Judd Factor A Joke

It appears increasingly evident that we have a bunch of untouchables in the AFL. These untouchables never get free kicks payed against them yet get so many payed towards them. Most are deserved but frequently enough you wonder whether the adjudication would have changed had it been any other player. More serious incidents are dealt with leniency by the Match Review Committee and the Judiciary, if it even makes it that far.

West Coast’s Chris Judd is one such untouchable. He was involved in an incident last weekend in West Coast’s loss to Hawthorn in Tasmania. He was reported for eye gouging Campbell Brown after being tackled. Video shows him clearly clawing at the face of Brown near his eyes. Whether he was gouging is hard to tell. One thing is for sure, Campbell Brown is no softie so for him to react the way he did he had to be at the very least contacted in the eye region.

Jeff Farmer from Fremantle got suspended for eye gouging earlier this season for 6 weeks, and I clearly remember Barry Hall a few years ago getting 5 weeks for merely clawing at the face of Port Adelaide’s Matthew Primus.

Judd was given a one-week suspension if he were to take the early guilty plea. He decided to contest the charge and ended up being let off by the tribunal. For Judd to face the tribunal contesting a possible one-week suspension for eye gouging is simply ridiculous. Even taking into account his relatively clean record, a very serious charge of eye gouging deserves at least four weeks as a starting point. I wouldn’t have cared if he got it down to one or two in contesting the charge but from what I saw he deserved to be rubbed out for some amount of time.

It’s one set of rules for some, another set for everyone else.

Supporting Laundry

You could say that we’re not really supporting players just the clothing that they wear.

Tony Lockett

Famous for winning a match off his own boot for St Kilda. This is despite being down by about 50 pts at three quarter time. It was one of the greatest comebacks in St Kilda’s history. Big Plugger also didn’t hold back when dealing with the hard-core supporters at the Members End, giving them a verbal spray after putting St Kilda in front nearing the end of the game.

Infamous for one of the ugliest incidents ever seen on the SCG. Swans player, Peter Caven, was leading towards the ball about to take a mark. That was until Lockett’s elbow connected with Caven’s face and he was out for the count with multiple fractures to his face not a mention a massive bought of concussion. Lockett for his trouble received an 8-week suspension.

Tony Lockett came to Sydney in 1995 and led the revival of the AFL in Sydney by kicking tonnes (100 goals in a season) in multiple seasons. He was a star winning the Coleman Medal in 1996 and 1998. An All Australian in 1995 and 1996. He kicked the match winning point in the 1996 Preliminary Final against Essendon to gain entry into the Grand Final. He then went on to kick 6 goals in the losing Grand Final against North Melbourne.

Wayne Schwass

I remember him having a cheap shot at Swan Troy Luff in the 1996 Grand Final. I took and immediate dislike to him and of North Melbourne.

Schwass came to Sydney via a trade at the end of 1997. He went on to play some of his finest games. His damaging left foot penetrated into the forward line.

Peter “Spida” Everitt

I always found him gregarious, arrogant and a big show off with the way he did his hair and the significant ink work that he has had done. Also he managed to rip apart games due to his height and radar like accuracy in front of goal.

He ‘finally’ joined Sydney via a trade at the end of last year with Hawthorn. The move is starting to pay dividends as Spida’s dominance has led to two good victories in consecutive weeks against finals fanciers Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs.


I didn’t like all three players. That was before they whacked on the red and white. All of a sudden they look like better people. They were never really bad people in the first place, but their sins were definitely forgiven. Especially when they became match winners for the right team.

Gun Alley

10am on April 24, 1922, in the Old Melbourne Gaol the fate of Colin Campbell Ross (below) was sealed. He was hanged for the murder of 12-year-old Alma Tirtschke. Alma had found on 31st December 1922 naked in Gun Alley in the middle of Melbourne. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.


Author and historian Kevin Morgan became intrigued in the story viewing artwork inspired by the story of Alma’s murder. Morgan felt compelled to search deeper into the story. This book is the product of 10 years of thorough research of transcripts, interviews and other historical documents.

