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The Crowd Says (230) | Page 1 of Comments

• Michael C said | March 28th 2008 @ 9:11am | Report comment

  I’m struggling with some of your points.

  Romance – I can see soccers FA Cup as about the only ‘romantic’ reality in sport. Most other romance is imagined. Maybe you’ve just grown up and it’s not like it used to be.

  Romance – Geelong did NOT display flair?? Where are you coming from? Gary Ablett Junior is all flair, Paul Chapman is rugged flair, they played an aggresive play on style of game all year – it was known that they would almost always play on – stopping it was another thing altogether.
  Romance – North and Collingwood making the top 4 – both expected to be bottom of the ladder. Winning the cup is the only measure. In fact, undeserved winners simply demean the competition. Does not the immediate success of Storm in ’99 demean the NRL?

  Btw – who do you barrack for? Not Richmond or Carlton per chance?

  Are you a paid up member – I doubt it – if you haven’t attended since 2000. Which means you’re perhaps trapped to watching it on tele – which is the reality of your article then – that Rugby League is a better TV spectacle. And you’ve stated that. If you’re happy with the RL bogan commentators, the count of 6 tackles, the players gauging their performance NOT on possessions/disposals/goals but on tackles!!! If you’re happy with only one goal kicker and such a disrespect for kicking and goals that field goals have been reduced to 1 point and reserved only to avoid a drawn game……..if you happy with off-side and imaginary lines across the field and everybody facing each other all day in opposing lines rather than one on one match ups across the field etc, ……..then you’ve suitably ‘turned’.

  AFL – the game evolves. I’m dirty on 4 on the bench and too many interchanges and less on ground rotation and the pace of the game being too great. However, the fact that teams have to try to congest the play is largely related to the fact they no longer play on grounds with a muddy cricket pitch in the middle – that was a ‘natural’ congester – take that away, and suddenly every game can be played like it’s March.

  Sytle of Play -
  this is a point of view one – surely. Rugby is a very, very structured ye olde battlefield style game – Union especially is all about what you can’t do. Where is the instinctive play? The make it up as you go play. My main gripe with AFL has been over coaching by coaches who coach the flair out of players – refreshing then to hear young Bachar Houli from Essendon stating that he’s actually being encouraged to be more daring. If you’re not excited watching Dale Thomas or Lance Franklin, Kosi and Jonathan Brown, Boomer Harvey or the Davey boys etc etc – then perhaps you are getting a little old and requiring the slow lane – so, please, keep left.

  What to one person is ‘disorganised’ – such as the Rugby Union rolling mauls with bodies flayed and people seeming NOT concerned about possession of the ball – is quite something else to the ‘followers of the game’. The reality of Aust Footy is that the ‘live’ ball is contested – and with no knock on and no structure via off-side and tackle counts etc – well, gee, it’s a little unpredictable. Rugby League is quite predictable. Because of it’s ‘organisation’.

  However – in AFL I’d love to see a rule brought in that no more than 2 tacklers will be rewarded with a free kick – I am sick of seeing 4 tacklers jump all over a fellow on the ground to hold the ball in. That is ugly and umpires perhaps need to place a greater requirement on a ‘legal’ tackle.
  AFL (umpires) needs not to be afraid of ‘bouncing the ball’ – as, the neutral restart is a key feature as compared to turn sharing in other sports.
  and – the ball up provides for the crucial skills and abilities of the ‘followers’ – the Ruckman, the rover and ruck-rover. Without which, there can be too great a sameness across the field. We must NOT devalue the roles of the variety of body types.

  State of Origin – I went to the one recently at Telstra Dome – 75 mins of boredom before QLD suddenly came to life and almost justified the preceding 75 mins of people runnings 3 paces into a tackle……

  remember, AFL/VFL HAD state of origin. But – when there’s more than just 2 states, and you have state based games each week – then, State of Origin died a natural death. I wouldn’t mind, now, in the full draft era and further removed from start up local concessions – I wouldn’t mind ever 4 years a SoO carnival – - but, the regular season competition IS DIMINISHED by SoO in RL. The players doubling up in a week or being unavailable – the regular season contest is compromised. Not enhanced. The reality is that AFL folk prioritised the club competition – for the premiership – ahead of the state bragging rights. RL SoO is just a reminder of a 2 state code.

