Dumping of Pre Season

I personally love the pre season. It's a chance to have a good look at the young up and coming players on the list. It's hard to find that potential development of of players. Especially in Sydney where those not playing senior footy play in the Canberra league which is stronger than the local Sydney comp yet a lot weaker than an other 2nd tier competitions in the country. Our reserves win and win easily pretty much every week.

I feel that people call to scrap the pre season after their team cops a season ending knee injury. I don't know if it's really the case but it seems that there have been more this pre season than any proceeding years. And I would have fair reason to call for the scrapping as the Swans have lost 2 players to serious knee injuries.

If it's altered what would happen? Shorten it? Well that would leave little room for any form of competition, only a couple of practice matches. And imagine if clubs were inflicted with season ending injuries in these matches. They would be calling for an end to pre season.

Face the facts, clubs need the pre season and I think the competition needs it as well.

A Second Sydney Team

It's exciting to hear the AFL talk with some purpose about a second team in Sydney. Will it work? Well people have mixed feelings. Some say we should wait up to 20 years. That's being very pessimistic I feel but one this is for sure and that is it can't be rushed into and the right people need to be put in place to make sure it won't fall over. After all, a lot of money will be invested in such a venture. Everyone know how much North Melbourne we offered to move to the Gold Coast, we're talking big bickies. A new stadium will be built in the Blacktown area where the team would be based.

Eddie McGuire has piped up, as he tends to do, to put in his contribution. I am suspicious about his motives, perhaps it means his beloved Collingwood will have to travel more than five times in a season and take some revenue from them, oh dear.

I'm excited, bring it on.

The Numbers Game

When it's the off season when I am starved of footy news the smallest things interest me greatly. one of these are the number changes. That is who has changed their number and what number have the rookies been given. I was glad to hear this year that two numbers previously retired have been filled.

• #14 - Craig Bird
• #11 - Ed Barlow

They talk about pressure taking over a club legend's number, but surely the pressure builds the longer it is out of action.

Other new players to the fold

• #13 - Patrick Vespremi
• #15 - Kieran Jack (elevated rookie)
• #26 - Henry Playfair (traded from Geelong)
• #29 - Martin Mattner (traded from Adelaide)
• #38 - Brett Meredith
  

New Captain

Craig Bolton has become the new co-captain in place of Barry Hall, but why have thee captains in the firt place. Having a "leadership group" is a relatively new phenomenon and has generally been accepted as a good thing. So then if there is a bunch of leaders at every club then is there a need for three captains. Perhaps I'm an old traditionalist (at 26) but I like the idea of one captain. But good on Craig Bolton for his elevated status.

What A Tool

Wayne Carey, congratulations you have nullified everything you accomplished on the field with your history of violence and plain stupidity coming back to bite you on the bum. Why someone wanted to marry you, have your child or even just have a fling is beyond me. A brief look at the facts:

• Cheated on wife with best mates wife - needless to say they're no longer best mates
• Taken back by wife only to abandon her with their two month old baby
• Glasses model/grid girl/ girl friend while on holiday in Miami
• Violent towards police and is maced and later arrested
• Waiting to face trial in Miami

Basically I won't be disappointed if he ends up in Miami prison. His days of doing whatever he wants because he's a footy star are well and truly over. It's time for this child to grow up.