Roar Guru
Joined July 2008
121k
Views
49
Published
12.8k
Comments
Fan of the mighty Essendon Football Club. AFL & other sport contributor.
Published
Comments
Essendon are rising from the ashes of a 2013 season which, although featuring many on-field highlights, was tarnished by off-field scandals. Bombers fans are…
As the calamitous events around Cronulla unfold, the inevitable comparison with Essendon has begun. The obvious common factor is sports scientist Stephen Dank. Dank…
In the aftermath of the announcement of ASADA's investigation into Essendon, Bomber fans feared for the first time in our lives for the actual…
In July 2012 Andrew Demetriou took an extended break from the game - during the season, no less. Sure, the Olympics were on and…
There is a new disease striking fear into sporting clubs around Australia known as ASADA Syndrome. You don't want to catch it because even…
In the days, weeks, and months ahead, Essendon faces a terribly difficult and possibly catastrophic time. There is no point hiding the fact that…
‘Whiteboard Wednesday' was a video segment on the Melbourne Demons website where CEO Cameron Schwab took fans behind the scenes, through the “inner workings…
Unlike Andrew Demetriou’s counterpart at the NRL, David Gallop, the AFL Commission believes Demetriou is still on his game and has more good work…
On Friday night, the launch of Foxtel’s Fox Footy Channel will herald the start of a strategic three-prong attack for AFL and TV ratings…
2011 was the final year the draft and trading windows operated under the current system, before free agency will hit the AFL player trade…
I sat and watched a Fox Sports News segment on St Kilda's captain and leadership group the other day just shaking my head. No…
In just under three months' time, the Greater Western Sydney Giants will take on the Sydney Swans in the opening game of the 2012…
[caption id="attachment_42066" caption="Gary Ablett of the Suns and Heath Scotland of the Blues wrestle during the AFL Round 02 match between the Gold Coast…
It looks like the North Melbourne Kangaroos might have finally found a second home. Eureka!, cried Kangaroos president James Brayshaw, as the Victorian Premier…
[caption id="attachment_31935" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Israel Folau set for a switch to the AFL. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) "][/caption] A recent Daily Telegraph headline beamed: “Folau…
This weekend Melbourne and Brisbane play an exhibition game in Shanghai, China. Infamous bad boy Brendan Fevola is travelling with the Lions team, despite…
[caption id="attachment_36318" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Darren Jolly of Collingwood celebrates a goal during the 2010 Toyota AFL Grand Final replay between the Collingwood Magpies and…
[caption id="attachment_30432" width="300" caption="Matthew Knights during the AFL Round 03 match between the Carlton Blues and the Essendon Bombers at the MCG, Melbourne."][/caption] It’s…
This week, and for the next couple of weeks, a host of uncontracted players will be picked up the Gold Coast Suns for their…
From an Australian perspective, the upcoming International Rules series against Ireland needs some serious star power to ensure it does not lose further traction…
That’s sticking your head in the sand. They need to do more with the stadium management and Vic Pol then.
The A-League has hit rock bottom. Can anyone steer it out of this mess?
Cam, agree and my interest is similar. Albeit I’m a long time supporter of the Wallabies.
Soccer in OZ is stuck in a vicious circle. On one hand , the active support is unique to the game and a much celebrated point of difference. They make most other crowds in Australia look fairly pedestrian, AFL cheer squads for example are pretty lame by comparison.
On the other hand, (often armed with flares), there is an element of tribalism that can get out of hand and a very small minority who use it to start real trouble.
The majority of the crowd at AAMI stayed rooted in their seats. The small minority ruins it for all. The Admin needs to cut that small minority out to become more mainstream. They worry though about losing that point of difference. That’s the dilemma, but they need to make the call now.
What the hell just happened? Soccer from an outsider's perspective
lol keep trying. You all loved the ‘scenes’ from Fed Square in Sydney, so much so you copied it.
Look at the footage, the vast majority of the crowd in AAMI park stayed in the stands. I don’t know the crowd figure, but % of idiots on the ground versus the crowd total would be very small.
The A-League has hit rock bottom. Can anyone steer it out of this mess?
100% agree on flares, they have no place in a crowd. It’s a minor miracle no-one was hurt in Fed Square.
If the game’s admin won’t ban flares (and enforce) from stadiums they are not serious.
The A-League has hit rock bottom. Can anyone steer it out of this mess?
Let’s face it, the fixture is compromised in a quest for eyeballs & crowds, not to mention that the AFL should move to a season of playing each team once, then finals. The TV deal has sealed the fate of the number of games for awhile. Would need to move to 20 teams (Tas + ?) to revisit and perhaps some form of ‘rep’ games. Maybe even divisions?
