Football is Unrecognisable

[st.byron]

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).

I watched Bris vs Filth as well and found the same thing. The roving mauls - good description - place so much pressure on the guy with the ball that disposals are mostly rushed. There’s not much clean flowing footy going on. It was an interesting game because of the closeness and intensity, but as a spectacle I agree it’s pretty crap. The roving mauls remind me of under 9’s footy where everyone just follows the ball around hoping to get a kick. Makes for crappy watching.

[roskilde]

I don't agree at all with your point about this season and find the idea that there are tired uninterested players in a competition as somehow a justification for calling the season compromised absurd on its face.

That doesn't really matter though people can disagree with each other. However what I can't understand is why you're a mad evangelist for this idea. Every single thread has a comment from you about this point.

Why do you need to convince others, SK?

[SaintPav]

Each year the AFL always pushes the envelope when it comes to the number of rounds played. Even this season, it has gone on at least two weeks too long. But it's same old, same old and it happens every year.

It's quality v quantity and there are just at too many dead rubbers to make viewing games in empty stadiums remotely interesting.

Port v Norf at Metricon last night! Really?! The only game for the whole day too.

Apart from the top 5 teams who are just hanging on, the rest of the comp including us is cooked.

Not having match fit replacements is having a huge impact.

Having a week off before the start of the finals might help a bit, but that will only be for the first week of the finals.

[SaintPav]

I don't agree at all with your point about this season and find the idea that there are tired uninterested players in a competition as somehow a justification for calling the season compromised absurd on its face.

That doesn't really matter though people can disagree with each other. However what I can't understand is why you're a mad evangelist for this idea. Every single thread has a comment from you about this point.

Why do you need to convince others, SK?

Yes, it's becoming very tedious and rather laboured now, isn't it?

It's not like we don't get how he feels about it.

[Secret Kiel]

Each year the AFL always pushes the envelope when it comes to the number of rounds played. Even this season, it has gone on at least two weeks too long. But it's same old, same old and it happens every year.

It's quality v quantity and there are just at too many dead rubbers to make viewing games in empty stadiums remotely interesting.

Port v Norf at Metricon last night! Really?! The only game for the whole day too.

Apart from the top 5 teams who are just hanging on, the rest of the comp including us is cooked.

Not having match fit replacements is having a huge impact.

Having a week off before the start of the finals might help a bit, but that will only be for the first week of the finals.

Geez ya going on a bit...

[SaintPav]

Each year the AFL always pushes the envelope when it comes to the number of rounds played. Even this season, it has gone on at least two weeks too long. But it's same old, same old and it happens every year.

It's quality v quantity and there are just at too many dead rubbers to make viewing games in empty stadiums remotely interesting.

Port v Norf at Metricon last night! Really?! The only game for the whole day too.

Apart from the top 5 teams who are just hanging on, the rest of the comp including us is cooked.

Not having match fit replacements is having a huge impact.

Having a week off before the start of the finals might help a bit, but that will only be for the first week of the finals.

Geez ya going on a bit...

Quality v quantity, J.

[Secret Kiel]

What a goal fest.

Saints 11G
Hawks 9G

Clearly our young team has been compromised by the impact of rolling out the Asterisk Cup.

Clearly the "festival of footy", 3 hour bus rides each way to a game, restricted training conditions and the list goes on.

The bottom line in amongst all the slap and tickle, we are still just a few top liners short of the top 4 mark and a serious assault on a flag. Nothing ground breaking there.

One the most important trade periods coming up, get it wrong and the progress of this list could stall.
I don't envy the job of anyone attaced to the recruitment department this year, the elephant in the room could really impact success with getting the players we desperately need.

[The_Dud]

What a goal fest.

Saints 11G
Hawks 9G

Clearly our young team has been compromised by the impact of rolling out the Asterisk Cup.

Clearly the "festival of footy", 3 hour bus rides each way to a game, restricted training conditions and the list goes on.

Clearly you haven't watched much "Saints footy" over the passed 5 years...

[kosifantutti]

What a goal fest.

