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Les Zig

Roar Guru

Joined July 2015

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Les Zig is a Melbourne-based writer. He's had three novels published, and three screenplays optioned. He is also co-host of The Collingwood Rant, a football show about Collingwood screened weekly on YouTube.

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Thanks, Butts.

What annoys is the way they introduce a new rule to remedy another rule that wasn’t being applied, e.g. hands in the back was introduced because the interpretation for push in the back (during a marking contest) became lax.

Why the AFL needs to take the rules back to basics

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AFL
 
Apr

You’ve inferred a couple of points that I haven’t made. I’m not blaming the umpires if a player lays a head-high tackle, or if they push somebody in the back.

My point is you need fixed interpretations. They can’t vary from game to game.

The uproar comes from the inconsistent application.

Why the AFL needs to take the rules back to basics

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AFL
 
Apr

But they’re all 6 now, aren’t they?

Importantly, even though Test cricket spawned One-Day cricket, and now T20, the rules have remained standard throughout all three forms.

The unwanted return of AFLX

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AFL
 
Feb

You’re right, but the format changed for all forms of cricket.

The unwanted return of AFLX

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AFL
 
Feb

On Daics, while he’s held in high regard, I think he should be recognised even more highly. Tony Shaw recently rated Collingwood players, and said if not for Daicos’s injuries, he’d be mentioned in the same breath as Gary Ablett Sr.

Often, modern small goalkickers are compared to Daicos. which I find bemusing. While those players are great in their own right, Daicos was a once-in-a-generation player — not quick (but not as slow as made out), beautifully balanced, sublimely skilled, equally skilled on both sides of the body.

He should be remembered with the ‘greats’, but never factors into those conversations.

The underrated marvel: Peter Daicos

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AFL
 
2017

No, if you saw Tayla Harris’s mark against Fremantle, or Kate McCarthy’s five-bounce goal, you’d know there’s some legitimate highlights.

Unrealistic AFLW knockers need to keep quiet

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AFL
 
2017

And that’s absolutely fine, Mike. Nobody’s saying you should like it for the sake of liking it. The article is aimed more at people who are disliking it for the sake of disliking it.

Unrealistic AFLW knockers need to keep quiet

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AFL
 
2017

You’re entitled to your criticism. But (and this isn’t aimed specifically at your comment) be justified in making it. I do know people who criticise the AFLW for the sake of criticising. I also know people who went into watching it expecting some elite showcase of skill and talent, and then disdained it because they didn’t get it. It’s a new competition. It’s going to take time to find its feet.

Unrealistic AFLW knockers need to keep quiet

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AFL
 
2017

You can dislike it for whatever justifiable reasons you might have, but I do know a number of people who deride it for the sake of deriding it.

Unrealistic AFLW knockers need to keep quiet

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AFL
 
2017

It’s going to get media attention. It’s a new competition breaking ground. Eventually, it will be up to the competition to warrant the attention, but right now I think it deserves its exposure.

Unrealistic AFLW knockers need to keep quiet

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AFL
 
2017

They’re started to play a few reserves games before the seniors, e.g. last year at Collingwood vs Carlton, the reserves played first.

I think the AFLW would make a good curtain raiser.

Unrealistic AFLW knockers need to keep quiet

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AFL
 
2017

The thrust is simple. It’s rough because it’s starting out. People run around complaining about the standard. Give it time.

As for the complaints re the AFL, there’s been criticisms in recent seasons that not enough goals are kicked. Apparently, a high-scoring game is a good game. A low-scoring game with packs, etc., isn’t I don’t subscribe to that.

A good game is a good contest, regardless of score, as opposed to this trend of playing football like basketball.

Unrealistic AFLW knockers need to keep quiet

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AFL
 
2017

Thanks, BigAl. I think he likes to play it up at times, but it’s all part of being a character — something he values in football’s audiences.

Perceptions of a 'toothless, Collingwood bogan'

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AFL
 
2017

Thanks, Penster. He’s definitely gracious with his time. And you nail it: he turned ‘great adversity in his own life to help others’. I know he likes to try pass that message on.

Perceptions of a 'toothless, Collingwood bogan'

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AFL
 
2017

Hi, Gyfox. Yep, you’re right. Joffa does work for the Salvation Army, which makes his charity work so amazing. He’s constantly looking at giving back to the community.

Perceptions of a 'toothless, Collingwood bogan'

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AFL
 
2017

Thanks, AdelaideDocker. That’s the beauty about football — the way it does appeal across the board to all different types.

Perceptions of a 'toothless, Collingwood bogan'

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AFL
 
2017

Exactly, Paul. He is the nicest, humblest guy when you meet him, which isn’t always the way he’s portrayed.

Perceptions of a 'toothless, Collingwood bogan'

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AFL
 
2017

Thanks, mds1970. Yep. Exactly. Joffa’s a great example of somebody who used what’s happened in his life in a constructive way and to help others.

Perceptions of a 'toothless, Collingwood bogan'

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AFL
 
2017

Thanks, Milo. Love the game and the stands when it’s full of good-natured characters.

Perceptions of a 'toothless, Collingwood bogan'

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AFL
 
2017

My biggest concern is that four years in, and we haven’t seen a sustainable gameplan. It’s reliant, so far, just on frenetic pressure. I’m hoping it will click once the kids get more experience but, by now, I would’ve hoped we would’ve seen something that was emblematic of Collingwood.

Collingwood: Potential versus reality

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AFL
 
2015

You could be right that Collingwood had more premiership success left in it. Unfortunately, it’s not something we’ll ever know for sure, and now we’re left with trying to get it right somehow.

Collingwood: Potential versus reality

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AFL
 
2015

I understand rebuilding fine. But Malthouse was in his tenth year as coach when I had these thoughts. I was proven wrong that Malthouse would get there — he did, in his eleventh year. I don’t know of any other coach who’s been given that time — with all the resources Malthouse had at Collingwood — to win a flag. So, yes, at that time I would’ve happily made a change. Obviously, Collingwood thought similarly at that time, because they implemented the succession plan.

And once Buckley became head coach, he was determined to rein in a rampant culture, which is why so many of these ‘loyalists’ were moved on.

Collingwood: Potential versus reality

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AFL
 
2015

I don’t think Nathan Buckley was underrated by his own supporters, but the media constantly qualified how good he was by saying he only shone because he was in a bad team, whereas with somebody like Chris Judd at Carlton, for example, they said he shone *despite* being in a bad team. Mike Sheahan regularly had Buckley down his list of Top 50 players, and didn’t rate him Number 1 until 2004. When people talk about greats of the game, how often do you hear Buckley’s name mentioned? He was amongst the best players I saw, but doesn’t even feature in these conversations in the media.

Collingwood: Potential versus reality

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AFL
 
2015

Thanks, Katfish (and Jack). The way the holding the ball has come to be treated continually appalls me, and it’s deterioration has made the game more like rugby than ever.

Keep on movin': Tackling congestion

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AFL
 
2015