  Venues wise – the suburban grounds are fine for suburban comps – I’ll go down to Port Melbourne or Coburg and watch a ‘VFL’ game – but, thank god the AFL has out grown those and we can average 36K attendance per game. Have a bit of real rather than imagined atmosphere – have you tried taking kids to those old grounds with crap toilets, crap seating, crap roofing – - have you actually been to Telstra Dome and checked out the food court and the parents rooms???? Have you been to the further revamped MCG? I’m a NOrth Melbourne person and Arden St is a happy memory – by that, I’m happy it’s a memory – it was a dingy little inner suburban ground – yeah, history – not for me, I was from the country – it’s not the ground at the end of the street – to me, it was dirty, cramped, required a walk through industrial streets from the station…….

  what I do love though, via local footy – people now get to play on grounds like Glenferrie Oval – and you realise just how bad it would be to still be playing top level footy there. Especially for vehicle access, but also the grounds were not always that big and you’d be complaining about the cramped congested play and muddy cricket pitches in the middle of the ground.

  Which returns me to believe that you either just felt like a whinge and lament for your romantic notion of the good old days – or that your trying a bit of code vs code.

  Reply

• sledgeross said | March 28th 2008 @ 11:56am | Report comment

  Michael C,

  I think you are the biased whinger mate, because they are valid points!

  It just comes down to opinions, doesnt it?

  Obviously you are ignorant of Rugby League. The young Tigers won their premeiership based on flair and attack, while the unfancied Panthers were victorious over the latte sipping Roosters in wet conditions in 03. Thats fairytale stuff. Sattlers cover tackle of Todd Byrne to put him into touch, Benji Marshalls no look flick pass to Pat Richards. Comparable to Cinderella. The romance is there for sure. I agree that the Cats play a fantastic style of play. Rugged, mobile defenders, fast, skillfull midfielders and talented forwards. They are good to watch and are certainly a bright spark in the AFL.

  As for your assertions about Rugby League in general, bah humbug! AFL has plenty of wanker commentators as well. Sam Newman is probably the biggest one going around! Players are not merely gauged on tackles, but many other facets as well. It is dependent on your position. The reason why kicking for goal has been so “undervalued” is because onus is placed more on attacking footy, and scoring tries. Look at the mundane nature of Rugby Union. The technical interpretation mean 3 points for a penalty kick, plus 3 for drop goals. No wonder teams dont back themselves to score “meat pies”. I cant comprehend your point on RL being predictable? Yes, you know that each team will have 6 tackles, that each half is 40 minutes, and the scrums are a non-event (dont get me started!), but the same could be said of AFL as well. Just because the game covers more area doesnt equate it to being any less predictable. Each team will play to their strengths. Thats professional sport. Besides the occasional glimmer from a Dale Thomas etc, AFL has become possession based more than ever.

  “The reality is that AFL folk prioritised the club competition – for the premiership – ahead of the state bragging rights. RL SoO is just a reminder of a 2 state code”. No offence, but what else does AFL have besides its clubs. Its smart business sense when you have little prospect of a fair dinkum contest against another country, and noone actually gives a crap about an interstate contest. I wouldnt be too smug about your 2 state code quip either, especially when AFL is essentially a 3 state code, with its talent smeared around nationally.

  I admit, suburban grounds can be dingy and antiquated. But there is something to be said about the cauldron atmosphere and the tribalism it evokes. Ok, walking a km back to your car isnt perfect, but you get to mix with other supporters, its part of “going to the footy”. I suppose it is different though, because as you point out, Aussie Rules is played on cricket grounds (mainly) while RL takes up less of an area.

  Reply

• Michael C said | March 28th 2008 @ 12:44pm | Report comment

  sledgeross -

  I was simply trying to illustrate that a negative slant taken to RL can portray a dull, tedious, predictable, flairless, skill-less game. HOW FAIR that is – that’s another story altogether and open to opinion. And – as you indicate – the romance and flair is there to be found.

