Jara

Don't think Barry handed out any death penalties for Eureka; they were acquitted. He was a bit rough on Ned, though, I agree. He did help found Melbourne Uni though, and would doubtless be turning in his grave if he could see what the Tea Party creeps in charge of the country right now are doing it.

Morning all. Sorry such an infrequent poster, still nothing original to add, but geez, fifteen hours and the glow still hasn't worn off. Just wanted to share it with someone (house full of females - they don't understand) Just wandered over to Bomberblitz. Is there a better show in town right now? Love the bloke who lets loose with a tirade against any Dees supporters who happen to be wandering by. They should freeze-dry the whole site and ship it off to the Comedy Festival.

Yes, Viscount, I often find myself wondering how such a dimwit could have won a Rhodes scholarship. Hes one of the worst speakers ive heard; amazing how he'll sometimes just stand there like a stunned rabbit. I know nothing about the circumstance of the scholarship, but I find myself wondering about the selection process, whether it was based on academic achievement or whether there was some sort of bias in his favour because he was a right-wing headcase. As for the budget ... Jeez. The most brutal attack I've ever seen upon the lives of ordinary Australians, a blatant effort to redirect money from the poor to the rich.

Family friend had this a year ago. Terrible disease. Nearly killed him. Took ages to recover. Best wishes to Clarko.

Geez, You have to admire the perspicacity and fairness of the Afl in not giving us a priority pick after our triumphs of last year, don't you? And pleeeze, don't anybody say we would have mucked it up. You don't know that.

I was praying for a North win, can't find anything like grudging respect for Bombers. I'm hoping they crash big time for what they've done to our sport (most worrying thing about this drug scandal has been the reports that it has been one of the factors leading to a huge increase in drug use among sportsmen at a lower (and younger) level. The Hirds seem mad to me. All that worship warps the mind in the end. All about me me me.... What on earth prompted her to come out the way she did? Not stupid, just mad. Maybe a bit stupid.

Yes. Imagine the poor dudes at the players association trying to monitor and do something for the players' long-term health but are hamstrung by the fact that nobody (supposedly, but I wouldn't believe it in a pink fit) can say what they were given. They keep records of every bloody little thing they do - except for what they were injecting into their arms (my wife is a nurse - finds this the most surprising aspect of the whole thing - says they have to keep records of every little thing they do. I suppose shes only surprised because she comes from the legitimate health world, rather than the body-building 'sports science' muscles-and-balls-in-inverse-proportions one (if that makes sense) Hopefully this will continue to punish the Bummers for years to come. Lawsuits from players in ten or twenty years? Delisted players spilling th beans? All good.

WJDo hope you're right, but my god I don't have much confidence in anything to do with sport right now. All seems so corrupt and incompetent, driven by the dollar. This latest chapter in the Hird saga has left me just gob-smacked. The sheer incompetence, the greed, watching Hird emerge from his Toorak mansion with his shark-like wife, the sainted Julian Burnside getting his $10,000 a day, Demtetriou sucking in his blubbery guts. These people are such fools. Demetriou - how could the AFL be so stupid as to inflict a supposed punishment and not put it in writing? I mean the scummiest little backyard panelbeater these days has the sense to put things in writing. And now they're going to pay Hird his money in a lump sum and think we're stupid enough to think that's a fair outcome? Who are these guys? None of them are professionals. Demetriou is an ex schoolteacher, Hird a failed engineer who was worshipped by a bunch of morons because he had blond hair. I bet the GMH employees wish they could negotiate a retrenchment package like he's got. And it's all done with the money of ordinary people like those Holden employees who are losing their jobs and conditions because our society's wealth is vanishing into the massive maws of people like Gina Rinehart (sorry to go off track, but my take on it is that we're losing our manufacturing base because the mining boom is driving up the dollar - Govt spends more subsidising miners than it did cars - cheez - sorry again - Saturday rant over).

Nothing original to add. Just venting. But my god this whole business (and I use the term advisedly - it sure ain't sport) is morally repulsive and the individuals involved are sickening. Thats all folks.

What do you want to say about sham marriages?

