter to court. Redleg or Whispering Jack? On another note, even Lance Armstrong had a loyal band of supporters who refused to believe he was implicated, even after he was guilty. Hird will have the same. I wouldn't put too much store in what they and Bomber Blitz are saying. Most of it's denial, delusion or just plain failure to understand.

A great player at his best. A good decision to go.

Good for Jack.

We have a poor list ... it's the recruiters.

I know that ... the old perennial is Richmond's choice of Tambling at #4 over Franklin at #5. (The Rules of this thread also forbid me from suggesting Martin or Rohan over $omeone else!) I can weather failed recruiting of a few picks. But not 75% of our list over the last 8 years. Clearly, some of the players on your list and mine might be an OK bottom-end of a team in the 8. But they're not top-end or even middle of a team aspiring to be in the 8. I also wonder about 'spine theory' versus 'engine-room theory'. It seems to have started from as long ago as Daniher. We seem to have a put lot of resources (and subsequent misses) into building a premiership winning 'goal-to-goal line' or 'spine', and not much into the midfield engine room. That our total good midfield after 8 years of a multitude of first-round draft picks is Nathan Jones (plus Jack Viney now) is a disgrace. I'm getting tired of the continual requirement to move on up to a dozen NQR players every year. The recruiting has just got to start getting better and more strongly emphasise a hard midfield.

How would you feel if instead of: Petterd, Weetra, Morton, Maric, Cheney, Watts, Blease, Strauss, Bennell, Jetta, Bail, Gysberts, Tapscott, Cook and Davis we had: Tippett, Goldsack, Rioli or Dangerfield, Mayne, Bird, Hartlett, Hill, Ballantyne, Hannebery, Sloane, Walters, Savage, Lewis Jetta, Fyfe, Darling and Puopolo. They were all taken after our respective picks. Plus we could have got LeCras with the pick we traded for Paul Johnson, and Andrew Swallow with the pick we traded for Byron Pickett. We've been 'Prendergasted', and it will take years to overcome.

And I have severe misgivings about Jamar, Evans, Spencer, Blease, Watts, Strauss, Pedersen, Tynan, Dunn and Tapscott. Half the team.

Agreed. What's wrong with 'not renewing his contract' when the season's over, rather than sacking him with three rounds to go? I can only conclude they thought they could beat Melbourne to Paul Roos.

Mitch Robinson once said he would measure his career by the number of concussion tests he'd had. I'd like to know how you can do a concussion test on Mitch Robinson.

No. No time frames or pessimism. We get behind him. Full stop.

Just get behind him. He is now the President.

'Duh' award for article of the year! We need midfielders: Craig

Watts is on a hiding to nothing answering questions about his contract status. It's like the old 'have you stopped beating your wife yet' conundrum. If he hasn't yet signed, all sorts of statements, from him or his manager, can be misconstrued or given emphasis they don't deserve. To quote the Prime Minister of Australia: "just chill". Casting aspersions without knowing the outcome is pointless and dangerous. That said, the 'cheer squad' was a bit embarrassing. Public schoolboy stuff.