Biggest disappointment was to get to 2/130 as you say and let it slip. Got to hope for some more cloud cover, as I actually think its a decent pitch to bat on.

Yep – Hussey had a very fine FC record both here and overseas before finally getting a chance.

If the weather is good as predicted, I reckon we are up the creek without a paddle. I actually think the pitch loopks good to bat on – if you get reasonable overhead conditions. Hopefully some cloud cover can hang around and we can make the English brittle batting lineup sweat.

Its broader than just the EPL – its across UEFA is it not now the new handball interpretation?

I actually don’t have an issue with the handball call – irrespective of how harsh it was (I am a city fan BTW)- much like the offside calls of ‘1mm offside’ too – as long as it is consistently applied and every case of those rules being breached is picked up by VAR. The offside one is a bit problematic however, as the decisions are so tight that one frame someone might look onside, the next offisde – and if its going to get down to such close margins, then it still leaves a window for ‘interpretaion’. I also don’t like how assistant referees will basically be encouraged ‘not to stop play’ with offsides unless patently clear – what is the point of them in that case?

On the point of VAR itself, City have not had a good run with it so far – but no doubt will get some benefits from it at some stage. Only have to look back to the QF of last seasons Champions League to see where they were on the ‘unlucky end’ of two VAR ’50/50′ moments. The Llorente handball which was given as a goal (though now would be definitely not a goal), and the offside call at the end. Not saying they were wrong, but when City get some VAR related luck as some stage, I don’t think it’ll be unfair to say it was due to them haha – if we believe in the old ‘swings and roundabouts’ argument!

I don’t think the close goals last season are really that similar to be honest, as goal line technology does not involve human interaction in the decision making process. It is technology driven – whereas VAR does involve human involvement, even for the most objective applications for handballs/offsides.

I’m not so sure about broader subjective VAR decisions though – the real talking point out of the City-Spurs game should have been the rugby tackle on Rodri that wasn’t given as a penalty. I would say out of 20 referees, 18 would give that on first glance. Its ok to take an ‘umpire’s call’ approach on truly marginal ones, but I find it pretty hard pressed fro someone to mount a strong argument that it shouldn’t be a penalty. As close to a ‘clear and obvious’ error as you’d see – my fear being, if they aren’t going to call back ones like that, then what is the point of VAR outside of Offsides/Handballs from attackers in the box.

The huge issue there is its again just going to throw in more interpretation into the mix. In the end – all VAR will mean in those circumstances is another one (or two or 10 or whatever) sets of eyes playing ‘hidden referee’. Not sure its a better outcome.

At his best, in the top couple of small defenders in the competition. His battles with Cyril Rioli in particular were fantastic! Got the job done far more times then he didn’t, and rarely beaten at the critical moments in matches. A quality player, and sad to see his career cut short by injuries!

Enjoy retirement Nick – your role as ‘the human glove’ was critical in the 2012 flag!

Weather is fould down here today – going to be absolutely freezing for those souls happy enough to venture out to Manuka!

Should be a good game but wind will make kicking straight tough. Giants by a couple of kicks in a low scoring game.

Have really loved this series – great stuff.

You know you now need to find someone that has the programming to set it up on whatever rugby league game/simulator, so that we can see a full blown competition happen and see who comes out on top!

I did this once for the old Test Cricket Lists A-Z teams back in the day – was awesome 🙂

Sensational knock by Smith, but Siddle and Lyon (Siddle in particular) deserve huge credit for their supporting role – Siddle in particular batted fantastically well. At least have given us a chance to be in the game. We will need to bowl well however.

Hard to tell how the wicket will play. I’m not as convinced as others that its going to improve significantly from here, and if the ball keeps moving around like it did, patience will get rewards.

Shaping up to be a good test match from here if we bowl well.

He will indeed join the Swans coaching staff next year Josh.

Hoping for a good close series, and of course a win for the Aussies. I think it’ll be a close one, and it will be critical to start the series well. Both teams look frail in their baitting line ups, so it may really utlaitmely be decided by which team manages to bowl better over the series and paper over their batting cracks!

Well done Macca on a mighty fine career. Would of been nice to have another Flag or 2 in there – but a stellar effort nonetheless! At his best, a very very fine player and an excellent leader!

Another year of generational change for the Swans. McVeigh and Grundy confirmed to be on the way out, Kieran Jack surely odds on to join them, and Nick Smith too perhaps (though he is a bit younger than the previous 3 and could play on). Doubt it will actually free up a lot of cap space, but will open up more opportunities for the next generation too.

Had we taken our chances in the first half Christo, we could of had the Cats under a real decent amount of pressure. but we didn’t and their class as expected shone through. There were some really good moments of promise, and your hypothesis for the next couple of seasons is broadly mine as well.

