Collingwood are the best performed side for the year and rightly deserve to be raging favourites. But if the Saints can pull this off, after all the set-backs they’ve overcome, it will go down as the greatest premiership of all. As a Saints supporter I’m just glad they’ve got this far. The task ahead is monumental, but achievable nonetheless.
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We all support The Saints here also and the kids are going to the GF which is very exciting for them, hope we have a better result than last year. Good luck to us all!!!
I reckon anyone who wasn’t already a Pies supporter is going for the Saints – everyone I know is.
I hope they don’t crumble under the expectation.
Did anyone see that Jim Stynes programme last night? It was very good.
Yes, the Stynes program was very moving.
Having two Sainters in the family nails my allegiance pretty clearly.
The expectation is all on Collingwood. The Saints won’t crumble.
Who will win the Brownlow? I hope it’s not ‘Tats Man’ – he’s not a good look for the game. Then again Gary Ablett is no oil painting either.
It looks like Geelong might have started their ‘Mad Monday’ on Saturday night:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/paul-chapman-could-face-police-investigation/story-e6frf9jf-1225926414360
Good luck Ray!
Thanks, JB, we will certainly need it. It’s pretty hard to win a grand final that (according to C’wood supporters) has already been won!
Speaking of oil paintings, Lingy didn’t have a good year.
Chappy was a ‘knockout’ though. Literally.
Flooooogggggging coming up.
The battle does not always go to the strongest nor the race to the swiftest, but that’s the way you should bet.
Saints NO CHANCE.
St Kilda have been written off all year. They’re still being written off. That’s fine.
Never say never Jim.
How did that smug looking Chris Judd win the Brownlow?
Seriously, he should have been ineligible.
Judd missed the first 3 games this year through suspension for eye-gouging in last year’s finals series but (due to a loophole in the rules) was still eligible for the Brownlow … in both years!
The Brownlow is for the FAIREST & best player, and Judd was neither of those. He was also lucky to escape suspension for elbowing Pavlich earlier this year. And how the hell did he get 30 votes when no other award had him on more than half that?
This is not sour grapes because, had Judd been declared ineligible, the winner would have been Geelong’s Gary Ablett … again! Geelong should protest the result (they like to do that).
As for Dane Swan, the look of disappointment on his face was only surpassed by the look of anger on Eddie McGuire’s mutt. There’s no doubt that C’wood thought Swan was a shoe-in and they’d be hugely shocked by the result.
They’re not the only ones.
That boy Ablett again. He goes alright.
He goes, alright … to the Gold Coast.
Mmmmm
The wet winter has produced sour grapes in the Bright district this season.
There’s a reason that the Saints have been written off all year.
You’ll see why by half time on Saturday.
If you have ever seen the movie Ghandi, then you’ll know that Ben Kingsley looked like the real thing, moved like the real thing and even sounded like the real thing, but in the end, he was only pretending.
Pretenders to the throne always get the chop in the end.
The executioner has a little white moustache.
So predictable.
No “sour grapes” here HJ. And I agree – Collingwood does indeed look like “the real thing.” We shall see.
Baldrick, your comment looks more apt as a response to the above Collingwood supporter.
Collingwood supporters have a handicap factor allowance.
No sour grapes?
LOL.
Wait till Monday.
I predict the host’s vinegar in copious supply here.
The Collingwood jokes are flying around at work. They’re very funny.
I dunno why I let your comments through, HJ. Maybe it’s because they’re just so – how you say? – Collingwood?
A joke for you Rox …
A Collingwood family were doing their weekly shoplifting when young Johnny said he was going to barrack for St Kilda in the Grand Final and asked his mum to pinch him a St Kilda jumper.
Mum was appalled and abused the bejesus out of him and threatened to disown him so he asked his older sister to pinch a St Kilda beanie for him but she was having none of it and smacked him around the store for good measure.
When they visited dad in Barwon Prison, mum told the old man about young Johnny’s behaviour and dad thrashed the lad to within an inch of his life.
On the way home, mum said to Johnny, “I hoped you have learned something out of all that”
Johnny replied, “You bet, I’ve been following St Kilda for a couple of hours now and I hate you Collingwood bastards already.”
“A Collingwood family were doing their weekly shoplifting”
That just has to be a true story.
Rightyo next bit of drivel from me will be from the Vaterland.
Raymond, all the best for Saturday. Gough Whitlam got it right back in ’72, “It’s time”.
Go Sainters !!!
