Clarkson on the attack. The good the bad and the ugly

[Maybloomer]

I was at the game on Friday. Hawks did a "blocking"/intercept marking drill for quite a while in the warm-up. Like so many things in this game, it's a question of how far you can push it, and what is then interpreted as an infringement.

The HTBs/tackles are terrible and they should just pay them immediately, get rid of prior opportunity.

I don't mind prior opportunity but once gone, the player with the ball must dispose of it legitimately i.e. by hand or foot. So many balls were "knocked out in the tackle" on Friday night. Eliminate this one interpretation and it will get rid of so much congestion and render the Swans and Cats less effective, a win-win.
The low risk vs high reward is getting exploited by the Dangerfields and Selwoods and Sydneys of this game. Grab ball, try to bust out of a pack, chances of getting or contributing to high tackle = high, chances of getting caught HTB = low. High chance of retaining or transferring possession, medium chance of a 50/50 ball, very low chance of a turnover.

 

[kimbopen]

Haha, you're kidding aren't you. More likely that Eric Hipwood is the beneficiary in all this.....



Wasn't the reason we got the extra umpire so that they could clamp down on these tactics in the forward line? Trouble is all 3 umpires follow the play and don't position themselves in the best spots to see what the defenders, or even the forwards are doing to create 'space'.

The HTB interpretation on Friday night was really hard to follow, let alone the two incidents involving blocking in our forward line late in the last quarter, where one was paid and one wasn't.

Umpires can't be perfect, but what they can be is consistent, and currently I'm NOT seeing consistency.

But, but they are consistent - consistently shit!

 

[Lotus]

Wow looks at the headlines, yes it's a click bait type of headlines but to use bow down hmm...

 

[Brishawk]

Wow looks at the headlines, yes it's a click bait type of headlines but to use bow down hmm...

Thank god we are not playing on Friday night. Plenty of opportunity to see how the umpires react

 

[thejockey]

Wow looks at the headlines, yes it's a click bait type of headlines but to use bow down hmm...

Let another day or two of whinging begin !

 

[thejockey]

Was chatting to my brother ( bulldogs supporter ) about this today

He said not only did Longmire/Swans complain about the umpiring in the 2016 gf straight after it , longmire bought it 2-3 more times months after the game

Just starting to sound a little hypocritical Horse .......

 

[threesixpio]

Wow looks at the headlines, yes it's a click bait type of headlines but to use bow down hmm...

Lol

This will piss people off

 

[TylerDurden]

#freekickhawthorn going ballistic at present. Here we go.

 

[Breustiful]

Initially thought that this is such a non issue. Media has blown this, as usual, way out of proportions. Can't they just shut the **** up?

 

[Lotus]

Thank god we are not playing on Friday night. Plenty of opportunity to see how the umpires react

Yeah, testing the water . But hey it works with Joel Selwood case. He no longer staging the high tackle free kick .

Let another day or two of whinging begin !

Not surprise at all .

Lol

This will piss people off

Indeed

 

[Soft as malaxos]

Ultimately it’s not about free kicks not being paid to our team though is it. It’s about the bloody state of the game at the moment. Clarko is spot on, it is a horrible spectacle, congested rolling maul rubbish. Sure some proper policing of some of the rules will help in this regard ie: paying frees for illegal disposal, pinging players for illegal blocks and shepherds among others. Hopefully his recent voicings of concern bring about some positive change for the sake of the game in general.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Was chatting to my brother ( bulldogs supporter ) about this today

He said not only did Longmire/Swans complain about the umpiring in the 2016 gf straight after it , longmire bought it 2-3 more times months after the game

Just starting to sound a little hypocritical Horse .......

Didn't he bring up the score review system after last weeks game like it cost his team the game? The guy is a hypocrite, pretty sure he has whinged about some other things against us in the past as well. He bases his game plan around trying to bend the rules and has been called out on it. If your as good a coach as they say you are horse you will adapt to what ever changes are made by the umpires from here on in.

 

[MasterSamurai]

David King on SEN......

