Earl Hood

I've watered the grass a number of times but it is still yellow

LW Just wondering what your watering the grass with! I have my suspicions. Sacrificial wine is quite acidic you know!

A lot of words without a lot of meaning. I don't have any problem with increasing our intake through proper channels. As a country though it's incumbent on us to know who is coming and where from. We should be controlling intake, not smugglers. We should also dissuade people from perilous journeys across our seas.

I'm not opposed to more dialogue and doing our part to resettle the disadvantaged and those that can contribute to our nation.

We haven't had a boat arrive in 5 weeks and to me that's a good thing. I'm not so sure you see it that way.

Hannibal

Lets do it now. Hire a cruise ship and send it up to Indonesia to take on board refugees and process them there and then. Those that meet refugee status we take or distribute to other partner state we have negotiated with. I think Malcolm Frazier has advocated this approach in recent times, although perhaps without the boat. You would be up for this Hannibal because your only concern is about legitimate refugees drowning at sea, otherwise you are happy for all to come here, yes?

Rantings of a lost soul, come in from the cold my son and seek the Lord

Amen Brother!

Their is a lot of talk about clark's foot, he does have another one you know...just sayin

Feet only work successfully in tandem! One on their own is like Abbott with no Costello, Groucho with no brothers, Barry Gibb on his own, Stanly, no Laurel, Moe, no Larry or Shemp! Where do I stop?

Latest from Tony at Davos. The GFC never happened, just a beat up by some left wing bleeding hearts. Audience reaction was muted as most slept through it. Those who stayed awake wondered why he was talking to them like they were half wits!

Report from you know who from you know where:

Welcome back to training at Gosch's yet again guys. Glad to have you back on board again for another training report.

I'm still suffering from last night after watching that epic Djokovic/Wawrinka game. Go Stan! Probably my favourite top 10 male player BTW.

Bit of stretching, running laps etc. when we got there.

Mitch running laps. Better than nothing I guess.

Clisby is on the sidelines too.

Alrighty, this warmup scheme is different. Boys being taken to all parts of the ground.

Rehab is basically the same as Monday. Hogan, Dawes, Kent, Riley, Fitz, Gawn, Jamar, Byrnes(?) by the looks of things. Clark is still running laps at Gosch's but eventually joins rehab.

Notice a new scheme - players in rehab wear singlets, players training wear training jumper.

Solid 25 minute stretch, as I said to all parts of the ground.

Alrighty, to the short kicks now!

Boys called in for the first time. Let's see what they do today.

Alright. The boys are split into five groups. One in the goalsquare doing sidesteps and a short kick? ...interesting. There is one group on the wing with Watts, Evans, JKH and an assistant (Miller I think) doing some bumping drills. On the other wing there are some upper body strength drills. I'm not sure what the last group is doing... setshots? There's only two or three blokes in that group. I don't mind it though, Roosy mixing it up a bit.

This group in front of us is doing some weird things. Handballing above their head (or to each other) then a kick on demand? Huh? Even I'm confused. I'm guessing it's testing their kicking skills under pressure. There's five footy's and five targets to kick to but yeah it's hard to explain this drill properly.

Stretches again.

Same pick ball up/ride bump/handball drill as generally seen throughout pre season.

Nicho and Viv are heading off now. Spencer and Grimes too by the looks of it. Small group doing some simple handballs - Strauss, Watts, Bail, Blease, Barry and Toumpas in this group.

Addition of a man to drill I mentioned above instead of tackle bag thingymajig.

Group called in and then some short, quick handballs. The boys are up by the sounds of it. Drill is changed to include groundwork as well. There's a couple of errors but the boys look far more accomplished then they did when they started doing this drill some time back.

Drill changed again, four groups handballing with a bit of movement included for the players too. A shepherd is then required as well. Players handball off then shepherd a player shadowing the receiver.

I'm not brilliant at explaining things.

Short kicks on the run now. Groups move back a bit. Kick, run hard, receive handball then give off to another player. FAST MOVEMENT.