Have a great trip Baldrick.
I know why you’re going, btw.
It’s for the Oktoberfest and for …. click here
Have one for me. And a beer.
Geelong players doing end-of-season ‘dress ups’ again:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/cats-wacky-wednesday/story-e6frf9jf-1225927840018
It just goes to prove what they sing is true:
“We are Geelong, most girlish team of all.”
Bye Baldy! Have a great time.
Just you & me now, Rox. Are you backing the Saints? And if not, why not?
Of course I am. I want to see another Saints win. I saw the last one – might not get another chance.
Thanks Raymond and Rox. Am in Bavaria, no sleep for 22 hours and landed in Munich at 5am.
I think I’m more non-compos than normal. Weather here magnificent 23C but rain to come. #3 son wore his St.Kilda jumper on the way over here and wasn’t accosted once.
Game will be on @ 6.30 am our time here. Might try to stream it but on the other hand given the lack of sleep might actually try to recover.
Bavaria? You lucky bastard. All those terrific castles and scenery. And on Collingwood supporters.
Have a wonderful time – when are you back?
I am only surprised you managed to get through airport security. Who are they going for over in Bavaria?
61 ALL!
Saints in front
Un f*cking believable.
A draw.
I guess the Saints can take away from this game the fact that it was gone – twice: At half time when they were 4 goals down and then again in the last quarter when Collingwood kicked the first goal and went 14 up.
Thanks to Hayes’ & Goddard’s heroics we are back next week.
I think I drank too much through that – but at least I know my heart must be in good shape.
Mein Gott! Melbourne and the AFL will rake in a fortune over this.
Rox, you over here as well? I bluffed the Bavarians, told em I was a Tasmanian. No-one over here has the slightest inkling of AFL, all Bayern Muenchen.
Listened to the last 15 minutes on ABC streamed. Had the Cats played, there would have been a result. Now then, in the event of a second drawn contest, penalty shootout? Golden goal…..
Raymond, all the more reason to thump them or win by that point again.
Bloody AFL rubbing its hands together. And to think I delayed my end of season trip to Coode Island for this.
Weather here yesterday sensational but in true European style now rain for the next few days. But Rox, it is beautiful here. well within sight of the Alps.
Town we’re in is Bad Aibling, can Google that.
Have you been in the peat pulp bath yet?
Whoa talk about doing research !! That luxury I have thus far managed to avoid in this my fourth visit to Bad Aibling and indeed my previous visits. The town is well known for its curative baths where in the past many elderly or convalescing individuals would be pampered by the healing properties of the peat.
Incidentally the word “Bad” means bath and you may have noticed that hundreds of German towns and cities have this word within their names. When the Romans first journeyed into what is now known as Germany they were entranced by the mineral springs. Even major cities like Wiesbaden and Baden Baden were built on mineral springs, often warm springs. They did not build their city on rock and roll (sorry I’m a 80′s music tragic)
Be careful, you keep asking sensible questions, you might end up forcing me to write sensible comments.
Oh, and Raymond, despite the weather, it appears Oktoberfest is on the agenda this afternoon. I will do my utmost best to pass on my warmest to the Maedels in the pic and pass on the Grevillea Gardens business cards you issued me.
School exchange Rox, Bad Aibling Wirtschaftschule Alpenland is our sister school. And a plug, we are doing a series of blogs on the school website http://www.wsalp.de
My family are further north in the state of Hessen, in particular Wiesbaden and Wetzlar, Darmstadt.
*cough*
Any comments on the footy would be appreciated.
Geelong should have been in the Grand Final.
Collingwood must be ruing all those points. If just one of them had been a goal…!
And how ridiculous that the couldn’t play extra time. That rule should be changed. It might be a windfall for Melbourne business, but bloody inconvenient for everyone else.
Well a lot of those points were rushed or punched through, Rox. Collingwood’s kicking was actually no more inaccurate than St Kilda’s.
Anyway, I disagree with extra time and I see nothing wrong with replaying a full game. Who is inconvenienced and what does it matter?
But if it’s stiil a draw next week then why not simply award them as joint premiers?
It probably matters to people who saved up to pay for a GF ticket, and people who travelled a long way to see the GF, as I know a lot of people did.
And I gather some of the players themselves are having to cancel plans to attend a wedding, and there must be heaps more plans having to be changed.
The people who went still got to see a great game, Rox. Arguably the best GF ever. As for the players’ holidays & weddings etc, well that’s just bad luck and incidental. So what?