Once Colin Ross was arrested he was already considered guilty by the media and the general public wanted the blood of whoever committed such a heinous crime. The police were under pressure from the outraged public to produce a conviction and Ross seemed to fit the bill. Except that they could find sufficient evidence to put him away. Through some apparent coercion, aided by a large reward (the largest ever at that time) some became willing to provide evidence to help achieve that conviction.

Kevin Morgan has put in a lot of hard so that the reader doesn’t have to. It is still very detailed and full of information but the layout and brevity of the chapters allow for easy reading.

It is very intriguing and the pay off at the end is worth it when Morgan traces Alma’s final moments using evidence from witnesses who had seen her that afternoon and puts forward a very compelling theory as to who was the real murderer.

Retraining Options

Recently I received a letter from the Department of Education (DET) inviting me to retrain in other key learning areas (KLA’s). It included the above slogan as motivation. I surprised myself when I even thought it might be something worth considering in the near future. I have even kept the postcard that was sent along with the letter. It is no glaringly obvious on my corkboard as a reminder. It’s a big step as if you were to ask me at the same time last year if I’d be interested in retraining I would have shot you on site (so to speak). I was so vehemently against teaching again whilst trying not to rule it out as an option. Now it is definitely on the radar of serious options if circumstances allow. Some big decisions might need to be made very soon. No doubting that I will blog about them if and when they are made.

Write Them Off At Your Peril

I have unlocked the key the success of the Sydney Swans.......

Write them off!!

The more the media jumps down their throats as being no good it seems the better they play. In their consecutive grand final years no one really rated them as a force to be reckoned with. Who could forget that in the first of those years the Swans took away the premiership. I certainly can’t being in Melbourne at the time.

Come the following year the media still didn’t rate them as a quality outfit. This feeling was exaggerated after a sluggish start to the season. Headlines proclaiming “premiership hangover” dominated the papers as their first win came in unconvincing fashion in round three against Carlton.

One recent example of writing off the Swans comes from a Podcast named Mondayitis. Mondayitis is my favourite Podcast, it it’s a review of the previous weekends AFL action and a preview of the coming weeks games. On Monday 14th May, senior writer for sportal.com.au and commentator on Mondayitis, Paul Gough, stated that the Swans were “in trouble.” Just one media personality to start to write off the Swans.

But what happened the following match against ladder leaders Port Adelaide??
Well the Swans won didn’t they. Of course they did, because everyone had written them off after two ordinary losses to North Melbourne and St Kilda.

Now the challenge is to keep winning whilst being written off.

Out Of The Nest

It’s official!

I am now the owner of a mortgage. Time to celebrate.

Everything went down with no major hitches. There were slight delays in getting the vendor’s signature on the contract but that didn’t worry me much. It allowed me extra time to accrue surplus monies to pay the gap between deposit and finance.

I am obtaining finance from RAMS. They have very few fees, which is good for me. They approved me for $190,000 after we had agreed on the price of $220,000 for the unit, the deposit was 10% or $22,000. Basic maths says that there is a shortfall of $8000. First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) will assist in breaching the gap. However, not relying on the FHOG would be preferable.

The last official act before I paid the deposit was for my financier to organise a valuation of the property so that they can be assured of regaining their money if I were to default on the loan. A mere formality we would assume but you never know with these sorts of institutions. They took their sweet time in organising the valuation. Luckily my conveyancer was able to get a two-day extension for the deposit to be submitted.

The deposit went in this week. Now I have up to six weeks for a settlement. There is also 30 days notice for the tenant to vacate.

After that it will be the arduous task of gathering all the bits and pieces from various sources to furnish the rooms. Getting assistance to move may prove difficult. Although I think one family in particular might be glad to get their garage back.

Once everything is in place then it is time to consider a housewarming.

Superstitious Band

Sydney’s newest and funkiest covers band has been launched as of Wednesday the 9th May.

