Who watched the 1987 SA v VIC state of origin match on Foxtel last night?

[Zerg]

A lot more than 25,000. A Carlton v Geelong game in the 80's had a crowd of over 40,000. Everyone stood back then

Carlton had a capacity of 35K and all the other Vic clubs in the 20k's. It was only when they played at the G or VFL park that the crowds were decent.

I know people stood because i was one of them for 20 years + before the quoted game and that is only 1 team that he quoted. Notice how he quoted Collingwood having a 21K average?

That's because all the home grounds back then had tiny capacities, which is why they all moved.

The reason the crowd figures were so low was because thats all they could hold and believe me they were ****ing jam packed week in week out...

 

[Ron The Bear]

In 1987 only Carlton cracked the 25k mark for average home game attendances. Collingwood was about 21k and and West Coast was 24k.

But don't tell that to the 5m or so people who "went every week!" in the 80's.

(interesting thing about WA footy is that WAFL attendance per fortnight dropped from 86 to 87 by more than Eagles' 24k per fortnight in 1987)

I doubt many more men attend games now than then (and the VFL was in trouble in the mid-late 80's). The difference is the number of women and children at games now.

 

[Roddy]

Na, footy isn't as good as it was back then, back in the good old days. Funny, in the 80s and 90s my old man was always saying 'gee, footy's not as good as it was in the 60s and 70s'. And his Dad was always saying 'footy's just not as good as it was in the 50s', and so on. Probably all the way back to 1858...

 

[El_Scorcho]

Which rules would they play? Today's rules or the rules back then? Changes things considerably

It doesn't really.

In the 80s and 90s the top level players were just as skillful as now, but the 15th guy in the team now is still a really good kick, whereas in the 80s and 90s the skill level dropped away massively after the better players.

Under any rules, GWS today would smash the better sides from 20 years ago off the park. Bigger, stronger, faster, 1000 times fitter professionals. They'd destroy them with a forward press and the modern ability to spread from a contest, run in packs and hit targets would give any side from 20 years ago zero chance.

 

[Topkent]

It doesn't really.

In the 80s and 90s the top level players were just as skillful as now, but the 15th guy in the team now is still a really good kick, whereas in the 80s and 90s the skill level dropped away massively after the better players.

Under any rules, GWS today would smash the better sides from 20 years ago off the park. Bigger, stronger, faster, 1000 times fitter professionals. They'd destroy them with a forward press and the modern ability to spread from a contest, run in packs and hit targets would give any side from 20 years ago zero chance.

Yeah but the sides from 20 years ago would make the GWS boys to scared to pick up he footy as they would shirtfront them into the emergency ward
Also would have multiple broken ribs as the FF charged into and killed the boys trying take his space in the 50

 

[El_Scorcho]

Yeah but the sides from 20 years ago would make the GWS boys to scared to pick up he footy as they would shirtfront them into the emergency ward
Also would have multiple broken ribs as the FF charged into and killed the boys trying take his space in the 50

The GWS players would be much bigger and stronger on average. Not a smart fight to start by the mid 90s guys.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

watched for about 3 seconds, didn't recognize the sport so switched to something more interesting - Al Jazeera News Hour

Funny, I have the same reaction to the current game.

 

[malteaser]

People have a tendency to romantisise the past and I suspect that is what people do with football as well. They remember all the great things about football in the 80's but forget all the bad things.

sure do. I remember back in the 70's and 80's my dad and every retired footballer on World of sport complained about how weak the game was, nothing like the 50's and 60's. The same old complaining nothing has changed with footy supporters. My mother who is a footscray supporter said she remembered going to see the dogs play fitzroy at Brunswick oval. Freezing cold day, ground was just mud everyone standing and apparently my mum use to always stand at the fence and she also was covered in mud. Footscray won by kick, however it was the only score kicked on the day :0 Yeah the game is so bad isn't it.

 

[Zerg]

Those saying that modern players would destroy the old days players are right.

First sign of chip, chip, chip, kick backwards, switch sides, chip, chip, chip football they would be off to the pub laughing at those tossers that think they are playing football...

 

[Norwood1878]

Always unfair to compare different eras of any sport. The '88 SoO was a better spectacle.

 

[Mike Williamson]

I was surfing channels, saw what was on 504 and cringed at the guys calling the game. That was enough for me.

 

[brisbane13]

I watched it and was impressed with SA, Platten, Naley, and Bradley were everywhere, Dermie did his usual sniping thug act with zero impact on the Game .

yeah it was a common thing amoung the hawthorn team in the 70s, 80s, 90s 00s and today

 

[brisbane13]

Always unfair to compare different eras of any sport. The '88 SoO was a better spectacle.

aside from SoO so many things where better back then, well not 88 but the 90s

 

[finn]

I'd disagree with that. There's far more contested pressure footy these days than ever before - gang tackle after gang tackle after gang tackle.