Consider this: If a boxing match is tied after 15 rounds do we expect the boxers to go one more round just so those who paid for their tickets get to see a winner? I don’t think so. There’ll be a rematch.
I just don’t think added time is as relevant to AFL as it is to Soccer where the result is more often a draw than not. Look, this is only the 3rd draw out of 114 GFs. The replay is the way to go.
You’re really Andy Demetriou aren’t you?
No Rox, Demetriou and I are poles apart on this. The only part we agree on is that there should be a full replay. Why? Because it can be done and will produce a fairer outcome. However, I disagree with him on these points:
1. Extra time on the replay if it’s drawn. If these two sides can’t be separated after two complete GFs then don’t belittle it by playing two 5 minute halves to decide a winner. Be bold and award them joint premierships. Why not? We have joint Brownlow winners, joint Olympic gold medallists and joint Melbourne Cup winners if it’s a draw. To add extra time on the replay is inconsistent with the original decision not to add extra time on the first.
2. Cut the ticket prices in half for the replay. They’ll still make a profit but why should they make a mega profit from a drawn game? Give the people a bonus.
I like your number 2 Ray. That’s a really god idea.
There’s something unsatisfying about the first idea, and I think most people would feel the same. It’s probably just tradiion, but footy revolves around a GF winner.
I don’t agree that footy “revolves around” a single GF winner, Rox. I think it revolves around the entire 16 clubs (17 from next year).
As a Saints supporter I’d be happy if the AFL decided that if the replay is also a draw then, instead of playing extra time, the cup is to be awarded to both clubs.
It’s much better than losing in extra time. Premierships are forever and neither St Kilda or Collingwood would deserve to lose that way.
{Comment deleted. Abusive. Get real HJ – I already have you on moderation (for good reasons!) but if you make personal/abusive comments like that I’ll just put you on the ‘spam’ list meaning your comments will just disappear into the ether. I thought you would have realised this by now. Grow up. Then again, what else can we expect from a Collingwood supporter? – RD}
Fair point. Now I don’t know what I think. But as a supporter of one of the teams involved, I respect your opinion.
If it were Essendon I’m not sure how I’d feel.
By the way Ray, Sophie is getting a real caning on the Poll Bludger. They’re calling her the Indi puff adder after the Commonwealth Games snake.
Footy absolutely revolves around one grand final winner.
Every person who has ever pulled on a pair of boots knows that what you are ultimately playing for is the right to say you are a premiership player and that you played in a WINNING grand final team.
Being awarded that honour for a tie is not what the game’s about.
She deserves it Rox – did you see her? Wow!
HJ, I’m only suggesting dual premierships if there is a second draw. My reasoning is that it would be so rare and so unlikely to happen that the fairest result would be to split the cup.
Btw, I’ve played footy and while I am well aware that the GF is the holy grail, the game itself does not “revolve” around that. If we had 2 winners the comp would still go on. And both clubs could rightfully claim to be premiers.
Anyway, I doubt the replay will be a draw.
They have already ruled that extra time will be played. As it should.
Why?
To prevent the scenario where “both clubs could rightfully claim to be premiers”.
{This part deleted – see last comment. Grow up for Christ’s sake -RD}
The premiership is the be all and end all of all footy Ray. There are players who would trade all of their brownlows, copelands and sandovers for the chance to play in a losing grand final let alone a winning one.
If we were to have a competition where there was no premiership awarded then two things would definately occur. Nobody would play and nobody would watch.
I have young boys. They do junior footy where there is no winner and loser recorded, no finals and no GF, and the one thing that they want to do is to get older so that they can play in under 14s where they have a winner and loser every game and finals and a grand final at the end of the season.
Competative sport is about winning and losing.
Yes playing in a GF is the ultimate aim. And so is winning one. But they’ve already played in a GF and will get to play in a second. All I’m suggesting is that IF the 2nd one is drawn then we truly do have a situation where both teams are equal.
And sometimes in “compettive sport” there are equal winners. Open your mind.
What competative sport pits two competitors against one another and awards the prize to both?
It’s not just two competitors. The GF is the culmination of a competition between 16 clubs, first narrowed to 8, then to 6, then to 4 and finally to two.
There are plenty of other “competitive sports” that work that way but end up awarding the prize to the final two in the event they can’t be split.
Think Olympics. Think boxing, which starts with about 64 competitors and ends up with a final bout between two. If the points are drawn at the end of that bout they both get a gold medal.
