Earl Hood

Hasn't this been much of our problems over the last decade or two, our inability to recruit elite talent. When we talk elite I don't include the development variable, I believe largely that real elite talents will develop themselves no matter where they are, MFC or GFC. And to a large degree it is still a lottery to pick the one or two elites who may be sitting in each draft in or around say the top 20. We have been awful at it and Hawthorn have been exceptional and hit the jackpot every 4 or 5 years that has set them up for success. Starting with Hodge and Mitchell then Buddy, Roughead and Lewis then top up with Cyril and they all stay fit and playing. That is the recipe for sustained success.

The definition used by Champion data is a bit loose I think; I don't regard Gunston as elite, he is good but you have to take into account the team around him that makes him look very good indeed. Put him our forward line and how does he fare? Put Wayne Carey there and he stars, no matter who he plays with.

I don't mind progress and I'm sure there are a lot of roads in Victoria that I contribute towards but don't use.

I would imagine a lot of the ferals that live in the Fitzroy area would prefer that all roads were closed and that all movement was done by bike; you got a car hood?

The same old crew are at most of these protests and they don't care what the cause is. But at least we know you are the one with a job.

Yes I do have a car, I need it for work but otherwise I ride a bike or walk, sometimes catch a tram but that is a previledge of living inner city I know. But we can keep building billion dollar freeways that just encourage people to get in their cars and drive I suppose but it is not very smart. We could spend $8 billion on public transport I suppose, getting rid of level crossings, new signalling that would speed up both trains and cars but that doesn't seem to attract votes, especially from uppity, professional types who would rather sit lonely in a car than be seen dead amongst the unwashed on public transport. I mean think about it for a second, the eastern freeway doesn't work well for 2 or 3 hours in the morning at Hoddle Street, the rest of the time it works reasonably well. It doesn't work at morning peak because 98% of the cars have one person in them all trying to go to the same place at the same time! Is the only solution more lanes and tunnels? Especially when our politicians keep saying Memlbourne will double its population in 20 years or so. Good heavens surely there are other more cost effective solutions and I suspect many of them are written on the protest placards you can see at the drilling sites in Fitzroy.

It is called public transport, buses, trains, trams and can I throw in time of use tolling of all the major freeways into Melbourne. If you put a large enough cost on driving into the city at peak hour you might find people who don't really need to be on the road at that time find alternatives very quickly and that those who do are willing to pay a bit more to get there quicker.

Anyway none of that will happen it is too complex for the Herald Sun editors and the RACV to get their small minds around.

No thanks Hood I don't mix with ferals and anarchists.

What a waste of resources, all those police there when they could be doing something useful instead of looking after a bunch of misfits and troublemakers. This is just the latest in a long line of protests by the professional rent a crowd protesters, you would probably be one of the few who actually have a job; you do don't you?

Robbie

Yes I do work and pay my taxes. Got down to the Fitzroy pool early for a swim then hopped over to the picket line across the road for 30 minutes of solidarity, then off to work. It was good to catch up with a couple of local fitzroyals who have been around for years and manned the barricades to save the Fitzroy pool from oberfuhier Kennett and his henchmen. It seems Fitzroy, Collingwood and Clifton Hill are full of rent a crowd protesters, if you go by the anti freeway signs on every second or third house in these suburbs. I am sure there are a few bludgers over in Carlton and Parkville to boot.

I thought you living over in Brighton might not be too happy for $8 billion or so of tax payers money going to a tunnel you will never use. It's purpose is to allow the citizens of the leafy eastern suburbs to continue to drive one person to a car to the city and some even to the airport. And of course there is no guarantee that it will solve congestion on Hoddle street.

Btw, shouldn't you be picketing against EAST WEST link down at Clifton Hill ?

Myth I just got back from the East West picket, finished my shift. There are about 50 protesters and 100 police, most of whom are sitting around having lattes from their own mobile police catering trucks. It is quite a bizarre sight on the Alexandra Pde median strip. I thought it was Hollywood film crew setting up when I first saw them yesterday.

