WHAT'S FAIR GOT TO DO WITH IT?

I've never heard such squealing. Over the last few months we've had Andrew Demetriou and Wayne Jackson, not to mention the usual chorus of media lackeys, Mike Sheahan's cranking one out as I write, squawking about the contract that stipulates a weekly final at the MCC. Demetriou was at it again last night. On 3AW there was a listeners' poll for callers to vote on whether the AFL or the MCC were winning the public relations battle. Mind you, this was straight after Demetriou had been in the studio to put his case. And no one from the MCC. Just a recorded grab from MCC honcho, Steven Gough. Granted 3AW's in Melbourne. And granted that for the most part talkback callers are drivelling simpletons. However, each one held their ground in the face of a preamble that was clearly positioned to favour the AFL, not to mention the concerted badgering of one of the hosts. However, was it ever to be otherwise? The poll was conducted by one of the most biased (and dumbest) pundits in the country, David Hookes, and Gerard Healy who rarely, if ever, disagrees with an AFL gambit. And it was on 3AW, a radio station that relies of the AFL for interviews, access and favours. There's no way they're going to go hard after the AFL. Unfortunately for the organisers the poll went 11-4 in favour of the MCC. Doubly unfortunate was the attempt of Hookes, but not Healy who acted as scorer, to try and to talk over/down each pro-MCC caller. If that didn't work there was the obligatory smart-arse remark as the caller rang off. With every pro-AFL call (all four of them) Hookes rejoined "Hmmm, good point." or "Yeah, I agree." It sounded like Phillip Adams hosting a token righty and Margo Kingston. Anyway, the wash-up is that it doesn't matter. The AFL has conceded the MCC position is watertight and that they aren�t going to budge. But what a concession! It sounded like Serena Williams after a loss....

....finals would be tainted....futile to hold out hope....a home final by default....believes in fairness....

FAIRNESS?!? There ain' no farkin' fairness meeeestah!!! 1) Draft concessions to West Coast and Brisbane. The Eagles were virtually handed a flag. And don't give me that Heady, Kemp bullshit. The worst recruiter in history (Gerard Neesham?) would have gambled on them on the back of Jakovich, Matera, Lewis, McKenna, Mainwairing, McIntosh and Banfield et al. 2) Tony Lockett ending up in Sydney instead of at the Melbourne club of his choice. Collingwood, who ultimately knocked him back, but wouldn't have with the encouragement of the AFL or Richmond who were coached by his good mate John Northey. The AFL were determined he end up in Sydney. 3) Living allowances for Sydney and Brisbane. No need to revisit that obvious inequity. 4) The draw, sorry schedule. A draw that sees West Coast and Freo host huge home ground advantages eleven times a year with a bonus of a blockbuster against the other. Same for the Cows and Paddle Aide. While Melbourne teams often get their home ground advantages against the interstate teams at Telstra Dome and Optus Oval. 5) Fitzroy merging with the bears instead of North Melbourne as was their intention. All of a sudden they were in Brisbane. No points for guessing who brokered that deal. 6) The money tipped into Sydney. Several million and still counting. 7) Leigh Brown to Fremantle. After Melbourne were penalised for their salary cap crimes in 1999, the Dockers squealed that Melbourne shouldn't have been entitled to pick up Jeff White. Ian Collins then arbitrarily donated Melbourne's third pick to Freo. A pick in which they picked up highly rated youngster Leigh Brown. When Jeff Farmer went to Freo and were subsequently found to have overstepped the salary cap, Melbourne's complaint was met with a dismissive "Nope. Collo was wrong. That's the end of it" So, fair? Don't be stupid. Let's not talk about fairness. Let's talk about deals. And reality. Fairness is one of the most self-serving hypocrisies I've ever heard. It's about deals. Not fairness. The AFL have done a deal with the MCC and they should abide by it. Now that the debate's over the AFL must come out and state, in no uncertain terms, and without a pouty sneer, that they have signed a deal with the MCC that stipulates a match must be played at the MCG every week of the finals. They should state clearly and concisely, without a sneery pout, that it's just another contractual obligation, among many, that must be fulfilled. This because of the constraints of a competition that is riven by conflicts, deals and compromises. All of them inherent in a competition where there is not an even number of home and away fixtures. But ultimately it's all about spin. It wouldn't be an issue if the AFL talked up the benefits of a final at the MCG. Therefore the AFL should state POSITIVELY, not begrudgingly with a pouty sneery childlike sook, that the three teams that have finished highest in week one have earned a the right to a home final and that the fourth ranked haven't. They have earned the prestigious right to travel to the heart of football and play at the MCG. Week two and three the same applies except there are only two matches. One of which has earnt the honour of being played on the sacred turf of East Melbourne. Lucky them.