Blues back in prime time as full AFL fixture for 2023 revealed
Agree on Essendon, although i suspect it will be tough to maintain for the whole season. new coach with bring out an early run.
Blues back in prime time as full AFL fixture for 2023 revealed
Glad the Dons will not get a Thursday night match, they are the worst to attend.
Blues back in prime time as full AFL fixture for 2023 revealed
Spot on. Unfortunately, tackling has to go and a version of tag introduced for the rugby codes & AFL.
The Wrap: Rugby still in a fuzzy, concussed state but seismic change looms from an unlikely source
Excellent article. Thanks Geoff.
CTE is an horrendous injury, just like it’s hidden damage that is not apparent until post mortem, the football codes are hiding from the realities of concussion that could ultimately lead to their demise if they don’t adapt and protect players with major rules changes to tackling.
How boxing still survives is beyond me.
The Wrap: Rugby still in a fuzzy, concussed state but seismic change looms from an unlikely source
Hi Punter, was certainly not implying anything about the ethic clubs. The A League was created to move away from that era though. The essential point is the competition is still relatively new and the GF as an event probably not in the top rung of National sporting events to be tendered like this.
Also the point of difference from the AFL/NRL GFs has been lost.
Hosting A-League grand finals in Sydney for three years is a terrific idea… For some
This article is spot on.
A-League fans should protest the disgraceful decision to award the Grand Final to Sydney
Hi Punter, not sure what happened to my reply yesterday, I was talking about the A League comp Grand Final as an event, not the game in OZ prior to that which had strong ethnic clubs like Marconi,etc. .
Hosting A-League grand finals in Sydney for three years is a terrific idea… For some
Before they did stupid things to the rules, paddling the ball in front was to avoid being caught ‘holding the ball’. that’s why crowd yells Ball !!!, these days to no avail as they don’t pay it anywhere near often enough.
Ensuring your off-season footy code war article offends as many fans as possible
I expect we will start the season well. Usually the case with a new coach.
Sloane hopes SA can 'put on a show' as AFL announce 'Gather Round' fixture, suburban venues locked in
Grem, would you pay to go a neutral GF? You might say yes. I wonder how many would.
Hosting A-League grand finals in Sydney for three years is a terrific idea… For some
Oh c’mon Tigertown, at least be factful. It was a batmobile.
Hosting A-League grand finals in Sydney for three years is a terrific idea… For some
err Chris really?
Heard of Fed Square.
Hosting A-League grand finals in Sydney for three years is a terrific idea… For some
Yep. The AFL gets away with it, because of the size of the arena (100K), the event itself (many club fans miss out as tickets go to MCC members, AFL members, corporates, anyway). The AFL GF has sold out for decades even when two ‘interstate’ teams are in it, because of this.
The deal could be good for NSW tourism (Vic, Qld fans travel to the GF). Doubt it’s good for the A League’s visibility. Can you imagine the Sydney local fans interest in a Melb v Adel GF lol. Conversely, the game is out of sight and mind for the casual sport fan of those teams with the game held interstate.
Hosting A-League grand finals in Sydney for three years is a terrific idea… For some
That is blatantly false. The Vic Govt would have bid, regardless of your assumption that the AFL influences these things. There is no doubt they would have put in a bid to build on the current sporting event calendar in Melb. It’s a thing.
Whether its the right move for the A League is nothing matter.
Hosting A-League grand finals in Sydney for three years is a terrific idea… For some
There is no comparison with the AFL GF anchored in Melb. Stop trying to justify with an A League final that is 15 years old and little tradition to fall back on.
Hosting A-League grand finals in Sydney for three years is a terrific idea… For some
Big Marquee events might work, doubt the A League GF is in that category yet. Seems a short sighted decision.
Hosting A-League grand finals in Sydney for three years is a terrific idea… For some
Conversely, cricket is a drain on AFL player pools in NSW.
Depends on how you want to spin it.
Blue wave fading: Era of NSW-dominant Test team could soon be over as AFL-addled states step up
Addled = confused and vague; used especially of thinking. “your addled little brain” synonyms: befuddled, muddled, muzzy, woolly, woolly-headed, wooly, wooly-minded confused. mentally confused; unable to think with clarity or act intelligently.
great job NRl journo lol
Blue wave fading: Era of NSW-dominant Test team could soon be over as AFL-addled states step up
Agree. There was some sort of protest aimed at the Sydney GF decision (despite what the head of the APL says) , as we know it came just after the 20 minute mark. Instead of walking out, they started throwing flares in protest, clearly baiting the hook and the keeper took the bait. That small group wasn’t happy with a peaceful walkout, they wanted as you say to make it about themselves and ‘rumble’. The aggression can’t be tolerated, but even the act of hanging off the goals tells you all you need to know about these people and their contempt for society as a whole.
'Look at me!' Why do some football fans always make it about them?