Graeme

Happy Birthday! :music: :music:

It's been implied earlier that if Doug had the slightest sexual attraction to Liam, he'd date him (to save him from Neil, if nothing else), but that's not happening. Doug is definitely straight.

An interesting point. A change of coach is certainly disruptive, but it's the players who determine what happens in a game. As Ty realised back in Leopard Skin Cover, the team is more than just the players. The coaches are part of the team and losing any member of that team can be disruptive. Is the head coach more important than any individual player? Possibly, but there would be a number of players who wouldn't be that far behind in importance, too.

I left out the conversation between Doug and Rod because I'm sure everyone's imagination would be so much more vivid than anything written Yes, you're right. There's a lot of people who aren't being completely honest with others and sometimes themselves. Isn't that normal?

As has been stated a few times, Doug is very loyal. There's not much he wouldn't do for Liam. As you've indicated, Neil does have a problem with asking for help. For too long he only had himself to rely on. He's getting better, but he could certainly improve

“How are you feeling, brat?” Jim asked as he cut into his steak. “Pretty good. I’m happy with how training went tonight, especially with Roger joining in on more of the exercises. It won’t be long before he’s back.” A grimace flitted across Ty’s face before being replaced with what looked like a forced grin. “I hope he won’t be as rusty as I was on Saturday.” It was Monday night, and the four members of the Tenterfield Street household were having a late dinner. Ryan snorted. “I didn’t notice

Thank you!

John Steed and The Avengers show was something I always enjoyed watching. RIP Patrick MacNee

Happy Birthday, Stellar! :joe: :joe:

You can't count horse-riding because equestrian is (I believe) the only top-level sport where men and women compete on equal terms. So there's no such thing as a men's or women's team in equestrian -- only teams that happen to be all male or all female.

The timeline is certainly moving faster. There was a two week jump between chapters 44 and 45, which also brings the end of the season that much closer

I'm not sure of exactly how much Neil realises about his dad's reputation. Phil is clearly not telling Neil how people are reacting, and the only reactions Neil knows about are those who know him, which makes things personal. Neil doesn't know about how people who don't know him are reacting to his father.

<< Elbows Graeme out of the way >> Hey, I'm not and never will be number 4! Doug

When two of Neil's main tormentors are with her at the time, it's not really surprising that Clarissa didn't think of them as the culprits. We'll have to wait and see if she thinks of Rod. As for Doug, I'm not saying anything

Doug has his good points, but he's got a lot of bad points, too. As for people jumping to wrong conclusions, I won't admit to how many times I've personally done that....

Will had just finished some specialised drills with Deon, Oliver, and Charlie on their usual Tuesday-morning training session when Julie approached. “Okay, Deon, Will’s had you for long enough. It’s my turn.” Julie smiled in a way that didn’t give Deon a happy feeling. Deon glanced at Will who shrugged and grinned. “Julie asked for some of your time. I said yes.” “Thanks.” Deon loaded his reply with as much sarcasm as he thought he could get away with. He turned to Julie. “I’m ready.” She st

I was at a Sports Bar in Wellington, New Zealand, during the week and they were showing WNBA on ESPN, so, yes, it's still around. However, I'm a foreigner, so don't ask me to name the teams I quite enjoyed watching the match while eating dinner.

An agent is someone who makes money managing players. The players employ them, not the teams. When it comes to contract negotiations, the agent and team are on two different sides. Having an agent interested in signing someone is a strong indication that that person is considered draftable, but every agent has people signed up who don't get drafted. That's because the agents, if they want to stay in business, can't afford to just chase those players that are 'certain' to be drafted. They have to also look at those that might not get picked until late rounds of the draft...or not at all. It's a positive sign for Deon, but it doesn't mean that he'll be drafted. After all, agents chased Ty the previous year, and he wasn't selected. The agent's perspective is different to the teams. A good agent will have a good understanding of what the teams are looking for, but they can still get it wrong.

Thank you! Just one small point in case it wasn't clear. AFL player agents, like Alastair McCrae, are not associated with a team. They get 3% (usually) of a player's income in exchange for managing things for the players and allowing the players to concentrate on their football. Leading up to the national draft, the agents try to sign up the boys they think will be drafted, but as there is a lot of competition, they also need to sign up some players that they're not sure will make the draft...just in case they do.

Clarissa's video is of Liam, not Doug. Doug wouldn't mind a copy, though.... Doug and Liam have a difference of opinion when it comes to Neil. That doesn't stop them from being best friends, though. Just like Doug doesn't get to say who Liam likes, Liam doesn't get to say who Doug likes (or doesn't like). But they both understand each other. Sometimes friendship can be complicated

Sadly, yes, people do tend to view events and statements with eyes that see what they want (or expect) to see. It's why there have been successful conmen throughout history.

Tony muted the television and smiled at Jim as the two snuggled on the couch in Tony’s apartment. “What do you think?” They had been watching the much-publicised interview between Sir Michael Parkinson and Ian Thorpe, the retired Olympic-gold-medal-winning swimmer for Australia. As had been anticipated from the advertising all week, Ian Thorpe had come out of the closet. “I understand how he felt. If I didn’t need to come out when I did, I doubt I would’ve.” Jim grimaced. “I think Ian handled

Happy Birthday! I miss you, too.

Happy Birthday, Valkyrie! :music: :music: