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Queensland Maroons dynasty. Brisbane Lions dynasty. Cowboys v Broncos Epic Grand Final 2015. Queensland Reds Epic Super Rugby GF 2011. Stephen Larkham RWC Field Goal.
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In the grand final replay at the Adelaide Oval, the Tigers went down 118-82, continuing a losing trend against the Crows. The Tigers have…
If you support an AFL club, chances are your club's senior coach has a connection either as a player or a coach with the…
Some high-profile players have exited the Crows in recent years, including Kurt Tippet (Sydney Swans) and Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong Cats). In the past few…
The AFL has a responsibility, the grand final is over, and many fans are about to go into withdraw. We want more footy! So,…
In a top-line rugby union game, torpedos are the norm and kicked with precision. Not so in AFL – unless, of course, your name…
Paul ‘The Fatman' Vautin was a grand final captain for Manly in 1987, captained Queensland in two winning State of Origin games, and was…
Here is a hint. Consider the MCG Oval for a moment, it is 160m long x 141m wide. Fat wide MCG equivalent grounds. Outside…
In the style of confused commentator Teddy Atlas following the Jeff Horn versus Manny Pacquiao fight, you will hear a lot of hysteria coming…
Elbows into the ribcage. Shoulder blades and elbows into the spine. Fist punches into the body. Palm punches all over the body bar the…
That is an awesome idea! Definitely a suitable advantage for the Minor Premiers.
What happens though if Minor Premiers don’t make it through. For instance this year it was Cats 2nd v Tigers 3rd? Cats should have the advantage.
Is it time for a best of three grand final series?
Can expose players to cardiac conditions.
After Dean Mercer the ironman died of cardiac arrest, Gold Coast cardiologist Dr Ross Sharpe was quoted in the Gold Coast Bulletin’
“We know high-end, long-term endurance is absolutely a risk factor to death … anyone in that 40-plus age bracket is a (cardiac) risk but being an endurance athlete for many years does expose you to a number of cardiac conditions that can increase your chances of death.
As a profession, we see and hear of it not infrequently.”
Personally the AFL NEEDS to conduct a review on this issue. Solution might be to pull players off after they clock a certain number of kilometers per game. Don’t ask me what distance that is. Ask cardiologists what this might look like.
Is it time for a best of three grand final series?
Adding to your ideas of improving the AFL, I think there are four areas for the AFL to focus on;
1. Biased Finals system.
2. Provide opportunity for smaller players.
3. Financially assisting struggling AFL grounds/local clubs around the country.
4. Cracking down on the excessive running distances players must endure. This is a genuine health and safety issue. After Dean Mercer the ironman died of cardiac arrest, Gold Coast cardiologist Dr Ross Sharpe was quoted to the Gold Coast Bulletin “We know high-end, long-term endurance is absolutely a risk factor to death … anyone in that 40-plus age bracket is a (cardiac) risk but being an endurance athlete for many years does expose you to a number of cardiac conditions that can increase your chances of death. As a profession, we see and hear of it not infrequently.”
I’ve asked Sheek to write an article about this distance AFL players run and offer solutions. Stay tuned. Sheek, my suggestion would be a cap is placed on the maximum allowable distance per game per player. Once players clock over a certain distance in a game, they are pulled from the field.
Is it time for a best of three grand final series?
Thanks Conor, I’ll add to your comment, it is about both being good enough on the day AND having a home ground advantage.
Richmond are experts at winning at the MCG and have a great record at the MCG. Despite finishing 3rd they had three finals at the MCG.
The Crows are experts at winning at the Adelaide Oval and have a great record at the Adelaide Oval. They had two finals at home, and then competed in an Away game GF at the MCG.
The Cats are experts at winning at Simonds Stadium and have a great record at Simonds Stadium. They had zero home finals.
All three teams are extremely difficult to beat on their home decks. Both Cats and Crows in any other competition would have had a home ground advantage due to finishing higher.
Is it time for a best of three grand final series?
Well said.
It is not just the GF either. I also feel for Geelong Cats. They finished 2nd and didn’t get a single home final at their fortress which is Simonds Stadium.
Is it time for a best of three grand final series?
Perhaps someone of so called Guru status should actually read articles before commenting.
No my team isn’t Adelaide.
I do agree about the workload, 15-20km marathons is the very definition insane and warrants a review. If you wanted to write about this and offer a solution, I’m sure everyone would be all ears.
Is it time for a best of three grand final series?
1980’s were before my time, but totally, it is a skill lost to the game. Really would be fantastic to gear the rules in preseason fixtures towards a torpedo fest!
Ben Graham and the return of the torpedo
Most footy fans would agree, Fatty is an icon of the game!
If champion players of the past (like Fatty and other players from the 70’s/80’s) are now considered to be too ‘small’ to be given a look in these days, something has gone wrong with the game. The first stone to look under is height.
The problem is these players are not small. The NRL has just gotten too big.
Is it time to introduce 'The Fatty Rule'?
Why sack the coach? He inherited 5 super rugby teams with zero wins over NZ teams this year. Plus who would replace him?
A lot of things are going wrong with rugby in Australia, but sorry placing the blame at the feet of Chieka is premature. It was only 2 years ago that he took us back to a World Cup Final. I’d give him a clear run until the next World Cup.
The fact is All Blacks were coming in hot off the Super Rugby Finals. Wallabies have had no opposition. When they did hit gear at the 50min mark, it gave us some hope.
Personally if there was a failure it was a lack of a pre-All Black test. Problem is next test is Dunedin in NZ. A tall ask.
Bledisloe blowout a damning indictment of Australian rugby
I like your scale and tap measure imagery.
