Potkorok

And Oz football once again shows how it’s done.....1 step forward, 3 steps backwards, internal division, a few cheap shots, legal action, money wasted, another mediocre performance at international level and meanwhile the geniuses at FFA will be congratulating themselves on their inclusivity and whatnot and voting the chairman in for another term. Honestly you couldn’t make this stuff up. For shame.

Yeah I think I was broadly agreeing with that but felt that the policies were not so much to blame as poor selling of the merits of the policies ( and perhaps just too many for one election campaign) Agree with the Clinton assessment - but also so many disenfranchised white workers turned to Trump because they felt Democrats had abandoned them in the years leading up to the campaign - even a sizeable number of poorer black voters voted for him and these people used to be the Democrats bread and butter supporters - my fear is the Labor party here has been doing the same. Cheers

Happy to agree with that Flytox, however I didn't even mention the issues of climate change, congestion and environmental degradation, governments using high immigration to provide economic growth, rather than productivity increases and business investment, negligible wages growth, the 'gig' economy, casualisation and the opening up of the economy to international competition ( a two-edged sword that one as depends on other countries having genuinely open markets etc ). Also the only reason interest rates are so low is minimal real economic growth, lack of wages growth and very low inflation. I guess what I'm really saying is that I think the taxation system as it stands benefits us older voters moreso than the younger and that is likely to cause resentment and inequality. And that is only one area - poorer older Australians don't benefit much from the system either.

As a traditionally just left-of-centre voter I have to agree with you here - given the disastrous disunity in the coalition ranks only a few months back, it is astonishing that Labor managed to lose this one - definite shades of 1993 and Keating v Hewson, albeit without the birthday cake. Combination of too may policies and too little campaigning. Where I disagree with you is that Labor didn't have sufficient policy agenda - given their recent history of tending to pander to the soft left and identity-politik base in the inner suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne, I was quietly pleased that the announced policies did genuinely seem to be aimed more at the lower and lower-middle class voter (focused tax cuts to low/middle income earners, health and education spending aimed more at need/the bottom 20% and cutting some of the fat given by Howard to the upper middle class (of which, based on income I am one), such as reducing superannuation concessions for those of us who are wealthier, taxing family trusts, cutting CGT and negative gearing and of course, the franking credit fiasco (another Howard sop). While I understand that the franking credit reduction/removal was going to cause some problems for a number of people based on their retirement planning etc, it could have been managed in such a way as to minimise this by not grandfathering the legislation and better information - mind you I do struggle a bit with the whole notion that changes in policy might not have a negative impact on individuals - it happens all the time - ask the genuine unemployed or those struggling on the disability support pension how they are faring after the last 10 years of negative policy!!! There's also the issue of inter-generational conflict as most of those retirees had access to free University education, full employment and cheaper housing, compared to the current younger generation. I am what would be described as a classic Liberal/Conservative fish just waiting to be caught - small business owner, Christian, white, middle-upper middle class, heterosexual and male - yet I despair at the apparent worship of "my kind" by the soft right of Oz politics! I don't need extra help from the government - and it's not because I am some super hard-working bloke who made his own luck - I have been fortunate to work in a growing industry (healthcare), had parents who valued education, got an excellent public school education, was helped a little with house purchasing by parents back in the day and get to live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.....in short, I have been quite blessed/lucky and I want to give back and be part of a community and society - not be locked in some gated community with other entitled, self made individuals who drive Audi Q9s and Posche Cayennes who think they should be rewarded by the government for their own good fortune - and I know I'm not alone because I have chatted many times with friends and patient and clients who feel the same way - we want a fairer Australia with less income inequality, not more and it's so frustrating that the Labor party has forgotten the working class man/woman (a la the Democrats in the U.S.) in favour of whichever particular noisy lobbying group from the identity-politics band-wagon has grabbed control of their agenda this week - the way they are going, they will win the Inner west of Sydney (until the Greens in NSW reorganise themselves) and bits of Melbourne but lose the rest of the country for good. Rant over....sorry - geez last weekend was a shocker in so many ways

I hear you Wendy.........

So from the accompanying video to the logo launch, it would appear that Smithfield and Fairfield are now in the Macarthur region as they are claiming Harry Kewell and Tony Popovic....and is that footage of the RBB at Campbelltown i can see? I could have sworn i saw my son.....

Oh......FFS.....we really need a face-palm emoji along with the heart and laughter ones...... Good on you for trying to hold the various parties to account - but, as I'm sure you're aware, social media is the place to mouth off incessantly with little regard for the consequences, facts or reason coz there is effective anonymity....hell - our own club Facebook supporters pages should've taught us all that by now

I heard the Cove bloke on 702 as well and again I thought he did a great job. Must say I thought he got a decent hearing. Have to remember that the ABC is always under accusation of bias these days and I think the presenters often play devil’s advocate to ensure they can’t be accused of siding with one opinion over another (not something the 2GB/Terrorgraph hacks ever concern themselves with!!!) Having said that I know that Wendy Harmer is one of that rare breed - a former Victorian who follows rugby league and is a passionate Manly supporter, so I guess she may have had an agenda but I didn’t really think so.

So, Santa to come on for the winner?

Make it happen people!

Worst tackle since Muscat on Zahra

Sack the lot. Over this crap. Poor Greenwood sacrificed to the worst back 4 in the league. I know the season is over but seriously?

The FFA and their predecessors have plenty of form - I remember how Soccer Australia used to often schedule Socceroos games on Saturday afternoon when the amateur season was on. There was a suggestion this was deliberate at times which is just treasonous and if not, just inept - seems things haven't changed - see the free kick given to NRL/AFL when the "international window" was on and only Olyroos playing.....

Yeah don’t get me started. I had a minor altercation with a AFL type during the week. A Giants supporter. He started trying to justify Soulless government contributions by saying AFL put in $50m which is crap. Then I asked about the joke ground at Blacktown which is barely if at all used by AFL now and council and state govt stumped up millions for it, yet our local hockey club can’t get them to build two field pitches for less than $300,000. He said it is used by Giants yet I’m sure it’s not. The hockey club have to travel to flippin’ Pennant Hills, Kuringai and Ryde coz of Blacktown councils recalcitrance....but if you’re the AFL they’ll bend over backwards.

Changing the topic slightly.....apparently GWS have managed to get wealthy members to stump up for the naming rights for the Soulless Showground. It will be called Giants Stadium. FFS. And they claim to have 27000 members.....seriously....