agreed. belief is a major weapon to wield.

best of all time Richmonds number 1 draft pick back in ’88,

Richard Lounder.

Administrators of the governing body DO now have a duty of care for the health/well beeing of it’s employees and as full time professionals, a players workplace is on the ‘paddock’.

alternative one – scoring system amendments.

A. variety of points for the various ‘goals’. Make a penalty only worth 1 pt vs 2 for a ‘field goal’. Or something like that.

B. count back system. Tally the ‘short corners’, i.e. corners generated within the kick-off box (erect a couple of posts if need be.) – and if and ONLY if goals are level – give the win to the team that generated the most ‘short’ corners.

All the other football codes have moved on from 1 pt for every goal and no other scoring options – so, it’d be a big call to lose the ‘point of distinction’. But, gee, in a tournament in particular there should be a better way.

Hickey’s early career prior to injury was vastly different to his return.

How good was Kohli!?!?!

That was some run chase, to do 321 in a ODI, but, to do it in less than 40 overs. They were on track for 450.

Not so much of a freak.

Keep mindful of the job (granted, easier in respect of being a tall ‘tall’ and ‘only’ transitioning into the ruck) that Canadian RU convert Mike Pyke did. And Pyke didn’t have the benefit of slotting into a brand new team that really was playing the first year purely for experience and not results.

Folau has that benefit this year. Because of his elite sport background – it’s probably fair to assume that he’ll improve across the year – and, like Hunt – if he works hard then it will ‘click’.

Good article though – and it reasonably summarises just why it isn’t easy. Hunt and Folau have taken the money but taken an even bigger challenge that puts their own credibility on the line.

However, I can’t help but ponder – what would there boys do with their improved fitness base were they to return to RL? Would they revolutionise the game like another Aust Footy experience lad did about 100 years ago named Messenger??

Cameron –

keep mindful, that unlike AFL players – the administrators/executive are in a global marketplace. With transferable skills.

Keep mindful that the FFA set a standard in Australia (with Fed Govt funding for opex) and poached first John O’Neill from the ARU and then Ben Buckley (Demetriou’s number 2) from the AFL. That set the cat well and truly amongst the pigeons.

Now, Spiro wishes us to believe that the Man Utd job was John O’Neill’s for the taking.

What’s that tell you then of the responsibility that the AFL Commission has to pay global rates to ensure retention of performing key executives.

Note too – how can you cancel out a $23 million loss from a reduction in pay to a group of exec’s earning collectively $5 million. The maths don’t work!!!!

very costly free giving away a ‘double’ goal in right in front. Cost Giants the game.

At this point, Doggies fans can’t read too much into it, but, for the Giants – lots of encouragement.

That and a club song that makes me want to go and play Tetris.

“We know that our greatest National Living Treasures are our football fans.”

Not perhaps a fraction over the top??

Just a little bit of hubris – I thought – from the author – but then seriously, Clive Palmer!?!?, that’s what I’m left trying to work out??? How can Clive be a national living treasure!?!?!? OMG!! He’s alive I guess so that instantly qualifies.

Interesting thing about Warner, many people have seemed all too willing to be convinced by him and were outraged that he didn’t cover for Clarke as Captain –

but, in numbers

281 ODI runs at average of 20, with only 2 50s, and since his last 50 in Port Elizabeth, he’s produced 81 in 5 hits at 16.2. Not very inspiring.

He’s got 5 T20 50s, but, since his last in Pallekele (SL), he’s produced 49 runs at a tick under 10.

The irony then, is his long form innings provide his only redemption….but, only just.

303 from his 2 big innings (both fabulous and whet the appetite of fans). Around them though, his next highest score is 37, and he’s only produce 116 runs from 7 outs at about 16.5.

So, Warner, really, really has some work still ahead of him, and, may be just as flawed a ‘talent’ as Phil Hughes??

100% right.

I don’t see how it’s that hard to understand.

Haddin was NOT deserving of retaining his ODI spot. Wade got T20s and 3 ODI’s to state his case. Simple. If Haddin chucks a wobbly then that’s pretty sad – but, it seems it’s not so much Haddin – but, the media. Fair enough, for Haddin, he was dropped and his chances of regaining his place was pretty well out of his hands (for the time being).

How about being a little controversial here then.

If players of the talent and performance of Dean Jones and Brad Hodge seemingly got excluded for ‘not fitting in’ – – could it be speculated that a practising muslim (Kawaja) might not ‘fit in’ into the Australian test team dressing room?

Was there perhaps an opposite position with the then Yousuf Youhana and his conversion to Islam – was there ‘pressure’ on the sole Christian in the Pakistan dressing room??

I’m just putting it out there.

100% correct.

As a supporter of Pete Siddle, I’m just pleased that he’s gained public acceptance. Alas for Mitch Johnson – for now anyway – the attack is better without him.

From a sliding doors perspective, I just wonder what might’ve happened had the ball that knocked over Tendulkar’s castle to make India 3-214, had that also been a no ball back during the Indian first innings at the MCG – I just wonder how the series might have played out.

