The worst football in a generation

[greatwhiteshark]

Did they win or lose? I didn’t know patrons had to be entertained for 120 minutes? Playing proper football focusing on a non contested game is grossly overlooked these days. The majority of recruiters and clubs are always looking for the next ‘inside bull’ as opposed to the next Tim Kelly or Tom Stewart.

Exactly, did they win or lose.
If football was in anyway about how the game looked then according to the modern AFL footy would of been done and dusted 100 years ago.
I care about 1 thing in modern footy and that is did we win or lose, I couldn’t give a crap what this hybrid version of the sport looks like, I don’t care and never have about how many interchanges there has been, I have never ever cared about a runner being on the ground, never ever cared about a defender kicking the ball 50m down the line to get a boundary throw in, how many goals were kicked, was a young player targeted by a senior player.
Did we win or did we lose.
Football is about winning and losing, not life changing just two different feelings. It’s in a very bad spot when spectators are talking about crap that doesn’t matter.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

Exactly, did they win or lose.
If football was in anyway about how the game looked then according to the modern AFL footy would of been done and dusted 100 years ago.
I care about 1 thing in modern footy and that is did we win or lose, I couldn’t give a crap what this hybrid version of the sport looks like, I don’t care and never have about how many interchanges there has been, I have never ever cared about a runner being on the ground, never ever cared about a defender kicking the ball 50m down the line to get a boundary throw in, how many goals were kicked, was a young player targeted by a senior player.
Did we win or did we lose.
Football is about winning and losing, not life changing just two different feelings. It’s in a very bad spot when spectators are talking about crap that doesn’t matter.

Winning or losing is all that's left. My motivation to watch neutral games is now around zero because I don't find the 'product' all that entertaining anymore and I'm not emotionally invested in the result because my team isn't playing. Crap/frustrating rules that cause crap/frustrating umpiring and boring slogfests of games just aren't that interesting.

 

[demondavey]

Winning or losing is all that's left. My motivation to watch neutral games is now around zero because I don't find the 'product' all that entertaining anymore and I'm not emotionally invested in the result because my team isn't playing. Crap/frustrating rules that cause crap/frustrating umpiring and boring slogfests of games just aren't that interesting.

My motivation to watch neutral games is extremely high given Melbourne are extremely sh*thouse.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

My motivation to watch neutral games is extremely high given Melbourne are extremely sh*thouse.

Did the Eagles demolition of Melbourne in the prelim last year actually destroy the fabric of the club and they are unable to recover?

 

[mxett]

Winning or losing is all that's left. My motivation to watch neutral games is now around zero because I don't find the 'product' all that entertaining anymore and I'm not emotionally invested in the result because my team isn't playing. Crap/frustrating rules that cause crap/frustrating umpiring and boring slogfests of games just aren't that interesting.

Which is why the look of the game matters. Die hard fans will watch their club no matter how poor the product looks. Neutrals and fringe fans will switch over very quickly if the product is a poor spectacle. Yes, it isnt the coaches job to make the game attractive, it's the governing bodies responsibility. If viewers drop, sponsorship will also drop, then revenue will drop and the game will suffer.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Did they win or lose? I didn’t know patrons had to be entertained for 120 minutes? Playing proper football focusing on a non contested game is grossly overlooked these days. The majority of recruiters and clubs are always looking for the next ‘inside bull’ as opposed to the next Tim Kelly or Tom Stewart.

When crowds don't go, when TV right cash falls away the substance of the game might just become as important as wins and loses

 

[demondavey]

Did the Eagles demolition of Melbourne in the prelim last year actually destroy the fabric of the club and they are unable to recover?

Nah, no way did it destroy the fabric of the club. Melbourne are just playing unintelligent football and there are some glaringly obvious deficiencies we just haven’t addressed with our list.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Which is why the look of the game matters. Die hard fans will watch their club no matter how poor the product looks. Neutrals and fringe fans will switch over very quickly if the product is a poor spectacle. Yes, it isnt the coaches job to make the game attractive, it's the governing bodies responsibility. If viewers drop, sponsorship will also drop, then revenue will drop and the game will suffer.

I can only base this statement on what I see and hear but it’s the footy fans over 40 that are losing interest, the game today is so far removed from what we grew up playing and supporting and a game which was once quite easy to understand has become a complicated mess.
Friday night footy was once a get together at someone’s house for drinks and footy, now it’s at a restaurant with little care who wins. Most of my mates only watch their own teams games and have zero interest in neutral games.
On the other hand our kids see it very much as a place to go, they don’t seem to care to much about the results but just the outing at the footy.
My take is the AFL don’t really care if my age group are interested so us losing interest is not effecting anything.

