1) Graeme Smith is a very good batsman and it was only a matter of time before he got amongst the runs.
2) I'm uneasy about this tour. Not the one-dayers - Bugger them! - but the tests. It shouldn't be forgotten that if it weren't for South Africa's shonky fielding out here, Straya would have been in a world of trouble through the three tests. I can't see the Yarpies performing as poorly as that again, which means the coming test series will be very tense affair. Especially if Smith manages to convert his starts.
3) Mick Malthouse reckons football has become netball. Sure, there were some "soft" frees paid, but that's just continuing the trend from last year. Much more obvious were those frees NOT paid. I lost count of the number of times a blatant hold was either missed or deliberately ignored. None more so than last night's Toast/Dockers game when Chris Judd dumped a Freo player after a bounce was whistled. On another occasion Toast's Brett Jones tried to bust through TWO tackles but was not penalised. And earlier in the piece Jeff Farmer was slung over the boundary well after he'd gotten rid of the ball but received no free. Many more misses occurred thoughout the other games.
4) When awarding marks, are the umpires stricter on the distance the ball travels when it is kicked in defence than in attack? It seems to me that short kicks in the backline are often deemed play-on, whereas short kicks up forward of a similar distance are virtually always paid a mark. (And no, this question has nothing to do with the NAB Cup rule which disallows backwards kicks.)
5) There was a bizarre occurrence in the Dees/Doggies game in Darwin. Melbourne's Mark Jamar was awarded a freekick for a ruck infringement whereupon Aaron Davey ran onto the loose ball and was about to kick a goal when the umpire whistled the advantage dead. Davey gave the ball to Jamar who was about to go back for his kick when the other umpire ran in and said the first decision was wrong, and that there must be another ball-up. Balls-up, more like. The umpires changing their minds cost Melbourne a certain goal. Rort!
6) A couple of years ago Dame Gerard Healy was commentating at the Gabba when Sleepy Lynch took a mark in the goal square. The umpire correctly set the mark at a tight angle, but there was an argument between Lynch, the umpy and the man on the mark about whether Lynch could walk right up to the man on the mark and kick the ball from a metre out. All puffed-up indignant, Madame Gerard deemed the rule a disgrace and a joke, and that other codes must think AFL a laughing-stock. Well, they have now changed the rule so that if the player takes a grab in the square he can take the shot from dead in front. Something I disagree with, as it happens. Then on Friday night Will Minson took a mark in front of the points and was plonked, rightly, on a tight angle. Wayne Carey said he wish the rule hadn't been changed because it tested a forward's goalkicking skill. Healy didn't demur in the slightest, didn't even raise an eyebrow. All he did was say that Carey ought to mention it to Mike Sheahan who had been campaigning to have the rule change. Healy = soft.
7) I watched the NBL grand final game 2 last night and it was as good a game of Aussie basketball as I've seen. Fiercely contested and close. Not only that, the commentary was first rate. The Aussie bloke (Casey, is it?) might try too hard to sound like a Yank, but that's ok considering basketball is one) an American sport and two) he knows his stuff. Better still, the American commentator, Steve Carfino, deserves to be ranked with best in Straya. His clear voice continually delivers pertinent, waffle-free observations while knitting together the coverage with a cheery, but far from over-the-top, sense of humour. A gun.
8) 
8. Bollocks?
Posted by: peemil | 27 February 2006 at 14:31
Nope. Pants!
Posted by: Tony.T | 27 February 2006 at 14:34
Yeah this South Africa tour's going to be a tricky one. When Nathan Bracken is the most effective looking paceman going around, you know it is time to worry.
I agree that the ODI series is rubbish, but still it sets the mood for the Tests somewhat.
I didn't watch much footy on the weekend, just the Crows giving the Port scum a decent hiding. Couldn't happen to a nicer pack of cunts. What's your impression on the new rule changes, especially the 'play on from a behind' rule? I couldn't really pick any difference, myself.
Posted by: Scott Wickstein | 27 February 2006 at 14:41
Channel Nine may have a lot of crappy commentators, but their cameramen are first class. Clarke's run out of Gibbs was almost missed! Tony Greig, however, is still a tool - and by the sounds of things - they want him back in Africa. Sounds great!
Posted by: nick | 27 February 2006 at 14:43
We're very light for bowlers. Dizzy might get the recall and I hope McGrath plays.
No worries here about the 'play on from a behind' rule.
