Player Watch AFL skill level

[knackers29]

Yeah part of the best part of playing sport when i was younger was how seriously everyone took it. I remember a game in the under 12s where we played Ajax and they made us stand outside at half time in a hailstorm because we were the enemy while they rugged up inside.

******* Ajax!! Nothing better than knocking them off!!

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

I remember beating Ajax 20-0 in U-15s hockey. I scored five goals, someone else scored ten. We played all of our junior home games on Friday nights each week so we’d usually get a massive crowd in of parents and players from our other age groups sticking around. Awful night for them. Club was so stoked that they shouted us pizzas. Ended with a party in the clubhouse that evening. Good times. I like to think it’s the reason Ajax had to rebrand themselves.

What were we talking about again?

 

[stEdy]

In one of our many spiteful games against Ajax our runner punched one of their players and got sent off

 

[Tulip]

I played juniors for Ajax, you can all * off.

 

[Bazza97]

Played Junior footy against Ajax quite a few times. I remember one time playing against them away, we lost after the siren when one of our player's got a free kick and missed the shot from 15 metres out on a slight angle. That was a hard game to lose as we dropped out of the top 4, but I do remember getting a Macca's award for playing pretty well that day so that cheered me up. Also in my team was future AFL player Tim Taranto who was playing a year above and I remember in that game he was the one keeping us in it and just dominated.

 

[ponsdale]

I played juniors for Ajax, you can all **** off.

Did you happen to get punched by a runner in a game?

 

[Capt_Concussion]

My biggest cause of concern is the over umpiring. My view is the whistle should only be blown if something dangerous or unfair happens. Instead play is stopped for the softest contact to the top of the shoulder, or the stronger of two players in a contest gives away a free because he happens to have the ability to muscle his opponent out of it.

I know it's the umpires job to protect players, but now players expect a free for the softest reasons that they play the umpire instead of the ball.

This is what stops me from watching neutral games. I just get sick of watching the umpires dictate the result instead of the players. Even if the calls being made a techniqually right.

On Mi A2 Lite using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Theseventhhamster]

Rose coloured glasses. Watch a game from the 80's. Awful kicking skills.

 

[Cannon82]

Rose coloured glasses. Watch a game from the 80's. Awful kicking skills.

The baseline has definitely come up. Pretty much everyone is a half decent kick these days - no one is wandering around using it like Andrew Dunkley or Mick Martyn anymore (Brayshaw aside).

On the other hand, in defense of the 80s, players would have spent a lot more time kicking a wet, slippery medicine ball. The Sherrin, ground management / conditions, drainage, having a retractable roof, etc have improved a fair bit since then. Don't see a dozen players jumping all over a muddy square trying to find a hint of leather anymore.

 

[Topkent]

The baseline has definitely come up. Pretty much everyone is a half decent kick these days - no one is wandering around using it like Andrew Dunkley or Mick Martyn anymore (Brayshaw aside).

On the other hand, in defense of the 80s, players would have spent a lot more time kicking a wet, slippery medicine ball. The Sherrin, ground management / conditions, drainage, having a retractable roof, etc have improved a fair bit since then. Don't see a dozen players jumping all over a muddy square trying to find a hint of leather anymore.

Plus these guys are full time athletes where as blokes like Brian Taylor were getting in from night clubs an hour before the game still drunk yet were better set shots.

The other thing is the genuine fear of death you had stepping on the field so getting it on the boot was a priority. Now you could play the game as a hemophiliac

 

[Topkent]

I played juniors for Ajax, you can all **** off.

Ah that explains why you're a w***er

Actually how old are you 27-28?

 

[Theseventhhamster]

The baseline has definitely come up. Pretty much everyone is a half decent kick these days - no one is wandering around using it like Andrew Dunkley or Mick Martyn anymore (Brayshaw aside).

On the other hand, in defense of the 80s, players would have spent a lot more time kicking a wet, slippery medicine ball. The Sherrin, ground management / conditions, drainage, having a retractable roof, etc have improved a fair bit since then. Don't see a dozen players jumping all over a muddy square trying to find a hint of leather anymore.

