What unpopular AFL opinions do you have? (Part 1 - cont in Part 2)

[UpForGrabs]

That Paul Kelly was not a ' champion of the game ' due to his deplorable kicking skills .

ooh controversial... wait for the shitfight to come your way!

 

[Hellgood]

I like the paddle pop lion

This one is an interesting one.

At the time it was going to be introduced, I hated the idea that the (very unpopular) Lions board was effectively going to wipe off the history of the Fitzroy FC off the clubs jumper and logo branding. I disliked it for a fair while and was pleased to see that Bowers and his cronies got booted out after completely ignoring the fans. But now I don't mind the jumper and I think I'm even coming to like it.

Still don't like the fact that the Fitzroy lion is gone, but as far as aesthetics of the jumper go I've certainly changed my mind.

 

[Roylion]

In the end the AFL basically killed the B Bears off and moved Fitzroy, just like they'd wanted to before the Bears were created.

Nup. Fitzroy didn't move anywhere, apart from returning to the Brunswick Street Oval in 2009.

They certainly did not move to Queensland

The Brisbane Lions are the Brisbane Bears with a logo change and a colour added to their existing maroon and gold. That appears to be the unpopular view with the majority here, but its fact.

 

[ManOfClay]

Having only been to Melbourne to watch the footy... twice I think, cannot believe how much hate Docklands gets from some people. It is a fantastic stadium.

Victorians seem to hate it.

When us rubbernecking tourists come in, we love it.

 

[YoungsterPA]

Dangerfield is extremely overrated

 

[Canberra_Giant]

That eighteen teams is too many and the number of Victorian teams should be cut in half.

 

[Ghostwriter]

Wayne Carey shouldn't have been kicked out of North for what he did to Stevo's missus, should've been kept in house.
Ended his career, Pagan's as well and precipitated the decline of NMFC. North have been spineless since he was booted out.

 

[Sector 7G]

Ross Lyon is good for football. He introduces new elements of coaching strategy and adds depth to the game. Also proves that coaches can make players, and dont simply babysit.

I take the opposite view. Ross Lyon is a highly over rated Coach - he took over a super talented list that made a couple of prelims while being coached by a bloke with no suitable credentials who gave himself the job (hence there was always heaps of potential upside). Brought the Paul Roos game plan to the club and improved the list by 1 position on the ladder for 2 years. Developed no players along the way, badly managed Luke Ball potentially costing them a Premiership and certainly costing picks and players.

 

[FromTheCapital]

Boundary umpires shouldnt be allowed to throw the ball in, the team who put the ball out should lose possession

 

[Clark G]

The Richmond club song is not the best in the AFL.

 

[dylan93]

I don't hate Collingwood and only like Vlad for the way he reads out the Brownlow votes.

 

[No 35]

On to the OP's question:
This is probably the most unpopular of them all, but I would like to see the current league downgraded to second tier and a new truly national league with 10 teams: QLD (Brisbane), NSW (Sydney), VIC (North & South Melbourne), SA (North & South Adelaide), WA (North & South Perth), TAS (Hobart), NT (Darwin)

yes it is the most unpopular, not in my lifetime, thankfully. Bit like communism, good in theory? it would kill any passion, you do understand most vics don't care about interstate games and vice versa? why? because we don't ever know anyone that really barracks for the opposition. And if we do just a few...

 

[Strawbs]

Victorians seem to hate it.

When us rubbernecking tourists come in, we love it.

Probably because some of us have reserved seats at the G for home games and love the atmosphere and the view. If we have to sit up top at Etihad it has all the atmosphere of a library. Plus Tiger supporters hate having home games there - we do get that the AFL has fixturing issues, we just prefer playing our home games at our home ground. Plus, as the poster above pointed out, we're far less interested in the games against interstate teams than we are when we play a Melbourne team and we usually play interstate teams when we play at Etihad.

 

[Gibbke]

Noone ever agrees with me when I say:
1) The AFL draw is just fine as it is.
2) The number of teams in the comp is fine as it is, and all of the teams can survive indefinitely in their current form under the current structure where tv revenue pays the bills.
3) If I was a coach, the players would all be forced to wear black boots!
4) No Monday night matches. You start on Friday, and wrap it up on Sunday in time for a Monday morning read of the paper complete with a ladder that doesn't have "x-still to play" graffitti'd all over it...
5) The Hawks jumper looks great (kinda got used to seeing brown and gold streamers all over the cup every year when I was a teenager, its a good look)...

 

[imadodgyumpire]

Gary Ablett's 89 gf. The biggest junk time goal game ever, I reckon. They took advantage of a knackered Hawthorn in the second half. Despite Ablett's/Geelong's massive momentum shift, never at any stage did I think Geelong were going to win the game. Darrin Pritchard deserved the Norm Smith that day.

That eighteen teams is too many and the number of Victorian teams should be cut in half.

What about the number of Sydney teams to be cut in half?

Wayne Carey shouldn't have been kicked out of North for what he did to Stevo's missus, should've been kept in house.
Ended his career, Pagan's as well and precipitated the decline of NMFC. North have been spineless since he was booted out.

