Happy anniversary friends – It’s been 1 year to the day since Ben Stokes ripped our collective heart out at Headingley in the 3rd Test, in a scene akin to Mola Ram ripping that bloke’s heart out in the Temple Of Doom.
I reckon when Ben hit that winning boundary, you could hear him shouting “Kali Ma, Kali Maaaaaa!”
I can’t lie, it still shits me thinking about that missed run-out from Garry Lyon… and the fact that Timmy Paine wasted Austraia’s reviews before this happened:
Anyway, at least they retained the urn.
It feels bloody strange being this late into August and not being ready for an AFL Finals series
Instead, I’ll have to make do with another one of these mentally and physically taxing Festivals of Footy, which apparently starts again on Thursday, with 31 games in 17 days, in order to get the finals started before the end of September.
Like a second wave of COVID, it’s apparently even more intense than the last one.
The AFL’s Match Review Officer, a position only slightly more useless than General Secretary of the United Nations
Let’s have a look at Michael Christian’s strike rate after 3 cases from Round 13:
Sends Tom Lynch to the Tribunal for an apparent 3rd striking offence = Not guilty
Luke Dalhaus goes the Tribunal to beat a dangerous tackle = Downgraded to a $1500 fine
Sam Powell-Pepper goes to the Tribunal to beat a dangerous tackle, with his lawyer using the ‘Big Boy McEvoy is a Big Unit’ defence = Not guilty
And I’m not kidding, Port Adelaide really did refer to the Big Boy nickname:
Phil Murphy describing the Anthony Seibold situation as “Like having a cancer that hasn’t been cut out”
Yes, he really apparently said that, before Seibold made the decision today to cut himself out of that tumour-riddled body of a club for his own wellbeing:
I’m more shocked he didn’t describe Seibold as a pack of cigarettes.
Why a pack of cigarettes?
Because the Broncos knew the risks of using him, they spent huge amounts on him, and the end result was that they severely damaged their own health.
Anyway, the Broncos may have cut that cancer out, and for the measly price of $1,000,000 Australian Dollarydoos, but from the outside looking in, there’s still quite a few tumours calling the shots.
What is the current outcome on that little Integrity Unit Investigation?
TBA.
The A-League Semi-Finals
Are apparently being broadcast tomorrow night on the ABC alongside Fox Sports, starting from the Victoria Derby between Melbourne City and Western United, then the Grand Final rematch between Sydney FC and the Perth Glory.
Seriously, how poorly do the A-League STILL advertise their own product?
You’d hardly even know that we’re only a round away from the Grand Final.
Fair dinkum, what a fizzer of an ending, but I suppose they’re not alone.
Jeff Horn vs Tim Tszyu
Like every sane person in Australia, I will at least watch one round…
Via someone else illegally streaming the bout from Main Event.
With the news that the NEAFL is being merged into the VFL
Let’s take a look at Port Melbourne and Williamstown about how they’re feeling at the potential thought of paying for interstate travel:
Rare displays of positive humanity after the Robbie Muir Story
Since Russell Jackson’s story on the ABC website about the trailblazing Indigenous former St Kilda player Robbie Muir, detailing the emotional toll from years of unchecked racial vilification during his playing career, the unwanted nickname of ‘Mad Dog Muir’, childhood abuse from his father, alcohol-related violence, homelessness, mental illness, and the physical toll of his playing career.
It is the very definition of ‘Eye opening.’
The kids of today wouldn’t be aware of who Muir is, well, my older Victorian friends would best say his career was somewhat marred by a rather long disciplinary record (Reported 13 times and rubbed out for 22 games), which was immortalised in song by the Coodabeen Champions.
Of course, we now know several of those incidents were definitely influenced by vilification.
So, since that story was published:
The AFL and St Kilda have officially apologised to Muir for the years of racial abuse and rather graphic mistreatment he experienced in his career…. One example being getting pissed on by a Saints teammate at Moorabbin as a rookie.
Collingwood officially apologised to Muir, in large part for the racial vilification he received in a game at Victoria Park in 1980, the apparent foresight to Nicky Winmar 13 years later.
And…
After detailing that he needed $28,000 for a shoulder replacement, the GoFundMe set up to help Muir has now passed $112,000.
Because of all this, Muir had to release another statement on the Saints website, a sign the healing process is at least underway.
Have to say, well done to all parties on how well this was handled.
Brendon Gale on the treatment of Tom Lynch
So Benny originally says he thinks the coverage of Lynch is over the top, then he states that he feels Lynch is being treated by the press as if he’s a certain deceased backpacker murderer.
“It’s just outrageous, I really can’t believe it.”
“It’s like he’s Ivan Milat – I really can’t comprehend why and where it comes from.”
I mean, you can hardly tell them apart when they’re holding their murder weapon of choice:
If Lynch is Ivan Milat, does that make Dylan Grimes and Nick Vlaustin the Snowtown killers?
One last note – The man arrested and charged for allegedly threatening Grimes
Victoria Police charged the Frankston resident with stalking, using telecommunications device to menace, making threat to commit sexual offence, and other charges.
Come on son, you should have just made a Shooting Stars video.
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