Xangsamhua

I was thinking the same about the Brissie V Melbourne game. One of the worst of the year.

Any game Brissie wins can't be too bad!

Xang crashed and burnt by the looks of it

So much for my brilliant "strategy".

As the Buddha would say (on hearing about the MRP):

They are neither predictable at being unpredictable, nor unpredictable at being predictable or they are both predictable at being unpredictable and unpredictable at being predictable, or possibly all of these things.

Is that clearer now?

As co-leader of the tipping this week Xang, what is your strategy now?

Strategy??

Tip on form and hope for the best.

Maybe tip a side that's starting to show something (but it often doesn't work).

Don't tip your own team on sentiment or wishful thinking.

Is that all right for strategy?

As the Buddha would say (on hearing about the MRP):

They are neither predictable at being unpredictable, nor unpredictable at being predictable or they are both predictable at being unpredictable and unpredictable at being predictable, or possibly all of these things.

Is that clearer now?

To my knowledge Veera was not part of any leadership group during the airport seizures. He may have attended.

Veera's main problem is that, as a journalist, he's an anti-corruption sleuth and has embarrassed too many people.

As for being Hi-So, he's a Santi Asoke practitioner and lives on vegetables and water, eats once a day and sleeps on the floor.

Well there's an eye-opener, there was I, thinking he was coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network and lived entirely on a diet of extreme ultra-nationalism

The Thai patriots network was a couple of years after the airport occupation. Santi Asoke and Veera took up the unfortunate nationalist cause at the time. They were also (partly? mainly?) concerned for the rights of the dispossessed landowners in the area who were disregarded by the government in the dispute over territory. My memory's a bit rusty over the details, sequence of events, etc.

Thai nationalism is unsavoury to those of us who have in mind the damage done by ultra-nationalism in other places, but the Thais like it - some more than others - but it's a widely shared emotion.

I think Richmond should get the choccies at home against Brissy.

The sides are out today so a withdrawal either way could be a tipping point.

Jack Redden, a key player for the Lions, is out injured after 113 games in succession.

Could make a difference. His replacement, Darcy Gardiner, has played 9 games.

To my knowledge Veera was not part of any leadership group during the airport seizures. He may have attended.

Veera's main problem is that, as a journalist, he's an anti-corruption sleuth and has embarrassed too many people.

As for being Hi-So, he's a Santi Asoke practitioner and lives on vegetables and water, eats once a day and sleeps on the floor.

This clip of Johnno Brown after Brissies win last night brought a tear to my eye.

http://www.afl.com.au/video/smart-replay?round=CD_R201401415&matchId=CD_M20140141506&eventType=Goal&seek=7640&videoQuality=med

Stirring stuff. Browny never shed a tear in any of his farewells over the past week. A strong man indeed.

But what did Brad Scott say to Tom Rockliff while Brown was talking? It didn't look very serious from my view of the body language, but a bit of a reprimand nonetheless. Rockliff wasn't all that happy about the timing.

I gather Rocky and Boomer had been having words during the game, and at the end Rocky decided to make the point that the young Lions weren't pushovers. Boomer didn't seem too pleased at the comment, but it looks like the sort of thing that would pass under the bridge straight away. Rockliff apologised for it anyway.

The young Lions are pushovers for a powerful side - not North - but they are a very young team. Only six of the players who took the field on Saturday night have played over 100 games, and one of them was Ash McGrath, the only 200-gamer, who's on his last legs. Ten players had played less than 50 games, and 6 less than 22, i.e. less than a full season. Under the new management I don't think any of them will be seeking release at the end of the season to go back to their families, so there's hope for the future. I suspect Leppitch is a steadier influence than Voss, too.

I can remember a player drafted by Brisbane who initially refused to go with them and spent an extra season in the SANFL. This big head challenged the whole draft system, and initially resisted going to The Bears. He reluctantly went there the next year, but refused to stay with them and did a deal to move to Victoria after one season.

The Bears knew they weren't going to be able keep him so dealt with Collingwood to swap him for two players and their top draft pick.

Clubs in non AFL states would disappear if they had to pick only from their own areas. If they again divided the country up into territories it would create more dissention among players than the draft system. I think this is the only fair way of doing it.

A whole different level, but when I was a lad playing footy I was bought up as a strong West Perth supporter. Unfortunately, my suburb was designated as part of Subiaco's territory so I had no choice on which club I went to. No if, no buts, no transfers. I wasted a year or two playing Sunday league before reluctantly turning up at Subi oval halfway through a season. Left my run a bit late for bigger things.

Wasn't the rumour about Buckley was that he didn't want to play with the Bears because he wanted to play finals?

Brissy ended up with 3 premierships and he go SFA

I think you're right, Will. To be fair though, Buckley played well for Brisbane in the year he was there.

I know little about Buckley, but read an interview with him and Martin Flanagan a few years ago. He seemed OK. Hated the FIGJAM label and thought it was really unfair.

On reflection, though, I thought both Buckley and Malthouse overreacted and showed bad sportsmanship after the 2002 GF.

Suns for premiers!! Those boys are really finding their feet.

Pity I didn't pick them.

Apparently you did pick them

Blow me down! So I did.

5 so far including Freo.

Suns for premiers!! Those boys are really finding their feet.

Pity I didn't pick them.

WCE by 3 points after being up by 35 points at 3 quarter time.

Never in doubt

Phew! The SUns shouuld have finished WCE off there mate!

Who u have tonight?

I have Brissie and North...both currently being beaten in the first Q!

And so it remained... Lions just did not look interested

I thought they just looked incapable. They certainly made the Giants look good.

Can't believe the players have been handed a show cause notice. How could they be expected to know that their coaches and specialist staff are giving them dodgy stuff to take? Must be a human rights issue in there somewhere.

