It's like a time machine to the 80s! Aussie Rules ESPN2!

I turned it off and went to bed late in the second quarter when it appeared the wheels had come off. Since it ended Adelaide 18.12 (120), Melbourne 7.10 (52), I don't think I missed much.

However, I can only take partial credit for the Browns-Raiders comparison. Article initially announcing Aussie Rules on FS2 described Melbourne as being like the Millen-era Lions, so I went from there.

 

Currently on Fox Sports 2, St. Kilda is whupping Fremantle 81-35 in the last round of the regular season.

St. Kilda appears to have returned to the doormat division, as Wikipedia tells me they're 4-17. Fremantle is third overall in the league, but appears to be tanking ahead of their first Finals Series match next week.

 

So, this guy named Cozzy appears to be retiring, kicked a goal, everyone cheered ... and then they did a video review (Did you hear that, Bud Selig?!?!) and it hit the post on the way through. Oops.

In other cross-threads, apparently Essendon got kicked out of the playoffs this week for a scandal involving PEDs (or as I assume they pronounce it Down Under, 'pay-aye-days.' I'd share more details, but I can't translate it out of Australian.

 

The Essendon scandal has been developing for the better course of a year. Earlier in the week, the AFL kicked the Bombers out of the playoffs, errrr...., finals, and banned the head coach for a calendar year (which means he could coach in next year's finals). They're going to be ninth on the ladder officially, even if they finish with more points than teams ahead of them. I think there was even talk of having them begin next season with a points deduction, similar to how European soccer leages deduct points for salary cap violations and such.

Just from reading reports here and there and following the AFL on Twitter, they take this ultra-seriously. It would be equivalent to MLB not just suspending Rodriguez, but also kicking the Yankees out of the playoffs even if they qualified otherwise and then telling them they're going to start next season with an 0-15 record regardless of the actual outcome of those 15 games. And then suspending the manager for a year.

 

We can only dream....

 

Yeah, we can.

And this Essendon fan finds this rather below average. Especially since effin' Hawthorn romped and frolicked to the Premiership.