*Official* Third Test at the WACA

[Prince EWS]

It's almost exactly the job he performed equally well at the Gabba. Whether it's labelled tight and pressure-building or bland and ineffective just depends on how everyone else bowls.

Yeah, exactly.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Enough said previously

Was this the bit about getting drugs from Troy Cooley?

Glad you took the time to quote








Disclaimer: The bit about drugs and Troy Cooley is still untrue

 

[Rant0r]

Was this the bit about getting drugs from Troy Cooley?

Glad you took the time to quote








Disclaimer: The bit about drugs and Troy Cooley is still untrue

Glad you took the time to read, only to fall short in the understanding.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Glad you took the time to read, only to fall short in the understanding.

I studied all three words hard for at least a minute or so!

 

[Spark]

The more I think about it, the more these reports that the orders from-above to "hold back" following Sydneygate (or Bollyline or whatever the **** you want to call it) having an effect on the team seem to make some sense. Just a little.

 

[Burgey]

The more I think about it, the more these reports that the orders from-above to "hold back" following Sydneygate having an effect on the team seem to make some sense. Just a little.

Have thought it for a long while tbh. Certainly Symonds was never the same player again, other issues notwithstanding.

 

[Spark]

I've been of the opinion for a while that Sydneygate represented the true end of the golden era. There was just a spark that vanished after that match. Since it's so vague, though, I've been hesitant about tying other, tangible things, like sledging etc. to it.

No doubt that test had a huge impact individually though. Symonds, as you say. Ponting certainly made a real concerted effort to change his behaviour with the press/on-field etc. Clarke now walks (or tries to). Gilchrist retiring almost immediately after may not be coincidental as well.

 

[stephen]

I've been of the opinion for a while that Sydneygate represented the true end of the golden era. There was just a spark that vanished after that match. Since it's so vague, though, I've been hesitant about tying other, tangible things, like sledging etc. to it.

No doubt that test had a huge impact individually though. Symonds, as you say. Ponting certainly made a real concerted effort to change his behaviour with the press/on-field etc. Clarke now walks (or tries to). Gilchrist retiring almost immediately after may not be coincidental as well.

Definitely I feel that Symonds felt abandoned by the powers that be at the time. His drunken interviews and other off-field antics probably were tied into the victimisation that he felt through the whole saga.

It is pretty telling that of the players who were present four years ago for the 06/07 Ashes series (which was the final, and probably the greatest peak of the all time great Australian side) the only players still in the team are Ponting, Clarke and Hussey. Pretty much everyone left after that series or only hung around for another year (Langer, Martyn, McGrath, Warne all left during the series, Hayden, Gilchrist, Lee, Clark and Symonds all were gone shortly after). Not only that but Buchanan left as coach around the same time.

With all of those players leaving within such a short space of time is it any wonder that the winning culture, the "spark" left as well. We are left with Ponting, Clarke and Hussey as all that remain of the side that made winning a way of life. Ponting and Hussey will be gone soon and the new guard are struggling in the shadow of their glorious forefathers. The removal of Symonds and Warne from the culture has also left Australia with a very rigid, conservative dressing room culture that seems to lack a bit of personality.

I really doubt that we will ever see, in our lifetimes, a team as strong as the Australia we saw between 1995 and 2007. Twelve years of dominance that centred around a core which comprised the Waugh brothers, Ponting, Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Gilchrist and a lot of other world class players.

 

[Uppercut]

Have thought it for a long while tbh. Certainly Symonds was never the same player again, other issues notwithstanding.

That's not true, Symonds had an excellent series in the West Indies later that year, if anything he was better than ever. If you can assign his decline to a particular incident it was being dropped for the India tour after missing a "team meeting".

 

[Hit Wicket]

Have thought it for a long while tbh. Certainly Symonds was never the same player again, other issues notwithstanding.

So poor Symonds' career got finished after he accused someone falsely of racism? If yes, then I would say justice well served, instead of weeping a river.

 

[Ausage]

So poor Symonds' career got finished after he accused someone falsely of racism? If yes, then I would say justice well served, instead of weeping a river.

I agree. This is a new and exciting topic and really needs further examination.

 

[morgieb]

It sounded like monkey.....personally I think what the weed actually said was far more offensive than monkey. In fact calling Symonds a monkey is highly hypocritical imo.

 

[andyc]

It sounded like monkey.....personally I think what the weed actually said was far more offensive than monkey. In fact calling Symonds a monkey is highly hypocritical imo.

Ausage was being sarcastic. This isn't the place to discuss this issue, and it's been done to death.

 

[morgieb]

Ausage was being sarcastic. This isn't the place to discuss this issue, and it's been done to death.

Wasn't commenting to Ausage, was "Hit Wicket" tbh.

 

[Shri]

morgieB sounds like monkey when said fast enough tbf.

 

[morgieb]

morgieB sounds like monkey when said fast enough tbf.

Except I'm not black, so that wouldn't offend me.

 

[Shri]

O RLY?

 

[Hit Wicket]

Wasn't commenting to Ausage, was "Hit Wicket" tbh.

Yeah, got to take the word of blokes like Clarke who bore testimony for Symonds after claiming a bumped catch and refusing to walk after edging to first slip over someone with an impeccable image like Tendulkar. (in a match played under the gentleman's agreement, BTW)

 

[Spark]

For ****'s sake no one gives a ****.

 

[andyc]

Wasn't commenting to Ausage, was "Hit Wicket" tbh.

Yeah, was just trying to reinforce Ausage's point.

Yeah, got to take the word of blokes like Clarke who bore testimony for Symonds after claiming a bumped catch and refusing to walk after edging to first slip over someone with an impeccable image like Tendulkar. (in a match played under the gentleman's agreement, BTW)

For the second time now; this discussion will go nowhere and only result in the thread being dragged hugely off topic, plus no one wants to hear it. This isn't the place.