Football is Unrecognisable

[shanegrambeau]

It's clearly just provocation post...

The footy standard this year has been pretty high. A dreadful first month not withstanding.

Tight games, good skills.

Now there is tiredness, for sure. But there is always a challenges.

We've had 17 and 18 game seasons before.

It will be an awesome flag to win, and every bit as good as any.

Just wonder about the night grand final. The economic rationalism think. I like barbies...I like the red footy...esp if I had kids or lived in the country. But I am in Japan. I am single. Free to visit the sports bars. I am looking forward to watching the game at a sports bar and drinking a beer.

Question is, who will we be playing, Richmond, West coast, Collingwood or Geelong?

[Secret Kiel]

Unrecognisable by definition means no resemblance to what we know by sense.

It is still 18 teams, made of 22 players on match day, 18 on the field, 4 on the bench, no change to rotations, no change to rules (possibly interpretation, but that is week to week as well as year to year). Matches are shorter, not by much. 4 points being scored less a game, no big deal, total scores fluctuate from season to season. Same umpire numbers. Style of football is essentially the same barring individual team game styles. The best players are still the best, rookies come in, veterans fade away. Players surprise. Players disappoint. A goal is still 6 points. A behind is still one point. The highest score still wins. Ground sizes are still the same. Crowds are down.

What's unrecognisable for most is how we've had to watch the game. Not being at venues with friends and family. That does not detract or minimise what the players have trained for, what they endured, the sacrifices made. None of that deserves an asterisk in my opinion.

Just because something is said often enough, it does not make it true.

You lost me at "by definition".

[Secret Kiel]

Lots of people have been calling for a 17 game season for a few years now.

Ironically I actually think that is one concept that could be carried forward and create value and integrity to an elite footy comp.

[Secret Kiel]

Take a look at tonights game between the Pies and Lions, not a bad standard in the early parts of the game, at times the intensity and excellence looked familiar and frequent scoring looked a possibility, however even well before Q3 was over, most players had hit the wall and struggled to drag themselves back onto their feet after a regulation contest.

Subsequently the second half of Q3 was mutually agreeable circle work.

[desertsaint]

unlike normal corrupted years many of the smaller clubs have had a fair share of games at the grand final venue and clubs like richmond and collingwood haven't monopolised it. i'd say it's the fairest year ever. 17 game season is ideal. probably the greatest season since the vfl sent the swans north and started the rot.

[freely]

... probably the greatest season since the vfl sent the swans north and started the rot.

Course, if they hadn't there'd be no football at all this year.

[Secret Kiel]

Tiges 42
Pies 34

11 goals scored between 2 flag contenders 3 weeks out from a finals series...unprecedented.

[Mr Magic]

Tiges 42
Pies 34

11 goals scored between 2 flag contenders 3 weeks out from a finals series...unprecedented.

Pretty good effort from the Tiges
They scored 42 points without even being at the game!

[desertsaint]

Tiges 42
Pies 34

11 goals scored between 2 flag contenders 3 weeks out from a finals series...unprecedented.

Takes me back to the halcyon days of the turn of the century.
the twentieth century that is. oh for those days again. when football was more than just numbers on a scoreboard.
but, if you like basketball, it must be hard.

[The_Dud]

Tiges 42
Pies 34

11 goals scored between 2 flag contenders 3 weeks out from a finals series...unprecedented.

Pretty good effort from the Tiges
They scored 42 points without even being at the game!

[bigred]

lol'

Mutually agreeable circle work.

[Sanctorum]

Tiges 42
Pies 34

11 goals scored between 2 flag contenders 3 weeks out from a finals series...unprecedented.

You obviously didn't watch the game SK, or maybe you have difficulty identifying animals in the zoo - for all your whingeing about the quality of football this year, why do you even bother watching any of the games, it is obviously causing you a lot of frustration!

It is also worth noting that throughout the last season the quality of football was also regularly criticised by media commentators, coaches and spectators, and a lot of discussion about how the administrators of the game should go about bringing back the styles of the 90s.

This is a debate that will continue ad nauseam, but it is good to see that Brett Ratten has set out to get his team to play an attacking, fast ball movement style of footy, as opposed to the ultra defensive, stifling and exceptionally boring stuff from the Eade/Roos/Lyon era and adopted by Alan Richardson during his tenure.

[The Fireman]

Tiges 42
Pies 34

11 goals scored between 2 flag contenders 3 weeks out from a finals series...unprecedented.

You obviously didn't watch the game SK, or maybe you have difficulty identifying animals in the zoo - for all your whingeing about the quality of football this year, why do you even bother watching any of the games, it is obviously causing you a lot of frustration!

It is also worth noting that throughout the last season the quality of football was also regularly criticised by media commentators, coaches and spectators, and a lot of discussion about how the administrators of the game should go about bringing back the styles of the 90s.

