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12
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by crashlander -
Three tests done and we've won them all.
However, a lot of our players and tactics remain questionable.
[1] Green: he has the potential to be anything and his field is brilliant. But, he doesn't bowl enough. He really needs to bowl a lot more and become a proper front line bowler. I think he has that potential, but he is just not developing his bowling.
His batting is similar: so much potential, so little shown for it.
However, the selectors seem to be picking him on potential, not results. He could be our Jacques Kallis, but he isn't.

[2] A spinner or two to replace Lyon. Lyon had a hamstring and may miss both remaining tests. But who do we replace him with?
I like Tanveer Sangha, a young leggie who can spin it both ways. Is he ready? Good question.
Matthew Kuhnemann has seemed to have dropped out of sight since his 'throwing' controversy. He is a good left hand finger spinner.
Todd Murphy appeared to be the heir apparent, but you don't hear of him much lately.
Adam Zampa? He has never set the longer games on fire, even if he is excellent at the shorter forms.
Australia pitches generally do not favour spinners - drop in pitches don't wear as much as the older ones did. But it means that we have fewer obvious answers.
13
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: List Building - More than one way to skin a cat
Last post by kruddler -
Quote from: crashlander – on
I note that we were rated as third most affected by injury to senior players in 2025, as just posted on afl.com.au. That in a season where we were a quantum leap better than what we were in 2024.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1443396/essendon-bombers-horror-run-greater-western-sydney-giants-rise-which-clubs-were-unlucky-with-injuries

Now, if we can improve by the same amount in 2026, then maybe we'll have enough ammunition to argue about our list management properly. Certainly, we should play closer to our potential with a fitter list.

That is about the most backwards way i've ever seen to calculate 'injuries'.

For instance, if Cripps got injured and missed the year, he wouldn't finish in the top 5 coaches votes, thus wouldn't be included in the list. The more injured you are, the less games you play, the less chance of getting you in the coaches votes meaning the less 'important' you are. Bollocks.
14
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by crashlander -
Quote from: Baggers – on
Quote from: LP – on
Gutless bullies, not matter which side of the fence they dwell on, always go after the weakest target.

Well said, Spotted One.

No matter our chosen political or religious view when defenseless, innocent folks attempting to go about their daily lives are slaughtered, starved or persecuted, we're simply witnessing profane cowardice.
Can't argue with that.
Unfortunately, there are those who feel the only way they can get their point across is to hurt the innocent. And it isn't just terrorists, as much as I dislike them. Look at the demonstrations: they aren't helping anyone, but they are hurting innocents (although mainly financially). And they certainly stimulate people against their cause, no matter how 'good' it might be.

One of our advantages a century ago was that we were literally half a world away. Modern communications and transportation has changed that. Not all of the consequences are positive, not are they ever likely to be so: anything can be misused if someone tries hard enough.
But I much preferred it when people left their wars behind them and came here for a new start: it is what Australia was founded for. But now it is hard to leave anything behind.

Should it influence our policy on immigration? I would prefer not. Australia being a melting pot has been a very good thing. But, some minority definitely have more influence than others. We have a lot more Buddhists in Australia than Muslims, for one example, yet which group is more vocal in wanting its tenants followed?
Does changing our migration policies make us racist? A good question. I would think so, but I do not want extremists from anywhere coming here and disrupting our society. But how do you identify them? How much of the economy should be spent on such things?

Gun laws: we already have quite restrictive gun laws. Do they need tightening? Possibly. There certainly seems to be a crack in which the Bondi terrorists fell through. Actually following up on the laws we have seem to be pretty difficult for law enforcement.
I think people should be able to have guns if they have use for them, and a licence to show it. But what sort of guns? And I certainly don't think we should be like the USA, where they have guns everywhere. That gives them incidents like Bondi on a weekly basis.
A country where all citizens are armed is Switzerland. They have laws that control their guns. They don't have mass shootings. The US should look at their model; it makes a lot more sense of you want an armed populous.
I don't think that is what we want here. We just have to work out how to control them effectively.
15
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by Gointocarlton -
Quote from: Thryleon – on
Not saying it isnt, and whilst we like to place rules on this, where were these rules when Islamic militants abducted innocent party goers at a music festival?
No outrage, no action, people were horrified by it but it was all a bit meh. The world stood by and did SFA. As soon as the retaliation started, outrage, protests, sanctions, you name it. Australian Councillors wearing keffiyehs in session, anti semitic graffiti on business, no action. Disgraceful.
16
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: List Building - More than one way to skin a cat
Last post by crashlander -
I note that we were rated as third most affected by injury to senior players in 2025, as just posted on afl.com.au. That in a season where we were a quantum leap better than what we were in 2024.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1443396/essendon-bombers-horror-run-greater-western-sydney-giants-rise-which-clubs-were-unlucky-with-injuries

Now, if we can improve by the same amount in 2026, then maybe we'll have enough ammunition to argue about our list management properly. Certainly, we should play closer to our potential with a fitter list.
17
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by Baggers -
Quote from: LP – on
Gutless bullies, not matter which side of the fence they dwell on, always go after the weakest target.

Well said, Spotted One.

No matter our chosen political or religious view when defenseless, innocent folks attempting to go about their daily lives are slaughtered, starved or persecuted, we're simply witnessing profane cowardice.
18
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by ElwoodBlues1 -
Quote from: DJC – on
The bottom line is that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former Minister of Defense of Israel, alleging responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the Gaza war.  Even in war there are lines that aren't crossed by civilised countries or their leaders. 

A subsequent UN Commission of Inquiry called for genocide charges to be added to the warrant after finding the Israeli government guilty of multiple violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif but it was later learned that he had been killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Just as all Jews aren't Zionists or Israelis, very few Palestinians are Hamas.  Israel's Palestinian genocide is a disproportionate response to Hamas terrorism.
That's no excuse to bring their wars to Australia.Last time I checked Bondi beach wasnt connected to the Gaza strip.
Same with these pro Palestinian demonstrations where Australian Flags are burnt and ISIS flags are flown, it's got nothing to do with Australia and we are not a battleground for religious holy wars.
Albanese by his own admission hasn't done enough, sat on his Envoys report for 5 months and now we are having to look over our shoulder every time we shop at Westfield or Myer during the Christmas period. NSW police now want Rifles so they have more firepower...too little , too late from Albo and now our once safe country is  a war zone.
19
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by Thryleon -
Not saying it isnt, and whilst we like to place rules on this, where were these rules when Islamic militants abducted innocent party goers at a music festival?

This isnt sports.  With a referee that can adjudicate, and when the Palestinians hide their militants in the gen pop and under hospitals then what is expected?

I know there are rules of conduct and what not, but whos rules are they?   History is always written by the victor.
20
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by DJC -
The bottom line is that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former Minister of Defense of Israel, alleging responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the Gaza war.  Even in war there are lines that aren't crossed by civilised countries or their leaders. 

A subsequent UN Commission of Inquiry called for genocide charges to be added to the warrant after finding the Israeli government guilty of multiple violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif but it was later learned that he had been killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Just as all Jews aren't Zionists or Israelis, very few Palestinians are Hamas.  Israel's Palestinian genocide is a disproportionate response to Hamas terrorism.