Kick2Kick.net » K2K Features

The AFL drops the ball again

Jermayn — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:17:52 +0000

I do not want Kick2Kick to become a “bash an AFL official blog” but what are the morans in charge of this great game thinking?

Last week we saw the AFL introduce two new boundary umpires and this week they have refused to allow Channel 10 to show the Hawthorn v Carlton game live for the shoot out for the 100th goal between Buddy Franklin and Fevola. Add these to the silly rule interchange rule change which saw Kangaroos loose two premiership points and has now cost Richmond a chance to play off for 8th spot.

New Boundary Umpires

The one thing I love about AFL is that anyone can play the game and it is not limited to your size. The highest goal scorer battled over weight issues for much of his life, the current prime ruckman is 7 foot 10 and who can forgot those little legs of Libba. However all this will change with two new boundary umpires…

How? The extra umpires means that they can get to ball quicker and throw it in. Gone are the days of footballers and lumbering ruckman, they would be left behind and would have no chance of competing at all the ruck contests.

Buddy will kick his 100th goal but will Fev and will you see it live?

No Live telecast for the most interesting game

The most interesting game imo would be Hawthorn v Carlton with Fevola and Buddy Franklin trying to get their 100th goal. Some of the best games ever has involved around full forwards kicking bags of goals or getting their milestones.

You have Lockett getting his 1300th, Ablett snr and Salmon kicking 20 odd between them in the 80s and the list goes on and guess what? The AFL has refused Channel 10 to show it live. Even though only a few thousand tickets are left. Lets not forget that they showed 3 games during the boring Olympics live on Channel 7 but this game? No way…

Is it just me or does the current day AFL bosses just seem too out of touch?

Also if you are lucky enough to be at the Saturday night game, will you run out and congratulate them?

What the AFL fixtures will look like in 2012

Jermayn — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:23:08 +0000

Ok we know that the bosses at the AFL want the two new teams in West Sydney and the Gold Coast and they have sorted the draft consessions starting from next years draft but what about the fixtures?

Recently Andrew Demetriou briefly mentioned adding extra rounds to the season, while I would love football all year round. I do not think it is possible for the well being of the players.

In an earlier post about the new teams it was briefly mentioned…

One good outcome of adding two new teams could be an even draw with every team playing each other once with half at home and half away and then next year they swap. So if Collingwood plays Fremantle at the MCG, next year they will play at Subiaco. This would mean instead of 22 rounds, you would have 17 rounds and the possibility of a proper State of Origin series.

The different writers at Kick2Kick has discussed these ideas, let us and others know what you would change or how you would set up the fixtures.

Kick2Kick 18 team fixtures suggestion

You would have every team play each other once which would account for 17 rounds and then you would have the Rival Round teams play a second time.

State of Origin carnival suggestion

Seeing Buddy play in the WA Jumper would be more appealing than a white jumper

This leaves four weeks left for a split round and a State of Origin series. I would break the states into two categories with an A and B and the bottom team of A gets delegated and the winner of B gets relegation into A.

A to start off with would be the traditional Football states of WA, SA, Vic and Tasmania and B would be Qld, NSW and NT. Which is similar as the under age carnivals. As time goes on with overseas players etc you could add an international or All Stars team to B.

imo this will be as even as you could ever get it without the players being too pushed to play too many games a year and you would get certain favoured clubs having to play out of Victoria for once.

Variables and other options

If you struggle to get enough players for the State of Origin series you could well get the state leagues to help top up the sides. However in looking at this years Hall of Fame match, I am sure it would not be a problem.

Other options for the fixtures could be:

Split the 18 teams into two leagues (or divisions) and then after playing each other twice (home and away) and then extend the final series to include the top sides to play off.
Or Keep it as the same but instead have a team play 5 teams twice instead of currently playing 7 teams twice

Conclusion and your suggestions

Adding teams on face value will confuse the fixtures so I think we would need to do something that will simplify them. Please if you want to add further thoughts and ideas to our suggestions or even your own, please do below.

