Autopsy What have you liked, learnt and hated from Season 2015

[Mitchell54]

Liked:
Rioli being injury free
the Western Bulldogs making the top 6
Carlton and Essendon failing miserably.

Learnt:
Ex-Hawthorn coaches do well(Bevo, Simpson, Cameron, Hardwick).
West Coast are unpredictable
Goodes is gonna start crying once he hears how loud the boos are at a packed MCG
Franklins back injury could really get nasty for Sydney, another 7 years to go.
People overrate Hawthorn. Shouldn't Freo be favourites for the flag?
Trading will be easier.

Disliked:
West Coast making the top 4
Goodes taking the whole "racism" thing a step too far.
the whole ASADA and WADA non-sense
Hawthorns first 7 weeks

 

[Captivating]

Liked: Fremantle showing the competition that the season is a marathon not a sprint. Nat Fyfe is the best player in the competition.
Learnt: Every year, expect the unexpected from at least one team. This year - West Coast and Bulldogs.
Hated: All of those Friday Night Football games involving Carlton.

this 1000% over.

 

[bkozican]

Like - W.A football

Dislike - being told that I'm a racist because the media think booing is racist

 

[The King!]

Liked

Dogs emergence
Response to phil walsh by footy community and the crows response especially
Footy in hd every game
Tippett becoming the clear best ruck/fwd in the afl
Watching stringer play



Disliked
Fyfe hype way over the top
Ablett being injured most of the year
Suns performance
Demons wasting space in the comp
Inconsistent mrp
Too many poor games
Poor media performers

 

[Arc1]

Can't sleep, so gonna rant for a bit:

Pass marks for the year:
Adelaide - From actual tragedy and adversity arose a team with a spirit i haven't seen in a long time. I hope Danger doesn't leave them. This group is building something special and i've always had a soft spot for them.
Dogs - epic turnaround for a team and it's great to watch them play. My jealousy of the likes of Stringer knows no bounds. And to think, Libba has to come back in next year.
Eagles - Written off after injuries. Just slide into spot 2.
Goldstein - Great to see a ruck in the brownlow talks.
Fletcher: 400 and out. Who knew the day would actually come.
Dan Menzel - best 8 goals in 4 years ever.

Would like to see more from:
Dees - small steps aren't enough. They need to take a big one like the dogs did.
Media - Like a kid with a gun in their hand. So much at stake with what they possess, but little regard given to it. I like that the players are giving it back (Goddard to Barrett, Jobe on Footy Classified, Cloke to Dunstall, etc). Embrace and highlight the good in the game. Stop pedalling gossip and mud for the sake of "scoops."
David Zaharakis - Kid has immense talent and speed. watching lazy performances skirting the back of packs is such a waste. Should have his name up there with the HFF in Wingard, Martin, Rioli etc as an elite talent.
Player movement - Yes it's part of the game, but should be held off and kept private until years end (including announcements of contract signings until the trade period). Its an unnecessary distraction during the season.

Hated:
EFC efforts - it's been hard going to watch knowing the outcome. Harder still when you know it's not because the list isn't up to scratch.
Injuries decimating the Suns, particularly Ablett.
What might have been: Phil Walsh's passing was one of the saddest, most tragic things i think i have ever seen. I was numb heading into work that morning. You have to wonder why a man so good for football was taken after such a small time where he could have been given something back from the game.
The hit the game's integrity took this year:
*Outrage over ASADA tribunal verdict then rejoice over the WADA appeal and more endless innuendo. Players careers are at stake and it's treated as a point scoring exercise against the club.
*The media groundswell around Malthouse and Hird. Taking down someone's career is not the job of a journalist. Spreading rumours from sources or opinions as news is not your job.
*It took this long to recognise illicit substances in a similar light as PED's. A few more steps until we get to a place where we recognise them as far, far worse.
*Goodes situation being overblown in an attempt to trip over ourselves apologetically. I actually felt worse for Goodes that such an intense light was shown on it. Then he antagonised it and you can't help but appreciate the irony of it all.
*Gil making it up as he goes. Learnt from the best i suppose.

