AFL to finally rid the game of stagers
Roar Pro
By Luke D'Anello, 3 Feb 2010 Luke D'Anello is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- AFL, AFL House, AFL stagers
118 Have your say
Byron Schammer of Fremantle is bumped from the ball by Mark Lecras of West Coast during the AFL Round 18 match between the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers at the Subiaco Oval. Slattery Images
Those in positions of power at AFL House are criticised heavily when they do something wrong, so it is only fair we acknowledge them when they do something right. Finally, the league is going to come down on a group of players no one likes – the stagers.
This season will see players fined for faking, or accentuating, contact.
A first offence will draw a reprimand, while a second offence will see the player fined $1600. A third offence will attract a fine of $2400.
While many, including myself, may like to see a one-match ban for a third offence, this move is a step forward and the league deserves a tick.
Australian Rules Football was never going to be like soccer – a sport where players, it appears, stage for fun.
We didn’t want that.
But it was important to knock the issue on the head before it got out of control. Players are often looked upon as role models for the younger generation of budding AFL stars.
We don’t want staging filtering down to junior levels and even local suburban competitions.
There will be players who will continue to try and bend the rules – even at AFL level – but the message has been set and the standards have been spelt out: play for a free kick and expect a penalty.
There are not many things that make the ardent fan in the outer more frustrated than a free-kick to an opposition player who has, obviously, staged.
AFL players, in the past, have admitted they do it. Some may still get away with it, but Big Brother is watching.
This new rule will help the umpires, because players, more than likely, will attack contests without the thought of accentuating contact in the hope of gaining a free possession.
The game is very difficult to umpire today, due to the varied rules. Umpires, I believe, will breathe a sigh of relief that players will, finally, be answerable for their actions regarding staging.
But the umpires need to also be aware of what is and isn’t classified as staging.
Past players and commentators should be happy with the move, as well as the fans. It should be a win-win for all.
In the past, supporters have encouraged the AFL to let the game be and to leave the rules as they are.
But when it is in the best interests of the league, and the game as a whole, we should support such changes.
This change is necessary and a big tick goes to the AFL for applying common-sense.
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Tifosi said | February 3rd 2010 @ 5:06am | Report comment
But i thought only soccer players dived……………..
Ben said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:54am | Report comment
Apparently they do – Channel 10 early news this morning couldn’t help taking a cheap shot at the world game when reporting on this issue this morning . . .
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:57am | Report comment
Maybe becuase the most blatent staging happens in soccer.
Ben said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:55am | Report comment
Sure, it’s nice for the AFL to be stamping this sort of behaviour out of the Aussie game, as should FIFA for football, but it’s the typical holiour than thou attitude of the AFL-centric media that peeves me: “yep, we’ve got this problem, but look, it’s nowhere near as bad as that backward soccer mob”.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:08am | Report comment
just another media conspiracy against soccer.
Ben said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:16am | Report comment
Conspirary theories are crap, your comment is crap, and the treatment of football by the Aussie media is crap – even a monkey could recognise that. I’m all for stamping poor sportsmanship out of sport, including AFL, but don’t try to leverage support for the new policy from football – it’s just a cheap attempt at one-upmanship.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:52am | Report comment
Theres an airport in a capital city near you.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:36am | Report comment
Well soccer provides the benchmark for staging, why wouldn’t the media reference to it?
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:21am | Report comment
All sports have a degree of acting, but soccer has to be the worst. A rational outlook on the structure of soccer demonstrates:
Soccer is low scoring and the value of an individual goal is exceedingly high and therefore the INCENTIVE to stage for a penalty is correspondingly higher in this sport. A single staged penalty can earn the match winning goal in soccer!
Granted in other sports a penalty can also earn the match winning score, but the incentive to do so is much lower as scoring (and the opportunity to score) is more frequent in other sports. The incentive to cheat is therefore diluted.
Soccer fans don’t like to admit it, but their sport is the worst for staging due to its dynamic low scoring nature combined with highly paid professional players.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:27am | Report comment
Cricket has its share of staging as well.
How many appeals by bowlers are over the top wtih clearly no danger of wicket being taken?
Just wastes everyones time. Some appeals are like the grunts by tennis players, ie: only designed to put their oppoent off.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:34am | Report comment
An appeal is an appeal, it is their right to do so. The umpire adjudicates.
Its not like you see batsmen pretending to trip over opposition fielders, now that would be real staging in cricket.