From their website:

Superstitious, the newest and freshest covers band in Sydney is ready to entertain. With experienced players from a range of musical backgrounds, you’ll be grooving to hits from the smooth sounds of Stevie and Aretha to the modern beats of Christina and Beyonce. Superstitious are an energetic 8 piece band with a line-up that features a funky four piece rhythm section of drums, guitar, bass and keyboard backing a dynamic male and female duo complimented by a smoking 3 piece horn section. The infectious energy of Superstitious will draw you to the floor and leave you wanting more. Check out our song list and contact us today.

I concur with this description. If I didn’t have a leg injury you may have even found me on the dance floor. That is saying something about the music that they played. You can’t help but move. Unfortunately sometimes I focus too much on the drumming and forget about the music as a whole.

Their influences are:
Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Blues Brothers, The Temptations, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, The Commitments, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles and many more.

Just like every band around they have a MySpace website where you can here a funky sampler of their music.

Vote Buy Back Scheme

For twelve years Peter Costello has been producing budgets. He started slow by trying to decrease the debt accrued by the Keating Government. But generally speaking they have been positive budgets full of spending in various areas. Of course whatever areas they decide to spend in we hear the same bleating, “it’s a good start but it could go further.” To these people what is given will never be enough.

Once again we have a huge budget surplus and Treasurer Costello stands up to tell Australia how he will spend it. However, there is one thing different this year and it isn’t that we have a budget surplus or that the Treasurer will spend it in various areas.

That’s right, we have an election at the end of the year so the well performing treasurer and the government is being accused of “buying votes.” Nothing is different to any of his other surplus budgets in this term in office but because of the election all of a sudden his agenda has done an about face.

Labor are clutching at straws and to insult a government for spending the surplus they created through sound economic policy is rather petulant. It will be interesting to see how Rudd plays it in his customary budget response.

Priorities

I always find it interesting to hear and read about women commenting on the demands of having a successful career and balancing the demands of children at the same time

1. In the last state election, Carmel Tebbutt resigned from cabinet because she wanted to spend more time with her children. She felt she was missing the best years of their lives. The Daily Telegraph saw the decision as proof that women cannot have it all. Others accused her of being a bad feminist. Interesting spectrum of accusations.
2. Deputy Opposition Leader, Julia Gillard, hasn’t had children at all. By her own admission, she says it is almost impossible to be a mother and a top ranking Australian politician at the same time. She defended her decision not to have children by suggesting that PM John Howard and Treasurer Peter Costello could never have made it to the top of the political pile had they tried to care for children as well. Her situation has just been re-hashed by rogue Liberal senator Bill Heffernan who labeled her a “deliberately baron” and therefore unfit to lead.
3. Newsreader and journalist, Juanita Phillips (below with family) wrote of her experiences in The Bulletin. She suggests that the nation is in a crisis in regards to childcare. She is lucky though, as her husband gave up his career and took up part time work instead.

Isn’t it all about priorities? If your only focus is on your career then perhaps having children isn’t such a good idea. Therefore Julia Gillard has made a wise decision. Her decision doesn’t make her unfit to lead, perhaps unable to relate to Aussie families though.

If you want to have children then something has to be sacrificed as surely children take over as number one priority. Traditionally it has been the women to become the primary caregiver. Much like my mum did when she had Danny and me.

The fact is that only women can give birth to children and therefore must take time off work to do this and then to recover from it. Most workplaces these days have arrangements for maternity leave so this is not so much an issue. Some even have arrangements for paternity leave. There are also some duties that must be performed by the women (eg breastfeeding).

We all have to work to make ends meet. Perhaps it’s a luxury these days to have one parent become the primary caregiver. If two incomes are needed then where are the children fitting into priorities?

I’m not saying that it has to be the woman that makes all the sacrifices. If I’m saying anything it is that both parents need to make sacrifices. Children will miss their dad just as much as their mum if he has the successful career that is highly demanding of his time. Time that seems to be allocated disproportionately to where it should be.

Premature Aging

I am feeling old, and I’m only 25. This shouldn’t be the case as I am in my prime. What is going on?

I’ll tell you what’s going on. I enjoy playing footy, it’s one of my greatest past times. But in the last few years injuries have interrupted my seasons. Last year when I was playing soccer I could rarely finish a game because of constant hamstring strains.

