This bit of news coming out of Melbourne has been quite sad for me, as an AFL fan based in Sydney.

Kevin Taylor over at Footystats Diary says it all ;

AFL is out of touch, and out of step

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou is quoted in an AAP report today in The Age and confirms just how out of touch he is with reality – "Everyone has got a free-to-air television set, and for us to be going into NSW and Queensland on a Friday night will be fantastic and we're looking forward to it."

Demetriou and his team may have gathered $780 million from the Seven-Ten consortium for a new TV broadcasting deal but are guilty of overseeing the death of the most important innovation for football – the Fox Footy channel.

The impact from the disappearance of the Fox Footy channel is incalculable and people in the south are simply not aware of what Fox has meant to the game and those who live north of the River Murray.

We were able to turn on at any time of any 24 hours and see our game being telecast, talked about, its history retold from vintage clips, but most of all it was its presence – which was not on the local radio, not in the local newspaper and not in the local TV newscast.

The AFL are guilty of lacking commercial savvy to have been party to all of this going under their noses.

And, to now come along with a proclamation befitting the great messiah of how wonderful it will be to see all eight games on free-to-air – WHEN ...

When will the shift workers in the early hours of the morning, or those in the rural areas – when will we see the replay of the Hawks-Kangaroo match?

Not bloody likely Mr Demetriou, ever again.

Farewell to Fox Footy and the dream that our game will ever be more than a curiosity piece outside of Melbourne.

More news on this story...

Border Mail Fox Footy's demise is irrelevant: Ten The Age, Australia - 4 hours ago ... all eight AFL games next year in a deal with Seven, but Ten was continuing to negotiate with Foxtel despite the imminent demise of the Fox Footy channel. ... Footy channel axing piles pressure on broadcasters ABC Online Fans left howling after Foxtel pulls plug The Age Footy fans furious at Foxtel The Age Sydney Morning Herald - The Australian all 35 news articles » Fox Footy channel set to be switched off Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 22 Aug 2006 While Foxtel is still trying to secure subscription rights beyond this year, it announced the Fox Footy channel would cease to exist. ... Siren blows for Foxtel Footy The Age, Australia - 23 Aug 2006 ... Oh yeah, and go EAGLES for the '06 Flag!! We should not forget why Foxtel is closing the Fox footy channel. ... We need a channel like Fox Footy. ... Ten and Seven shut Foxtel out of footy Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 23 Aug 2006 ... new rights partners Seven and Ten and its pay TV provider reached a new low yesterday when Foxtel announced the closure of the Fox Footy Channel and partially ... No more Fox Footy sportal.com.au, Australia - 23 Aug 2006 Foxtel will close the its AFL-only Fox Footy Channel at the end of the season because of the uncertainty over pay-TV rights to televise AFL football from next ... Our man at headquarters RealFooty, Australia - 20 hours ago Settled in for a quality night of television, with Channel Seven showing all these ... exasperated, then asked: "Do you realise the whole future of Fox Footy is at ... Broadcasters brawl as Foxtel axes AFL The Age, Australia - 23 Aug 2006 ... The big initial losers were about 50 staff at the Fox Footy channel, whose working futures are now uncertain, and AFL fans, who will lose their 24-hour service ... Coaches concerned over Fox demise AFL, Australia - 23 Aug 2006 Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade and St Kilda coach Grant Thomas have both expressed their disappointment over the demise of Fox Footy Channel – Eade going ...

[listening to: Zombie - The Cranberries ]
8:52:50 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • TV

The viral marketing campaign should have been a warning.

David Tench - More like David Stench (sorry couldn't resist the terrible pun)

The show was a big disappointment, despite the talk of a world first. It wasn't funny. It was banal.

Too much like what has come before. A poor copy of orignal shows such as Max Headroom and Space Ghost.

And I reckon the man behind the voice of David Tench is infact Tim Ferguson - former member of Doug Anthony AllStars.

[listening to: Andy, You're a Star - The Killers ]
9:03:25 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

Those Chaser Boys are at it again.

Another week and another prank. This time on airport security.

The Chaser’s War on Everything is on tonight.

4:48:09 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

Saints prevailed on the weekend. They are now back in 4th place on the ladder.

Tough game next week, againts the rampaging Dockers. The game is on the telly, but it will delayed on Fox Footy. I don't think Channel 10 will show it live into Sydney.

Our record against them has been interesting and the last 3 games controvertial!

