Roar Guru
Joined January 2010
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Was brought up in Victoria, where I barracked for the Bombers in winter and the Aussie cricketers in summer. Life took me to Sydney many years ago, where I've gained an appreciation of many other sports; including tennis, rugby league and soccer/football. But AFL remains my first love; and I'm now proudly a member and supporter of the Greater Western Sydney Giants. In between working a boring desk job and attending sporting events, I trawl the internet for sporting stories and discussions.
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It's not enough to put a couple of scapegoats on gardening leave. Cricket needs a paradigm shift. The culture is toxic and now is…
As the second season of AFLW nears its conclusion, we can see they've done a lot right with this competition. But we haven't got…
It may only be a sample size of two, but this is the most even AFLW season yet. Had Collingwood been able to run…
Enough with the negativity! AFLX is here, I'm looking forward to it, and I think you're going to love it. It promises to be…
Fixturing can be tricky at the best of times, but some interesting ideas can come from unlikely places. For the AFL it's hard to…
And so this is Christmas/ And what have you done?/ Another year over/ And a new one just begun. John Lennon's classic Christmas song…
It won't come cheap. $2.3 billion dollars and these things always blow out. But the decision is made. Allianz Stadium and ANZ Stadium are…
With the National Basketball League looking to expand, speculation is circling that AFL clubs are looking to field teams in the competition. In Europe,…
The Ashes. Australia versus England on the cricket pitch in one of world sport's greatest rivalries. While the men have had the limelight for…
In a city of many sports, it's hard to find common ground. And competing priorities are up for grabs when the stadium funding pie…
Stalemates and brinkmanship run high as the AFL trading period meanders along. We're nearly a week in and not a single trade is done.…
The game of Australian Football is well known in Australia. But a new shorter form is under development. Known as AFLX, it's still a…
When it comes to expansion, the difference between the AFL and reactionary short-term knee-jerk panic merchants is that the AFL, when it has made…
There's always a sense of excitement when game day comes around. But there's always a crucial decision to make - to go to the…
Someone at the Brisbane Lions must have broken two mirrors, as the club's rotten run with luck continues into its 14th year, missing out…
The Ides of March are come. But not gone. And while this is a day for Julius Caesar to beware, for cricket fans it's…
It’s Thursday night and JLT Community Series footy is back. Join us live on The Roar from 7:40pm AEDT tonight as the Western Bulldogs…
The coming of AFL Womens has transformed the pre-season period. We're now in footy season from the beginning of February. AFLW has gone better…
Match result: The Adelaide Crows have stayed undefeated in AFL Women's with a big goal from Erin Phillips in the final quarter delivering them…
Match result: The Brisbane Lions have maintained their undefeated start to the AFL Women's competition, and left premiership fancies Fremantle winless, taking a 13-point…
And for a lot of clubs, it’s giving the young draftees an opportunity to shine that they weren’t getting under traditional pre-season structures.
Someone, maybe several players, will make a statement with some good footy and put themselves into the frame for senior selection for round 1. And that’s exciting.
Down with the haters: AFLX will be fun!
The traditional form of footy that we all know and love will still be there. It’s not going anywhere.
Again using the cricket analogy, T20 hasn’t killed Test cricket. Far from it. In fact there is more Test cricket being played now than ever before.
But there’s another form of cricket, which has huge popularity and didn’t even exist 20 years ago. It’s resulted in massive growth for the game as a whole.
Could AFLX deliver similar gains for footy? I couldn’t rule it out.
Down with the haters: AFLX will be fun!
And who’s laughing now.
The AFL obviously believe there’s a market for this new form of the game. And they’ll find it. T20 came from modest beginnings until it found its place in the cricket landscape, and now it’s nearly as big as the internationals.
I don’t know where AFLX fits into the broader footy landscape. But it will be interesting to find out.
Down with the haters: AFLX will be fun!
For our game to have any significant presence overseas isn’t something we’ll live to see.
This form of the game may have some benefit in places where there’s no ovals and not enough players for a traditional game of footy. But it may also have some application domestically.
When T20 was invented, no-one really knew where it would fit in the cricket landscape. It didn’t really find its place until the Indian Premier League came into being; and the rest is history.
No-one really knows what AFLX’s place is yet. But I’m sure that this weekend won’t be the end of it.
Down with the haters: AFLX will be fun!
It turns some people off T20. But the metrics don’t lie – it turns more people on than off.
The music, the flashing lights, the gimmicks. They’re not everyone’s cup of tea. But it creates a sense of fun and something that the whole family can enjoy together. It’s noticeable at Big Bash games how many kids are running up and down the aisles; and AFLX will appeal to that demographic.
Down with the haters: AFLX will be fun!
The boundaries at Etihad are retractable. I believe they’re bringing them into the rectangular configuration for AFLX.
The most important question about AFLX remains unanswered: Why bother?
It’s a no-win situation for the AFL. If they don’t let her play it’s discrimination. If they let her play and someone gets hurt it’s reckless negligence. Either way, once she asked to play, the AFL is f-ed.
I would have said no. Yes, it’s the risk-averse option. But this is someone who was an elite male athlete only a couple of years ago and has lived most of her life as a muscular sporty man.
Whatever her testosterone levels, it fails the smell test. The safety and competitiveness of the natural women has to come first.
AFL clears Hannah Mouncey for local leagues
Definitely a concern. The Giants have won at the MCG just once ever, and that was in 2014. And only won once at Adelaide Oval ever.
In the last few years, the Giants’ home record is the best in the AFL; but they don’t travel well. It is a worry for them.
