Grapeviney

Full marks to the MFC and the way it is appraoching our indigenous players but I don't really agree with the premise of Martin's article (FYI, I think Martin's a very good reporter / writer)

Underlying the overwhelming negativity with which Julia Gillard's proposal has been met is a belief that nothing changes in Aboriginal Australia, or not for the better. Liam Jurrah is evidence to the contrary. LJ, as he is known to his teammates, appeared to speak no English when he arrived in the big smoke three years ago. No footballer from the desert communities had ever gone close to making it in the AFL before him. Jurrah is now an AFL star.

I don't think LJ speaking english, or becoming an AFL star, is any sign of progress in tacking the extreme disadvantage that indigenous people suffer

Ten years after Cathy Freeman captured the heart of the nation by winning Olympic gold, all we've managed to do IMHO is feel better about ourselves because we respect / praise our indigenous athletes

As Martin himself writes, on health, mortality and imprisonment rates, there's still a huge gap between white and black Australia. Sport alone is not going to bridge that divide.

I'm not sure what will

thrilling one-point win in the wet , a really dogged win !!

from memory there was very little scoring in the last 10 minutes of the game

jacka was great that day but stynes was BOG as usual and i think todd viney was good that day too

superb story Whispering, I'll have to hunt down the preceding chapters

i think you're mate harrison from the '26 GF might have been dudded though - people only ever remember wills

he's like the buzz aldrin of football

Gabriele Szondy - now there's a blast from the past!

The 1994 finals series is one I'll never forget - and the round 22 game against Sydney which preceded it - as the time of the Ox.

He kicked 9 goals (straight, i think) against the Swans, was best-on-ground against the Blues, and only shaded by Lyon's 10 goals a week later against the Doggies. Who can forget the famous pirouhette against Fotscray, which saw him likened to Nureyev?

There's a bit in this clip -