And just to remind you.

Was happy with saints coming back to draw, I guess. Well, it's better than a loss. Really hope Collingwood lose this weekend.

There was a section on my local news tonight about a Manchester based footie team made up of rugby players who got bored/weren't good enough.

Was fun.

the umpiring was the worst i've seen all year in last nights game, disgraceful.

go....richmond...?

Definitive article on the Akergate scandal by Gerard Whateley at The Drum on ABC online:

Aker can't hack getting the sack

By Gerard Whateley

Posted Fri Jul 23, 2010 3:19pm AEST
Jason Akermanis looks on during an AFL match

No matter how rationally and patiently it's explained to Akermanis, he'll never grasp why he's not playing against Fremantle on Sunday. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney, file photo)

Spare me the eulogies for free speech in football and the victimisation of a creative mind.

Jason Akermanis was tipped out of the Western Bulldogs because he wouldn't shut up. No matter how many times he was asked.

The more Akermanis talks the clearer the reasons become. David Smorgon needn't have bothered with his extensive interviews. Best just to let Aker run his mouth.

While The Footy Show crowd predictably cheered the biggest fool in the room, the former footballer put his petulance and delusion on full display in the most ill-considered television appearance of the year.

He had a crack at revisionist history stating that at a successful club - the Brisbane Lions - his teammates ''didn't give a stuff'' what he did off the field. Trouble was Jonathan Brown had already made it painfully clear on the very same program that's why Akermanis had been punted out the door.

The 33-year-old ridiculed the leadership system the Bulldogs use at Whitten Oval - and successfully - at numerous other clubs. It didn't suit him. He didn't like it. He got ''sick and tired'' of explaining himself. Therefore he deduced the system was of zero worth. It was divisive rather than unifying. It should be scrapped. Reasonable to assume he'd never heard of the Copernican Revolution.

Soon after stating he was nicer to people than they were to him he took a snide crack at former-Bulldog-now-commentator Rohan Smith.

''At least I'll be remembered,'' he sneered. Cue the applause.

Like a child he repeatedly interrupted Bulldogs chief executive Campbell Rose pleading to know ''what did I do'' and ''show me the proof''. Why? Why? Why?

At its worst Akermanis proved the very contention the Bulldogs finally acted on: that he was prepared to break any confidence, to reveal every detail of the inner workings of a football club. Nothing that happened in private was guaranteed to remain so.

On radio in the morning and on television at night Akermanis painted captain Brad Johnson as his Judas.

Without a hint of irony he acknowledged Johnson was a fine leader who had done much for the club and players he served. Not for a moment could he comprehend that Johnson might've been acting in that very capacity to remove the most antagonist and objectionable force at the club, Akermanis himself.

And when it was done Akermanis shook hands with Rose, saw him off-set, checked he was on screen and waved his arm dismissively exclaiming ''now piss off''. Classy.

He brought to mind John McEnroe at the 1990 Australian Open. He pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed. He refused to curtail his behaviour regardless of caution and admonishment. Until finally officialdom stepped in and defaulted him.

McEnroe stood stunned, overwhelmed with disbelief. You were left to ponder: how did he think it was going to end?

Some people don't understand because they don't understand.

No matter how rationally and patiently it's explained to Akermanis that he lost the trust, faith and respect of his teammates, coaches and the administration - twice no less - he'll never grasp why he's not playing against Fremantle on Sunday.

Gerard Whateley is a sports commentator and writer for ABC Radio Grandstand.

Good article. I like Whateley. McAvaney is slowly becoming the poor mans Whateley.

Fuck aka is a sook. He doesnt even realise he is an idiot.

sad way for a triple premiership, 325 game playing Brownlow medalist to finish his career without so much as a farewell game, i think it's been badly handled by all involved.

Watch all the pundits who wrote Footscray off jump back on this week. Which sucks. I like it when we're flying under the radar.

so are there 5 teams who could genuinely win the thing this year? hard to separate the top 5, one of whom currently sits sixth.

I still think Hawthorn are short an A-grade defender. It's now down to the current top four for mine, but yeah, very hard to separate them at this point.

I'm still not convinced by St. Kilda.

Hawthorn were so unlucky the other night. I'm a neutral as far as the game was concerned but that interchange rule is ridiculous. Fine a club. Don't affect the game by something that doesn't affect the game. If a player takes a kick in and goes over the line it's a bounce. A fair punishment. If a player steps over the line at the interchange with something that doesn't affect the play it's a free and a fifty. The ground was shit.
The dockers look screwed without Barlow. It's funny how one player can make such a difference. They had plenty of other injuries but still.

Donnie was tremendous to watch on Saturday. I am loving his season so much. And cherishing these numbered Terrace outings. Selwood was like a little pacman munching the ball all day. Good times.

I'm still not convinced by St. Kilda.

Yeah but you actually thought the crows could wın the flag up untıl yesterday.

what?

bombers definitely know how to beat the saints.

how can we keep beating the Saints? they won't win the flag.

Same reason Carlton keeps beating Geelong.

jim stynes looks fucking terrible.

lmc said 27 minutes ago:
jim stynes looks fucking terrible

yeah, poor guy is pretty ill, done well to survive this long.

they could put some make up or a wig on him couldnt they?

wow. thats a touch harsh. he's probably only got a couple of weeks left...

he's probably only got a couple of weeks left...

lets hope not.

c'mon jimmy....harsh but fair yeah? i dont want to eat my cornflakes (or drink my beer) looking at that.

*dickheads lmc

sorry ths i have family and friends who have been sick with cancer and some who have died. i am being a dickhead yes. sorry my way of dealing with all things emotional. *dickheads self

All good lmc.

Heard from a very good source today that Brennan is bailing from the Lions to the gold coast as well.

He should be called Dane Magpie, not Swan haha

agree with whatwhat. he gets a lot of possesions by handpass, receive, handpass, receive. He is a good player, but Pendlebury will burn you if you let him go

I don't think this stands up to scrutiny. Swan has almost double the number of kicks to handballs. Pendlebury has more handballs than kicks. I do agree that Pendles uses the ball very effectively though.

do you reckon afl umpires like using the word ''demonstrative'' because to them it sounds like ''monster''?

umpires/commentators

Heard from a very good source today that Brennan is bailing from the Lions to the gold coast as well.

was your friend a newspaper?

this thread is eating posts btw

someone want to start a new thread?

the ''loyalty'' rants patrick smith and kb have been pushing all morning re: brown's departure to gold coast seem to conveniently sidestep the talk that browny was in talks with the gold coast half way through 2009. well before the hawks apparently had him on the table during the trade period. typical from those two.

these defection predictions are all coming true. that's what's shitting me.

bye bye baby jesus.

Patrick Smith and KB's segments are awful, nearly as bad as KB pretending he knows something about sports that are not AFL.

new thread

was your friend a newspaper?

yeah yeah, i saw that after. but my buddy works for brisbane and he told me.