I’m a Glenn Archer Fan. I mean, who isn’t? The Kangaroo champion, the shinboner of the century, epitomisers everything that is great about AFL.
Tough, uncompromising and sincerely passionate, he’s the kind of man you’d want to run out beside you, whether it was a grand final or pre-season warm up match.
He speaks often with grace about how much footy has given him and the person he has become because of the sport, but one wonders what he’d think about the game at the minute as administrators try and take out the physical aspect which made men like Archer legends.
This week Nick Maxwell was suspended after his hit on West Coast youngster Patrick McGinnity left the Eagle with a broken jaw. Maxwell, the new Collingwood skipper, appointed for the very qualities Archer defined, will miss four games and most likely the start of the season for a bump delivered with precision.
No arm was lifted. His feet didn’t leave the ground, just as he was taught on the muddy windswept grounds of Ballarat. He did what was expected of him. And he didn’t give an inch.
Michael Voss, Bomber Thompson, Alastair Clarkson and Mark Harvey will be remembered for a similar robust approach to the game.
Like Maxwell and Jonathon Brown of today, and Leigh Mathews, Brereton, and in fact every single player who ran out for the ’89 grand final before them, they made their name as rugged, ferocious and brutally tough men who were going to stand their ground no matter what.
Yet here they are all in charge of teams, surely trying to install a similar toughness into their playing groups, allowing the AFL to rip the heart out of the game.
I am well aware of the need for zero tolerance in our game in terms of violence. There is no room for acts such as Barry Hall’s roundhouse last year. Though creating attention, it does nothing to project our game in a positive fashion to the many youngsters with an array of sporting options before them.
The emergence of the athletic footballer has improved our game, but there must be a place for the hard men. Maxwell, Josh Carr and Paul Champion, to a certain degree, all bring people through the gate because of their refusal to take a backward step.
And their supporters love them for it.
Coaches, fans and the Player’s Association must put pressure on the AFL to leave the rules alone and allow the tough men to back their instincts.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
For too long, St Kilda have alternated between minnow and mid-table - and it’s hard to see when it’s going to get better.
If the Lions are clever they can use this season as a passing of the guard season and send off some very talented players whilst also trying to be competitive.
There’s no disputing that Cam Guthrie will be important against Melbourne, given Patrick Dangerfield is set to miss due to injury.
Jack Higgins' three-match suspension for a dangerous tackle on Port Adelaide defender Aliir Aliir has been upheld after a marathon three and a half-hour…
The former Collingwood president says the Kangaroos need to 'stand for something' not just on the field but in the community or risk being…
The All-Australian player has been below his best this year, and Matthew Lloyd has suggested that he be moved more into the midfield to…