This is only a brief drill. Boys called in again.

Now they are split into two different sized groups. Big group in the middle and a small group on the wing. Bit of a split now. The group on the opposite 50 to where we are doing a drill which is mostly handball at speed but with a few switch kicks here and there. Group nearest to use attempting to kick goals, including *shudders* James Frawley, who unsurprisingly shanks his set shot. Meanwhile Trenners, Toump, Salem, Tyson and Barry ran a lap of the oval by the looks of things. Dawes also practising his set shot. More promising signs in his recovery.

Notable Monday absentee Matt Jones is here watching on.

Dawesy looking solid with his set shots, mostly from 40-45m out.

Tappy has come here too and runs a slow lap with Tyson.

Seeing Dawes, Clark and Hogan watching on from the sidelines makes me sad.

Main group is called in again.

Half grounder with a drill similar to one that's been consistent with us this pre season, switch kick, handball, down the line kick, etc.

Few too many players on the sidelines. A fair sized circle doing handball drills.

Main drill becomes a full grounder.

Pedo's working hard and running hard which is pleasant to see. Needs to to stop the derision that he's copped since getting THAT three year deal.

Harmes uses the ball efficiently, it's something I've noticed since he's come in.

Blease is looking better, no, not at the level we'd want him to be yet, but he's running hard which is a good sign.

Boys called in yet again.

Notice as they head out (and I'll capitalise this for emphasis) NATHAN JONES LEADING THE BOYS OUT. USING VOICE. His demeanour has changed in recent weeks. And that hints at something.

Alright, few boys wearing bibs, looks like a delivery drill inside 50. More specifically they're hitting up shorter targets and are patient with their delivery looking for the right kick.

23 blokes sitting out this drill. That's way too much.

Boys called in, I presume to explain to the crowd of players what it is they want to do when they actually do this drill at an undisclosed time in the near foreseeable future.

Alrighty, boys called in again? Wattsy doing a bit of talking, I like that.

Roosy with a very lengthy chat.

Alrighty so this lengthy chat is done. Looks like they're finishing up.

That was a weird training session.

By Tasmanlvr from Bigfooty with thanks

Edited for font size

Why do I keep thinking this is Henri Lecont commentating on MFC's training? Henri is supposed o be over the road at the tennis at this time.

fair dinkum hood, you need to get a life

this obsession will be the end of you

DC I do have a life that is quite varied and productive thanks. And I do gain energy from robust debates. My takes on Tony don't take up that much of my time because he is such a sitting target. I don't have to spend too much time researching data trying to analyse his decisions. I mean it is a matter of debating three word slogans, stereotypes and prejudices with our Tony.

By the way at least I haven't got splinters up my arse from sitting on the fence on so many subjects, in let's wait and so the outcomes from Gonski etc!

Come on DC where's your passion? What do YOU believe in?

By the way one of my passions is tennis and Roger is on fire against Murray. Sublime stuff!

Tony is in good form in Davos basically telling Bang Bang to go jump, we will keep turning back the boats and potentially invading your waters. It's a matter of OZ sovereignty mate! Want a have a go?

Strewth It's one thing to walk all over Timor Leste like jumped up bullies where ASIO is actually working on behalf of Woodside Petroleum but I would be very weary of bullying the Indonesians. They can hurt us if they wish too.

I don't think international diplomacy is a strong point for Abbott, Morrison and co.

Oh and I loved his call on Shorten as being very cocky for one so soon in the job as Opposition leader; this comment from the most aggressive, abusive upstart in opposition history. All three word slogans, personal abuse and no policy; As we are now discovering! Anyone for yet another review of something by LNP hacks?

Good to see Tony staying out of the limelight and leaving Kevin Andrews to announce another review.Was this the team that Tony said was ready for government??

Gee no one had taken the bait yet!

good, as have i. Wanna hit the pub? I hear the Royal's lovely this time of year.

