Down the gurgler
May 8, 2010
For
once, I'm in complete agreement with Andrew Demetriou. He stated that
it wouldn't be for lack of trying, strategy or resources if the AFL's
ventures into the Gold Coast and western Sydney didn't work. Dead right
too. There's every chance at least one of them won't work because it's
such a bizarre notion that it would have been rejected out of hand as a
plot development in a science-fiction movie. The other one might squeak
through, several gazillion dollars down the gurgler later, but the
exact same goal could have been achieved in Tasmania with an all-but
total guarantee of immediate success and at a comparative cost of
around two cans of beans and a box of Barbecue Shapes. Basically, I
haven't seen "strategy" like this since Wile E. Coyote last attempted
to fire himself out of a cannon.
CHRIS IRVINE, Edithvale
Hidden benefit
I
wonder if the penalties imposed on officials who were found to have
gambled on AFL matches might not have been considered a little hastily.
For example, say umpires were allowed to bet substantial amounts on
games. For the first time in at least five years, we'd have some idea
on why free kicks were being paid.
ADAM COPELAND, Ashburton
Dropping a whopper
I
just don't get it. Survey after survey, not to mention any number of
reports and anecdotal accounts in the media, suggest that there's
virtually no interest in Australian rules football in the so-called
Greater Western Sydney'' area. Then the AFL brainiacs go right ahead
and plonk a team in there anyway. I'm starting to get the impression
that if the AFL was running a fast-food chain, it would search around
for the biggest vegan community it could find in the country, and then
stick a burger restaurant right in the middle of it. And then probably
cook the chips in chop fat.
GENE KINISKI, Sunshine
Banjos silenced
Has
anyone heard about someone remaking the classic 1972 suspense movie
Deliverance in Australia? No, I thought not. Well, in that case I can't
come up with a single reason why Brisbane's Travis Johnstone looks like
that.
LANCE EVERS, Malvern
Fiscal wizardry
There's
been a lot of argument over whether rugby league player Israel Folau is
worth $1 million in Australian rules football. Well, Andrew Demetriou
is on $1.8 million. I'd say it's spiffing value by comparison,
presuming Folau agrees to run the competition after it's proven to
everyone's satisfaction that he can't play in the AFL. With the
$800,000 saving on Demetriou's salary, they can buy some minor player
from the Canadian Football League and try and establish an AFL club in
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Nothing would surprise me at this point.
STU HART, Mulgrave
Miracle in May
Full
credit to Geelong for gritting its teeth in the face of adversity, and
having a real crack against the daunting might of Richmond last week.
Despite the absence of its star player, Gary Ablett, the Cats gutted it
out and squeaked home in a 108-point nail-biter. Sometimes dreams
really do come true.
WALTER P. SIEBER, Lovely Banks
Budgetary bonanza
I've
just thought of a brilliant way the Federal Government can access a
virtually endless supply of money without putting the cigarette prices
up every 10 minutes. I reckon if you put a strong-box in the coaches
booths at all AFL matches, and the coaches had to tip in $10 a time for
middling swear-words and $20 for the real top-shelfers, you could have
the entire economy out of trouble by roughly round 18 of this season.
By the end of finals time, the government would probably be happy to
let the GST go as well.
WILLIAM J. POTTS, Laverton
Last Modified on 19/11/2010 15:06