Will West Coast tank and will you run on the ground?

Jermayn — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:33:52 +0000

Will the West Coast Eagles Tank?

This weekend West Coast Eagles who are 15th (with 4 wins for the season) are playing 16th side in Melbourne. The big question is now should they try and win or loose (tank) and get a bonus draft pick?

A fan would probably hope for a close honourable lose BUT from a pure football point of view you would hope for a win as it will douse the tanking issue after Carlton famousily tanked last year to get an extra draft pick and used it pick up a star in the trade market.

Personally I hate the rule but a lose will mean the Eagles get an extra pick in the top 20 (as I doubt they will win against Hawthorn and Geelong) and a chance to pick up a future star or use it for the trade (meat) market with Kerr reportly wanting out. This will help them rise to the finals quicker before the two new teams come into the competition.

What do you think will happen?

The running on the ground situation for 100th goal

The second interesting situation is would you run on the ground when Buddy Franklin and Brendon Fevola kick their hundredth goal? Personally I would and from past experience no amount of fines, security guards and plans to whisk them off would stop the fans do a timeless tradition.

Mathew Lloyd did not have a problem then and now about fans running on the ground

The AFL has imo ruined the tradition of having a kick on the ground after the game and now they want to ruin this one?

The last time a player has kicked 100 or more goals in a season is 2004 when the G-train did it. This season has seen the return of the key forwards with Lloyd back in form, Buddy and Franklin potentially reaching 100 goals and emergence of others like Roughead, Bradshaw, Pavlich and Brown.

Interesting is that Mathew Llyod a full forward who has been there done that, would like to see it happen and ex-Swans player Ryan Fitzgerald (now channel 10 funny man) himself injured and sitting in the stands when Lockett kicked his 100th run out and congratulated him with the fans.

It will be interesting as in two weeks time Buddy plays West Coast in Perth and although Buddy is a WA boy, I am sure he would get more reaction from the fans in round 20 or 22 when he plays in Melbourne. He needs 9 goals, which he could be a chance against Richmond.

Fevola needs 16 more and they play against North Melbourne (Telstra Dome), Brisbane Lions (Gabba) and then Hawthorn (Telstra Dome). Would it not be a perfect situation to see them both kick their 100th goal in their round 22 match against each others teams.

Double standards by the useless AFL

Jermayn — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:16:12 +0000

Hands up if you think the AFL is a joke? Hands up if your a fan who is sick and tired of incosistent tribunal decisions and double standing by the AFL handing out their decisions? I am….

The difference between Halls and Solomons whack is the broken jaw, what a JOKE!

Scenario one: Ben Cousins.

He did not get caught breaking any laws, I agree that it was fair by the West Coast Eagles to sack him as that was part of the deal, no trouble with the cops. However to see the AFL suspend him for 12 months for bringing the game into disrupt for what? He did not get charged with anything or even caught by the AFL for his drug taking.

Scenario two: Hall vs Solomon.

I wont comment on the difference between the Barry Hall and Solomons hit as the difference on why Solomon was that he broke someones jaw. I do NOT think the decisions should be based on who was injured how bad or not.

Scenario three: Round 18 tribunal decisions.

Milburn gets 4 weeks for slinging Richmond’s Shane Edwards yet Ports Surjan’s tackle on Harvey was unsighted and what gets me is that it was very similar as Richmonds Moore’s tackle on Nick Riewoldt which twisted his knee but only Milburn got sighted.

Shaw leaves the track after a wild weekend of drinking and lieing to the club

Maybe its because this is the only way Geelong could came back down to the level of the other clubs.

Scenario four: Collingwood vs West Coast.

We all know the trouble that West Coast got into last year by their undisclipine club, which I do think the AFL got it right. HOWEVER they seem to over look Collingwoods undisclipine…

This is Collingwoods rap sheet in the last few years.