For height, unless a Gattaca is done, height should stay pretty well constant. Granted you do get a marginal increase over time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXmU1Z8PNXk
Your quote was used by Phil Gould just before the Origin Dynasty “a good big man will beat a good little man”. Seems like QLD listened.
You are dead right though, when the little man comes through great to see. Let’s get more of them coming through though, and get back to 1970s/1980s size distribution!
Is it time to introduce 'The Fatty Rule'?
Thanks for your comments bigJ. Muscle % is a great metric.
The Intent is to bring the sport back to the everyman. Height is the key metric of the article.
A secondary metric is BMI, but could this be interchanged with Muscle %? Sure why not.
Before the recent push towards the chunky supersized players, there was a long proud history in which players had a more mainstream Muscle %. Play a few finals from the 70’s and 80’s, and compare to the modern day. Which is the better product, well that is up for debate.
Is it time to introduce 'The Fatty Rule'?
You are spot on Nats.
NRL teams like Melbourne are big battering rams and a few play makers. These play makers are not small though. They are taller than the average Australian male who is ~176cm.
Smith – 185cm
Slater – 178cm
Cronk – 178cm
Gilly is one of my favourite players of all time. But he wasn’t small either. He was 178cm. He is also taller than the average Australian male. You see my point. That is where the game is trending and that is why the game needs the Fatty Rule. The Fatty was 176cm. We need both tall and short player opportunities.
Is it time to introduce 'The Fatty Rule'?
Why would you say goodbye to the tall players. This rule still maintains tall players in the game. The coach just has to balance out the team with tall, small and average height players. Which is different to balancing out teams with tall and near tall players with a through token average height players (around 176cm) and no small players (less than 176cm).
Is it time to introduce 'The Fatty Rule'?
Thanks Beergardener.
The rugby codes no longer cater for a range of body types. TOO MUCH emphasis is now placed on size. A line is crossed through the short players.
The original State of Origin played as you put it under ‘socialist’ rules. Players heights were far more in line with the average Australian males height than they are today. Was the original state of origin wooden, sterile. I think not.
Then you could go through every single NSWRL team up until the height divergence started. Were these teams socialist teams? No way. They were hard and the fans loved and got behind their everyman champions.
Is it time to introduce 'The Fatty Rule'?
Paul Gallen is not a ‘shorty’. He is 1.8m which is above the average height of the Australian male (1.76m). But you’ve reinforced the point, he is short by modern NRL standards.
Something needs to be done to get the game back on track.
Is it time to introduce 'The Fatty Rule'?
The Fatman Rule would not exclude Paul Sironen from playing as you would just need the TEAM average to be below the cap. What it does ensure is that the game doesn’t become height dominated.
Is it time to introduce 'The Fatty Rule'?
Not all Melbourne based teams have an MCG dimension advantage (and agree it is just one of a number of potential advantages).
At Etihad the ground is ~128m wide. The MCG is 141m. Apart from the Bulldogs last year when did a team with an Etihad home ground win the Flag? You have to go back to the red hot Bombers from 2000.
Interesting when looking at the Bulldogs finals run of 2016, they won on a long skinny ground (West Coast), they continued rolled the Hawks at the MCG, they won again at the long skinny Spotless, then they played the Swans at the MCG in the GF.
What do all triple premiership AFL clubs have in common?
Thanks Michael, apologies for the omission of Carlton bud!
If MCG is a fat ground, Princess Park is obese.
What do all triple premiership AFL clubs have in common?
I hear what you are saying Cat. Hostile crowds, umpires being influenced, 100% correct. The thing is these should be equalized to a degree at a Grand Final. Both supporter groups will be passionately supporting their team.
I’m going to stick to my guns on this one though…There is more to dimensions that meets the eye though.
Keep in mind it is the instinctive play which players and teams develop on the fat grounds, or the long and skinny grounds. They begin to know the space as well as the subtle chinks that develop in opposition attack and defense. Teams learn how to win. The problem with practice, it is not the same as repeated baptisms by fire.
What do all triple premiership AFL clubs have in common?
Thanks MattyB. Is anyone a whiz on editing in wikipedia, the one source of the truth? It lists Collingwood as winning the four finals at MCG.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_Football_League_premiers#List_of_premiers
I doubt you will ever get the Grand Final moved, MCG is a small city and employs thousands of people. That said a best of three series. That might just have some legs.
Game 1 – Team 1 home ground.
Game 2 – Team 2 home ground.
Game 3 – MCG decider.
What do all triple premiership AFL clubs have in common?
Apologies for the Carlton exclusion Nigel. Cheers, Andrew
What do all triple premiership AFL clubs have in common?
Thanks for this!
In the Southern States, the Origin broadcast gets cut after the full time whistle.
Couldn’t believe my luck in Game III when the broadcast kept going.
State of Origin 2017: How to watch Game 3 replays online and on TV
The other issue. the MCG is a round stadium. Just doesn’t feel the same atmosphere wise. Square peg. Round hole.
MCG to host State of Origin 1 in 2018
Thanks
Call me a traditionalist, I’m on the other side of the fence. As a northerner, I always feel a downer when I hear Origin or Bledisloe being played at the MCG. It is akin to playing the AFL grand final at the Gabba or in Sydney. Be good to see it kept to the North of the Barassi lin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barassi_Line
MCG to host State of Origin 1 in 2018
Simon, with you their brother. Money rules the world.
I deliberately started the article with a focus on one thing, a financial incentive for the AFL. More games will bring more ticket sales, sponsors, some type of broadcast rights top up. And it can be a fairer system. Plus the MCG is always protected with a guaranteed game.
Is it time for a best of three grand final series?