You Heard it Here First

On my other blog, Hammer Time, way back in 2006 I made comment to the fact that Australia's stadiums just don't cut the mustard when it comes time to seriously bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2018/2022.

As per FIFA's criteria, for a nation to succeed in it's bid it will have to have 12 suitable stadiums. 10 need to have 40K+ capacity and 2 need 80K+ capacity. On top of that, other facilities need to be supplied for training purposes. Also, as I learnt from an ANZ Stadium tour, the soccer federations are quite picky when it comes to the type of grass used. Infact the stadium had recently been completely returfed for the upcoming international friendly.

There is the suggestion that all other football codes will have to halt so that the soccer, that's right I said soccer, boys can have their party. Rugby League bosses have said they hope to come to some agreement if the bid is successful. but 4 to 8 weeks is a ridiculous request and I hope all other codes at least make it very difficult for FFA boss, Ben Buckley.

But who are we kidding. We don't have the stadiums (read the 2006 post) and building anymore would be a waste of money. Rudd has already sunk $43 million just into the bid.

A Mere Thug

I got up early on Sunday morning (25/10) to watch the rugby league test match between Australia and New Zealand.

Something I don’t understand is how Paul Gallen has become an automatic selection at representative level despite performing below par at club level in a team that only just scraped themselves off the bottom of the ladder. He must be the most overrated player in the competition.

In the match there was an incident with New Zealand hooker, Isaac Luke, which confirmed to me that he is more interested in the biff than playing the game. It was minor in the context of the match was unnecessary. He is not a good player, rather a pure thug. I’m even embarrassed that he came from a local club, Wenty Magpies.

Surely there are better players than Gallen that deserve selection next year.

Trade Week

For a few of us the off season player movements during trade week is the next best thing to the season proper, and for a change the Sydney Swans were very active and made some decent acquisitions.

Sydney was already shopping for an established ruckman to back up Darren Jolly and showed early interest in ex Eagle Mark Seaby. Then Jolly threw a curve ball stating his desire to return home to Victoria.

Considering the loss of the All Australian and premiership ruckman the Swans did well to acquire Seaby as well as up and coming Geelong ruckman, Shane Mumford

Seaby played in the Eagles 2006 premiership win against Sydney but always played second fiddle to Dean Cox and has recently been taken over by 1st year player Nic Natanui and the 2nd ruckman. Somewhat out of form at the end of last season he comes to Sydney rejuvenated and with plenty of ability.

Mumford slotted into the eventual premiership with ease with Brad Ottens injured for much of the season. He played understudy to Mark Blake but with Ottens return imminent it almost became a flip of the coin which two ruckmen to take into the final series. They went with Ottens and Blake. The lure of a long term contract and more game time were too good for Mumford.

The Swans also acquired two young players from Hawthorn, Josh Kennedy and Ben McGlynn. A good friend who happens to be a Hawks nut describes McGlynn, nicknamed ‘Mighty Mouse’, as a “great player…. a Luke Hodge in the making.” Of Kennedy she says that he “has showed some good signs, but he’s also made some really poor decisions throughout the year too.”

Overall, the Swans have done well.

Out of the Woodwork

It is obvious to me that a lot of Parramatta Eels fans have come out of the woodwork since their recent success in the second half of season 2009. I admit it, I am one.

Their grand final appearance exceeded the expectations of even the biggest diehard fan.

With the influx of many new or returning fans sometimes the diehards can feel threatened and upset as they have been their through the bad times only for thousands of blow ins to jump on board and place extra demand on coveted finals tickets.

I understand this reaction. I felt it in 1996 when the Sydney Swans had a similar near fairytale season. In the long run though, who cares??

Most important is surely the club, the game and the community.

Anyone walking around Parramatta in September would have thought they were in a different place that that of months earlier. The general vibe was so positive. Shop windows decorated in blue and gold, streamers crisscrossing Church Street, banners adorning the town hall. It united everyone in the Parramatta area, especially the CBD. On top of all that, Peter Wynn’s Score has never done better business.

Hopefully most of these new or returning supporters stick around and perhaps join the Blue and Gold Army, as I have done.

Whinging Victorians

A few years ago there were moans and groans of grievance from supporters and administrators alike regarding the domination interstate teams were having in the AFL. Non-Victorian teams had won premierships from 2001 to 2006 as well as three years of complete non-Victorian grand finals from 2004 to 2006.

But now after three years of Victorian domination I don’t see the same adolescent behaviour directed at them. We all must be above all that and won’t stoop to that level.

Personally I have enjoyed every Grand Final I have watched, regardless of who was playing. We have a very even competition in the AFL, which lends well to fantastic viewing. St Kilda and Geelong definitely provided excitement.

It’s as if the Victorians want to be able to control the success of interstate clubs. They conveniently forget that the competition would have died if it weren’t for the national push starting with the Sydney Swans in 1981.

They struggle to see the betterment of the game as the number one priority. Victorian teams are dominating now but like most things, success is cyclical. The jury is still out about whether a team has to “bottom out” before having a tilt at a premiership. Are they going to whinge all over again when the next non-Victorian teams takes their precious grand final?