Comments

[Uncreative Tim]

I agree, it should be an honour to play on the hallowed turf of the MCG. Most interstate players aspire to doing that, especially in a major league game like a Preliminary Final. If you can read between the lines the players don't seem to have a problem with it. The good thing is we will have 30 or so years of Preliminary Finals that will be known as "Jackson's Legacy". Bleat on Demetriou.

[Gaz]

"Jakovich, Matera, Lewis, McKenna, Mainwairing, McIntosh and Banfield"

How many of those were priority picks, Tone?

[Tony.T]

Draft year in brackets....

Chris Mainwairing (1986), Chris Lewis (1986) and Guy McKenna (1987) and were all picked when the Eagles were the only side allowed to pick from Western Australia.

Peter Matera (1989) was picked at Number 4 after the Weagles had already been allowed to pick up Peter Mann and Ryan Turnbull as concessionals. He would certainly have gone before round three. And Victorian clubs were only allowed to pick one West Australian.

So, before Brett Heady (1989) & Dean Kemp (1989) were picked the Eagles picked up Mann, Turnbull, Matera, Dean Irving (Played his best footy at the Dees), Tony Evans and Steven Schwerdt (Central Districts). In other words they had multiple chances to stack their side from the WAFL. They then picked McIntosh on spec. Dean Kemp was then an afterthought whereby the AFL offered them another three picks they weren't initially going to get. The other two were Brad Gwilliam and Tony Begovich (Go Swans!).

Glen Jakovich (1990) was a concessional pick (Along with Mitchell White).

Drew Banfield (1992) was picked by the Eagles because they were able to trade away Scott Watters to Sydney for the Number 1 pick. They got Watters because no-one else was allowed to.

So there you have it Gaz. West Coast were allowed to build a dynasty based on many concessions from the VFL/AFL. The fact that they only won two flags under Mick Malthouse means they were chronic under-acheivers. And believe me! I know an under-acheiving team when I see one. As I do every Week.

And yeah, fair call Unca Tim. I'll enjoy the next 30 years spitting out Jackson's Curse and Demetriou's Dud Deal. Then I'll be 71 and impersonating Grandpa Simpson and not caring two hoots about the AFL. Unless Melbourne win 15 out of the next 30 flags. I reckon they will.

[Scarlet]

It might make it easier for interstate teams to cope with final played on the MCG if (i) they were allowed to play a reasonable number of games there during the year and (ii) they were allowed to practice there before the games.

I cannot understand why the SANFL continue to allow foreigners to defile Football Park prior to the game there when our teams do not get the same treatment in Victoria.

[slatts]

Tony, your email missed the removalists van when I shifted to WinXP. Can you contact me re the Burnley Tunnel story.

[Tony.T]

I agree Scarlo, they ought be given more games there. The fact they don't further illustrates the compromised nature of the competition.

As for pregame usage, that's a matter for the groundskeepers. And I'm not sure it's an issue anyway. A run around the MCG hardly prepares a team for a game there. Same for AAMI. But if they want to give up the ground for travelling teams, bully for them.

Consider yourself contacted Slatts. Look in you mailbox.

[Yobbo]

Tony, As a Fremantle supporter, I love you dearly for your comments on the underachieving Eagles.

[Burty]

So maybe Eddie is correct when he defend Victorian clubs rights.

[Tony.T]

As a Victorian who lived in WA when the Eagles started Yob; I can safely say I hate the fuckers!

Eddies always right Burtois. He has all the answers. Especially on Monday nights.

He's still an evil Collingwood goblin though.

[Oz]

Geez Tony, you really take the biscuit.

What do you mean "draft concessions" and then list Heady, Kemp, Jakovich, Matera, Lewis, McKenna, Mainwaring, McIntosh, Banfield!

Where do you think these guys came from, bloody Melbourne??? They're ours, why shouldn't they play for a WA team. It's our right to have them play for us, not a damn "concession".

You don't know what a belly ache it gives us to watch footy and see goals kicked at both ends of the ground without a single Victorian touching the ball, and then have some rabbit brained Victorian commentator groan every time we win.

Watch the tape of the Eagles - Collingwood game earlier this year. Christian (a Bridgetown then East Perth boy, but now a Collingwood turncoat) Daicos and Silvagni. And every time Juddy (ooops, stuffed that one!) kicked a goal, all you could hear from the commentators was "OOOOHHHH NOOOOOO!" Don't you worry about justice and fairness meboy, we know all about it. Not.

