Grapeviney

Nothing says freedom like beach cricket !

I was not a great Howard fan either nut but with the benefit of hindsight he looks like a giant compared to the clowns that have followed. Even his record as Opposition leader, passing the Hawke / Keating economic reforms because he believed it was in the national interest, stands in stark contrast to the default position of opposition for opposition's sake which Abbott perfected and which Shorten is now employing. Edit: Here's a really good analysis imho http://www.afr.com/p/national/politics/tony_abbott_hires_malcolm_turnbull_GIGYwbJta38agGitLXxSSK

Question for you Saty, following up on your prediction in an earlier training thread that you expect us to win 6 or 7 games this year. Can you elaborate? Why do you think that improvements to the list and on the training track will only translate to an extra 2 or 3 wins for the season?

Your prediction worries me Saty, knowing that you're a glass half full kinda guy. Can you elaborate on why you don't think improvements to the list and on the training track will translate to more than 2 or 3 extra wins during the season?

I guess it's a game of semantics whether it counts as a broken promise but it's hard to keep a straight face if you re-read Swan's Budget speech announcing 4 years of surpluses. He was about the only person in Australia who believed what he was saying at that point. Worth noting that some of the same problems are now hurting the Coalition's promises of a return to surplus, with further forecasts of huge revenue write-downs in the papers today. As for the leadership issue and Abbott's woes, interesting that Peta Credlin has disappeared from public view while Margie Abbott is again being wheeled out to boost her husband's flailing fortunes. In spite of all the shenanigans over the past few days, I'd be very surprised if a motion to spill is carried when the Libs reconvene in Canberra on Tuesday.

Yeh me too. I mean, I knew it didn't amount to much, but was still surprised. I remember back in the late 80s or early 90's when Don Lane hosted the ABC's coverage, their match of the week would go for 1 hour... in my memory, it was just play after play, but with the benefit of hindsight and these stats, I guess they showed the entire time the game clock was running. Was a great way to watch, with another 30 minutes devoted to highlights from all the other games. And being on the ABC, there were no ads!

Four hours of Superbowl - just 12 minutes of actual game-time! http://www.marketwatch.com/story/there-were-just-1206-minutes-of-actual-gameplay-during-the-super-bowl-2015-02-02?mod=mw_share_twitter

It's easy to compile a long list of stuff-ups for any Government, good or bad. I guess the reverse question is, what is or will be the legacy of the Labor 2007-13 era? I can't think of one. Hawke and Keating deregulated the economy, floated the dollar, started cutting tariffs. Howard reformed the tax system, and, to a lesser extent, workplace relations (first wave was largely embraced, workchoices went too far and was repealed). Gun reform too after Port Arthur. I just think we've stalled in the last 10 years. It began in Howard's last term and has continued through all Governments since. It's worth noting that the 2 most senior public servants of recent years, Ken Henry and Terry Moran, have both said there is a public policy crisis in Australia, with no appetite for serious reform among the political leadership, and, consequently, the public. ED: spelling

I had very high hopes for the Labor Government when they came to office but they were a huge disappointment, if not a complete failure. They got it wrong on asylum seeker policy, dismantling the harsh but effective Howard regime which ultimately caused many deaths at sea. They messed up on climate change, putting a carbon price on the backburner after claiming it was the greatest moral threat to our generation. The Greens didn't help by refusing to compromise on an ETS, but Rudd mishandled the politics when Turnbull was Opposition Leader, straddling a fence which wooed Turnbull and the Libs to support a scheme on the one hand while ridiculing them for flip-flopping on the other. It ultimately cost Turnbull his job and brought Abbott into play. They made a mess of the mining tax, a policy which should have been a rolled gold winner with the electorate but ended up being a farcical policy which collected next to no revenue. Remember health reform and the federal takeover of hospitals? That fell in a hole from which it never re-appeared. Yes, they deserve a tick on the GFC, although we would not have been able to withstand the storm as well as we did if the finances weren't in the condition they were thanks to the previous Government (or the resources boom, whichever way you want to call it). NDIS was also a big winner in my book, although it remains to be seen whether we can afford its proper implementation and expansion nationwide.

I reckon we should lean on the MCC to rename the 'G the Melbourne Football Club Cricket Ground (the MFCCG). Great way of brand-bombing every non-footy event that takes place at the ground - cricket, concerts, functions, the Museum, everything happens at the Melbourne Football Club Cricket Ground! We can market a new MFCCG membership for sports nuts wanting to avoid the 50-year wait to become an MCC member. "Join today and get reserved seats at one of the world's great stadiums for special exclusive weekly sporting events (Melbourne games)."