This year I am back with the Goannas playing Aussie Rules. It is leading into round 5 this week and I am no closer to playing than before my latest injury, a partial tear to my quadricep muscle. That was way back in early April, just before the Easter weekend. Physiotherapy has been performed, for the last five weeks to be exact. Everything was going well, full range of movement had returned and it was feeling good. I go back to training and do some running. I go for a short kick and pop it goes again. Not as bad as the initial tear but I can just see the writing on the wall.

The writing says, “Give it away Tim, you’ve had your go, time to move on.” This is a huge dose of reality if ever I saw it. But if I didn’t play footy my fitness would blow out of all proportion, it is already fairly non-existent so I shudder to think what I would look like if it were to get much worse.

If I’m not playing what do I do? It’s usually a question asked by professional footballers. But I’m not, so it should be easier right? Wrong! When you enjoy playing it is still difficult to step away from it.

I am on record as saying I feel I can tell people how to play better than I can actually play. This is also a tough pill to swallow but I think I’ve already accepted that fact. Coaching Auskick is evident of that and further coaching is always an option.

I’m not giving up on this season just yet but big questions will be asked come seasons end.

PUFWE 07

For a reminder of what PUFWE stands for then check here.

The Game

Sydney 14.11-(95) Vs Kangaroos 16.15-(111)

The game is the only compulsory activity of the weekend. After all the choice of weekend is purely determined on when Sydney are playing on the Saturday night in Melbourne.

Unfortunately for the second time in the three years of PUFWE tours the Swans have played possibly their worst game of the entire season. There is a lot of this season left to play but in 2005 (the Premiership year) we definitely saw their worst game. Pessimism set in very early, after quarter time when the score went 7 goals to 1. A big finish made it exciting in the but no one should give away a 6-goal head start and get away with it. Kangaroos were rightful winners.

The Sights

Brunswick Street
A trendy area that could possibly be equated to Newtown in Sydney. For some reason I feel very comfortable walking down Brunswick Street but wouldn’t be feeling so good about walking down the main street of Newtown.

One of our group (the girl) wanted to do some shopping so this day was dedicated to that pursuit. Luckily for the two blokes (me being one) we didn’t enter every single outlet.

The Old Melbourne Gaol
A surprisingly successful visit as we all enjoyed the history that it brings. There is a lot to read which doesn’t appeal to all but it is very rewarding in the end if you put in the hard yards. It’s most famous as the place Ned Kelly was hanged after the shootout at Glenrowan. Three hours later, our legs are sore and our minds full of knowledge.

Eateries

The Retro
A traditional spot for us to visit. Famous for their cakes of generous proportions.

The Tin Pot
Another traditional place for us to visit for Sunday breakfast. Highly recommended comes the BLT deluxe, although other items on the menu are well worth trying also.

The Vege Bar
Recommended by our hosts but rejected by two out of three of the visitors. Nothing against vegetables, they are a side dish, nothing more, nothing less.

Our Hosts

Mr & Mrs Campbell – always generous and gracious when we invade the south.

Let’s Just Be Friends

Words that no one wants to hear. It’s indicates a change in a relationship. Whether these are positive or negative changes is up to the individuals involved. Some changes may fluctuate, manoeuvring between both positive and negative emotional responses. Eventually there is the hope of regaining a reasonable level of sociability again.

The big question is: After breaking up from a serious relationship, can men and women remain just friends?

We hear in celebrity news of constant break ups. Publicists usually try to pedal the same spiel about the couple remaining close friends. What a load of rubbish I would always think. Although it is a different world that they live in so maybe the same premise doesn’t apply to ‘normal’ people.

The famous line from the movie ‘When Harry Met Sally’ brings some relevance to the topic. Harry says to Sally, “Men and women can’t be just friends. The sex always gets in the way.” Unfortunately this statement makes the assumption that all male/female friendships must involve sex, which hopefully isn’t the case. But it is correct by inference that once you have formed a serious relationship it is very hard, if not impossible, to remain just as friends.

