Coming to grips with a rather shaky pre-game tradition

[BulldogBelle]

Murph's latest offering - the handshake...

Coming to grips with a rather shaky pre-game tradition
The Age | Bob Murphy | April 2, 2010

'WHY DON'T you get off the fence with all this fluffy stuff and have a crack for once?!''

The gym of a football club pretty much works like a court of law, or it does out at the kennel anyway. Any number of accusations can and will be levelled at anyone, anytime if the mood should strike.

Last week, as we prepared for round one, it was my turn. As I went about my weights training, I was set upon by some Bulldog barristers about this little column I write for The Age.

It started innocently enough, when Ben Hudson (aka The Beard) asked me what I had in store for column No. 1 of 2010. Fair question, I thought - Ben is getting a little tired of his beard being name-checked pretty much every week in these pages (oh dear, I've done it again), so I guess he was within his rights to wonder how the season in print would kick off.

I gave The Beard a vague answer about toenails, train rides, David Bowie lyrics and the like, and the mood changed quicker than Will Minson's mind. My feisty Italian friend Daniel Giansiracusa joined Huddo, creating a two-on-one.

As I've said, I believe his words implied that I spend my literary life sat on the fence, writing ''fluffy stuff'', and never actually having ''a crack''.

This is pretty much how the judicial system of the gym works at our footy club. The accusation is levelled, the murmuring crowd gathers, and finally the accused is backed into a corner, frantically defending his honour against an angry mob. Years of experience have taught me it's a lot more fun being part of the angry mob.

So, with the overwhelming view of my peers in mind, I think it's time to add my voice to an issue that's been bubbling along in the AFL for some time now. An issue that isn't so much a call to arms, as a call to hands. Hands that shake.

Yes, the great handshake debate is back on the agenda!

Click HERE to read the remainder of the article....

[AndrewP6]

"AKA The Beard" - love it!

[jazzadogs]

I'll kick off the "I love reading Murph's articles every week, and this is one of his best" comments.

[LostDoggy]

Why was his article in today's 'Age' and not yesterday's as it has been in the past? Does anyone know?
Murph forgot to say if the elbow in the back happened again last week!!
Must say Murph is a 'marvel.'

[LostDoggy]

Such a funny old fella is murphy.