monoccular

Why no Harmes? Multiple nominations

Don't for even a microsecond think I am feeling sorry for them because I do not in any way, but EssUndone don't have the luxury of letting Parish simmer away in the seconds for a few months:. they will just have to dose him up and send him out there from game 1.

And I suspect that some pathetic big noter in the MRP were this to happen in 2016 would cite him for the new offence of "tackling too hard". Let's hope they don't give him a retrospective / retroactive suspension - nothing would surprise me from that corrupt mob.

One could, reading the last few pages, easily forget that this is a Clayton Oliver thread. Mods - how about setting up a pinned "personal abuse and bickering" thread?

Always so many "ifs" IF we had picked Wines, or Stringer, we may have won a few more games and never had a look in at Brayshaw and Petracca. Time to move on.

AFL rule 1: one rule for "marquee clubs": another for "also rans", those that are there to make up the numbers.

Careful with the payments, robert, he could lose his amateur status

No. Far stronger build even now.

Except Oliver is au naturale

Yes. Fine if he forces his way in - but this coaching / selection / managing group is not going to "gift" him or anyone else games. So - if he is ready, fire!!!!!

Move on rjay That was a very different club environment with very different recruiters, development, and coaching.

rjay - I think that you are seeing more than there is here. I see it as him being a modest country kid who has risen far faster than he could ever imagine, and doesn't want to get, or give, excessively high expectations too early. He has certainly changed in appearance from the pre draft photos. Leaner and more athletic.

Oh, yeah. The "Integrity Branch" or whatever joke name they give it will do their usual under table, under carpet brushing. Why duck for cover. Does anyone doubt he will be better than Stringer

In that case Gil is highly likely to run with it ?

An interesting analysis of the sub / interchange situation Dee - it is certainly going to help to have players who are fit and can stay on the ground. IMO it should help get some stability on the ground.

Powder!!! OMG!!!! Dank isn't anywhere nearby is he?

Mods - any chance of a major cull / edit and transferring a huge chunk of this derailed threat to a "Jones v Cotchin" new thread?

I guess most are or should be hoping for the day that Nathan doesn't get the best tagger because others do : then he may become white collar. But if I recall, this is a Clayton Oliver thread : one an hope, reasonably, that Clayton may become one of those who take the tag away from Nathan

Chopstick restaurant in Prahran springs to mind.

stuie - very different. All the others were allowed and in fact used full club facilities, support teams etc I suspect the answers to all are no, and the last at least with any teams that are affiliated with any ASADA / WADA affiliated competitions. Hopefully not even backyard basketball with Christian Petracca :-)

Because the AFL continue to bend over backwards to gloss over this sordid episode, and to reward to cheating administration and staff at EssUndone. ANZAC Day continues, as do their pre time fixed-tures. I even heard today somewhere that they were talking of "compensating" the banned players! FCS talk about mixed messages.

stuie. Well said. A watershed moment. I doubt that players will blindly follow ever again what even blind Freddie would have seen as something questionable at the very least. ASADA and WADA have resources available for all (professional at least) sportsmen should they have any concerns. They chose, albeit under peer and staff pressure, to take the risk and were caught out.

Until I read the bit about answering "no" to specific questions regarding the use of supplements from ASADA at routine testing, I did have some small amount of sympathy for the players concerned, but not now. Sure they were lied to by their club about what they were given and re the legality of that, but they are drilled regularly on the use of any substances and know they will be asked questions by ASADA - I am just disappointed that the top echelons at the club seem to have escaped any WADA / CAS sanction. Maybe it wasn't in their remit.

One could wonder though just how much mental scarring there will / could be. Certainly returning to play with full commitment at the club that "did this to you" (though not lessening their own responsibility as they were complicit themselves) would be extremely difficult. Hopefully the change of scenery will help him through. He could well use the year out for some psychological training to help him with the burden of being widely sledged as a drug cheat as well of course as getting himself superfit for day 1 of the next preseason, and avoiding back yard basketball. I hope his new club offers him this support although I guess it can't do so officially.

Show some optimism and think 2016 finals :-))