Same goes for athletic events like high jumping & pole vaulting. A large field is narrowed through the heats and then, in the final, it always gets down to the last two. And if they can’t be split they both get gold.
Even in a marathon, if two runners clear out from the pack and make it a two person race over the last few kms (which often happens) but cross the line together they don’t say, “well you guys need to run off in a 100 metre sprint”. No, they are joint winners.
I realise there are plenty of other sports that insist on one winner (like Tennis) but I think the boxing & marathon ones are the best parallels to AFL. Soccer is not a good comparison as it is so low-scoring and draws are common that they do need a way of separating them. But even then, the penalty shoot out is a sick joke.
I’m not sure if Baldrick is getting this news in Bavaria but (as we all know here):
Geelong to lose Gary Ablett AND Mark Thompson.
It’s truly the end of an era.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/ablett-to-announce-switch-to-suns-today-20100929-15w7u.html
It is. What a pity, in a sentimental way, that the Ablett/Geelong connection will be broken. Still, he has to do what’s best for him and his future. Sentiment won’t keep him in his old age.
Now, if Bomber comes back to Essendon, that WOULD be a sentimental coup.
I think Bomber has ‘bombed out’. It’s weird what’s going on with him.
Your Olympic tales are fine, but in the history of the Olympics has this ever happened?
NO.
But if you want to use the Olympics as the benchmark then let’s do that.
In all of the Olympic team sports (AFL being a team sport) the opposite is true. Extra time is played and a result ALWAYS found.
Boxing and marathon are not the best parallels to AFL at all as they are individual and not team sports.
Hockey, basketball (with similar scores to AFL), baseball, handball, water polo, softball and ice hockey all play extra time.
Bomber entered into a land deal at the beginning of his coaching at Geelong. He invested 450,000 in a land package and will reap in the vacinity of 10,000,000 before the end of next season.
Hunger will take a man a long way. Take away the hunger and he’s not got a lot to achieve any more.
You’re right about the team sports in the Olympics HJ, although what about rowing? If the coxless 8 is a dead heat they don’t make them row another 100 metres, do they?
And yes, I’m pretty sure there have been joint gold medal winners in the Olympics – although not many.
What you’re overlooking is this: The Olympics only play extra time because of scheduling and time constraints. If the hockey final is drawn they can’t physically fit in a full replay so the extra time is the only option they have.
Whereas the AFL already has an ‘extra time’ facility – being a full 120 minute replay, as we are about to see this week.
You’re missing my point. I am only suggesting a joint award if the second GF is also drawn. And the likelihood of that is extremely remote.
To explain:
There have only been 3 draws in AFL/VFL history in 114 years. So the probability of a drawn GF is one chance in 38 (114 divided by 3).
SO, using simple maths, the probability of two consecutive draws is one chance in 1,444 which are not very good odds.
As I see it, if these two teams cannot be separated after the replay then they both deserve to be Premiers. To add another 10 minutes at the end of what is effectively already an extra time of 120 minutes is just absurd.
As for Bomber, that’s a very good point about him not having the motivation.
The point is that they don’t give both teams a gold.
Rowing isn’t a team sport and there is no such thing as a coxless 8 in any case.
The US open golf has a full 18 hole and then a sudden death playoff the next day between any ties for first. NO sharing the prize.
As for the AFL giving two cups in the event of a draw next week – sounds like a hopeful Saint to me. As a Pies man I would say lets play on and if we lose we lose.
The game is to decide the best team. We knew last Friday who the best two teams were. Now we need it to be just one.
10 minutes more and then 10 more again if it takes that until the Saints say uncle.
I meant coxless 4. Yes, the 8s have a cox – the analogy still stands though. And rowing is certainly a team sport – just ask Sally Robbins!
Golf is an individual sport, HJ, so if you use that you also have to accept my individual sport examples, such as a dead heat in the high jump etc. Or even in swimming.
The point is there is no real precedent here. It has not happened before that two AFL teams have tied in a GF and then gone on to tie in the replay.
And it’s not likely to happen either.
Look at this way: The replay is actually extra time of 10 minutes … times 12! Surely that’s enough.
But no, my suggestion does not favour one team or the other. Go ahead and make your over-confident predictions of a Pies win, just like you did last week. Will it be “All over by half time” again?
I love it when you write us off.