By the way, I'm tipping the Crowies for the flag. Hope you don't mind, Wicky.
Posted by: Tony.T | 27 February 2006 at 14:59
Nick, I wanna know why, when we play in South Efrica and there is already a com-box full of Yarpie accents, they have to compound things by sending flipping Tony over there. Bastards!
Posted by: Tony.T | 27 February 2006 at 15:00
Don't you dare tip us! Put that can of Mozz away Tony or I'll tip Melbourne!
Posted by: Scott Wickstein | 27 February 2006 at 15:29
Too late. I've already untipped Melbourne.
Posted by: Tony.T | 27 February 2006 at 15:33
Swine! *sobs uncontrollably!*
Posted by: Scott Wickstein | 27 February 2006 at 16:13
1) Does not stop him from being a top order tool.
2) Every side the Aussies have played in the last 5 years have had their chances in the field and messed one or two up that have cost them dearly. Same as the Ashes, but we possibly dropped the more crucial ones (Tony Greig's love child [TM] in the final test anyone?) Really our bowling is going to be the worry if Warne doesn't fire.
3) Malthouse = Sheedy without a sense of humour.
4) I think umpires are less scared of a fired up back pocket player than someone such as the G Train.
5) In the famous words of Jack Cates: "That's a damn shame"
6) Healy = Tony Greig of football
7) Basketball needs a free to air station to pick it up to get anywhere near where it was in the late 80's/early to mid 90's. I'd watch on free to air but wouldn't get Foxtel to see it. Call me stingy/cheap etc but thats about as much time as I have for it at the moment. Go Tiges by the way.
8) Y oh Y...
Posted by: Adsy | 27 February 2006 at 16:28
8) The definitive sports briefs.
Posted by: Tony.T | 27 February 2006 at 17:36
I don't think it's a coincidence that those three frees you picked were in favour of the Mighty Eagles.
Posted by: DJ | 27 February 2006 at 18:17
Actually, it was a coincidence. But maybe there was a sub-conscious instinct forcing me to put West Coast in a bad light. Swine.
Posted by: Tony.T | 27 February 2006 at 18:22
1 What adsy said - top order
2 This yarpie team are chokers. Gillespie for mine to add a touch of meaness and a mullet.
5 - 6 All the things you say could be true. Then again, all the things you say may not be true. Who are these people of whom you speak?
7 I remember reading a projection on the growth of basketball about 10 years ago. It was a bit like the projections for "global warming". By 2005 it was going to be the largest participation sport in Australia. Don't think so.
8 Underpants, right?
Posted by: youcancallmemeyer | 27 February 2006 at 21:45
Given that part of the selection process for the South African tour is selecting players who will win the World Cup and the Ashes in 06-07.....how can we pick Gillespie, Bichel or Kasper ever again? Or are all and sundry suggesting that we bolster the current squad with Mullet while Brett, Labrette, Constable Lewis, Tait, rib injured Clark and Dorey get their acts together?
Posted by: nick | 27 February 2006 at 23:15
Is there some reason why people have forgotten about Stuart MacGill AGAIN?
Australia's second best bowler and he still can't even get a look in. It is truly unbelievable.
Posted by: Yobbo | 28 February 2006 at 10:19
I thought he was a given for the Test squad....but couldn't hurt to have him for the one dayers as well.......
Posted by: nick | 28 February 2006 at 13:16
Yeah, I can't see him missing out on the test squad, but they don't play him in the ODIs because he can't field.
Posted by: Tony.T | 28 February 2006 at 16:04
And Damien Martyn is a gazelle.
Posted by: nick | 28 February 2006 at 16:08
I wouldn't have gone that far, but he's better than Magilla.
Posted by: Tony.T | 28 February 2006 at 16:12
Magilla AKA wanker. Notice how many of the spots that have been up for grabs over the past 10-15 years have gone mostly to (outwardly) good blokes. You get the odd mistake like Elliott and Macgill and Deano but in between have been Boof and Hogg and Symonds etc.
Makes me wonder what kind of a bloke this Jacques is...
Posted by: Adsy | 28 February 2006 at 18:04
Could be time to start a rumour. "Hey! Did ya hear Phil Jaques had it off with Merv Hughes wife?"
Posted by: Tony.T | 01 March 2006 at 13:28
I believe she could have said yes if asked because Merv is so fucking ugly.
Posted by: youcancallmemeyer | 01 March 2006 at 22:44