The Supreme Court in Melbourne has ordered that the names of the three players caught taking recreational drugs cannot have their names published or mentioned in the press.

The AFL Players Association has asked that drug testers not arrive on players door steps at 5am or 6 am in the morning and that from 8am is the appropriate time for the start of drug testing.

Marion Jones to play half back flank for the Ravens this week.

"Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone".  Well, Digger is not above himself but cannot name the players who tested positive as he does not know their names.  Has Digger ever see AFL players doing recreational drugs?  Yes!  Is he going to name names?  No!  Even seen one forget to put water in the bong!  It is round 22 so get ready for mad Monday and the associated stories of players going wild.

Round 21 kicked off with the Western Bulldogs and St. Kilda doing battle on Friday night.  The ‘Dogs got off to a quick start through Brad Johnson and led by 17 points at the first change.  From then on it was all the Saints who ran away to a 50 point win.  Fraser Gehrig slotted 8 and fellow big man Nick Riewoldt 5 for the up and down Saints.

It is often said that football is a game of two halves, if not 4 quarters, but a game of 2 halves it was down at Kardinia Park last Saturday.  Geelong's finals hopes finally evaporated when the match was drawn last Saturday.  Melbourne was as disappointing in the second half as Geelong was in the first.  The drama coming out of this game was the hospitalization of young Cat Tom Lonergan who had a kidney removed and placed in an induced coma after a nasty collision in the final quarter.

The Kangaroos kicked 4 goals in the first quarter to lead Hawthorn by 10 points at quarter time.  At the end of the game they had still kicked only 4 goals going down to the Hawks by 18 points in Tasmania.  ‘Nough said.

As predicted, Richmond kicked 20 goals in their win over Essendon.  Matthew Richardson led the way for the Tigers with 9 majors while Scott Lucas got 4 for the Bombers.  No floods, no tempo football and a truly good game to watch.  Richmond move ahead of Geelong to sit 9^th on the ladder.

Sydney kicked Brisbane but not by as much as they should have.  It took them until the final quarter to really pull away from the Lions in a game that lacked zip.  No major goal scorers but Sydney are a chance to finish top 4.

Port Adelaide pulled off a surprise to put a further dent in the confidence of Adelaide.  The Ravens should have lead by a commanding margin at ¼ time but wasted chances in front of goal.  The Power kept coming hard and when the Ravens suffered injuries to Trent Hentschell and Nathan Bassett it was the Power who held on.  Brett Ebert kicked 3 for Port while old time like goal sneak Bode put 4 through the big sticks for Adelaide.

Carlton and Collingwood have been rivals as long as Digger can remember and in the past had many high scoring games.  Last week, Collingwood kicked the sweep in scoring 24.12.156 to defeat the Blues 17.10.112.  Major goal scorer for the day was Saverio Rocca with 6 for the ‘Pies.

Final game of the round saw my favourite team, Fremantle take on West Coast in the Perf derby.  The Weagles led by 2 points at ¼ time but failed to score a goal in quarters 3 and 4.  Meanwhile, the Dockers were kicking goals left right and centre and blitzed their big brothers of Western Australian football.  Coaching genius, Chris Connelly says the Dockers are now in uncharted territory as they sit 3^rd on the ladder and a home final looms.

LETTER OF THE WEEK

Dear Digger,

I read with interest that one of the goal umpires in last weeks Mentals V Weagles game was censured by umpire boss Big Jeff for signaling incorrectly on 3 occasions.  What did he do?

Peter Sumich, Market Gardener

Dear Peter,

You are correct.  The umpire in question signaled three goals in this game using both hands in the thumbs up gesture.  Goal umpires are supposed top signal goals with pointed fingers.  As this was his last game umpiring the umpire decided to celebrate and made the wrong signals after promising his family he would do so.

Yours truly,

Digger

For more zany and whacky goal umpiring, head out to RMIT field this Saturday afternoon where the Saigon Geckos take on the Ha Noi Swans in a game starting at 3.30pm or 4.00pm or even 4.30pm.

Game one this weekend if in fact Friday night is the weekend, sees the Western Bulldogs meet Essendon.  Simply put, in an upset, Essendon.

Game two this weekend will pit the Richmond Tigers against the Weagles.  Weagles need to bounce back before the finals but the Richmond team is in fine form.  Richmond to inflict defeat upon the West Coast.

Melbourne fresh from traveling by Mercedes to Geelong last week, travel to another provincial town in Adelaide this week.  The Ravens have been decimated by injury and illness and will struggle to win another game this year.  Knee reconstructions, Ross River Fever, infected feet, H5N1, smashed heads, mad cow disease and hamstrings are just some of the reasons that the Ravens fortunes have plummeted.  The Demons to inflict more pain on the men from AAMI Stadium.

St. Kilda will kick the sweep this week on their way to demolishing Brisbane at the ‘Gabba on Saturday night.  Expect a big night out for the rampaging Saint forwards and they have a mighty chance to top the 30 goal mark this week.

Can Fremantle keep winning?  This week they can when they host the honest Port Power at Subiaco.  A home final is on the way for the Dockers.

Carlton have the chance to take the wooden spoon again when they lose to Sydney on Sunday.

In what used to be Diggers favourite match in the days of muddy grounds and black and white television Collingwood meet the Kangaroos in what should be basically a boring match on Sunday.  Remember that the Kangaroos have not kicked a goal for 3 quarters and for once Digger will be cheering on the ‘Pies.  Hot Pies.

Without a shadow of a doubt Hawthorn will beat Geelong on Sunday at the rink.  Finals hopes gone, a team mate in hospital and one last chance for the players to get the coach sacked will see the Hawks prevail.