Sam said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:55pm | Report comment
Please don’t say there is any difference between an appeal in cricket when a player knows their opponent should not be out (the number of cases of players claiming catches when they shouldn’t is shocking) and a soccer player diving when there isn’t contact. It’s exactly the same thing! It’s cheating and trying to deceive the umpire/referee. I see no difference between the two.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:06pm | Report comment
How obvious someone is ‘out’ or ‘not out’ can be subjective, hence why its up to the umpire to adjudicate.
Appealing has been used as a psychological weapon and delaying tactic, but I don’t think its as rife as staging in soccer.
The value of a single wicket is more diluted (and therefore the incentive is less) than the value of a single goal in soccer.
Simple logic.
Lazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:07pm | Report comment
But critics of ‘Soccer’ need an excuse to bash the sport so they pretend that cheating only occurs in ‘Soccer’ and that ‘simulation’ is the second worst human rights violation after genocide.
I saw an aging Rugby comentator shaking his head in disgust at the play acting that goes on in ‘Soccer’. Then we saw the ‘Bloodgate’ scandal where they deliberately brought a bag af blood onto the field to fake an injury. When these things happen in their sport then they only blame the individuals concerned, as they should, but not the entire sport. That’s the difference with ‘Soccer’. Anything that happens in the 200 countries that play the sport is an excuse to bash the whole sport.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:16pm | Report comment
“But critics of ‘Soccer’ need an excuse to bash the sport so they pretend that cheating only occurs in ‘Soccer’…”
Only in your fantasy world, does this straw man make sense.
I’ve made moderate criticisms, without emotion and without loaded language. See if you can do the same.
Lazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:50am | Report comment
Yes and it also means that ‘Soccer’ requires the greatest discipline and mental strength since one goal can decide a game. In AFL, if you make a mistake that results in a goal for the opposition then it’s not that costly since there are so many goals scored.
In ‘Soccer’ one goal can decide a game, a championship or even a World Cup.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
“In AFL”
A costly mistake with seconds left will still leave the same result. It just means your team didn’t play hard enough in the rest of the allocated playing time, which is the difference between the two sports. In the Australian football, a loss can only mean the team has failed whereas in soccer a loss can often be attributed to an individual.
In soccer your team can play an absolute dominant blinder of a game, only to have it ruined by poor officiating, a single mistake from an individual (which in my mind, undermines the team aspect of sport) or even worse an incident of cheating . Like I’ve argued previously, this can happen in other sports, but the low scoring nature of soccer means that one individual can undermine an entire team effort.
“In ‘Soccer’ one goal can decide a game, a championship or even a World Cup.”
I take issue with this structural facet, with the likes of Maradonna and T.Henry proving my point.
Lazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
That rarely happens in a game of Aussie Rules Beast-A-Tron. More likely is that the game is all over way before the final siren because one team has a huge lead. How many games go write down to wire? Not many but they are the games that I and most fans enjoy the most.
‘Soccers’ low scoring system ensures that all games, even if uninspiring, are at least a CONTEST. It also gives underdog teams a chance to upset the big boys. When the Adelaide Crows play a SANFL (i.e.2nd Division) side in a pre season warm up game, they are usually 10-20 goals up by half-time? That’s why the AFL needs a draft, priority picks and an equalisation program otherwise we would all be bored silly.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
having put up with 55,000 Crows fans carrying on like port chops each time theye kicked a goal against Essendon in the final last year, even though they were 80 points up – that does not alwys hold true. Neutrals yes.
For many purists, people who actuully like our game, they saw great beauty in Geelong’s demolition of Port Adelaide in the GF 2007 – great attacking and entertaining football.
At full speed soccer can never compete for the sheer spectacle of Aussie Rules. A close scoreline is often the only highlight for a soccer fan IMO
Redb
Punter said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:36pm | Report comment
The sheer emotion of a AFL game will never compete with the sheer emotion of a football game IMO.
Dogz R Barkn said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
Ultmately, the emotion of any contest is dependent on the emotion fans have invested in one or another of those involved in the contest.
If a game is full of theatre goers (as spectators), the emotion is generally far less.
I’m not sure if one or another game has a mortgage on emotion.
Indeed, many big games (right across the sporting spectrum), often have far less emotion than can be found at a tiny rund down ground chock block full of true believers – and that’s because of the threatre goers and chardonnay set.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
Well credit to you that you realise what you just said is an opinion (“IMO”).
Punter said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:26pm | Report comment
Who me or RedB?
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
Punter.