The missing pieces to be found at the moment really centre on a new Bull or two in midfield to replace Kennedy (though Rowbottom is going to be a very fine player) a long term solution to the ruck issues, and perhaps another KPD or two. A lot of the rest of the jigsaw pieces are there, just need time like a good wine to mature and turn from boys into men. It was so obvious at the ground yesterday the difference in maturity of bodies between the Cats and some of our younger Cygnets.

I thought yesterday was our best performance by far for 4-6 weeks, and had some really good signs in the first half. There is a lot to go right before we can challenge properly again for a flag, but a lot of the elements of a very good football team are there.

The key question around Horse is his ability to adapt his tactics to where the game is headed.

Adelaide are in an entirely different position to Sydney. They have something like the 3rd oldest list in the competition. The Swans played their youngest team in more than 2 decades a week ago.

And as a Swans member of 2 decades, I never saw anything being ever sold as ‘premiership dynasty’ to anyone. We better than anyone else almost in the league know how hard it is to lift a cup once, let alone create a ‘dynasty’.

Surely the moment to highlight from the Swans game from a Swans perspective, rather then the brilliant Heeney goal, was the brilliant triple dummy sell goal by Dawson. That kid is building into a very fine AFL player very quickly – was only game 21 yesterday.

I am glad Edgbaston is first up. Feels like a ground we never play well at, so a good result out of that one (a draw for instance or a win) would set us up well. On the flip side, a loss and it could be a long series.

Pitches there during the World Cup were a bit mixed as well, so will be interesting to see how it comes up.

I think a very reasonable argument can be made that our overall governance structure is dysfunctional. We are vastly over governed for the population in a modern world.

And the divide between the progressive portion of the population and the conservative side of it is more obvious then it has been for a long time.

Seems strange doesn’t it! I get not leaving forever in a day to get the match done, but I don’t get the fact they would be happy for joint winners in that case, but not ‘on the day’, even in the case of a tie after a tie as happened!

They are a strange mob that run cricket.

I was sure that if the final was washed out, it was going to be joint winners?

I don’t really buy the Kiwis were ‘robbed’ (If one wants to run with that argument, its the overthrows issue on which to base such an assessment.

However, I do think the choice of tiebreak was a poor choice. I understand the intent of promoting attacking cricket, but is it a better measure than wickets lost, or a million other things you could come up with? Not so sure.

But more fundamentally, I just don’t understand why they didn’t play till there was a ‘winner’, if there is an assumption there must be a winner on the day (and joint winners can’t be allowed).

After all, football doesn’t stop a penalty shoot out after 5 takes each if it is equal and then decide the winner by some other measure, tennis doesn’t stop a final set tiebreak if it is 7-7 and use a random measure to decide the winner – they play till there is a winner. Another super over each surely would hav esettled it.

It’s made all a bit more strange by the fact that in the case of a washed out final, joint winners are ok. But not ‘on the day’. Surely consistency would suggest one or the other.

I have no doubt Heeney is far from 100% – its obvious just watching his workrate around the ground that he isn’t getting to as many contests and the like as he usually would.

Hewett will never be a superstar of the competition, but he is equally an underated player by many. Can both tag players out of a game, but increasingly this season is becoming a damaging midfielder with ball in hand. Like Heeney he is still only 23, but is now up to 83 games and starting to move towards that ‘sweet spot’ in his career. Is a very decent player that is becoming increasingly consistent in his output as well – has very few poor games.

I wouldn’t call it exciting footy necessarily, but the Swans were pretty good in their last month before the bye – compared to the first 2 months of the season it was like chalk and cheese no doubt.

The performance against West Coast was very good – they would of beaten most teams that afternoon.

It’ll be a tight game tonight as it often is tonight – either team by a kick or two would not suprise me at all.

This is a very damaging development Eden and will harm the EPL significantly as a result. A great part of the leagues strength has been the relatively wide distribution of the majority of funds from TV revenues. But the overseas revenue continues to grow at huge pace and will soon be far more important than the domestic part of it.

Im a city fan and I absolutely hate the idea around the super league. I wish there was more opportunities for different teams to be involved in the Champions League then there is now – too many games are the ‘same old same old’ teams over and over.

I’d love a return to the proper European Cup pre group stage and non-champions garbage that it has now.

If I was running the game (Good job I’m not), there would be a 64 team (Is there enough nations to do this? If not 32 team + maybe 1 qualifying round) straight knockout, 2 legged competition. This would be the ‘Champions league’.

Then a second tier, Europa League, and even the 3rd tier Europa League 2 that is being talked about.

That’ll never happen as the almighty $$$ rules, but one coudl dream.

There was no need to rebuild the new SFS to the same capacity. As you said Christo, 25k would have been perfect. For the few events a year that exceed that, either accept you are allowed to have a sell out, or move them to Homebush.

It’ll never host Origin or the like (Except for perhaps when ANZ is being refurbished), so why build a stadium that is bigger then what is really necessary.