Fremantle have had the last laugh after being widely criticised for their controversial preparation to last Saturday’s qualifying final against Geelong.
The Dockers rested ten players in the final home-and-away game and drew condemnation from some, including AFL head honcho Andrew Demetriou, who declared putting such an undermanned team out onto the ground was a ‘bad look’.
But that ‘bad look’ has created the perfect scenario for the club in its quest to win its first premiership cup.
After a gritty performance that put the home town Cats back among the chaff, the Dockers now have the luxury of a week off and the knowledge they have earned a home preliminary final against either Sydney or Carlton.
That they don’t have to travel again until the the last Saturday in September (should they make it) must bring a smile to coach Ross Lyon’s face.
His mission has been accomplished. Win or lose, he has given the Dockers their best possible chance at September glory.
All of which raises the question – does everything about AFL football have to look good?
Let’s face it, the AFL is obsessed with image. It is quick to condemn and has a trigger-like reaction to anything that could become a blight on the game.
Think the introduction of a substitute to quell the number of rotations (apparently groups of players running on and off the ground at regular intervals was a bad look).
That idea worked so well that the league now have to introduce an interchange rotation cap!
Another beauty was the tightening of the hands in the back rule a couple of years back. That got so ridiculous that even the slightest incidental contact was penalised.
That was a self-inflicted bad look achieved after trying to stamp out the bad look of players being interfered with in marking contests.
This year’s sliding rule was another knee-jerk reaction to what was an isolated incident. Nobody wants to see a player lying on the field with a broken leg, but cases of it happening after being slid into by an opponent were hardly trending.
West Coast forward Josh Kennedy better watch out. His goal kicking routine is definitely not a good look. Might need to implement a rule change there, a cap on the number of stuttered steps allowed on approach to goal.
One can only thank the football gods that netball-like zones were not created to hold players in position when defensive flooding began to become a legitimate tactic a few years back.
Don’t laugh, it was talked about!
Seriously though, while our game is brilliantly breath-taking at its spectacular best, it must be remembered that for every high there is a low.
For every down to the wire, heart attack inducing, frantic finish to a game, there are several blow outs balancing the ledger.
For every high mark, there are spilled chances. For every miracle goal by Stevie Johnson there is Travis Cloke spraying one out on the full.
Someone wins and someone loses. The game is not always good.
But perhaps worse than the constant tinkering with the rules or the ambitions of the controlling body to speed up the game and ‘improve’ it beyond recognition, is the tendency for its leader to offer his forthright opinion on what clubs should do or how they should be run.
Demetriou is not short of a word, and offers up his opinions freely. Too often though he strays from being guardian of the game to meddling in club affairs.
And this is not the first time he has been tetchy about Fremantle.
When the Dockers cut former coach Mark Harvey off at the knees with a year still to run on his contract, appointing Lyon in his place, the league supremo was particularly scathing.
To him the whole thing ‘reeked of hypocrisy’, when really he had no business in the affair at all.
Whether he agreed with Fremantle’s approach or not was irrelevant. Simply, it was club business and none of his concern.
It might have been a bad look but sometimes tough decisions need to be made for a reason and they don’t always look rosy.
Two years down the track and Fremantle are in a good position. The bad blood of the Lyon/Harvey saga has dissipated and the finals have a distinctly national feel.
Fremantle, Sydney and Port Adelaide join Hawthorn, Geelong and Carlton ensuring that all states with AFL teams (bar Queensland) are represented.
And Fremantle, the last of the established clubs yet to win a premiership, is in with a chance.
That has to be a good look.
Simoc
Guest
Glad you have Blind in your name because you are s stupid as it gets. Only a drug addled bomber wouldn't understand. So let me tell you when the sun comes up its morning am, and goes down evening pm. The Bombers are PM drug addicts willing to cheat and sacrifice people on the back of of a once great onfield James Hird , the same guy who hasn't cut it as a coach. Revered by Essenden and one who is an absolute failure as a person outside football. Gutless to the bone.
johno
Guest
Did Freo tank - that would assume they cared about that games result. They didn't. For them it was like Liverpool or Manchester United playing a friendly against the A League. You play the kids, give them a taste of the big time and when its serious bring back the best players. It's no different to clubs that have no chance of making the finals sending off players to get surgery when in other circumstances they would play out the rest of the season under duress.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Writing an article about interchange later today. That is one of my points, amongst others, as to its stupidity.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Agreed Bob.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
(^^*^*^%$&%% (^*655 (^*&^*^*& ">":}{*^*!!!!
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Agreed, but the chopping is touchy. Will be paid and not paid...
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Before I read the article - Demetriou?