Simmo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 3:34pm | Report comment
utterly wrong. Too one-eyed by half Redb
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
“That rarely happens in a game of Aussie Rules Beast-A-Tron. More likely is that the game is all over way before the final siren because one team has a huge lead.”
That simply isn’t true. With 8 games per round, often quite a few of them per round will be close (down to the last quarter, fighting for the lead). I recall enjoying an excellent 1 point win over the Bulldogs in Rd22 (?) at Telstra, it was a marvelous game. But I can understand how you’ve incorrectly arrived to this assumption, you probably haven’t watched many games.
“‘Soccers’ low scoring system ensures that all games, even if uninspiring, are at least a CONTEST”
Hmmm ironic that I subscribe to this socialist notion for structuring the actual league (salary caps, priority draft picks etc), but on game day I think it should be down to the skill of the team, not due to the structure of the sport played.
“It also gives underdog teams a chance to upset the big boys. ”
Make no mistake, in Australian football underdogs can & DO win games. The last two Grand Finals have been won by the underdog (Hawthorn ’08, Geelong ’09). Your point is ignorant at best, disingenuous at worst.
“That’s why the AFL needs a draft, priority picks and an equalisation program otherwise we would all be bored silly”
As opposed to the Big Four dominating the EPL? Now that is a silly bore.
Lazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 3:09pm | Report comment
You are talking about the two best teams in the league and one is an ‘underdog’. How about an SANFL or a VFL side upseting an AFL side? That would never happen but it occurs in Soccer all the time and sports fans around the world love it.
“As opposed to the Big Four dominating the EPL? Now that is a silly bore”
The EPL has become the biggest and most popular sports league in the world since the emergence of the big 4. No one wants a socialist collective in soccer where every team gets success handed to them. Where’s the satisfaction in that?
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 3:26pm | Report comment
“You are talking about the two best teams in the league and one is an ‘underdog’.”
So how does that invalidate the point? I can give you examples of two sh!thouse teams and the underdog winning. But frankly I don’t think the local D Grade footy is of interest to the The Roar.
“That would never happen…”
Because AFL teams don’t play state league teams. I have no problem in believing the likes of Melbourne or Freo going down to a VFL or SANFL team.
“…but it occurs in Soccer all the time…”
If it is so frequent how can it be considered a massive upset? You yourself admit that toppling the better side is comparatively easier. So by that logic I argue that ‘upsets’ are comparatively diluted in soccer.
“No one wants a socialist collective in soccer where every team gets success handed to them.”
Success isn’t handed, it has to be earnt by good performance on game day. The starting pieces (league structure) are evenly distributed (as can be), what you do with the pieces is what determines a winner (or a loser). Fremantle for example has had numerous comparative advantages handed to them by the AFL, yet they still suck hard.
I’d prefer a socialist league over a socialist game structure.
Lazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:57am | Report comment
All professiobnal sports have ‘cheating’ or bending the rules to gain an advantage. The more competitive and cutthroat the sport is the more incidents. What did we just see in Cricket recently?
The interesting thing is that AFL fans and media used to moralise about this issue and then use it as a convenient excuse to attack ‘Soccer”. Now they’re are admitting that they have the same problem in their sport?
If it’s all about cheating and conning the umpire then when are we going to penalise AFL players for deliberately putting the ball out of play? Apparently if you ‘disguise’ it properly then it’s deemed to be smart play? Talk about a cheating culture.
Dogz R Barkn said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
It’s an interesting observation – players trying to get the ball out without getting pinged for deliberately putting it out.
There are instances when it’s clear cut and obvious to all and sundry (that a player has deliberately gone for the safety of the line), and there are other instances where it’s a bit grey, e.g. a defender pumping the ball 60 metres down the ground, hugging the boundary, and hoping for a leg break.
Given that players only have a split second to make a decision, and often under severe physical duress, to follow through with the objective of getting the ball out while not appearing to put it out deliberately is quite difficult.
In fact, I’d reckon it’s as difficult as spotting up a target at 50 to 60 metres.
One good way to get it out intentionally without getting pinged is to miss a tagged team mate by half a metre so that it goes over the line.
But to achieve that, is just as hard as hitting your mark, especially with a split second of time in decision making under physical duress.
Furthermore, the end result is a neutal throw in, where the ball is contested anew, and that is quite a different outcome to being handed a sure goal on a platter, one which will most probably determine the outcome of a game.
But it’s an interesting perspective nevertheless.
Lazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:58pm | Report comment
It’s still cheating and if we want to start moralising about it then we have to be consistent. It’s interesting because it’s regarded as ‘smart’ play to do that which is how some nations justify diving in soccer. All’s fair in love, war and professional sport.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 3:02pm | Report comment
Damn the reply system is whacked out they keep jumping everywhere.
Michael C said | February 4th 2010 @ 9:08am | Report comment
It’s only cheating when the laws are being broken on the ‘sly’,
before then, it’s not within the ‘spirit’ of the game,
but, we know all games have law related ‘grey areas’, and loopholes – it’s NOT cheating to work in that environment, but, it MAY be poor sportsmanship.
The AFL has now defined this activity as cheating becuase it’s covered in the laws.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
Clearly the issues sits pretty uncomfortably for the soccer folk still. Whole countries who play your sport use cheating as a normal part of life in soccer.
Look at the poster child – Thierry Henry. Biggest cheat in recent memory in world sport.
Redb
Art Sapphire said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
redb – you should not tar everybody with the same brush.
Remember, Aussie Rules is not played many different countries and cultures.
In Australia cheating is frowned upon and the FFA has enacted appropriate punishment. The fact that the AFL has had to act on this issue just highlights that increasing professionalism has seen an increase of cheating in AFL.
Sporting bodies want to be seen as reflective of Australian sporting “values”.
Which explains the AFL’s announcement today.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
sauce for the goose Art. Who ever said cyber space was fair
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
Maybe your advice would be useful to Lazza and others who decided to wade in. Just a thought. AFL is cheating culture according to Lazza!
Lazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:48pm | Report comment
I’m your worst nightmare Redb. A ‘Soccer’ fan who also follows AFL (35 years) and knows too much about the game.
Pretending to ‘not’ put the ball out of play deliberately is cheating and trying to con the umpire. Like any good Sth American ‘Soccer’ player this is regarded as ‘smart’ play in AFL circles if you can ‘disguise’ it properly and not get caught.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
Gee you are really are deluded
LOL
Lazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:09pm | Report comment
Name calling usually means you’ve lost the argument.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
Self aggrandisement a much surer sign
Moonface said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:09pm | Report comment
Exactly Lazza – happens in all sports, even AFL where there are always plenty of different ways to con the umpires – just ask the opposing team’s fans.
Punter said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
‘Biggest cheat in recent memory in world sport.’
Only because the sport (ffotball) had the biggest profile, add to the fact the the game was an int’l event & there was a big prize at the end..
There was a much bigger cheat in the EPL a week later, but his team was already down 5-0 when he cheated. The act of chearting was worse but the situation was not as big.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
“All professiobnal sports have ‘cheating’ or bending the rules to gain an advantage. The more competitive and cutthroat the sport is the more incidents”
You want your cake and to eat it too. On the one hand you don’t want to admit cheating is rife in soccer, yet on the other you justify it as sign that the sport is highly competitive.
We are know that all sports have cheating in one form or another. It is the structure of the game that determines what effect on the result a potential cheat can have and thus what level of incentive there is to cheat.
I find it rather silly you would argue one sport is more competitive than another on the basis of cheating. It is not like other sports have championships with teams wanting to lose. The glory of victory is present in every sport.
Lazza said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:52pm | Report comment
Beast-A-Tron, try reading my posts properly. I didn’t say there was no cheating in ‘Soccer’ just that it exists in all sports. Compared to the drug cheats that plague the Olympics, Cycling and other sports then I don’t think ‘simulation’ is the worst form of cheating in sport today. It usually happens on the spur of the moment and is not planned like the recent ‘Bloodgate’ cheating scandal in Rugby or deliberate ball tampering like cricket.
When the AFL was smaller, State based and semi-pro you didn’t get these sorts of faking incidents. When it became professional, more competitive and cutthroat then you started to see players try and gain any advantage they can.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:02pm | Report comment
“Beast-A-Tron, try reading my posts properly. I didn’t say there was no cheating in ‘Soccer’…”
You need to read my posts properly, that wasn’t my contention.
Michael C said | February 4th 2010 @ 5:17am | Report comment
Lazza -
greatest discipline and mental strength?!?!?!?
in AFL, you may only make a half a mistake and you may concede a goal – - – in soccer, you may make half a dozen mistakes and have nothing to worry about because of the inherent protection of the combination of off-side, x-bars and goalies with hands!!!!
what soccer has is it’s own unique requirements of mental discipline and strength. but, ‘greatest’ – - – get over yourself.