  I must say though that the problem with AFL on tele is it moves too fast and there’s not enough slow-mo replay opportunities. An awful lot of the ‘flair’ is lost on the average viewer – becuase the AFL has done all it can to create ‘continuous’ motion. THAT annoys me. Soccer is continuous motion to a degree – but, a lot of it is uncontested backwards and sideways stuff. Rugby is more ‘play by play’ or phase oriented (Grid Iron ‘downs’ oriented). I’m happy with enough delay after a behind to show a quick replay, or a few more bounces around the ground to show a replay – because on FTA – the best replay slot post goal – and that’s ads central. Perhaps the author of this article should get foxtel.

  The odd ‘glimmer’ – - possession based it always has been – to a degree. Over use should be dangerous – but a roofed stadium at TD removes the impact of ‘rain’. Sadly. You may not like Sammy Newman, but, he is the ultimate advocator of just get it and kick it long down to the forwards one out – because, unlike soccer – they CAN use their hands and catch the ruddy thing.
  Glimmer players though – (a lot of them are indigenous boys – there might be something in that!!)
  Adelaide – Brett Burton (3 mark of the year contenders each week), Andrew McLeod
  Brisbane – Jonathan Brown, Jarred Brennan
  Carlton – Chris Judd, Eddie Betts?, Fev?
  Coll – Thomas, Didak, L.Davis
  Ess – Alwyn Davey, Jetta, Lovett
  Freo – Pavlich, Farmer
  Geel – G.Ablett, Chapman, S.Johnson, T.Hawkins, C.Mooney
  Haw – L.Franklin, S.Crawford, L.Hodge
  Melb – Aaron Davey, Russell Robertson
  North – Boomer Harvey, Daniel Wells SHOULD BE!!, Corey Jones, Aaron Edwards
  Port – Cornes x 2, Burgoyne x 2, Pearce, Tredrea
  Rich – Richo, Nathan Brown
  StK – Kosi, Riewoldt
  Syd – that’s the hard one!!!!!
  WBG – Brad Johnson, Giansiracusa, Cooney, Aker
  WCE – Kerr, Lynch, Cox

  —–

  Just a quick list of the more obvious ‘X’ factor players at the clubs. Some more obvious than others.

  Yes – each team will TRY to play to their strengths – and TRY to play the game on their terms, and TRY to sustain their preferred structures and TRY to dictate the matchups and TRY to sustain their rotations and TRY to efficiently convert when going forward. There’s a lot of ‘trys’ – and the result is hardly predictable and the number of ‘dead certainties’ are few.

  Suburban grounds -

  I DID love the old atmosphere around Flinders St station, and North Melb station and Spencer St station – as all the ‘colours’ would come in from which ever line (thus,grounds) and people would call out from over the platforms and there was a tremendous atmosphere – footy ‘owned’ the city on that Sat afternoon. However – those days have gone in all respects – even for the NRL with a team in Canberra, 3 in QLD, one in NZ and one in Melb and games spread over several days/nights including Monday and TV watching that much more prevalent than attending – - – the AFL retains a heap of the ‘romance’ by virtue that people go in larger numbers and ‘sign up’ as members in larger numbers than ever before. It’s not a bad thing that my North Melb have MORE than 5000 members and one dingy old fire hazard grandstand. And Telstra Dome last Monday with 48K packed in was certainly cauldren enough and more so than old Arden St could offer – - alas, most of level 3 were Essendon folk (but, we’ll take their cash entry!!!). NRL – I guess is a bit different as the ‘neutral/big’ venues don’t seem to work as well as the MCG and TD do.

  SoO -

  Reality is interest wained around the time of the new clubs being established, such that WA was 85% the Eagles, SA 85% the CRows. Now – the concept would have legs again – at very least 2 clubs each state – and via the draft greater mixing of players. Although Judd has now returned to Victoria, the obvious is for Jonathan Brown to wear the big V, and Pavlich to wear the SA jumpber, and Lance Franklin to wear the WA jumper. It’d have legs again now – it’s the format that needs to work.