The Royal Mail at Dunfeld? Or somewhere closer to Melbourne?

Forget Dunn's missing mo what is going on with his tats on the chest? Is he sponsored by the Pancake Palour on his right ab? Not sure what to make of the other side. Maybe all is explained in the necklace wording? It is all too much for me who played with blokes who had the odd tatt on an arm here and there. It never crossed my mind to undergo the needle and thank God because the images wouldn't be looking too flash now days.

Range Rover was a fairly divisive character .

Who or where is he now?

Or should we have a poll to decide the truth?

Ditto Yze Magic!

It is going to be hot. But I noted channel 7 sports news tonight had film of MFC training today at Gosch's according to Timmy Watson! Had film of Jonesy wrestling someone. Are they making it up?

Tomic has just pulled the pin against Nadal !! Groin issue apparently. He did something in the first game but this is not going to help his image. I have a feeling Hewitt with the same injury would have gone down like the black knight in Monty Python. They would carried him out horizontal. But that is not our Bernard. He was playing quite well I thought, maybe it was just bad luck but then Bernie needs to look at all these early retirements and losses due to injury.

That's all very well and good and probably makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, but the problem is our students are falling further behind other Countries simply because we want to make our kids study the process instead of the content. Ever since Kirner we have had the ridiculous situation where everyone deserves to pass their VCE or whatever it is called this year. You get kids who are complete morons that pass their VCE when in reality they shouldn't have gone past year one at High School.

One of my friend's sons failed every year at school, but despite his mothers requests, he was promoted each time; he has serious issues and yet he passed his VCE, his father said at the time it was ludicrous. But that's ok, as long as everyone feels good, that's all that counts.

We can have smart kids or we can have not so smart kids.

Robbie thanks for your considered response. Yes I am warm and fuzzy tonight because my aircon has failed but not because of whatever you thought I meant in my post. So you ignored my main proposition about the characteristics of a good teacher and moved straight to the issue our falling standards agianst other countries. And then threw up one reason, process instead of content for the problem and then somehow managed to blame poor old Joan Kirner. that is a masterful effort in little more than a paragraph. Well done there.

The Gonski report spent much time by many experts developing a response to the problem you have identified. On the eve of its implementation of course our old friend Mr Pyne intervened to basically undermine its requirements while throwing even more money at it but not enforcing any of the States to match the fundingand the required improvement actions.

Now who would I back? A report by educational experts who have studied the declining educational standards issue and proposed solutions that entail extra funding to disadvantaged schools etc, etc amongst a variety of solutions or do I listen to someone from Brighton who has his opinions based on.....?

But where are the "but he isn't Wines" folk? Still on holidays in SA?

But we haven't any training reports on Wines. He may be really training the house down while burning up the training track at the same time!

robbie flower??? please explain?

I was talking about Dipper not Robbie.

You sort of miss the point Hood; I didn't ask how long or hard they work, or even the conditions they work under; with all due respect to your wife, working long hours has nothing to do with the capacity to teach children, it's the standard that concerns me. It's also the bias that's passed on by the teachers, especially when it comes to issues relating to things like climate change where there is no alternative view put forward.

There are, seemingly, very few in the teaching industry that aren't left leaning and that shows up in the way the children are taught; left is good right is bad.

Now that may be ok with you and the fact that teachers spend a lot of time on the job and work nights is admirable but it is the quality of the work they do that is of concern.

What score do you need to become a Lawyer or a Doctor, 98 plus; what do you need to become a teacher, 60 or thereabouts. In other words the pass mark for teaching is barely a pass mark and that's the quality we are getting. It may surprise you but in some countries in the World they demand that teachers have a very high pass mark because they want the smartest people teaching their kids not those that can barely scrape through themselves.

Why would I think they would be parasites, we need well educated teachers and I'm happy to see my tax $'s go there.

