Home and Away Game Awards - Are They Irrelevant?

[Lord Nicholson]

Already we're into the "ANZAC Day is manufactured crap! We deserve to play ANZAC Day!" hypocritical sturm und drang?

Marvelous.

 

[windyhill]

Old DTrain certainly has it in for The Bombers.

 

[The Passenger]

i would say of the individual awards on offer the players would value the Norm Smith above any other... It usually means the player has a premiership medal to go with it. and for NS Medallists that won the flag it would also be a pretty special feeling to now you were a major force on that day behind you're team winning the flag.

inb4juddandwhoeverelse

 

[fcmelb]

Definitely

 

[Dawggin It]

If you really think about it even the Brownlow medal has serious flaws. Forget the fact that the umpires vote on it, just look at the scoring.

Best on ground is judged to be 3 times better than the 3rd best player on the ground. A second best performance is supposedly worth twice as much as the 3rd best. Being the 3rd best player is infinitely more valuable than 4th to 44th. In what reality is this an accurate reflection on the outcome of a game?

The Brownlow is what it is: an award for eye-catching midfielders in dominant teams that rewards brilliance over consistency.

 

[Red Crow]

Judd won it in a losing side that lost by 4 points not 40 points, he had the most disposals in the game and was voted BOG by many experts.

Who was your choice for the norm smith in 05.

Hodge was good but was not clearly his sides best player as you say.

I haven't seen the game since the day it was played, but I remember thinking Amon Buchanan had a ripper game. There was also one other Sydney player I thought played pretty well and was deserving, but I can't remember who. Judd would have been third in line at best, and he only won it because "he's Judd" - seemingly the same as everything else at the time.

Hodge was clearly BOG in 08. Pretty much only Geelong fans that thought Ablett should have got it would argue. But Hodge carried his team to victory, Ablett put in a solid-pretty good performance in a losing side. Hodge wins clearly IMO.

As for the topic at hand, yes these cups/medals for H&A games are largely irrelevant, but if the clubs feel its a good way to honor something then go ahead. BUT, I think they should be presented in the rooms after the game. The awkwardness when half the stadium is filing out and there is a small golf clap for the winner is cringeworthy.

 

[MightyHawks]

Yep, in total agreement, even the derby medals are pointless.

Ross Glendinning awarded his medal to someone else once because he disagreed with the panel of judges

 

[MightyHawks]

And Paul Deer won a Norm Smith.

You've just proved our point at how silly the ANZAC Day medal is.

Paul Dear was selected in a Grand Final side and was judged best on ground.

It's a Grand Final!

 

[MightyHawks]

The only undeserving winner of the Norm Smith Medal was Nathan Buckley in 2002.

The judges had to submit their votes at the 15 minute mark of the last quarter.

All the judges said after the game they would have awarded it to Michael Voss after the match.

The AFL changed the procedure the next year so the award was made after the game.

Typical AFL silliness.

In similar silliness... The Alex Jesaulenko Goal of the Year award is named that because he took a great mark in the 1970 Grand Final. The Goal of the Year award is given to the best goal of the H&A season each year now. Jezza's mark would be ineligible for mark of the year in 1970.

 

[CROWS08]

It almost feels like every weekend there are two teams playing for some sort of trophy. Heck knows what most of them represent. The classic on is the Prime Ministers Cup between GWS and the Bulldogs. What the hell is that about.

 

[Smokeyr67]

I was discussing this the other day about how silly these awards are with my friend with the exception of maybe the derbies. Is there any real point to having them when really it is just another game for 4 points?

The biggest one that stands out for me is the supposed importance of Anzac Day when really it is no different and no more important than the game in the later part of the season. Further the myth regarding how good some one is for winning so many Anzac day medals is also pointless, especially when it is used by an Essendon or Collingwood supporter to justify how good some one is for example. The fact that it can only be won by members of two clubs shows how insignificant it is in relation to the Brownlow or the the AFLPA MVP.

Now some might argue that how does this differ from the Norm Smith Medal but when you go for the Norm Smith you are playing for the premiership.

Therefore I argue that it is just stupid to hear people use home and away game medals (like my stupid Essendon and Collingwood supporter friends) to justify how good a player like James Hird was.

Discuss!

I can sort of see why you dismiss the ANZAC day (btw, it is, and should be capitalised) medal, but it is a high pressure, high profile game, and you do generally get a player who stands out. It's worth a little extra credit.

 

[vast]

No they are not, apart from the Bnf.