My team of the year (Not an AA, or best, just the players I've really liked)

BP: Mark Baguley. EFC have been slaughtered by small forwards in the past. Betts, Garlett, Le Cras, Motlop. Its been a bane. Bags has had a really good year and done the lock down BP role to a tee.
FB: Dan Talia. Amazes me this kid isn't spoken about as elite. Even when the crows are being over-run, he keeps the player he is on to virtually no touches/impact. I can't think of a better defender in his age bracket, and rate him as the best full back in the game
BP: Shaun Burgoyne. If he doesn't play on next year, I'm rather glad i took the time to watch him closer this year. Still one of the classiest players i've seen
HBF: Jack Watts. Wasn't sure where to put him. This kid is maligned like no other, yet he gets out there and plays his role week in, week out. Beautiful foot skills and read of the game. He may shirk the physical, but he was never gonna be a grunt player. His disposal is a rare highlight when you get along to a Dees game (Of which i go to a few)
CHB: Steve May. reminds me of Jackovich. Tough competitor and a massive unit. Gets better each year.
HBF: Ahmed Saad. Straight line running from defence reminded me of Andy Lovett back in the day. Would love him on the bombers list. One of those weapons from defence we sorely lack. Would run the ball past the point where we start playing sideways too
W: Isaac Smith. Flies under the radar with the Hawks stars. Work rate, pace and smarts in one package. Should be in AA discussions.
C: Patrick Cripps. Quite literally was getting the Blues into games on his own back. Judd goes down, Cripps comes up.
W: Dylan Shiel. was electric early in the season. I do hope Treloar stays and doesn't rob us of seeing what these GWS kids will do. Could rival the Cats and Lions midfield dynasties.
R: Shane Mumford. If only for the damage he does when he hits players. GWS were in contention when he was up and running
RR: Adam Treloar. Everytime i watch this kid, i can't help but think how many Brownlows he will win.
Ro: Zach Merrett. One of the few shining lights for essendon this year. Tackles, gets the ball, uses it nicely on either side. And drafted when we had no picks. Cost us a decent forward, but was worth it.
HFF: Jake Stringer. Hard to not be jealous of the Dogs having him on their list. Has really come on this year and is one of the more exciting players to watch coming up.
CHF: Tom Lynch. Embodies the frustrations felt at the Suns this year. So much promise gone to waste, and he isn't afraid to take it out on the field. A great leader.
HFF: Cyril Rioli. Haters gonna hate, but this was a vintage year from Rioli. Sublime with or around the ball.
FP: Eddie Betts. Has a pocket. Who has a pocket? Has made adelaide look even sharper this year.
FF: Jesse Hogan/Joe Daniher. Tough years for the great white hopes. But i loved Hogan's ability to come in and stand toe to toe with experienced veterans, and in a year that was nothing short of dismal, Daniher kept trying and wears his heart on his sleeve.
FP: Isaac Heeney. One moment. 18 years of age. Hell for leather after the ball, careers into the post and hits it hard. Slowly gets to his feet and jogs on. This kid is a star and he is bloody tough.
Bench of class: Patrick Dangerfield, Sam Mitchell, Dyson Heppell, Nat Fyfe.

Nice to see a team that isn't just the usual suspects - I like it!

 

[citizen-erased]

Nice to see a team that isn't just the usual suspects - I like it!

Cheers.

 

[Roobs321]

I have learnt that Round 23 is an absolute mockery of everything meaningful before and after, a mildly amusing but patience testing exhibition spin off.

 

[Ulahoopski]

Liked:
Watching carlton get thumped on Friday nights.
Watching the Bulldogs lose today = wooden spoon for the bluesers.
Watching Bulldogs improve whilst playing entertaining footy.

