Brett Kirk on ch 7

[ShockOfHair]

Hear hear Cheer Cheer (love that it rhymes)!
Not only does he have the best kit, he's got the best hair and he is waaaaayyyyy better looking that Lingy.
I don't mind Commetts when he just calls the game.

Agree. I like Dennis but Bruce is a bad influence. When they're scoring points for which commentator brings the "best" anecdote you know their schtick is tired. (For those who missed it, Tom Harley's cousin dated Tony Armstrong. Hold the front page.)

Kirkie was good. I like how he goes off the reservation now and then. During the chat with McVeigh I think he just stopped himself from saying 'I love you man'.

Harley's always great value.

[Cpt. Kirk]

Thought it was a good effort by kirky today.
Dennis I want to punch the face. Terrible commentary.

Josh Kennedy gets another kick he really is playing well isn't he dennis?
Lewis Jetta is better then rioli until he commentates next week.
Dennis is slightly annoying compared to the spruce moose.

[Triple B]

Harley's always great value.

I just watched the first quarter whilst having dinner after getting in from the footy.

WTF was Harley going on about when Lindsay Thomas was doing the hand gestures after he was run down by Incy?

Harley was gibbering about him telling his teammates to lets forget about it, it happened, or some such rot. I have no doubt Thomas was saying to his teammates 'How about some talk and one of you @@@@ers tell me I was hot!!!!'

[Melbourne_Blood]

Yes that was weird from Harley. I'm pretty sure that hand signal only means one thing on a footy field and it ain't " let's accept the decision and move on".

[GongSwan]

Yep, Kirky a lot better today, I don't mind Dennis, I think he's the funniest commentater out there, prefer it when he works with Dermie, who has much bettter footy nous than Special, I'll never forget that commentary about wesat coast when Denis was on, "Cousins has come off and gone straight for the Ice", lol, Dermie was flabbergasted and I just thought it was hilarious. They are all Better than BT who is without doubt the worst footy talker I have ever heard

[DeadlyAkkuret]

They are all Better than BT who is without doubt the worst footy talker I have ever heard

Woweeee!

[J_Moore]

Interesting read on twitter last night, post-game. Richard Hinds and Todd Balym absolutely unloaded on Kirk (and the other 'Bloods' in the leadership group) for their stonewalling of the media over recent years. Couldn't fathom why Kirk has taken up a media role considering he seems to regard journos with contempt. Was an interesting read.

Also put an interesting angle on the "Why do the media treat us so poorly?" refrain that people (including myself) often utter.

[aardvark]

Couldn't fathom why Kirk has taken up a media role considering he seems to regard journos with contempt.

I don't suppose money could have anything to do with it?

[DLBIA14]

Interesting read on twitter last night, post-game. Richard Hinds and Todd Balym absolutely unloaded on Kirk (and the other 'Bloods' in the leadership group) for their stonewalling of the media over recent years. Couldn't fathom why Kirk has taken up a media role considering he seems to regard journos with contempt. Was an interesting read.

Also put an interesting angle on the "Why do the media treat us so poorly?" refrain that people (including myself) often utter.

I remember Balym whinged a @@@@ load about teams that wouldn't give him media access, but he was very non-specific about it. Turns out its the Swans after all. They laid into the 'Bloods' culture calling it a cult. Some of the things they're suggesting the leadership group did is actually quite disconcerting. This quote from Todd: 'a Blood bagged a player in front of me the day his story was in Tele. I'm sure he is getting his own, especially now.' is certainly referring to Kirky.

If half of what they're saying is true the club has certainly let themselves down and lost out on a lot of publicity. We've fought a @@@@ing hard battle this club; there is no need to self-sabotage. I'm definitely not going to complain about our media coverage anymore.

[Captain]

Balym also said that players used to beat up on other players at training if they spoke to the media during the week.

[Big Al]

I remember Balym whinged a @@@@ load about teams that wouldn't give him media access, but he was very non-specific about it. Turns out its the Swans after all. They laid into the 'Bloods' culture calling it a cult. Some of the things they're suggesting the leadership group did is actually quite disconcerting. This quote from Todd: 'a Blood bagged a player in front of me the day his story was in Tele. I'm sure he is getting his own, especially now.' is certainly referring to Kirky.

If half of what they're saying is true the club has certainly let themselves down and lost out on a lot of publicity. We've fought a @@@@ing hard battle this club; there is no need to self-sabotage. I'm definitely not going to complain about our media coverage anymore.

You'll note that a number of teams denied Balym access which shows that other teams realise that he's a hack too. Please take anything he says with a grain of salt.

[DLBIA14]

Alright Balym may be a hack, but Hinds?

[Big Al]

Alright Balym may be a hack, but Hinds?

I'll have to read the twitter exchange. Hinds is usually a sarcastic clown on twitter so I'd be interesting to read what he said and what he was responding to.

Edit: Just read the exchange and I'm interested to see if that all happened as described why Hinds didn't write an article on the issues with the culture at the club instead of having a whinge on twitter.

[ShockOfHair]

I don't think it's anything to do with individual hacks.

Fair enough - if the team decides players shouldn't talk to the media, they're obliged to follow the rules. The club shouldn't complain about not getting much publicity though (and I don't think it has).

We're still operating on mostly hostile territory. There are plenty of sports journos and their editors who'd love to stick it us and the AFL. Better we keep the media at bay and let them spend their time on the latest league scandal.

[DLBIA14]

I don't think it's 'fair enough' at all. I think most club supports would hope the club is encouraging players to talk to the media as long as they aren't being provocative and aren't doing it with overt frequency.

Balym was the DT's AFL jurno; he's a Hawthorn mad AFL lover. Throwing him a bone once in a while isn't going to give give the club bad press. Hinds is quite measured and intelligent; a sports lover who has written some great perceptive articles. All in all your 'hostile territory' theory doesn't stand up.