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SWANSBEST
10th June 2003, 04:43 PM
I have heard Downie interviewed a few times and he is always on the money . He is very logical and not afraid to go for the jugular if he considers that he is on solid ground . His description of Bracks as 'arrogant and ill informed ' is spot on . I would have thought that Bracks' comments were most 'opportunistic and hypocritical' by playing politics to a football mad Victorian public.



Downie hits back at Bracks
12:24:16 PM Tue 10 June, 2003
Jordan Chong
afl.com.au
Related Content:

MCC holds firm over finals agreement

Brisbane Lions chairman Graham Downie has hit back at comments by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, who spoke in support of the Melbourne Cricket Club?s insistence on hosting finals in Melbourne.

In a statement released by the club, Downie described the Victorian premier?s comments as disappointing and as a ?classic example of those Victorians who are still not prepared to fully embrace the national competition?.



?He has no interest in a fair and equitable finals system ? that is un-Australian,? Downie added.

?However, forcing us to play other finals there as well when we have earned the right to host the game at home is clearly unfair, and Steve Bracks knows that. He has got his head stuck in the sand.?

Speaking before Monday?s Queen?s Birthday clash at the MCG, Bracks used words like ?opportunistic? and ?hypocritical? to describe premiers from Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales, who wrote to Bracks requesting any finals not involving Victorian clubs be played out of Melbourne.

"They wouldn't know Australian rules football rules if they were here at the ground," Bracks added.

Downie responded by saying those comments were arrogant and ill-informed, adding: ?They have been playing Australian football in WA and SA for 120 years, and had a viable senior competition in Queensland for most of last century.?

?Peter Beattie is a sports enthusiast who has attended many of our games including the last two grand finals. Whilst he would admit he is still learning, he certainly has a very good appreciation of our game and is very supportive of the Brisbane Lions and AFL football in this state.?

The Lions chairman acknowledged that only logical venue for the grand final was the MCG, but urged the relevant stakeholders to ?formulate an appropriate compensation package? for the Melbourne Cricket Club should they miss out on any finals.

?Even playing the Grand Final at the MCG each year provides an advantage to Victorian clubs, but all non-Victorian clubs accept that the MCG is the best stadium for our Grand Final.

?I have advocated for some time that the matter can be and should be resolved by the AFL and MCC agreeing to an amount as compensation. This whole issue is about money so let?s resolve it with money.?

Under the current arrangement, the MCG must host the grand final, one preliminary final and under a ?banking? system, six finals in the first two weeks of the finals series in any three year period.http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=98138

CureTheSane
10th June 2003, 07:50 PM
Bracks is a ****head.
I didn't vote for him, but when he got in, I thought he was doing a better than OK job, UNTIL the tools stuff went down.

I mean he blatantly LIED about it to win an election.

Now he is trying to win back the support of the Victorians with his stupid comments.

Well, it isn't gonna work.
AFL supporters hate people who comment in the media about footy whenthey haven't eanrnt that right.
This is a very lame way to try to win a few votes.

robbieando
10th June 2003, 08:42 PM
[LOYAL LIBERAL MEMBER RANT] Bracks is a joke, half the time he doesn't know what he is going on about, never mind the laying down to the unions, never mind lying to the Victorian public over the tolls, never mind him forgeting the country areas, never mind him introducing a new voting system in the upper house that suits only the ALP, never mind that he is a Willy Wanker, never mind he supports Geelong and gives them $25 million to fix up Skilled Stadium, never mind him saying that Fed Square and CityLink are all his good work when he opposed them when in opposition, never mind his promise to save Waverley Park when he clearly knew he couldn't, never mind him giving jobs to his mates and ALP members who helped him, never mind him allowing an ALP minister to keep her job when she allowed kids in state care to do croming, never mind spending the massive surplus left by the Kennett and leaving the states econimy balancing on the income created by speeding tickets and Stamp Duty, NEVER MIND HE DOESN'T HAVE A ****ING CLUE AND THAT THIS GREAT STATE IS GOING TO ****ING HELL AGAIN JUST LIKE THE LAST TIME THE ALP WE'RE IN POWER [/LOYAL LIBERAL MEMBER RANT]

scurrilous
11th June 2003, 01:57 AM
?Even playing the Grand Final at the MCG each year provides an advantage to Victorian clubs, but all non-Victorian clubs accept that the MCG is the best stadium for our Grand Final."

See, this is the bit that pisses me off... Play finals at the MCG and take some of this advantage away by having a run on the track, or have a totally neutral ground to play the GF on. What would you people like to see? Sydney versus Adelaide at Subi, or Sydney versus Adelaide at the MCG,where both teams have had equal finals opportunity at the ground?

This whole beat up is BS! The MCG is the Mecca of football. Learn to live with it. I know if I was playing and knew that the GF was to be played at the MCG, I'd be busting my butt to play as meany lead up games on that ground as possible. More to come but I'm tired and off to bed

scurrilous
11th June 2003, 02:07 AM
Originally posted by robbieando
[LOYAL LIBERAL MEMBER RANT] Bracks is a joke, half the time he doesn't know what he is going on about, never mind the laying down to the unions, never mind lying to the Victorian public over the tolls, never mind him forgeting the country areas, never mind him introducing a new voting system in the upper house that suits only the ALP, never mind that he is a Willy Wanker, never mind he supports Geelong and gives them $25 million to fix up Skilled Stadium, never mind him saying that Fed Square and CityLink are all his good work when he opposed them when in opposition, never mind his promise to save Waverley Park when he clearly knew he couldn't, never mind him giving jobs to his mates and ALP members who helped him, never mind him allowing an ALP minister to keep her job when she allowed kids in state care to do croming, never mind spending the massive surplus left by the Kennett and leaving the states econimy balancing on the income created by speeding tickets and Stamp Duty, NEVER MIND HE DOESN'T HAVE A ****ING CLUE AND THAT THIS GREAT STATE IS GOING TO ****ING HELL AGAIN JUST LIKE THE LAST TIME THE ALP WE'RE IN POWER [/LOYAL LIBERAL MEMBER RANT]
Please keep your political aspersions off this forum, wipe your chin, and take a breath.