Expert
Joined September 2015
19.6k
Views
9
Published
12
Comments
Kookaburra, closet Queenslander and PGA Tour wannabe.
Published
Comments
If Hockey Australia (HA) administrators make one more error in their quest for world-leading governance, I may just go back to university for the…
A pinch of persistence. A dash of desire. A sprinkle of sacrifice. A generous helping of hard work. And a whole lot of love.…
LeBron James was this week named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for a record 34th time. To put that stat into perspective,…
A little over a year ago, I was diagnosed with a generalised anxiety disorder. Roughly characterised, that means I have excessive, uncontrollable and often…
The AFL is the undisputed, pound-for-pound champion of Australian sport. It's an all-encompassing juggernaut that, on the back of last year's $2.5billion broadcast rights…
Almost five years to the day, my friend Gus Johnston shared a remarkably candid video on YouTube that laid bare the harsh reality of…
"The opposite of courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow." My Dad sent me this…
The live auction for the fourth edition of the prestigious Hockey India League (HIL) is set to take place on September 17 in downtown…
As a disastrous 2015 lurches to a close, rumblings about player disharmony, unhappiness and homesickness are once again threatening to tear the Brisbane Lions…
Hi express34texas,
Russ says he doesn’t care about triple-doubles, I don’t believe him. I’ve watched plenty of OKC games this season and the guy is a pig. He literally pushes his big men out of the way to get rebounds. I understand at times this is to push the pace to the other end, but rarely does it seem Russ makes his teammates better with his presence. Which is something LeBron, Harden, Kawhi and guys like CP3 do nightly.
Yeah, OKC are probably overachieving with the roster they have, due in a large part to Westbrook. But when push comes to shove in May or June, teams will clamp him down and he’ll be relying on guys who have rarely had their number called during the season.
In my opinion, they will probably get dumped in the 1st round of the playoffs quite easily, even with Russ putting up ridiculous numbers.
And yes, his stats have been insane, and he will probably average a triple-double for the season, which will go down in the record books. But in terms of team success, although he is a great competitor, he’s not a great teammate, as he doesn’t extract greatness from anyone else.
LeBron James: Greatness taken for granted
Not entirely sure of your point Karma, but to give you more context, the word ‘dominant’ is used in this article to honour the enormous amount of media coverage the AFL already garners, as well as the creative ways in which they are trying to expand on that.
And the way they’re going, this level of media saturation will only increase as they push further into the traditional heartland of other sports.
In a month when there hasn’t been as much sport on, the AFL has come up with a strategy that creates newsworthy content nearly everyday.
AFL: Absorbing, fascinating and leading the way
Agree on some points Mango, I would say the AFL has greater exposure in more regions than any other sport, and that is what the article is trying to demonstrate. I don’t care what the better game is or who has the most recognisable names…it’s all about how each code promotes its sport.
Outside of the AFL, I would say cricket and netball are kicking off-field goals as well. The NRL is in a constant state of disarray and I won’t even bother talking about the ARU…
The Giants and the Swans will go close to playing in the grand final next year and the non-Sydney NRL teams like Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Cowboys are as good a chance as anyone to win the NRL title. What will the Daily Telegraph (which is a piece of garbage anyway) take about if/when this happens? Wake up over there. The AFL is coming…
AFL: Absorbing, fascinating and leading the way
Haha I was born and raised in the Hunter Valley of NSW and have seen first hand what ‘just fine’ gets you. About 15,000 spectators on average at a Knights game or even less to watch the Jets, and both those teams have been cellar dwellers for years.
Since when did ‘just fine’ become the goal anyway?
AFL: Absorbing, fascinating and leading the way
To clarify, Barrett works for the AFL website and is their number 1 journo.
In saying that, like him or loathe him, he breaks a lot of the AFL news before most others.
Nominated for a Walkley for his coverage of the Essendon drama which means he’s no slouch.