I would say it is possible to remain friends. But close friends, well, I don’t think it is possible. You just can’t go back to the way it was before the relationship went to the next level. This may have involved hanging out exclusively but just as friends or going out with groups while still staying close to each other.

World acclaimed marriage and grief counsellor, H. Norman Wright, in his book titled ‘Let’s Just Be Friends’ says that hanging out like that again is a waste of time. It is holding back both individuals from forming new relationships with the opposite sex that may eventually lead to something serious (paraphrasing).

To say a former couple should completely go their separate ways and never speak to each other is a bit far fetched. Not to mention how difficult it would be to avoid each other as similar circles of friends have usually been formed. However, to go back to just being friends may take some time.

300 – Movie Review

I originally turned down an invitation to go see this movie as the inviters had a record of wanting to see bad movies (eg Snakes on a Plane). I earned a reprise and was invited again. I decided to go this time as I had heard interesting reviews from various people since the initial knock back

I’m unsure as to whether this is a piece of history or Greek mythology. Some of the characters make me think mythology.

It is the story of how 300 Spartans battled against King Xerxes army. The Spartans were hugely outnumbered but as the introduction shows, Spartans are trained for battle. Xerxes had no idea how resilient the Spartans were, but I’m not about to spoil the ending.

It’s really gory in some parts, but what do you expect from a battle flick. Decapitations and severed limbs are common place.

I was warned that there were a lot of nipples. Interesting comment but relevant once you see the Spartan war attire. You would think they should wear a bit more than that.

The cinematography was fantastic. It’s hard to describe but it’s clear that they put a lot of work into the post production to make the scenery look spectacular. As weird as it sounds, I like how they made the blood look. It’s different than other movies like Gladiator, it’s almost cartoonish.

Look out for Aussie actor David Wenham who is more famous to a lot of people as Diver Dan in ‘Seachange’. I know him mainly from the Aussie low budget flick called Cosi. To see him in this vastly different role was strange to begin with. It just goes to show how versatile our good actors are.

A movie not for the faint hearted. If you can put up with the gore then I recommend it. Could even initiate discussion about what is masculinity. Southern cross media touched on it in their latest publication.

A Need For Regularity?

I’m already reflecting on the year so far, and it’s only May.

After stopping regular attendance at one church I still haven’t started regular attendance at another church. Last Sunday (29/4) was the first time all year that I have been to the same church in consecutive weeks.

I asked someone whether my irregular church attendance is a bad thing. This person has a particular way with words, which is why of all people I asked him. He wanted to explore my motivation for attending different churches. The answer was primarily to visit friends who attend other churches. I even made up a long list of churches using PowerPoint.

When I was regularly attending one church I had commitments playing in the music group. I had formed a nice little comfort zone for myself. The result -> never venturing elsewhere.

When I stopped attending regularly, for various reasons, I guess I felt a little liberated and wanted to visit them all. Problem is that there is only one Sunday in each week. I was also able to stay home when family came over. With the music commitments I always had to leave them prematurely. This was a bit disappointing as their visits through the year are limited so I like to make the most of them when I can.

Then the focus of our discussion changed to reviewing the areas in which I was serving. As “Jesus came not to be served but to serve” he recited. It was a relevant statement, it’s not as if he was just showing off his biblical knowledge by quoting scriptures. I replied, “But the Lord loves a cheerful giver.” Therefore if your service is not enjoyable anymore is there a problem with going on hiatus from that form of service for an extended period?

“What about moving to other forms of service?” my discussion partner quipped. Fair point, except we are all given certain gifts, call them spiritual gifts if you like. Some have multiple gifts. For me the gift was playing drums in the music group. I enjoyed most of my time but in the end it began to feel like a chore. Going to church shouldn’t feel like that. I wanted a year without drumming of any kind.

My drum kit has been in cases since the Christmas Carols service (Dec 8th 06) so I’m obviously not missing playing. When I do start to miss playing I will no doubt search for a church music group in need of a drummer.

The only other gift I can see in service is coaching Aussie Rules and if you could count that as a ministry then I can say I am moving from one form of service to another.

To be continued…….