That spell by Siddle that saw him break the stumps of Dravid (no ball) and Tendulkar in quick succession was the turning point (IMO). Since then, slowly but surely the media have come around to him. And for the ABC commentary crew to vote him man of the match in Adelaide is pretty well icing on the cake. (did Jim Maxwell and Skull vote for him???).

Jason – is this an argument for Kawaja to return? or for Marsh to be retained?

Or, my counterproposal.

M.Clarke to bat at number 3 so that the new kid on the block can ease into international cricket down the order. A bit like what happened to players like Justin Langer and David Boon.

Note that Clarke of late, either scores 100 or practically nothing. He’s got to get more consistant, and note paper over the cracks with a 300 here, and a 200 there. (okay, half joking).

It really saddens me that people are comparing twitter followers?!?!?!?

For the love of god…….why???

Are they paying an annual subscription fee to the tweeterer?

ERASS data should be taken with a grain of salt.

It’s statistically extrapolated from a national survey of about 15,000 respondants. It’s not raw data – but, over successive years, it probably shows interesting trending.

The Swans are always keen for a draft back door bargain. Good luck to them if this works out, I’ve been happily following Mike Pyke and hope that Pyke has an injury free run this year. Hopefully Starling can be a Swan too.

Roll on Round 2. North vs GWS in Hobart. We have the tickets on the ferry and accomodation all sorted – and all that’s left is hopefully for a big percentage booster early in the season.

Also, will be interesting to see Izzie. Good luck to him.

The ERASS data is based on a survey of between 10K and 20K. Let’s say 15,000. It’s extrapolated out from that, and they attempt to define participation along the lines of regularity, and ‘organised’.

The actual numbers are going to be indicative of trending if you look over several years of ERASS figures, but, need to be taken with a grain of salt with respect to claim actual absolute participation. And, it’s for age 15 and over.

Ed Cowan,

the new (left handed version) Bruce Laird??

Interested in the views of a North Melb supporter?

This article is ridiculously unfair and misses the point on a couple of issues.

North Melbourne do not operate in a vacuum. And so, how is North playing 2 games a year for 3 years in Hobart so shocking? Hawthorn is in Launceston. We know until the AFL buys out Etihad that there’s ordinary returns for clubs there – and the economics of a 22,000 attendance at Etihad generating a loss when compared to a 22,000 crowd at Geelong generating a $400-$600K profit. It really just makes absolute sense for North to seek to play a couple of games (esp against interstaters) somewhere else.

North is seeking Ballarat, and was seeking Ballarat as option A. The previous Brumby state govt had made a commitment which the Ballieau Govt didn’t. So, Ballarat is moving more slowly. Ballarat has the obvious synergy with the North VFL alignment with North Ballarat that has delivered 3 premierships in 2008-2010. It would only be good for footy if a decent ’boutique’ venue existed somewhere in the Ballarat-Bendigo region that could host NAB cup matches and a couple of regular AFL matches each year. And, too – perhaps a better venue for the odd cricket WC match.

The Gold Coast option – well, yep, that’s old news now. Personally I supported North going for it (GC), but, I think I prefer the GC option of the ‘home grown’ Suns rather than a transplanted North. For North, they went through an ‘aimless’ phase after being very innovative. It became a bit of a dogs breakfast. But, the ’90s saw people dally with ‘generic’ marketing. The problem is – ‘generic’ becomes meaningless. ‘Kangaroos’…..sell that North of the Murrumbidgee and it’s the ‘national’ RL team. But – North Melbourne…..that’s no more or less marketable than Manchester United……..(if starting from the same ‘base’, i.e. it’s just a location name).

And, while North get’s shafted from Friday nights and FTA – it’s the AFL’s obligation to distribute central revenue fairly and that includes compensation to clubs given an effective marketing/sponsorship handicap by way of ‘invisible’ fixturing.

absolutely, I looked at the last few outings of the Katich-Watson opening pairng against the Hughes-Watson opening pairing.

Niether Katich nor Hughes overly justified selectorial faith – but, Watson was the stand out, having averaged about 65 in the India-Ashes series with Katich, after that, his average batting with Hughes fell right away down to around 25. He also was more regularly the first out – although, Hughes invariably followed next.

Point being – Watson as an opener or even top 3 should be questioned. Certainly it should be questioned if he is intended to play as an all-rounder.

Funny thing now, with Mitch Johnson conveniently injured, the bowling attack is looking brilliant and there’s far, far less need for a bowling Shane Watson. Or a Dan Christian. Heck, even Siddle has outscored Michael Clarke 7 out of last 10 times when both have batted in an innings!! (actually, Siddle outscored Clarke in all 5 of the last shared innings’, and only in Sydney did Siddle not play – that Clarke was 329* might’ve been a mountain that Siddle couldn’t scale I guess goes without saying).

Actually, Clarke’s feast or famine needs to be reviewed. His average going back to Colombo is bolstered by 4 centuries providing 731 runs at 243.67. Outside of that, 9 innings for 93 at 10.33 with HS of 31. The combined tally is 824 runs at an average of around 69. That 2 in every 3 innings he’s unlikely to get more than a handful of runs is a little concerning – but, granted, the recent pitches have been ‘challenging’.

Correct, during the early/mid 80s it was a ripping format.