2008 - Sharrod Wellingham caught drink driving.
2007 - Didak had a wild night out with Melbourne CBD killer Christopher Wayne Hudson.
2007 - Ben Johnson and then forward Chris Tarrant were also involved that year in a vicious brawl that left one man unconscious and led to a police investigation.
2006 - Chad Morrison booked for drink driving
2006 - Brodie Holland guilty of driving without a licence and assaulting a woman over a taxi
2006 - Didak charged with being drunk and disorderly.
2004 - Cameron Cloke fined $10, 000 for speeding
2003 - Dane Swan guilty of affray (what ever that is).

I think its time the club, Mcguire, Malthouse and the players get their act together and the AFL? Just because they are the AFLs baby, you cannot play favourites so pull your finger out..

Fans reactions and thoughts

So what do you as a fan of the club or even the AFL think? Do you think Collingwood should sack Didak and suspend Shaw even if effects their finals chances? And if Didak does get cut from the Magpies list would you want him to play at your club next year? And what about Cousins? Could he fit into your club?

Do we REALLY want more AFL teams?

Jermayn — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:31:00 +0000

Why does the AFL need to have more teams in the AFL? Is there room for them in the AFL? Should there be a Tasmanian team instead of a West Sydney team? and lastley is there enough young talent for everyone? These questions will be answered and many more asked. Leave your comments below as this is an issue that I am sure everyone has an opinion about.

Why does the AFL need to add more teams?

Simply for their ego. The AFL prides themselves on being the biggest and best sport organisation in the country and to see their rivals adding teams gets up their noses and like anyone on a pedestal they must continue to be the big dog.

Is there room for these two new teams?

NO and the proof is the AFL desperately tried to bribe Kangaroos to move north and the AFLs reaction when the Kangaroos imo rightly said no to move.

One good outcome of adding two new teams could be an even draw with every team playing each other once with half at home and half away and then next year they swap. So if Collingwood plays Fremantle at the MCG, next year they will play at Subiaco. This would mean instead of 22 rounds, you would have 17 rounds and the possibility of a proper State of Origin series.

West Sydney or Tasmania?

West Sydney has the population and money to support a new team however they do not have the fans to support a new team. However Tasmania while do not have the money (according to the AFL) they do have the number of football supporters who will follow the team. Tasmania has a ground which is up to AFL standard and would be cheaper than Homebush.

How many Swans supporters will they loose if West Sydney develop an AFL side?

The main problem with West Sydney is the same problem Sydney still face and that is supporters. How many supporters will Sydney Swans loose if West Sydney come in? I would say at least 10 000 and that could be very dangerous for any team let alone a non football state team.

From a football point of view I think Tasmania is the team to include, they have the football background and fanaticism for a successful club BUT from a pure business sense (which is all the AFL cares about) you would have to say West Sydney.

Is there enough Football talent for two more teams?

Kick2Kick has raised the issue that 2009 is the year to tank as in the next few years these new teams will get all the best picks in the drafts. A few people are worried that there is not enough young talent especially in Queensland and New South Wales to help meet the need for an extra 80 odd players a year.

I think on face value you would be a little worried but I think there is enough talent out there when you think about:

You will get more ‘rugby’ and other sportsman switching to AFL with the exposure in Queensland and Brisbane (Jack, Davis, Merret etc for example).
International countries like Ireland, Fiji, Africa etc will help fit at least 20 spots in the near future. You need to remember that AFL clubs do not recruit ‘Footballers’ anymore but rather athletes. Good international examples are Kennely and Naitanui.
Reaching out and with a better understanding of Aborginal culture will also enable more of them to play.
NSW actually won a game in the under 18s carnival this year in the A grade.

Nicholas Naitanui will not be the last international rookie footballer

I do think that maybe the current system of recruiting players needs to be better addressed with maybe an international rookie system were clubs can develop them like they do with the successful current rookie system.

Finishing up

So while I personally would rather no extra teams I do not think it will lesson the quality of the game and competition with extra teams. Now its your turn however to let us know what you think about this whole situation of the extra clubs coming into the AFL.

