AussieRulesBlog lives!

At a semi-private function recently, the MC referred to AussieRulesBlog as a “tragic Essendon supporter” — a bit much coming from a committed Melbourne supporter, but we’ll let that alone for the moment.

As a lifelong Bombers fan, the past couple of years have been quite difficult. Not nearly as difficult, we hasten to add, as the Essendon players, Danny Corcoran, Mark Thompson, Dr Bruce Reid and James Hird have had to endure. Nevertheless, the constant speculation reporting on the supplements scandal program have encouraged humorous kindergarten-style barbs directed at us — the bigger “us” that includes players, coaches, staff, board, employees, members and fans — wear one down and diminish our affection for and enjoyment of the game.

Notwithstanding those issues, we attended as many games as normal in the past two years, watched as many games as usual on TV and consumed more than our fair share of footy media while avoiding the ambulance-chasers peddling the most strident anti-Essendon agendas.

All this has had its effect on AussieRulesBlog — this blog, not our online persona. Our practice had degenerated into, largely, commenting on media stories. There's only so many times we can write that the head football writer of The Age (an appointment that continues to baffle us) is pursuing an irrational agenda. So, we stopped writing altogether.

It's time for AussieRulesBlog to be reborn. The supplements saga still has some way to run and, no doubt, we'll be writing about it again, but our intention is to comment on issues without reference to the speculative media.

It's footy’s quiet time, but we're sure we can find something to write about. Now, how many years is it since Melbourne’s last Premiership?