Learnt:
Malthouse is more of a deluded fool these days than I could ever have imagined.
Pies have a very bright future.
AFL "rules" and "laws of the game" are the most malleable of any sporting code on the planet.

Hated:
Goodes' complete over-reaction and the media pandering to it.
The continuation of ASADA vs Essendon.
The continuing media focus on off field "issues".

 

[Go the Guts]

Liked: The pride of the AFL community to come together through some of the biggest adversity and show we can put aside our differences and support the game as one when such horrific things happen.

Well said sir. Well said.

 

[Go the Guts]

No liked, hated or learnt. But I still can't come to grips with the fact that our brand new coach, who was about to do great things for our club over many years, was apparently murdered in his own bed by his own son.

 

[SBYM]

Learnt: We had a lot of Friday night games.
Hated: Not performing in the aforementioned Friday night games.
Liked: All the sooks ITT whining about us not performing in the aforementioned Friday night games.

 

[LB#16]

Liked:
Bulldogs resurgence.
Sub rule abolished.
Carlton getting the spoon. None more deserving.

Hated:
WADA appeal and everything that followed.

Learnt:
Hodge joining the fox commentary team, a day after a DUI, proves there is a prominent boys club in the football community. If you are in it, you're still a good bloke. If you're outside of it, you get torn apart by the media.

 

[HolyWars]

BP: Shaun Burgoyne. If he doesn't play on next year, I'm rather glad i took the time to watch him closer this year. Still one of the classiest players i've seen

Signed up for for next year.

 

[evo]

Liked: Richmond's consistency and burgeoning maturity. We finally belong as a top 8 contender.

Learnt: Nothings changed with the AFL despite a change in CEO. They still engage in whatever shenanghins they believe will maximise expansion into NSW and Queensland. Quite frankly I'm sick of it, but short of walking away from the game, what can you do?

Hated: Essendon hierarchy, staff, supporters and sundry media shills continued denial that they were caught red handed cheating. The bullshit that has come out of that club for nigh on 3 years was way worse than the drug taking itself.

 

[Max_very_well]

Liked: this new wave of coaches (thanks Clarkson!)

Disliked: social media storms and twitter outrages.

 

[Royce Hafey]

Liked: the evenness of the top 8 with all the established top 4 showing signs of mortality, finally getting to sing the Tiger theme song with my sons with 62,000 at the MCG after installing a new fundiment into Hawthorn.
Learned: when your team begins to do well you will get patronising praise from neutrals on Bigfooty; if it continues then the hate will flow. Learn to enjoy it.
Hated: Richmond's growing habit of early season slumps, the ghost of White Australia that is almost more annoyed at accusations of racism than it is at uppity blackfellas, the fact that MacLure hasn't been made to publicly apologise to Jack Riewoldt, the fact that the students whose assignments I'm supposed to be marking right now are all going to be Primary School teachers and half of them have no idea of the basic rules of grammar and punctuation (which is why I'm writing a rant rather than marking)....oh and Brussels sprouts. Never forget those little globules of poison.

 

[fidstar]

Liked: the evenness of the top 8 with all the established top 4 showing signs of mortality, finally getting to sing the Tiger theme song with my sons with 62,000 at the MCG after installing a new fundiment into Hawthorn.
Learned: when your team begins to do well you will get patronising praise from neutrals on Bigfooty; if it continues then the hate will flow. Learn to enjoy it.
Hated: Richmond's growing habit of early season slumps, the ghost of White Australia that is almost more annoyed at accusations of racism than it is at uppity blackfellas, the fact that MacLure hasn't been made to publicly apologise to Jack Riewoldt, the fact that the students whose assignments I'm supposed to be marking right now are all going to be Primary School teachers and half of them have no idea of the basic rules of grammar and punctuation (which is why I'm writing a rant rather than marking)....oh and Brussels sprouts. Never forget those little globules of poison.

Well, you know, you could fail them.

 

[Tas]

Liked: Win against Geelong.