Anyway we need help over here, maybe you and RobbieF could sign up for morning shift next week? Protest placards are provided free.

Hmmm. I think I am guilty of starting this latest tedious [censored] for tat discussion on parental influence on children, sorry it started with what I thought was a good Jesus/Cory Bernardi joke back in post 833!

Can we get back to slamming Tony or maybe Scott "I can't talk about operational matters" Morrison?

Gee this thread is running out of steam, should I mention Cory Bernardi's latest diatribes? He has a problem with families that don't meet the accepted standard and that the children invariably end up in trouble if they come from failed relationships, single parents or same sex partners.

A letter writer to the Age today pointed out that Joseph was a step father and look at the problems Jesus got himself into! Good point I thought. Maybe Cory's onto something.

You may, or may not be right about man warming the planet, although nearly all scientists would agree with you.

You would prefer to act now in case it becomes a problem, which is fine in theory. Nothing Australia is doing now is helping. No money being spent is helping. Nothing Australia does in the future will help. Even if the world followed suit, which they haven't and won't, it wouldn't matter anyway. Tim Flannery stated that the whole world could follow suit and it could take a thousand years to notice a difference in the world's temperature. Will your children thank you in a thousand years ? How much money will be spent in the next 50 years for what might help in a thousand ? What technology will they have centuries from now compared to today's horse and cart technology ? These efforts of yours are completely token.

Your willingness to spend money on climate change is a laughable farce. Spend money to feel good. Got it.

Myth, where are your priorities? Money is money, you can't take it with you. The economy operates on human activity as in for example a major car crash on the Hume actually adds to the national GDP. In that it creates work for car repairers, tow truck operators, the medical profession and undertakers. It is all negative in our minds but positive to our economists.

Money thrown at renewables, more acceptable energy, even if it more costly will still stimulate economic growth. A by product of the RET and the carbon tax has always been an opportunity for Australian entrepreneurs to get into fledgling renewable industries ahead of others but only if we provide incentives in the home market. As far as I can see we are not going to move in that space as the Abbott Government is anti everything to do with clean energy, reduced carbon emissions. We have given up competing in the mature end of manufacturing as in cars! Here is a chance to get a foot in the door of new technology implementation but we may miss the boat yet again.

I know. It's a religion to you.

In time you'll feel like an absolute dope.

Great response. How can I argue with such relentless logic and facts? Let us hope that in time I do feel like a dope that would be a great outcome but I fear the overwhelming evidence is that I won't be and I will take no pleasure in you looking like a dope. We will all be losers.

It doesn't matter who pens the articles, you're well within your rights to refute what is in them. But, of course, you don't/can't. Rather than acknowledge that some of your concerns may not be in fact valid you don't bat an eye and no doubt turn to the next source of misplaced paranoia.

I go for ''common sense''. I'm not ''right wing'', I'm conservative.

The left love to seem as though they're doing good when often their actions have worse consequences than what they're trying to rectify. A dopey lot with all compassion and no care for the consequences. Mind you, if I was Jewish I doubt I'd see the left as compassionate.

Warmists love grants and thankfully for them they have good hearted dopes who want to believe in their alarmism supporting them.

I love how denialist always point to conspiracy of scientists and Goverments in search of a grant here or there!

If there is a conspiracy on climate change is it thousands of scientists conspiring to alter data and corrupt models with the aid of governments across the world for a few million in grants or perhaps could it be a small group of billionaires, multinational directors and managers who have billions or even trillions at stake if they can't get all their known oil and gas reserves out of the ground. Please see big tobacco tactics for a precedence. They are still peddling their poison in Asia and denying its Heath consequences.

Hmmm my guess is that maybe they with limitless money might just be funding the numerous think tanks that don't do any empirical data research, they just cast doubt on the scientific data that is published.

Myth I will bank my future with the IPCC reports and the conservative, consensus findings they report on rather than the articles published from the various right wing think tanks funded by multinational company interests. Where is their empirical data research? No they don't do data, they just reinterpret other research and reports to muddy the waters.

I thought the 1992 AFL season was fantastic as it end with a Premiership for my team!

