John Crow Batty

I think you misunderstood me. I don't advocate a conference system but want to see the current very long season and finals system improved. I want to see action at all stages of the footy season. I want to see teams sitting at 10, 11, 12 and so on at midseason having a real crack in the later half of the year. The draft system rewards mediocre teams for tanking. Offering a wildcard for the top performing team that finishes below seventh from mid to end of the season is of far more value and interest. It would develop a secondary race for a finals spot that could create enormous interest and genuine competative games at the lower levels. It may also scare a few of the top clubs too.

Thanks Dapper for the info. In response to Benno, the teams play each twice in their division then play the balance of games against teams(once) from other divisions and also I believe the other conference too. Not sure of the exact details or fixture formula. As for the wildcard system, I believe it could have merit for our comp and is worth investigating even for academic interest alone. For example the best performed team that finishes below seventh for the second half of the season gets the eigth wilcard sport irrespective to where they finish on the ladder. Thsi will provide incentive for lower ranked teams and slow starters to play out the season in full and also fuel interest. Could not be any worse than the current system and will also discourage tanking to a degree.

Which was the last Wildcard team to win the Superbowl? Was it the Oakland Raiders but that seems a long time ago?

These mascots are a vast improvement. My only small gripes are that the teenage one reminds me of Cam Bruce and the lack of skin tone. Anaemic white doesn't do it for me.

Being debt free will enable the club to build an asset base for the future. However the most important asset a club can have is the fan base. Not only members but other supporters and followers. Those who watch TV, read papers and also get on the bandwagon. Members and die hard supporters will always be the core. They will always provide the resistance to stop the club sinking to oblivion and sustain it in hard times as recently demonstrated but will never make the club a financial powerhouse again without more broader high street support and interest. This security can only be delivered by on field success.

I'm so busy even on weekends I miss too many games whatever the draw. Our draw reflects our Cinderella status for many years. Got to start cracking heads and vertebrae on the field or nothing will change.

Heres an edited image of the the nick photo. Identical room decor for sure. An impossible co-incidence. I wonder if they left a review on Tripadvisor? Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Seen her upstream video. This girl is going to have a major crack up if she hasn't had one already. Completely out of control and destined for the asylum.

I would put this comment on his footballing tombstone.

Perhaps you can redirect the question to me personally. What was it again? And E25's words are not exactly what I've said. Perhaps we have different ways to get to similar opinions. Sad to see some supporters still putting Bruce above our club just to make a point. Defending this guy to the death when he abandoned us to play for a club that just loves humiliating us.

These stats just confirms to me how much of a delusional decade we have suffered. Its amazing how some still want to live in the past. To have Bruce on top of the pile only confirms our indisputable mediocrity for the decade. Another lowlight was TJ's B&F in 2005. The best of a gun side that lead the comp that fell into perhaps the most pathetic lowly rabble ever seen in one season. On a positive note it appears that the necessary ruthless culling and natural attrition has run its natural course and those very few of any real worth pre 2006 still remain. Green and Davey and perhaps Moloney remain. Maybe there is natural justice.

No need to clutch at straws. I didn't say corruption. Only said "saving face". The club got mutton when they thought they were buying lamb. Dressing mutton as lamb to justify the price.

If you paid someone a fabulous fortune(not your money) for less than optimal service I guess you have to demonstrate that the money was well spent in order to save face. Politicians, corporate types and others who are responsible for money that is not theirs do it all the time. I don't think many will agree that he was worth the money he extracted from this impoverished club. B&F's and other awards are on the record and to some it demonstrates he was worth it on these facts alone. Shame his real onfield exploits are not as illustrious as his voting prowess. In hindsight I'd wish he left in 2005 and let some other sucker club pay out a fortune for his services. And please try not to justify your arguments by diverting attention to others perceived deficiencies, be it Mr Connolly or fellow posters.

I agree this is just boys stuff and I've seen far worse at every small time football club I've been associated with. But the consequences are far more damaging for any any high profile sportsman no matter how trivial the matter. It appears the learning curve for high profile young footballers in avoiding these situations in our tech savvy world is far steeper than it ever was because they just don't seem to get it despite warnings and well documented past indiscretions. These guys will now learn the hard way but I doubt that future young players will be immune from history repeating itself. As for the girl, I don't know her but she seems to be the type any young bloke should avoid at all costs. A venus fly trap if there ever was.

I have to admit I was a fan of Bruce in his first couple of seasons. But IMO he never delivered on enormous potential despite being grossly over paid. Appeared to be just cruising at 80% from about 2002 onwards and seemed to lack passion. Always a good player when we dominated but inefective in bad games or when the pressure was on. Never stamped his authority on the game when required. He's not like a forward who is starved of opportunites in bad games. He should have done more since his role is always in the thick of the action. He was both a sign and symptom of the ills that prevented the club from achieving worthwhile success and his many detractors see this. As others have said his disposal was patchy and he appeared to soft shoe shuffle at contests. I assume he got that whopping contract because the club though he may have become a true champion and leader for the club. He was lucky the club was hard up for good players and was treated very generously. I am still mystified how he always polled so well at the club. Just another sign of the club resigned to being mediocre.

