New Kick2Kick segment this week, I have not played competitive football for years, in fact last time I played, I broke someone’s leg. So officially I am one of those fat couch potatoes who sit on the coach and think they can play the game better than the highly fit athletes actually out here.
So here goes my rant…
Shaun Higgins ankle slipping has raised two rants from Kick2Kick's fat couch potato
Jeff Kennett
When did Jeff Kennett start his presidency for the Bulldogs? Its make a team look weak when another president has the balls to ask the hard questions to the AFL.
I would love to see Andrew Demetriou give the reigns of running the AFL to Jeff just for a week or so and see how he goes.
Harden up AFL Footballers
Honestly even at its worse the Telstra Dome’s(or whatever its called this year) surface is million times better than the mud pits they played on in the 80′s. The injury rate is lower at the moment than what it was back then as well.
When will the AFL become AFL?
St Kilda got a chartered flight after their round 9 game against the Eagles which is fair enough as it is a long flight ome especially when you play the twilight game. The question is why cannot the non Victorian teams have it as well?
Almost every year one of the West Australian teams has to play in Tasmania which consists of two flights and how many other non Victorian teams have the midnight red eye to content with?
I think its time the AFL evens up the competition when it comes to travel.
Forget telling the Kids to be first at the Ball
Back in the good old days when I was a kid, my coaches always told me “Get to the ball first and the umpire will look after you”, well you can forget that now. Its almost better to be at the ball second, let someone else collect the ball, tackle him and you get the free kick.
Umpires, Giesch and the AFL rules committee what are you doing?
Your Rant or Opinion?
What do you think of the fat couch potatoes rant? Agree with him or do you think he has to get off the couch and do some exercise? If you have your own rant, please also sit on the couch with me and lets rant together.
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June 10th, 2010 at 9:53 am
totally agree about the plane issue and the free kick issue.
Perhaps the AFL could book a plane for our WA based teams, and supporters could get reduced priced tickets on it to supplement it.
And umpires no longer seem to support the player who is going for the ball…
.-= Mark E´s last blog ..Communication =-.
June 10th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
@Mark E, the AFL having their own airline? That could work… What do the big US baseball and basketball teams use? Do they use their own private or public airline?
June 10th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Get up off the “coach”, Jermayn. He has an important job to do. You should sit on the couch instead.
Kennett screwed Victoria and is doing his best to repeat the dose with Hawthorn. As much a publicity-hungry, narcissist “rent-a-quote” as Akermanis.
Surface: Players are less likely to attempt the sort of manoeuvre Higgins did on a mud heap. The problem with the surface at Docklands (it avoids having to recall the sponsor!) is its variability. If the whole surface was shifting, players could adapt. Partial turf replacements are a fact of life in the 21st-century, but the downside of a nice green surface is poor adhesion on the newer sections. If a player on a heavily performance-loaded contract were to suffer a season-, or worse a career-, ending injury, they’d have a pretty good case to sue the AFL and the ground manager.
Travel: Until there’s an even number of teams in equidistant cities, there will be inequities. Surely the WA players are conditioned through experience and repetition to be able to cope with the effects better than teams that travel much less frequently? What’s the cost of a two-way charter to Perth for two teams each week? And how much profit are WCE and Freo budgeting for this year?
The ball: I’ve been having my own rant on this matter over at AussieRulesBlog in recent days, here, here and here. The current interpretations, and their inflexibility, are a cancer on the game.
.-= aussierulesblog´s last blog ..Baaallllllll!! (3) =-.
June 10th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
@aussierulesblog, I have read your posts about the umpires, holding the ball etc and I have to agree mate…
Docklands: I understand your point about the shifting ground in parts while the other areas are solid but lets face it, it will never be deemed unfit as its the AFL baby.
I still think its all an overkill though as you always had grounds with hard centers (cricket squares), soggy goal squares and wings looking like a race course.
June 11th, 2010 at 7:50 am
@Jermayn,
Huh?
.-= aussierulesblog´s last blog ..Baaallllllll!! (3) =-.
