Only five our of eight last week which means I've really dropped off the lead in the tipping comps I'm in. I have this horrible feeling that, come the end of round 22, I'll be looking back on the time a couple of months ago when I uncharacteristically trash-talked fellow tippers as the turning point. Karma, perhaps. Maybe I should make a list or something.
Anyway, this is the time of the season when injuries really start to take their toll, even though it hasn't been that long since they had a week off. I reckon nearly every side in the comp at the moment has problems with key players so it sort of adds another bit of guesswork to the whole equation. Into it:
Kangaroos v Collingwood: Michael Voss really gives a wrap to the Magpies today, but frankly I'll be impressed with Collingwood when they don't get as cruisy a draw as they do week in week out. Kangaroos are in real danger of dropping out of the eight and have too tough a task here, Shinboner spirit or not.
Geelong v Western Bulldogs: Game of the round, and maybe the year to date. No Ling after a deplorable act by Docker Dean Solomon and no Ablett due to an ankle injury. But having said that, the Cats still have the talent and the depth to overcome the Bulldogs down at Kardinia Park. It's a tough one to pick as there's a lot to like about the Sons of the West at the moment (old grudges held aside of course) but conditions should favour the Cats more.
Richmond v Essendon: As I noted in an edit to last week's tipping post, the Bombers played with a bit of flair last week to beat the Lions. Likewise, not tipping Richmond is a big regret of mine from the last round. The Tigers are improving but how will they be feeling after the trip back from out west? Essendon are missing a couple of key players in McVeigh and Lovett-Murray too, so do they have the depth to win? I'm saying Tigers.
Brisbane v West Coast: The Lions are facing injury problems too with talented young ruckman Leuenberger facing knee surgery and doubts over Black and Brown playing. But the Eagles, let's face it, the "t" word must be being whispered around the halls of the club about now. No Kerr thanks to a dopey suspension, Hunter out for the rest of the season, honestly both western teams are just complete bloody basketcases at the moment. A depleted Brisbane to win at home.
St Kilda v Hawthorn: Maybe I've been underestimating the Saints, it wasn't too bad a performance against Carlton last Friday night, helped no end by a stand out night for Milne. Hawks will be too strong for them though - and how was the news about Shane Crawford (who's out for this round and maybe the next) taking horse medicine and pain killers in an effort to make it to his 300th game? Freaky.
Carlton v Sydney: Despite the remarkable efforts of one C. Judd in parts of the final quarter last week, Carlton would be feeling let down by the loss to the Saints - and let's not forget all the rubbish since then about Fevola's next contract. What a mook. This is a challenging game for both sides, and even though they're playing away I'm tipping the Swans. I could probably do without seeing Tadgh Kenneally pop his shoulder back in a few times again though, thanks boys.
Port Adelaide v Adelaide: Well, at least one of these sides gets to end a losing streak (barring a drawn result) as a result of this game. Bookies seem relatively even and on paper it could certainly go either way, but I'm asking myself who has more to play for and my answer is the Crows.
Fremantle v Melbourne: "Who cares?" is the common refrain across the nation regarding this game. Heard an interesting comment on local radio last night about the "culture" at Freo in light of their stupidity in the first quarter of their game against Geelong (where they clumsily tried to muscle them around a bit) and it's a totally fair question. Melbourne continue to introduce young players but I can't see them overcoming even this useless old bunch of mugs (excepting Pavlich, Palmer and Mayne from this comment) at the broad expanses of Subiaco. If they lose then I hope to see Dockers fans storm the ground in abject frustration.
So I need to string together a few sevens and eights to be more confident methinks, hope you enjoy your footy this weekend.
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As soon as I was legally able to work (14 years and 9 months of age) I got a job as a night filler at the local supermarket, and pretty much worked at the same place right through until I finished uni and started a "proper" job in 1996. It was about 7 years in total, working across the departments (except as an actual butcher) though mainly as a storeman, including a stint in my "gap year" between high school and uni working in the warehouse for some days of the week, hootin' around on a forklift and talking shit with tattooed, chain smoking truckies between loading and unloading the pallets.
