Finally, we can scrub a couple of clichés from the coaches' little black book of sporting vocabulary.
As the AFL revealed last week there is no such thing as a level playing ground, the conditions aren't the same for both teams and what goes around, doesn't come around.
At least that is the case for the competition's fixtures.
Fairness is no longer a word uttered within the halls of AFL House in Melbourne. As long as it works for the league as a whole then it is fair enough.
Essendon playing just three interstate matches outside of Victoria while West Coast have to take 10 long haul flights doesn't sound unbiased. Hawthorn having what is in effect 16 matches on their home grounds while others play just 11 on their local turf seems to be an imbalance.
And then there is Fremantle. Collingwood line up at the MCG 14 times, the Dockers, and there needs to be a double check of the fixtures here, don't play there at all. Well not until the grand final, mind you.
The AFL doesn't expect Fremantle to get that far. As only three matches are being beamed into free-to-air TV sets in Melbourne will anyone at the home of Australian football know how far the Dockers got in 2010?
Fremantle's treatment at the AFL fixtures tables highlights two elements. Firstly, the Dockers simply aren't respected east of the Darling Range.
That is a major problem for the Dockers. A lot of people very important to the game, including many wise men who fund the sport, live in Melbourne. What is out of sight can certainly be out of mind when it comes time to pull out the chequebook.
Secondly, is there any sport in the world that is fair?
There has been a an army of soccer sycophants highlight the English Premier League model which has the 20 teams playing each other twice - home and away.
Yet the EPL isn't fair. Look at the disparity between Manchester United and Hull City. The latter over the course of a season can't compete with the cashed up Red Devils.
Indeed, EPL boss Richard Scudamore confirmed last year his league wasn't perfect after all.
"There is a perfect symmetry to our league (fixtures) but that is not the same thing as saying it is fair," he said.
Does swimming not have its own dishonesty because historically more gold medals are won from lane four than lane eight? Then there is horse racing in which thoroughbreds are rated and different weights applied to their saddle bags.
Is the annual cricket Test in Brisbane a bit tainted because the pitch plays a lot differently on the Saturday than it did on the Tuesday?
Taking all of that into account it is fair to say Fremantle still got shafted.
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Last week's blog included concerns about the secrecy of the WA Football Commission board elections.
Never have the WAFC publicly revealed the candidates for the annual poll. Until now.
Two days after the concerns were raised on this blog, the commission volunteered the latest round of applicants for the important task of running the code across the State.
The WAFC should be commended. And thewest.com.au is taking all the credit.
Now here are the awards for this week.
The Arthur Tunstall (official of the week)
Jack Clarke (Cricket Australia): We know how the chairman of cricket Australia bet on Melbourne Cup day. He had 50 cents each way. It was the same for his recent view that the international cricket calendar was far too crowded. But Clarke won't put any pressure on India, which seems to have another tournament every other week, to cut their schedule. Once again nothing can be said about the Indian board of cricket (BCCI) or they might not invite us back again.
Cobb and Co. coach of the week
Robbie Deans (Wallabies): A whitewash against the All Blacks isn't great for any coach's CV. Deans is under more pressure than a peanut under and elephant's foot and unless there are more positive results in the Test against England beads of sweat could start dripping from the Kiwi coach's forehead.
The Big Blunder (presented by the makers of the aluminium bat)
Newcastle FC: The famous English soccer club has renamed its home park "Sportsdirect.com (at) St. James' Park Stadium". Any longer and they need to build another arena just to fit in all the letters.
Toughen up Princess prize.
Andre Agassi (tennis): Why did the drug-taking, womanising, wig-wearing, tennis superstar want to write a book outlining all of his mistakes? He could have gone to the grave with some of revelations. Instead, his showman image is tarnished and for the next few years he is going to have to deal with some hard questioning.
Comments
Perhaps that old cliché of all is fair in love and war, should now read all is fair in love, war and sport. But on the positive side, at least by playing at Etihad Stadium you're playing in front of a near capacity crowd which creates for a better atmosphere.
Nov 8 03:40 pm