La Dee-vina Comedia

I don't know how much the taxpayers contribute. (As an MCC member, it feels like I'm personally helping pay off the redevelopment of the stands built in the early 2000s every time I renew my membership). However, I'm sure it is significant. I agree with the points you make about transparency and equity.

Out of context I don't know what to make of this. Did he mean: (1) he's in favour of it but because the ALP is scared of the Greens, and the Greens hold the seats where this is to be situated, the Premier won't support the proposal so it won't happen; or (2) he's against it. The most likely scenario, though, is that he hasn't made up his mind because he hasn't had a chance to see what the opinion polls tell him. NB: Forget the Rod Grinter Riot Squad reference. I was going to make a comment on his earlier post but have changed my mind but been unable to delete the original reference.

I'm astounded that Fritsch (at 21) and Guelfi (at 20) are described as "mature age".

Old dee, could you please confirm whether I am meant to interpret this post optimistically or pessimistically.

Travelling from Melbourne to Alice Springs is approx 1,888 km whereas Melbourne to Perth is about 2,700 km. Since we won our last flag, West Coast has won three while travelling to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane far more than we ever have to travel. The excuse that we are 'flat' because we have to travel to Alice Springs doesn't wash with me. (Darwin, on the other hand, is problematic, not because of the distance but because of the conditions.)

I don't know if he can play as a forward, but in answer to your question, he would be playing with two in form, strong-running, strong-marking key forwards where as previously there was really only one. Could this be enough to mane a difference? I don't know.

The little bit of East Melbourne which is right next to the proposed site (ie, that bit south of Wellington Road and west of Hoddle Street) includes Berry St. Is there still the old "Berry Street Babies Home" there? And if so, does the MFC still support it? If the Home is still there, now would be a very good time for the club to make sure that it does support it and if it has been all along, to get maximum kudos for it (in a way which doesn't seem superficial or self-serving.)

You might also want to distance Demonland from anyone being fined while using a device in a car.

We shouldn't have to worry about Yarra Council as Yarra Park is not within their boundary; it's within the City of Melbourne.

I would, too. But we'll likely play a team in Alice Springs that wouldn't draw 45,000 to the G anyway, such as Gold Coast, Fremantle or a poorly performing team, such as St Kilda is now.

To be fair, it was just a "sound grab" for the news, so I don't know everything she might have said. But the one line that made it to air was about Yarra Park being a park for the community to use.

Presumably you mean free-to-air TV coverage, preferably on a Friday or Saturday night. And I agree with that.

The local member for the State seat of Melbourne, in which Yarra Park resides, is Ellen Sandell (Greens party). She's already been on radio complaining about it. It would be good politics for Gosch's park to be restored as "proper" parkland when we leave. My suspicion (with no evidence to back it up) is that getting out of poker machines might have been a pre-condition to getting State and/or Federal funding for the project. The Western Bulldogs got federal money for the redevelopment of Whitten Oval on that condition. It's the perfect time to be seeking State and Federal support with both governments heading towards elections within the next 11 months (or sooner).

In that case, I'm impressed. While it's obvious to us that a solid, accountable board which can maintain confidentiality is beneficial, for him to actually say what he said means he has absolute faith in the ability of his Board members to keep a secret. If he had any doubts, he wouldn't have said it.

Did Bartlett actually say this or was it a comment from whoever he was speaking with at SEN?

Presumably that might affect the sponsorship dollars we get from the NT Government. Nevertheless, I'm in favour of extricating ourselves if we can afford it. And presumably we wouldn't be doing this unless we thought we could.

You're being a bit tough on Viney given the numbers are for the season to date in which Viney has only played 4 games.

If the "ins" are only coming from Tyson, Stretch, Garlett and Petty, I can't see how Pedersen gets omitted. Structurally he'll still be needed. If Petty plays, I would expect one of the nominal defenders to miss (ie, one of Vince, Lewis, Salem, Hibberd, Jetta, J Smith). Of that group, I would suspect Vince is the most likely. Tyson, Garlett and Stretch would be putting pressure, I would have thought, on Spargo and Hannan. Nice words from Goody about Watts, too.

Maybe the AFL forgot to tell everyone that the system used actually involves a points formula where the last step in the process is to multiply the points by ladder position to get a final number.

Nice reporting and I'm impressed you didn't regress by inserting a Melbourne weather today and Frost pun in your report. Must have been tempting.

Just looking at that picture...is it Kane Cornes' or Matthew Lloyd's team? (Not that it matters.)

If I recall correctly, his son was truly a colossus.

While these changes look good on paper (so to speak) who helps out Gawn? I assume from what you've said that Frost replaces Vince and Garlett replaces Spargo. Tyson therefore is the "replacement" for Pedersen, but obviously not as the second ruckman.

No, but Stockholm Syndrome might explain why Carlton have got so many Friday night games.

Should definitely try to get de Goey just to see your second sentence come true.