So I know my way around your modern supermarket environment. I know about differential pricing between locations, about the tricks with the stock location on the shelf, about how much produce gets thrown out, etc etc etc. I have no embarrassment about reaching up to the top of the shelves, pulling down and opening up a box of something I need that isn't on the shelf. I reckon I still have this "supermarket boy" vibe about me as I still get asked by random strangers where something's located, or for help with something up on a high shelf by little old ladies.
This also means that in our household I'm responsible for the shopping. K and I don't really do the grocery shopping together due to a fundamentally different approach - she browses, I hunt. Seriously, I'm like in there with my list (often organised by aisle, note, 'cos there's an effective routine to that e.g. never get your produce in the trolley first), get what I need, use some quick and dirty math for the whole "unit pricing" thing (comparing price to volume between at least two differently volumed and priced objects) and then before you know it zoom, I'm at the checkouts and doing a whole new set of analyses about operator experience, scan rates, customer type and trolley loads in order to get my sorry old arse out of there asap.
Yes, it's crazy. But yes indeed, I assure you this all works. At this point I'll highlight that this little rambling of mine was prompted by my confession over at Cat's that she's not alone in having a system laid out for the operator to pack her green bags full of purchases. Just because dammit, it really should be in that particular order because it's the system and it works and it even helps me unload the car in one fell swoop as I struggle up the stairs to find the front door's locked and I have to bump it with my temple to get K to let me fall in through the door. And that's just a minor part of my Saturday morning.
I also 'fessed up to a couple of things that drive K spare - I'm more than happy to tear the green stalky bits off the hydro or truss tomatoes in order to get them at the price of the cheaper ones (which they always laughingly call "gourmet" tomatoes), as well as the stalks off the larger mushrooms as I bag them. And now, following Cat's advice, I'll probably start doing the same if I ever get broccoli from the supermarket too.
Why? Well, to start with, nowadays I don't generally get my fruit and veg from the big chain supermarkets, preferring instead to go to a local place nearby as well as the farmer's markets. The latter in particular is a great option as it's local produce and the quality is just fantastic. I think a lot of what the big chains do around the quality and treatment of their produce is just terrible (just look at how yucky and ordinary their apples and spuds are), and to be blunt I refuse to pay $7-$9 a kilo for half-decent tomatoes (though there's always a little guilt associated with the "food miles" of produce out of season), and if they're insisting I pay $9 a kilo for shrooms then yeah, I'm just going to get the bits I need.
I think the years of working in that sort of environment has just enured me to the types of bizarre customer behaviour that I witnessed then, and perhaps engage in myself now. But there's more to it than that as well.
Being the one responsible for menu planning, shopping and cooking, I watch the prices week in, week out. I notice how the price of the rice milk I use has gone up by 15% in the past 12 months, oat flakes up around 20% to the point where I had to let them go and stick to porridge every morning. The price of bread is up, milk's up, cheese, pasta, rice, cat litter, cat food, all up markedly this past year and a bit.
And wouldn't you know it, a quick look at google news turns up today's news that Woolworth's profits have gone up, same with their stock price -
Woolworths tightened its grip on the supermarket sector yesterday, unveiling a 10.7 per cent leap in full-year sales to a record $47 billion. Despite households struggling under the weight of higher petrol and food prices - along with rising borrowing costs - Woolworths cash registers continue to ring, driven by more shoppers and a bigger spend each visit.
Probably the same for Coles, though they're not doing as well. Off the top of my head (because I am a nerd) I can quote the exact Australian Bureau of Statistics publication you need to see inflation - yep, there it is, 6401.0 - with the March quarter to quarter change between 07 and 08 for food running at 5.7%.
