Introduce the pre-game handshake - Respect

[im_a_lazy_sod]

I've always admired how football - yes football - players, pre-match, will line up and walk past not only the opposition players and shake hands with them, but with the referees as well.

This is for one main reason - respect.

Once you've shook someones hand and looked them in the eye you're less likely to show them any disrespect - this goes for players and the umpires.

Sledging would be less of an issue, there would be less fights and less suspensions and hopefully a fairer game.

After a game it's always good to see opposition players shake hands and have a chat and that's the sort of stuff I'd like to see.

I love a good, hard, fair game of footy - the fighting and sledging just annoys me - I'm all for showing a physical presence in a game but sniping and targeting other players is just not on and you don't need to do that sort of thing to prove you are a good AFL player/team.

I might get a bit of flak for this because I know some of you on here hate Football (Soccer) and introducing something from soccer will jeopardize the integrity of the game rah rah rah - but that is my point.

Was considering putting this on the main board but wanted to gauge it with predominantly Freo fans so that discussions are less likely to get heated in a team vs team argument.

Also I love how the dictionary doesn't have AFL in it

 

[silverscope]

You find some players do it, othertimes players seem so hyped up they get to their opponents and start trying to flex muscles and push and shove.

I think it's a great part of the game but vry rarely seen now a days.


Players chat all the time during a game also... just not always a friendly chat

 

[_GJ_]

Handshakes? If anything FFC needs to go to the other extreme.

Harvey should ban FFC players from socialising with players from opposition clubs. It sounds harsh but it is well known that when athletes socialise with lesser opponents it "de-mystifies" them in the eyes of the opponent.

Warne learnt this the hard way when he started hanging out with KP in the lead up to the ashes as few years back.

It in almost every sport, but especially AFL.

 

[purplepassion82]

Brock wont like that!

 

[Eski3]

I don't think it's really an issue of respect. In sports where the players running onto the field creates some degree of fanfare (AFL with the banner, NFL with the tunnel and cheerleaders, NBA with the player introductions over the speakers) it is difficult to then reel the players in and line them up to make sure they shake hands with everyone. Sports like cricket and soccer don't have this degree of excitement as the players run onto the field so it's easier to get the teams to greet each other before the players psychologically go into 'game mode'. I think the captains meeting each other and the main field umpire is enough for AFL

 

[estibador]

Harvey should ban FFC players from socialising with players from opposition clubs.

Considering the only people our players could socialise with are eagles players that would probably be a wise move.

 

[The Night Shift]

Nothing wrong with a bit of mutual respect being displayed. Not enough sportsmanship around these days. Good example for kids.

 

[estibador]

Also I love how the dictionary doesn't have AFL in it

Pretty sure 'Barclay's English Premier League' isn't in there either.

 

[Keys]

Harvey should ban FFC players from socialising with players from opposition clubs. It sounds harsh but it is well known that when athletes socialise with lesser opponents it "de-mystifies" them in the eyes of the opponent.

Considering the only people our players could socialise with are eagles players that would probably be a wise move.

I agree Esti. Ever since we started socialising with lesser opponents it has demystified us in the eyes of your purple players, hence your current run of good results against us.

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

I've always admired how football - yes football - players, pre-match, will line up and walk past not only the opposition players and shake hands with them, but with the referees as well.

This is for one main reason - respect.

Once you've shook someones hand and looked them in the eye you're less likely to show them any disrespect - this goes for players and the umpires.

Sledging would be less of an issue, there would be less fights and less suspensions and hopefully a fairer game.

After a game it's always good to see opposition players shake hands and have a chat and that's the sort of stuff I'd like to see.

I love a good, hard, fair game of footy - the fighting and sledging just annoys me - I'm all for showing a physical presence in a game but sniping and targeting other players is just not on and you don't need to do that sort of thing to prove you are a good AFL player/team.

I might get a bit of flak for this because I know some of you on here hate Football (Soccer) and introducing something from soccer will jeopardize the integrity of the game rah rah rah - but that is my point.

Was considering putting this on the main board but wanted to gauge it with predominantly Freo fans so that discussions are less likely to get heated in a team vs team argument.

Also I love how the dictionary doesn't have AFL in it

you lost me right there.... and to back up your statement. yes you can count me as one who hates soccer

 

[estibador]

Btw in my view the handshake is all good in games of skill like soccer etc, but I can fully understand why players don't do it in full contact sports like Aussie rules and gridiron where physical and mental intimidation of your oponent can go a long way towards winning you the contest.

The Brissie Lions threepeat team didn't become such a feared juggernaut and develop such an intimidating aura by playing nice.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

Pretty sure 'Barclay's English Premier League' isn't in there either.

It has Barclay's, English, Premier and League in the dictionary

 

[dominguez]

I love sledging. Obviously there's things that are off limits, but if you can get into someone's head then go for it.

 

[NYJetsfor2029]

It has Barclay's, English, Premier and League in the dictionary

So is Australian, Football and League.

