This is ludicrous. I understand that AFL is a pro sport, but it’s a game. Disguising greed as the right to ask for better pay and conditions is really insulting to the fans. True, there’d be no AFL without players but the same can be said for coaches, commentators, televisors and sponsors. And fans. The timing of the AFLPA play at getting more when their snouts are already in the trough is obvious. The average player salary is already over $220,000 or around $10,000 per game, and they want more to keep ahead of inflation? The AFL team salary cap is over $8million, with a floor of around $7.6million. This doesn’t take into account veteran wages and other loopholes which can increase individual pays by around a third.

Really, they can’t cry poor. At least they’re not striking, but threatening to cover the AFL logo on their jumpers this weekend just reeks spoilt greedy children.

When I see 95% conversion of set shots no more than 35m and 45 degrees from in front of the goals, maybe then they can ask for a productivity-based raise. Or when they start playing mid-week and 80- games per season.

Today Collingwood and St Kilda met each other for the first time in a Grand Final since 1966. Like their previous encounter, St Kilda scored a very late point in the game – however in this case, the result was only the third drawn Grand Final in history with a final score of 68-68.

In the AFL, a drawn game is a drawn game. There’s no time on, there’s no penalty shoot out. There’s no rock – paper – scissors. What this all means is that we come back next week at the same bat-time, same bat-place for the AFL Grand Final Part 2 – Electric Boogaloo.

Interviews after the game with players showed dissatisfaction with the result, which is understandable. There were 100,016 people in attendance at the game, and they were all silent. No shouts for joy, no tears of regret. Just a stunned silence of disbelief that they need to pony up another couple hundred dollars for next weeks game. I’m not sure that any other professional sports league in the world replays their final, but that’s part of what makes the AFL the AFL.

Many players will contend this years Brownlow Medal, favourites including Dane Swan of Collingwood, Luke Hodge of Hawthorn, and Gary Ablett of Geelong who is also last years winner. It’s being televised now but I just can’t bring myself to watch the whole ceremony because it’s just so damn boring!  We have to sit through some dude reading three votes from 22 rounds of 8 games. That’s 528 repetitions of “Team, Initial Surname, X Votes”. Riveting stuff.

To get people interested the media resort to televising the “blue carpet” where the players WAGS show off their frocks and as much skin as possible while still trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. Sadly, it’s widely conceded that this is the most entertaining aspect of the whole night.

Most of the actual players they’ve interviewed have appeared overwhelmed and uncomfortable in front of the camera, awkwardly wringing their hands with their eyes darting from side to side even when thrown the easiest lightweight questions. Have they had no training from the AFL or their agents in conducting themselves in front of the media?

I commented last year on why the Brownlow has little credibility anyhow. How can umpires be responsible in determining the best player?

The 2010 Select series 2 was released last week, called “Prestige”. I’m disappointed, on the whole. I mean, it wouldn’t take too much effort or skill with photoshop to sexy these up a bit. Even if the background splotches were more random and unique, they’d look so much nicer. Still, worth the $2.50 I paid for the set of 12.

There’s only 66 sets of these made every year, given as prizes in the Teamcoach website competition. In previous years the structure of the competition has been a little different, with 44 or 22 sets made per year.  They don’t come up on ebay very often, so they’re quite rare and generally expensive. If you come first, second or third in the weekly Teamcoach competition, you can win a complete set of Teamcoach Prize Cards. Occasionally (like once or twice a year) you’ll see a complete set on sale on ebay, but more often than not the seller will break them up into team sets. I’ve seen Carlton and Collingwood sets sell for more than $250. Yes, that’s a six, nine or twelve card set depending on the year. The latest full 2010 Prize Set on ebay sold for $600. A 2010 Richmond set sold for $103. I got this Fremantle set for $16 plus change so I’m pretty stoked. I should probably start playing this game.

Being a Fremantle fan sometimes has advantages.

So, the poor Dockers didn’t win which drops them from second to third on the Premiership Ladder, equal second with Geelong but behind on percentage. They stayed competitive for about 2 thirds of the game but eventually were handed a reality check to their fairytale start to 2o1o.

On a more positive note, Mark Webber is starting at pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, which means that he is likely to win since passing in Monaco is very hard. Webber squeaked ahead of Kubica’s 1m 14.120s qualifying time with 1m 14.104s, but then slammed in the only sub-1m 14s lap of the weekend with 1m 13.826s to throw the issue beyond doubt. It was his second consecutive pole and his third of the season, and Red Bull’s sixth. It starts in half an hour, but I dunno if I’ll stay up to the end as it’s probably the most boring single auto race outside America. They really need to take out the chicane after the tunnel

Who would have ever thought we’d read or hear the phrase “Top of the table clash with Fremantle“? Certainly not me. Collingwood and Fremantle are both on 24 points, a game clear of 4 other teams on 20 points. Fremantle happen to be playing Collingwood tonight, so if the Dockers win then they’ll be outright leaders for the first time in history. It’s all very strange and unfamiliar territory.

I’m sure the Dockers are a cursed team. In 15 seasons, they’ve finished about 12th out of 16 teams on average. They had only 2 season where they won more games than theve lost. They’ve only ever won one wooden spoon which came in 2001 which, I guess, is a positive. They’ve appeared in the post season only twice, winning one game and losing three. They’re the only team never to have won a premiership. To compare, Port Adelaide has been playing for around the same amount of seasons and has finished on top of the ladder twice, and has won a premiership. What is probably the lowpoint of the club came last year, when they managed only one goal against Adelaide.

But 2010 is a new year and a new opportunity. I know where I’ll be tonight: glued to the TV hoping for another Dockers win.

Mostly the same as last year and 2008, the Chipz are back. 9 regular Chipz per team with onfield headshots, plus 3 foil metalic ones with posed shots. Included this year are five 3D Live Chipz, which I assume you hold up in front of your web cam and an image pops up out of them much like other augmented reality apps.

The Chipz also have some stats which go along with some game you can play with them.

I always like the Teamcoach sets. I’ve never actually played the game at the website, but I’ve collected them each year. I’ve not payed more than $15 per team set, including the Prize sets. The common sets are usually around $3 off ebay. Fremantle are generally cheaper than any other team. Because they suck. There I said it. As usual, action shot on the front with a generic back.

I took Ashton with her Nanna to the footy to see Port Adelaide playing West Coast at Subiaco Oval tonight. Not the best seats in the house, and not only because I could not physically wedge myself into my seat. Not that I should complain too much because they were free seats, loaned to us by a friend who was going away for the weekend. We took sandwiches and drinks, and we rode on the train for free so it turned out to be an inexpensive night, but not a good night if you are and Eagles fan. I think Ashton was a bit overwhelmed by so many people and how, shall we say, “enthusiastic” they all were. It ended up being a long night as we got home at about 10:30pm. Eagles cost me a point in the tipping, too. Hmph.