DEE fence

To be really honest, the state of the club has had me so bent out of shape, I have been thinking about little else since last year when Roos was appointed coach. I have never been so anxious (including the two GF's that I have seen) for the game to be over and done with, so I can deal with my hopes and fears in a practical way.

Every day I think, leave the bloody website alone it an addiction, my wife thinks I must be surfing porn or something but it is merely anxiety about the impending season, but am going nuts at some of the comments recently about players.

But what I really want to implore others about, is that there is no justice, and we are owed nothing because of what has previously happened. To say that our horse should get up now, because we did our mortgage on all the previous races and must surely be deserving of God's mercies now, will be a faith based disaster (Even though the bastard really really owes us, and

Norm you bitter old dead bugger, would you please lift the curse).

This is year zero, I wish it wasn't, but I really think the only way we can stay sane and reduce the pressure on the club, which with the AFL's help, (as much as that riles me) has taken action and deserves a chance to start anew, as well as the players. As much as it feels like a cosmic [censored] take when we have another injury, lets just pull together and support the club.

Agreed. And at this point in life, I'm not emotionally ready to enjoy sustained success. By that, I mean three good seasons in a row. Or two.

I'll freak out when we win three games in a row.

Flanagan first, Daylight second and then another 24 timezones before you get another journo who writes with the pathos of Martin.

Vale DB, that got him pretty bloody quickly, I was really hoping he'd have a chance to redeem himself down the line footy wise.

Should put this in the thread about Georgiou, he was actually encouraged by senior management at Lend Lease (who he worked for) to give it a crack, their attitude as well is engineering job will always be there, chance of being an AFL footballer is only given to a few

Lend lease as a sponsor, now that'd be something.

Positive, last few years we got trashed in the media, now everyone will want us to be the feel good story, I have no problem with that, had enough of getting kicked on the ground. Also i reckon this will bring in memberships and as WJ pointed out, sponsors.

Happiest I've been about a loss in a long time.

Roos's body language is not that of someone collecting a pay check, you can see he deeply cares and owns the team, if he wanted more cash i'd pay it, personally think a million a year is a bargain for him.

I love the game plan, it is clever and then some, the advantages of it as i see them:

1, We are not a super fast side, going back so far and wide negates this as we have space to lead into, and as they get better here will be less of those turnovers, I'm prepared to live with them and the losses though so as to see our skills in retaining possession and hitting targets by foot improve. Also the space gives young players space and time to increase their confidence, and lord knows they need that. It also (i reckon) will protect our younger side from the heavy collisions that some of the bigger heavier midfields can dole out, and they might get a bit tired running back so far. Hawthorn will be a test.

2, The side clearly has confidence to try, completed passages of play, and are taking the game on. GOD THATS GOOD.

3, This game plan against other teams will see wins I'm revising my estimate from 5-6 wins to 8 for the year.

Other things:

a, Watts looked great, played his role perfectly and I did see him try and tackle - he is now moving like Bruce but with a far better kick, I for one love it to me WATTS and Toump > Bruce and Johnstone or will be this year.

b, Toumpas didn't go into his shell after a couple of boo boos, but continued pulling the trigger on that elite kick of his and it paid off far more than it cost. And heart... I want to smack anyone who snipes him from the comfort of a keyboard, he got back into the play after a fair whack. (That Roos ensures he has the confidence to try his skills I love as well) it is a learning process for a 2nd year play FFS.

c, Defensive pressure from Howe, never seen that before, a show pony yes but there was a guy doing the team things, especially in the last quarter, wonder who taught/convinced him to do that, wait let me guess maybe the coach (he is not getting paid enough).

d, OMG... HOGAN he is 18 and how hard did he work for those contested marks, bit scared by that run up though. But his runs up the field relieved the pressure on us a few times a'la Riewoldt

e, Our new midfield, Vince, Tyson, Michie, Cross. so so so so happy, in fact HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!

f, Matt Jones finds the ball, yes he totally killed us with his turnovers, BUT HE DID NOT DROP HIS HEAD, this is not the MFC I know and hate.

g Terlich, strong and brave.

h, Clisby, looking slick and every time he kicks it he reminds me of Voss teeing off, such a funny action.

i, Spencer has been ragged on but I LOVED (rewound it 3 times, actually used the PVR but you know what I mean) the way he ran in after Toump got clothes lined. I know he is a bit Ben Holland .... but, i think i see something, it was also representative of the fact that i saw the guys doing team things for each other.

j Fitzpatrick, he is a must keep, he is putting it together and just doesnt give up.