The biggest question marks hanging over GWS Giants
Even with a worse injury toll than most, the Giants still made the top 4 last year. Should they have a run of injuries closer to the AFL average in 2018, the Giants have a list that’s capable of going all the way to the Grand Final. Write them off at your peril.
The biggest question marks hanging over GWS Giants
It was a bizarre memo. It’s one thing to encourage a more attacking game, but it’s not something the league can really mandate. And an over-reaction – the Carlton v Collingwood game wasn’t a great game, but most of the other games last weekend were pretty good.
At least when they’re low-scoring they’re close. Less chance of a massive blowout.
See you at Drummoyne tonight!!
Mary's Wonder Women: Leaked memos and the cost of a competition
I’ve accepted that it’s inevitable in the next few years that the Grand Final will move to twilight; and I’m fine with it.
AFL must respect tradition over the twilight zone
Why do people enjoy watching women belt into each other? Why are the women even out of the kitchen?
Same as the men. They enjoy the physical contest and the competitive nature of the sport.
Five quick takes from AFLW Round 1
I’ve been to soccer games where neither team has scored. How does soccer survive?
Being low-scoring doesn’t necessarily make it a bad contest.
Five quick takes from AFLW Round 1
It was a disappointing way for the WBBL season to finish. There was a good crowd for the BBL final, but few of them bothered coming early for a game where the local team wasn’t playing, and few of them really cared.
If that game had been played at North Sydney Oval, it would have had a much better backdrop. And the Sixers, who had been the dominant team all season, should have had the home ground advantage.
I agree – the time has come for stand-alone finals. If the same team team had been the highest qualifier for a final in both the BBL and WBBL, by all means play a double-header. But otherwise, let the women play on their ground then the men on theirs.
It's time for standalone WBBL finals
The last touch rule worked in a lot of instances, but I’m wondering whether it could do with some refinement. If the purpose is to avoid congestion, possibly an exemption could be made if the ball travels 40 metres before going out then it becomes a throw-in; as the distance the ball had already travelled had reduced congestion already. Similar to a 40-20 in rugby league.
I’m thinking in particular of a coast-to-coast play by Fremantle in the third term yesterday, with a player finding space and blazing away from the 50m line with no-one around and the ball dribbling out of bounds next to the point post. It had been a good piece of play, but resulted in a Bulldogs free.
I enjoyed the opening round of AFLW. Unfortunately my Giants couldn’t quite get there, but there’s a lot to be optimistic about heading to picturesque Drummoyne Oval for Friday.
Five quick takes from AFLW Round 1
The crowds have held up. TV ratings are well down on the opening weekend last year; but that’s probably because last year it wasn’t up against Big Bash and T20 International cricket.
Five quick takes from AFLW Round 1
The key income driver for professional sport these days is not so much the gate but TV rights. And the AFL are getting plenty from that.
AFLW doesn’t currently generate TV income, it’s included in the AFL’s rights. But when the time comes that AFLW TV rights are sold, the players should and will get a share of that.
Two big questions that will determine the future of AFLW
AFLW has had a positive effect in increasing the player base. Aligee’s numbers in the Black Diamond are similar to AFL Sydney, which went from 16 to 22 teams across 2 divisions last year and a third division is coming in for this year.
I was talking to a mate the other day who’s involved with a local club in Sydney. A couple of years ago they had 3 open-age mens teams and an under 19s. This year they’ll be fielding 5 open-age mens teams, two womens teams and two under 19s; although their home ground is closed this year for redevelopment and it’s still a battle trying to find grounds to play on. This is the sort of growth trajectory we’re seeing.
Two big questions that will determine the future of AFLW
There’s always the risk of “second year blues”. We saw it with the Big Bash, where the crowds and interest wasn’t great; and it wasn’t till the third season that the BBL really got going.
The relatively low-key build-up this year is a slight concern. The AFL have another new toy and are spending most of their energy brandishing that one.
But there’s still going to be some good crowds and solid interest. After another pre-season where the players have had access to professional training facilities and expertise, I’m hoping to see a lift in the standard this year.
I’m looking forward to this. I’m a GWS Giants AFLW member and the Giants have recruited very well this year. And with 4 home games this year after only 3 last year, the potential is there to move up the ladder.
Two big questions that will determine the future of AFLW
The aim for the summer was to regain the Ashes. Successfully achieved.
The ODI series was an anti-climax after the Tests. I don’t think we’re any closer to having the World Cup squad worked out yet.
How should the Australian cricket team rate their summer?
I’ve seen a pic on Twitter that’s gone viral of a $12.50 fish burger with two minute fish fingers in it.
Stadium catering is an absolute rort at the best of times, but that is outrageous.
Optus Stadium lives up to the hype, and goes beyond
If you take the ODIs out, that would put enough room in that the BBL could be done and dusted a week earlier.
I’m wondering whether the ODIs should be played before the Tests, at the beginning of the summer. In its current form, it takes a while for the cricket season to really get going. Cricket needs a more credible late October/early November presence; at the moment that’s a dead time in the sporting calendar.
It's time for Cricket Australia to decide what the Big Bash League will be
The most disruptive d-head in Australian sport since Peter Hore.
The bloke who interrupted the Australian Open for a rubbish prank is getting absolutely slammed on social media
The night Grand Final will happen in the next TV rights deal anyway; whether it’s in September or later.
It’s inevitable.
A nine-month AFL season? I'd like to see that
Who really knows.
But a lot of people have written it off sight unseen, which is disappointing. This has potential.
Down with the haters: AFLX will be fun!