If Clarko has something to say about the state of footy, you listen

Hawthorn have always played attractive footy, great to watch

Geelong have shored up their defensive efforts remarkably, but its bloody awful to watch

Kingyyyyy! Can be a legend sometimes this bloke.
He is onto the fact that Clarko wants the outside game to be the main part of the conversation within the industry and pointing out how it should be adjudicated.
Most people and oppo coaches are onto this and in no way do they want free flowing footy to be the main attraction of the game. Make no mistake, Hawks don’t like the type of footy been played post 2015, things have changed drastically as for as rule interpretations go. Clarko tried to stay quiet since the 2016 SF where we got absolutely ripped by the umps and not just the way doggies played that night, and now Clarko isn’t going to stay quiet about this scrappy , congested , slow type of footy that has taken over our once great game. Interesting that Scott, Horse and in case people missed it, Jack Riewoldt have been saying they are quite ok with the style of game right now.
Hmmm interesting and smart fella this Clarko.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Wow looks at the headlines, yes it's a click bait type of headlines but to use bow down hmm...

That is fu..ing awesome!!!! Now, follow the leader ya flogs.

 

[phreeze77]

This blocking tactic was Geelong FC for the last 11 years. Buddy and Roughy used to get man handled out of contests while one of their tall defenders intercept marks and makes our forwards look lazy and disinterested in the contest. Geelong weren't the only ones to do it but they were the most successful at it.

What you'll notice is a ball is kicked long.. a defender doesn't have to be the direct opponent will engage a forward as if to contest for the ball body on body ... he will man handle the forward away from the drop zone and allow his fellow defender to mark uncontested. Umpires have been complicit in this in that they are too scared to pay frees to forwards in close proximity to goal. It has been allowed to go for too long .. and even our side has had to adapt and do it as it is an unpenalised tactic. Hopefully not anymore. Yes we are crap under the high ball , and we will probably get torched with the rule .. but hopefully we adapt and get the required players that can defend with out illegal tactics.

This will show up the defenders that cannot defend without relying on third man up. Hopefully this brings the game back to a one on one contest for 6 forwards and 6 defenders.

 

[kimbopen]

Didn't he bring up the score review system after last weeks game like it cost his team the game? The guy is a hypocrite, pretty sure he has whinged about some other things against us in the past as well. He bases his game plan around trying to bend the rules and has been called out on it. If your as good a coach as they say you are horse you will adapt to what ever changes are made by the umpires from here on in.

Ditto for Chris Snot.

 

[spudmaster]

Probably just wanted to catch up with all the highly-rated, highly-valued, successful, poached ex-hawthorn staff the AFL have been rebuilding their company around.

 

[westhawk]

Gotta love Clarko for bringing the state of the game to a head. He, as a lot of us is sick of the crap we are watching.The last couple of years, the game has turned to crap as a spectacle. I used to watch every game of the round , if not live then I would see a replay. Now I watch our games and bits and pieces from other games. The way it is being played as a rolling scrum is just crap.
The Hawks have always played attractive skilful footy and teams have figured that the only way to beat that is have massive numbers around the ball and play extra defenders back.
If more people in charge of the game listen to what Clarko has to say then the game will be great again.
Most of the current coaches should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute not lauded as great coaches like that twat Roos does.
The reason the media are against this happening is that they know that a free flowing game suits us and they don’t want us having any more success.
Hawthorn continues to head f**k the comp and the maggots in the media.

 

[Tas_Dean]

IF Clarko did in fact discuss the state of the game, good on him. I was sitting with a friend at the Hawks vs Saints game in Launceston, we both know the rules pretty well. We both gave up trying to follow the game, a whistle would blow and half the time the kick would be payed to the opposite person to who we thought it was going to. We kept looking at each other in disbelief, and try to guess why x player had a free kick. And no, that's not my brown and gold goggles, that was in both directions.
Friday night, watching with my wife we had similar opinions. Saturday night, we didn't even turn the footy on. In years gone by, Friday night and Saturday night games would both be on our TV, regardless of who was playing, as it was entertaining. Now the game is so frustrating, and boring, to watch, that if Hawthorn aren't playing, we watch something else. Instead of flogging Clarko, you would think that channel 7 and Fox would be joining in the criticism or their broadcast rights will end up worthless.
And to further clarify, I don't blame the umpires, they're being asked to make judgements, rather than follow "simple" rules. The game is too fast now to make split second judgements. Even with slow motion replays, 4 or 5 commentators can't agree on whether a ball was thrown or handballed, for example. Strip the rules back to simple interpretations/rulings, not judgments.