Byrnes - it's passed him, lets not be nasty about it, but he is now filler and will not see many games unless injuries cruel things.

Rivers - I know he's a Geelong player but he really started some nice runs down the corridor, hope he has a good season except against us.

But I'm keeping a lid on it till round 5, if we have 3 wins by round 5, I'm going to be cocobananas

ANyone know who you call if you've had an erection for longer than 3 hours?

Your significant other? I assume wife, she might even let you start watching the telly inside the house.

and in some ways a little South Yarra because its got gorgeous building by the river and a tram.

these were the rome options - Trastevere is the cross of/between stkilda/fitzroy/carlton for Melbourne

Hird's dad now hops into Little

who next? Madonna?

Hird = Maradona

For a honeymoon this will know your socks off - Le Chalet Zannier (France), food and hotel in the Alps, used to be known as my fathers farm, la ferme de mon pere), some parts of Florence out side of the main tourist drags also have food to die for, (still remember this walnut truffle ravioli). If your going near Rome let me know, two brilliant restaurants in Trastevere, Botticella, in vicolo dei leopardi and Taverna Trilussa, Via del Politeama,

I found it harder to do wineries in Europe, for time/effort trade off we took to researching good wine bars that did regional collections and doing it that way. Also Lisbon has fantastic food and is much more reasonable than most parts of Europe price wise but still top shelf for food/wine. As much as we love italy (I've been five/six times) Lisbon stands up against some of the best Italy has to offer food/wine wise - also most of the wait staff are really friendly folk from Brasil. I could go on for hours and probably sound like I'm skiting but food is a really big hobby of mine and with the job and scandihooligan missus get to travel allot there.

I'm not about the look of a place as much as the food, and working for the UN means i have mates that call these places home and give me the good tips.

Since breach of the confidentiality would have laid him open to potential criminal charges, either alternative would have been disastrous, let alone looked bad.

Probably being picky, but wouldn't he be sued? How is breach of confidentiality a criminal charge?

I feel like we're at the start of the Brisbane Bears 94-96 period, loaded with talent but coming back from the tundra. Those teams were ridiculed for a long time and it made them pretty fierce when they got it together. I have to believe some of our players want some similar pay back.

He used the word 'Modernity' in a paper, I loathe the term.

What is with the Left ? You're kind of sick.

Do me a favour, let's talk currently, not when witches were burned at the stake.

You are such a slow moving target, but that's ok, I like angry birds... anyway (these were in the loosest sense of the word - christians)

The World War II persecution of Serbs, also known as Serbian Genocide,^[8][9][10] refers to the widespread persecution of Serbs that included extermination, expulsions and forced religious conversions of large numbers of ethnic Serbs by the Ustaše regime in the Independent State of Croatia, and killings of Serbs by Albanian collaborationists and Axis occupying forces during World War II.

The numbers of Serbs persecuted by the Ustaše were very large, but the exact extent is the subject of much debate and estimates vary widely. Yad Vashemestimates over 500,000 murdered, 250,000 expelled and 200,000 forcibly converted to Catholicism.^[11] The estimate of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is that the Ustaša authorities murdered between 320,000 and 340,000 ethnic Serb residents of Croatia and Bosnia during the period of Ustaše rule, out of which between 45,000 and 52,000 were murdered in the Jasenovac concentration camp.^{[12] wikipedia}

Anyway as to the article, Australia has had, since before Federation, a steady stream of youths who have tootled off to war in just about every conflict going or has gone, Australians were fighting in Russia in 1917 during the revolution there and a 100 other arcane fights far from here and which we really didn't have a interest in. These young men did not come back and act as agents against the state, and in many ways are the same type of people who now join humanitarian organisations like RedR. There are also the band of sicko's that join the army/police or whatever other group that will have them so that they can go on their own little power trip. The message of Islam can be manipulated for evil purpose, just the same as any organised religion where the feeble minded look to delegate their own moral responsibility. This article is of little worth, it is media incitement/fearmongering (something that the media does so well, news limited I'm looking at you) and while it remains a possibility that some misguided kid with a minor criminal record and daddy issues might go off and learn jihad, our civil service works bloody hard and pays alot of attention to such men. So yes something MAY happen but it can be safely put at very low risk (that is a professional assessment). Far more harm comes to our society (in terms of injuries and deaths) from alcohol consumption.