Wait, back then I was a West Coast Supporter.

Oh well, noone is perfect.

:lol: :lol:

DF, what caused you to convert to the true faith? I bet it has done your head in in recent times.

you can argue better than that hardtack

it's a valid point. 1.5% would make hardly a dent in the GLOBAL position

and that is assuming a ridiculous 100% drop in australian emissions. you'd have to slaughter a lot of livestock among many other things

so the question is, at the end of the day what realistic contribution can we make and at what cost to our relative competitiveness and living standards

DC if your attitude had been around in the 1930's I think we would all be talking German and following the Melbourne Demons soccer club. How un Churchillian of you! If you believe we face a dire future you must play your part not leave it to others.

Let's have it out in the open then, where do you stand on human induced/influenced climate change?

Yes, all of 1.5% of the world's total emissions.

You're just another sucked in by this new religion.

And what are these progressive practices you speak of and how will they change the world's temperatures ?

Maurice Newman, is that you?

"Global temperatures have gone nowhere for 17 years"

There is a nice fact for you despite all the IPCC computer models and therefore the "science" predicting otherwise.

Wrecker I am not sure about 17 years I thought 1998 was a peak year for global average temperatures? That's 15 or 16 perhaps? 1998 coincided with increasing warming and the top of an El Niño cycle. In statistical terms it would be seen as an outlier in the data set. Since 1998 temperatures have continued to trend higher but at a slower rate of increase than the previous 30 years but increase they do. Ten of the hottest years globally have been since 2000! Temperatures are going nowhere only if you take 1998 as the benchmark. One year in a thousand!! I suggest you go back to school and study some statistical theory. Total Quality Management theory iused in many businesses would instruct you to see 1998 data as an anomaly and tell you to look at the overall trend and global temperatures are on the up Mate!

I really find this debate frustrating why are we arguing the obvious, all the scientific data points in one direction, some opinion points in the other but with no empirical data to back it up, no scientific, peer reviewed studies. Just the thoughts of those who chose to deny climate change for whatever reason.

Nice summary that reasonably matches my recollection.

My impression at the time was that John Northy was a fire and brimstone style coach who was very effective at creating a feeling in the team that they had their backs to the wall. This was super-effective at the the start on his tenure but starting to wear thin after 7 years.

The departures that you mention we're not such a great loss. Strawbs was a shadow of the player he was in 1987. Hot-Dot Spalding was a player whose disposal left you with your heart in your mouth but, anyway, I thought that he initiated the departure; that said, I got it very wrong when I pronounced that he would never play in a premiership team, (and I still don't know how Carlton won in 95). Stinger was a big loss, and Jacker could have been anything if his work ethic matched his brother's.

Finally, Melbourne was barely competitive in the finals in 1990 and 1991, which reinforced my perception that Northy was already beginning to lose the players.

Would love to hear the thoughts of some of the players from that era.

Traja I think you are right about the Baron, he did ask for a transfer but I believed at the time this was because he was coping the brunt for the loss to WC and didnt like it. I believe he played that game with a broken hand.

And yes he went on to play in a premiership in 95 and how did that happen? We had belted them by 10 goals the year before in that 94 final but lost again to WC but over there. After that injuries destroyed us yet again, familiar story.

I remember Eisholds chest mark lurching across the goal square. To me he took the ball cleanly inside the square but momentum and a hefty push from a Hawks defender saw him slid off toward the pocket. The umpire then lined him up on acute angle near the point post. He missed it but in my mind he should have been shooting from the goal square where he marked the ball. That would have sealed the match. I remember Harry Beitzel saying the call was correct that you take the mark from where the player finishes. I thought this absurd at the time as I can remember taking sliding chest marks on wet days sliding through the goal line. Did I then have to kick the goal backwards from the out of bounds fence?

So much went wrong in the second half that day it is still hard to swallow. But then I was was watching it at the MCG with Derryn Hinch so my memory may be suspect.

So feel free to point out the factual errors In Maurice's peice.

Wrecker it would be easier if you could point out a scientific fact! Is there one in Maurice's opinion piece?

please point it out.