Is todays AFL to soft?

Jermayn — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:18:41 +0000

Everyone knows about the latest out burst from Barry Hall and how he got a one week suspension for “attempting to hit someone” and after this incident, last weeks rugby matches and the conversation I had last week, I raise the question. Is todays AFL football too soft?

Barry Hall attempts to hit Wakelin

Do not get me wrong. I am glad that these king hits and thugs like Barry Hall are getting stamped out of the game but do you think we have gone to soft and too political correct in the process?

The Rugby Wrestling example

Did anyone watch the fights and meles from the rugby State of Origin game and the NZ v SA match? What was interesting was the fighting and wrestling was how it differs from AFL. I enjoy a bit of gasto and spirit which imo is lacking in the AFL but still apparent in Rugby.

In AFL you wrestle with someone and you get fined thousands of dollars but in rugby you get maybe a ripped jumper (they look tough). Yes wrestling is useless as it only tires you out and you do not really solve anything BUT it does help when sticking up for someone which the Eagles have been critised for not doing in round 4. Now why would you stick up for someone when you get fined more than doing something illegal like speeding?

Is AFL becoming the guys version of Netball?

I realise that AFL will never be as soft and non-physical as Netball but the question remains have we made it too soft and non-touchy?

Judd and Lloyd provide a real AFL contest

The 10 original rules (I’ll post them on K2K later) has tripping and pushing in the back allowed, while I agree that tripping and pushing people in the back is dangerous. Is tapping peoples arms dangerous? Is wrestling with someone worth a fine of $2000?

I enjoy Football and have always loved playing it and the things that I enjoy is the mateship, goals and the big hits, yes the big hits. Not the Barry Halls style but contests like between Judd and Lloyd where players put their bodies and team on the line. My one biggest concern about the 2008 State of Origin game was the obvious lack of spirit among the Big V.

Phantom Mid Season AFL Draft

Jermayn — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:00:47 +0000

Mid Season Drafts were largely unsuccessful with only two in the last 20 years. The first was in 1990 and the last in the 1993 season which saw 31 players being added to AFL lists including five current AFL players switching clubs which were James Theissen, Damian Bourke, Dale Kickett, Brad Fox and Stephan Crochrane.

Could Cain Ackland find his third club with a Mid Season Draft?

However lets have some fun with a Phantom mid season draft on how we can improve our AFL team. This follows an article by Collingwoods Nick Maxwell asking for it to return were he uses Cain Ackland and last years Collingwood player Ben Davies as examples on who could benefit from the system.

Rules of the K2k Phantom Mid Season AFL Draft

Lets go really simple and the TWO rules is you cannot swap the clubs elite players which I have listed below and your club has to realistically be able to fit them into the salary cap. I have also listed a link to the clubs player lists.

Adelaide

Simon Goodwin, Jason Porplyzia, Scott Thompson, Andrew McLeod

Brisbane

Jonathon Brown, Luke Power, Daniel Bradshaw, Daniel Merrett

Carlton

Chris Judd, Brendon Fevola, Nick Stevens, Bryce Gibbs

Collingwood

Scott Pendlebury, Paul Medhurst, Cameron Cloke, Dale Thomas

Essendon

Mathew Lloyd, David Hille, Henry Slattery, Adam McPhee

Fremantle

Mathew Pavlich, Rhys Palmer, Luke McPharlin, Aaron Sandilands

Geelong

Gary Ablett, Paul Chapman, Steve Johnson, Mathew Scarlett

Hawthorn

Buddy Franklin, Jarred Roughead, Luke Hodge, Campbell Brown

Kangaroos

Nathan Thompson, Mathew Campbell, Brent Harvey, David Hale

Melbourne

Brad Miller, Austin Wonaeamirri, Brad Green, Brock McLean

Port Adelaide

Chad Cornes, Kane Cornes, Paul Burgoyne, Dean Brogan

Richmond

Mathew Richardson, Nathan Brown, Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley

St Kilda

Nick Riewoldt, Luke Ball, Robert Harvey, Jason Gram

Sydney

Barry Hall, Leo Barry, Brett Kirk, Tadhg Kennelly

West Coast

Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr, Darren Glass, Andrew Embley

Bulldogs

Jason Akermanis, Brad Johnson, Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen

Trade away….