  AFLQ recently defeated Tassie in interstate footy. The reality is to go toe to toe with the Vics, it’s probably only WA and SA able to. However, the AFL lost the focus when they pushed the silly ‘Allies’ concept (although at the time the thought of having Carey, Kelly, Hird, Richardson, Buckley etc on the same paddock was a very enticing one).

  The 2nd tier of NSW/ACT, QLD/NT and Tassie in at least the latter 2 cases demand stand alone representation.
  All of that can’t be achieved in the format that NSW vs QLD in RL SoO does.

  It needs to be a ‘carnival’/tournament – - that’s why I’d love to see it every 4 years – return the pride of wearing the big V and reclaim the big V as a Victorian Football icon (Melb Victory have done their best to nick it!!).

  Reply

• Rubelli Face said | March 28th 2008 @ 12:55pm | Report comment

  Gee that’s a shock, reading an article on ‘The Roar’ where ‘Michael C’ contributes a umpteen-page thesis advocating the merits of Australian Rules whilst giving Rugby League a bagging. *Yawn* (And what’s even better is you don’t have to be reading an article that mentions Australian Rules to hear what Michael thinks about the state of the AFL – you can bet your bottom dollar if I were to read an opinion piece on the vagaries of table tennis Michael would be in the thick of the action deflecting debate towards Australia’s indigenous game).

  Michael, give it a rest mate. You’re a one trick pony and your opinions are as predictable as the seasons.

  Sawas, good on you for giving us your thoughts. It’s very interesting to read about the factors that make someone transfer their support from one sporting code to another, and I think you made some good points. But it’s important to remember that endorsing one code of football shouldn’t preclude you from enjoying all other sports. I could think of nothing worse then living the kind of tortured existence that must surely accompany a one-code zealot. Take a look at Michael C and ask yourself “Do I want to end up like that nuffy?” – meaning the kind of person who would begin viewing an NRL match by praying the rosary and pledging his first-born for sacrifice should the Gods grant him a paraplegic courtesy of a speak tackle. Sawas please don’t wind up as a similarly pathetic creature of hate and loathing.

  Reply

• Millster said | March 28th 2008 @ 1:24pm | Report comment

  Savvas – I found your article interesting. I was brought up in Perth and on a heavy dose of East Freo and West Coast. I moved to the East Coast in 1999 and have lived in Sydney and Canberra since then.

  Though predominantly a soccer fan, these days faced with a choice of AFL or NRL on the TV I would do just like you and watch the NRL all other things being equal. The structure of the game, the fact that the skills are displayed in conditions of far more physical intensity/duress, and the fact that there is less scoring are simply far more appealing to me these days.

  And to you Rubelli Face – classic work!

  Reply

• Michael C said | March 28th 2008 @ 2:08pm | Report comment

  excuse me dear people –

  but – it was a thesis put forward in the guise of an article.

  I can understand people’s passions ebbing and flowing -

  but – many of the apparent ‘criticisms’ smell of sour grapes most likely from someone who lost interest since Richmond ceased to be regularly in the finals or since Carlton got thwarted from ‘buying’ premierships.

  Blatant Falsehood number 1 :

  “AFL, by contrast, has been dominated recently by the Interstate teams and, prior to that period, by the top dogs in Victoria.”

  the ‘top dogs in Victoria’……hmm…so, North Melbourne – the archetypal under dog appear NOT TO COUNT?? They won it twice, on a shoe string, on recycling Fremantle players and requiring base payments and pay cuts from players such as Carey and McKernan. The 90s in fact provided 4 wins to interstate clubs, and 6 to Victorian clubs. There were 7 different premiership winning clubs. 5 different Victorian teams won the GF in the 90s. 3 other clubs managed to make GFs and so had their chances – including StKilda and Geelong – 3 times!! Previous Victorian powerhouse clubs Carlton, Rich, Coll and Essendon were NO LONGER walk up starters to the Top 4. All praise the dawning of the new age.
  [and, by the war, Bris defeated Ess and Coll twice to win - true, 3 'all interstate' GFs followed. ]