I did mean to describe his opinion piece as a fact free essay.

As for leftist sheep, try to get your mind around some of the science on climate change, you may learn something rather than swallowing the vested interest dribble put out by the likes of Maurice who is setting the ground work for the destruction of the Renewable Energy Target. The only mechanism that could deliver our 20% target in emissions by 2020 that we still adhere to for the moment. Not that you would probably give a toss about any of this.

My memory of 92 was that we had dumped Strawbs O'Dwyer and the Baron, Earl Spalding for our loss in the 91 final against WC. We were then short of talls and had to draft in Moose Henwood to cover our KP problems down back. Jimmy probably had a downer after his Brownlow year and we lost Jackovich, Tingay to injury. Bennett and Cuthbertson were spent forces up forward and I think Rodney G got himself suspended for most of the season after belting Wallace. But I may be wrong.

I also think Northy was losing his impact on the players. I'm sure I can remember him going ballistic on radio after a loss about Jackovich taking the easy options, I think he had kicked 3 or 4. I am sure the criticism was justified but as a coach you keep it in house unless you think your messages aren't cutting through.

I still believe we should have snaffled a premiership between 1990 to 2000. We had some amazing talent in that decade but Shyte training facilities and horrible luck with injuries, eg the Ox, Tingay, Charles, Glenn Lovett the list is long.

I suppose I should start the new year off with something. How about Tony's business advisor Maurice Newman and his latest rant in the Oz about the religious cult of Global Warming? I mean this is scary stuff, the flat earthers are everywhere it seems.

I can sympathise with his rant. My God who would want to be put in his position. And I know I have sat in the boarding lounge at times opposite an obese person or couple and thought please let me not be sitting next to them. So far I have been lucky.

However trawling through his blog I do notice he spends a lot of time being outraged by the behaviour of other humans.! Like most of these bloggers.

DM ? You've got me in the game od . More clues please. Dean Martin ?

Dustan Martin perhaps?

Is there any other industry that is so over paid for what it does at all levels from CEO to assistant coach? An industry that is so competitive and churns through staff on an annual basis or poaches seemingly good staff for even better pay but then finds out they are incompetent but has to pay them out anyway. Does anyone work for less than $200K these days?

We fans and members are the mugs in so many ways. We cough up our hard earned cash for it to be largely churned though the redundancy pay out machine to see out second rate officials and coaching staff who have never met the fan's KPI s.

Who knows In MFC's case CS probably met his targets year after year but they were never our targets! On field success is that important or secondary these days?

Hmmm thank God we were able to unload Sylvia it seems from these posts. Free Agency is a God send for clubs like MFC. Without it we would be stuck with him.

Let us all hope that Bernie V is a real bonus for us.

Next year we get an opportunity to unload Frawley under FA. Can't wait to see who we get in his place.

Had a pre Christmas dinner catch up with friends last night. Was speaking with a sports journo from the Adelaide Advertiser who mentioned that the Crows were rapt to unload Bernie to MFC and get something for him. They were not going to offer him a contract he reckoned. The Crows had enough of his party boy behaviour apparently.

I hope Viney and Roosey did their due diligence interviewing. We don't need a replacement for Sylvia in the night club scene!

An old friend of mine John Mills (played keyboards with Spectrum and then Ariel) used to live in the Gatwick in the late 70's... he was a bit of a nerd... to the point of building a smallish (by the standards of the day) mainframe in his room. That was (and probably still is) one very strange private hotel.

I could start a thread on old drinking holes in thev80's; the Burvale, the Whitehorse in Blackburn seeing Whacko Jacko after training on a Thursday night in his white kaftan top at the bar. The Golden Gate on a Saturday arvo then down to the Star to finish off the night. All this was a shock to me when I retired from footy. Never knew people had such fun on Saturday afternoons.

possibly, along with the gatwick

I think you can only have a drink at the Rose and then go home. The Gatwick is more your lodging after you have had a skin full and a place for near do wells I believe and a good place to get taken out shall we say. Never a dull moment at the Gatwick in Fitzroy Street.