RickG said | February 3rd 2010 @ 7:20am | Report comment
Now, if only the FFA or better still FIFA could do something similar
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:06am | Report comment
The FFA have a match review panel that dishes out 2 match bans for taking a dive.
That’s much more severe than the AFL penalty.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:07am | Report comment
Becuase it is a much bigger problem no doubt.
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:20am | Report comment
Perceived to be at least
“The AFL takes a hard line to prove it’s not soft like soccer”
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/the-afl-takes-a-hard-line-to-prove-its-not-soft-like-soccer-20100202-nb2o.html
bit rich considering that the FFA already have rules in place against diving and you can get involved in as many melees as you want in the A league with no fear of punishment….. to the point fans are sick of them and Foster calling for Punishment (AFL style)
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:33am | Report comment
AndyRoo,
As many of your soccer brethern are quick to point out, soccer is not just the A League or the FFA. Most of the youtue classics come from overseas leagues, Asian,etc where it is considered part of the game and not frowned upon..
Another quote which i think is closer to the mark:
“There’s always been staging, but there has never been a staging culture, as exists in the global game (even though soccer officially frowns on it). By acting now, the AFL is signalling that it does not want this culture to grow. The game is hard enough to umpire without having to deal with diving and other deceptions, bearing in mind that television highlights the actor’s work.”
Redb
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:51am | Report comment
“brethern”
Yeh I better be careful or they will boot me for my dissenting views of “not giving a monkeys about the Paraguayan second divions and 4% growth in Guam”
So um World game….tsunami …. channel 7 etc etc, you know the drill.
Back on topic, it is a good move by the AFL and it’s probably like whatever solution they come up for the tanking problem. It’s more an issue of perception than reality and the fear of being branded a faker will keep the players in line mostly.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:55am | Report comment
I dont mean THE brethern but you know what I mean
David said | February 3rd 2010 @ 7:31am | Report comment
There’s a reason the AFL waited until Matthew Lloyd retired before bringing this in.
Brett McKay said | February 3rd 2010 @ 7:52am | Report comment
I used to half-joke with an Essendon supporting former colleague that Matthew Lloyd used to send his nose to the ground quicker than a Customs labrador, so perhaps he retired just in time!!
Morning Redb
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:03am | Report comment
Saw Matty Lloyd at the airport the other day in the International section the leash didn’t make any sense at the time
I reckon Lloydy gets a bum rap, he is a typcial leading forward, he takes the ball at full stretch to evade scragging defenders – he use to miss out on far more free kicks than given. yeah OK I have one red eye and one black.
However, mostly this rule change is for the real stagers: Didak, Boomer Harvey (morning MC), and the other small forwards who play up to the ump that suffer from short man sydrome
Redb
James said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:37am | Report comment
“and the other small forwards” = Stephen Milne.
Named & shamed on the offical AFL DVD!
Michael C said | February 4th 2010 @ 5:21am | Report comment
Boomer got over it – after a game vs the Doggies a couple of years ago,
worst presently is Brad Johnson,……(Mister Football??), and anyone from Collingwood (esp Didak and Medhurst).
Brett McKay said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:09am | Report comment
I used to think was evading snipers in the stands, but there you go, it was scragging defenders all this time!!
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:12am | Report comment
Hawthorn folk will tell you Matty Lloyd is the sniper – isn’t that right Campbell Brown ?
We are going to tear the hawks a new one when we meet this season. Can’t wait.
Redb
Hazey the Bear said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:07am | Report comment
Could be worse Redb!
Remember the “seagull” that Sheedy ranted on about during that infamous West Coast game?
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:10am | Report comment
Yep. Seagulls and Martians always invade games.
BigAl said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:02am | Report comment
It will be very interesting.
To me though, it appears to add to that bizarre area of rules where the ump. has to be a mind reader.
i.e. determine the ‘intent’ of the player re. rushed behinds and ‘deliberate’ out of bounds etc.
There will ALWAYS be problems with it,
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:08am | Report comment
This rule change is one of those deterrent types, ie: just letting all the players know particularly the certain few who do stage for free kicks that “we know who you are and we are watching”.
At the moment on the field, the umpire if he spots a ‘stage’ will simply not award a free kick and therefore the player gets off without any sanction.
It’s a pretty minor rule change and will have little effect other than just putting the spotlight on it.
Redb
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:31am | Report comment
“To me though, it appears to add to that bizarre area of rules where the ump. has to be a mind reader.”
I don’t see it as a problem. The umpire doesn’t need to make a decision there immediately nor hand out a punish on-field, nor even does he have to report the player on the spot. That is what post-match review is for.
