Monday, June 23, 2014: The recession we had to have...

At a point during last week's Smother Holiday, while we hiked around the pristine wilderness of Western Sydney's shopping malls searching for any signs of a Giants fanbase, we realised that we had lost our way. Indeed, while unsuccessfully scouring those merchandise stands filled with red and black Wanderers detritus for any orange or grey, it became clear that one of our favourite stories had also gone missing; camoflagued by ASADA and actual football stories.

We forgot what modern day football was all about. The 70's are gone, those idealistic notions of suburban grounds and affordable supplies are dead and buried. The new millennium gave birth not only to spinning advertising signs and 24 hour football channels, but also to a new kind of game - a game that, while not taking place on the field, can be just as exciting as the real thing - especially if Fremantle are playing.

The grand spectacle that has come to define modern football, as much as anything else, happens in board rooms and at luncheons. It's old, rich men, arguing about money - and it is at the very epicentre of the AFL. Love it or loathe it, the decisions made by these suited marvels have far more impact on the Premiership than Buddy or Gazza - equalisation taxes, cost of living allowances, stadium deals - that is where the flag is won.

It would be remiss of us, therefore, to ignore the weekends most pertinent match-up; Eddie McGuire's from-a-distance slugfest with GWS Chairman Tony Shepherd. Shepherd, who until recently was enlisted by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to suggest all manner of cruel and unusual punishments to deter people from being poor, has embraced a socialist ideal when it comes to his football club. "If we want a vibrant and growing national competition then we must have 18 sustainable clubs, all with an opportunity to be competitive" said Shepherd, in his defence of GWS' draft concessions and academies. Not to be outdone, Eddie clambered aboard his capitalist horse and decreed that the new clubs had spread playing stocks too thin, and that there were now 'too many spuds' playing the game (evidence we saw first hand when Collingwood played the Bulldogs last weekend).

While Shepherd has stopped short of donning some dreadlocks and occupying AFL House, he may embrace another type of politics; when it comes to playing talent - this might be the recession we had to have...

The Monday Wrap
Friday:
Sydney 62 defeated Richmond 51
Saturday:
Port Adelaide 128 defeated Western Bulldogs 56
Hawthorn 115 defeated Collingwood 86
Gold Coast 118 defeated Geelong 78
Fremantle 105 defeated Brisbane 22
Essendon 101 defeated Adelaide 92
Sunday:
GWS 100 defeated Carlton 92
West Coast 103 defeated St. Kilda 70
North Melbourne 107 defeated Melbourne 66

Ladder
Port Adelaide - 44 - 148.51
Hawthorn - 40 - 145.68
Sydney - 40 - 135.37
Fremantle - 36 - 134.22
Geelong - 36 - 106.43
Collingwood - 32 - 113.64
North Melbourne - 32 - 111.07
Gold Coast - 32 - 105.79
Essendon - 28 - 106.24
West Coast - 24 - 112.17
Adelaide - 24 - 103.27
Carlton - 16 - 87.35
Western Bulldogs - 16 - 80.76
GWS Giants - 16 - 78.53
Melbourne - 16 - 76.76
Richmond - 12 - 92.53
Brisbane - 12 - 59.89
St. Kilda - 12 - 59.32

In the news...
After one smashed-in-head too many, Brisbane champion Jonathon Brown has announced his immediate retirement. "It's been a hard pill to swallow even though deep down inside I knew it was the right answer" said Brown, neglecting to mention the appeal of a spot in a forward line that managed 3.4 against Fremantle at the weekend.

Port Adelaide rucking-defender Jackson Trengove has re-signed at Alberton until the end of 2017. At the time of writing he was yet to say that he was 'really enjoying his time at the footy club', however The Smother understands he will read an excerpt from the AFLPA's 'what to say when you've re-signed' handbook shortly.  

No real news on ASADA, but you can read some legal mumbo-jumbo and wild speculation here.