Fair. Restricted to kicking for goal, yeah for sure they should be better now compared to then but probably aren't, but I reckon it's a bit like free throw shooting in basketball and these guys are hitting way more in practice. Lots of chokers out there.

For a shocker watch the 87 prelim, you'd think the lot of them took up the game that day. Forget Stynes ******* up, we were spraying everything in the 4th.

 

[Tulip]

Ah that explains why you're a w***er

Actually how old are you 27-28?

24 - probably not related to whatever GBH anecdote you're about to post

 

[Topkent]

24 - probably not related to whatever GBH anecdote you're about to post

Nah lol kicked me first goal ever against Ajax back in me Oakleigh days i was hoping you were the campaigner who fell into me back in the Goal square.

 

[Proper Gander]

Plus these guys are full time athletes where as blokes like Brian Taylor were getting in from night clubs an hour before the game still drunk yet were better set shots.

The other thing is the genuine fear of death you had stepping on the field so getting it on the boot was a priority. Now you could play the game as a hemophiliac

*haemophiliac

I think so anyway

 

[Topkent]

*haemophiliac

I think so anyway

Dunno I just mashed some keys and went to autocorrect for the help. Its a word you hear sometime but can't remember actually seeing it

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

*haemophiliac

I think so anyway

You're forgetting that Topkent is in Canada. Hemophilliac would be the North American spelling.

 

[Topkent]

You're forgetting that Topkent is in Canada. Hemophilliac would be the North American spelling.

Yeah that's what I was bloody saying.

 

[Djcjdees]

I played juniors for Ajax, you can all **** off.

I had a bugbear about Ajax because everyone here mispronounces it.

 

[Djcjdees]

So i can't find it online, but Roos has been pretty strong on the poor skills (mostly of high draft picks) on OTC for a while now.

He showed some footage the other night of the Saints. Old mate (Bruce I think) handballed to someone who ran off the bench. He pretty much missed the ball with his right hand (akin to missing a shot at tee-ball), he picks it up and shoots a 1m handball at the feet of someone else, who picks it up and stuffed his 1m handball up so bad that it was actually called a throw to the guy who ran past to receive. You know it has to be bad if the ump didn't let it go, because these days pretty much anything that leaves your hand is legal.

I forget the names but all these players were senior, decent players.

It happens in pretty much every game. I remember Petrevski-Seton (supposedly good player but I'm yet to see it) with a regulation 3m handball to a team mate on the weekend that went so far behind him it went out for a throw in.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

So i can't find it online, but Roos has been pretty strong on the poor skills (mostly of high draft picks) on OTC for a while now.

He showed some footage the other night of the Saints. Old mate (Bruce I think) handballed to someone who ran off the bench. He pretty much missed the ball with his right hand (akin to missing a shot at tee-ball), he picks it up and shoots a 1m handball at the feet of someone else, who picks it up and stuffed his 1m handball up so bad that it was actually called a throw to the guy who ran past to receive. You know it has to be bad if the ump didn't let it go, because these days pretty much anything that leaves your hand is legal.

I forget the names but all these players were senior, decent players.

It happens in pretty much every game. I remember Petrevski-Seton (supposedly good player but I'm yet to see it) with a regulation 3m handball to a team mate on the weekend that went so far behind him it went out for a throw in.

I blame it on the high prevalence of head injuries, players can barely stand up straight anymore let alone kick. A concussion sub would help.

 

[Djcjdees]

I blame it on the high prevalence of head injuries, players can barely stand up straight anymore let alone kick. A concussion sub would help.

The sub can only be for that specific type of concussion though, where they can barely stand up straight. They'll have a spirit level on the boundary to confirm.

 

[Topkent]

I blame it on the high prevalence of head injuries, players can barely stand up straight anymore let alone kick. A concussion sub would help.

I'd like to hear more about this concept.

 

[stEdy]

It'll be interesting re-visiting this later in the year, I feel like the early rounds especially feel sloppy as players are getting their touch back

I mean the grand final last year was one of the best games of footy you're likely to see, it really had it all, and that wasn't long ago at all

 

[saj_21]

Good handballs are a dying art in this day and age when there is so much congestion. Players either scoop/throw it out, place the ball on the ground and tap it out or just maul it forward like a scrum in rugby union