 

[biggiemediums]

I can only base this statement on what I see and hear but it’s the footy fans over 40 that are losing interest, the game today is so far removed from what we grew up playing and supporting and a game which was once quite easy to understand has become a complicated mess.
Friday night footy was once a get together at someone’s house for drinks and footy, now it’s at a restaurant with little care who wins. Most of my mates only watch their own teams games and have zero interest in neutral games.
On the other hand our kids see it very much as a place to go, they don’t seem to care to much about the results but just the outing at the footy.
My take is the AFL don’t really care if my age group are interested so us losing interest is not effecting anything.

Ever thought maybe you're just becoming an old grouch with boring friends?

 

[demondavey]

I can only base this statement on what I see and hear but it’s the footy fans over 40 that are losing interest, the game today is so far removed from what we grew up playing and supporting and a game which was once quite easy to understand has become a complicated mess.
Friday night footy was once a get together at someone’s house for drinks and footy, now it’s at a restaurant with little care who wins. Most of my mates only watch their own teams games and have zero interest in neutral games.
On the other hand our kids see it very much as a place to go, they don’t seem to care to much about the results but just the outing at the footy.
My take is the AFL don’t really care if my age group are interested so us losing interest is not effecting anything.

I agree. I am 34 and remember the game being played in a pretty traditional way in around 99-00 when I first started watching.

Today I’ll shift frequently to rugby league. 5 years ago I’d never have considered that. I’ve seen the game go into a pretty steady decline for a while and I’ve been on BF for a while now and don’t recall any amount of negative narrative created on the MB as I have in the last 12 months. Basically the current administration has been a disaster for rules and officiating them.

 

[Marc_Remillard]

The teams in the late 80's early 90's did not pay as much attention to their 18 to 22 players like they do now. They put all their focus on their top 10 players so while the top 10 players of any team 30 years ago would have been quality in terms of pure skill, the bottom players in the best 22 would be a lot better now than they used to be, by a huge margin as well.

Also I am somewhat suspicious of all the supposedly "best of all time" players that played in that era. There is no way there can be that many amazing players in that short span of time. I think quite a few players in the Carey, Ablett, Dunstall, Lockett, Silvangi, Williams, Matthews and Materia were not as good players as a lot of people like to remember them as.

Carey, Ablett, Lockett, Matthews etc not as good as we remember them...

Now I've seen it all on BF. You come out with some absolute crap but this post tops them all, go and give yourself an uppercut

 

[Topkent]

That’s just garbage. That’s owning possession and trying to work to an advantageous position rather than just relentless bombing forward.

The issue with spectators is that they crave ‘entertainment’ constantly. So if something that isn’t exciting is happening they lose interest. Hawthorn built 3 flags on uncontested ball use to their advantage.

This is a great example of not turning the ball over due to impatience.

Haha yeah damn supporters wanting to be entertained should just be happy with any product even if it's s**t.

I know when I go watch a movie I'm just thankful to be there and I always cheer the conclusion regardless of how crap the preceding hour and a half was

 

[Topkent]

Ever thought maybe you're just becoming an old grouch with boring friends?

Nope I used to watch almost every game I could. Now I can barely get through a Melbourne game without getting distracted and I'm 28. Neutral games are gross. Nothing entertaining about AFL anymore

 

[demondavey]

Not that this makes a better game but the fact is that there is not a single team in 2019 that would not smash the best team from 1989. Tactics, skills and fitness are way better in 2019 than they were 30 years ago.

There is absolutely no way skills are better now. No way. Players can’t even properly kick set shots. Which is why I can’t get the ‘Alex Rance is the greatest or one of the greatest FB’ arguments. The modern game is all zoning, Rance gets destroyed by defenders come forwards when he has to play one on one.

 

[Jibroni]

Strip back the rules, bring in the 25metre penalty, reward the player making the football his objective, trial 16 a side in next years JLT and work from there.

 

[demondavey]

Haha yeah damn supporters wanting to be entertained should just be happy with any product even if it's ****.