I mean really in this day and age of google/wikipedia/bazillion bloody documents on the web, how can you be so lazy as to make a completely factless argument unless you are a raging troll.

Edit: spelling and I just want to say the whole former Yugoslavias... I have friends from all sides, I know crazies from all sides, and do not presume that any one group is 'innocent'. I also know some Victorian policeman who went off to fight in the 90's, something that has now been made illegal to do. and also apart from Jasenovac, could you ease up on the africans and recall a little pow wow called Srebinicia

As another sidebar, (this time speculation, so Rhino take a Mogadon) what do you reckon AD will resign within 3 months of any infraction notices issued and before the whole mess ends up in court, or do you think he will brave the fires of cross examination? My two cents is that it won't just be EFC and ASADA getting a toasting and the AFL board will have to push accept the fat controllers resignation.

Remember the pack feeding mentality of the press, they will do everything to beat this up and get as much out of the 'free agency story' they can. Some stay and some go, $ was a liar, Frawley however deserves the benefit of the doubt and I'm not going to let the press reporting on this subject freak me out. I would however be morose and foul tempered should the big bugger leave the club-far beyond what is a reasonable amount of emotion to invest in a sports team.

Propaganda

I'm not arguing EFC guilt, think of it as a sidebar only, this episode will reflect badly on ASADA when all is said and done. Plenty of people have been found guilty while the 'Police' have been criticized by the bench. Your analysis of the rest of the case appears forensic, and I appreciate reading it.

You should really check your mail. And your source is not very good.

1. WADA does not issue the criminal code in this country on doping. The Aust Govt legislates and funds ASADA to carry out WADA standards.

2. The ASADA claim of incorrect advice is just a claim with no reliable proof that it actually happened. It's no more than hearsay. It's not the biggest issue here. The elephant is the potential issue of infraction notices.

My source is excellent and better yet without agenda, certainly no interest in winning a forum brouhaha, Point 1 we are saying the same thing, semantic differences. I am simply saying two things, one ASADA is in trouble with its conduct and two, it is interesting to me (and i dared to presume maybe to some others with interest in the fourth estate) when a newspaper (even a toilet rag like the hun) allows the sort of conduct that went on.

That the EFC is in deep kaka seems well established and well commented on, after x pages i was only wanting to add something that i had very good mail on. (And that had a period of time since i heard it). And it did not come from anywhere near windy hill.

My mail is quite a bit different-WADA issues the doping 'criminal code'. ASADA is meant to apply it nationally as a quasi enforcement body. That has not happened, where ASADA is in knots, is that it approved the peptide that was in the 'other' category, despite WADA guidelines that this should not be done. ASADA has in effect given incorrect advice and not adhered to WADA policy the way they should have. That EFC took it to far in other areas is likely, but ASADA's incorrect actions remains the biggest story yet to come out of the process. This whole saga has destroyed relationships at the highest level AFL CEO and the News limited xo for Aus are no longer speaking (it remains unparalleled that the AFL investigator was allowed to interview News limited journalists with them instructed to answer questions about their sources). ASADA credibility will be destroyed at the end of this process. That Dank is a worm is also clear.

Edit: the interview of HS journos took place inside news limited offices with the MD telling them to answer the questions, some have since taken legal advice and a few ended up working from home until new Limited management saw their relationship with the AFL had gone too far. I understand that this has been touched on before and referenced since in the news, (i don't read the HS) but my mail on ASADA is what i wanted to contribute, will not name the source but trust them with everything.

Solid, totally happy with the arrangement.

I look at the award as emphasising how much of a nong eddie is... Goodes was just a suitable vehicle for the message (and a brilliant footballer). But seriously racism does exist in Oz, we're not the worst or best, BUT it is a cancer in any society and I don't want it in ours. Sport does happen to be one of the best vehicles for changing hearts and minds. I too am over sports people being held up as character models, it's generally a mistake, however if the prize committee thought this was a good way to address an issue they thought was topical I reckon they got it about right. I don't think it was a call for self-flagellation and sack-cloth or a need for anyone to feel guilty.

How many melbourne forwards since Whacko have kicked mid 70's (or better) goals two seasons in a row?

G. Lyon '94 & '95, D.Neitz avg. 72 in '02, '03 & '04

Sadly the only footy I'm going to see live in 2014 is training after none in 2013 (not that I missed much) am hoping there is something on between 20 Dec and 5 Jan. Of course if we make finals everything changes... It will be the first time my son sees 'Daddy's football'.