View Full Version : Letter in the Herald Sun
Tim the Toolman
6 Jun 2007, 10:34
Couldn't agree with this letter any more. It was written by Pauline Serafini whom is the wife of Renato, Lions leading goalkicker in 1975 and whom also happened to be sitting next to DanielCanberra, blyndfreddie and myself on Saturday night.
It reads:
Footy fatigue
I AM finding it increasingly difficult to embrace AFL football in its present form. The match between the Brisbane Lions and the Richmond Tigers on Saturday night was a woeful display of errors, made by confused players in front of a frustrated crowd.
I watched 36 super-fit athletes pass the ball in patterns not dissimilar to training drills: they occasionally hit targets, frequently flooded and rarely displayed high skill levels. Oh, to see a match that shows skills similar to Peter Hudson's accurate goal-kicking, the ruckwork of Gary Dempsey and the roving of Gary Wilson.
Today's players may be super athletes, but does it excite me, does it make me long for the next match? No and no. Will further rule changes make the game even faster? Will our expectations of accurate kicking change over the coming years? Will we all go to the rugby?
Pauline Serafini, East Ivanhoe
lionbear
6 Jun 2007, 10:42
There where alot of turnovers on Saturday night, but in saying that the oposition team (weather that be Richmond or Brisbane) made the player pay for his error. It also appeared to be very dewy on Saturday night, players slipping and ball not bouncing like it should. I think the game would have been alot different had it been played in the day.
I think we will see a lot less turnovers on Saturday night at the GABBA.
There where alot of turnovers on Saturday night, but in saying that the oposition team (weather that be Richmond or Brisbane) made the player pay for his error. It also appeared to be very dewy on Saturday night, players slipping and ball not bouncing like it should. I think the game would have been alot different had it been played in the day.
I think we will see a lot less turnovers on Saturday night at the GABBA.
Even with all the rain that we're having this week?
lionbear
6 Jun 2007, 11:41
Even with all the rain that we're having this week?
If there is wet weather then it could be even more slippery then Saturday night. Perhaps I should have looked at the weather radar before posting:D
There where alot of turnovers on Saturday night, but in saying that the oposition team (weather that be Richmond or Brisbane) made the player pay for his error. It also appeared to be very dewy on Saturday night, players slipping and ball not bouncing like it should. I think the game would have been alot different had it been played in the day.
I think we will see a lot less turnovers on Saturday night at the GABBA.
hate to break it to ya mate....but both the Tigers and the Lions have had diabolical skill levels this year. Can't blame it on the phone dome surface or dew...it was just rubbish. They will dish up more of the same this week, as will the Tigers.
lionbear
6 Jun 2007, 13:39
hate to break it to ya mate....but both the Tigers and the Lions have had diabolical skill levels this year. Can't blame it on the phone dome surface or dew...it was just rubbish. They will dish up more of the same this week, as will the Tigers.
I have seen worse games then the one on Saturday night.
Tim the Toolman
7 Jun 2007, 12:53
Let me think, Fitzroy vs Fremantle circa 1996 or Fitzroy vs Swans circa 1995? :rolleyes:
No excuses for last Saturday night, just plain rubbish from both sides and even Simon Black was ordinary. Perhaps off field issues deterring him?
If it's so wet in Brisbane this week should we fear the wet bulldog in Aka as I remember how well he performed in the rain! :eek:
campbell
7 Jun 2007, 13:10
Let me think, Fitzroy vs Fremantle circa 1996 or Fitzroy vs Swans circa 1995? :rolleyes:
No excuses for last Saturday night, just plain rubbish from both sides and even Simon Black was ordinary. Perhaps off field issues deterring him?
If it's so wet in Brisbane this week should we fear the wet bulldog in Aka as I remember how well he performed in the rain! :eek:
That Geelong match at the Gabba was a beauty hey?
It should be fine on Saturday night, just cooler than normal for us, no rain forecast, Gabba drains well.
As for the article, I whole heartedly agree.I know they want supreme athletes nowadays, but why let the development of the skills of the actual game fall behind. What was dished up on Saturday was appalling to watch for both teams. We were shocking.No excuses.
The Flying Belgian
7 Jun 2007, 13:29
I dunno, I remember watching some of the 80s games on Foxtel last year and the skills level left a lot to be desired back then too.
