Finally someone has shown the balls to come out and challenge the inner sanctum of Australian cricket. Hodge has realised his international career is over and has unleashed the truth about the difficulties of forcing your way into an Australian side dominated by NSW cricketers. Perhaps only Jamie Siddons could claim to be unluckier than Hodge in the last generation. At least Hodge got some opportunities. I loved what he had to say about having to take someone elses place and how hard that is when it is Katich, a man who had the support of Clarke, Lee and McGrath.
This year’s CA contract awarded to Hodge makes the least sense of all. Why give a man a contract then leave him out of the T20 World Cup, the Ashes tour and the one day competition in England? Was it to just give him hope, and then snuff that hope out? Maybe it was for the same reason they took Ronald on the tour, and then left him out when Hussey was struggling and we needed another bowler? Who took his spot in the last three tests? What state does he play for?
Can you source the Hodge remarks please?
ReplyDeleteSorry mate, SEN interview last night with Chuck Berry. Might be on the website.
ReplyDeleteno worries. fair enough from Hodge to speak up... how much can a koala...
ReplyDeleteWhat has he got to lose? Shut Up Brad or we'll tear up your CA contract!" "oh, no. does that mean i won't be able to play for Austr... hey wait!"
Berry has been around the junction oval long enough to have a fairly good feel for the whole ACB/CA bias and problems- Jones, Siddons onwards.
Boo hoo hoo. I don't know whether to cry or laugh. When will Victorians ever get over their small man syndrome?
ReplyDeletewhen CA start picking the best man for the job... normally a Victorian. ;-)
ReplyDeleteand Lango, laugh, always laugh.
Tests aside. Brad Hodge is one of the best T20 and one day batsmen in the world. Does he get a gig for the champions trophy? The T20 world cup? What was the fucking point of giving him a CA contract if they would overlook him for even the prelim 30 man squad?? I don't care if he's Victorian or not he has played well enough in all forms of the game to think he deserves better than the treatment he has got over the past decade. So many times the selectors have overlooked him and given batsmen already in the side chance after chance to find form. The man has a right to be pissed and excuse me Lango but you have never been on a tour with Australia as a player and therefore have no idea what goes on in the inner sanctum. Polotics exists in every sport and for you to dismiss this as "small man syndrome" just highlights your inability to see past your preconceived notions.
ReplyDeleteNice deflection Stoph but if a member of this blog decides to downplay a relevant gripe by a superb player with an offhand comment then he deserves the full brunt of the members. Your articles are interesting Lango and although I don't agree with your obvious attempts to divert the attention of this blog to your own site I respect your opinion as a fellow blogger. See past your prejudices and judge the man Brad Hodge as a cricketer. He has the right to be bitter ans his reasons are not for you to dismiss with offhand comments.
that's ok Nos.
ReplyDeleteeveryone is entitled to their opinions here, that is why i put this: "We openly encourage discussion, debate and opinion, because cricket is worth getting worked up about!" in the sub.
i have the power (mmmmm power!) to moderate, but as yet i haven't felt the need because my guidelines are: no racism, no homophobia, no pointless name-calling... that is about it! I don't mind people having a dip at others as long as they are doing it with an issue behind them.
to be fair, Lango has not been diverting for a while now since being told it was poor form.
Apart from that, i think you are right about Hodge having the right to feel ripped off. What was the point of the contract; is it to keep him in place so as not to pursue greener pastures.
likewise, given your passion, you have the right to see red about this issue; as a Vic, i'm PO'd about it, but it just feels status quo.
i can't help but think Lango has pulled the line and let the hook set in our mouths a bit!
more of all of it i say!
Stirring the pot is hardly "discussion". I consider the point of this blog to discuss the matters of cricket, not attract the ire of fellow members. Harmless jibes are one thing but Lango's comment to me was baseless and showed a general lack of respect for cricket itself.
ReplyDeleteI don't want you to moderate comments such as these Stoph, just stand aside as they are treated in kind.
Fair cop. Well mostly.
ReplyDeleteActually, I didn't bag out Hodge. I bagged out Victorians.
I agree that Hodge has been hard done by. He should have toured England and he would have, in my opinion, given better service on the field than Mike Hussey. He's a fine player that has been harshly treated but if so, it wasn't because he was a Victorian!
As a reminder, not every player who has had the sword in our living memories is a Victorian either. Unless I've missed something, there are no NSW officials on the selection panel. Hilditch comes close having played for the Blues but he was born in South Australia and went back there. There is however, a Victorian!
Where were you in 1972 when Douggie was dropped in England leaving no NSW players in the side but two and a half Victorians (Watson was born in Kew but was playing for the Sandgropers)?
I agree also that I don't need protecting, so fire away. I've listened to your protocol gripes and I've adhered to your rules and its disappointing some of you don't make the trek to the tragics once in a while and leave your footprint but that's your choice.
As for not touring, you're right, I haven't. As for not being informed, you're wrong, I am. Well enough informed that I don't have to prove it. I have both played with and against Australian and state players and been a cricket official who mixed with players from Test and state teams for a long time. I still have connections and know a few people in the right places despite becoming longer in the tooth.
