hardtack

Best piece of writing I've seen on here for a looooong time! Love it!

You should try to get my brother Dr Tony Fleming along to one of your shindigs... head of Australia's Antarctic Division and a keen Dees supporter.

"Thursday, April 10, looms as D-Day for the central figure in the most scandalous drugs probe in Australian sport, with the national anti-doping authority's ultimate decision-making body set to make a critical ruling on Stephen Dank." ASADA ruling on Dank looms

In ENYAW's world, every day is April 1st.

You get a Friday session in Melbourne, but there is nothing for us here in Sydney which is very disappointing. I was hoping that my son would get a chance to meet a few of the players again, but alas, it looks as though it's not to be (we can't afford to attend the brunch... and besides, my son has his first game of the season with his team the Newtown Swans Under 12's that morning (game day), so time would be a bit tight. (they had a Gala Day last Saturday and won 3 of 4 games, ending up 3rd overall - made me a proud dad).

Point taken... apologies (but I did give the split in my earlier post) 186 was definitely the watershed, but who was the real villain in the piece?

Not an old HR Holden fan then I take it? ;-)

The "even you" wasn't meant as a put down... it was just a response to the line about "since 186". Maybe we weren't all expecting instant results, but the fact that so many coaches were put to the sword in such a short time would indicate that many were (supporters and media).

I think even you would have to admit DC that Bailey was probably (at least in part) a victim of the incompetence of others... the axe had to fall, and unfortunately he was the most public facing figure at the club and the easiest to scapegoat.

More than likely to be the video streaming that has seen them suspended?

The other side of that particular coin is that in that period we have had 7 different coaches (appointed and caretaker), ensuring that no one coach has had the opportunity to build in the way that Thompson and Clarkson have. Club was influenced by supporter unrest as a result of supporters wanting instant success? Whatever the reason, it was the lack of rapid success that resulted in all of those changes (Neeld was perhaps the only one that was completely justified).

Ok, so you seriously believe that he was showing nothing in the second half of last year? If so, you would be in the minority methinks.

I'm not arguling that point OD (if you look at my more recent post above, you will see I agree and that it was not likely to have been his decision). I'm arguing against people who are writing him off already, despite him showing very promising signs in the second half of last year, based on one and a half games this year, one for which he may not have been quite right.

I've never really believed that opening someone up to public humiliation is a great way of "teaching someone a lesson".

I would have thought that saying it wasn't true, pretty much "smashed" the rumour.

I hope you're right... this is one of the only games I get to attend all year; would be nice to see a win for a change (although I'm not confident I will get my wish).

Good question... and I doubt it was his decision.

Give the guy a break.... concussed in the first game and possibly not right in the second.

This pretty much sums up this whole discussion...

I recall one commentator many years ago (can't recall who) that was momentarily possessed by the spirit of the good Reverend Spooner while describing the beautiful punt kick he had just witnessed.

Just an honest appraisal I would think.

Adelaide kick a goal to draw within 12 points... "you can sense Adelaide know they're in this!" - Dwayne Russell

Yes... we will probably need a new 150 page topic by then.

In theory.

Shouldn't that be in the Hogan thread?