Ghost Dog
16-12-2013, 05:39 PM
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/dec/16/james-hirds-essendon-andrew-demetriou
The Guardian puts it's quil pen through the heart of this sorry tail. Interesting to read the story in the international press.
James Hird's shutters the only winners in Essendon saga
The story of Essendon just gets murkier, and everyone – the club, their coach, the AFL and the press – has been tarnished
At this point, the term “saga” is overused to the point of meaninglessness. There’s nothing particularly reminiscent of Norse mythology in Holden leaving Australia, Nelson Mandela’s interpreter or the Australian cricket team’s sledging (well, apart from Mitchell Johnson’s facial hair).
But 10 months in, the story of Essendon Football Club’s misadventures are starting to look positively Wagnerian. But unlike Scandinavian epics of gods and valkyries, there have been no heroes when it comes to what’s happened at Windy Hill (and a disappointing lack of beards and horned helmets). In fact, no one has come out of this looking better than they did before, with the exception of the lovely shutters on James Hird’s Georgian revival mansion, which have made the most of their newfound fame.
Hird himself may have come off worse than anyone. Sure, we’ve learned that the coach has excellent taste in window accessories, but nothing else has made him look like the kind of guy you’d want to have a beer with. I mean, there’s only so long you can talk about Hird and shutters.
In a game full of big egos, Hird has proved has really proved himself to be head, shoulders and silky mullet above the pack. It’s doubtful we’d even be talking about this right now if he’d stepped down while the investigation took its course. Instead, Hird flipped Andrew Demetriou and the AFL the bird (metaphorically, but possibly also physically) while his club’s name was dragged through the mud, the team faltered in the competition and his friend David Evans resigned as club CEO. What a guy.
Hird was only able to behave as he did, mind you, because he was enabled by the staff and fans at Windy Hill. It was as if Hird the premiership hero, Brownlow medallist and coach was bigger than the club. No one stood up to him: not Evans, not Paul Little, not Tim Watson, not anyone. And while the club was inert, some of the fans were obnoxious. The #standbyhird campaign got to the point where I expected to see people wearing charity wristbands and sponsor-a-player ads on TV.
It’s not like Demetriou and the AFL have come out looking any better, though. Denying Hird access to his team Christmas party is a petty move, even if it did save at least a dozen people from being trapped in conversations about the whole window thing. Demetriou reportedly couldn’t even manage to shake the hand of the Herald Sun’s Mark Robinson at the Brownlow medals. Rookie error – everyone knows that the Mark Latham-style vice grip + death-stare is the way to go. Then there’s the matter of what Demetriou knew when about Hird being paid by Essendon, as well as the allegations AFL chief executive tipped Essendon off about the whole shebang way back in February. Unrelated but also poor form: he laughed at players setting a dwarf alight.
Speaking of Robinson, the media haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory, either. It’s not a good look to be chasing Hird’s wife Tania down the street as if she’s a dodgy contractor on A Current Affair while she takes her kids to school. That said, Mrs Hird’s “exclusive” with the Herald Sun hardly fills me with compassion. Surprise! She defended her husband and hit out at the AFL. I can’t wait for the Age’s explosive four-part series interviewing each of Demetriou’s children. I wonder what they’ll say.
Other miscellaneous losers in the Bombers saga
Melbourne water coolers and people who dislike AFL everywhere – Were hoping that conversations would turn to round-ball sports during the warmer months. No such luck.
The Hird family’s neighbours – Hirdy can’t pop down to the shops for a chocolate milk and a packet of smokes without kicking off a media scrum. The Christmas street party in Toorak must have been interesting, assuming Demetriou didn’t bar him from that too.
Wada and Asada – For their cunning tactic of waiting until players have retired and moved to nursing homes before issuing them with infraction notices.
Shutters everywhere – Just can’t measure up.
The Guardian puts it's quil pen through the heart of this sorry tail. Interesting to read the story in the international press.
James Hird's shutters the only winners in Essendon saga
The story of Essendon just gets murkier, and everyone – the club, their coach, the AFL and the press – has been tarnished
At this point, the term “saga” is overused to the point of meaninglessness. There’s nothing particularly reminiscent of Norse mythology in Holden leaving Australia, Nelson Mandela’s interpreter or the Australian cricket team’s sledging (well, apart from Mitchell Johnson’s facial hair).
But 10 months in, the story of Essendon Football Club’s misadventures are starting to look positively Wagnerian. But unlike Scandinavian epics of gods and valkyries, there have been no heroes when it comes to what’s happened at Windy Hill (and a disappointing lack of beards and horned helmets). In fact, no one has come out of this looking better than they did before, with the exception of the lovely shutters on James Hird’s Georgian revival mansion, which have made the most of their newfound fame.
Hird himself may have come off worse than anyone. Sure, we’ve learned that the coach has excellent taste in window accessories, but nothing else has made him look like the kind of guy you’d want to have a beer with. I mean, there’s only so long you can talk about Hird and shutters.
In a game full of big egos, Hird has proved has really proved himself to be head, shoulders and silky mullet above the pack. It’s doubtful we’d even be talking about this right now if he’d stepped down while the investigation took its course. Instead, Hird flipped Andrew Demetriou and the AFL the bird (metaphorically, but possibly also physically) while his club’s name was dragged through the mud, the team faltered in the competition and his friend David Evans resigned as club CEO. What a guy.
Hird was only able to behave as he did, mind you, because he was enabled by the staff and fans at Windy Hill. It was as if Hird the premiership hero, Brownlow medallist and coach was bigger than the club. No one stood up to him: not Evans, not Paul Little, not Tim Watson, not anyone. And while the club was inert, some of the fans were obnoxious. The #standbyhird campaign got to the point where I expected to see people wearing charity wristbands and sponsor-a-player ads on TV.
It’s not like Demetriou and the AFL have come out looking any better, though. Denying Hird access to his team Christmas party is a petty move, even if it did save at least a dozen people from being trapped in conversations about the whole window thing. Demetriou reportedly couldn’t even manage to shake the hand of the Herald Sun’s Mark Robinson at the Brownlow medals. Rookie error – everyone knows that the Mark Latham-style vice grip + death-stare is the way to go. Then there’s the matter of what Demetriou knew when about Hird being paid by Essendon, as well as the allegations AFL chief executive tipped Essendon off about the whole shebang way back in February. Unrelated but also poor form: he laughed at players setting a dwarf alight.
Speaking of Robinson, the media haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory, either. It’s not a good look to be chasing Hird’s wife Tania down the street as if she’s a dodgy contractor on A Current Affair while she takes her kids to school. That said, Mrs Hird’s “exclusive” with the Herald Sun hardly fills me with compassion. Surprise! She defended her husband and hit out at the AFL. I can’t wait for the Age’s explosive four-part series interviewing each of Demetriou’s children. I wonder what they’ll say.
Other miscellaneous losers in the Bombers saga
Melbourne water coolers and people who dislike AFL everywhere – Were hoping that conversations would turn to round-ball sports during the warmer months. No such luck.
The Hird family’s neighbours – Hirdy can’t pop down to the shops for a chocolate milk and a packet of smokes without kicking off a media scrum. The Christmas street party in Toorak must have been interesting, assuming Demetriou didn’t bar him from that too.
Wada and Asada – For their cunning tactic of waiting until players have retired and moved to nursing homes before issuing them with infraction notices.
Shutters everywhere – Just can’t measure up.