I agree a win(For us). From what you say it confirms theres no love for the club from him. A mercenary is a highly paid skilled professional soldier who is good at his job but is not going to stick his neck out when the going gets tough. This profile fits Bruce quite well.

Now it appears some Bruce apologists are trying to blame Chris Connolly's alleged character flaws for what has happened. Nothing but pious bleating for this overpaid, over preened and under performing mercenary. If Chris is at fault for driving Bruce out then that certainly elevates my opinion of Chris and the direction he is steering this club towards.

Barry Hall. XYY syndrome? He can't help it. May be in his genes.

Good key defenders usually age like good wine. They gain their edge with experience and maturity. I have no doubt that Colin has the goods to deliver long term. I'm more uncertain of those that burst into the scene too quickly.

Looks like Mark Jamar just like I suggested in an earlier thread. http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23433&st=0&p=378820enter378820

Cam has been ruthless in looking after himself. Pity he never displayed the same ruthlesness on the ground. He wronged the club and not the other way around. I am dismayed why his apologists still continue to defend him on the basis that he is looking after himself and quite happy to weigh his self interest ahead of the club. This logic accepts that they also wouldn't mind for our best future players to leave and play for the likes of GWC, GC or Collingwood because they can offer a better deal. Like saying they deserve the best they can so we as a club don't have any right to them.

Well we have to become more like them over there so as to gain their acceptance. I notice that even supporters of this scheme acknowledge there will be risks but usually add them as a dismissive afterthought to their arguments. IMO the risks are enormous with failure the most likely result. Risk is an unavoidable fact for every sound business model. This is not a sound business model but a huge gamble based on the presumption that Sydney siders will be converted to our game and that the NRL will remain in decline. Highly unlikely as our game despite 30 plus years of heavy exposure over there has done very little. Any new support will be minimal. This club for how long it survives will be the subject of derision and scorn from Sydney siders as well as from most other AFL supporters. To me it appears the AFL is getting very cocky with their recent successes and the current difficulties of the NRL and are acting like Arab oil sheiks with their grand folly projects. Or like trying to introduce democracy in Iraq or Afghanistan. Expansion clubs like Fremantle and Port in already established AFL strongholds still remain poor cousins in terms of support and respect to the WC and Adelaide. The GC will experience the same problem but their initial chances of success are far better than GWC. As for growth, I think the AFL would be better off investing this money in developing the game overseas and ensuring there are suitable grounds built so grass roots competitions can develop. They are just throwing money and goodwill away at a demographic who don't care, want or need us.

Incorrect, New Ltd owns about half. Murdoch's meddling over the past thee decades is the root cause of all the [censored] off fans and shambles they have now. NRL and Super League merger was a marriage made in hell. I still don't see the logic of pushing into a market which has not even fully accepted the Swans. I think the move is far too premature. Ask any Sydney siders. The cultural barriers are huge. In NSW they are as parochial as us. They will never take up our game with a passion just like we reject rugby. I prefer the AFl consolidates areas of neglected core support first. The GC is a good move. But I'd like to see Tasmania, ACT, Southern NSW and NT considered for more of a national presence first. The AFL supplies games for broadcast on Fox. They'll lose half their subsriptions without AFL. He has no ownership of the league or clubs. And thank God for that. I hope the AFL is wary of keeping the likes of him at arms length. The AFL should also be wary of over reaching themselves as has Murdoch.

I think the AFl are [censored] in the wind with GWS. I suspect this will be looked upon as a bad mistake eventually. To get extra TV fodder they are diluting the game further and will bleed the AFL coffers for a decade or more. We have a small population, we don't need as many teams as the NFL or Premier League. I prefer quality over quantity. Once the NRL gets its act together any local interest in Greater Wasteland Sydney will disappear. All their problems are the fault of Rupert Murdoch. If they can get rid of his piracy they will regenerate. I just hope he doesn't take an interest in our game.

I think the new strip of the GWS cunningly pays homage to the Westie hoon culture. The colours are almost identical to that of the legendary standard livery E49 Valiant Charger which was every hoons dream muscle car in the 1970's. The thick black stripy "G" which looks more like a "C" confirms this. But then Chargers would have been a more appropriate name than Giants. Perhaps the powers of the club decided to look out the window and pick the colours of the first hoon car that drove by? Just like the Old Indian "two dogs" joke or the famous South American club Boca Juniors who despite having a predominantly Italian fan base wear the colours of the Swedish flag. Story goes they lost a playoff with a rival for the honour of wearing black/white stripes and chose the flag of the next ship to sail into harbour. If not, the blandness of the uniform and moniker is entirely what is to be expected in this modern age. There is no room for risk taking with originality and creativity.