The amount of space guys were given in the old days is unbelievable by today's standards. No way they'd be able to execute their skills under today's pressure.

What must be taken into account is that the footballers back then usually had a daytime job as well and trained possibly two times a week during the season (more during pre-season). Given the professional fulltime nature of today's footballers, one would hope that their skills are generally better.

I'd hazard a guess that footballers from the 80s and earlier, given the same time at training would be as good and fit as those now as ability and talent are things that can't be taught. Granted, they'd usually be shorter as folk seem to be taller nowadays than the latter 90s. Allied with this is that many of the better players nationwide didn't play in the VFL (the standard of the WAFL and SANFL was much much better than it is today).

Footer in the 80s was generally more of a procession of one on one contests.

 

[Dugdale2Dwyer]

One thing I noticed was the body shape of the players, whilst muscular not as bulked up as todays lot, Derm was a sniper always throwing his arms around, and did anyone notice Richard Champion sitting in the crowd as a young kid?

 

[Norwood1878]

What must be taken into account is that the footballers back then usually had a daytime job as well and trained possibly two times a week during the season (more during pre-season). Given the professional fulltime nature of today's footballers, one would hope that their skills are generally better.

I'd hazard a guess that footballers from the 80s and earlier, given the same time at training would be as good and fit as those now as ability and talent are things that can't be taught. Granted, they'd usually be shorter as folk seem to be taller nowadays than the latter 90s. Allied with this is that many of the better players nationwide didn't play in the VFL (the standard of the WAFL and SANFL was much much better than it is today).

Footer in the 80s was generally more of a procession of one on one contests.

I was working at Mitsubishi in the 90s and Mark Bickley was a maintenance sparky in the paint shop. From memory the end of the 1993 season/year was the last time i saw him at Tonsley.

 

[estibador]

Funny, I have the same reaction to the current game.

And yet here you are with 29,000 posts on a forum about a game you pretend to hate.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

The one thing I prefer about "old footy" is that there is usually much less congestion around the ball. Lots more room for genuine one v one contests.

 

[RickSanchez]

OLD FOOTBALL FOREVER AND FOREVER A HUNDRED YEARS old football...Old football runnin' around and... a- all day long forever.. all a - a hundred days old football! forever a hundred times.... OVER and over oldfootballadventures.com..

Rick and Morty forever and ever!

 

[Tatts22]

I watched it and was impressed with SA, Platten, Naley, and Bradley were everywhere, Dermie did his usual sniping thug act with zero impact on the Game .

I had to laugh a couple of times when he had the ball & threw himself forward trying to play for a free & even once ducked to try to draw a high free. You would think with the way he goes on about it these days that he never played for a free in his whole career.

I did enjoy seeing some old stars running around & all those mullets

 

[Zerg]

The one thing I prefer about "old footy" is that there is usually much less congestion around the ball. Lots more room for genuine one v one contests.

That's what's bad about todays game (congestion) and what was great about the old days (1v1).

 

[Tatts22]

I watched the first 10 minutes. The most interesting part was the shots of the crowd and their appalling haircuts.

The haircuts on the field were pretty appalling as well. Anyone who lived it will remember that was the 80's.

Although give me a good mullet any day over some of the shockers that are going around these days...

 

[greatwhiteshark]

It doesn't really.

In the 80s and 90s the top level players were just as skillful as now, but the 15th guy in the team now is still a really good kick, whereas in the 80s and 90s the skill level dropped away massively after the better players.

Under any rules, GWS today would smash the better sides from 20 years ago off the park. Bigger, stronger, faster, 1000 times fitter professionals. They'd destroy them with a forward press and the modern ability to spread from a contest, run in packs and hit targets would give any side from 20 years ago zero chance.

That may be the case but if you are going to compare era's then you have to compare those players with todays fitness and then todays players with the old game. How many of todays players would sit in the hole as a defensive player knowing that Lockett, Dunstall or Ablett snr have the right away to the ball,and that the player in their way can be taken out? Would they do that?
They do now because they know they can't be hurt.
Look at today where a first game player cannot be intimidated because the rules have said so. Go back 25 years and that player was under all sorts of pressure to even run for the ball.

We have taken so much from our game so that everyone is a success. the reality is that less get there than ever before. can you imagine giving every player from 20 years ago at least 50-70 games to sort out their shit? What a joke that is.
You can either play or you can't.
If Tim Watson at 15 had failed after 3 games he would of been banished and that would of been it. Your age meant nothing.
We now give everyone years to find out if they can play. yet we drafted them because they can play.
The whole system is weak as piss.

 

[crownie]

I don't think anyone except maybe Hawk supporters think of the 80's as the good old days. AFL football peaked as a spectacle in the mid 90s

late 90's was pretty bad, just have to look at some of the line ups that made the grand finals.

 

[Kram]

Yep all the 90s Grand Finals were pretty much one sided floggings.