That's my 2c worth anyway.

 

[Tas_Dean]

Gotta love Clarko for bringing the state of the game to a head. He, as a lot of us is sick of the crap we are watching.The last couple of years, the game has turned to crap as a spectacle. I used to watch every game of the round , if not live then I would see a replay. Now I watch our games and bits and pieces from other games. The way it is being played as a rolling scrum is just crap.
The Hawks have always played attractive skilful footy and teams have figured that the only way to beat that is have massive numbers around the ball and play extra defenders back.
If more people in charge of the game listen to what Clarko has to say then the game will be great again.
Most of the current coaches should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute not lauded as great coaches like that twat Roos does.
The reason the media are against this happening is that they know that a free flowing game suits us and they don’t want us having any more success.
Hawthorn continues to head f**k the comp and the maggots in the media.

Posted as I wrote, but my sentiments exactly. Bring back entertaining footy.
And thinking back, did Ross Lyon start this. Games vs St Kilda were crap to watch under his coaching with the incessant flooding/trying to win by defense, and now games versus Fremantle are close to the most painful to watch.
I think most of Tasmania agree with me, Hawks vs Fremantle have gone from 17K crowds 6 years ago to 11K crowds in the last couple of years

 

[Thaihawk]

Hope it wasn't a job presentation by Clarko.

 

[Jack Gun Cyril Stun]

Posted as I wrote, but my sentiments exactly. Bring back entertaining footy.
And thinking back, did Ross Lyon start this. Games vs St Kilda were crap to watch under his coaching with the incessant flooding/trying to win by defense, and now games versus Fremantle are close to the most painful to watch.
I think most of Tasmania agree with me, Hawks vs Fremantle have gone from 17K crowds 6 years ago to 11K crowds in the last couple of years

Lyon and Longmire were both taught their shite craft by Roos.

 

[A Cut Above]

Am I imagining things or has Clarko been a little more upfront when it comes to the media since Jeff's come back? Almost feels like he's been let off the chain a bit, which I enjoy seeing knowing the AFL is going to screw us anyway so why not call a spade a spade!

 

[Jack Gun Cyril Stun]

I can't remember Clarko making an excuse for a loss in a post match presser before; maybe he has, but it is not his usual form. I believe he had an agenda for raising it now and is probably happy with the reaction.

I don't see calling a meeting with the boss as such a big issue.

In my opinion, which I will admit is biased, Sydney and Geelong defenses have been getting away with blocking and holding tactics for years now, and those tactics are called by the media as "good use of the body" by those two clubs, but blocking, or a push, hands in the back etc if we use similar methods. This is caused by members of the media's animosity towards the most successful club in the competition in recent times.

Clarko no fool. Tis why Longmire and Scott are so shitty about it, last thing they want is the cornerstone of their game plan being exposed. Tigers not be too happy either. Hahaha

 

[marklar]

IF Clarko did in fact discuss the state of the game, good on him. I was sitting with a friend at the Hawks vs Saints game in Launceston, we both know the rules pretty well. We both gave up trying to follow the game, a whistle would blow and half the time the kick would be payed to the opposite person to who we thought it was going to.

It's been brewing since at least 2015, but we were so focussed on the 3peat and possibility of 4thorn and then dealing with the mini-rebuild that we hadn't stopped and paid attention until now. Most of the 2016 season was unwatchable and 2017 was worse.

The game is rapidly getting more unwatchable as the rolling maul of super-athletic bin chickens has taken over the craft of AFL football. There is no skill left in the game anymore, players only train to kick low percentage arsey snap goals and running to create or block space, they've completely abandoned the basics of kicking straight, disposing of the ball at least somewhat legitimately, tackling properly and not throwing a tantrum like a 4 year old child at every single opportunity.