Yep and yep. Looking back, there's been a distinct change of culture and the way the team is viewed since then.

 

[rustyOfOz]

That there should be a night grand final.
That umpires decisions don't decide games as much as people think.
That some AFL games are boring to watch this year.
That interviewing players is a waste of time and the media shouldn't even bother.

 

[byronstjames]

That interstate supporters, for the most part, are all a bunch of flogs with limited football knowledge. They're terrified of the AFL waking up to their home ground advantages and should shut their mouths when it comes to their opinions on discarding Victorian clubs in favour of expansion.

 

[final fight]

1) way too many teams in the comp - talent spread way too thin right now. Ideal number is 10.
2) club songs and banners are childish and should be given the chop
3) Victoria is too obsessed with AFL
4) if 18 teams remain in the comp then the game should be played over 40min halves with everyone playing each other once cause the game is just too fast and games are too long
5) 16 players on the field

 

[____]

Too many clubs in Melbourne. I'd personally keep Melbourne (because they are the oldest club in Australian Football) but merge North Melbourne and the Bulldogs. Let them compete as two seperate clubs in the VFL though, and have South Melbourne and Fitzroy compete in the VFL as well.

Essendon and Richmond should get proper clash jumpers.

And I'm sick of people thinking that this game is called 'football' in cross code comparisons. It's Aussie Rules, Australian Football or Australian Rules Football. Football is that round ball game with the net...

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

And I'm sick of people thinking that this game is called 'football' in cross code comparisons. It's Aussie Rules, Australian Football or Australian Rules Football. Football is that round ball game with the net...

That is "soccer" or "Association Football" you are referring to - unless it was Gaelic Football or International Rules.
In multi-code environments, I don't think any sport should just be labelled "football".
On bigfooty, which is set up primarily for one code; so "football" here is Australian Football. On FourFourTwo, or any other Association Football site, of course "football" will mean Association Football.

 

[Macca81]

I've said this for a few years now...

There should be 4 goal umpires. 2 at each end. That way they can share the goal line, and on close ranged shots they can stand directly behind one goal post each, therefore ruling out and mistakes where the ball comes quickly off the side of the boot and rushes through before the goal umpire has a chance to get behind the line/flight path of the kick. For touched, rushed behinds, at each end there is one senior umpire who makes the calls, and if he is unsure can then ask secondary goal umpire for clarification. Will also allow boundary umpires to be main officiaries behind the point post for out of bounds on full kicks.

I'm yet to hear a decent argument as to why 4 goal umpires wouldn't work. Makes perfect sense.

Do away with video review system.

 

[____]

That is "soccer" or "Association Football" you are referring to - unless it was Gaelic Football or International Rules.
In multi-code environments, I don't think any sport should just be labelled "football".
On bigfooty, which is set up primarily for one code; so "football" here is Australian Football. On FourFourTwo, or any other Association Football site, of course "football" will mean Association Football.

http://www.foxsports.com.AU/ Click the 'football' link
Notice how it doesn't have Aussie Rules, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Gaelic Football, American Football but the sport that is actually called football.

Or the fact that football in this country is run by the FOOTBALL Federation Australia.

Even though Rugby League fans can be annoying in cross code comparisons, at least they know their sport is called 'Rugby League' or just 'League' for short, they don't think their sport is actually called football.

 

[Full Wingspan]

http://www.foxsports.com.AU/ Click the 'football' link
Notice how it doesn't have Aussie Rules, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Gaelic Football, American Football but the sport that is actually called football.

Or the fact that football in this country is run by the FOOTBALL Federation Australia.

Even though Rugby League fans can be annoying in cross code comparisons, at least they know their sport is called 'Rugby League' or just 'League' for short, they don't think their sport is actually called football.

One could argue football in this country is run by the Australian FOOTBALL League?

Personally, I think any sport that predominantly involves foot connecting to the ball to make it travel, deems it as a form a football. But honestly, who cares? Football can be whatever code the individual chooses it to be. For me, football is Aussie rules football. Don't see the need to get worked up about it. Meanings of words have been changing since man could speak. It really doesn't matter all that much.

My unpopular opinions:

2002 norm smith medal should have gone to Voss. (Biased, I know) but I honestly thought that he was the most influential player on the ground that day, and the voting was clearly finalised based on the performances of players up until 3qt.

Vlad and co. have run the league very well, ensuring it's financially secure for many years to come. However, one would be ignorant to deny the fact there is some corruption existant in almost all aspects of the game. Sometimes umpiring decisions look more than coincidental.

Victorians (including myself) are ignorant to the happenings of most interstate clubs.

 

[soyouthink10]

Hawthorn should be relocated to Tassie

 

[____]

One could argue football in this country is run by the Australian FOOTBALL League?

Australian Football (or Aussie Rules) are the actual names of the sport, so Australian Football League makes sense.

The Football League in England is called the Football League, not the English Football League.
The Football Association in England is called the Football Association, not the English Football Association.

But I agree Voss should've won the Norm Smith, but couldn't really care less who wins it as long as the team that wins the premiership wears maroon, blue and gold