We've had enough McGuire!

[barry]

Melbourne really acts like a small provincial town sometimes. The balance of AFL power is slowly shift ing out , but still a long way to go. A CEO from outside the heartland wouldn't hurt.

[Go Swannies]

Alastair Clarkson On The Couch tonight said that the academy push started at the dinner at Gil's house - that only Melbourne coaches attended?

[Meg]

Alastair Clarkson On The Couch tonight said that the academy push started at the dinner at Gil's house - that only Melbourne coaches attended?

A report I read said that 11 of the 18 attended. The ones not there were said to be:

"Adam Simpson (West Coast), Ross Lyon (Fremantle), Ken Hinkley (Port Adelaide), Justin Leppitsch (Brisbane Lions) and John Longmire (Sydney Swans) were unavailable to travel to Victoria for the dinner, while Paul Roos (Melbourne) and Mark Thompson (Essendon) had television commitments."

If that is correct then the coaches of both the Giants and the Suns were there so should have been some defence of the academies.

[Matimbo]

If that is correct then the coaches of both the Giants and the Suns were there so should have been some defence of the academies.

No, the adults made them sit in the other room at the kiddies table. Interstate clubs should be seen, not heard.

[Ludwig]

What we appear to have at AFL House is a palace coup.

Whatever we might think about AD, and he was a bit of a tyrant, he was strong enough to keep others in their place. They didn't call him Vlad for nothing. Now the AFL have a more deliberate soft spoken chief and Eddie can smell a power vacuum. He's rounded up his deputies and has gone in for the kill. He is using the well worn Murdoch/ Fox News method of taking to the airways to spruik his case, and drown out every dissenter he can get control over.

Eddie is a pompous gasbag whose self-indulgence is undermining the future of AFL. He is not just a clown prince, but a very dangerous person who needs to be put in his place, something that will take a concerted effort from many quarters of the football community.

Only time will tell whose blood is on the floor.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Alastair Clarkson On The Couch tonight said that the academy push started at the dinner at Gil's house - that only Melbourne coaches attended?

Didn't see it, but such a statement is patently untrue. Did none of the other panelists call him out over such a blatant whopper?

[swallows22]

How about Patrick Smith's article in the Australian?

Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian

[ShockOfHair]

A very polite full-points smackdown on Rohan Connolly's live blog today:

'why': Great win by the Hawks, particulary after the obstacles that they have faced, Rohan, how do you think the football world would react if in the next two years the Hawks were to pick up Dangerfield and Cotchin, , got a draw where they play the bottom sides twice , most of the top sides only once and on their home ground and to top it all off they got an extra million in the salary cap and were able to pay 2 players $500k each as amdassadors to the game in Victoria, as well as having a stack of get out of jail cards at the mrp.Sound familiar.

Rohan Hi why, In fairness, you've combined the benefits of two NSW clubs there with the ambassador stuff, and the MRP comment I don't agree with. I'm more cynical than some about the angst over the Swans, think vast proportion of their success is still due to astute list management and good coaching.

[mcs]

A very polite full-points smackdown on Rohan Connolly's live blog today:

'why': Great win by the Hawks, particulary after the obstacles that they have faced, Rohan, how do you think the football world would react if in the next two years the Hawks were to pick up Dangerfield and Cotchin, , got a draw where they play the bottom sides twice , most of the top sides only once and on their home ground and to top it all off they got an extra million in the salary cap and were able to pay 2 players $500k each as amdassadors to the game in Victoria, as well as having a stack of get out of jail cards at the mrp.Sound familiar.

Rohan Hi why, In fairness, you've combined the benefits of two NSW clubs there with the ambassador stuff, and the MRP comment I don't agree with. I'm more cynical than some about the angst over the Swans, think vast proportion of their success is still due to astute list management and good coaching.

Gee what a bitter person that wrote the original comment - sums up hawks fans in general really!

A key point a lot of whingers forget is that, despite recruiting tippett and buddy, we've won nothing with them in the team - their recruitment is still very much 'up in the air' as to whether it was successful or not. The way they whine you'd have thought we had won 5 premierships since recruiting them!

[The Big Cat]

A very polite full-points smackdown on Rohan Connolly's live blog today:

'why': Great win by the Hawks, particulary after the obstacles that they have faced, Rohan, how do you think the football world would react if in the next two years the Hawks were to pick up Dangerfield and Cotchin, , got a draw where they play the bottom sides twice , most of the top sides only once and on their home ground and to top it all off they got an extra million in the salary cap and were able to pay 2 players $500k each as amdassadors to the game in Victoria, as well as having a stack of get out of jail cards at the mrp.Sound familiar.

Rohan Hi why, In fairness, you've combined the benefits of two NSW clubs there with the ambassador stuff, and the MRP comment I don't agree with. I'm more cynical than some about the angst over the Swans, think vast proportion of their success is still due to astute list management and good coaching.

Question for "WHY": I wonder what respect Hawthorn might get if they were to take mainly unwanted players from other clubs and when getting in established players (even after premierships) they looked at the successful clubs rather than raiding struggling (at the time) outfits like Port (Burgoine) Adelaide (Gunston) St Kilda (McEvoy) Bulldogs (Lake) North (Gibson and Hale) etc.?

[Mel_C]

A key point a lot of whingers forget is that, despite recruiting tippett and buddy, we've won nothing with them in the team - their recruitment is still very much 'up in the air' as to whether it was successful or not. The way they whine you'd have thought we had won 5 premierships since recruiting them!

Exactly right we haven't won a premiership yet with them or any academy players.

And another thing that hawk supporters forget is that Buddy came to us, we didn't approach him.

[Mel_C]

Gee Eddie is really like a dog with a bone isn't he? He can't have a conversation without mentioning the academies.

[Go Swannies]

Equality would be if the Swans got all the takings for Swans games (including finals year after year) televised in NSW. I'd guess that'd be a couple of hundred million? Or maybe Collingwood can take the AFL back to the VFL (when the Pies still found it hard to win).

[Matt80]

The Swans and Hawks got 73,000 people at the MCG. What did Essendon and Collingwood get a couple of weeks ago? I would assume that figure would be much larger than 73,000.

[aardvark]

The Swans and Hawks got 73,000 people at the MCG. What did Essendon and Collingwood get a couple of weeks ago? I would assume that figure would be much larger than 73,000.

Well when we assume we make an ass out of you and me! Official crowd: 58,992 at the MCG