The Biggest Myths in Football History

[Normy132]

I actually agree. I thought the first three quarters were pretty dull footy.

Myth: Collingwood would have won the 1977 Grand Final had Carmen played.

Fact: He didn't play, Collingwood drew then lost a replay. Everything beyond that is purely hypothetical.

Myth busted.

 

[cooldewd]

Yes, it was (and probably still is) a widely-held belief.

But it's one that I've always thought was, at the very least, open to question. As I've pointed out already, Carman did nothing when he played a final vs North the following year.

I thought that was the point of the thread : challenging footy myths, ie widely-accepted claims that you believe to be wrong, or at least questionable.

Errr, even one year later he was not even 1/4 of the player he was the year before. He was sacked straight after that very game....tells you everything you need to know.

Also, Barrassi knew that the umps loved Keith Greig much like umps love Selwood and Judd these days and Barrass also knew that Carman was hated by the umps, so instead of playing Grieg in his usual position on the wing, he played him at CHB on Carman.

Result, Greig recieved fourteen free kicks. FOURTEEN!!

Norf won by 12 points. Make of that what you will.

 

[cooldewd]

None of us KNOWS what Carman would have done in the 77 GF, had he played. We're all speculating. Sure, his form a year later doesn't exactly equate with his form in 77, but IIRC, he wasn't exactly struggling for a kick in 78 ; but he did when he played on Dench in the 78 prelim. Had Carman played in 77, who's to say he wouldn't have struggled on Dench, who actually struggled when matched on Moore?

Lots of variable factors come into play.

Now you have confirmed that you are twelve years old.

Dench did not play on Carman in the 78 prelim, Keith Grieg did.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Myth: A team can Bradbury a Premiership.

Fact: Unless the team is in the top four, it has a mountain to climb. If its in the top four, it is clearly deserving to say its got a chance. If it is coming from outside the top 4, it is a mammoth effort and also deserving.

If a team can't judge its run to the finals, it is an indicator it is over-rated anyway.

The best team wins the GF. Live with it.

 

[Woodson]

Essendon supporters belief: North fans breath a sigh of relief every time they watch a replay of Carlton's pathetic effort in the '99 GF and thank the Footy Gods that they didn't have to do it the hard way against Essendon.

Edited for accuracy.

Fact: 1999 still tearing Essendon supporters hearts 12 years on. Get over it champ. The 2000 whitewash was a snorefest unlike the 1999 GF which Carlton never gave up and needed North to play 4 quarters to win unlike 1998.

 

[Amber Guzzler]

Myth: A team can Bradbury a Premiership.

Fact: Unless the team is in the top four, it has a mountain to climb. If its in the top four, it is clearly deserving to say its got a chance. If it is coming from outside the top 4, it is a mammoth effort and also deserving.

If a team can't judge its run to the finals, it is an indicator it is over-rated anyway.

The best team wins the GF. Live with it.

Wasn't Bradbury in the top 5 himself? How many competed in that competition? If it's 20 or more (and I'm reasonably sure it is), then that would be equivalent to a top 4 in AFL.

 

[hawkman]

I agree. It was tight and tough but I couldn't understand why everyone was fawning over it as an all-time classic.

I thought that the game a week earlier between WC and Carlton was a better game.

Carlton never looked like winning until the last couple of minutes. Always felt Collingwood were in the game.

Tight and tough between 2 good teams seem to be always regarded as classics. Look at the GF last year, for the most part it was pretty average but because of the last quarter it is regarded as a classic

 

[jacko57]

Now you have confirmed that you are twelve years old.

Dench did not play on Carman in the 78 prelim, Keith Grieg did.

Really??? I was at the game. Haven't watched it since then. So I could be wrong. But my recollection is that Dench played on him, and he (Carman) hardly got a kick, but did succeed in collecting Ron Wearmouth with a stray elbow.

 

[jacko57]

Also, Barrassi knew that the umps loved Keith Greig much like umps love Selwood and Judd these days and Barrass also knew that Carman was hated by the umps, so instead of playing Grieg in his usual position on the wing, he played him at CHB on Carman.

Result, Greig recieved fourteen free kicks. FOURTEEN!!

Norf won by 12 points. Make of that what you will.

