Earl Hood

Robbie I think you need to lighten up a bit. Poor judgement by the ABC in this case yes but that's not a case to sell off the whole company surely. They haven't been accused of phone hacking and destroying peoples lives yet as far as I know. What would you think of a media company that did that I wonder?

JS I am just aiming to be competitive at this stage. Not thinking about the ultimate goal yet.

Now you mention it I didn't see either of them in the main group. They may have been over with the rehab/running group.

Agree with your assessment of JKH, looks very balanced, quick and clean hands. He was working with the forward group when I arrived, seemed to fit in nicely as a small forward option but of course he will take time. I think Bail was working with the forwards as well. Everyone looked fit and sharp at this stage of the season but I remember we looked good in preseason last year.

I am worried about the cataracts on Bernie's eyes. I mean how is he going to see the ball? And hat is probably why he is groping around for support.

DC an amphora doesn't fit well on a bike actually I have only a plastic drink bottle. And are we inferring the lack of toilets at that end of The Gosch in your talk of libations?

You guys are looking in the wrong direction. Tonight the news is that a leaky boat landed on Christmas Island on Monday! Our sovereign borders have been breached yet again! I am feeling vulnerable, I mean I now work down at Docklands, can Scott Morrison guarantee that a boat won't land outside my office? What would I do then? Where's that three star general when you need him?

I have a mandatory annual leave day off tomorrow so I intend to ride my bike down to training at 9.30 am. Warning: I will be wearing some Lycra and due to injury I am carrying some extra weight but I will try to keep a low profile. My first visit under the new regime so I am hoping to see a difference. I have complained before about a lack of urgency and regimen at training last year but that was maybe because I was ducking out from work nearby and had limited time. But I still think training should be very regimented. Let's see how they go tomorrow

Oh and just to clarify things our spying on East Timor happened under J Howard. Raiding Lawyers premises who are representing East Timor is not a good look. Apparently there was a national security issue involved with East Timor?? What's George on about I wonder.

Good heavens Robbie have you realised we are under attack as I write this from East Timor. Thank heavens for George Brandis and his spooks. I mean I was on the look out for leaky boats from Indonesia for insurgents that would burst through our sovereign borders, now I find the East Timorese are threatening our sovereignty by taking us to an international court at the Hague. When will the siege end? Maybe today's raid by ASIO on an East Timor representative lawyers apartment will turn the tide. These are indeed worrying times we live in.

WJ what about us? Where do we stand?

Does anyone know what our situation was and is? Dr Norman Bate and his close mate Danks who knows what they were up to!

I hope they aren't because that would mean we could sleep easy; that the drug squad has moved on. But if the Bombers players cop itinfractions that would mean we are still in the firing line. We don't need that Shyte hanging around us next year. We need a clear run for the first time in how many years?

C&B stop beating about the bush! Tell us what you really think. Great rant.

Can you please translate?

That is one way of looking at it.

DC I have done some more reading on the subject, not from Fairfax or the ABC or indeed the Hun or the Oz, but it is now obvious Gonki is dead. Pyne had stumped up the money to match Labour but there are no conditions and that is what Gonski is about minimum funding for the relatively disadvantaged children. Abbott and Pyne have committed now to the same dollars but no conditions. The states will do what they want. Most suspect they will just cost shift to the Commonwealth. You give us a billion we withdraw a billion of state money. This was how the Pyne deal was done on the back of a few desperate phone calls. The LNP just don't get it. Improving education outcomes for all kids benefits all of us eventually, it is about lifting national productivity. But they seemed to be about maintaining the class divides and advantages. By the watt The Age is reporting that all evidence of the Gonski report has disappeared from the Department of education site. No mention at all of 4 years work by educational experts and no rational explanation of where it has gone. They have some explanation of a Goverment changeover. But other government offices have changed nothing. I suspect Chris Pyne is taking us into Orwellian territory. The ministry of truth is up and running.

WYL you make an excellent point. LT for the MFC management in previous years may have saved us at least 5 years of angst. Because its methods may have flushed out the dysfunctional management very quickly. Of that I am confident, but I suspect CS would have buried it all quick smart.

Although do you remember that scurrilous AFL.com article by an anonymous somebody inferring that Liam first learnt to drink on our tour to China in 2010. It was published when he was having his violence problems and when MFC were being beaten around for the tanking accusations. Absolutely a case of the AFL putting the boot in when we were down. Why the MFC did not protest I don't know. To me it was a cheap, unsubstantiated shot at us and Liam.

I am surprised we did not find this sought of role for him but a stint with another club may be the best for his development. Then we bring him back to oversee our indigenous boys down the track. Our record with indigenous players is patchy unfortunately. If only Wonna had stayed and Liam had stayed injury free we would have been a better forward line at least!

Whoops "the copping a blast" was my hamfisted, lazy summary of his opinion (not mine). He used words more like worrying about players who are often raw kids being intimidated or daunted by having to face their peers in a one on 35 open and honest discussion. No doubt he was old school, a long career in HR with large companies I think. And yes he was more focused on making players accountable for what they did on the field and at training. On field leadership was his gig. I have had some exposure to this stuff at live in leadership courses at Melbourne Business School. I can see its value but I never really felt comfortable with it. Open and honest conversations one on one between a manager and employee or amongst a small team can be very productive. Throwing an individual out in front of a larger group, not so sure. I know when I was first involved back in the 90's with the open and honest discussion forums where you had to sit out front of your peers, many of our older managers who I would equate to your Barry Halls and Akers really lost it at the open forum experience. They gave back what they copped but that was very early days of this concept.

Well you might be right but I suspect there is plenty of partisan politics involved. When the SOS went out Newman and Bartlett were quick to come on line with their LNP colleagues after spending last year playing the spoilers I am not cutting Pyne any slack as if he is the worlds greatest negotiator. Remember Gonski was unworkable just last week, now everyone is on board and happy! Miraculous.

He may be catching the MFC disease! It's been endemic since 65!

DC my default position is that Pyne has achieved JS on top of the existing Gonski arrangements. He hasn't met the committee, he hasn't met the recalcitrant states who refused to be involved he has just said we will follow the original recommendations and throw a billion at the other States and they have not said no so far. Anyone know anything else? But before Robbie jumps on me, this is a good outcome, it is good for kids.

I recently attended a dinner party where there was a mature gent talking footy when he heard I followed MFC he stated he would love to help Roosey and the club. I asked how and it turns out he has done a lot of "on field leadership" analysis in the coaching box with the likes of Paul Roos at the Swans and Rodney Eade at the Dogs. I assumed he was from Leading Teams but he was quick to say no way. He was quite scathing of LT and their demands that players sit out in front of the group and cop a blast. For what gain he asked, he would rather confront a player with some game day video where he did not take the game on etc and talk about the lost opportunity. He was about game day analysis of player leadership on the field. He was frustrated by Rocket who would not allow any negative feedback to his senior players even when they had obviously gone missing in action. Interesting dinner it was. He thought MfC had talent and Roos was a good start but LT was not his first remedy.