AS FANTASY football players across the land eventually decide to remove Brendon Goddard from their teams, Mongrel Punter understands that the game's best utility wants to become an urban hippie and move to Melbourne's inner north, somewhere near Merri Creek.
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It is believed Goddard is considering a life without the weekly pressure of football, indulging in organic home-brew in the evening, Fair Trade organic coffee in the morning, organic vegetables, bare feet, loose pants, communal baths and long, unwashed hair.
Mongrel Punter also understands Goddard's iPod is now full of Ravi Shankar's sitar music, and he is half-way through a book on the mystic teachings of Lao Tzu (or Laozi), the ancient Chinese philosopher.
A club insider said they became concerned about Goddard when a Lao Tzu proverb was tattooed on his stomach, reading: ''Only those who know when enough is enough can ever have enough.'' However, St Kilda officials have denied the tattoo exists.
In a media statement late yesterday, the club said its ''players were prohibited from reading material by ancient Chinese philosophers and spiritual leaders''.
When Mongrel Punter spoke to a club official last night, he was asked if Nick Riewoldt was also considering moving to Merri Creek to eat organic stuff and listen to sitar music. The official hung up.
The rumours of Goddard's conversion to Taoism have affected his Brownlow Medal odds and he is now at $151 (Betstar), after starting the year at $20. He was one of the best backed players for the medal before round one. Riewoldt's Brownlow odds have also swelled to $251 with his Coleman Medal odds out to $34 (Sportsbet.com.au).
PUNTING NOTES
St Kilda backed to win the wooden spoon ($500 at $51). TAB Sportsbet notes the Saints are now at the same price to win the premiership.
Centrebet reports solid betting on St Kilda to beat Melbourne trimmed from $1.63 to $1.52, with a bet of $12,000 on St Kilda at the shorter odds.
