Chipperfield had the legitimate distraction of dealing with a wife who just gave birth. There is some story about how he'd flown her to be with them, then gone back, and missed a flight somewhere ... I'm not 100% sure of how things occurred.
Normally I'd agree that Soccer Australia are being arseholes about the situation but there seems to be a different feel about it this time around. I can't help but get the impression that these are decisions being made for a decent reason. O'Neill has stated that the reason zero tolerance is being applied is because the number one priority for Soccer Australia is making the 2006 World Cup.
I agree with the way things have gone down. There can be no excuses anymore - club is second to country. We may see Soccer Australia have some fights with bigger clubs like Liverpool down the track.