June 11th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
@aussierulesblog, I think its all scare mongering..
.-= Jermayn´s last blog ..AFL Betting Round 12 2010 =-.
June 11th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
@Jermayn,
Not if lose your career!
.-= aussierulesblog´s last blog ..Baaallllllll!! (3) =-.
June 11th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
@Jermayn,
Of course, I meant to type: Not if you lose your career!
.-= aussierulesblog´s last blog ..Baaallllllll!! (3) =-.
June 10th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
I need to get off the couch myself, never mind telling anyone else too !
Interesting article in the Herald Sun this week about the new clubs winning 10 flags between them once they’re up and firing. Sounds a bit of a worry if they’re gonna dominate the draft picks for a long time to come.
Anyone else read the article and got an opinion ?
How good have geelong got it ? Getting lots of cash from the state government to build a new stand.
June 10th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
@sean, its ok mate! We can sit on the couch together and fight over the bowl of chips…
I think its more cycle than anything really in it mate. You look in the mid 2000′s (04-07), you had almost no Victorian teams in the finals yet in the last year and this year so far, its mainly the Victorian teams.
June 11th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
@Jermayn, Pass the salt will ya Mate! Gotta be good for the ticker !
Thanks for your thoughts guys.
June 10th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
@sean,
It’s an old truism: a champion team will always beat a team of champions. It’s one thing to have a teamful of first round draft picks, but they’ve all got to fulfill their promise, they’ve got to be able to play together, they’ve got to have a solid administration and support(er) base. Look at the Saints with their first round picks. I’m not alone in thinking they blew their best chance last year.
I think we’ll find that the other clubs can unearth quite a few more Barlows (mature age draft picks or mature age rookies) who will more than adequately take on the expansion clubs.
Re Geelong, other clubs have had and are getting government assistance. The Bulldogs is just one that comes to mind quickly. I know the Bombers are seeking government money as well.
.-= aussierulesblog´s last blog ..Baaallllllll!! (3) =-.
June 11th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
@aussierulesblog & @Sean: only three number one draft picks have won a premiership medal and they are Hodge, Headland & Banfield who has won two.
.-= Jermayn´s last blog ..AFL Betting Round 12 2010 =-.
June 11th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
@Jermayn,
Sorry to be picky, but I think first round picks is a better guide. The issue with number one picks is that they have to have sufficient longevity to last til the club’s list and all the other components come together. I don’t have the time to look (sorry), but how many first round picks are on the Geelong list at present?
.-= aussierulesblog´s last blog ..Baaallllllll!! (3) =-.
June 11th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
@aussierulesblog: I know the St Kilda side of 2004-2005 had something like 15-17 first round picks in their side.
I think it will be a great excerise to look at. I think maybe we start off with just the last 5-6 premiership teams and go from there. What do you guys think?
.-= Jermayn´s last blog ..AFL Betting Round 12 2010 =-.
June 13th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
@sean,
Of course, they’ll only dominate the draft picks for as long as they languish at the bottom of the ladder. Even a modicum of success will remove them from priority pick territory. Success such as that forecast by Matt Rendell will ensure they are at the back of the queue very quickly. Those comments assume that the priority picks they receive will meld into a champion team in very quick time. I think it’s an unduly ominous reading.
.-= aussierulesblog´s last blog ..Baaallllllll!! (3) =-.
June 11th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Just thinking about this a bit further, each team gets allocated at least one first-round pick each year. So, any team making reasonably safe choices of first round pick would be likely to have six or seven out of the last ten years’ drafts. Of course, some clubs are trading picks away, so that would dilute that club’s first-round pick population.
Intuitively, I’d imagine that the Saints have an over-abundance of first round picks. Those that come to mind are Goddard, Hayes, Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Ball (now gone), but I’m sure there would be some more.
Perhaps it’s top-6 picks or top-10 picks that are the ones that might be seen to provide premium value? Any choice is going to be quite subjective.
.-= aussierulesblog´s last blog ..Baaallllllll!! (3) =-.