Roast State of the modern game; Clarkson

[Leeda]

Among the media hysteria about the game (lets not forget they did the same in 2018 and did a 180 later in the season) some of the coaching proponents of flooding are venerated and employed by the media right now.

the stamp of approval is with you dude..

 

[Grrr]

I like the idea of no prior of you grab the ball on your knees. Encourage players to knock the ball on

agreed, unless like Vlastuin on the weekend where he went for the mark, the third bite of the cherry saw him on his knees trying to catch it before it hit the ground and the ump pinged him for bringing it in. Well yeah, he was trying to mark it.

There are so many rules that need tightening, and the umps chose just one. But they have to judge when a player is given the ball and is tackled, no prior opportunity, and when the player chooses to take the ball and take the tackle at the same time instead of tapping it on, which I have no problem with being judged holding the ball.

If the umps paid the occasional holding the man when a player does the later, then that would be also a way to pay a free and get the game flowing. Years ago holding the man was probably the most common of all free kicks, now it is rarely paid..... except those iffy 50/50 ruck frees or a tiny tug on a jumper in a markiing contest.

 

[mxett]

What makes you think 16 a side will make it so less players are behind the ball?? more likely the coaches will take 2 forwards up the ground. and keep 6-7 back.

I agree. The coaches have responded defensively to every rule change this far, and this would be the same. However, I do think making a bit more space on the field makes sense given how much players can cover the ground these days. Removing 36 players from AFL lists will also balance the dilution of talent we saw by introducing the Suns and Giants

 

[NaturalDisaster]

Its not just the game itself, commentators and the media are a joke.

Jonathon Brown called one of our players Ryan Garthwaite on the weekend. Garthwaite hasnt played a game for us since mid last season. I can take a mistake,but not one person corrected him.

This happens with us a lot, commentators getting our players mixed up, media “experts” getting players wrong.

Also had it pointed out that BT referred to a Sydney player as “Brad Seymour”, someone who hasn’t played footy since 2003.

Is there any sport in the world where this sort of thing happens regularly? Its pathetic and the worst thing is, no one ever calls them out on it.

 

[iluvparis]

I can't think of one rule change that has improved the spectacle. Did my side win or lose, as a spectator thats all I care about. I don't really care what it looks like and I don't understand why others do. I do care however why rules and interpretations are changed to how the sport is played when none of them were necessary to the fans enjoyment of the game, crowds didn't drop off ever. Why were they changed?

If you don't care what it looks like you may as well decide the game on a coin toss and go home.

 

[iluvparis]

Interesting also that despite all this talk of the game being horrible, TV audiences are up in a big way.

I have to say I watched Richmond v Swans yesterday, and while for the most part I hated what I saw, a small part of me was intrigued. I loved that there was actually an attempt by C7 commentators to explain what was happening tactically.

Hmmm I wonder why in the current envrionment TV audiences would be way up....just can't put my finger on it

 

[greatwhiteshark]

If you don't care what it looks like you may as well decide the game on a coin toss and go home.

What rubbish, how come only in recent years all of a sudden do people care what it looks like. Why are you not happy when your team wins? or sad when they lose.
I have been following footy for 40 plus years and there has always been bad games of footy, but as a spectator I was either happy we won or sad we lost. The AFl are telling you to care what it looks like because they want to keep changing it.
Good sides still play a good brand of footy, poor sides don't and thats why they are poor.

 

[iluvparis]

What rubbish, how come only in recent years all of a sudden do people care what it looks like. Why are you not happy when your team wins? or sad when they lose.
I have been following footy for 40 plus years and there has always been bad games of footy, but as a spectator I was either happy we won or sad we lost. The AFl are telling you to care what it looks like because they want to keep changing it.
Good sides still play a good brand of footy, poor sides don't and thats why they are poor.

Maybe the fact that people care what the game looks like right now is telling you something?

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Maybe the fact that people care what the game looks like right now is telling you something?

Correct, it is telling me they know nothing about football.

 

[Pessimistic]

If you don't care what it looks like you may as well decide the game on a coin toss and go home.

well we do seem to be subsituting state v state CV19 numbers into our psyche now. Its not who wins the grand final so much as who gets to Host it!!!!!

 

[Gethelred]

What rubbish, how come only in recent years all of a sudden do people care what it looks like. Why are you not happy when your team wins? or sad when they lose.
I have been following footy for 40 plus years and there has always been bad games of footy, but as a spectator I was either happy we won or sad we lost. The AFl are telling you to care what it looks like because they want to keep changing it.
Good sides still play a good brand of footy, poor sides don't and thats why they are poor.

I think there's probably an element of truth to this, coupled with nostalgia and there being other things to occupy a person's time these days.

At the end of it, you either enjoy footy despite the flaws or you stop watching. With there being other things that you can spend your time watching/doing instead of footy now compared to the past, it's kind of natural that people find footy harder to enjoy than they used to without alternatives.

 

[juss]

Don't underestimate the mental challenges to players and coaches in 2020 that would effect performance, not to mention all the logistical challenges of training restrictions, significant disruptions, enforced lockdowns, a mini season break to start the year. All that would be detrimental to team performance.

It's very hard to take 2020 as a true sample of what the game looks like, or what it will look like in 2021 when things are back to "normal".

 

[Gavin Excell]

Footy classified right.

Clarko should stop crying about the umps and look at his sh*t boring defence and game plan.