  Blatant falsehood number 2:
  “Geelong’s win last year ended the drought for one of the perennial losers (finally!!). ”

  as above, 1999 saw perennial losers North Melb win 2nd in 4 years for 4 GFs EVER. 2004 saw Port Adelaide win their maiden GF. 2005 saw Sydney (South Melb Swans) win first flag for 70 odd years. 2001 saw Brisbane (Fitzroy Lions) win first flag for eons too) perennial losers – SHOW ME THE PERENNIAL winners that have been dominating?? – hmm, Geelong contest 4 GFs between 89 and 95. Is coming 2nd deemed being a loser? We love that Collingwood therefore are perennial losers.

  Blatant Falsehood number 3:
  “But even that only highlighted the comparison with the great Geelong teams of the Blight era from 1989-1995. Back then, playing offensive football, they lost 4 Grand Finals, 2 of them to the ultra defensive West Coast Eagles! Their modern equivalent did not display any of the flair evident back then.”

  I believe I’ve covered this one reasonably – although – in fairness: Do tell:
  who is more extravagant and ‘flairy’??
  Bairstow, Couch, Riccardi and G.Hocking vs Chapman, Bartel, Corey and G.Ablett jnr
  with forward structure is more flamboyant?
  G.Ablett snr, Brownless vs Mooney, S.Johnson and Tomahawk Hawkins or N.Ablett.
  with backline is the more flamboyant (or the less dour)?
  Tim Darcy, Mark Yeates, Tim McGrath, S.Hocking vs Maxy Rooke, Scarlett, Harley and Enright.
  maybe it’s in the ruck – I’ll grant that,
  John Barnes when at GEelong had more personality than Brad Ottens.

  - – - –

  I can respect that Sawas has changed allegiences – but – please – don’t try to justify it with rubbish.

  I can grant you lamenting for the old days if you like those old grounds – so, I expect that you adore the spartan facilities at Olympic Park on those icey July evenings as you rock up week in week out irrespective of results.

  Reply

• Savvas Tzionis said | March 28th 2008 @ 2:42pm | Report comment

  OK…..time to respond (maninly to you Michael C). I will treat each point as it popped up throughout the thread.

  In regards to Romance, maybe I should have used the word ‘egalitarin’ to describe the sharing of premierships amongst all clubs. This used to be a hallmark of the old VFL.

  (By the way, I can’t see why you think the FA Cup is still romantic when the leading clubs treat it with such contempt that they field second string teams. Oh yeah, this years final will be ‘romantic’ because lowerlevel clubs will be represented. How hollow!)

  Yes, Geelong have flair. If you compare them to the deplorable Swans of recent years. In fact, any team in the AFL would look good comapred to the wretched football the Swans played. I find it ironic that the first name you mentioned was Gary Ablett Jnr. Do you remember watching his father play? Its like comparing Pele to Beckham.

  As for the Storm winning it in 1999, a year after they joined, well, how different is that to West Coast, Adelaide and Port Adelaide winning premierships within 5, 6, and 7 years of each team joining the competition. Granted, its not as bad as the Storm, but your point is not as valid as you make out.

  As for the team I support. Well, to be honest, I really don’t anymore for a variety of reasons. I used to support Carlton but my egalitarianismt bent (you may want to call it Socialist) was so strong that I never felt any real attachment after the mid 80′s. Occasionally I would get excited like in the 1999 Preliminary Final but that was the last game i think I ever saw Carlton play. Now, before you get all excited about how it looks like I just jumped off the bandwagon, remember Carlton’s season the nest year was even better than 1999. And they still made the finals in 2001. No, the game was too far gone for Carlton;s form to have any efect on my passion.

  As for League being a tv sport, I agree. But I do not go to watch the Storm (yes, I live in Melbourne) for reasons that I actually included in my original article, which did not make it on to the Roar website. It read as follows….

  “Footnote: Ironically, I do not support the Melbourne Storm. They represent many of the aspects I am against in sport today. They are supported by a big Multi-National (News Ltd), they are a manufactured club, and they play a style of football that is defensive and not particularly attractive. Plus they play at a poor venue without a soul (Olympic Park).”