Rowing is a race. It’s not the same as a team sport where they keep score. I agree there is a lot of team work involved in a rowing race where there is more than one in the boat, and i accept that in races there is no possibility to re-run and thus the prize is often shared, but that sets it apart from the others, including AFL.
Golf is again an individual sort, but one where a score is kept. In all other such Olympic sports like that, either the chance of a tie is impossible (tennis and badminton) or they keep going till there’s a winner (archery and shooting).
The ALF have said, rightly, that if there is a tie this week there will be time added.
I have not made a prediction here Ray. All I said is that I would rather we keep playing till we win or lose.
You don’t appear to want that. It looks as though you’ll happily take the prize without deserving it.
Nice try with the “keeping scores” part HJ. But I’ve got you trumped on that too.
I saved this for last:
CRICKET.
Cricket is the next biggest TEAM sport in Australia.
Some would say it’s even bigger (and certainly more uniformly accepted Australia-wide) than AFL.
And it’s all about “scores”.
And they have ties with joint winners – in all forms of the game.
Not only can a Test Match be drawn, so can an entire Test Series. And they often are.
By your logic they should play extra overs to have a winner. But they don’t. And why not?
Something called tradition.
And it is not our tradition to play another ten minutes in footy to decide a winner. Never has been.
And no, I’m not “happy to take the prize without deserving it”. I repeat : If the 2nd GF is drawn then both C’wood & St Kilda would be worthy JOINT winners.
Anyway, that is just my opinion. You are entitled to yours. I’ve nothing more to add (or prove!) Good luck on Saturday – watch out for Riewoldt (he’ll kick 5 this time).
Mmmm.
Poor trump.
Cricket is a game where a result often isn’t achieved that is true.
There are often ties, that is also true, but in the highest form of the game (the equivilent of AFL) , test cricket, there has only been 2 ties in the 133 year history of the game. Both were as part of a series, the end of which saw a trophy awarded.
In the event that there is a deadlock at the end of a series, the holder of the trophy retains it. I.e the trophy is awarded to one team only. (DOH!)
In the lower forms of the game a similar thing happens. Draws and ties are paid to the holder of the title if the series is not clearly decided.
In the domestic 4 day comp in Australia, the team who hosts the final is the one who finishes the season on top of the table, and they must be beaten outright to lose the trophy. A draw or a tie is not good enough for the lower placed team to carry the title.
Now I doubt you will want that one since the pies won the minor premiership.
In other competitions, such as VCA, or GCA in geelong, the team who finished higher on the ladder is always awarded the title in the event of no result or a tie.
Should I go on?
How about one day cricket. Look up duckworth lewis for one and then remember that as above, the title holder must lose their title. Teis count for nothing in effect.
Tradition is about setting rules and sticking to them. I agree.
In 1990 there was a tie in a semi final. And it meant that the grand final was sent to October. The AFL (in its first year) set the rule in place that we should have extra time in finals – except the GF where we replay it. This rule was first envoked in 1999 and again only last season when Collingwood defeated Adelaide in extra time. There is a precedent for it. The tradition of playing a second grand final is going ahead this week. Thus this week is week 2 of the decider. Tradition upheld.
There is no tradition of handing a trophy to both perties in the event of a tie.
I agree that AFL tradition demands a replay. That’s what I’ve been saying all long. And that’s what we are getting.
But there is no tradition to play extra time in the event of a drawn replay. It’s new territory, so my opinion is as valid as yours. And certainly more fair – to both sides.
How is it more fair than continuing to play (as it the tradition)?
And why this obsession with fair?
The game’s not fair and never has been. I’m sure that you must be kidding.
Do you think it’s fair that North Melbourne had Wayne Carey and nobody else did?
Is it fair that Gold Coast Suns get the rip Gary Ablett out of his home town and that Geelong would have to compromise the whole club to match the offer?
The only fair thing is that the umpires are supposed to be inpartial and make the same mistakes in each direction and that the boundary ump has hie back turned to play when he chucks the orb back in.
It’s not fair that Jamie Turner and Mathew Stokes played in a premiership and Nathan Buckley and Robert Harvey didn’t.
It’s not fair that Gary Ablett Snr kicked 9 goals on a Grand Final and didn’t win, when Shane Allen kicked 4 and did.
Fair? Who are you kidding?
The game’s about who’s team is best. Biggest, strongest, fastest and most skilled. If it was fair then the winning team would give the other team their best players at half time.
You play to win.
When you win, you get the prize on offer.
When you tie you get to keep playing till there is a winner. No fair in it.
