Apocalypse XXXI

Well, it's obvious that people are looking for scapegoats for the lack of actual reports about training and I think for once, we can leave Jack Watts out of it even though the Moorabbin ground is close to his home base around Brighton Grammar and the venue would have been handy for him. Therefore, on the basis that the buck stops at the top, I propose that we blame the CEO Cameron Schwab. I have no doubt that if his predecessor was still running the place, the lads would have trained at the Rod Laver arena and our regular trackwatchers would have been given computer access in one of those comfy sponsors boxes and we would have had live coverage on D'land. Bring back Mac!

On 3AW's Rumour File yesterday, Ross Stevenson said that the AFL was going to lay tanking charges against the MFC during the day. It didn't happen apparently. That's why they call it the Rumour File.

Any relation to the Closter who played for Geelong?

You might do well to ask yourself in how many ways is it possible to kill another human being and yet not be guilty of the crime of murder. The answer might help you and many others, think a little more clearly on this subject.

We just beat a better tanker on the day. Incidentally, when we beat Carlton about 7 or 8 weeks earlier that year, Fevola was dropped from the side for disciplinary reasons after an incident the week before against Fremantle. It was probably the first and only time in their history that they meted out such discipline on one of their leading players so swiftly. (More winking emoticon)

I can imagine him being introduced as host and the type of reception he gets from the fans.

You give her far too much credit. If you must know, she received her information as a pay back against the Herald Sun for an article published a few weeks earlier ridiculing the tanking enquiry. The result was the Age got the leaked info. That's how it works and it's as simple as that.

You're a bitter and twisted individual OD if you have issues with some light hearted discussion on Melbourne clubs. I can see that you would have problems with a title like "Melbourne reigns supreme" so why don't you just slink back to wishing the club ill on the Bailey thread?

My issue is whether one can claim Neeld has got it wrong if a few of the cast offs become better players elsewhere. Surely, you need to look at the overall result of the changes and not a few individuals? Let's say Petterd kicks 50 goals next year at Richmond and wins their goalkicking in a team that makes the final eight while Dawes kicks 60 at Melbourne and Petersen 35 in a team that also makes the final eight? Is Neeld a failure because he gave away a 50 goal a year player who was unlikely to fit into Neeld's game plan and therefore not get any games under him?

Anyone notice Caro in the bushes on the lookout for some new dirt to put on Cam Schwab?

One can only hope that our footy dept people aren't so distracted by recent events as to overlook the possibility of snaring him away from Port Adelaide via the PSD - Ben Jacobs unclear of his footy future with Port Adelaide

If the AFL decides to conduct an investigation into Tippett's management team, then why should it not also widen the investigation into the way in which they handled Tom Scully's move to GWS. I understand poaching of contracted players is not allowed and there are question marks about the way that move was handled. Let's hope that the AFL is dedicated to finding out the truth about the practices of clubs, players and their managers.

Deep Throat on twitter is saying that reports about Jared Rivers going to the Cats are way off. Says if he leaves the Dees, it will be to Essendon.

Very good get.

I think it would be a pity to see him go because he's been a staunch and loyal Demon for many years and would give a lot to the Power. I suppose it's part of the changing football landscape.

"There is no suggestion of financial impropriety." QED

' The funny thing is that the Age quotes Brad as saying - ' 'It's been playing in my head for a little while that my career was coming to an end,'' Green said yesterday. ''I know where this group needs to go, and for them to move forward I need to step aside and let this emerging talent grow. I never wanted to overstay my welcome and take a young guy's spot.'' On that basis, the Age is calling Green a liar.

As an attempt to garner discussion and controversy it was a success. As an attempt to unseat C Schwab it was a monumental failure.

Like many, I have tremendous reservations about a former president coming out and commenting about specific allegations against his club which might result in damaging sanctions being enforced against it, particularly at a time when the club is already against substantial threat and attacks in the media, some of it justified, most of it not. Like Paul, I felt most uncomfortable about that period in the club's history. The moral dilemma of knowing that defeat was more important than victory and the consequences which that entailed was probably the most bitter feeling I have tasted personally in all of my days as a supporter of this club. For that I blame the AFL and the collective leadership of all of the AFL clubs (including Paul Gardner). The dilemma of the priority pick and the temptation to tank or to experiment or to skillfully manage your list to take advantage of the draft rules didn't emerge overnight in the latter half of the 2009 season. It was around in the late 1990s when Fremantle disintegrated at a time when Paul Haselby was the next best thing. After that we had St. Kilda, Carlton (on several occasions), the Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn and Collingwood all exposed to the dilemma and then us and later, the Eagles. You could write an interesting book on some of the positional moves, team changes, early surgeries, disciplining of players and other tactics and strategies employed that can be pointed out and attributed to clubs that strangely enough, all just happened to end up with priority draft picks. So where was the AFL on this issue for the best part of a decade? Where were club presidents like Paul Gardner and others in 2007 when Carlton was pulling off the biggest draft rort in history right in front of all us in the Kreuzer Cup game. I accept that his team wasn't tanking that evening but if we're now taking a highly principled moral stand about wiping out tanking (and I agree that we should) then where were Andrew Demetriou and where was Paul Gardner and all of others who frown on the practice in September 2007 when Fevola was placed safely out of sight so that Lance Whitnall could miss shots from 20 metres out and Travis Johnstone was free to roam and accumulate 42 possessions? If a policy of "no comment" publicly was good enough then, then surely it's more than good enough now.

The media is having a field day criticizing one of our players because he was a number 1 draft pick and he's not starring in matches even though he's only 20 years of age. Well, at least his team won on the weekend and though his form wasn't great, he at least contributed to his team's effort. However, there's another number 1 draft pick out there who's running around not doing much for his team even though he's the most highly paid footballer in the country who's poor performances are getting zero attention whatsoever. Why?

Sadly, I don't think anyone's biting tonight.

Spoke to a couple of the players late last year and according to them that story is greatly exaggerated. That's not to say there was nothing in it but the bulk of the players had absolutely no involvement in the brouhaha at all and the saga was greatly embellished by people in the media who had issues with one of the parties involved. Thankfully, we've recovered from that although it's very possible that there's going to be some more fallout.

Get a grip. I was just using poetic licence with the "half" bit but this area's a different kettle of fish to other parts of the world. In all my time there I never found a single person who I could talk with about AFL.

I've worked in the Blacktown area in the past and I can say from experience this is going to be a tough market for the AFL to crack. They love their rugby league and soccer's also big with the kids around the area. I'm not sure how the locals would respond to Sheedy's antics either because half of them don't speak English let alone Kev's gibberish.

Boy, do I have a Jack for you? Knightmare's 2011 Mock Draft on bigfooty currently has Jack Charleston down as pick 52 which, conveniently enough, would make him a Demon (previously had him going to Collingwood for a later pick). You can also have Jack Crisp, Jack Newnes or Jackson Paine if you want.