Bachelor of Science Game Development 91.2

Bachelor of Design Fashion and Textiles 95

Bachelor of Design in visual communication 95

Bachelor of Architecture 94

Robbie as you can probably guess again I think you are on the wrong tram (or should I say tunnel). If I was interviewing teachers for a position I would be looking less at their academic scores and more at their rapport with children and their passion for their subject. Have they worked with kids previously, coaching sport part time, something that indicates their commitment and enthusiasm for teaching and working with kids? High IQ's and exceptional study scores are one thing but not necessarily an indicator of a great teacher. If they can inspire a child to be as good as they can be, the teacher has achieved much more than some highly intelligent graduate who cannot relate to their class.

why do we need high IQ teachers who are teaching fairly basic level curriculum that anyone with a degree could understand. The real skill is being able to impart knowledge to others and Can inspire others.

Our different opinions may stem from the emphasis on content versus process. I think the content, the curriculum is secondary. The process is all important. Teachings kids to analyse things, how to solve problems and think for themselves is important but not as important as building their self confidence and ability to communicate and work with others. You don't need Einsteins to deliver this.

I reckon there 's a few sharing that concern ox. But we live in hope!! I remember one (rare) day - a million years ago when Greg Parke and Ross Dillon marked everything that went over the centre and ran the defenders ragged. Love to see something like that again.

Gee I think I remember that game. Early seventies, I guess, especially remember Ross Dillon marking everything that came his way. We had some players then, but never a team.

I have been limited in my viewing of both Patton and Boyd but can say I have watched a fair amount of Daniher and Hogan including watching them both at Windy Hill in the VFL this year. The one thing that I think Hogan has over all is presence. The one thing I am confident he has over all of them is a bit of mongrel.

Yes I think there should have been a weighting score given to the various categories. If we look at the player histories of the likes of Dermie or Wayne Carey,even Arron Hamill, I think agression is a Hugh plus. How would Dermie have scored on this table, under sized, probably little endurance, speed? Not sure! What he did have was aggression, football smarts and the will to succeed. I am backing Hogan at this stage, he meets my criteria that should be a given for all our kids, he likes physical contact. Here is hoping that he can stop jarring his knees and that he re-signs at the end of the year.

Quite a large % of the teachers in our schools are left leaning dodo's and they are pushing their agenda on to the young students as if they are facts, not their opinion. The teachers get dumber and therefore the students get dumber, the next generation of teachers drop a little further down the intelligence chain so on it goes.

Politicians should just keep their noses out of education but unfortunately the Labor Party found the best way to pollute young minds and tune them in to their agenda was to get to them early through the education system. Kids nowadays accept a whole load of rubbish as fact because that's what they are taught.

It is increasingly becoming a case of the blind leading the blind.

Well thanks for that Robbie. I won't pass on your on your expert opinion and thoughts to my wife who has spent nearly 30 years teaching in schools for the disadvantaged in the northern suburbs, Greeks in Fawkner High, East Timorese at Richmond, battlers from Heidleberg, Olympic villiage, Sudenese, Somalies in Mcleod, you name it, she has had to deal with struggling kids from often dysfunctional families. But of course she doesn't get the results they manage over at Brighton Grammer but that must be a reflection on her abilities. As we know all kids are created equal and should be measured as such (and I blame Julia for this absurdity). Yes she may lean to the left but the last time I looked she was working at home after work hours developing the next days classes that concentrate on the process of learning and less on the content. She and the majority of her cohorts are not dodos, I can assure you. And as for the young ones coming through as teachers, when they can score a job, they are better trained and more prepared than our generation.

But of course being on the public payroll I suppose they are all parasites in your mind. Would I be correct?

If we are talking about Abbott embarrassments we now have Christopher Pyne's review of our national curriculum! For heavens sake the agreed curriculum that has been developed laboriously with the states over the last four years has not yet been deployed. We have no data to measure yet but Pyne sees the need to review! The man is an ideological midget! His nominated reviewers are already talking about the need for more emphasis on religious studies. Good heavens are now going to be studying Creationism versus Evolution?

