Absurdity of the 'Country' game

[Spook]

Supported by todays press:
https://thewest.com.au/business/wa-mega-farm-up-for-grabs-in-wheatbelt-for-85m-ng-b88834347z

WA’s biggest broadacre farmer, John Nicoletti, has put his full 200,000ha portfolio in the eastern and northern Wheatbelt on the market, with a price tag of between $75 million and $85 million.

Three years ago, after a string of bad seasons led to high debts, Mr Nicoletti sold 70,000ha, the biggest single offering of freehold land in WA history, to Hong Kong-based Chinese interest CK Life Sciences for $36 million ...

Mr Nicoletti said the time was right for him to exit farming, but he was not retiring and would put more effort into his string of John Deere dealerships throughout the Wheatbelt.

“I’m 64, going on 65. If I was 10 years younger I wouldn’t be doing this,” he said.

Yep
For the others on this thread; I agree the big corporations are buying in on the assets. Farms will still be run and operated by farmers.
It can go both ways as well. Wellards, an Italian private company, started buying up a decade or so ago... and recently have started to sell out. One of their big properties were purchased by a company that is an Australian farming company. Just because it's a company/corporation doesn't mean they aren't farmers.... that's a bit like saying BHP aren't miners.

https://thewest.com.au/countryman/news/wellard-chiefsells-grangefor-32m-ng-b88722377z

 

[The 747]

This game theme is a joke by the way. I am embarrassed my club agreed to it but then again I have moved on....;-)

 

[pablo668]

Ugh, does this mean they are going to dust off Lee Kernaghan again?

 

[rippersnipper]

Wouldn't the Dogs vs Geelong in Ballarat make more sense? Gives the doggies a sort of marquee match - god knows the bombers have enough already.

 

[Adz]

The game should be played in Geelong.

 

[gopies1981]

Should be Bulldogs hosting Geelong at Ballarat for the "country game"

Correct I like it!!

What the hell does Essendon have to do with the country. They play all their home games in Melbourne. Guess they will do anything to try a pull a crowd at windy hill. Unfortunately for them they have not been the it team that all the young kids want to follow since 2001.

Geelong and bulldogs should play in country games in either Geelong one year an then Ballarat the next. Then you can call it country. Unless Essendon want to play a home game with in Ballarat or Bendigo Which I bet sheedy would never let happen

 

[DrEvil_]

When I think of combine harvesters I think of Essendon

I thought manure were all Richmond?

 

[Nostradumbass]

I thought manure were all Richmond?

premiership manure, yeah

 

[Stevi_Tigers]

When is Kevin going to think up 'Dole bludging loser day'? They could play it in West Heidelberg.

That would be a normal Collingwood home game

 

[Tandy]

I'm from the country. Last year I moved to Melbourne to study temporarily. My class mates who some had degrees and other various qualifications had no clue where my country town was. No clue what South West, Wimmera, Mallee and so on meant! 50% of them had Heard about Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo and the words ' Great Ocean Road'. I couldn't believe in this day and age people don't know these things. I'm some what familiar with at least 50-100 towns/Cities in every state just by basic reading and travelling. So though the Country Game is a good idea in theory, most of Melbourne wouldn't give a $hit$.

Edit: Apologises to those that are from Melbourne and do know some things about Country Victoria by taking the time to just have a look, its appreciated. We still exist out here!

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

how many of these concepts does sheedy come up with. what happened to the union game between essendon and north?

We haven't had a "thing" with Essendon games since the price of marshmallows went up.

 

[sonnywalters]

Leave it alone.

It is the one weekend a year I get to bang my cousin and not feel guilty.

 

[Tas]

I have great respect for s**t kickers, lived a few years out in the sticks. I'd love to go back but bad internet is a no no.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I'm from the country. Last year I moved to Melbourne to study temporarily. My class mates who some had degrees and other various qualifications had no clue where my country town was. No clue what South West, Wimmera, Mallee and so on meant! 50% of them had Heard about Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo and the words ' Great Ocean Road'. I couldn't believe in this day and age people don't know these things. I'm some what familiar with at least 50-100 towns/Cities in every state just by basic reading and travelling. So though the Country Game is a good idea in theory, most of Melbourne wouldn't give a $hit$.