My jibe was baseless? Sorry, its based on experience. I haven't lived all of my life in a monasty in the north west of NSW Nossie. I have found Victorians have many fine qualities. I continue to foster and maintain many friendship with those south of the border. However, I have always found them to suffer from a version of small man's syndrome. Fiesty, argumentative and with a chip on their shoulder directed at NSW and South Australia. Actually, not a criticism, just an honest observation.
"A general lack of respect for cricket itself". Crap. I knock Victorians and I'm lacking respect for the game? SMS again in that statement and a fair bit of pretention.
You want discussion and not cheap shots. Let's dance.
In this year's Ashes team Hodge and Rogers could consider themselves unlucky not to have won a batting berth and had the selectors gone with three openers, Rogers would have toured. In the end, Hughes' performance in Sarth Efrika was more than a match for Rogers great Sheffield Shield form, where the pair performed fairly equally in terms of runs and average. Is Hughes the better bat? I don't think he is but age was a factor as Rogers is spotting Hughes 11 years.
Hodge was good contender but in all honesty, I'd have picked David Hussey ahead of him. The other Vic who must have been considered was the Diggler but his time is coming now.
Nospmas, sometimes guys get their card marked for reasons other than cricket and other than being Victorian. Perhaps Hodge's statements in the last 24 hours are what was feared. Maybe he's a loose cannon. The reason for him being snubbed, I don't know. I recall a certain wicket keeper and occasional leggie who lost his spot after he was found to be the only player in the sheds when other players possessions went missing. A coach told me that.
My original, short point was that you and others from down south run so quickly to the "we got dudded because we're Victorian" defence and I find it ridiculous. As a result, I took the mickey. I won't apologise because I meant to stick a bit of shit in your eye but not to be rude, crude and horrible but rather to get you to beef up and form a decent argument. You do that a lot but not when you're flying that Victorian flag.
So if you want to be pissed off with me, be pissed off for the right reasons.
struth guys; i wasn't deflecting/protecting/or moderating... just letting you know the standards i expect, and the (few) things i will chop. i am anti censorship and pro opinion so that is why your posts go 'straight to air'.
ReplyDeletestoph-duckingforcover-verismo
commence fire!
No worries Stoph. I just wanted Nossie to know I didn't see myself as protected species and make sure you didn't feel any need to shield me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not as brave as you on the moderation issue. I excuse myself by claiming to have a broad audience so I'm careful with swearing etc. I've only knocked back once and I just redirected to the guy and he resubmitted.
I'm no longer stiring on this issue. Trying to have an open airing of views. I genuinely find Vics and Qlders a tad myopic in their views of players who wear their brand.
As far as Hodge is concerned, I probably agree with the original comments that he was foolish to make statements publicly but from the SEN interview and the one or two other times I've heard him speak, he's maybe not one of the shiniest apples in the barrel in terms of presentation or selectivity of comment. Shouldn't matter a monkey's nuts in deciding his selection based on playing ability but I wonder if that's an issue for CA? Have you seen the movie The Right Stuff ... the NASA guys coming looking for pilots ... not the best pilots ... but the best pilots that fit the profile. I think we do that in cricket in Oz now. Therefore, players like Nugget Miller or Doug Walters would never rise to the top now and that's very much to our detriment.
So, if we take heat from below the "poor me, I'm a Victorian" argument, maybe Nossie and I aren't too far apart. We both agree Hodge has been treated like shite, we just differ on why.
So now Lango you actually weigh in with an argument on the issue which is what I had the problem with in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI've weighed in several times on this issue. You must have blinked. Point taken, received and responded to Nospmas.
ReplyDeleteI reckon your all gay sycophants and whichever god you pray to is the wrong one, numpties, muppetts, mummy's boys!
ReplyDeleteI never knew that you had NEVER moderated/censored on this blog Stoph so I thought I would put my hat in the ring to be the first outed! (it's probably a victorian thing)
that's it Sledgey, you're blackballed for the next 2 minutes! or until i get to your house at 1pm; whichever comes first- come and mow my lawn you b'stard!
ReplyDeleteBlackballed for the next 2 minutes, blueB'd for the next 6 months!
ReplyDeleteYou guys take your homoerotic innuendo to another blog please.
ReplyDeleteLove the redirection guys, well done. I do play the 'victim' card occasionally from an SA point of view as other than Lehmann, Gillespie and Blewett I don't recall a test player from croweater country in the last 20 years. I agree that CA, like the ACB, has profile in mind. Don't forget though that our fearless skipper was in a bit of trouble back in 2001 after a brawl in Tas. They may have been fighting about whose sister was hotter but who knows. The fact that Ponting took reprimands on the chin rather than bemoaning ill treatment probably worked in his favour.
ReplyDeleteThe way players migrate states these days reduces the validity of any nepotism argument anyway. I can't really accept that CA ignores or picks based on the state someone comes from. Like commentators have said previously, all states at some time fielded few Aus players from their state. I think it was decades before WA saw one of their own in the baggy green once the game had begun.
I could mow your lawn Stoph, but then you would have dog turds all over your walls...not the best of looks (good work Maddie)
ReplyDelete