That is extraordinary. I assume you have stats there. How many frees did Carman give away?

 

[Blues177]

Errr, even one year later he was not even 1/4 of the player he was the year before. He was sacked straight after that very game....tells you everything you need to know.

Also, Barrassi knew that the umps loved Keith Greig much like umps love Selwood and Judd these days and Barrass also knew that Carman was hated by the umps, so instead of playing Grieg in his usual position on the wing, he played him at CHB on Carman.

Result, Greig recieved fourteen free kicks. FOURTEEN!!

Norf won by 12 points. Make of that what you will.

Keith Greig actually received 1 free kick and 2 free kicks against.
Carman received 0 free kicks and 5 against.

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/1978/041219780923.html

You tube : 1978 Preliminary final, North Melbourne v Collingwood - highlights of the game, commentator mentions the main move Barassi made in the first quarter- Greig on Carman.

 

[Ugottabjokin]

Wasn't Bradbury in the top 5 himself? How many competed in that competition? If it's 20 or more (and I'm reasonably sure it is), then that would be equivalent to a top 4 in AFL.

Speed skating works a bit different from AFl surprisingly enough.

Speed skating has 4 skaters in it per heat and final. The top 2 progress to the next round.

Bradbury made the semi-final but knew he was outclassed thus his tactic was to do the best he could but ultimately hope some skaters had a fall. 2 skaters did and thus he qualified with the second spot to make the final.

In the final he was a complete rank outsider but he went in with the same tactic in the final only to have all 3 other skaters fall over in the final corner to see him waltz by to take the Gold.

A classic Aussie sporting victory.

My myth busted is the rushed behind rule was NOT changed because of the 08 Grand Final. If you remeber that year in the Richmond vs Essendon game Richmong were about 5 points up with a minute or so to go. The Richmond player at full back then waited his 30 seconds to kick in then only walk the ball through for another point and did so several times thus wasting enough time for them to win by a few points.

This is the reason the AFL changed the rushed behind rule. The 08 grand final may have helped with bringing the rule in but ultimately was not the main reason.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Carlton never looked like winning until the last couple of minutes. Always felt Collingwood were in the game.

The Blues looked like half a chance when they were about four goals up in the first quarter.

 

[The House]

That the kicking efficiency and disposal efficiency stats accurately record how well a player is using the footy.

Reality is these stats simply do not accurately record how well a player is disposing of the footy.

 

[jacko57]

Keith Greig actually received 1 free kick and 2 free kicks against.
Carman received 0 free kicks and 5 against.

That's slightly different to '14 for'.

 

[jacko57]

That the kicking efficiency and disposal efficiency stats accurately record how well a player is using the footy.

Reality is these stats simply do not accurately record how well a player is disposing of the footy.

True, given that so many stats are uncontested chip passes around the backline.

 

[Amber Guzzler]

Speed skating works a bit different from AFl surprisingly enough.

Speed skating has 4 skaters in it per heat and final. The top 2 progress to the next round.

Bradbury made the semi-final but knew he was outclassed thus his tactic was to do the best he could but ultimately hope some skaters had a fall. 2 skaters did and thus he qualified with the second spot to make the final.

In the final he was a complete rank outsider but he went in with the same tactic in the final only to have all 3 other skaters fall over in the final corner to see him waltz by to take the Gold.

A classic Aussie sporting victory.

There were 5 in the final, not 4.

My myth busted is the rushed behind rule was NOT changed because of the 08 Grand Final. If you remeber that year in the Richmond vs Essendon game Richmong were about 5 points up with a minute or so to go. The Richmond player at full back then waited his 30 seconds to kick in then only walk the ball through for another point and did so several times thus wasting enough time for them to win by a few points.

This is the reason the AFL changed the rushed behind rule. The 08 grand final may have helped with bringing the rule in but ultimately was not the main reason.

Yeah, because a game between 2 bottom 8 sides has much more influence on the AFL than a GF.

 

[Portmanteau]

Wasn't Bradbury in the top 5 himself? How many competed in that competition? If it's 20 or more (and I'm reasonably sure it is), then that would be equivalent to a top 4 in AFL.

Bradbury did a Bradbury in the semi-final as well, IIRC. So he made it to the final by accident too.