This is a debate that will continue ad nauseam, but it is good to see that Brett Ratten has set out to get his team to play an attacking, fast ball movement style of footy, as opposed to the ultra defensive, stifling and exceptionally boring stuff from the Eade/Roos/Lyon era and adopted by Alan Richardson during his tenure.

agreed Im enjoying watching the footy...imagine the alternative.. I suggest SK goes follow badminton or maybe lawn bowls ?

[asiu]

thats far right business just there

what did minton ever do ?

[asiu]

‘n

if they’re scoring on average
4 points a game less
on shortened time

then

in the fullness of time
it must become obvious
that this season is actually higher scoring
than last season

no ?

[Ghost Like]

Tiges 42
Pies 34

11 goals scored between 2 flag contenders 3 weeks out from a finals series...unprecedented.

You obviously didn't watch the game SK, or maybe you have difficulty identifying animals in the zoo - for all your whingeing about the quality of football this year, why do you even bother watching any of the games, it is obviously causing you a lot of frustration!

It is also worth noting that throughout the last season the quality of football was also regularly criticised by media commentators, coaches and spectators, and a lot of discussion about how the administrators of the game should go about bringing back the styles of the 90s.

This is a debate that will continue ad nauseam, but it is good to see that Brett Ratten has set out to get his team to play an attacking, fast ball movement style of footy, as opposed to the ultra defensive, stifling and exceptionally boring stuff from the Eade/Roos/Lyon era and adopted by Alan Richardson during his tenure.

agreed Im enjoying watching the footy...imagine the alternative.. I suggest SK goes follow badminton or maybe lawn bowls ?

Well said, S*K* is a master baitor & when not doing that he comes on here.

<1 day ban for commenting negatively on another poster>

[saynta]

Tiges 42
Pies 34

11 goals scored between 2 flag contenders 3 weeks out from a finals series...unprecedented.

You obviously didn't watch the game SK, or maybe you have difficulty identifying animals in the zoo - for all your whingeing about the quality of football this year, why do you even bother watching any of the games, it is obviously causing you a lot of frustration!

It is also worth noting that throughout the last season the quality of football was also regularly criticised by media commentators, coaches and spectators, and a lot of discussion about how the administrators of the game should go about bringing back the styles of the 90s.

This is a debate that will continue ad nauseam, but it is good to see that Brett Ratten has set out to get his team to play an attacking, fast ball movement style of footy, as opposed to the ultra defensive, stifling and exceptionally boring stuff from the Eade/Roos/Lyon era and adopted by Alan Richardson during his tenure.

agreed Im enjoying watching the footy...imagine the alternative.. I suggest SK goes follow badminton or maybe lawn bowls ?

Well said, S*K* is a master baitor & when not doing that he comes on here.

[oboe]

I tend to agree with SK. Not as an asterisk Premiership, but games are becoming unwatchable.
Friday night a case in point, Collingwood v Brisbane. One of the most pressure filled games I've seen on the TV. But as a spectacle? Crap. Too many players on the ground - too many interchanges. I'd love to see 16 on the ground per side with six interchanges, but only to interchange per player for the match. The forwards will come back, the slow but smart midfielders will come back, and the fast hard running players will come back. To me at the moment, its a socialist game where skills are curtailed and many in a pack scenario. (And before anybody gets political, I believe in D Andrews).

[Ghost Like]

I tend to agree with SK. Not as an asterisk Premiership, but games are becoming unwatchable.
Friday night a case in point, Collingwood v Brisbane. One of the most pressure filled games I've seen on the TV. But as a spectacle? Crap. Too many players on the ground - too many interchanges. I'd love to see 16 on the ground per side with six interchanges, but only to interchange per player for the match. The forwards will come back, the slow but smart midfielders will come back, and the fast hard running players will come back. To me at the moment, its a socialist game where skills are curtailed and many in a pack scenario. (And before anybody gets political, I believe in D Andrews).

Then what you describe would be unrecognisable oboe. It is quite sad people get sucked in by a rhetoric to distract from a year St Kilda players, admin and supporters are experiencing.

We become distracted by a feeble minded, weak willed post. A post and a poster with a track record of not being right or reasonable, yet is apparently acceptable.

Someone who guards his ageist comments, calling it "argy bargy" yet reports people for being called a sook. Backs the opinion of many that he's a coward. He's actually admitted he is. Quite sad, very depressing especially for someone hiding behind that sig.

[oboe]

Not getting sucked in by Secret Kiel at all. I don't regard this as an asterisk premiership. But I want a game that is high scoring, and one on one - not the roving mauls we see every game just about. If (and I'm not talking about St.Kilda) you prefer the packs and the four defenders against a full forward - fair enough. I don't. I think Max King will be a great full forward player - but what does that mean when he kicks 3 a game (that will give you 66 a year). It's rubbish. Let the game open up, and let the best players shine. Hasn't been happening for years now.