Its that sort of rule/punishment system that is metered out after the match is concluded. A fine and a naming-and-shaming (which actually means something in Australian sporting culture) to occur post match will make a great deterrent in my humble opinion.
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:34am | Report comment
Agree, this will kill it off pretty quick.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:40am | Report comment
It will also provide an additional informational tool to umpires. Known offenders will be under heavier scrutiny, less likely to awarded free kicks and if that weren’t enough, I can see repeat offenders losing favour and thus Brownlow votes from the umpire.
This just works from so many angles.
Michael C said | February 4th 2010 @ 5:23am | Report comment
in the past – ‘known offenders’ were via word of mouth and perhaps some public opinion – - now, ‘known offenders’ will be ‘officially’ recognised!!!
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:11am | Report comment
The FFA has a similar rule but the plicing is done by the match reveiw panel rather than the umpire. I would assume that’s how it would work in the AFL too?
Otherwise a really tough burden for an umpire to wear.
Doesn’t eliminate the act altogether but eliminates the obvious fakers that rile people so much i.e. Rivaldo.
I don’t think they have had to penalise anyone yet this season, the one big dive I saw was from Ufuk Talay but it was so bad the ref saw it and gave him a card in the match. The FFA plan is to punsh the people that got away with it on match day.
james said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:47am | Report comment
“I would assume that’s how it would work in the AFL too?”
Read the article you posted yourself earlier in the thread (rather than just the headline) and you will answer your own question.
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:59am | Report comment
Yeh I saw that, …and posted that article later (although it appears above)
RickG said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:01am | Report comment
That sounds good Andy, I went off a bit early in my post this morning.
I’m a fairweather football fan and am gearing up for the WC, but I’m still seething over that disgraceful dive by that Italian clown – that sort of rubbish remains the reasin why i just can’t get right into football.
I think FIFA did set up a review panel, and didn’t htey fine someone only to overturn it anyway?
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:17am | Report comment
To be honest things like the Grosso dive will probably stay unpunished. It’s only the FFA (and Scotland) that seem to punish divers but even if that dive happened in OZ he propbably wouldn’t get punished because their was actual contact, not enough for him to go down but enough that they don’t want to be trying to figure out his internal motivation.
Rivaldo however would get the book thrown at hom.
Michael C said | February 4th 2010 @ 5:29am | Report comment
and how much of the action of the FFA and the Scots is based on ‘local attitudes’ to sporting conduct and relative ‘toughness’,
I recall when Mr Trinidad took his dive that Ross Aloisi I think it was had a bake for him on SEN – but, the reality is that the background Trinidad came from – it was okay and just part of the game.
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:25am | Report comment
Prudent action by AFL here to restrict a practice that is most unsporting and anti-competitive.
keeper11 said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:40am | Report comment
AFL and its media cheersquad again having a dig at ‘tha sockah’ to “prove” how bigger, better and tougher’ it is..
the pervasive stench of fear and insecurity is both infantile and hilarious..
but ..this is a World cup year…..when ‘tha sockah’ will be sharing some of the limelight..
We can’t have that…
Sooo.. the strategy by the established sport/ media interests to redress footballs rising exposure and put the ‘tha sockah’ back ‘ in its place is gearing up for a busy year…
Beast-A-Tron said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:42am | Report comment
Bitter much?
Towser said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Regardless of sport it is good to see bodies taking action against cheating.
Luke , Association football history cant be reduced to a one liner:-
“Australian Rules Football was never going to be like soccer – a sport where players, it appears, stage for fun”
Association football was never about staging either. Never saw it, never thought about it, never existed. In English football (on which I was brought up on) prior to the sixties anyway. Cant speak for other nations prior to the sixties,but can say that in modern times their cultural values have overidden The British sporting mentality of open fair play. The combination of money, input of different cultures, & Continental Europeans wresting control away from the British Isles, changed the way players thought about the game.
The bigger the stakes the more chance of cheating.
Doesnt mean its right though & good to see that In Australia both the FFA & AFL Have taken measures to curb it.
Because its not about the sport Adrian, its about cultural acceptance. As we are finding out by our problems in adjusting to Asian football.
Otherwise the FFA ,Like the Scottish FA wouldnt have gone out on a limb from the rest of the football world to bring in the rules this season ,as alluded to by AndyRoo above.
Whilst the AFL doesnt have cultural influences to cope with from outside affecting the sport it does have more money creeping into it.
That alone can change the way sportspeople,view themselves & the means used to win a vital match.