Saints 11G
Hawks 9G
.

20 goals in 16 minute quarters. In the corresponding game last year there were 19 goals kicked in 20 minute quarters under a roof.

What point are you trying to make?

[Secret Kiel]

What a goal fest.

Saints 11G
Hawks 9G
.

20 goals in 16 minute quarters. In the corresponding game last year there were 19 goals kicked in 20 minute quarters under a roof.

What point are you trying to make?

Which game was more appealing to you?

Can I introduce the win against the Hawks down at Tassie a few seasons ago as a comparison up against yesterday's and last years games?

[kosifantutti]

Compare it to any game last year. How many times did we score more than 80 points last year in games that were 25% longer?

[The_Dud]

Compare it to any game last year. How many times did we score more than 80 points last year in games that were 25% longer?

Yep, we scored 11 goals or more in 6 of 22 games last year. And I would say that's probably a good return compared to the rest of Richo's reign.

He clearly hasn't been watching much of the Saints

[Secret Kiel]

Compare it to any game last year. How many times did we score more than 80 points last year in games that were 25% longer?

Yep but which game was more appealing to you? yesterday's game or last year's game, OR the Tassie game?

[Secret Kiel]

Half time

Melb 9
Freo 15

[The_Dud]

Half time

Melb 9
Freo 15

6.11

Sounds like half our games over the last few years!

[Scollop]

Each year the AFL always pushes the envelope when it comes to the number of rounds played. Even this season, it has gone on at least two weeks too long. But it's same old, same old and it happens every year.

It's quality v quantity and there are just at too many dead rubbers to make viewing games in empty stadiums remotely interesting.

Port v Norf at Metricon last night! Really?! The only game for the whole day too.

Apart from the top 5 teams who are just hanging on, the rest of the comp including us is cooked.

Not having match fit replacements is having a huge impact.

Having a week off before the start of the finals might help a bit, but that will only be for the first week of the finals.

Are the finals going to be 16 minute quarters plus time on?

Is the Grand final going to be 16 minute quarters plus time on?

[Secret Kiel]

Each year the AFL always pushes the envelope when it comes to the number of rounds played. Even this season, it has gone on at least two weeks too long. But it's same old, same old and it happens every year.

It's quality v quantity and there are just at too many dead rubbers to make viewing games in empty stadiums remotely interesting.

Port v Norf at Metricon last night! Really?! The only game for the whole day too.

Apart from the top 5 teams who are just hanging on, the rest of the comp including us is cooked.

Not having match fit replacements is having a huge impact.

Having a week off before the start of the finals might help a bit, but that will only be for the first week of the finals.

Are the finals going to be 16 minute quarters plus time on?

Is the Grand final going to be 16 minute quarters plus time on?

Can't see why it would be changed for the finals. If anything, and this goes to Pavs point about cooked players, you'd be better off shortening the quarters even more and increasing the commercial breaks between goals to 3 minutes just to give the players time to recover between rare goals.

Thread drift, how many goals do you think there will be in our game tonight, I'm betting no more than 6 total by both teams for the whole match. Reason? Players are cooked and both teams do defence really well.

There's ya exotic for the day CQS

[SaintPav]

Each year the AFL always pushes the envelope when it comes to the number of rounds played. Even this season, it has gone on at least two weeks too long. But it's same old, same old and it happens every year.

It's quality v quantity and there are just at too many dead rubbers to make viewing games in empty stadiums remotely interesting.

Port v Norf at Metricon last night! Really?! The only game for the whole day too.

Apart from the top 5 teams who are just hanging on, the rest of the comp including us is cooked.

Not having match fit replacements is having a huge impact.

Having a week off before the start of the finals might help a bit, but that will only be for the first week of the finals.

Are the finals going to be 16 minute quarters plus time on?

Is the Grand final going to be 16 minute quarters plus time on?

I assume they will be.

Are they sincere questions or are you trying to make a point?

[Scollop]

Genuine question.

I’m also assuming they will be but has there been any official word from the AFL?

[SaintPav]

I haven't heard anything otherwise.