Not thinking inside the box.

Itís exhausting. First there was the Womenís Soccer World Cup, watched by more people than watch pet videos on Instagram.

Then there was the basketball world cup which nobody watched, followed by the netball world cup, a cricket world cup, darts world cup and as you read this, the rugby world cup, from which Australia was bundled out in the group stage by Turkmenistan.

NRL has also reached an exciting stage of its season,

Colmar Estate Orange ëBlock 2í Chardonnay, 2021, $50. How apt to do oneís block with a Block 2 in oneís hand. ìBrayshaw, you prawn, get offî. Actually, prawns would make a lovely accompaniment to this. Sophisticated, stylish and sharp, unlike Brayshaw. albeit from a very low base.

But despite such a protein-based entertainment diet thereís always room for more and the biggest game of all (not counting womenís soccer) is about to start and, hopefully, be won by premiership starved Carlton, who wonít win it again until we reach carbon net zero (sorry Col).

However while this explosion of sporting madness has been great for the games and their betting partners, alas it has outgrown the supply

9.5/10.

Colmar Estate Orange Reserve Chardonnay, 2021, $60 (Bottle no.1259).

Altogether thicker and richer, with a bigger body, this is more your Richo sort of chardonnay, but donít have a mouthful when heís commentating lest you spit it of suitable people in commentary boxes as evidenced by the dearth of intelligent or even slightly interesting narration.

Thereís much media surrounding players, coaches and offcials but plainly not enough surrounding the reporting or live coverage of the games.

Rugby league has always been among the worst offenders with the dull, droll, dry, blokey monotone a feature of the game since ëRabbitsí Warren frst pulled on the headphones, out in exasperation. Serious stuff not to be wasted. 9.6/10. Vickery Watervale Riesling (WVR 1603 KCBBS) 2023, $24. The spy-like code merely refers to the various vineyards from which the grapes were supplied, which shows just how complicated it can be to make one of the but in the past few years this has been far surpassed by the inane, incorrect, ill-informed and at times idiotic commentary of AFL games.

Without mentioning any names, but James Brayshaw and Richo Richardson are at the top of the list, the garbage they deliver each week is insulting and irritating and almost makes their commentated games unwatchable.

We used to yell at the umpires or the dirty players, but now itís the mob in simplest, but most delicious, wines. Worth the effort. Too smart for Richo. 9.4/10. St John’s Road Barossa Valley Blood and Courage Shiraz 2019, $24. You’d have to have cold blood and courage to be a CEO, a CFO or any kind of ‘C’ word really, specially a the commentary box that cops it. ìThatís just what he doesî. ìThatís just what ëinsertteam-hereí doesî. ìThey really hurt you on the reboundî. ìTheyíve got to hit the scoreboard if they want to winî. ìThey have to kick it to the leading forwardî. ìTheyíre just not winning it out of the centre/ in the forward line/in the backline/from stoppagesî.

Worst of all, they invariably side with the aggressor when someone gets knocked out. ìHe was commentator. Perfect stuff for a hard game. 9.3/10.

Calcannia Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, $28. The simplicity of the label echoes Richo and the simple pleasure of Clare cabernet, and alas, me. Also like me it’s full bodied but needs more maturity. The

Max Crus

committed, nothing else he could do but smash the other guyís skullî. Utter, fatuous, uninformed garbage and might as well be commentated by AI, indeed at least AI would try to mimic good commentary. The only positive is that terrible commentary invites you to turn down the sound so you can yell at your family instead. Now, letís grab a glass of wine and settle in for the National Anthem, and start yelling at the kids to ìsiddown in frontî.

similarities are uncanny. 9.4/10

Calcannia Clare Valley Shiraz 2019, $28. How canny of Calcannia to conjure another crisp, clean shiraz from the Clare, but youíd never hear that from Brayshaw or Richo. 9.4/10.