Grapeviney

I hate the constant comparisons between Flanagan and other journalists. Flanagan is a colour / feature writer - his job is not to break stories or report the news. He's given the time (and he has the skill) to really practise writing as a craft - a luxury not afforded to a news journo on deadline. If he was forced to report news or break stories you might well come to loathe him as you do the others. That's not an attack on him either - I really enjoy his writing. But you can't compare him to Caro et al. He writes about the game in the way that Garrie Hutchinson used to do.

Journos are after the "Gotcha" moment. They had it when McLean fingered Melbourne for tanking. It far outweighed the "Gotcha" moment they might have had by exposing Brock's double standards.

The most obvious follow-up to Brock's answer was to keep pressing on about Melbourne. Already had a bird in hand, why go for two in the bush? What was Brock really going to say about Carlton? 'Melbourne tanked' is a much bigger story than 'Brock's a hypocrite'.

It's not ironic. All journos / media outlets want to set the agenda with their stories, and Healy and co. struck gold with this baby.

Agreed. Public Enemy No. 1 in my book

We must be talking to different supporters Scoop because all the footy-heads I've spoken to know that other clubs - including their own - have done much the same thing and we're only in it because we happened to be standing up when the game of musical chairs stopped (Brock pressed the button on the tape-deck). Her stories might be full of holes as we all know but the reason no-one's saying to you "her article was way off the mark" is because they know that we tanked, just like their own clubs. They don't know the minutiae like we as supporters do but they understand the bigger picture; that half the league has tanked at one time or another.

There's been plenty of information in her absence imho. Pierik's articles may be 95 per cent cut and paste but the top two or three lines on each have been informative - the focus on fumbling, the scrutiny on Jack Watts, and today's article - with quotes from a legal source - about the different ways we might respond / defend ourselves. I'm still of the belief that Caro was briefed by the 'disgruntled' elements in (or formerly of) the club, while Pierik is clearly being fed by the MFC. ie it was Caro for the prosecution and Pierik for the defence.

Spare me the Kumbaya.. We're a football club, not an episode of Oprah. To bastardise a quote from Lt. Vincent Hanna in the movie 'Heat' .... "Thank you was yesterday. Today, you're wasting my motherf.....ing time!".

So Liam needs less coddling and some tough love but the club needs a pat on the back and a thank-you hug from a project player who didn't work out .. LOL As for the "positive spin" - I really don't know what you have in mind. A staged photo shaking hands with Schwab? Gee, stop the presses and hold the front page.

The way you've written this Deevoted makes it seem like I was correct with the answer, not the bit about being obvious. I'm thinking about launching a legal challenge ...

Sean Wight EDIT: Surely this would be too obvious though ...

nah - presumably we'll be talking about the draft by then ..

They can then make their own branded gloves and these will be the only type allowed.

And I remember you telling me very early on that we had a champion in the making. I can't remember whether this was Under 19's or Reserves, but I seem to recall that there were times in the late 80's or early 90's that we had all three teams playing finals on the same day, and it was on one such occasion.

Thanks DV - I wonder how long it's going to take ..

A question for those who have seen a few sessions - how do they think Blease is tracking? Obviously he's fitter than he was last year but is it a worry that he's still seemingly running with the last group? Can we expect him to run as hard and fast when he's chasing as he does when he's got the footy?

So much knowledge ! I presume you'll be testifying in court ..

I understand the sentiment but I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say it should not have been pursued. Are you referring to their allegiances or the issue of tanking? And I never said I thought they were good journalists .. actually I think "short-sighted opportunists" is a pretty fair description of most journos.

So they should excuse themselves from ever talking / writing / commenting on the MFC? All journos have allegiances - the good ones put them aside and do their jobs regardless.

What was unscrupulous about the question from Sheahan and Healy ? It was absolutely fair game in my opinion. Just our bad luck that Brock took the bait.

The club's media strategy in the current crisis has been - it would seem - to lay low. Alternatively, you could argue that they have now started drip-feeding the more absurd elements of the investigation (Watts / fumbling etc) to discredit it. What would you suggest they should have done / could be doing?

awesome point, especially , coming , from , someone , who , writes , like , this

Is this a game of spot the odd one out ?

Auld Lang Syne has a nostalgic feel to it ..and i like the tune

If Cameron Schwab has any say in the selection I'm expecting a nostalgic nod to our past .. perhaps Yesterday by Paul McCartney