La Dee-vina Comedia

In the 1960s, the competition wasn't professional so (in real terms) player payments were substantially less. Ground facilities were much poorer, too, with most grounds having very little seating. On balance, I suspect the value for money proposition (again, in real terms) is today substantially better than it was in the 1960s. I also suspect (but would be happy to be proved wrong if the evidence is there) that the proportion of wages spent on attending football was less in the 1960s than it is today. What might make football seem to be relatively expensive is that society today has many more expenses overall so paying for attending football appears to be more painful. Or, to be more pithy and as the late Terry Jones might have said in an appropriate voice, "Luxury".

How did May get us Bennell?

I like to think that Bennell's leg problems are entirely the fault of being contracted to two basket-case clubs. I suspect that's not actually the case, but thinking that gives me optimism that with proper care, he can be made into a successful player for us.

If his contract were back-end loaded, I could understand that he may have accrued payments that need to be paid out at the conclusion of his time as a player, whether it occurs at the expected end of the contract or earlier.

Is it? Has anyone seen any analysis which compares the cost of going to the footy today compared with previous eras in real terms? I'd be surprised if "going to the footy" is materially more expensive. However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the additional costs (food and beverage, primarily) are more expensive, but in my view, they are avoidable costs.

We had a power base?

I'm not sure what Saty, Baghdad and George will be more offended by...that they could ever be considered to be like Joffa or, by inference, with each other? I know I'd never be considered to be like any of them. I haven't got Saty's hair, I'm the wrong religion to be allowed anywhere near Baghdad and I don't sit in the outer. And as for Joffa? Well, I've got all my own teeth.

If we have a planning expert on Demonland perhaps we could get some definitive advice, but while the Council might impose this requirement, would it necessarily be binding? Couldn't the body seeking to build (such as the Yarra Park Trust, or whatever its called or the MFC or RFC) appeal such a decision to VCAT? Couldn't the Planning Minister intervene (for or against, of course)?

You've just upped my level of expectation. Now anything less than a Shaun Burgoyne standard is going to feel like a disappoining result! Seriously, I'm pleased for Bennell and can't see any downside. I'm confident that the risk of him not making it is no worse than any other player available to take at this time.

Even if your enthusiasm is more constrained this year, I hope you've still bought memberships for yourself, your two sons and lovely lady.

"And we're going to make Collingwood pay for it"

Just to clarify, are you proposing taking May out of the defence permanently or just moving him forward should a need arise?

That could be problematic. Imagine (and it takes some imagining!) if Melbourne play Richmond in a Grand Final. That would mean the following year we would play them in or around the last week in March for Round 1 and then about 4 weeks later on ANZAC Eve. (Or, we lose the ANZAC Eve slot.) I'm not fussed about Richmond v Carlton playing in Round 1. Each time the AFL locks in a blockbuster game it reinforces the need for our club to develop our own blockbuster ideas. So I will repeat what I've been saying for years. We should make Melbourne v Sydney, representing the two biggest cities in the nation, a blockbuster game which involves the Lords Mayor of each city. It should rotate between Melbourne and Sydney every year and it could, if managed right, repliace State of Origin footy in the mind of supporters, both those who support Melbourne and Sydney (the clubs) as well as those who support other teams.

To be fair, I think what he's suggesting here makes sense, particularly the connectivity to Richmond Station, but only if it's economically viable. He's also not the only person making these suggestions. But just because it's Eddie making the comments, many will have a knee-jerk critical reaction. If I were of that mind, I would respond by saying the other idea we should take from the Superbowl is to have all our umpires wearing black and white striped shirts. It's not actually necessary, but as it would mean Collingwood would have to change their gear, Eddie would go apoplectic which would make it worth having the inevitably pointless discussion.

In the real world you get sick leave for the purpose of handling clinically diagnosed mental health problems. That's not to say everyone works in a job which has sick leave nor does it address the problem of mental health not necessarily being resolved in a fixed timeframe that meets the limits of sick leave. However, to say people don't get "time" away to sort out their personal problems is a broadbrush statement which is not always correct.

Wedding preparation.

I think 3AK became SEN but on a different wavelength to give it a stronger signal. 3KZ became GOLD FM And 3UZ became irrelevant as the station owned and operated by the racing industry.

When I was a boy, I thought 3KZ was one of the best stations. It had Ian Major and Jack Dyer calling the game and I thought they didn't have the races.

There are so many logistical issues I can't see it ever happening: where would they play? Is there a ground size big enough? Is there a ground of the right size with natural turf? would the game be played two weeks before the opening round to allow teams to recover upon return? If so, how does that affect pre-season training for those involved? what time would it be played? More relevantly what time of day would it be in Australia for a live broadcast? would players need visas to get in? If visas are required, would every player and official who needed a visa get one? (especially if the current President keeps extending the list of banned countries) cost But none of the above is more important than one other question: Why?

Presumably he won't be in the Vic guernsey now.

And not every game was fully broadcast on radio, either. It's hard to believe today that in the 1960s three radio stations (what were then called 3UZ, 3DB and 3LO) would prefer to call the races in preference to calling a football match. If our game was scheduled for one of those racing broadcasters, you heard virtually nothing about the game and saw nothing later because cameras were only at the games which the TV stations showed replays of. No wonder a team like hours, which was rarely worthy of TV replay time had a missing generation of supporters. We had virtually no media exposure.

I've never seen an old dee post with such positivity. Either his account's been hacked or he's overdosed on Prozac. Or I need to accept he was being deliberately sardonic.

They're probably using a back brace for an average sized human.

Imagine if this was last year. Would we even have had any players left over who were not required in the (equivalent of) the Marsh Series? I can imagine a group of players in moon boots and using Zimmer frames just to make up the numbers.

You're not the real Barry Vagg? How disappointing!