[Tony.T]

As you WA folks are wont to remind us Ozzy, it's a national competition. So every team should have access to every player. This certainly wasn't the case from the 1986 draft through to 1991. During that time the Eags had either 1) Sole access to WA, 2) Pre-Draft priority picks or 3) Post Draft top ups. This enabled them to pick up a group of players that should have delivered more than just two flags.

The way you call it we may as well have a six team competition in a State of Origin format. It'd soon be two because QLD, NSW & Tassie wouldn't wash and Victoria wouldn't last much longer because no one here has any time for SOO in anything other than novelty value. I'm sure you'll enjoy playing South Australia every week.

And I'm glad you acknowledge the lack of fairness inherent in the system. Even if you've got it back to front.

And I totally agree Christian, Daics and Silvagni are ordinary commentators. Daicos doesn't have the voice to go play-to-play, Christian get's heaps of stuff wrong, doesn't properly understand the rules and won't admit a mis-call and SOS just puts me to sleep. The main problem with the new three tier TV coverage is the lack of depth of commentators. The best are easily Dennis Commetti and Anthony Hudson. The rest are a mile behind. And some are just plain incompetant.

[Oz]

You're right, and I was ironically acknowledgeing the flaw in my argument when I referred to Chris Judd, who has to be one of the greatest drafts the Eagles have ever picked up.

As it happens, I feel a bit sorry for Collingwood, I don't think Malthouse is a good call for them. He's too mean and he'll strangle all the fun out of it for them. In the pre-Malthouse days the Eagles were great fun, at home in those canary jumpers they were jumping out of their skin, they'd win by 15 goals and the crowd would go wild. The next week over East, they were tragic, but we could ignore it, it only lasted a week and anyway it was over there, so it didn't really happen.

Malthouse changed all that and instead of winning at home by 15 then losing away by 15, the Eagles started winning by 3 at home and 1 away. 30 - 40 goal games became 15 - 20 goal games. Boring, boring, boring.

You also talked about Gerard Neesham having a poor eye for talent, but he has done some fantastic work in developing Noongah kids, and on a per head of popn basis, they are a dominating force in the game. And Neesham did try to change the game with them. I remember Scott Chisholm at the Dockers (South Fremantle now) who was given a license to attack, break the lines or whatever they call it. So, out of defence he'd come, the bloody bounce would go haywire on him and there'd be a turnover. The local media got onto the poor bugger and basically dismantled his confidence. And while Chisholm livened up the game no end, but was responsible for a few turnovers, over the other side of town, legends of the game like Guy McKenna, under the stultifying influence of Malthouse, was running the ball out of bounds maybe 20 times a game.

[Tony.T]

Sorry Ozzy. Missed it.

Anyway, some excellent observations. Well, excellent in that I agree with them. You're name's not actually Slade Burnet is it? He's a good mate of mine from Perth. In case you didn't know I lived in WA for 15 years. Anyway me and Slade would sit around discussing how Malthouse should have left after about 1996 as he'd done his job of bringing a flag/s to the west and established the Eags as a force in the National Comp. They should have then gone after someone like Malcolm Blight to put a bit of zip back into their playing style. I reckon Malthouse will have trouble coaching the Pies to a flag (they were hugely lucky in last year's finals) because he's so negative and lacks the playing flair he had while at the Eags.

And I don't suggest Neesh has a lack of ability to spot talent, I suggest he is not a good recruiter. The two aren't the same. Look at all the players he let go while at the Docktors. McLeod, Lloyd and Farmer to name but three. He would have known they could play but for one reason or another he traded/passed on them, and others. Probably because he needed ready made players to start the club off.

I really liked Chisolm too. He was quality theatre in the Clive Waterhouse mould but circumstances (at the Demons anyway) dictated he didn't fulfill his potential.

PS: Are you from Bridgetown? Beautiful place. My first girlfriend came from there. For all the usual reasons I won't tell you her name on the internet.

[Oz]

Nope, and nope. Oz is Ian Osborn, a humble farmer from Denmark.

Bridgetown isn't far from Denmark and the whole south west of WA isn't that big, so you get to know the names.

I agree about Malthouse, he overstayed. Then there was a hiatus until Worsfold got the gig. I like what he's doing, there's a nice little wipe of flair on top of a cake of deadly intent.

Only 15 years? You were robbed.

[Tony.T]

Nope. I got early parole. And I like the way West Coast play now. Judgy was a dud.

[Semour Butts]

Poos