Learned: Bevo may become the next Paul Roos

Hated: Just about everything. More ASADA non-sense. More AFL PC non-sense. More players condemned for speaking their minds. More sub rule non-sense.

Hawthorn, Sydney, Freo and West Coast dominating the competition once again.

Carlton and North Melbourne hogging more than their fare share of Friday night games.

650 page threads of BF users wasting their lives debating wherever Adam Goodes throwing an imaginary spear was racist or not.

Bullying on this site whenever an OP doesn't post a "good enough" thread.

Honestly this season has absolutely sucked. I would've been happier if they just played the Cricket World Cup and completely boycotted Season 2015.

We had 3 games, 1 was only due to convenience for the last round.

 

[Pee Tear Griffin]

Hated - Everyone thinking that the AFL tribunal was the last word on Essendon. WADA were always coming...

Losing in NZ again.

Melbourne. There is just no light at the end of that tunnel and Roos has been shown for what he is - a fraud.

We finished above you and beat better teams than you did over the whole season. We also unearthed the league's most promising young key forward and have a guy named C. Petracca set to debut next season. But yeah, our future is completely hopeless

On topic,

Liked: The fact that the competition seems to be more even than ever and that there are no teams in the finals who are just making up the numbers.

Learnt: Teams are capable of completely turning around the form of the previous season - proving that you should never write your team off or get too far ahead of yourself at the beginning (Bulldogs/Port)

Hated: Inconsistency of the umpires still shits me. BT and the rest of the buffoon commentators.

 

[Roddy]

Somewhat interesting to note that every winning team scored over 100 points in the last round, except Essendon who scored 95. Wouldn't happen too often these days I wouldn't think...

 

[JackFlash]

Liked : 1) Footy fan passion hasn't changed, all comments on here are based on bias toward your own club, i don't expect analytical thinking on here nor should anyone else.
2) The Western Bulldogs rise up the ladder, superbly groomed by Brendan McCartney and Luke Beveridge now has a team that should win 2 or 3 flags over the next 5 years.
3) Thank Christ the season is over.

Learnt : 1) The AFL is in total disarray and is run by cowboys, "Gilligan" is floundering and his minions are doing a dance all over him, he must become more authoritative and rid himself of people totally inept in their positions. The round 23 fiasco was evidence enough of this. He is a good orator, but is way too condescending by his use of corporate gobbledygook. It's our game not our industry Gillon!
2) Etihad Stadium is almost superfluous, the game needs a boutique 25,000 seated stadium, too many games are being played in a third full stadium.The Bulldogs have been stitched up at finals time.
3) Integrity is a foreign word at AFL headquarters

Hated : 1) White away strips this year were appalling, i don't know who i 'm watching from one week to another. It's BS.
2) The continuous Essendon saga ripping to shreds the AFL brand.
3) Congestion in the game, it's horrible to watch.
4) Score review decisions...how can they get this so wrong?
5) Another ordinary year for the AFL, fast running out of credits.

 

[SBYM]

the fact that the students whose assignments I'm supposed to be marking right now are all going to be Primary School teachers and half of them have no idea of the basic rules of grammar and punctuation (which is why I'm writing a rant rather than marking)

Feel your pain on that one...there is not much more soul-destroying (in an intellectual sense) than marking rubbish essays/assignments

 

[DrEvil_]

Liked: The dumplings

 

[arro73]

Liked:
Watching the saints win 6 in a season we were meant to win 0
Seeing the doggies do well
the response to the Phil Walsh tragedy
Menzel kicking 4 in his first game since 2011

Disliked:
round 23 and maybe 22 are a complete waste of time and just add to injury lists
commentating
WA teams making up the top 2
the amount of absolutely atrocious free kicks that went against us this year - this is probably the thing that i've disliked the most this season

 

[Toump Ass]

I disliked Hird quitting, the whole circus was heaps of fun.

Essendon have been irrelevant since he left.