Roy Masters is a Sports Columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald
If you were given a dollar for everyone who asked Craig Bellamy for a selfie or an autograph at the MCG Friday night, or shouted "Go Storm" as he walked past, you would have enough money to buy something really pricey ... like a ticket to the AFL grand final.
The NRL has surrendered to the AFL, allowing its rival to host an all Sydney semi-final match at ANZ Stadium on Saturday September 10, despite the Bulldogs having priority over the use of the Homebush venue.
Ben McDevitt has been pitched into the role of firefighter these days, detouring him from the responsibility as chief executive of ASADA, the government body responsible for combating drugs in sport.
A full-season suspension of Essendon players for taking performance enhancing drugs and only a three-game ban for Cronulla footballers?
The pursuit of Essendon by anti-doping agencies for a guilty verdict and a meaningful suspension was driven by their conviction that if an AFL tribunal had heard the case against Lance Armstrong, he would still have seven Tour de France titles.
International condemnation of possible doping violations by Russian athletes will not help Essendon's case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, if comments by ASADA chief executive, Ben McDevitt, are a guide.
After being blindsided by the NRL TV deal with Channel Nine, Rupert Murdoch was determined the AFL would be winner in the pay-tv rights deals.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport's case against 34 past and present Essendon players is likely to be held in Sydney in mid-October, rather than at the Swiss headquarters of the international sport tribunal.
Charges against Gold Coast Suns players for the alleged use, and supply, of cocaine are anticipated.
Channel Nine will make a bold bid to broadcast one AFL game on Sunday afternoons, precipitating a retaliatory move by rival Seven for the highly prized State of Origin series.
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