This quote from Douglas Adams sums up a lot. It was written with technololgy in mind, but can equally be applied to football:
1) everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal;
2) anything that gets invented between then and before you turn thirty is incredibly exciting and creative and with any luck you can make a career out of it;
3) anything that gets invented after you’re thirty is against the natural order of things and the beginning of the end of civilisation as we know it
I think somtimes it's just nostalgia kicking in a bit - "footy was better in my day". Kids in their teens will probably lamenting the state of the game in 25 years and complaining how good things were when they were younger.
Skills are probably better than the 80s (can't speak for the 70s personally), but the thing that has changed is the professionalism of the game. Tactics play such a big part in our game. And I do agree that the idea of drafting athletes over footballers (gross generalisation because you can be both) has had a negative impact.
TheBrownDog
7 Jun 2007, 13:31
I dunno, I remember watching some of the 80s games on Foxtel last year and the skills level left a lot to be desired back then too.
This quote from Douglas Adams suns up a lot. It was written with technololgy in mind, but can equally be applied to football:
I think somtimes it's just nostalgia kicking in a bit - "footy was better in my day". Kids in their teens will probably lamenting the state of the game in 25 years and complaining how good things were when they were younger.
Skills are probably better than the 80s (can't speak for the 70s personally), but the thing that has changed is the professionalism of the game. Tactics play such a big part in our game. And I do agree that the idea of drafting athletes over footballers (gross generalisation because you can be both) has had a negative impact.
Cartoons where better in our day though. He-Man, Voltron, Robotech, Transformers... those were the days.
Not to mention the Afternoon Show on ABC with Degrassi Jnr High and Mysterious Cities of Gold.
Degrassi and Robotech. Nothing is better.
TheBrownDog
7 Jun 2007, 14:10
Degrassi and Robotech. Nothing is better.
Can you imagine if they combined those shows.
Joey Jeremiah flying around in a massive mechanized robot with a Zits (formerly the Zit Remedy) soundtrack in the background.
AWESOME!
"Everybody want something, and they'll never give up!"
Not to mention the Afternoon Show on ABC with Degrassi Jnr High and Mysterious Cities of Gold.
Weevil will be filthy that you missed Monkey.
TheBrownDog
7 Jun 2007, 14:20
Weevil will be filthy that you missed Monkey.
Whoops. :o
Will cop some infraction points for that one. :(
Tim the Toolman
7 Jun 2007, 14:40
Everyone keeps on going about how bad the footy was in the 80's etc... but we seem to forget, the players back then weren't professionals.
Players these days train 6-days a week, do two-fifths of stuff all else but play and train footy for their whole year.
There is NO EXCUSE for crap football.
As a sales manager, if I couldn't sell my product then I'd be out of a job. Why? Because that's my profession, understand?
TheBrownDog
7 Jun 2007, 14:44
As a sales manager, if I couldn't sell my product then I'd be out of a job. Why? Because that's my profession, understand?
That reminds me Tim, your sales numbers are a little down this month. Come and see me in my office about this at 4pm this afternoon.
thefamilyguy
7 Jun 2007, 14:47
I dunno, I remember watching some of the 80s games on Foxtel last year and the skills level left a lot to be desired back then too.
This quote from Douglas Adams sums up a lot. It was written with technololgy in mind, but can equally be applied to football:
1) everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal;
2) anything that gets invented between then and before you turn thirty is incredibly exciting and creative and with any luck you can make a career out of it;
3) anything that gets invented after you’re thirty is against the natural order of things and the beginning of the end of civilisation as we know it
I think somtimes it's just nostalgia kicking in a bit - "footy was better in my day". Kids in their teens will probably lamenting the state of the game in 25 years and complaining how good things were when they were younger.
Skills are probably better than the 80s (can't speak for the 70s personally), but the thing that has changed is the professionalism of the game. Tactics play such a big part in our game. And I do agree that the idea of drafting athletes over footballers (gross generalisation because you can be both) has had a negative impact.
Sorry to hijack your board, but that was a great Post:thumbsu::thumbsu:
The Flying Belgian
7 Jun 2007, 14:49
Everyone keeps on going about how bad the footy was in the 80's etc... but we seem to forget, the players back then weren't professionals.
