Jara

And I second that. Amazing. God he has a go. Given he's got what appears to be a rather fragile, giraffe-like build, he just throws himself into everything. Should be an inspiration to the rest of the slackers. So hoping he gets all-Oz again.

So sad for you Brad. Lovely guy. Thoughts and prayers with you and your boys.

Hey DV8 - meant to reply to this at the time, but got distracted thanks for all that info pity we look like continuing to be the orphans. Have to make the inner city a marginal seat Get Josh to give us some brass cheers

Hey DV8 - I'm interested in your last point, and I'm wondering whether you (or anybody else) could fill me in. Like you, I despair at us being "homeless orphans" - I think it's been a critical factor in our long-term failure. Just about everybody else seems to have somewhere to call home. A spiritual base. I was horrified to see the Libs giving all that money to the Pies too. Geelong and the Dogs have also received vast amounts of taxpayer money recently. Sydney too, I think. (The Dogs are now campaigning to get home games again, and Kardinia Park is an almost invincible base for the Cats) It all seems so dispiriting. Watching our guys train at Gosch's Paddock is degrading. We're the bloody team that invented the game, and we have to make do with these jerry-built affairs. I'm wondering whether somebody could advise me whether our club is doing anything about improving the situation? What are our club's long-term plans? Do we have a long-term plan? Is there any cause for hope? I looked on the club website, but couldn't see anything (maybe I missed it - I couldn't even find where our offices are) I hope we have got a plan. A goal. I've noticed other teams developing new homes for themselves in recent years. I know it's a huge cost, but you have to start somewhere (I'm a volunteer with the CFA - our little brigade has a kind of twenty year plan to buy a new tanker - it's been a massive effort - we only seem to raise $5-10000 a year, but we're nearly there) Cheers

Couldn't agree more. Somebody else (maybe it was you?) got bagged for saying this a few days ago, but you're right. Somewhere to take the kids, gaze at the photos and trophies on the wall. Somewhere to bond. Was just reading how the Pies have been given $15 million by the Coalition which will help with their new base (a sports and medical research centre) . Been others over the years (Geelong, Dogs etc) Never seems to come to us.

Nearly sixty years i been addicted to this crap. Time to get myself some rehab.

Money-hungry moron. Good riddance. Excellent comment from Bluey's dad. "Free speech" is a pretty fluid concept, I suppose. We've all got our own interpretation of what it means. Nobody's throwing him in jail - he's just disobeyed a clear instruction given to him by his employer. I've worked with plenty of employer's conditions - always worked within them or paid the consequences. I've noticed this a bit from the hard-right snowflakes of late - (see Anning, F) - dare to interrupt the flow of their vile bile and you're impinging upon their 'free-speech.'

What's the point? All we'd do is get more spuds. We're cursed.

Sucks that we always have to play down at this s-$#hole place. Unfair. When did Filth last play here?

Fair enough. Ta (I just like us playing the first Test there because we normally seem to win - I know we're sheizenhausen at present, but so much of the summer seemed to depend upon who won the toss).

Just as a matter of interest, anyone know why we didn't play India in Brisbane, which is what we normally do. Was that at India's request? Were we pandering to them?

Just wandered by to see if there's any movement on this thread. Not much, apparently, but I agree with your comment, Daisy. I'm sure others here know a lot more about cricket than I do, but to me this seems to have been a decision so hysterical (and driven by the yellow press) that it borders on injustice - an injustice for which we're now paying. In this society, you have a right to expect consistency from the law. If I attend the magistrates court one morning and see the five guys in front of me get a $200 fine for speeding and I cop a $10,000 one, I'd have a right to feel pretty p'd off. IMHO, we should have accepted the ICCs original decision. If there was going to be a renewed focus on ball tampering, there should have been a warning. From what I gather, ball tampering continues everywhere - we were just particularly dumb at it. Warner - what a moron - but at least he's maintained a dignified silence since then.

Thanks for posting that. I wasn't there, but the saddest memory it stirs for me is that glimpse of the old members' stand. I hate the fact that we tore it down. Only made it in there once (2000 Grand Final on a borrowed ticket) but I'll never forget it. Sorry my kids will never have the pleasure.

Finally got ticket, but seem to be sitting on top of Mount Everest. Disappointing.

Hmmm - still waitin... says sold out says "allocation exhausted" for my code - what's that supposed to mean? Dunno bout the allocation but I'm exhausted

Friggin hell Been trying all morning. So stressful Been looking forward to this for so long. Id rather the old days when you had to queue.

Maybe my memory's playing tricks, but I seem to recall they also put a lot of money into the Western Bulldogs (not to mention $30 mill to Foxtel to increase coverage of women's sport) We're the oldest club, we started the league and haven't had a proper home for decades; should be able to mount a pretty good argument.

What's that mean?

Wasn't saying it to show you what a wonderful person I am (alas, I'm not) - I said it to illustrate the fact that, if you behave ethically, there are people in this world who will support you for it. Speaking out is a way of encouraging businesses (and football clubs) to behave with decency (that's why we are members of a super fund noted for its ethical investment) It was the phrase "virtue-signalling" that puzzled me. Like I said, I never heard it until recently, and it doesn't seem to make much sense. From what I can gather, it's an expression that right-wingers have started using to belittle anybody who expresses progressive views. The trouble is,it doesn't mean anything. For example, when I heard Bolt using it, I think he was using it to mock somebody who was in favour of alternative power. So if you speak out in favour of solar power, you are "virtue signalling". Whereas If you speak in favour of coal-power, you are not. What's the diff? They're all just political opinions.

Proud of the club. I'm going to upgrade my membership. And BTW, what's with all these people rabbiting on about "virtue signalling"? I never even heard the phrase until there past couple of years - now Andrew Bolt says it every time he opens his mouth (and his lackeys follow suite). I don't get it. Are they saying that, from now on, it's impossible to do anything for an honourable motive? That all you're doing is "virtue-signallng" - i.e., I presume, telling the world how good you are? Weird.

Magic! (I mean your reference to organics, not the mushrooms)

Been stewing about it all day. It's been years, now - why can't I let go? The same questions keep bobbing to the surface, like a turd in a swimming pool. Where are the records? If you reckon Dank's got em, why haven't you sued him to find out what he injected into your players? Why did you give The Weapon a million bucks? And - oh god, if you exist - why are those cheating junkies in the finals and we're not?

And now they win the Rising Star with the player they got for being drug cheats. What a heartwarming story of battling against adversity, what heroes, what role models.

Great if he comes, but my god it all seems so hopeless right now. I feel like I've been seeing this sort of crap - new dawns, boom recruits, building - all my friggin life and all it ever comes down to is disappointment.

I've been a member for nearly twenty years (supporter for fifty). For each of the past few years I've asked myself - why bother? Then I've looked at the clip of Robbie Flower - and I'm back in the saddle (or the chastity belt, or whatever it is)