Comments on: 2009 AFL Round Fifteen Wrapup

By: Jermayn

Jermayn — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:04:26 +0000

I remember Brisbane doing something like that a few years ago! They ‘lived’ in Perth for 2 weeks and had two away games against the Eagles & Dockers…
.-= Jermayn´s last blog ..2009 AFL Round Sixteen Tips =-.

By: craig eyles

craig eyles — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:21:44 +0000

baseball teams play no more than 2 weeks on the road. wouldn’t work.
.-= craig eyles´s last blog ..Round 18 NRL Rankings =-.

By: craig eyles

craig eyles — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:17:32 +0000

Peter Matera had the answer. The Eagles of old uses to do “hit/run” missions to Melbourne. Turn up the night before & win.
.-= craig eyles´s last blog ..Round 18 NRL Rankings =-.

By: Jermayn

Jermayn — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:52:38 +0000

I doubt this will ever happen but it does make sense, the AFL has done something which helps imo a bit in this years fixtures where both the Eagles & Dockers get two games in a row at home. Before it was one group of three games in a row at Subi, but this spreads it out a bit more.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:31:48 +0000

Should the AFL adopt a similar fixture style like the super 14s and Baseball, NHL? where teams have home stands and away stands? for example the Eagles play three games at home, and then travel to melbourne, and play 3 games in a row there without flying back to perth? i know the impact on relationships and what not but it seems to work well in other leagues, is there any reason why it wouldn’t in th AFL?
.-= Mike´s last blog ..WS: Trip to FeilongShan =-.

By: Jermayn

Jermayn — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:44:09 +0000

Embley is always in and out with injuries, cannot comment about Priddis but I doubt its tanking, think its the fact that its easier to get up for a game when you only have to drive from home rather than spending 4-5 hours on a plane and then stuck in a hotel room. You Victorians struggle to understand just how hard it is travel every second game.

Geelong & the Dogs etc complain that they had to go from Perth to Victoria 2 in 3-4 weeks, welcome to what the Eagles & Dockers have to do 8 times a year..
.-= Jermayn´s last blog ..2009 Round 15 DreamTeam Wrapup =-.

By: craig eyles

craig eyles — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:37:45 +0000

Definitely Carlton tanked in ’07. They would’ve won the game against Collingwood & dragged Fev, Scotland & Carazzo off the fround with less than 5 minutes to play.
The Eagles seem to be fieldinf less experienced teams on the road than at home. How many times has Embley, Priddis etc missed trips & then mysteriously return next week at home??
.-= craig eyles´s last blog ..Flemington Quaddie =-.

By: Jermayn

Jermayn — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:26:44 +0000

Nah sorry, I agree giving people rest and an early operation may not be classified as tanking but Carlton tanked in the 2007 season and is the perfect example that tanking does happen…

Agree that if the Eagles could play as well as they do at home away, they would be a better side. I do think youth has something to do with it but think the problem is between their head.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:21:06 +0000

I also want to raise the issue of tanking. I will now put my hand up and say that tanking does not exist within a team. No player wants to lose a game, ever. neither does the coach. however i understand the reason for sending players into surgery and rehabilitation early if you’re destined to miss the finals. there is no point nursing injured players through the rest of the year if you’re season is lost. and bleeding young players is just a way to get more experience into them. i really don’t think that any team(players and coach) deliberately loses games to get draft picks. the risks are too big, the coach could lose his job, and players could be delisted or traded. so the desire to win is still very much there. the administration may hope for early draft picks, but i think tanking does not realistically exist.

Again…Tanking IS a myth.
.-= Mike´s last blog ..WS: Trip to FeilongShan =-.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:46:07 +0000

I think 3 big talking points came out of this weekend for me.

1. St Kilda are easily the premiership favorite. Geelong, the bulldogs and even Collingwood are not convincing me at all. Geelong i’ve felt this all along this season, The Dogs are a bit too inconsistent, and i think it’s their backline (not their forwardline) that is causing problems for them. they were amazing last week, and this week costly defensive errors cost them the game. Collingwood are young and they just dont seem to have the stuff to challenge for the flag, The saints seem to be the only team able to play average and still win.

2. The eagles are an ok team but can not travel. they have beaten the bulldogs, and given geelong and st kilda a real challenge all at home. but one has to wonder, if these games were played away from subiaco, would the result have been different? i think so, and majorly so. they need to address the fact they are unable to win away from home, and if they do so, they could well be a completely different side.

3. Melbourne are not as bad as we all thought. they’ve won two in a row and are starting to show some promise. i don’t think they will get the spoon this year, and look out for them in games to come, they may suprise
.-= Mike´s last blog ..WS: Trip to FeilongShan =-.