  As for clogging up the play and March type weather. Well, this is another irony. And thanks for bringing it up. The grounds are in a much bestter state than in the old days where wet weather football was quite common. So, why has the scoring rate fallen so dramatically? It truly is a slight on the game that it has, expecially in light of this fact.

  As for nominating players that show flair…the exceptions prove the rule!!!! Name some others!! In the old days, every team possessed numerous players of individual brillance. The ONLY thing that AFL football has progressed with over the last 15 years has been the increased presence of Aboriginal footballers.

  As for the style of play, you have not really countered my argument. Read my point again.

  I note that there are many aspects of the game you are unhappy with. So maybe you do not disagree with me as much as the tone of your response indicates. As for rule changes, I think there are some that can be considered but thats for another article. (But briefly, I think the key however is allowing the ball to be taken out of the centre at centre square ball ups after goals with more ease. I would reduce the amount of players from 18 to 17 and the one player dropped off would be the ruck-rover or centreman.)

  Your criticisms of League have been well countered, in my opinion, by the other commentators here.

  As far as State of Origin is concerned, Telstra Dome with many non-believers in attendance doesn’t really assist your argument. And it was only one game you saw. League has 2 highlights a year. The SoO and it’s Club Grand Final. Both are approached by the protagonists with total passion. Of course, one major reason for the SoO being such a great spectacle is that Interantional honours are also at stake. Not just state bragging rights.

  As for the local grounds argument, I wasn’t trying to ask that we go back to the old days, but surely 1 or 2 grounds could have been kept. Especially Princes Park!! It had all the facilities of an MCG or Docklands Dome but retained its sense of an old style oval.

  Now even the MCG has lost its aura now that the last remnant of the olds days has been demolished!!

  Lastly, calling League commentators bogans comapred to AFL types is quite silly. Just look at te 2 Footy Shows and you can see that difference is that the League guys are not a bunch of egotistical fakes.

  Newman is no fake, but his ego and his disdain for the everyday man is shocking. An intelligent man who’s warped views of the world have made him a fool. We all know the fakeness of McGuire. The ‘Broady’ boy!!! Ba-humbug.

  The likes of Peter Sterling and the others to lesser extents are far more pleasing.

  AFL players/commentators might dress nicely these days, but they are all robots who sing from the same tune (except maybe for Akermanis!!). Having seen them out on the town, they all still sound like bogans to me.

  Now, I will state one reason I chose to write this piece. I am was sick and tired of everyone saying how great AFL is. It isn’t and it is time the Emperor was shown not to have those clothes on!!

  To Rubelli Face: I watch much sport still but obviously most of it on tv. But I do not have Foxtel (Murdoh!!!). Soccer is probably what I watch most of all. And when I get home late on Friday or Saturday Nights I watch League.

  But the complete commodification of sport means that perhaps only Internationals are the only time I will watch sport with any real interest. Players can’t be sold, fans cannot be won over (like Euro clubs do in Asia etc with theirmarketing).

  Reply

• sledgeross said | March 28th 2008 @ 3:04pm | Report comment

  Why dont we all just agree that Rugby Union is the worst game of all three and be done with it lol

  Im with everyone else here. AFL is a fantastic game to see live, when you can take in the whole panorama. I was never a real fan until I went to the SCG and saw the likes of Roos, Plugger, Dunkley, Schwass etc play. I was a fan ever since, and try to get out to at least one live game a year.

  Sav, I loved your view on the Storm. They represent everything that is wrong with sport these days. Well done mate.

  Reply

• Savvas Tzionis said | March 28th 2008 @ 3:10pm | Report comment

  Ok….looks like I need to put forward some more counter-counter arguments since Michael C’s latest response coincided with my follow up.