So do you ever get the feeling you're being cheated? Support local places, especially local producers, where you can and are able, and don't take any rubbish from the bigger chains if you can manage it. Stuff 'em.
]]>Before I start, I'd just like to briefly whinge about how freakin' cold it's been in Canberra this week. Look at today's prediction -
Isolated showers, falling as snow on the hills around Canberra during the morning [I keep looking out the back to Mt Taylor but nope, no snow there]. Fresh to strong and gusty [heck yeah they are] west to northwest winds.
Precis: A shower or two, windy.
City: Max 9
Now in winter I'm normally a jeans and a couple of upper layers sort of guy, which I attribute to having "tundra blood". But this week, boy, I've been feeling it, and not enjoying it as much as I have in the past. Misery-guts weather maybe. Big wind chill factor combining with the rain, and most nights I've had all the cats pinning me down on either side as I try to sleep. Naturally only the one gas heater is working and we can't really afford to get another one at the moment, so it's on from about 5-6pm every evening warming up the living room. I don't mind "fresh" cold, blue skies, clear air, absolutely beautiful here, but yeah, looking forward to this infernally cold wind ceasing.
Anyway, to the tipping. As I've been saying of late, I hope nobody's trusting me in any way on my tips at the moment as I've been having a rough run. This week's I entered on Sunday evening and have been resolved not to change them ever since. To be honest I think lately I've been paying too much attention to what the bookies have been saying rather than gut instinct. So. Into it:
Carlton v St Kilda: Last round it was interesting to see the Saints cut loose a bit from their normal restrictive style of play that's been imposed upon them this season by coach Ross Lyons (you can really see the Sydney influence)., but admittedly they were playing a North Melbourne side that seemed to have some big attitude problems on the night. I'm tipping Carlton for this one as it's at the 'G and the Blues will enter the eight with a win (probably at St Kilda's expense).
Collingwood v Adelaide: You'd have to think the Crows would still be feeling a bit shattered after their thumping at the hands of Geelong, and a loss to the Magpies will make it four in a row and form slump territory. Unfortunately it's not looking good for them and their position in the top eight will be that much more tenuous after this Saturday afternoon.
Geelong v Fremantle: The Dockers are welcoming back a few players (McPharlin, Farmer and Johnson) but geez, Geelong down at Kardinia Park has to be one of the toughest assignments in the league at the moment. Custom made for a Freo upset isn't it though? Cats should win.
Essendon v Brisbane: [edited Sunday evening] Unfortunately I can't be down in Melbourne for this game, which in our little household assumes an understated but bubbling importance right up until the point that - [the two teams play.] - Essendon loses - at which time it becomes completely irrelevant because Brisbane are a bunch of cheats and didn't deserve their premierships and Queenslanders like me still don't know anything about football.
Of course if the Bombers win - [by virtue of playing much better football, then my wife, to her eternal credit, merely asks if I caught the game last night and that it looks like out of the two "footy bears" the Bombers one retains the higher position in the boy's bedroom.] - then it's a week or so of unbearable Costello-ish smugness and comments about the natural football order being restored and how the league really shouldn't ever have been expanded outside of Victoria.
Invariably, the notional allegiance of our son is raised, and I refuse to make any apologies for negotiating a name that she preferred (and that, perhaps unbeknownst to her, I had no disagreement with) in return for his Lion-cub status, even if he'd just been taken from her womb, all tiny and fierce and crying, and she was on some pretty gnarly painkillers at the time. Consent is consent I say. And besides which, he has a grandfather that I secretly suspect could be inculcating him with notions of supporting Carlton as he gets older. Interesting times ahead.
Anyway, after all that, Brisbane to make up for a stupid stupid stupid loss to Melbourne and grind those red and black so and so's into the still-dodgy-I-reckon Telstra Dome turf.
Port Adelaide v Kangaroos: Tough times for the Roos at the moment, heck for both teams really, with Shannon Grant being dropped for disciplinary reasons and questions being asked of the commitment of key players. Meanwhile, Port just sort of drift along having written off the season. North to get over the line by virtue of having a crankier coach.