 

[Shane Hird]

Here's a myth that I've been waiting for the off-season to bring up.


The myth (according to the AFL) that Australian Rules 'junior/grassroots' football is a total success after years of 'investment' where thousands of kids,coaches and parents all have a great time playing footy and where everyone's a winner.

Yes there are many good, positive things coming from the Auskick/junior system. But it could be so much more effective and we could have so many more kids who develop elite skills in their teens.

In a nutshell...kids aren't being taught basic skills too well from a young age because there's all these halfwits and nutters out there who make up the big majority of the nation's coaching numbers.

Any parent can coach an Auskick team. There's no regulations on who is acceptable and who's not. All you need is a registration form and an attendence at a 6 hr seminar....which is 80% useless information.

We would have three times the amount of elite draft talent available if only the coaching system was organized better and people actually knew what they were doing.

I'd be interested to hear from any parent or player who has gone through the junior system in the last 10 years who has an opinion on how effective their coaches have been in developing player's skills.

And your general views on how your local junior club appoints coaches of teams from 6s to 16s..

 

[The_Koach]

I think it comes down to the fact that the Auskick/Junior FC system is entirely dependent on a volunteer network. It is damn hard to find anyone who is willing to do something for nothing, so when a parent comes to a centre and says they wish to help out its pretty well impossible for a clubs/auskick coach coordinator to say no.

Granted the accreditation courses are relatively basic, but again, you can't expect to take too much time from people who are already 'time poor' and volunteering their services.

Not sure what the next plan of attack will be from afl on this though. It seems that everyone I wanting a piece of the TV rights and until any figures are released we won't know if this is something they'll be looking to improve or not.

 

[Tex_21]

I remember doing it when it was VicKick here (not as far back as you'd think-mid 90's), and as you say, was totally dependent on volunteers. I know my old man used to always help out (always did with my junior teams too, though never coached - just was a runner/helper etc), and a few blokes, but as with any volunteer organisation, it was always the same few helping out. Not sure how you overcome that though.

Of interest, wouldn't many kids learn the basics (kicking, handballing, marking) before any 'structured' training like Auskick anyway? I know I did jus tby having a kick with my old man. And him repeatedly telling me not to drop the footy, but guide it to my foot. Still a shit kick.

 

[Kram]

Maybe just lucky but we always had pretty good coaches through juniors to colts growing up in the country in the 90s.

 

[Shane Hird]

I remember doing it when it was VicKick here (not as far back as you'd think-mid 90's), and as you say, was totally dependent on volunteers. I know my old man used to always help out (always did with my junior teams too, though never coached - just was a runner/helper etc), and a few blokes, but as with any volunteer organisation, it was always the same few helping out. Not sure how you overcome that though.

Of interest, wouldn't many kids learn the basics (kicking, handballing, marking) before any 'structured' training like Auskick anyway? I know I did jus tby having a kick with my old man. And him repeatedly telling me not to drop the footy, but guide it to my foot. Still a shit kick.

From my experience I reckon about 95% of U6s when they start Auskick have no idea how to correctly hold and kick a footy or hand-pass properly.

Which means their fathers have no idea either.

Most junior clubs have a bunch of 12,13 and 14 year olds playing in teams who are good at getting the ball, possess genuine pace, who know how to tackle and just know how to play the game.

But by the time most of them get to 15s, bad habits (especially in kicking) start to expose them in matches and a lot of these kids miss out on U16 development squads because their skills aren't up to scratch.

And then we have all this wasted talent...

Vlad and his mates are rightly enjoying the new world of AFL. Where player's skills are better than ever before and games are played at breakneck speed using elite kicking skills.

But with these two new teams coming into the league, there's going to be a need for more quality players to choose from in future drafts.

10 or 15 elite 18 year olds every year in the draft won't be enough in 5 or 6 years time.

 

[stmookeyj]

Any parent can coach an Auskick team. There's no regulations on who is acceptable and who's not. All you need is a registration form and an attendence at a 6 hr seminar....which is 80% useless information.

That and a Working with Children check (read Blue Card) that takes up to 2 months to process.....

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

That the draw has anything to do with who plays in the Grand Final.

 

[straightshooter]

S. Silvagni was full-back of the century. he wasn't and he was a cheat.