AFL: Absorbing, fascinating and leading the way
Hi Don. I think a large portion of the playing group tolerate living in Perth as it has always been the environment you had to inhabit in order to make it to the top of our sport. We have even seen a large number of players outside the national squad make the move west in order to try and improve their chances of representing their country. I have made some very near and dear friends in Perth and each hockey club I have played for has only made my stay more enjoyable, particularly the Fremantle Hockey Club I am a part of now. But I think it is an extremely large sacrifice to make for anyone who isn’t from WA, and it’s time for a change. Some guys have chosen to buck the trend (Glenn Turner lives in Goulburn and Tristan White lives n Wollongong outside of Olympic years) and I admire their conviction.
Hockey could benefit enormously from the change of scenery. Increased commercial interest may come from the east coast; the costs associated with running the program in a place like Melbourne or the Gold Coast instead of one of the most isolated cities in the world (Perth) would be much less; more players would be closer to their families/friends/support networks; and finally, the east coast hockey community are craving international competition again. I think both Hockey Australia and Hockey WA take the high performance program for granted and it’s time for a shakeup.
I won’t comment on Ric because as far as I know, he doesn’t make those types of decisions. I do know he can be quite polarising though, so that might explain the sentiment involved. Cheers mate
SIMON ORCHARD: Conformity can be cowardly - The change hockey in Australia needs
Cheers madmonk. I believe the way Olympic sports are funded will change sometime in the next four years. There has been a lot of discussion and comment about the British lottery system and I think that’s a fantastic way to go.
Interesting comment about modern team sport. My dad always comments about the monotony of rugby league these days and how the days of flick passes and chip-chases are dead. One of the first things ex-Kookaburra coach Ric Charlesworth told us when he took over was that ‘flair was an overrated commodity’. Maybe it is, but it sure makes things more interesting for players and spectators alike.
SIMON ORCHARD: Conformity can be cowardly - The change hockey in Australia needs
Thanks Geoff. I also spoke to some of the rugby guys in Rio and some of the differences between the men’s and women’s 7’s programs are quite interesting. The women did fantastically well in Rio, but I am anticipating their success, and that of the sport as a whole, will only increase the demand placed on them over the next few years. The girls in particular have become very visible and positive role models for women in Australia now and the ARU will be looking to make the most of this. What that means for their program, I’m not exactly sure?
I have just seen the men’s 7s schedule for 2016-17 and it encompasses 10 global stops, whilst the women have 5, with a 6th to be added. Increased tournament numbers would no doubt lead to a more professional approach and less time chasing embracing their passions away from the pitch. Anyway, Tim’s attitude is perfect in my opinion. I believe our program feels the same way at times, but also struggles to implement change, especially in a system that has harboured so many good results in the past 20 years.
SIMON ORCHARD: Conformity can be cowardly - The change hockey in Australia needs
Yes Jeff, you’re right. I’m not sure if every game was on Foxtel? But I know a lot of friends of mine caught games at different stages of the tournament.
Let’s hope for the same kind of coverage this year.
In India, StarSports show every game live in prime time at 6pm or 8pm.
Hockey India League: The new face of hockey
Cheers DaniE – for your information and with current exchange rates, as an original marquee player, Jamie would have earned around $110,000 USD net per year, in the first three years of the league. This is before taxes.
Brian – sorry about the rules mate. I agree with you in some sense, but must say some of our very best hockey players are left handed. I personally would like to see a rule change that allows players to use both sides of the stick, similar to ice hockey. Would solve your issue and give clarity to people watching the sport for the first time.
Al and Juan dos – thanks fellas and agree with you. Hopefully more hockey, but more from me about other sports as well.
Hockey India League: The new face of hockey
Leppitsch has got one year remaining on his contract. Surely the board has to wait until mid-next year to make a call on possible extension, or more likely, new coach? But who would want the job? Poisoned chalice I think…could he be gone before the start of next year?
Lions leaving the den... again?
Westbrook has the highest usage rate in the league, a ridiculous 42.1%. This backs up my assertion that he doesn’t help/rely/trust others to contribute consistently. He will obviously score and assist more with so many touches as you pointed out below. But he also has the lowest effective FG% (aside from Dwyane Wade) amongst the top 40 players (usage rate) in the league. He’s in it for himself. Even still, an epic season by Russ, no questions there.
LeBron James: Greatness taken for granted