Crompton's the man

There was an apologist for Essendon who was posting frequently in recent times - "Querty" ?? Totally missing that skewed contribution with its zany love of all things Hird Querty where art thou ?

regression toward the mean

This is very well argued Can their strategy be to have an adverse finding, sanctions imposed and appeal against such finding that the standard of proof required while meeting the comfortable satisfaction of the tribunal, is not sustainable in the court of appeal as legal proof of wrongdoing and the penalties are unenforceable?

Never heard or read it before Where did you get that?

Not just here but everywhere : " begs the question " is used interchangeably with "invites the question " Alas, I went to school in the days when English was taught and to beg the question meant to assume the answer in the framing ( all knowledgeable football fans agree that ....) I want to appeal that current use of terminology

Don't get me started (apologies if it's already gotten a guernsey )

So hope you are right but pragmatism ( mounted on a pedestal in the AFL foyer and worshiped with admirable fervour) suggests the lettuce leaf option much (MUCH) more likely .... I really want to be wrong about this

Not entirely unlike the attitude of the american policeman that shot the unarmed teenager dead : through his lawyer - no apology will be forthcoming ( because he did nothing wrong) One admires people who are totally convinced of their rightness .....

Thanks for that .... I, too, was wondering what all them words meant

Just : bad or maybe mad and bad

That theory must have come from the Herald-Sun

Regard it as a portent of things to come A pattern in the tealeaves Auspices Signs of benificent favour from the gods Ordained by entities in the AFL who mortgaged their souls long long ago ...

I get it : Irony !!! Good pickup P.S. The Social Litigator piece seems to only present each party's case but this time there is no evaluation of the merits; that would be interesting

Totally agree with that assembly of facts

" likely to miss at least the opening month of next season "They must be as terrified as Vladimir Putin is of T. Abbot if that's all it's going to be.

then if that is the case .... " In WADA We Trust "

They're very few parties seeking that the truth these events comes out. The AFLPA must necessarily seek the minimum possible impact on the players' careers ; what they really think about the radical biochemical plan must remain hidden from public view because to lambast the administrators of the EFC necessarily entails the tacit admission of wrongdoing (which does not serve the purposes of the constituency and so will not happen) The AFL is in a similar position to that of a State Government faced with the dilemma of curtailing the gaming industry - the symbiosis is beyond conflict of interest to the extent that it is sadly naive to expect a real outcome from that direction. The EFC is not entirely unaware of this : hence the interminable blustering and delaying and creating various litigant parties all dedicated to trying to create confusion in the process with the aim of finding an exploitable chink. Quite a clever strategy really and inclined to move supporters to tears when the violins begin to play accompanying the refrain "Delay, delay - we never sought the delay" Meanwhile back at headquarters the troops are kept in line with a series of wink wink nudge nudge internal briefings that say " well we can't publicly tell you what was in those injections but what we can assure you is that we would NEVER have approved anyithing unsafe" The constant beating of lawyers' drums is eroding the will to do the right thing ...... What deal will ASADA agree to so the sad circus stops performing ?

I truly respect a person who is an optimist

I would have in my innocence thought the time for an early plea was November 2012

I am starting a petition for the AFL to pay Essendon's legal bills so they stay strong. More details to follow .....

Russian proverb : If you live long enough, you will see the body of your enemy floating down the river

Well what I really meant is that just like that zone in the Lord of the Rings where it was not possible to consider what lay north of a certain point, absolutely no one has the wit or the will to consider the implications of cheating and its ramifications. It may have altered games and may have financial ramifications and people have been dudded. Just don't think any of the various vested interests are going to walk down that path is all