The man who cries himself to sleep at night is no doubt Peter Costello. Quit the game thinking Labor would be a minimum 2-term Government; had he stayed on he may well have beaten Gillard in 2010. At worst he would have had to wait til 2013. It must gall him no end that a colleague for whom he had very little regard is now not only PM, but is squandering the opportunity and validating Costello's earlier criticism of him. Then again, it remains to be seen whether he (Cossie) would have been a good PM. As we've seen in recent years (esp with Gillard), you can be an outstanding senior Minister but fall short at the top rung.

The question is, who would they bring in to replace him? The obvious answer for many would be Malcolm Turnbull, but he has very little appeal beyond inner-city Sydney and Melbourne. Bishop? Maybe. Given the way Rudd / Gillard / Rudd worked out, it would be a very brave Government that replaces its leader again, no matter how bad things get. Having said that, it's getting pretty bad for Abbott.. with each day and each new drama it is looking increasingly like he is not up to the job. As nut asked earlier - where the hell were his advisers on this one?

..and I read yours as: "Lamumba steaks out of the middle with a nice red..." Oh boy, I made a meal out of that one..

Another sensational finish at the 'G from the Stars, and a brilliant innings from Hanscomb to win them the game (and bring up his ton) when they looked gone for all money. Marsh batted well too.

Having had to trim more than a page of posts, I think this is done and dusted. If you want to continue to talk about mental health, start a thread on the general board. This thread's about an injured Geelong player - one who no longer cares for our club - which makes it dubious at best.

Great stuff RB, reports have been sensational. Hoges? No show today? Any word?

The need to change environment as part of your recovery is a thoroughly plausible and legitimate possibility. I know because I've had to do it myself. I'm bipolar, and several years ago I had a full-blown episode which forced me off work for a time. Work itself wasn't the trigger, but the environment was compounding the problem. Thanks to the good grace of my employer at the time, I was able to return to work in the same job but in a different office - virtually the same as returning to footy but at a different club. I find it staggering that anyone on here thinks they can diagnose, analyse or otherwise understand Mitch's health and condition based purely on a few media statements and his Twitter feed.

By their names I think..

Well, there's one thing that hasn't changed in 115 years.

Still took him 40 years to lead the Israelites out of the wilderness and into the promised land. No modern-day coach would get that long at the one club!

Early on in the Iraq war, when the first IEDs were being used against the Americans, there was one particular incident where a crude but effective device killed 17 and wounded many others. The following day, the New York Times wrote: "The good news is that it was a science project made in a garage. The bad news is that it was a science project made in a garage." I think the same sentiment still applies today: The good news is that the Sydney siege gunman didn't have the backing of a co-ordinated militant organisation. The bad news is that he didn't have the backing of a co-ordinated militant organisation. A lone wolf might not have the infrastructure and resources that come when you are supported by a larger network, but they are infinitely hard to detect and identify and stop.

I don't know whether it qualifies as a surprise packet but I'm hoping Newton can just slot in and make an impact virtually straight away, as Tyson did last year. The addition of just a single extra competent mid would do wonders for Jones, Tyson et al. If Salem and Toumpas can also put some consistent footy together, then we'll be well on our way I think. I also like the fact that many other posts in this thread have advanced some convincing arguments about why other players on the list could, should and will lift this year. It enables me to dream that just maybe we are all correct and 2015 will be a good one for the MFC.

The sad fact is that you are wrong. It actually takes tremendous strength to deal with, and overcome, depression. But for someone who refers disparagingly to "fruity people" elsewhere on this board, I wouldn't expect you to understand that.

Three Colours Blue was on late at night a couple of days ago on SBS. I'd forgotten just how good a film it is, so little dialogue yet so powerful. It's beautifully shot and the music is stunning, very much befitting of the magestically-named "concert for the unification of Europe". I'm listening to the score again now, and it makes me think that Leonard Cohen was right in claiming that there are secret chords that please the Lord - music that speaks to divinity, beauty and truth in ways that words alone cannot express. <3

Given that the same circular argument is going to continue in the next training thread, and the one after that, I'm not sure what's to be gained in closing this one down. Everyone knows Saty's routine by now - if it really bothers you, put him on ignore, or let his responses go through to the keeper. It's really not that hard. Edit: Actually, on second thoughts..