The Professor and the Gelding talk about worrying signs for Australian cricket – the Professor thinks cricket is in the same boat as swimming and the Melbourne Football Club – all have problems at the top of the tree. The Gelding comments on Michael Clarke’s captaincy 1606 – cricket The Professor and the Gelding also talk about what assistance the AFL should provide to the Melbourne Football Club 1606 – melbournefc
Tag Archives: melbournefc
Sportzfan Radio show #264.1
16 September 2012 264.1 – The Professor welcomes back the Gelding after his holiday on the Sportzfan Radio budget in Hawaii. They talk about the new sponsor DoneDirtCheapdvd.com.au. They also talk about the Southern Football League finals series, the Lingerie Football League, the return of the female roller derby, the finals series in the AFL and NRL. There are some results in from the Hamilton Wildcats in Canada. The Gelding talks racing and the race meeting at Moonee Valley. The Gelding’s favourite sporting moment was watching Makybe Diva win his third Melbourne Cup. The Professor likes the Green Bay Packers winning the Super Bowl and seeing Melbourne FC win the 1964 Grand Final.
Sportzfan Radio 7 August 2011 #213.2
7 August 2011 213.2 – John O’Callaghan joins the Panel and says the AFL are becoming like the AOC with their skullduggery and non accountability to stakeholders. He says Andrew Demetriou should not be running the AFL. John cites tanking as an example and refers to Dean Bailey’s press conference during the week. He also talks about the clear breach of the AFL rules in the signing of Phil Davis by Greater Western Sydney. Nicole Chvastek joins the Panel to talk about Dean Bailey’s revelations on tanking and the way the AFL has dealt with it. They also discuss Jeff Kennett’s comments about Garry Lyon taking on the Football Director’s role at Melbourne for only a short period of time. Paul Dalligan talks about what is happening in the world of rugby league and this week’s round of NRL matches. In addition, he discusses the article written about him by Fred Sherman that appeared on Yahoo Sports following his recent trip to see the LA Dodgers.
Sportzfan Radio 7 August 2011 #213.1
7 August 2011 213.1 – Once again Daniel Eade is unable to join the Panel, this time through illness. The Panel start the show with a discussion on the Melbourne Football Club. Dan Butterly comes on to talk US sport highlighting the imminent start of the College football season. He thinks it is no surprise that Oklahoma is ranked number 1 in the polls. It could be a great year for people who are against the BCS system. Dan is surprised that the Air Force Academy and San Diego State are not in the top 25. He believes that if TCU were a member of one of the BCS conferences they would have been ranked higher. Dan says it is a perception thing. He thinks it is out of Luke Fickell (OSU), Mark Richt (Georgia) and Rick Neuheisel (UCLA) who will be the first College football coach sacked. Dan then looks at the NBA lockout. He thinks it is going to be a very long dispute and realistically they could lose the whole season with the owners playing hardball. Plenty of players have signed overseas agreements meaning they think it won’t be sorted out soon. The NFL has solved their problems and their lockout is over with the teams now in training camp. Dan says it will be interesting to see how the pre-season will go with only a few weeks to the first game. He finishes with a chat about injured Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez being investigated for participating in an underground poker tournament. The Gelding comes on to talk horse racing from Flemington and Randwick yesterday. The Gelding picked three winners and a placing. He also indicates Danish Rock is due for a jumpout at Caulfield on Tuesday.
Sportzfan Radio 31 July 2011 #212.2
31 July 2011 212.2 – Mark Fiorenti continues talking about the draw for World Cup 2014. He thinks the group with Spain and France in is the ‘Group of Death’. There is a discusson of Dean Bailey’s tenure as coach at the Melbourne FC and whether he should be sacked or not. This is followed by Glenn Hampson talking about whether the AFL are getting bang for their buck from the signings of Karmichael Hunt & Israel Folau. Sportzfan Stan says their is no loyalty for clubs these days, just players going for the money. The Panel talk with Paul Dalligan about NRL players involvement in AFL and his duties serving champagne at his lovelies baby shower. He also talks Melbourne Storm’s shackle tackle. Paul also discusses the NRL round in depth. The Gelding calls in to talk horse racing and the results from Caulfield. The Professor talks about using Daniel’s method of selecting horses and picked Mr Griswold for a nice collect. The Gelding even awards an S-hit ride to Keiran McEvoy for his ride on Scarf that upset his all up bet. He also saw Danish Rock’s jump out and says the horse was a bit green and reminded him of a lawyer going to his first conference – all over the place. Glenn finishes off with a discussion on the controversy about Australian cricket contracts. Sportzfan Stan again calls for the sacking of the Australian selectors.