Since 1995	All Games	Last 5 Games	Highest Score	Lowest Score	Biggest Win
Fremantle	9	2	131	58	71
St Kilda	7	3	118	56	39

Tuesday 15/08/2006

• 1.30p  Round 19 Geelong v St Kilda

Wednesday 16/08/2006

• 6.00p  Classic Quarters 2001 Rd 1 Western Bulldogs v St Kilda

Thursday 17/08/2006

• 3.30p  Last Time They Met 2006 Rnd 5 St Kilda v Fremantle
• 9.30p  Classic Quarters 2001 Rd 1 Western Bulldogs v St Kilda

Friday 18/08/2006

• 7.30a  Classic Quarters 2001 Rd 1 Western Bulldogs v St Kilda

Saturday 19/08/2006

• 10.30p  Round 20 Fremantle v St Kilda

Sunday 20/08/2006

• 3.30a  Classic Quarters 2001 Rd 1 Western Bulldogs v St Kilda
• 11.30a  Round 20 Fremantle v St Kilda

5:26:57 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • TV

How good is the current Dr Who.?

We're loving it. It's actually better than the last one, which is hard to believe.

And this series just keeps getting better. However, I can't wait to see the next one with the new assistant.

[listening to: Creep - Radiohead ]
7:17:18 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • TV

Disappointing Round 18, and it's not going to get any easier. The pundits are starting to write the team off

Next weekend we meet our nemesis, Geelong. They had a big win on the weekend and will be feeling pumped.

Our recent record has been average. Geelong has the upper hand. Plus, we lost to the Cats earlier this year for Robert Harvey's milestone game. Maybe this is what the team needs to lift them a grand win.

Since 1980	All Games	Last 5 Games	Highest Score	Lowest Score	Biggest Win
Geelong	33	3	228	55	122
St Kilda	14	2	177	27	71

Wednesday 09/08/2006

• 1.00p  Round 18 St Kilda v West Coast Eagles

Friday 11/08/2006

• 12.30a  Round 18 St Kilda v West Coast Eagles
• 10.30a  Last Time They Met 2006 Rnd 7 St Kilda v Geelong

Sunday 13/08/2006

• 8.30p  Round 19 Geelong v St Kilda

Monday 14/08/2006

• 5.00a  Round 19 Geelong v St Kilda
• 6.30p  Classic Quarters 2001 Rd 1 Western Bulldogs v St Kilda

Tuesday 15/08/2006

• 12.30a  Round 19 Geelong v St Kilda

5:50:20 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • My Interests • TV

Rigo convinced us to get Æon Flux on DVD.

You know, it's not a bad movie.

Kinda like a cross between Dr Who and Star Trek TNG -  a cerebral science fiction action film.

Or maybe we're just suckers for Charlize Theron in spandex.

[listening to: How High - Madonna ]
8:54:05 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • TV

I got my latest batch of Amazon Goodies.

Books

• "The Miocene Arrow (Greatwinter Trilogy)" - Sean McMullen
• "The Halo Graphic Novel" - Lee Hammock

DVD

• "Animaniacs, Vol. 1"
• "Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 1"
• "Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Fifth Season"
• "V for Vendetta (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)"

[listening to: Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers ]
10:02:12 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Interests • TV

While watching my regualr wednesday night shows on the ABC,

8:00	The New Inventors
8:30	Spicks & Specks
9:00	Absolute Power
9:35	The Glass House
10:05	At The Movies

there was an ad for Extras, which is 'coming soon'.

Finally.

Haven't heard about Extras? It's great. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about it

Extras is a sitcom about extras working on movie sets and in theatre. It is written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The series is filmed in a more traditional sitcom style than the mockumentary style used by Gervais and Merchant's previous award-winning series The Office. The series is a BBC/HBO co-production which first aired on July 21, 2005 on BBC Two in the UK and premiered on September 25, 2005 on HBO in the U.S.. The first series DVD was released in the UK on October 31, 2005.There were 6 episodes in the first series, all containing a different celebrity in each.

[listening to: One Step Closer - U2 ]
9:51:31 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

So I was watching Boston Legal on the telly last night (don't ask) and the particular episode had a story line with a lawyer who has been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.

Turns out it's a recurring character with an ongoing story line.

Jerry 'Hands' Espenson (Christian Clemenson) - a brilliant lawyer with Asperger's syndrome who earned his nickname by constantly placing his hands on his thighs. He was so irate over missing out on partner status that he pulled a knife on Shirley Schmidt, only backing down when Alan Shore agreed to be his lawyer. Shore convinced Schmidt to drop any charges against Jerry when his condition became known. He is currently working on his own, having left the firm after the incident.

Autism continues to move into the mainstream

BTW Boston Legal is a pretty good show. Anything with William Shantner is just pure gold.

[listening to: Don't Stand Too Close to Me '86 - The Police ]
8:23:29 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • TV