I know when I go watch a movie I'm just thankful to be there and I always cheer the conclusion regardless of how crap the preceding hour and a half was

My point is that what Hawthorn we’re doing wasn’t unattractive. They maintained possession and worked it around until they could get an advantage. It’s better than watching teams just dump kick it to a 2-1 and turn it over.

 

[Lionheart182]

There is absolutely no way skills are better now. No way. Players can’t even properly kick set shots. Which is why I can’t get the ‘Alex Rance is the greatest or one of the greatest FB’. The modern game is all zoning, Rance gets destroyed by defenders come forwards when he has to play one on one.

Kidding yourself. With the increases in fitness there is a much more significant pressure from the opposition on disposal these days. Granted they don't have to worry about being king hit behind the play anymore generally but the amount of time they have to dispose of the ball is far less than what it used to be. Set shots are an issue for anybody when you've run upwards of 10km a game as well.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Ever thought maybe you're just becoming an old grouch with boring friends?

Always a possibility

 

[demondavey]

Kidding yourself. With the increases in fitness there is a much more significant pressure from the opposition on disposal these days. Granted they don't have to worry about being king hit behind the play anymore generally but the amount of time they have to dispose of the ball is far less than what it used to be. Set shots are an issue for anybody when you've run upwards of 10km a game as well.

Are the players doing the chasing the only ones that got fitter? Everyone is fitter, it’s all relative.

So you’re saying a forward or a player who takes a mark, has time to catch his breath, walks back and gets a set shot is so fatigued he can’t kick straight? Pull the other one.

Ben Brown is a pretty good example of a guy that can kick straight and through the ball. Roughead another one. And Hawkins. These guys just know how to kick the footy through the goals. They are the exceptions. Look at some of the techniques for goal kicking these days, it’s laughable. I’ve seen veteran forwards in the Amateur competition kick better.

 

[HurleyHepsHird]

Exactly, did they win or lose.
If football was in anyway about how the game looked then according to the modern AFL footy would of been done and dusted 100 years ago.
I care about 1 thing in modern footy and that is did we win or lose, I couldn’t give a crap what this hybrid version of the sport looks like, I don’t care and never have about how many interchanges there has been, I have never ever cared about a runner being on the ground, never ever cared about a defender kicking the ball 50m down the line to get a boundary throw in, how many goals were kicked, was a young player targeted by a senior player.
Did we win or did we lose.
Football is about winning and losing, not life changing just two different feelings. It’s in a very bad spot when spectators are talking about crap that doesn’t matter.

I never thought I'd be agreeing with a traditionalist, but here I am.

Enough of the tinkering, it's failed to produce a more aesthetically pleasing spectacle. In fact it's probably harmed the sports appeal.

Just let the game and tactics progress naturally. I would rather as close to the pre-Gil and maybe even pre-Vlad rules as possible. Easy 100m penalties and zones which prevent coaches/young teams stopping momentum swings aren't that exciting. Firstly yes, I want my side to win, but the game feels like it's losing it's cohesion

 

[demondavey]

I mean the biggest indication the game has gone to the dogs is the sliding rule. Yeah let’s reward the guy running in who falls over the guy going for the ball.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Kidding yourself. With the increases in fitness there is a much more significant pressure from the opposition on disposal these days. Granted they don't have to worry about being king hit behind the play anymore generally but the amount of time they have to dispose of the ball is far less than what it used to be. Set shots are an issue for anybody when you've run upwards of 10km a game as well.

Uncontested possession is double or triple what it was 20-30 years ago, players cannot kick on their wrong foot.
I agree that contested possession is under extreme pressure and far greater than it ever was,but half the game is uncontested and players can’t hit a target as professionals.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I mean the biggest indication the game has gone to the dogs is the sliding rule. Yeah let’s reward the guy running in who falls over the guy going for the ball.

But one bloke broke his leg. It’s an epidemic of injuries lol

 

[demondavey]

But one bloke broke his leg. It’s an epidemic of injuries lol

I know I am biased, but I’ve seen some horrid decisions go against Melbourne. I’ve seen Rioli duck his head into Jones one week in front of goal and get the free. Jones has his arms up in the air.

I think last year against St Kilda at the G Salem was chasing someone, tackled him nicely, they both fell on the side and Salem got given against for push in the back.

It’s just comical now.

 

[demondavey]

But one bloke broke his leg. It’s an epidemic of injuries lol

Yet week in week out people take screamers by putting up their knees into an opponents back? So one unfortunate leg break and now the basic fundamentals are overridden.