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

Isn't perfect? He was an incredible failure. I also had some hopes. They came to nought. He was the Liberals' Jack Watts. The thing that surprised me most was his lack of nous. I thought that was the one thing he had. That decision to call a double dissolution - what a dill. That's why we've got Anning et al. Turnbull couldn't even handle a vicious know-nothing like Abbott. In the end he was so desperate to hang onto his job he was willing to sacrifice his supposed core commitment - climate change. No spine. Dunno how he got so rich - just lucky, I suspect. Sold out just before the dot.com collapse, if I recall correctly.

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.

Bug business? Is that the IPA entomologist again? Im sure she'd be happy to support the Liberals.

I'm hoping for a Dutton victory. Then he can lead them to the slaughter they deserve. Hopefully he'll lose his own seat. Bishop's probably the one I fear most.

I agree. I remember how stunned I was by that incident. Happened just in front of me. It's the main reason I support a send-off rule, at least for Grand Finals. Imagine if we made it to the Grand Final and somebody did that to Clarry in the first minutes.

Nice article. Might mean something if I hadn't been hearing these "coulda wouldas" for fifty years. I'm over potential.

Recovering from heart attack. Can't take this any more. This team is an OH&S issue.

Uh god only option for following this game is the radio and i have to listen to TerryWallace. That voice should not be on air. Id appreciate lots of updates here thanks.

Thanks for that. Yes, I remember reading about his health problems somewhere recently. Very sad. Glad somebody else remembers him as a writer. To be honest, I can actually barely remember what he wrote - I was just a kid, but I read a lot, and I remember thinking - wow - that guy has written so well about a game I love, not something I'd ever come across before. Have any of you on this thread read The Mystery Spinner? I thought it was an incredible book, and story - I've met its author a couple of times, and he was a bit p'd off that it didn't sell more at the time.

One more thing I like about Murphy - he's a superb writer - I find his stuff some of the best I've ever read - insider trading - real meat and potatoes stuff - most other writers try too hard (or they are just dills) Interestingly, the other player/writer I recall reading with admiration was Brent Croswell - dunno if anybody even remembers his writing these days (and I was only a kid, so I suppose my judgement was susso) funny how there's been so much good writing about cricket (e.g. Gideon Haig's The Mystery Spinner) but precious little on footy