Sportzfan Radio 31 July 2011 #212.1
31 July 2011 212.1 – Sportzfan Stan starts the show ripping the Melbourne FC saying they are a ‘team of the past’ and don’t deserve to be in the AFL. He doesn’t think Dean Bailey should be sacked though and that Melbourne should wait until the end of the season before making a move. Daniel Eade comes on to talk about the NBA lockout – he thinks games will definitely be lost and playing won’t commence until December at the earliest, the chances of Patrick Mills playing in the NBL this season and the coming international matches between the Boomers & Opals and New Zealand at the Cage. He also talks ice hockey with the AIHL finals to be played in Melbourne on 3 -4 September. Sportzfan Stan looks at performance enhancing drugs in sport again and the prevalence of their use. Glenn Hampson makes his debut as a member of the Sportzfan Radio panel and joins the discussion on Alberto Contador. Mark Fiorenti talks soccer and the World Cup 2014 preliminary draw and reviews the Asian section group. He feels the Socceroos should make it through the first round of qualifying.
Would 11 Championships save a coach from the axe?
We all joke on Sportzfan Radio about resident panelist Sportzfan Stan being quick to suggest sports
coaches, administrators, teams & players being sacked. Most recently he called for the sacking of Melbourne Football Club coach Dean Bailey (podcast #200.1). This despite the Demons being in the top eight and with the best start to a season for many seasons. By the way the Demons have since beaten Adelaide by more than 90 points!
My feeling is that we are too quick to pull the trigger in today’s sporting world. Even having excellent records in the recent past is not enough to save a coach or player. One only needs to look at the way the Melbourne Tigers behaved after their season didn’t 
turn out the way they thought it should. Two NBL Championships and four trips to the playoffs in as many seasons couldn’t save long time servant and coach of the club, Al Westover. On our show, Daniel Eade urged restraint and argued a case for Westover’s retention. History tells us that Al was sacked mid season. If one compares Westover’s coaching record to that of Lindsay Gaze, Westover had more success in a much shorter time but even that comparison couldn’t save him.
It seems that today’s ‘must have now’ phenomenon pervades all areas of sport. Being in the USA now and with the NBA finals series in full flight, I am amazed at the reaction of the media to the LA Lakers whitewash at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. Let’s remember that the Lakers were the two time defending champion and have been one of the most successful franchises of all time with 11 championships (5 since 2000 and runners-up twice). Yet today, we are greeted with the media saying the Lakers are a ‘train wreck’…’the locker room needs massive repair’…’fractured franchise’. There have been calls to trade anyone but Kobe…meaning one of last season’s best players, Pau Gasol is on the block because the Lakers failed to win for a third time in a row. Reality check – the NBA is one of the most competitive competitions in all of sport and the Lakers have been to the big dance in each of the last three seasons. Is there really a need for ‘massive’ change?
Memo to the sports media of the world….have some patience. I find support for this proposition in the
example provided by my fellow Sportzfan Radio panelist, Mark Fiorenti when he spoke recently of Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United fame. Early on in his tenure and with not much success, the media and fans were calling for his sacking (a la Sportzfan Stan). The club, to their credit, and eternal satisfaction, stayed the executioner’s hand and one only needs to look at the stellar record since, that has put United at the forefront of soccer in not only Europe, but the world. They are in line this season for the Premier League/Champions League double.
One lucky person is the former coach of the Lakers, Phil Jackson. His retirement after the Lakers last loss at least means we won’t have calls for him to be sacked by all and sundry including Sportzfan Stan. Goodness knows his 11 NBA championships may not have saved him in this ‘need it now’ world.
Restraint is what I will be preaching on Sportzfan Radio from now on!
Sportzfan Radio #189.2
13 February 2011 189.2 – Daniel asks the Gelding why Richmond didn’t put a side in that had a chance of beating Carlton in the NAB Cup so that they could get at least try and get through to the next round. The Gelding didn’t like the alternate jumper and says the Tigers shouldn’t have taken away the yellow sash. The Professor says that the lid is definitely off with Melbourne winning the first two pre-season games. Daniel thinks the NAB Cup is a circus with teams having to wait to play a second game. It can’t be good for the game especially with the introduction of new rules – Daniel says whoever introduced 
them should be sacked. Mark Fiorenti comes on to discuss soccer and he takes positives out of the defeat in the final of the Asian Cup. He is definitely right behind Holger Osieck as coach of the team as he has emphasised team unity. He discusses the A League which is coming to the crunch time of the season and also thinks it may be North Queensland Fury’s last game. In Premier League, Mark looks at the Man Utd & Man City derby. Paul Dalligan is looking forward to the Charity Shield later tonight between St George and South Sydney. He says Wayne Bennett is on fire as a coach and he won’t tip against him in the game, the Newcastle Knights are all cashed up behind Nathan Tinkler and are chasing players and the new NRL Commission needs to be appointed by 30 April 2011 as that is when New Limited intends to step away from the NRL. Paul then
looks at the ABL championship games between Perth Heat and Adelaide Bite. Daniel says Tom Walter the basketball coach of Wake Forest donated a kidney to save one of his players, Kevin Jordan but the College had to first check with the NCAA to make sure it didn’t break any rules. The Professor says that is taking rules too far. Sean Callanan comments on Super Bowl XLV and the effect social media had on the event. He also discusses Sportzfan Radio’s attempt to get Aaron Rodgers on the program. Finally, the Panel differ as to whether Shane Warne and Liz Hurley are a worthy story or not.