And now i think of it so is "soccer"

 

[believe_it]

This best start to a game is an all-in brawl in the center square.

 

[legitimatic]

This best start to a game is an all-in brawl in the center square.

I prefer them at the end of quarters tbh, at the start the umps are likely to pay some rubbish free kick if not several 50's, no real chance of that happening after the siren has sounded.

Having said that the second Derby in 07 was a joy to watch for this reason and the continued harrassment of the Eagles throughout the game.

esti has pretty much nailed it, bugger "playing nice" in a contact sport, even if the contact aspect of our game is slowly receeding

 

[JimDocker]

Btw in my view the handshake is all good in games of skill like soccer etc, but I can fully understand why players don't do it in full contact sports like Aussie rules and gridiron where physical and mental intimidation of your oponent can go a long way towards winning you the contest.

The Brissie Lions threepeat team didn't become such a feared juggernaut and develop such an intimidating aura by playing nice.

Since OneHD has arrived, I managed to watch a fair bit of grid iron this year. The players in that are far less likely to engage in idiotic macho bumping of opponents at any stage. I saw regularly, players assisting opposition players up from a scrimmage and back slapping opponents after a physical confrontation.

I love watching players go hard at the ball and enjoy the physical aspect of footy as much as anyone, but shaking your direct opponent's hand prior to bounce down would be reasonable. Not neccessarily all lining up as FIFA players do, but I enjoy watching 2 professionals respect each other.

 

[Bad Brain]

Mrg save the love for post-game where it belong's.

 

[The Purple Sox]

there are few who would argue that respect is a bad thing.

But in my experience, it takes more than a quick handshake to earn respect.
I'm not sure that being a contact sport has anything to do with it. As JimDocker says, grid iron players are quite pleasant toward ther oppenents at times, and cricket players quite often send head hunter balls down the pitch, racially abuse each other, and generally treat each other as badly as they can within the rules.

As for the umpires.
If the AFL wants respect for the umpires then it needs to remove umpire subjectivity from it's rules system.

Any rule that contains the word "deliberate" needs to be re-thought.

all rules regarding "push in the back" and "holding the ball" need to be re-written in precise detail so that there are only TWO possible interpretations:
1: a player infringed
2: a player DID NOT infringe.

if the rules can be "re-interpreted" every pre-season then the rules need to be changed.

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

there are few who would argue that respect is a bad thing.

But in my experience, it takes more than a quick handshake to earn respect.
I'm not sure that being a contact sport has anything to do with it. As JimDocker says, grid iron players are quite pleasant toward ther oppenents at times, and cricket players quite often send head hunter balls down the pitch, racially abuse each other, and generally treat each other as badly as they can within the rules.

As for the umpires.
If the AFL wants respect for the umpires then it needs to remove umpire subjectivity from it's rules system.

Any rule that contains the word "deliberate" needs to be re-thought.

all rules regarding "push in the back" and "holding the ball" need to be re-written in precise detail so that there are only TWO possible interpretations:
1: a player infringed
2: a player DID NOT infringe.

if the rules can be "re-interpreted" every pre-season then the rules need to be changed.

yeah, its just their own team mates where they pull out the glocks on each other (it was the nfl recently where this happened in a changeromm wasnt it, or am i thinking basketball?)

 

[PapaJ]

Btw in my view the handshake is all good in games of skill like soccer etc, but I can fully understand why players don't do it in full contact sports like Aussie rules and gridiron where physical and mental intimidation of your oponent can go a long way towards winning you the contest....

I was thinking of this as a good example. NFL have a NBA style of intro and, from what I can tell, the only 'inter club' pre-game engagement tends to be trash talking mixed with 'respectful handshaking etc.' that is all kind of organic - not dissimilar to current AFL. Except AFL players tend to push and shove more than trash talk.

As for OP, Like the idea in principle, but the practicalities would be difficult and not really suited to the sort of sport AFL is.

 

[PapaJ]

yeah, its just their own team mates where they pull out the glocks on each other (it was the nfl recently where this happened in a changeromm wasnt it, or am i thinking basketball?)

NBA, Washington Wizards player, can't remember his name.

 

[silverscope]

Gilbert Arenas is the Basketball from the Wizards who had guns in his locker.

 

[dockers_bengals]

Any pre-game handshakes are a waste of time because we know they are told/forced to do it ,Epl players do it so quick they hardly say anything and it looks a chore and thats how the coaches will view it now because all the players coaches etc.. are too focused on the game ahead.
What I like seeing is the after game vision of players shaking hands etc... without being staged why can't the AFL allow players to shake the umpires hands after the game?

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

heh, thinking about it more id prefer a pre-game dis-respect action. a player from each team could select their biggest smart-arse, or their doggiest dog and that player is allowed one dis-respectful action without fear of reprecussion, retaliation or pay-back. they could flip a coin to see who goes first....... would make for some great humour, and would spice up the derbies even more . imagine crowley winning the toss, selecting to have his turn last. have adam selwood call him bad names, and he in return kicks him in the groin ..... seems funny in my own mind anyway