La Dee-vina Comedia

Maybe so he's quoted in the Herald Sun tomorrow which is meant to be some sort of MFC membership day.

Maybe there's not enough black ink to make both a Jones and Swan figurine in the same year.

Away games which will be classed as "substitute" games. So the home club will get the dough but the North members will get free entry.

They talk? And they have Dustin Martin? Wow, who needs Marcel Proust and "In Search of Lost Days".

Do we know it's definitely about the Essendon saga? Without being flippant, is there any other great scandal in Australian sport that it could be, such as cobalt and racing (Peter Moody won the major part of his appeal today, by the way), the dollars spent trying to secure the 2022 World Cup or (tenuous link alert) Tabcorp allegedly making corrupt payments to get a sports betting licence in Cambodia?

Maybe, but could we have 20? Personally, I think 20 would be too many. In my mind, the most likely scenario if there is going to be a team in Tassie is that North Melbourne loses its battle to remain in Melbourne (not for want of trying) and becomes Hobart-based but still plays 6 or so games in Melbourne each year.

So, on 10 March the NT News says the NT Government's not happy and on 11 March the relevant Minister issues a media release with a "clarification". I'd venture to suggest that in between, there was a very strongly worded conversation between Peter Jackson and the NT Government representatives. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the MFC drafted a fair swathe of the Minister's clarifying statement, too. I don't know whether the NT deal is necessarily that rewarding for us overall, but I suspect the period between 10 and 11 March strengthened our negotiating position...which is probably the reverse of what the NT Government was trying to achieve with its ill-conceived drop to the NT News.

Sounds like us historically

Putting Hogan forward for a bit of media after a win (albeit a practice match) is a lot easier than after a loss. I want to see professionalism in everything we do, which means helping those poor players who will have to front the media after we lose, too.

I hope that's true. I'd like to think we're professional in everything these days.

Back in the dark days of just a few years ago someone (can't remember who) mentioned Melbourne players didn't play with "trust". That is, they didn't trust each other to be able to do what was necessary which lead to them sticking to their own man to protect themselves should the opposition get the ball. I haven't seen any of the pre-season games, but would those who have say that the players now "trust" each other?

I don't profess to understand the process, but is it the EFC or their insurers that would be doing this? I recall that my car insurance company tells me I'm not to admit liability if I'm ever in an accident, so I wonder whether its the same for EFC in matters such as this. Anyone know? Also, EFC need to get better PR advisers. Whoever they're using at the moment isn't earning their keep.

As a matter of interest, is the consensus view that Essendon will have a worse year than Melbourne in 2013 when we won 2 games and had a percentage of 54% (and still didn't finish last)? Because if Essendon does better than that, clubs playing them twice in 2016 are no more advantaged than clubs which played Melbourne (and GWS) twice in 2013. Or, to ask a different question, would Melbourne's 2013 team (and coach) beat Essendon's 2016 team?

I doubt it's illegal to discriminate on the basis of the football team someone might support (even though it is illegal to do so on the basis of religion, which is the next best thing)...but having non-Melbourne supporting staff members has a definite upside. For a start, they're dispassionate and likely to make decisions with their head rather than their heart. It probably doesn't matter so much in the role of membership officer, but the principle should still apply for any job at any level, other than players.

In all seriousness, I keep wondering why the Police haven't charged him. I can only assume he hasn't committed any offences, which suggests to me that perhaps we need to look more closely at the laws which allow him and his like to "practice". I'd like to think that anyone that can inject a person or give instructions for someone else to administer the injection should hold some form of qualification, registration or licence. (With exemptions for people who administer insulin and Epi-pens and probably a few other things. )

I beg to differ. I think the history of moronic, midget journalism is very voluminous...particularly AFL journalism (using "journalism" loosely).

And it was told to me by a Richmond-supporting ex-copper. (Not sure which of those descriptions makes the story I was told less credible).

It's a great phrase but probably bunkum. You can't tell me the club wouldn't extend the book by adding a chapter if another sponsor wanted to come on board.

To be fair, the information I was told about Dusty's father before he was drafted was completely wrong. I was told he was with the Comancheros.

There's something worse. Hogan is the only one wearing white (away) shorts. If that's not a message, I don't know what is.

I note that the former incessant chatter on Demonland that we should have drafted, or at least interviewed, Dustin Martin seems to have stopped. I wonder why?

Predictions: If we win, someone on Demonland will say it was because St Kilda was one game behind in their preparation and it showed by how much they tired. If we lose, someone on Demonland will say it was because St Kilda was one game behind in their preparation and it showed by how much they tried.

That might depend on who your captain is. Wayne Carey was an outstanding footballer and on-field leader but I doubt he showed leadership qualities for much of the remaining 165 hours of the week. I suspect in Archer's eyes, the work done by the leadership group off-field was considered to be just as or more important than what Carey showed on-field.

Not quite sure why you see the need to raise those old photos again...

Really? Given the process wouldn't just involve the physical testing (possibly twice to confirm an initial positive reading) but also a fairness step in notifying the player to give her a chance to comment, I think it's been quite quick. Having said that, it makes no difference to the key issue - she was caught using a banned substance.