A fatwa on the Australia network

Dear Justin,

Well, as you know I've spent the past three weeks in Cambodia and Sri Lanka.

Sadly, this meant that I missed attending the Great Man's 300th. I was in fact in a hotel room in Phnom Penh with cable TV, including the Australia Network, at the relevant moment. But, to add particular insult to the injury of missing the game, some nuff nuff had decided that the Adelaide-West Coast and Collingwood-Hawthorn games should be shown to the world, so I missed out altogether. I will bear a grudge for life. Surely showing the Great Man (and the great team) would build understanding and respect for our nation overseas. No wonder, forced as our neighbours are to watch crap like Adelaide's gameplan, some have come to hate our way of life.

Once again demonstrating the uncanny knack for the big occasion, the Australia Network did decide to telecast the North-Richmond game. I had left my Phnom Penh by that time, and was in Bangkok, in a much nicer hotel, but without football coverage. I gather I missed very little of note, apart from the continued resurgence of Drew Petrie. AGAIN no coverage of North this week here in Sri Lanka. Endless coverage of Collingwood and Hawthorn.

Many people, as Denis would have said, do not want to see North Melbourne Football Club succeed. Clearly, this extends to television executives and foreign affair department types at the Australia Network.

I'll be back in time for the Melbourne game on Sunday the 22nd. I hope to see you then, and hope that we can beat the dees without the heart failure and frustration from last time. And shout at your telly loudly for me this week.

Dan