Players these days train 6-days a week, do two-fifths of stuff all else but play and train footy for their whole year.
There is NO EXCUSE for crap football.
As a sales manager, if I couldn't sell my product then I'd be out of a job. Why? Because that's my profession, understand?
You're assuming that extra training imporves skils, when there's no evidence for that, you'd think it would, but goalkicking hasn't come anywhere in 50 years. Sure extra training means fitter players and you'd think that would mean there's less fatigue-based errors, but if that's the case wouldn't the players be more skilled now?
People can go on and on about how there should be better skills but no one can answer why there isn't. Maybe there's no reason.
Sorry to hijack your board, but that was a great Post:thumbsu::thumbsu:
http://www.63rdinfdiv.com/4brownnosecard.jpg
;)
The Flying Belgian
7 Jun 2007, 14:59
http://www.63rdinfdiv.com/4brownnosecard.jpg
;)
Lay off thefamilyguy! He just knows intelligence when he sees it. Plus he's named after a kick-arse TV show. This act of rebellion has been duly noted.
campbell
8 Jun 2007, 10:10
You're assuming that extra training imporves skils, when there's no evidence for that, you'd think it would, but goalkicking hasn't come anywhere in 50 years. Sure extra training means fitter players and you'd think that would mean there's less fatigue-based errors, but if that's the case wouldn't the players be more skilled now?
People can go on and on about how there should be better skills but no one can answer why there isn't. Maybe there's no reason.
Why can't they work on skills at training as much as the athletic ability of the players.
Gary Ablett turned around his goal kicking woes, by kicking balls over summer, lots and lots of balls every day. What can it harm our players to do this, even off their own bat.
Improvement in goal kicking is vital to win games. Although Lynchy said the other day on the TV, that when he was at the lions they only did about a dozen at training each time, and only from 25 to 35 m shots.
Couldn't agree with this letter any more. It was written by Pauline Serafini whom is the wife of Renato, Lions leading goalkicker in 1975 and whom also happened to be sitting next to DanielCanberra, blyndfreddie and myself on Saturday night.
It reads:
Footy fatigue
I AM finding it increasingly difficult to embrace AFL football in its present form. The match between the Brisbane Lions and the Richmond Tigers on Saturday night was a woeful display of errors, made by confused players in front of a frustrated crowd.
I watched 36 super-fit athletes pass the ball in patterns not dissimilar to training drills: they occasionally hit targets, frequently flooded and rarely displayed high skill levels. Oh, to see a match that shows skills similar to Peter Hudson's accurate goal-kicking, the ruckwork of Gary Dempsey and the roving of Gary Wilson.
Today's players may be super athletes, but does it excite me, does it make me long for the next match? No and no. Will further rule changes make the game even faster? Will our expectations of accurate kicking change over the coming years? Will we all go to the rugby?
Pauline Serafini, East Ivanhoe
i agree with her ! shes 100% correct
The Flying Belgian
8 Jun 2007, 11:48
Why can't they work on skills at training as much as the athletic ability of the players.
If I could answer that, I'd change careers wouldn't I? :D
I just feel people are assuming that more time spent training will sharpen skills out of sight. Yes, it seems as though it should work but history has shown us that overall it really hasn't.
Personally I feel skills do improve slightly with more training, but only because of muscle memory. If we draft a kid who's heavily one-sided, his kicking on his non-preferred may improve but he'll never be a proficient as one who practised it as a teenager. That and most players when under pressure revert to bad habits, even though they may have been working on it at training.
I'd also contend that the switch to drafting more "athletes" (read players who are qiuck and/or have greater endurance) as opposed to "footballers" who are better in skills and decision-making has cancelled out any improvemnt we should have expected in skills across the league.
Btw, quite a lot of our Wednesday sessions are devoted to skills training. I'd like to see them do more accuracy work. Kicking onto a target, make a bit of fun out of it. That sort of thing.
I just feel people are assuming that more time spent training will sharpen skills out of sight. Yes, it seems as though it should work but history has shown us that overall it really hasn't.
Personally I feel skills do improve slightly with more training, but only because of muscle memory.
Just because I spend heaps of time working on my golf swing doesn't mean that I'm not still prone to the occasional slice onto the adjacent fairway. :D