Hey Ben Did the googling. Found the reference. Andrew Blot. Congratulations - very high-powered stablemate you've got helping you form your opinions

Fair enough. You learn something new every day. I'd thought most of them came by plane. I looked at that site you referred me to. Was interesting to note that 90% of those who arrive by sea turn out to be genuine refugees. Much smaller percentage of those who come by air turn out to be (eg I think it said only about 20% of Chinese are accepted)

Say what? I still don't get it. Doesn't matter how you get here, there's nothing illegal about arriving in a country and seeking asylum. Ergo, pace Mr Morrison, they're not illegals. If you're supporting Bens assertion, I wouldn't mind seeing the evidence. (At least you've qualified yours with an "I believe" - ie left yourself room to back out - Ben wasn't quite so ambivalent - blithely stating that about 50% arrive by boat. I can't be bothered googling it, because I didn't make the allegation in the first place, but I wouldn't make such a claim unless I was sure it was correct)

Very unpleasant homophobic element to this thread, moderators. This isn't 1950. Those of you with such attitudes should take a few moments to research the suicide rates of young gay men living in rural areas and ask what you are doing to alleviate the suffering of these, our fellow citizens.

Oh and Ben, sorry to be a bore, but I wouldn't mind seeing the evidence for this claim either. I thought most still came by plane.

Hey Ben Not disputing your facts, but I wouldn't mind seeing the evidence for this I worked with refugees for a few years. Most of the ones I knew were keen to work, and ended up getting the kind of jobs we wouldn't do in a pink fit Cheers

Hi Deanox Good post. I like the fact that you've tried to put things in a broader perspective (eg the fact that one of the reasons we've been down so long coincided with the arrival of the expansion clubs) cheers

Fair enough. Suppose I've realised it for quite a while, but sometimes these threads are more about venting steam than anything else. I just get so angry sometimes. Kind of live in hope; maybe we'll uncover another RDB or a Carey, or stop picking duds, or fluke a flag. Just one, before I die, would do me. Then, alas, reality kicks in.

Makes me even more mad that the b$@#% wouldn't give us a priority pick. You get Swans who've won two recent premierships and can still afford Tippett and (looks like) Franklin cos of their extra mill, Hawks, who've also won two flags with their PPs, Pies with Pendles and Swan, etc etc - all squealing that we don't 'deserve' a PP, even though we've won 5 games in 2 years and haven't won a flag for fifty. Sorry if I'm straying off topic here. Just starting to feel this anger and hopelessness growing inside me. Equalization? HA! Pigs rectum. Never seen my team win a flag. Kinda doubt whether I ever will.

Hey Rpfc I get a bit confused by all this compensation FA stuff. You seem to have a pretty good grasp on it. Te general feeling I get is that it hammers the smaller, weaker clubs. Is that right? The strong clubs get good players who want to see a premiership before they retire (Lake, Ball, Rivers etc) The smaller clubs get the cast-offs from the biggies (like we got Dawes) Ie the whole thing is a blow against any sense of equality and yet another nail in our coffin ( I suppose the exception to the rule is the expansion clubs, who have squill ions to play with and can get money-hungry morons like Buddy and Scully?)

And Roos (much as I now love him, of course) was paid over $300,000 to run this program? My god, we've got some weird values in our society.

The supposedly independent AFL will doubtless decide to reinstate PPs when one of their beloved Super Franchises (Hawks, etc) accidentally find themselves down in the nether parts of the ladder. The Druggies will probably be getting one in a year or two. As for us, I expect we'll have a bit of a resurgence over the next few years, get about as high as 13th, and then sink back down where we belong. Fifty friggin years! And to make matters worse, the only other team I care much for, for family reasons, is The Bulldogs.

Move on? Well, sure, not much choice, is there? But personally I'm furious. This decision is one more blow to any possibility of a level playing field. Hawthorn, West Coast, Pies, etc ...none of them minded PPs when the opportunity arose. None of them seemed to think accepting a PP was infra dig. All went on to win flags with their priority picks. Never seen a Melbourne premiership. Never expect to see one (nor one from Dogs, North, etc) It will be just one big revolving door: Hawks one year, Pies the next, Eagles, Swans, etc. GWS before too long. All the Super-Franchises. EPL here we come

They want us for cannon fodder

Hey WJ. As I said earlier, I think this is a quality piece of writing which should be in the public press. I suppose there's stuff going on behind the scenes that we don't know about, but from what I read, there seems to be a propaganda war going on to deny us a PP. jeez, these buggers have got a nerve. Didn't Hawthorn get at least 2 of hodge, franklin and Roughie from PP? Pies get Swan and Pendles. Etc etc ... The hypocrisy rolls on Somebody needs to get our view out there (although I suppose it's already too late) Doesn't matter what Caro thinks - she's not the editor. I've written a few articles for The Age over the years- have found they're usually quite happy to consider them. Why not just submit it? I think Alex Lavelle is Sports Editor at present - presumably his email would be something like [email protected] (I'd have a go, but am busy with sick child right now, and you've already done a great job) Good luck, mate