2012 AFL Thread V - Planning Our End of Season Trip

[The Sad Punk]

All good Danny, sorry if I seemed a little annoyed. It's definitely a difficult subject, and like Ax I'm not suggesting that we just bring in all of the dames to play, but I think that if there are truly outstanding women footy players, they shouldn't be denied the possibility to play in the AFL. Who knows, the best kick at goal in the country could be a woman. Yes, we're not going to get Buddy Franklin or Plugger types, and it's extremely unlikely we'd get any female ruckmen coming through, but there are shorter, frailer male players who still have to compete with these guys. If there's a woman with the speed, strength and skill to match it with her male counterparts, she should certainly be considered for the biggest league in the country. This problem may not exist if there were better women's leagues of course, but that's kind of a lost cause.

Anyway, I'm not totally in favour of his article, I mean throwing "apartheid" in the mix is pretty damn stupid.

 

[intedomine]

Equity in the sport won't be happening for a long time. The sport in Victoria and it's feeder private schools are boys clubs as it is and work to exclude women from participating in the sport on as many levels as possible. Women footballers simply don't have access to the same levels of training and support at teenage level.

There was one female footballer who was threatening to be in the draft about 10-12 years ago. Nothing really came of it, was more just a "feel-good" news story, and the prospect of a woman playing a man's game was scoffed at.

The vitriol directed at Channel 10's female commentator a few years ago and Caroline Wilson today showcase the football public's reluctance to accept women as part of the game. I haven't heard one male have a kind word to say about Wilson, meanwhile Lyon and Hutchie say far more ridiculous things on Footy Classified.

Also, doesn't help when you have someone like Sam Newman still around.

 

[cobl04]

Port Melbourne has a female assistant coach. She looks after the defence, which has been the best in the league the past two seasons.

Kelli Underwood got vitriol because she was a terrible commentator. I bagged her, but for me at least it was not because she's a woman.

I respect Caro more than I like her. I will never stoop to the knuckle-dragging level some fuckwits go to (she shud get bak in da kichen) but I do find her to be sensationalist and negative.

And I think you'll find Sam isn't quite as much of a Neanderthal as you think.

 

[Axver]

Kelli Underwood got vitriol because she was a terrible commentator. I bagged her, but for me at least it was not because she's a woman.

She wasn't the best, but she was a fuckload better than practically any of the Saturday arvo crew last year.

 

[cobl04]

"IT'S... A POINT!!! THE GREATEST POINT YOU'LL EVER KICK!!!" is forever burned into my brain.

 

[intedomine]

She was better than Taylor, McLachlan and that muppet Christian.

 

[cobl04]

US import's blog - Eric Wallace

"The Cragieburns"

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Cool guy.

 

[cobl04]

Buddy puts off contract talks to the end of the season... despite reportedly being offered a four-year, $900k-a-season deal.

Yay, at least nine months of hearing about it in the media

 

[intedomine]

As if the media needed any more fuel to keep banging on about Spuddy.

 

[Axver]

Buddy puts off contract talks to the end of the season... despite reportedly being offered a four-year, $900k-a-season deal.

Yay, at least nine months of hearing about it in the media

Oh JOY.

 

[cobl04]

Not even Cloke, Ablett or Scully dragged it out this long. It's already soured me a little on the start of the season.

 

[bono_man2002]

Franklin and J.Brown to Collingwood next year

 

[intedomine]

Brown is almost due for retirement.

Supercoach has been launched for 2013.

 

[cobl04]

Wow. Sounds like Essendon is about to admit to performance-enhancing drug use.

They sacked a sports scientist last night who apparently made players sign forms saying they'd take responsibility for taking drugs.

 

[Axver]

Oh good god.

Though performance enhancing?

 

[bono_man2002]

Wow. Can I get all the bombers players for my super coach this year?

"Have you had your inner health plus today?"

 

[LemonMelon]

Wow. Sounds like Essendon is about to admit to performance-enhancing drug use.

They sacked a sports scientist last night who apparently made players sign forms saying they'd take responsibility for taking drugs.

Their supply must run low near the end of the season.

 

[cobl04]

Wow. Can I get all the bombers players for my super coach this year?

"Have you had your inner health plus today?"

I don't think you want them. If I'm not mistaken it was the 2012 pre-season. So it enhanced their performance so much they lost to Melbourne and missed finals.

 

[Axver]

I'm hoping this will turn out to be not too serious, but jesus what a horrible start to the year.

 

[intedomine]

Imagine a season without Essendon, what a happy thought! It would be a better resolution than what happened to Rugby's Storm, who played the season for zero points - a farcical waste of time. A one year ban from the competition would be tidy.

 

[Axver]

Wow, that's just a bit of an overreaction.

 

[LemonMelon]

Holy shit:

Football club link to drug dealer | The Examiner

 

[cobl04]

Tonight's Footy Classified is going to be engrossing viewing. This is huge. There was a new story every 20 minutes last night.

 

[LemonMelon]

Essendon won't get the boot for the year in 2013. There won't be enough time to determine those responsible. Maybe they will in 2014 if things get ugly, as they very well might.

Did they pin this on specific individuals or the whole organization? It would be wise to do the former if they don't want to destroy their membership numbers.

 

[cobl04]

I don't know, but this is getting scary.

 

[Axver]

What's annoying is that in all the spin, and the way the club, the media, and the AFL are trying to frame the fall-out, it's really hard to tell whether Essendon just intentionally pushed the boundaries or quite knowingly stepped over them. I'm just sitting back and taking it as it comes. I imagine the most likely punishment would be whopping fines, loss of draft picks, certain individuals being de-registered, and if he's personally guilty of something particularly severe, Jobe being stripped of the Brownlow. Anybody who suggests that one of the most popular, wealthy clubs in the league would be kicked out for a season or otherwise hobbled (in a regular season sense) in the future rather than suffering retroactive or financial punishment has rocks for brains. The AFL cares way too much about its bottom line and how big a draw the Bombers are.

Honestly though, if we're doing it, I find it hard to believe other wealthy clubs weren't going in for similar things. Wouldn't be shocked if this ran deeper than just the Bombers.

 

[cobl04]

There is not a shred of doubt this runs deeper than the Bombers.

 

[cobl04]

Ax it might comfort you to have a listen to this - SEN SportSENtral > Audio. Spike McVeigh very emphatic it's all a storm in a teacup.

 

[cobl04]

The ACC has just released a report saying there is widespread drug use and criminal activity in Australian sport.

what a horrible day for a sports fan.