And since when has curriculum content been of any real consequence? A child's education is more dependent on process, developing thinking skills, leadership skills, problem solving, working in teams, content is secondary I would have thought.

I assume you can point me to the facts to back up your statement about the single drivers Hood?

Yes I have asked some questions and so far you've dodged all of them; that tells me that you either don't have the answers or you just made up some of your earlier statements.

There are too many people living on Victoria and that's why we have gridlock, a rail system would probably be insufficient even before it was completed.

Do you ever drive in the Eastern suburbs; it's gridlock most of the time all they're doing is sharing the load.

Get over it.

No I don't have the statistics but I do know there are several levels of car parks under every high rise office building in Melbourne's CBD and I assume they are full of cars every day, I know the ones I go to every now and then are full and have a few spaces for visitors, the rest are for regulars. That is telling me something, maybe a percentage of workers in every high rise building in the CBD are driving to work and then home. Maybe different policies could persuade them to get there by different means. But let's not go there Robbie, lets just be angry! $8 billion of your money on a tunnel I hope it is money well spent.

PS yes you are right I don't know the answers to your questions. I don't know how many people live in Fitzroy, how many work or how many vote international socialists. Who does? And by the way who would care?

There has been many a time I've wanted to run some of the weekend warriors off the road especially on Nepean Highway where they are out of control.

Just as a matter of interest how many protesters are there at the drill sites, 50 or 60? How many people live in Fitzroy now, 60,000 (?) so what sort of % is that, that are against it?

Then we have to look at how many of the protesters A. Live in Fitzroy B. Have a job and C. Are members go the International Socialists; are you, as a matter of interest?

I travel around quite a bit and have clients in the area and I'd have to say that I don't recall too many houses, apart from some that had them years ago, with signs about no freeways.

I'd like to see more public transport, even though I pay for it but don't use it, but it won't happen so the best we can do is make life easier for commuters. It's a bit rich you criticising others for driving their car to work when you do the same; don't you think Hood?

I use my car for work purposes but even if I didn't there us no way I can get to work unless I drive or walk that is unless they build a train line from Brighton to Bentleigh, I suppose I could walk a K to the station catch the train to the City then out to East Bentleigh and walk another K and a half to my office.

Gee you ask a lot of questions Robbie! By the way Tomic has just gone down to Del Potro. The Argentinenian is just too strong. I thought Bernie might have been able to soft ball him and upset his power and rhythm. But not to be.

My point is we both drive around for work, so do many others but we are not causing gridlock on the eastern or Hoddle street between the hours of 7.30 to 9.30 each workday morning. The majority of cars lined up at those times have one person in them and they are headed to a head office car park in the CBD and the car will stay there all day. Is this computing with you? Do we spend $8 billion to build a tunnell for them or do we look at some alternative, innovative solutions? Just asking.

I'm glad you only use your car for work I'd hate to see you clogging up the roads with your bike like the rest of the selfish ones who refuse to use the bike lanes and ride two abreast in the main roads. You know the ones who love the infrastructure but refuse to pay for it.

It's funny you mention the fact you need your car for work because guess what, a lot of other people that drive to work do as well, but as long as you're ok all's well. Let's tax the [censored] out of the bastards anyway and make them pay for the privilege of using the roads that they pay for.

Anyway when the Libs get voted out your mob will be back and they will build the rail network like they did when they were in last time; oh! that's right they didn't did they.

Not sure why you bring up the HUN I'm not sure what they have to do with it; is it something you've read in the paper that leads you to believe they do?

I drive for work to different places each day, not to a specific workplace as you will find a high % of those on the eastern fwy are doing each morning. I don't ride my bike on major roads because I worry about becoming a target for some grumpy bastard in a car who thinks he owns the road. Do you know anyone like that?

I agree neither side of politics has any intention to build rail they are all under the spell of the road lobby and the votes they believe it brings. So lets just keep doing what we have been doing then! No innovative thinking required to ensure we get the best value for our investments.