Anger
Hawthorn are awful at best of times but even more so now

 

[Lsta062]

What rubbish, how come only in recent years all of a sudden do people care what it looks like. Why are you not happy when your team wins? or sad when they lose.
I have been following footy for 40 plus years and there has always been bad games of footy, but as a spectator I was either happy we won or sad we lost. The AFl are telling you to care what it looks like because they want to keep changing it.
Good sides still play a good brand of footy, poor sides don't and thats why they are poor.

I can only speak for myself, but it is because neutral games are no longer as enjoyable. I don’t only follow footy to see Richmond win. Otherwise I would not have gone through the bad era. Back when Richmond were consistently low on the ladder, I still liked watching the game because I knew that if I watched teams like Sydney, Geelong, Hawthorn and St Kilda at their peaks play, then I would be watching a good game.

Geelong leads the average in points for with 77.8. Even with the 16-minute quarters, that’s low if you compare it to 10 years ago. If a couple of teams play defensive styles, then that is fine, but if the entire league does it then it’s just boring.

 

[juss]

I can only speak for myself, but it is because neutral games are no longer as enjoyable. I don’t only follow footy to see Richmond win. Otherwise I would not have gone through the bad era. Back when Richmond were consistently low on the ladder, I still liked watching the game because I knew that if I watched teams like Sydney, Geelong, Hawthorn and St Kilda at their peaks play, then I would be watching a good game.

Geelong leads the average in points for with 77.8. Even with the 16-minute quarters, that’s low if you compare it to 10 years ago. If a couple of teams play defensive styles, then that is fine, but if the entire league does it then it’s just boring.

This. Everyone enjoys watching their team win, but interest in neutral games is waning as they aren't a great spectacle right now.

 

[St Plugger]

What makes you think 16 a side will make it so less players are behind the ball?? more likely the coaches will take 2 forwards up the ground. and keep 6-7 back.

I'm a 5-5-5 15 aside supporter rather than 16 but in answer to your question, the effect is the same.
What occurs in the game where they play 15 aside, there are 6 fewer players to block up the field in a forward press. By having fewer players chocking up the playing area, the ball is freed up quickly and so those defensive players clogging up the play are likely to get caught by a fast break. So as a consequence, there is an need to man up across the field, otherwise teams can get blown away.

 

[NeutralFan]

What makes you think 16 a side will make it so less players are behind the ball?? more likely the coaches will take 2 forwards up the ground. and keep 6-7 back.

If the same number of players remains the same behind the ball that means there are just less number of players inside the actual forward 50 to apply pressure and keep it in there.
It'll be much easier for teams to just simply run the ball out of their defensive 50 and have a lot more space to go around a wall rather than kick it blindly out since congestion in the forward 50 is unbearable right now just by the weight of numbers whether you outnumber or not.
Teams would have to take that into account and have players at the edge of the square, defensive 50 arc to stop players simply running out with it.

When a team is advancing forward it would be much easier to handball and run your way through 16 rather than 18 players thus you need players to come up the ground and stop ball carriers waltzing in, players become more responsible for their direct opponent, which creates 1 on 1 contests.

 

[DrAlf]

I have followed footy all my life and played for a while. I can't ever remember being less interested in watching a game, any game, they are simply awful spectacles. When or how they became so bad I'm not sure, but I know ugly when I see it. If I could pick one aspect it would be the continued use of the boundary line to gain ground then create a stoppage - is this what the game has become!?!

I actually prefer watching the Rugby League now. I'll watch a game of League and the half will just fly by, wow half time already. AFL I find myself clock-watching.

 

[Dr Awkward]

Don't underestimate the mental challenges to players and coaches in 2020 that would effect performance, not to mention all the logistical challenges of training restrictions, significant disruptions, enforced lockdowns, a mini season break to start the year. All that would be detrimental to team performance.

It's very hard to take 2020 as a true sample of what the game looks like, or what it will look like in 2021 when things are back to "normal".

Exactly, I think everyone needs to manage expectations for what this season can offer.

Yes, a few rule tweaks might be necessary and definitely a return to full length games. Other than that, just be glad we have something at the moment.

 

[Dr Awkward]

What about simply: Each team must maintain a minimum of 3 players inside each 50m arc at all times.

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

New rule: automatic 50m penalty after a behind.

 

[Hawkie_McHawkHawk]

Anger
Hawthorn are awful at best of times but even more so now

Rent free Gav
Every time I see your name pop up your talking about the Hawks. I get it- 2008 and 2013 hurt but I think it’s time to move on

 

[David Bondo]

The rot at Hawthorn starts with Clarko's attitude. Whining and complaining I think because he doesn't want to go on the road for the next few months but that's just reality. Stay home and don't take the money if you don't want to do it.

That attitude seeps down to the playing group. Sicily is basically a grub at this point. Dirty player, hot headed, poor sportsmanship. Even Burgoyne had some angry pills at one point with his dangerous tackles. Weird for someone that old.

Also, the guy just doesn't have the stomach for a rebuild. He's got no intention of staying on past 2022 otherwise you wouldn't take so many punts on older players that come with mental or physical baggage one way or another.

Hardwick thinks he's the next Clarko and has started puffing out his chest a little too much. Will be in for a rude shock not finishing the season with 9 straight games on their home ground this year.

 

[juss]

What about simply: Each team must maintain a minimum of 3 players inside each 50m arc at all times.

You'll be torched for this, but some sort of zone would reduce congestion.

I dont think the game should explore zones yet, there are other extremes I'd explore first.

 

[footyfan1978]

You'll be torched for this

Should be tarred and feathered.