Random K2K Posts

Are Premiership Players over rated?

Jermayn — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:00:29 +0000

In round 12s team selections the West Coast Eagles had an inclusion of four premiership players, we all know that they lost by a record 135 points but the question I want to raise is being a premiership player over rated?

Is Des Headland a premiership player better than someone like Bob Skilton

Commentators and clubs raise the point that they are a premiership player, however the question is, does this make them a better player or just luckier than others?

Current over rated Premiership players

First of all lets list some modern day over rated premiership players:

Steven Armstrong - Has played 50 odd games and has struggled to get a game this year.
Cameron Mooney - Only played 10 minutes in the Kangaroos 1999 Grand Final.
Des Headland - Much maligned player but while a number one draft pick has not lived up to expectations.
Richard Hadley - In his fourth game played in a Grand Final

While Cameron Mooney has become a vital cog in Geelongs premiership team, did his value and importance as a player increase because he was lucky enough to play 10 minutes in a Grand Final? Also while Richard Hadleys confidence has been shot with ACL injuries did his price to be transfered from Brisbane to Carlton increase because he played in two Grand Finals? The same with Des Headland?

Legends who were not Premiership players

Through out the years there has been several players who were legends but were not able to win a Grand Final. Two who come to mind are leading goal kicker Tony Lockett (although did play in 1996 Grand Final) and Bobby Skilton who was a triple brownlow medal winner.

John Worsfolds Opinion

John Worsfold the West Coast Eagles coach was on the radio being interviewed by 6PR (featuring Brad Hardie) and what followed was a heated discussion about the value differences between a premiership player and someone who was not (ie: Brad Hardie).

“My point is that players get questioned as premiership players and then they carry that tag, so if you said is Brad Hardie a better footballer than players who are premiership players — I’m sure he is. John Worsfold

I personally think that being labeled as a premiership player does NOT make them a better player. What do you think? Do you think that Des Headland who played in the 2003 premiership for Brisbane is a better player than Bob Skilton who only played in one final in his football career?

Random K2K Posts

Tanking AFL style

Jermayn — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:01:03 +0000

Some of the wash up from Round 12 apart from Buddy Franklin getting off with a reprimand has been about the West Coast Eagles tanking by dropping several players against Essendon and loosing the match. Tanking is a term dubbed by AFL followers of a side who will loose on purpose.

Tanking for draft picks

Some teams have lost on purpose so they can get better draft picks at the end of the years national draft and pre season draft. It is a system that the AFL has injected to try and help the lower performing sides to get back up the ladder and in premiership contention sooner.

It has helped with Hawthorn currently pushing for a premiership and Carlton in the top 8 after 3 wooden spoons in the past six years.

Under the AFL’s current rules, a club qualifies for a pick after round one, and before round two, if they finish with 16 premiership points or less. A club would qualify for a pick before round one should they record two such seasons on the trot. For example: Carlton lost their final 11 games last season and, as such, qualified for a pick before round one.

Tanking to be in a better shape for next year

Back in 2006 Kangaroos got their star players who had niggling injuries to get their end of the season operations before the end of the actual season. This enabled the players to be ready to start pre season training and get a full pre season under their belt. While the Kangaroos copped flak at the time for tanking, looking at their top 4 finish last year, you would say it was beneficial.

How do we fix this tanking issue?

The AFL tried to fix this problem by changing the time frame to get an extra round 1 pick from one year to two years, while this will hopefully fix teams from staying at the bottom.

