The Serve

THE BIG 5 – NAB Cup week 2

5. Was Dean Laidley wrong to take the Kangaroos to task over next weeks Gold Coast fixture?

Certainly a bold move, given Laidley is going into the season under the pump. Offending his employers - hell bent it seems on the sun and the surf - probably not in his best interests.

His defiance in the interest of the clubs hard core fans is as admirable as it is a lone stand. The AFL has no doubt made its decision on where it believes the club can prosper. They realise when the Titans NRL team kicks off in a fortnight, the challenge of getting a foothold on the town will be so much harder, hence the early season saturation. There is such an inevitability now about the Kangaroos moving to south-east Queensland, they might as well get it over and done with and get on with the task of winning the new town over. 

4. Is Leigh Matthews right to complain about having to travel?

Of course he is. In the first week, the South Australian and West Australian teams were at home, Sydney gets to play down the road in the Capital, while the Lions were made to play in the heat of Cairns. Of the interstate teams, Brisbane were the odd team out. Then a trip to Melbourne, now Melbourne again. It doesn’t seem right. Especially given the Kangaroos will get three home games if we include Gold Coast as their own. The Lions could argue they would have been better off losing in week one, however a couple of early wins for a team that was woeful in 06 can only be positive. One would think the lure of a trophy and money will not reduce the Lions to treating the NAB semi as merely a practice match.

3. After another siren bungle, should Aurora Stadium host any more games? Saturday’s ‘faint’ siren at quarter time of the Blues/Hawks was certainly not in the same postcode as last years debacle, however the question has to be asked what point is there in taking games to Tasmania? It’s terrific that the league encourages teams like Hawthorn and St.Kilda to expand their respective fan bases. It can be argued though that with the limited corporate opportunities and attendance numbers Launceston provides, the Saints and the Hawks would be better off staying at home. Especially now that the Gold Coast will win the race to be the new expansion area.

2. Should extra time be part of the home and away season?

Draws are so rare in AFL this is almost a redundant issue, however there’s no doubt there was added excitement to the Geelong/Port Adelaide clash. The horrendous conditions in Darwin would add to the argument that players should not be subjected to overtime, while there is still merit in splitting the points. Probably unnecessary.

1. Is four or six weeks for Jeff Farmer too harsh?

Simple. If there is sufficient proof that Farmer deliberately jammed his fingers into Daniel Pratt’s eye, then four or six weeks is nowhere near enough. There is nothing more shameful and dangerous than gouging. However, if there’s doubt, circumstantial evidence or an educated guess is not enough to rob a player a quarter of his season. Vision of bent fingers is not in his favour, his eyes looking away at the moment of impact though might save him