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Demons happened every week...Fremantle did it one, like Darren said, to win a premiership one week. Also, the funny part - Fremantle's worked I still doubt Demons tanked - think they were just really terrible. Either that or no one told them that after you tank you are meant to get better
Steve
Guest
No, no, he's right- if a boxer throws a boxing match, or does whatever he can to win it, it's exactly the same thing, right? Well OK, not really, but from a betting perspective at least?....... still no? Oh...... OK, well it's not as if the team lists were released a couple of days before the match. Wait, they were? Blind Bomber got one thing right though- I can't keep a straight face explaining how what Freo did is different to the Demons- I can't stop laughing at how dumb the topic is!
Me too
Guest
Good on Freo. As for obligations to the betting market - pfft. Really? Big European soccer clubs are continually resting players in smaller matches to ensure they are fit for European competition. To suggest clubs should select players based on an obligation to betting markets is basically a corruption of sport of the worst kind. What is the goal of any afl team? To win a flag! How did Freo in any way act in a way detrimental to that goal? Geelong, collingwood, port, hawks,and the swans all either lost their last game, or played well within their potential. Should they be investigated for not giving their all in round 23?
Griffo
Guest
Actually I think the coach was probably teaching a technique that would work even if it was not in the spirit of the game. Just make it look like you're contesting the ball and whack the arms so they can't mark. It's like the advice my older brother gave me as a defender, hold the back of your opponent's jumper to stop his lead cos the umps usually won't see.
Tanami Mehmet
Guest
You're blind all right. One side sent out a weak team pursuing a win and the other sent out a team wanting to lose and discussing it freely within the playing and coaching teams. Just a slight difference in why they did it. Everyone knew freo's side on thursday when it was announced so betting markets couldn't be surprised by the move unlike Melbourne's chucking games. Seems to me you're just trying to get something back at other sides given how angry you are over the way your mob have been treated this year. Cos sticking hundreds of needles into your players and not knowing what was in those needles is no big deal.
The Real Bite
Guest
Well said doozel!
The Real Bite
Guest
You are right Darren. Freo are trying to win a flag and bugger the betting side of it. It's irrelevant and Demetriou is irreverent. I'm a Port supporter but all the best to Ross Lyon.
Greeney
Guest
DJW, Agree with you on the most part, except for the 'chopping of the arms' rule that you mentioned was 'stupid'. If you look up The Spirit of the Laws, you'll find Rule 1 and 2 is “The player who is making the ball their sole objective will be protected against any form of illegal contact,” and “The player whose sole objective is to contest a mark shall be permitted to do so.” Therefore, deliberate chopping at a player's arms violates both rules, and such, free kicks should and are paid to players who are infringed in this manner. If you were taught this technique as a junior, your coach clearly taught you the wrong technique.
joe blackswan
Guest
Freo and West Coast have no association with pokies, due to WA anti pokies legislation, and neither club has direct association with betting agencies, at least not on their guernsey. It is sad the big Melbourne clubs have massive revenue streams from pokies...it really is a bad look.
David
Guest
BB you are right except that not all states have pokies. I'm not sure about SA but WA only has poker machines in the Casino and WAFC gets nothing from that. No doubt the WA clubs benefit from the big dollars earned from bookie ads etc but there's no pokie revenue. I love my sport as much as anyone but have not had a bet on any sport for over 20 years - never been very good at picking winners and recognised this a while ago!!
Australian Rules
Guest
I personally don't like betting, and can't stand pokies...but to depict AFL Clubs as being addicted to pokies is just way off. There are 2 ends of the spectrum - North (who don't have any pokies by way of club policy) and Carlton (who have hundreds, mostly thanks to Blues-tragic and pokie-tsar, Bruce Mathieson). Non-Vic clubs don't release there pokie revenue, and the WA clubs obviously don't have any. If we look at Victorian clubs (excl. North) pokies revenue varied between 5 and 12% in 2011. So if you took pokies away, there'd be a small dent in revenue...but it would hardly be an earthquake. It's true that pokies revenue has recently increased for AFL clubs - but that's not because the clubs are buying more venues or more machines, it's due to legislation that enables existing holders to extract more money from the licence. All that said, the AFL is trying to address the issue, and reduce the number of pokies which are attached to clubs. It's a slowly slowly that frankly, needs to move quicker. Compare that to the NRL - who were openly campaigning in support of pokies during its broadcasts last year.
Keen Observer
Guest
Motivation and the fact that they were still trying to win. Melbournes administration were deliberately manipulating the team to try and lose to get a priority draft pick. Pretty simple Blind Bombers and I kept a straight face except to roll my eyes at you.
Kevin Mader
Roar Rookie
How can Demetriou talk about anyone giving the AFL a bad look. Has he taken a look at his head lately?