Edit: Apologises to those that are from Melbourne and do know some things about Country Victoria by taking the time to just have a look, its appreciated. We still exist out here!

And there you go.

It’s a Country Festival. That’s what it’s called. I don’t know why people can’t get their head around it.

They’re having a crack at something. It might work, it might not. If it does, in ten years the same supporters bagging it will be whinging why it’s not rotated to include their club.

 

[citizen-erased]

Its all a ruse to make sure Essendon never have to travel down the highway ever again.

again?
have we ever played at that basket case of a ground?
good plan though. that ground is rigged

 

[ExTasDeeMan]

I'm a bit curious on the theme, are they donating more money from the round to country football - or is it just an excuse to get some players to sit on a few hay bales, put on a barely feathered akubra and wink at the camera? I'm from the country originally, and really find that s**t a bit rich.

 

[Kwality]

I'm from the country. Last year I moved to Melbourne to study temporarily. My class mates who some had degrees and other various qualifications had no clue where my country town was. No clue what South West, Wimmera, Mallee and so on meant! 50% of them had Heard about Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo and the words ' Great Ocean Road'. I couldn't believe in this day and age people don't know these things. I'm some what familiar with at least 50-100 towns/Cities in every state just by basic reading and travelling. So though the Country Game is a good idea in theory, most of Melbourne wouldn't give a $hit$.

Edit: Apologises to those that are from Melbourne and do know some things about Country Victoria by taking the time to just have a look, its appreciated. We still exist out here!

Education standards ...

 

[Cmarsh]

Seems to be a lack of decent afl standard grounds in regional Victoria they could play it at.

 

[wandering123]

Hilarious that the game was a night game last year and a twilight fixture this season.

Anybody who actually lives in the country won't be getting home until well after 10pm - great if you've got young kids or an early start the next day I imagine.

Yeah would love to know who's milking the cows that evening...

Game should be at Geelong during the afternoon.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Seems to be a lack of decent afl standard grounds in regional Victoria they could play it at.

I struggle with this argument. The facilities certainly wouldn't be to the standard of the G or Etthiad, but no-one would expect them to be.

As for the surface quality it seems wrong to me. Are we saying that we cant risk valuable AFL players on a surface where local comps are played and those players health just doesn't matter as much?

The AFL players have best quality medical care that can be provided if they do get injured, and ongoing contract payments.. For the country players doing an ACL for example could easily mean no income for a year depending on the job they hold.

If playing the odd AFL game focusses attention on the the surface quality and player safety that's great, sad that it's necessary, but great.

 

[StillAtLarge]

I struggle with this argument. The facilities certainly wouldn't be to the standard of the G or Ethiad, but no-one would expect them to be.

As for the surface quality it seems wrong to me. Are we saying that we cant risk valuable AFL players on a surface where local comps are played and those players health just doesn't matter as much?

The AFL players have best quality medical care that can be provided if they do get injured, and ongoing contract payments.. For the country players doing an ACL for example could easily mean no income for a year depending on the job they hold.

If playing the odd AFL game focusses attention on the the surface quality and player safety that's great, sad that it's necessary, but great.

Surface quality unlikely to be inferior to docklands with its slippery grass, patchy lifeless turf and dangerous astro

 

[Prince Imperial]

Wouldn't the Dogs vs Geelong in Ballarat make more sense? Gives the doggies a sort of marquee match - god knows the bombers have enough already.

Mars only has an 11k capacity. Five times since 2006 we've had home crowds against Geelong ranging from 41k to 46k.

 

[Furn2]

As long as there's dueling banjos at half time what the issue ?

 

[Runk]

Well my team is doing it's bit by playing to the standard of a country league game.

Well played

 

[Sauras]

Looking forward to getting out on the ground at quarter time to hear what the coach has to say.