West block of Clarke v Baker on Farmer

[Hard at it]

For what its worth, I've played senior footy in the Amateurs (even though it was 35 years ago!) and I can tell you that:-

When Yeats ran through Brereton at the opening bounce of the gf

and

when Hocking ran through Harvey at the boundary throw in

they were not 'courageous acts' by 'tough men'.

It takes little or no 'courage' to attempt to 'wipe out' an unsuspecting opponent. It doesn't make you a 'tough guy' either - more of a 'sniper'.
In neither of those cases was the head of the unsuspecting player 'hit', only the body. But both Brereton and Harvey were unaware of the impending contact because they were not in the play and had a reasonable expectation of 'safety' as such.

X Clarke was in a similar position and was 'taken out' just like Brereton and Harvey were, by an opponent who 'hit' him with a 'cheap shot'.

There were plenty of occassions on Saturday that West could have tried a similar tactic on G-Train but he didn't.
Maybe it was because G-Train is 195cms tall and 100+kgs whereas X is much smaller.

What West did was:-
against the rules
reportable
and more 'cowardly' than 'heroic'.

It was also as potentially dangerous as the Swans 'tunnelling' tactics of the first round.

I bet that if Steven King had 'picked off' Bartell or Ablett in the same manner we would have heard from the Geelong supporters about it.

No one said West's hit on Clarke was corageous, no one has said his hit was heroic, but there have been a few clowns on here saying it was cowardly. If that is cowardly then a few on here need to take up a different sport

What would you call knocking someone out illegally who wasn't looking?


I think cowardly is a pretty fair word to describe it.

Cant have been too cowardly. Last time i checked he was named to play this week.

[rodgerfox]

What would you call knocking someone out illegally who wasn't looking?


I think cowardly is a pretty fair word to describe it.

Cant have been too cowardly. Last time i checked he was named to play this week.[/quote]

So what would you call knocking someone out illegally who wasn't looking?

[vacuous space]

I meant something above u/16s. I suggest if you think what West did was cowardly then stay away from the seniors

I don't know about cowardly, but what West did certainly wasn't tough. Blind siding a player who's 20cms shorter than you and 10kg lighter isn't tough. Putting your head over the ball is tough, putting your body on the line is tough. What West did could have cost his team and didn't gain them much. It was reckless and stupid and I doubt he got many pats on the back for it after the game.

[HarveysDeciple]

For what its worth, I've played senior footy in the Amateurs (even though it was 35 years ago!) and I can tell you that:-

When Yeats ran through Brereton at the opening bounce of the gf

and

when Hocking ran through Harvey at the boundary throw in

they were not 'courageous acts' by 'tough men'.

It takes little or no 'courage' to attempt to 'wipe out' an unsuspecting opponent. It doesn't make you a 'tough guy' either - more of a 'sniper'.
In neither of those cases was the head of the unsuspecting player 'hit', only the body. But both Brereton and Harvey were unaware of the impending contact because they were not in the play and had a reasonable expectation of 'safety' as such.

X Clarke was in a similar position and was 'taken out' just like Brereton and Harvey were, by an opponent who 'hit' him with a 'cheap shot'.

There were plenty of occassions on Saturday that West could have tried a similar tactic on G-Train but he didn't.
Maybe it was because G-Train is 195cms tall and 100+kgs whereas X is much smaller.

What West did was:-
against the rules
reportable
and more 'cowardly' than 'heroic'.

It was also as potentially dangerous as the Swans 'tunnelling' tactics of the first round.

I bet that if Steven King had 'picked off' Bartell or Ablett in the same manner we would have heard from the Geelong supporters about it.

No one said West's hit on Clarke was corageous, no one has said his hit was heroic, but there have been a few clowns on here saying it was cowardly. If that is cowardly then a few on here need to take up a different sport

What would you call knocking someone out illegally who wasn't looking?


I think cowardly is a pretty fair word to describe it.

Cant have been too cowardly. Last time i checked he was named to play this week.

not sure what that has to do with anything.

As another bloke who has played heaps of local footy at senior level, and am doing so presently, it's not something you expect. plenty of tough things happen on a footy field and you know that you'll experience hits and collisions, but a player had no reason to expect that sort of hit from West and thats the difference.
It was unnecessary and not in the act of play, to a bloke having no baring on the contest whatsoever.

[Washedup]

I meant something above u/16s. I suggest if you think what West did was cowardly then stay away from the seniors

I don't know about cowardly, but what West did certainly wasn't tough. Blind siding a player who's 20cms shorter than you and 10kg lighter isn't tough. Putting your head over the ball is tough, putting your body on the line is tough. What West did could have cost his team and didn't gain them much. It was reckless and stupid and I doubt he got many pats on the back for it after the game.

Didn't say it was tough, calling it cowardly i dont agree with

[rodgerfox]

Didn't say it was tough, calling it cowardly i dont agree with

So what would you call knocking someone out illegally who wasn't looking then?

[Washedup]

i can honestly tell you Im not afraid of physical contact old and broken down as I am and I can see the AFL has been inconsistent in its application of the rules.

I agree they are definitely inconsistent, but to say what West did was cowardly then you have to wonder whether some on here have ever put the boots on at all.

i have and it is.

I meant something above u/16s. I suggest if you think what West did was cowardly then stay away from the seniors

so x clarke was expecting to be hit?

the level of contact is not the issue, it is the fact that a man not expecting contact was hit when not in play.

if x was contesting a football in play and got ironed out fairly, then fair play to west for being tough and hard at the footy and the man with the footy.

but if you are trying to say that west was tough in crashing into an unsuspecting opponent you clearly have no idea.

Please refer to me where i said that what West did was tough. Stop making up things junior. Get back to your "touch football training"

[Iratedebate]

if you cant see that it was a disgusting dog act you obviously have poor vision of what is acceptable.

Disgusting dog act, you have to be kidding.

ok then, i will have you stand with your back to me and i will run through you at 100mph and see how it effects you.

nothing tough about that at all

Feel free to try your best, not sure you would cause me any damage at all. I do remember you had a sig once that said something along the lines of you would turn gay for Gram. Pretty much sums you up and explains your position on this issue

[Washedup]

if you cant see that it was a disgusting dog act you obviously have poor vision of what is acceptable.

Disgusting dog act, you have to be kidding.

ok then, i will have you stand with your back to me and i will run through you at 100mph and see how it effects you.

nothing tough about that at all

Feel free to try your best, not sure you would cause me any damage at all. I do remember you had a sig once that said something along the lines of you would turn gay for Gram. Pretty much sums you up and explains your position on this issue

Classic. I remember that now, and yes, it does explain alot

[Mr Magic]

if you cant see that it was a disgusting dog act you obviously have poor vision of what is acceptable.

Disgusting dog act, you have to be kidding.

ok then, i will have you stand with your back to me and i will run through you at 100mph and see how it effects you.

nothing tough about that at all

Feel free to try your best, not sure you would cause me any damage at all. I do remember you had a sig once that said something along the lines of you would turn gay for Gram. Pretty much sums you up and explains your position on this issue

Classic. I remember that now, and yes, it does explain alot

Sure sign of someone (people) losing the debate is to resort to villifying another debater with homophobic stereotypical insults.

I for one am disgusted that you 2 would resort to this.

The law of averages suggests there would be a number of homosexual AFL players and if you are suggesting that they are 'weak' because of being 'homosexual' then you need a serious re-education.