Hawthorn v Sydney: Barry, Barry, Barry - you really should be playing in this game. Here's part of what he has to say for himself today -
Don't get me wrong - I'm not denying I have any issues or problems, and I'm not going to hide from anything. I'm not going to kid myself or lie to myself that there's nothing wrong, because there very well could be. Like Paul Roos said, he's not qualified to say what the problem is, and nor am I. But I understand where the Swans are coming from and I think they understand where I am coming from.
I have to get on the front foot now and source what help I can find, and do all the things I have to do to get myself to the point where I can play footy again.
This is a little bit of a tough one as the Swans have had the wood over the Hawks for the last six games or so, and Goodes returning should give them the extra bit of run and speed they seemed to miss against Collingwood last weekend. But geez, the Hawks are still looking like a much improved side this season, and they'll be keen on building some momentum into next week's game against the Saints and then the much-anticipated clash against Geelong in round 17. If it was at the SCG I might be more inclined to tip Sydney, but the home game factor for Hawthorn clinches them as the tip.
Western Bulldogs v Melbourne: Credit to the Demons, they played with a lot of heart to beat the Lions in round 14, but they'll need that and more to overcome the Bulldogs this Sunday afternoon. Good game for the Demons to learn a few things maybe, gotta look for positives after all. I think it's worth keeping an eye on what's happening with their administration too under the very credible Jimmy Stynes.
West Coast v Richmond: The Tigers have already shown this season that they can win at Subiaco after beating Freo in round 3 (or five or something, I cannae remember). It's a tough one, maybe the toughest of the round, so I'm going to play it safe and back the Eagles as the home team, despite the improving form shown by the Richmond side over the past several weeks.
Another long post, my apologies. Enjoy your footy this weekend - especially those couple of you in the group who are Bombers supporters.
]]>A week ago I noted Peter Hartcher's piece on Alexander Downer in the SMH, and today it appears as though Lord Downer has been granted the right of reply -
The tragedy of much public commentary in Australia is that it is blatantly anti-conservative, fascinated with trivia and, when it comes to conservatives, rich with personal abuse.
Peter Hartcher's retrospective last week of my 12 years as foreign minister was a case in point. For any commentator who is a self-styled serious analyst of Australian foreign policy to reduce a dozen years of diplomacy to a tirade of personal abuse is to reveal a stark and embarrassing anti-intellectual bigotry.
Fairly standard sort of stuff follows, "I wasn't that bad, I didn't neglect asian relationships at all, typical small minded nobody picking on conservatives" etc etc etc. Must be a little sensitive given the fawning plaudits he received from Janet Albrechtsen and Greg Sheridan in The Australian last week, I can imagine him stewing about it late at night sitting in the chesterfield with a glass of cognac.
Predictably, and as I sort of touched upon last week, Downer says -
...I often cite East Timor as my greatest achievement. I commissioned the 1998 survey of East Timorese opinion which led to the Howard letter, which was initiated by me and drafted in my department. The intensity of the subsequent diplomacy led, eventually and untidily, to a free and independent East Timor.
Fact is, East Timor is not stable. East Timor's in trouble, and Australia could have done and could be doing more to help.
Take a look at the news about the report from the Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) obtained by The Age -
The [CTF report] finds that Indonesian police, army and civilian government officials funded, armed and co-ordinated anti-independence militias that carried out crimes against humanity.
It says the Indonesian state bears "institutional responsibility" for atrocities including murder, rape, torture, illegal detention and forced mass deportations.
This is a big story. Tom Hyland, the Sunday Age's international editor says today that -
THE report of the Commission of Truth and Friendship is a bitter pill for Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a slap in the face to the Indonesian military and a challenge to the UN to act on the crimes of 1999, for which no one in authority has been held to account. So many crimes, so few criminals.
