Good work if you can get it

After a recent listing of the top earners in journalism, Kate keeps telling me I’ve chosen the right profession.

If your job description can include: “earns $600,000 a year and rarely comes into the office”, you wouldn’t be complaining, would you? According to
NEWS.com.au, that’s what Jana Wendt is on at Sunday, and is the reason she might be on the way out.

That said, Jessica Rowe was supposed to go as well – oh the media rumuors we weave.

Nine’s got to do something though – they’re flailing in the water while Seven is starting to look like Grant Hackett at the 1200m mark, pulling away.

Grant Hackett is/was the Australian swim team captain and 1500m world record holder. He was injured and not swimming, so signed by Seven as an exclusive reporter for the Commonwealth Games, which Nine was broadcasting and held the rights to. Hackett was subsequently banned from poolside by Nine, who feared he would get all the interviews with Australian swimmers who had just won every single pool event.

Gooooooooal

To follow up the post about our mysterious trophy win last season, I thought I’d mention a little more about our team, and of course me.

We started the season with seven straight wins and I think you could say we felt invincible. Admittedly we’ve lost a few key players to injury, but our run since those wins hasn’t been so good. I think we’ve had three losses and two draws, and conceded 14 goals in three games, 16 goals in total.

We stand fifth out of eight, so we were doing quite well before our fall from grace. Last week I didn’t play and we drew 1-1 with the third-placed team on the ladder. There’s a valid argument that my absence may have been the factor, since as sweeper I’m supposed to organise our defence. 14 goals in three games is proof of a distinct lack of organisation.

In my defence – no pun intended – the week we lost 6-0 I didn’t see any of the goals. Thinking the game was at 3pm, I received a call from the boys at 12.55 asking if I’d be there in time for a 1pm kickoff. Obviously not, seeing as the game was 30 minutes away. Arriving at 1.30pm and running straight onto the field, I was informed we were already down six goals to none. Apparently we started with nine – my arrival made the full 11. We may not have put any in, but I’m sure the other team were expecting a cricket score after their six in less than 30 minutes.

To be fair, I didn’t do much defending. I damaged my hamstring about 5 minutes into the second half and didn’t do much else apart from stand and deliver a few balls – I was running nowhere.

This weekend provides an opportunity to move up a spot, possibly two, as we play the fourth ranked side who are only one point ahead of us on the ladder.

iSoccer

I play in a soccer team for our church, in a church league. Last year we were playing in the top division of the league. I can’t remember right now how we finished the season. Okay, I can remember it was in the bottom half of the table. It wasn’t a great year, we didn’t win any awards – or so we thought.

Seeing something about soccer on the cover of The QB (June 2006 issue), the bi-monthly magazine put out by the Queensland Baptist Services Group, I picked it up and flipped through. They put together three pages on the church leage, what with the World Cup on and all – and our team got a mention, on page 10. Let me quote:

“Winning a Grand Final is a great achievement for any team and undoubtedly the aim of many; but in the QBSA, teams play for another title considered even more important. The greatest commendation a side can receive is to be awarded the Steve Medlin Trophy. Each year, one team from across all divisions is recognised in this way as the team that best exemplifies the fair conduct and Christ-centred lifestyle which should typify such a Christian competition. The current holder of the Steve Medlin Trophy is Ashgrove Baptist.”

It’s great to hear our team were given that sort of recognition, but seeing that paragraph in The QB was the first any of us knew of this ‘greatest commendation’, let alone that it was another title we could have possibly been playing for. Not being in the first division this year (due to combining the church’s two teams, not being relegated, I would like to point out), we probably won’t get the same recognition, but I hope we continue to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the award.

World Ranking

Following our achievements at the World Cup, Australia has risen only 9 places in the world rankings, from 42 to 33. Japan, on the other hand, have dropped from 18th all the way to 49. Italy goes to number two, while Brazil are still number one, despite their quarter-final loss to France.

Compare world rankings at the FIFA site.

Australia at the World Cup

I know that previous post was supposed to be my last, but rather than editing it again I just decided to do one last one for Australia.

I thought it worth mentioning that (and repeating myself just a little), of our only two losses in the World Cup, both were to the world champions. Australia outplayed Brazil, the defending world champions, and were unlucky to go down 2-0. And we matched Italy, now current world champions, for 94 minutes before that penalty. We can be proud.

World Cup Final

Italy 1 – 1 France
Italy win 5-4 on penalties after second period of extra time.
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World Cup – Third place playoff

Germany 3 – 1 Portugal
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World Cup Semi Finals

Germany 0 – 2 Italy
France 1 – 0 Portugal

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World Cup – Quarter Finals

Germany 1 – 1 Argentina (Germany wins 5-3 on penalties)
England 0 – 0 Portugal (Portugal wins 3-1 on penalties)
Italy 3 – 0 Ukraine
Brazil 0 – 1 France

After having said France are useless, they are now the team I am supporting. They’ve played some great football in their last two games and I hope for more. I’m also hoping Germany thump Italy…

So tomorrow morning Australian time it’s Germany v Italy, then Thursday morning it’s France v Portugal.

Wednesday night is also the deciding State of Origin Rugby League match in Melbourne.
Are you going along to that Mr Bren Carlill?

World Cup – the Second Rounding

Brazil 3 – 0 Ghana
France 3 – 1 Spain
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World Cup – Second Roundup

Germany 2 – 0 Sweden
Argentina 2 – 1 Mexico
England 1 – 0 Ecuador
Portugal 2 – 1 Netherlands
Italy 1 – 0 Australia
Switzerland 0 – 3 Ukraine (on penalties)

What’s on tonight?
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World Cup – Day 15

Togo 0 – 2 France
Switzerland 2 – 0 Korea Republic
Saudia Arabia 0 – 1 Spain
Ukraine 1 – 0 Tunisia

What’s on tonight? SECOND ROUND!
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World Cup – Day 14

Italy 2 – 0 Czech Republic
Ghana 2 – 1 USA
Japan 1 – 4 Brazil
Australia 2 – 2 Croatia

UPDATED POST
What’s on tonight?
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World Cup – Day 13

Netherlands 0 – 0 Argentina
Côte d’Ivoire 3 – 2 Serbia
Portugal 2 – 1 Mexico
Iran 1 – 1 Angola
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World Cup – Day 12

Ecuador 0 – 3 Germany
Costa Rica 1 – 2 Poland
Sweden 2 – 2 England
Paraguay 2 – 0 Trinidad & Tobago

What’s on tonight?
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