We could debate this forever and we’d both still have different opinions.
So, as a final response to you:
There is NO tradition to play extra time in a GF or in a replayed one. If extra time is valid for the replay it should have been valid for the original. It wasn’t – because a replay IS already extra time.
As for “fair” we are arguing over semantics, as your irrelevant examples of other aspects of “fairness” demonstrate.
Tell me what happens if after 10 minutes extra time they’re still tied. What then, a golden goal? First score wins?
That is contriving a result and is by no means a measure of “the best team”.
If they are tied after 2 full games they are clearly equal best teams. Joint winners. We shouldn’t contrive a winner & loser after that.
You can have a closing statement too, then let’s leave it at that.
Good luck to your team. What a great game last Saturday was – although it was very hard to watch.
The rules in finals, as per the 20 year old tradition, are that after 10 minutes (5 each way) they play another 10 (5 each way). As far as I know there has never been a need to do that and as far as i know there is no Golden Goal.
The only contrieved result is to allow a shared trophy. There’s absolutely no tradition in Australia of that. They tried it in a golf tournament a couple of seasons back and they were, rightly, adonished for it. Even if we toss a coin (can’t be fairer than that) or simply say that the best team is the one who finished the season in the highest position on the ladder, or we could do a goal average for the games that they played in home and away. Anything, but not a shared trophy. That simply smacks of not hurting any one’s feelings. Well – if you don’t want your feelings hurt stay away from AFL.
Thanks for the good wishes. I hope we don’t butcher the opportunities we had last week again. In reality we should have won by 4-6 goals when you take into account the chances that you had. Milne in the last minute. Oh that’s twice he’s cost you premierships running into open goals. But he keeps making the chances and that’s all you need from him.
I think we’ll make the chances again because our midfield was beaten and we still should have won. I don’t think the saints can beat that midfield again with Gardner in the stands.
Good luck though. I was pissed off for Saints supprters last year and wanted them to win and if we have to lose again I don’t mind it being to you, but I hope Bob Rose’s hand comes down from the clouds and pushes one sideways like it did the goal therapist Milne on Saturday.
Anyway they have to win. I met Peter Daicos on Sunday and he signed my son’s jumper Go Pies! Premiers 2010. I also saw a magpie on the beach the other day. You never see that.
Go Pies!
Finally got rid of Ablett, time to move on and milk it for what it’s worth. At least a couple of high draft picks.
Can someone tell me why Sanderson isn’t in the frame to take over from Bomber,which incidentally was another foregone conclusion. Keep hearing Hinkley’s name mentioned.
Did the Oktoberfest yesterday Raymond and was remarkably restrained. Very cool conditions and the Maedels were suitably attired, very different to the picture you sent me.
Pity you’ll miss the pre-game entertainment for the replay, Baldrick.
Lionel Ritchie!
Wow, what a coup. How does the AFL keep coming up with these out of date comedy acts to open the country’s biggest sporting event? It’s sheer genius.
What’s wrong with Lionel Ritchie? Better than Leonard Cohen (much as I love him).
Well, Lionel wouldn’t be my choice, Rox. With all the money the AFL is making you’d think they could attract a bigger and more current name – someone like Buble perhaps?
Anyway, Go SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINTERS.
BUBLE????? Why not Andre Rieu while you’re at it.?
Or Shannon Noll to really rock.
Yeah GO SAINTS!!!!!
I’m sure either Demis Roussos or Nana Mouskouri would come out here for Andew Demetriou, one good turn for a Greek deserves another. Maybe both, now that would be a spectacle.
Very poor showing by the Saints so far. how are you doing, Ray and Greg?
(As if I’ll get an answer).
Listening to it over here. Raymond might go into a permanent hiatus.
It was so bad I put on a DVD in the last quarter.
They talked about recriminations at Geelong. Wonder if Raymond will venture any for the Saints. Feel for the Saints supporters though in all honesty. A real dull pain it must be.
Just as well the Pies will be humble winners. Raymond, it’s not to late to leave the country Still haven’t seen one of the scum over here.
Hi Rox, if you need another DVD, the Magpies / St Kilda Gran d Final will be on sale on Monday.
As Svetta said in her heavy Russian accent “Can’t wait for dat one”
Thanks Greg.
Ray, are you all right?
A SES job?
Maybe Ray went to the Grand Final and got caught up in all the excitement? We hope all is well
I’m fine, Rox. We went to Melbourne for the weekend and I watched “it” from her home. We only just got home.