It confirms the findings of UN investigations - that Indonesian officials organised, funded and directed militias which carried out atrocities before and after the independence referendum. In some cases, they had a direct role in mass killings.
...while Lindsay Murdoch looks at just one of the atrocity stories investigated by the Commission.
As Hyland notes, what action is taken by East Timor and Indonesia in response to the report is now critically important, and I think Australia needs to be involved to alleviate any problems that arise. We also need to seriously start engaging with East Timor to get on with encouraging Australian business to invest in the country, be it in tourism, infrastructure and other industries.
East Timor doesn't need platitudes about how grateful they should be to us for their hard-won independence. East Timor needs better schools, better population health, better governance and jobs, jobs, jobs. Why keep dicking around?
]]>I mentioned in passing a couple of weeks ago about Michael Voss being approached by the Eagles, plus some analysis he'd done of the side, but I flippantly dismissed it thinking that he wouldn't want to make the move all the way over there. But I've again been proved completely wrong, with Voss now accepting a two-year assistant coaching role with the Eagles after not getting his preferred terms with the yet to start Gold Coast franchise -
Today, I sit totally comfortable and really excited about my decision to join West Coast as an assistant coach. As much as others will focus on the Gold Coast situation, I've moved on. I've done what Robert Walls, my first senior coach, taught me: I've done what I think is right.
Video also available over at FoxSports. The reaction around the place appears to be focussing on two things - what a blow this is for the Gold Coast franchise and what a good move this is for Voss. And I can't argue with either of those. Quick round up of what's being said around the net -
Caroline Wilson - "Kick in guts" for the AFL -
Voss and his young family this week spent four days of soul-searching at Port Douglas in far-north Queensland before arriving at the decision that most senior coaches would applaud and his most respected mentors advised. Certainly, after last year's apparent backflip, he needed to make a decision.
And yet, in choosing to oversee West Coast's depleted midfield and gain experience at one of the AFL's — in pure football terms — most professional outfits, he has become, symbolically, another key player to snub the competition's Gold Coast dream.
Andrew Stafford - One coast to another for a coach in waiting -
THE prospective Gold Coast Football Club has been dealt a serious blow, with coaching aspirant Michael Voss rejecting a three-year deal in favour of an assistant coaching position at West Coast.
Voss was widely considered the coach-in-waiting of the new club, still yet to be named, and had served as an advisor to the GC17 bid team. But in the end the two parties were unable to agree to terms, with Voss demanding a five-year contract.
Damian Barrett - Dramatic setback for Gold Coast -
GC17 had earmarked Voss as not only its first coach in 2011, but as its public face in what is emerging as Australia's most competitive sports market.
With just three months left for GC17 to meet strict financial and supporter-based criteria in order to become the AFL's 17th team, the bid group will now establish new criteria to find a coach.
As recently as the weekend, GC17 believed Voss, a three-time premiership captain with Brisbane Lions, would coach its team in the Victorian under-18 competition next year, in the VFL in 2010 and the AFL in 2011.
and Mike Sheahan - Eagles job will give Michael Voss valuable experience -
Michael Voss has made a wise decision. Wise decisions all round, I say.
West Coast has to be thrilled, while GC17 and the AFL will come to appreciate the benefits of the Voss decision.
Everyone who should know, everyone, says even people of the ilk of Voss and Nathan Buckley need to do a cadetship of sorts.
To learn coaching from the coach's box, from the club's offices during the week, when the reviews are done, when egos are brought back to size or massaged, when plans are formulated for next week's opponent.
So yeah, it's good that he's going to get some assistant coaching experience first. Note also that it could possibly set him up for a return to the Lions in a few years too. But then everyone in maroon, blue and gold would be thinking that today wouldn't they? Footy tips to come a little later.
]]>Have you ever broken a bone? If not, what's the worst injury you've sustained?
Couple of posts from me today as I'm having sort of a "pottering around" day, catching up on doing a few things around the house while looking askance at the some 250-odd pages of articles and reports I need to start researching about privacy law and the Job Network.
