The little things eliminated from footy

[DarwinRoo]

Are footballers considered little things?

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

I used to be able to sneak into the rooms before the game and watch the team warm up.

The little league playing one game at halftime using the whole ground.

Players would get pissed at the pubs/discos after the games and people wouldn't be hassling them or taking pictures with phone cameras looking to make a quick buck off the media.

When mature aged players were recruited from the bush or interstate and they'd already have a missus and she'd be ugly. No matter how ugly a footballers is these days they generally have hot gfs or wives.

When you used to watch the Brownlow telecast and half the players would be smoking.

When there were U/19s and reserves giving the team a more local connection.

When you got change from a pineapple for a coke and superdog.

As an 8 year old rocking up to the ground at 8am with blankets and sleeping bags to spread out over the seats to save them for when the rest of my family showed up.

Sliding down the hill on an empty pie box behind the city end goals.

When the major money spinning raffle had the first prize as a 34cm colour tv with remote.

Great post Hammer. I'd add the good old days when the strappers and trainers were just proper good blokes, and didn't need to have five PhDs in Sports Science just to run the water.

And when liniment and strapping smelled like Old Pine, and when the players didn't have to give hair samples and go wee-wees in jars every two days.

Most of all, when the worst advantage you could give away was 15m, not a ruddy 50 m - does anybody think Gary Buckenara would be such a legend if Stynes had given away the extra 35m??

On thing that has changed for the better though is this inter-rawebnet thingamujubby - without it, I'd never get to yak about the footy with people half as champion as the good footy folk on this board...

 

[worthogs]

When the footy record was cheap.

When the Record was actually worth buying!

 

[The old campaigner]

When players could go out for a quiet drink without fear of someone trying to knock their block off.

 

[ExTasDeeMan]

Pregame reserves footy at games. Worst thing the afl ever did

That was awesome...

 

[jacko57]

There has been a clear change in two things - the umpires waiting ages to call a ball up and letting the players scuffle for too long like a rugby scrimmage, and the amount of time given to dispose of the ball after a mark or free kick. Even since last year. You get literally 5 seconds to get rid of it now. They're trying for this fast-paced game, but it's creating errors and a moving pack of players.

Longer, if your name is Judd.

 

[stevothedevo]

Not sure if anyone has actually given the OP an answer so I'll have a go..

When did it become a definite no-no for the public to enter the ground for a kick post match at the MCG after the second siren (remember that?)?

I'm pretty sure no ones ever been allowed on Docklands post game and I reckon the MCG soon followed suite. So 2001 perhaps.

When did they stop showing the scores of the little league on the scoreboard? Hardly a pressing issue, but the two main teams never get accredited with a score any more.

Not sure about this one. I'll have a guess and again put it down to when Docklands was built. 2000.

Additionally, when was the admittance of those in possession of the torn up phone books outlawed?

I tried to get into the 'G' either 93, 94 with a backpack full of half rolled toilet paper and streamers and was told to empty it all out. So mid 90's.

 

[El_Scorcho]

Umbrellas. I can remember it raining at Footy Park back in the day and there would be a sea of umbrellas. I remember them getting banned, but I don't remember when.

Kicking the footy at quarter or half time. I used to do this all the time at Port games at Alberton, but I haven't ever seen it in the AFL.

The "Player X is a w***er" chant. I swear this was chanted every 2nd game back in the day. Maybe my memory is off.

 

[Oscarman]

When did they stop showing the scores of the little league on the scoreboard? Hardly a pressing issue, but the two main teams never get accredited with a score any more.

Last game I went to at Docklands (Melbourne-Bullies, 2007) the score was shown. Melbourne won the little league that night too!!!

 

[Chasing the Dream]

Collecting empty cans at the Western Oval games and taking them to the cash-a-can man at the ground.

Also, "peanuts, peanuts, get your peanuts" and then having someone send 20 cents down the aisle for the peanuts and them being passed all the way back

 

[emuboy]

With the abolition of the midseason draft/trades following the 1993 season, there can never again be a player representing two different clubs in the same season.

The last player to represent two different clubs in the same season was Brad Fox, who started 1993 as an Essendon player and finished the year as a Richmond player. Ian McMullin was the last player to play for one club in an early season game, and for the opposing club in the rematch later in the year, when he took the field for Essendon in a Round 4, 1992 match against Collingwood; then played for Collingwood against Essendon in the Round 19, 1992 match.

 

[carrben12]

The crowd trying to throw the opposition goal-kicker off by having to yell "Chewy on your boot" rather than yelling out references to their wife beating/drive-by shootings/hard drug addictions/<<insert serious vice here>>.

feral Collingwood supporters beating the crap out of someone after a game at Vic Park. (I saw this a few times from bus windows on Johnson st in the 90s)

 

[soupaman]

I'm pretty sure no ones ever been allowed on Docklands post game and I reckon the MCG soon followed suite. So 2001 perhaps.

I've been on it before so it has happened occasionally.

It definitely happened after the Geelong vs St.Kilda NAB cup final. I remember running into Stewart Loewe.

 

[old_clint]

Being able to stroll into a ground with a ciggie hanging from your top lip and a slab under each arm.

 

[Stevie_Crow]

Great thread

 

[hellfire]

feral Collingwood supporters beating the crap out of someone after a game at Vic Park. (I saw this a few times from bus windows on Johnson st in the 90s)

Only the venue has changed mate... we're still thugs.