[Ghost Like]

Not getting sucked in by Secret Kiel at all. I don't regard this as an asterisk premiership. But I want a game that is high scoring, and one on one - not the roving mauls we see every game just about. If (and I'm not talking about St.Kilda) you prefer the packs and the four defenders against a full forward - fair enough. I don't. I think Max King will be a great full forward player - but what does that mean when he kicks 3 a game (that will give you 66 a year). It's rubbish. Let the game open up, and let the best players shine. Hasn't been happening for years now.

I appreciate all that oboe & I've also bemoaned the rolling mauls but that's a combination of coaching, interchanges and rule interpretations. Whilst I firmly believe Plugger would still average close to 5, I'm pretty happy with anyone who averages 3.

This will change but in my opinion not until we can stop flooding, less rotations. Make the coaches use their players, multi skill them & guard their respite.

[Secret Kiel]

I tend to agree with SK. Not as an asterisk Premiership, but games are becoming unwatchable.
Friday night a case in point, Collingwood v Brisbane. One of the most pressure filled games I've seen on the TV. But as a spectacle? Crap. Too many players on the ground - too many interchanges. I'd love to see 16 on the ground per side with six interchanges, but only to interchange per player for the match. The forwards will come back, the slow but smart midfielders will come back, and the fast hard running players will come back. To me at the moment, its a socialist game where skills are curtailed and many in a pack scenario. (And before anybody gets political, I believe in D Andrews).

The players are nowhere near as fit and conditioned as they are for fulll strength competition and so that is why we are seeing mutually agreeable circle work.

Nearly every player in the Pies Vs Lions game was stuffed by half time. In the 3rd quarter players were visibly struggling to get to their feet.

And it's why we are seeing a standard of play that looks familiar in terms of defensive rolling scrums, however it's just rollling muuuuuch slower in the Asterisk Cup.

[takeaway]

Good op, although I feel “unrecognisable”, is a tad harsh. This week I forced myself to watch a couple of non Saints games in their entirety, and did detect some brief segments of recognisable good AFL footy amongst the rolling mauls, and the “mutually agreeable circle work” (love that term). I would describe the spectacle as claustrophobic with some flashes of space.

This year average scoring is down approaching 10% - average score is 61 points, when shorter game times are taken into account, that equates to about 73 points. In the past few years the average scores have dropped a few % each year, ie 2017 - 89, 2018 - 83, last year - 80, however a bigger decrease this year. Average points were over 100 points in the early 90’s. Going by AFL Tables anyway.

A worrying trend, which the AFL and coaches need to address, I don’t like rule changes, but something more needs to be done, not just wait for the game “to evolve”. Back to full length quarters and a proper season would be a start.

I gather TV audiences are up, probably in States where the footy has been played more this year, and as for Vic, what else is there to do? Or maybe people are happy to watch an inferior product, going by the TV shows that rate the highest nowadays.

Must be hard for the key forwards, obviously Tom Lynch is frustrated, Max King struggling, even powerhouse Charlie Dixon only has the occasional good game. I disagree Plugger would average 5, he would probably only kick 25 in 9 games for the year, spending most of the year suspended trying to clear the maul around him.

[stevie]

Ironically I was over football before the virus. Had no interest at all in Feb. still love the Saints but the comp is meh

[Secret Kiel]

Good op, although I feel “unrecognisable”, is a tad harsh. This week I forced myself to watch a couple of non Saints games in their entirety, and did detect some brief segments of recognisable good AFL footy amongst the rolling mauls, and the “mutually agreeable circle work” (love that term). I would describe the spectacle as claustrophobic with some flashes of space.

This year average scoring is down approaching 10% - average score is 61 points, when shorter game times are taken into account, that equates to about 73 points. In the past few years the average scores have dropped a few % each year, ie 2017 - 89, 2018 - 83, last year - 80, however a bigger decrease this year. Average points were over 100 points in the early 90’s. Going by AFL Tables anyway.

A worrying trend, which the AFL and coaches need to address, I don’t like rule changes, but something more needs to be done, not just wait for the game “to evolve”. Back to full length quarters and a proper season would be a start.

I gather TV audiences are up, probably in States where the footy has been played more this year, and as for Vic, what else is there to do? Or maybe people are happy to watch an inferior product, going by the TV shows that rate the highest nowadays.

Must be hard for the key forwards, obviously Tom Lynch is frustrated, Max King struggling, even powerhouse Charlie Dixon only has the occasional good game. I disagree Plugger would average 5, he would probably only kick 25 in 9 games for the year, spending most of the year suspended trying to clear the maul around him.

Look to be honest I totally agree there are patches of good footy, it seems to be mostly in Q1 or Q2 which also seem to be the quarters when most of the rare goals come from. And it's interesting that there is virtual no scoring in final quarters, you'd think it would be the opposite and scoring would be easier becuse the space would open up for players as fatigue sets in.

I think that it's because the players are significantly less fitter and conditioned and so a lot of players are blowing up and hitting the wall within their first few contests of a game.