  Your argument about Egalitariansim does not wash. North maybe a lower level club, but they won 2 premierships as recently as the 1970′s. The likes of St Kilda Melbourne Footscray and Gelogn have waited over 40 years!! Finally, Geelong were able to break that drought. Poor old Fitzroy and South supporters have to be satisfied with a mutation of their club winning premierships. And using the argument that Geelong losing 4 grandfinals and winning NONE is a sign of success shows that you are warping this argument. And to even compare the current Geelong team with the Blight era only invokes ridicule. As a neutral in this argument (seeing that you are a North supporter), surely you are not that blind as to the merits of both teams from a purely entertainment poin of view? But it appears you are.

  As for me talking rubbish, they are the words of a desperate debater.

  Reply

• Michael C said | March 28th 2008 @ 3:33pm | Report comment

  Savvas -

  the old VFL pre salary cap and draft was confined to Carl, Coll, Rich and Ess. If anything – the NORMAL criticism these days is about the socialist dictatorship running the game and making it too even. That’s why your comment surprised me.

  FA Cup – the notion at least is romantic, the structure is romantic. And I can see the allure for soccer fans for Australia’s own version.

  Swans – they offer the ‘variety’ of styles – and playing to their strengths. The finals win over Geelong a couple of years ago was a classic. Conflicting styles – who would win.

  Gary Ablett snr – I had finals series tickets in ’89, and attended all the Geel finals as a neutral and marvelled at G.Ablett Snr. It was great, but, to expect another G.Ablett snr to pop up regularly is a bit of a stretch. G.Ablett Jnr is a different player and marvellous to watch, exceptionally quick, composed, balanced and compact – his kicking technique at pace under pressure is almost text book. He’s a brilliant player to watch but quite distinct to his old man.

  Storm – main issue is that it was a ‘created’ team in a non-RL state – actually, truth be known, most of us just loved the angst in the voices of the Sydney folk – as we knew that Storm was a post SL compromise at the expense of traditional Syd clubs – and people still now lament that Storm are Melbourne and not Gosford. To AFL eyes though, to through a team together in foreign territory like that and win 2-3 years in – amazing! The examples in the AFL were all established in strong AFL states and with that they had certain draft concessions around locals etc. And as you point out – a ‘created’ team – similar to the AFL farce with the BRisbane Bears – is a bit dodgey. The 2 new teams – should they happen – might be a tale of 2 methods.

  Look – the AFL administration aren’t perfect, the league is not perfect, the game is not perfect etc.

  Eddie McGuire at least got off his butt and had a go and turned around Collingwoods fortunes – as, James Brayshaw is attempting at North Melb – - I think it’s a bit disengenous to call them fakes. You don’t have to like them – but, it’s easy to just be a ‘commentator’ stand alone – and, like Denis Commetti, just practice the ad lib 1 liners in advance…..

  For me though – too many rule tweaks (being re-active), has seemingly led to a domino theory in rule tweaks. The rules of the game committee should be shot.
  I agree Princes Park should be retained as a boutique venue – I’ve stated that before on theRoar. The MCG – it is sad the old (3rd was it) members stand is no more – but, for the requirements of it – it was out dated – all the museum aspects were far too valuable to be retained in the dingy inner sanctums. The new development really is amazing. Although, the ‘void’ section is a bit too open – as seen with the poor british fellow who fell from the escalators. Take that up with the architects.

  Style of play and flair players – I support North Melb – we haven’t been well endowed with flair players. At one point Blight and the 2 Krakouer boys – then, the doldrums in the late 80s – Matty Larkin did the odd nice bit of play – but flair – totally devoid. At any given time, there’s normally about 4 teams that I’d pay to go and watch as a neutral supporter. Mainly where they are playing each other. Style of play – changes within a match for a given team let alone across a season. My Rooboys last week were 27 pts up and had more handballs than kicks (were running in numbers and support) – suddenly, style of play changes – they end up with about a 3-2 kicks to handball ratio. Style of play is such a ‘fluid’ thing. I think the main thing though – the old days – and I still yearn for this – was more about the ‘fatigue/endurance’ element – of 2 centremen playing all day, those duels on the wing Greig vs Flower, Turner vs Hawkins. The 4 free interchange players still irks me and is in my mind the source of many of the ills – and you’re right – that is probably worth an article.

  Reply