What can I say? Our best chance was last week and we just fell short. But we simply didn’t come up for the replay. I think we needed some of what Collingwwod’s players were having pre-game. You know, something to give us some more energy!!
No sour grapes and Collingwood truly earnt this one …. well, sort of.
Greg, as I said to you earlier, I’m rapt for you that the Pies did it – just for you! I think it goes to show you there’s a God up there somewhere. Well done old man. Cheers.
Thanks Ray – I do feel for the Saints supporters. I will leave this world having witnessed four or five premierships. I hope you earn the next one, good buddy.
Certainly knowing that Greg’s team won is the one good thing about this. How awful if it had been Freo or North Melbourne.
Or worse still … Hawthorn.
Or even worse … Geelong.
It’s weird you know, but somehow I don’t feel too bad about this. At least we can say we drew the first one.
I actually felt sorry for Saints supporters on Saturday night. They have been through so many trials over the years and they deserve some success. They now join Essendon as teams to play in 3 grand finals in 54 weeks and not win one. North are the only other team to play in 3 in 54 weeks, They lost in 76 and then drawn in 77, but won the following week. That pain must be bitter to take and i feel sorry for those supporters.
Thanks HJ, I appreciate that. And thanks for not gloating. Collingwood deserved it after all – it was just their year. Well done and congratulations to your team.
Bit worried about the suggestion that there was something underhanded going on.
” I think we needed some of what Collingwwod’s players were having pre-game. You know, something to give us some more energy!!
No sour grapes and Collingwood truly earnt this one …. well, sort of.”
Sounds sour enough to me.
Not at all HJ.
What is “………………..some of what Collingwwod’s players were having pre-game”??????????????????
Nothing. It was a joke. If you’re offended I take it back & apologise. Collingwood deserved to win.
Yes they did. And you said weeks ago that they would and I thought you were being a sarcastic Collingwood hater. I was wrong. You know a lot about the game Ray. I agreed with you all along, but, being a Collingwood supporter I could never emotionally allow myself to believe that they are that good.
I’m on the cusp now though. I think that this group are as good at the same stage as the Geelong team were in 2007. They are a little younger too I think. It might be a nice year next season to be a supporter of the team that is the absolute benchmark. The AFL better watch out because the supporters of this club have lacked only one thing for decades. Belief. We had hope and passion in bags ful, but we never had the emotional courage to believe because we’d been disapointed so often, but now there’s no need to doubt the future. In 1990 the group won their flag at the end of their window, but this group’s window is just opening. not making the GF in 2007 and 2009 has tempered them and hardened a few of them to failure and watching a beatable opponant win the prize.
I just want one thing to happen. Win a game on the last saturday in September.
I think you’re entitled to bask in the glory, HJ. I’m genuinely pleased for you and especially for Greg Naylor, who has held on to dear life (literally) to see this happen. All supporters of premiership teams deserve their day in the sun – although for St Kilda it’s been a long time out in the cold.
HOWEVER, and I think I speak for the supporters of all other clubs here, I just hope you’re wrong about this being the start of a Collingwood period of dominance. Cheers.
I don’t think so.
There are a number of reasons to believe that is will be.
The youth of the group.
The belief they now have.
The turmoil in their biggest contender.(Geelong)
The lack of that killer punch in the nearest solid contender (St Kilda)
The inability of their biggest danger to make serious progress up the ladder (Hawthorn)
The gilf between the teams mentioned and the rest.
The inability of clubs to top up seriously for the next coule of seasons because of the Suns and GWS.
The scope for improvement in the Collingwood list. (They may just get even better)
I realise we say that every premiership team is on the brink of a dynasty, and we usually get that wrong, but in the past decade there have been 2 significant dominators who were in similar positions when they came to the top and both have gone on to dominate. Brisbane played slightly above their CV’s reading and were outstanding in finals and Geelong played slightly below their CV’s reading in finals.
Neither Port, Sydney or West Coast were quite so situatd when they won flags, though Sydney and WCE were back to back Gfinalists.
The signs are good right now, but one serious injury or an unforseen problem will bring that back to the field pretty quickly.
All being good though I expect to see them win at least one of the next two and certainly make the GF for the next two seasons.
But they’ve let me down before.
I’m tearing up here.
I know what you mean, Rox
My solution is to “make” them play the final in September. Problem solvered.
I haven’t commented much as i have nothing useful to say as usual. But i will say, well done Pies, no doubt the best team in 2010, period. Commiserations to Saints, yet again.
