Monday, May 12, 2014: Redefining the genre of ASADA Journalism...

A smattering. This weekend we saw a smattering of football. Just enough to constitute a round, not quite enough to generate any excitement. A tentative spread of a condiment we're not sure if we like yet.

Tonight it continues. In front of a smattering of people, St. Kilda will play Carlton in a game we're trying desperately to get excited about. Two ordinary teams, one which was an alleged contender, the other apparently doomed from the start. That they meet on a pretty much even footing is perhaps a story, but they will have no impact come September; it's an exercise in marketing irrelevance.

The biggest achievement in this round was not Sydney beating Hawthorn, nor Josh Kennedy's 11-straight goals against the Giants. No, it's a triumph against much greater odds. A triumph achieved not under the shining lights of the MCG or even under the aluminium roof of the Dome, but instead under the standard wattage lightbulbery of Fairfax HQ - where Sports scribe Chris Barrett works.

Barrett has managed, through some skulduggery no doubt, to get access to the inner workings of ASADA. If you ignore the fact that ASADA leaks like almost no organisation before it, it is truly stunning journalism. His story, which predicts D-Day for Essendon and Cronulla could come as early as this week, is replete with the almost inherent 'It is understood that..'s and 'Farifax Media has been told...'s that have come to define the genre of 'ASADA-Journalism'. Barrett reveals that up to 40 players from Essendon could receive show-cause notices.... which they must then respond to.... and then they will be assessed.... and then potentially places on a register of findings.... and THEN, maybe, infraction notices will be issued.

D-Day indeed.

In the news...
The Match Review Panel has been hard at work killing all that is great about our game: Jarryd Roughead has been given one week for bumping Ben McGlynn, Paul Chapman got a week for a hit on Dayne Zorko, Mark LeCras got two, Liam Jones got two and Matt Maguire from Brisbane got a one week sentence for tripping. More details here.

Cyril Rioli's hamstring twang will see him miss 3-4 weeks.