So. Bones. Yeah, I've broken a few.
First one was when I was about 8 or 9 years ago, we'd just moved from Inala to Loganlea in Brisbane (sort of out of the frying pan into a slightly less hot frying pan really) and I was pissed off at mum about something, stormed onto the bmx and said "Dammit, I am going to have a go at that jump down at the park all the other kids have been playing on". So you can guess what happened next. I basically learned that in order to do any kind of jump on a bike, it helps to lift the front wheel as you do so. I went end over end and broke my collarbone. Spent a good few minutes lying in the dust moaning too, even calling out for help, while suburban mothers closed the kitchen curtains and looked the other way. Dragged my shit together and hobbled home.
Second must have been the broken wrist. Just sort of came off the bike riding home from high school around age 15. Rotten thing was that I had a piano exam in four weeks' time, so we ended up having to forfeit the exam fee (a not inconsiderable sum according to my parents) and I had to wait another three to six months before I could have another go. I remember mum was a real hardarse about it - keep in mind she's an experienced nurse - and wouldn't believe it was broken for a few days, thinking it was just a bad sprain. I had to sit a maths exam and everything before we got a cast put on, sheesh.
Third would be the cracked ribs I got playing american football, which I've mentioned before. Then a couple of broken fingers playing basketball, both times from a pass from the same guy (thanks Tim). Must've been after we stopped being in a band together, I can't imagine I would have been able to play bass during that time. Was hard to type, naturally - I was working in a public contact area and kept on having to explain why my fingers were taped up. To this day I don't use the three left-most fingers on my left hand when working away.
Pretty sure that's it, thankfully I haven't had anymore though that's probably due to not playing sport or cycling that much anymore (there was a time in my life I had to stop riding as I was just so uncoordinated, and the fear has never quite left me). I've had the usual range of cuts and burns and everything leading to a few gnarly scars around the place, but that's nothing new. Some of the scars on my hands (and one or two faint ones on my face) positively add character and give me the excuse to spin a bit of bullshit to The Boy about it when he's older...
]]>I think I can confidently predict that Working Dog's new production The Hollowmen (ABC, 9:30pm tonight) will be one of the highest rating television shows in Canberra this week. Well, it's an easy call given the ABC pretty much wins the ratings here week in week out anyway. Snooty, aren't we? From a review in today's edition of The Age -
...what you won't see here are government ministers, or the Prime Minister: the focus of The Hollowmen is firmly on the army of grey-suited men and women who advise them, their unelected underlings, the foot soldiers in the ongoing fight to keep the political machine chugging along.
I have been waiting forever for a good quality Australian political satire on our television screens, though I will make mention of Backberner from several years ago as well as Shaun Micallef and the crew (especially the wonderful Kat Stewart) more recently at Newstopia on the sketch side of things. Invariably, comparisons will be made to Yes, Minister but the focus on the office of the PM will avoid these. Should be interesting, with heads nodding in sympathy and recollection of dealings with Ministers' offices across the capital tonight...
]]>Just submitted 4,031 words on an analysis of the fees and charges regime under Commonwealth freedom of information law, with a particular focus on the reasoning of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in Peatling and DEWR [2007] as regards to the countervailing consideration of a commercial or other benefit that may be gained from the release of government documents into the public domain. I'm, like, totally an expert now. Or somefink.
Still with me? Of course you are. It was two weeks late but I had it covered by an extension due to illness, still it was a prick of a thing to write. Not least when I realised at 9am this morning that the word length was actually 500 less than I'd thought.
The thing I tend to do for essays is overprepare (might be that part of me actually likes writing them), so the evolution usually goes something like this:
So that's that. And now I've got three weeks and counting to write up another 4,000 words about a privacy law issue.