This is a cloud that will hang over the whole Essendon club - players, coaches, administrators - for years. It's not like singling out an individual like Marion Jones and throwing the book at her. The implications for the players' careers and the viability of the club are much wider.

I'm angry, but I guess that's just being unrealistic.

Short visits abroad don't count against your 2-year requirement. I have this in writing from the Department of Social Services who are the people responsible for interpreting the Act. They also said they have advised the Department of Human Services who administer the pensions. This followed incorrect advice I'd received from DHS.

However, if you leave Australia during the two years, payment of your pension will be suspended for the duration of your absence.

OK Thank you a lot different from what they told me but I am ok receiving the OAP I am happy.Do you by any chance know how long a short visit would be.I guess it would be shorter than a holiday but how long is a holiday.Thank you

I'm not sure. Maybe someone else knows. I think at present you can go abroad for up to six weeks without having to reapply for the pension. If you did it too often I suppose they'd be interested, as during the first two years you'd be foregoing income while away.

I have just applied for the age pension[in Australia] and qualified in all aspects except one, because I have lived in Thailand for a few years, returning every year to Aust ,I was told I was declared a non resident and had to live in Aust for 2 full years to keep my pension, I have a wife of 7 years here and dont know if I can avoid leaving her for 2 years

How long did you return to Australia for every year???.How long is a few yearsYou can appeal their decision but I think you have to be in Australia when you do.Come back to Australia for 2 years and get a visa for your wife to come ,she would like it.Main thing to remember is if you leave Australia when your 2 years start only for a short time your 2 years starts again.Can you live in Thailand without the pension it is very expensive in Australia to live now.Good luck

Short visits abroad don't count against your 2-year requirement. I have this in writing from the Department of Social Services who are the people responsible for interpreting the Act. They also said they have advised the Department of Human Services who administer the pensions. This followed incorrect advice I'd received from DHS.

However, if you leave Australia during the two years, payment of your pension will be suspended for the duration of your absence.

Not fond of Sondhi, J1V?

I probably shouldn't post this here, but for those of us who are interested in all codes of football (gridiron doesn't count for me), this nine minute video gives a good insight into the passion that State of Origin football (Rugby League) arouses among Queenslanders, and what an iconic stadium Lang Park is. Apart from RL SoO, Rugby Union and Soccer are also played here and get over 50,000 fans for the big games, huge crowds for Brisbane.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-22/billy-moore-explains-the-legend-of-the-queenslander-call/5471316

It's interesting that SoO is such a big thing in Qld and NSW, but Aussie Rules SoO generates so little interest.

Lions CEO stood down. Chairman looking shaky, too

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/brisbane-lions-ceo-malcolm-holmes-stood-down-afl-to-withdraw-support-of-springfield-venture/story-fnia3y5g-1226909714327

Under pressure from the new CEO of the AFL, Malcolm Holmes has been stood down and the AFL will no longer back the planned $15 million training venue at Springfield (way out in the western suburbs, within Ipswich city boundaries), a project backed by Chairman Bob Sharpless who has a conflict of interest in the venture.

The Lions are $10 million in debt and that looks like increasing to $12 million by the end of the year. Gillon McLachlan has said rescuing the Lions is a priority, as it well should be, given that it was the AFL's decision to bring in the Suns that led to the Lions' woes. SE Queensland simply can't support two AFL sides only 60 km from each in an environment which has two successful NRL rugby league sides, one successful Super XV rugby union side and an A-League soccer team that won the premiership last Sunday in front of a home crowd of 52,000 people.

But now we've got two AFL sides, and former support and membership has split between them. There's no sign of increasing interest in AFL at school level or in the general population; the growth code is soccer. Unless the Lions start doing well they'll only get crowds at the Gabba of around 20,000. They claim to have increased membership, but that's because of people like me who take out a 3-game membership and are counted in the total. (I won't attend night games, and most are at night.)

I don't think the Lions should be given artificial respiration from the AFL. I don't think it'll work. If the Suns do well, and I hope they will, it'll be at the Lions' expense caused by the AFL, and once they've won a premiership or two and then have to start rebuilding they'll lose support, so we'll have two struggling entities in the Brisbane-Gold Coast strip (they're just about connected now). Perhaps an amalgamation might be necessary down the track, or an absorption by Brisbane of the Suns (can't see it the other way round), but I can't see any AFL boost being enough to overcome the reality that two AFL sides can't both be successful in SE Queensland.

Christ I thought Carlton were bad, not a pinch on the Lions, couldn't even lift for Browny's 250th. Just before 3/4 time I thought they were in with a sniff

That was their lift. Four goals in the third quarter. Then Richmond woke up from their nap.

Lions are not as bad as they look at the moment. Missing Rich, Merrett, Leuenberger and Hanley, they fielded 10 young guys with less than 25 games. As Justin Leppitsch said "We've been hit by a few things in the last few weeks, injuries, suspensions … footy dishes up all this stuff ... it turns around".

I don't think they'll win 10 games now, but they'll win a few. They're not another Melbourne 2011-12.

Brown in this morning's Courier-Mail apologised for his lack of discipline in the 2004 season. Said his suspensions may have led to the team having to play a "home" preliminary final in Melbourne, resulting in back to back travel and a shorter turnaround.

Leigh Matthews didn't think it was a factor though, saying the loss of ruckman Jamie Charman was a bigger concern.

Jonathan Brown's 250th game this week.

He's missed 88 all up due to injury or suspension.

Lions will wear a special guernsey for the game, with the leftwards facing lion.

This is the last year of the paddlepop, thank goodness.

My big upset for the weekend. Gold Coast to win against Hawthorn.

Suns are certainly jumping at the chance. They're full of beans down there. Seems a big ask though.