While I think the bottom teams should get access to the best young and uncontracted talent in the pre season and national draft I do not think the 16th side should get pick 1 and the 15th side get pick 2 etc. This encourages teams to loose like Carlton last year to gain these top picks.

One suggestion which would work is that the teams that finish in the bottom four go in a raffle and the order they come out is the numbers they have in the draft. This would mean that maybe West Coast would have worried more about winning in round 12.

Do you have a better suggestion? Let us know.

2008 mid season report pt2

Jermayn — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:41:05 +0000

Yesterday Kick2Kick reviewed 10 AFL teams that are in the race of the finals and who will play in the Grand Final and which team to watch as they make a run towards the business end of the season.

The other teams

Port Adelaide and Richmond have both showed promise over the year so far but are both carrying too many passengers (Treadera, Bowden, Tivendale etc) they will play some good football but will also play terrible football.

Embleys form has been a worry for the Eagles

The bottom four teams have all been disappointing. West Coast while have lost two stars last year, were not expected to drop this far down the ladder but have many players struggling (Hansen, Embley, Kerr, Braun, Fletcher etc) and has been the most disappointing along with Port Adelaide so far.

Essendon while were exciting in the pre season competition have showed that their older players are past it (Llyod, Fletcher, Michale, Johnson) and the young players have a long way to go.

Fremantle have broken a record but not what they would have wanted. Kick2Kick has talked about their problems before with their culture and that they need to delist a few passengers.

While many expect Melbourne to finish last, it is the way they loose that is disappointing with floggings but then be competitive with close looses against Hawks and Collingwood.

Next week Kick2Kick will review some of the future stars these bottom clubs will be after and are watching at the under 18 carnival at the moment.

150th year Problems

It is amazing to think that the AFL is 150 years old yet still having many problems that is ridiculous with its:

Time keeping problems that resurfaced again in round 11
The interchange fiasco which saw the AFL back flip
The boring and insipid Hall of Fame match
The fixtures for 2008 which saw clubs play each other twice in two months
Players acting the Goose with Richo, Buddy, Fev, Hall and Johnson picking up the slack for Ben Cousins.

Has the AFL done anything right this year?

I think changing the system were club officials had to hand in post it notes was the correct thing to do but apart from that I do not see anything that the AFL has done this year which was the right call. I even think the knee jerk reaction of the AFL when Kangaroos knocking back the Gold Coast merger was bullish.

Kick2Kick.net » K2K Features

The AFL drops the ball again

New Boundary Umpires

No Live telecast for the most interesting game

Related K2K Posts

What the AFL fixtures will look like in 2012

Kick2Kick 18 team fixtures suggestion

State of Origin carnival suggestion

Variables and other options

Conclusion and your suggestions

Related K2K Posts

Will West Coast tank and will you run on the ground?

Will the West Coast Eagles Tank?

The running on the ground situation for 100th goal

Related K2K Posts

Double standards by the useless AFL

Scenario one: Ben Cousins.

Scenario two: Hall vs Solomon.

Scenario three: Round 18 tribunal decisions.

Scenario four: Collingwood vs West Coast.

Fans reactions and thoughts

Related K2K Posts

Do we REALLY want more AFL teams?

Why does the AFL need to add more teams?

Is there room for these two new teams?

West Sydney or Tasmania?

Is there enough Football talent for two more teams?

Finishing up

Related K2K Posts

Is todays AFL to soft?

The Rugby Wrestling example

Is AFL becoming the guys version of Netball?

Related K2K Posts

Phantom Mid Season AFL Draft

Rules of the K2k Phantom Mid Season AFL Draft

Random K2K Posts

Are Premiership Players over rated?

Current over rated Premiership players

Legends who were not Premiership players

John Worsfolds Opinion

Random K2K Posts

Tanking AFL style

Tanking for draft picks

Tanking to be in a better shape for next year

How do we fix this tanking issue?

Related K2K Posts

2008 mid season report pt2

The other teams

150th year Problems

Has the AFL done anything right this year?

Related K2K Posts