As for the demise of the Cats, because i am the eternal pessimist/Polyanna, I see our time as a transition. No Ablett, good. No Bomber, good. Great times, but we move on. Rebuild and compete. Thompson was never a great tactician, we all know that. Our new bloke, either Hinkley or my favourite Sanderson are shrewd and will take on the challenge.
I’m excited now that we’re no longer the “benchmark”, that bored me. Now the challenge is before us to knock the crap out of Collingwood on our terms, not theirs.
It’s going to be a very big challenge, although Collingwood have (allegedly) undone a lot of their good work with the sexual assault report following the GF. Geezus, what is wrong with AFL players? I would have thought that their fame would be enough to attract sexual partners without the need to push it. Btw, I’m not limiting that criticism to C’wood’s Dayne Beams and the other one (whoever he is). The Saints aren’t clean on this front either. Bloody dickheads.
If substantiated, I expect Macquire, Malthouse and Collingwood officials to sack both players and allow the full force of the law to deal with them. No cover-ups, crap about being mislead, taken advantage of.
On the other hand, I hope it is only a beat-up of someone trying to make a quid or have their moment in the sun.
Fair enough.
Here’s punishment for you. Today is the last day of Oktoberfest, absolutely glorious weather. The Bayern Munich players (biggest soccer club in Germany) were due to go to the Wiesen (Oktoberfest) today. They were beaten again yesterday, this time by Borussia Dortmund. Coach cancelled the Oktoberfest and ordered an extra training session. Ouch that hurts. Let’s see if he can keep them out of there tonight.
He’s probably done them a favour. Otherwise they’d go to the Oktoberfest, get drunk and start fondling the fraulines.
So Raymond, now we’ve got the GF out of the way and we are putting an electronic ban on any further discussion (sic), what is the plan now? Are you not blogging anymore until this mysterious project is done?
How on earth am I going to know what is going on in my backyard? Am relying on the Age online but that doesn’t tell me what is happening in my town or what the burghers are thinking.
Over to you son.
It’s sunny.
In Tassie.
You could always start your own blog, Baldrick. Go here: http://wordpress.com
I’ve had enough of being the only person in Bright prepared to cop flack. Done my bit and no one cared (well, not enough). They can all get stuffed.
(Btw, I haven’t ruled out starting a new blog one day but it won’t be locally based)
I’ve “met” some good people on your blog Ray (and seen some shockers as well).
Am indeed involved in a blog over here as well as moderating and contributing to another whilst here.
I still miss my local news and issues and this blog provided me with it. Don’t know of anyone else with incisive comments on issues that matter, as well as inane ones like footy, a good balance I thought.
But if you’re well and truly burnt by detractors, so be it. A pity.
Thanks. I reckon the blog was doing a service too. I’m not concerned about detractors and I never have been. I truly don’t give a rats about the opinions of people with small and/or closed minds and if I did I would have stopped doing this long ago.
But to clarify, it’s like I said under the ‘Hiatus’ post:
How about the Chilean miners issue? What a fabulous story.
Who?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/15/3038913.htm
Missed it. I was too busy watching the netball.
For two months?
Ray are you OK? Is anyone on here flooded?
No floods here, Rox. It was NSW’s turn.
That’s OK then.
Great Scott
What has Scotland got to do with it?
Our new #1 at the helm. A new broom, feel sorry for Sando. Even more mongrel into the Cats. Still reckon what he did to Riewoldt wasn’t in the spirit of the game. But that’s footy for ya.
And yes, it’s a cross post. Greetings from the Vaterland where it is getting progresssively colder. Soon off to the capital.
Oh that Scott! Yeah, he’s a thug. No two ways about it.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/how-football-saved-krakouer-20101020-16u8u.html
This is a great story. Peter Matera was one of the very few good things to come out of the Eagles.
(Karl Langden was the worst.)
Baldrick, when are you coming home?
Out of jail and into Collingwood. What’s the difference?
As for Baldrick, I think he’s having trouble again at airport security.
Nope, today off to Berlin. 4 days there, then back to base here in Bayern. Then off to wherever she who must be obeyed directs. Official arrival date in Melbourne, December 7.
Going to give the Cats jumper another run in Berlin, last two times, got 3 remarks both times, thankfully all positive.
No jokes about security and customs. Last trip, airlines lost my luggage both sides of the world.
Well you will insist on filling them with porn.