And so what have I chosen to write about? The privacy implications associated with the exchange of information between the Job Network and Centrelink, which, you guessed right, it appears that no academics have really considered in any great detail before. If it's good enough... I should consider doing a little more work and adaption and then see if I can get it published in a social studies or policy journal somewhere...
In my favour, both K and The Boy are down in Melbourne this week leaving me free to work away without getting distracted by nappy changing, singtime and feeding shenanigans. In fact it feels a little weird, it's been a while since I've had a break like this and will probably be a while before I get another one. The plan is that once I knock off this essay then it's all about K as she completes three more subjects in her Masters between August and February to finalise it all, with me then looking to do one subject per semester in 2009 to finish mine.
And then, finally, we'll have our weekends free to spend time together as an actual family, not to mention being able to spend time with friends. So what's that, a year and a half or so away? Ok. A year and a half away. Less if you think positive and count all the mid-semester breaks and whatnot. And I wish I could say after that that I'll never study again, but there's already a part of me thinking about a grad dip in something like ethics or political science in another 10 or so years, just to keep my brain active and engaged in that sort of space. But that's much longer term, just need to grind through the next 18 months first...
]]>Absolutely scathing piece by Peter Hartcher on Alexander Downer in today's Sydney Morning Herald, here are a couple of highlights -
...Downer can be petty and puerile. He plays a mean-spirited, personal, scratchy game of partisan politics. He can be breathtakingly immature.
He was always ready to be flippant and frivolous. He was something of an Inspector Clouseau of foreign ministers: pompous, slightly ridiculous, self-important, hard to take seriously, though ultimately getting through most of his assignments with some bare seat-of-the-pants competence.
...
Rudd came to win the respect and confidence of the voting public in the years he was facing off against Downer. The foreign minister was unable to derail or discredit Rudd. Instead, he was the perfect foil.
It was while Rudd was prosecuting the attack on the AWB scandal, the Iraq war, the "Pacific solution" and the failure to sign the Kyoto Protocol that he demonstrated his competence and soundness. It was this performance that persuaded the voting public, and then the Labor caucus, that Rudd was leadership material. In this sense, Downer helped create the leader who destroyed the Howard government [emphasis added].
Worth reading in full. Doing some research last year on the Australian/East Timor oil and gas negotiations I was struck by how inept, cavalier and prattish Downer came across in his public statements on what was happening, frequently using the idea that "the East Timorese owe us for their independence" in order to justify taking earnings away from one of the poorest nations in the world (and who happens to be strategically important to Australian interests in the longer term). I can't imagine he'll ever be welcome in Dili - not that it's his sort of destination anyway. Good riddance to him.
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Well, I've had another shocking week with just 2 out of 6 correct from last weekend and, look, honestly, it's feeling like a form slump. I've been a bit crook and had a few other things going on lately so I'm just putting it down to having my attention drawn elsewhere. Here's hoping that this blip in what has largely otherwise been a good season of tipping doesn't have too big an impact on the tally at the end of round 22.
To this weekend's two games to finalise Round 14:
Adelaide v Geelong: Geelong welcome back some big names and should have a win here. Interesting article by Jake Niall yesterday about how the weird draw for this season has been of some help to the Cats -
The most celebrated oddity of this weird new schedule is that Geelong does not play its putative challenger Hawthorn until round 17. No less significant is the fact that the Cats don't play the Western Bulldogs, who have supplanted Hawthorn in second spot, until round 16.
Far from being handicapped after their premiership, the Cats have been handed what has turned out to be a very friendly schedule. They will end up playing two clubs in the current bottom four — Port Adelaide and Fremantle — twice each before they play their nearest ladder competitors in rounds 16 and 17.
Sydney v Collingwood: There won't be a shortage of Magpies fans at the Telstra Stadium for a game that should be considered winnable by the Collingwood team. I'm hesitant to pick Sydney due to Goodes not playing (even though they welcome back Everitt) and their recent record against the Magpies, but still, they should get a win here I think. Put a tenner on the Magpies if you're a gambler perhaps.
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