What makes a great game of football

As the heading says, what do we each thing makes a great game of football...

- is it a tight contest that goes down to the wire
- or maybe a match like the 07 where one team is at the top of their game

If you were introducing a newbie to the wonderful game of AFL and could only pick 1 match to show them, which match would it be
 
Jan 13, 2006
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David Parkin had the best idea - the ball must travel 30 metres - if it doesnt - its not a mark - its play on - hes not piddling around with some 5 metre irrelevant change

The worst problem with the current game - if you are watching a neutral game - and want to be entertained and excited - is the chipping the ball around in the backline

Current Geel team who do that - you put up with that - because thats the team you support . However as a neutral - Hawks in their 3 peat - that chipping the ball around in their backline i did not enjoy one little bit

Now Rich - their current style - it is a far cry from Bill Barrot kicking a 60 metre bullet to Royce Hart - it is way inferior to that - however - they are one of the few clubs who dont feuck around in the backline with that short chip passing rubbish ( which is putrid to watch ) they move the ball swiftly from the backline and take risks - so as a neutral watching that gets a big tick from me

What is with the AFL obsession over changing rules?? The games fine.
All I see this being is the AFL hates defensive football and is trying to appeal to some international expansion market by wanting a 200 goal football match every game.

the last thing I want to see every week in a super high scoring competition are matches that blow out regularly to 60-100 point margins, which will happen very often when playing the bottom four sides in a high scoring competition.

what fans love are seeing tight contests that go down to the wire.. not high scoring blowout games.

if I have the option to choose between watching port Adelaide and Richmond play and it’s a 60 point margin, or watching Gold Coast and hawthorn play in a close contest, I will flip the tv to watch Gold Coast hawthorn...

free flowing footy is boring as it’s more often large blowouts.
 
Nov 12, 2002
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the last thing I want to see every week in a super high scoring competition are matches that blow out regularly to 60-100 point margins, which will happen very often when playing the bottom four sides in a high scoring competition.

what fans love are seeing tight contests that go down to the wire.. not high scoring blowout games.

if I have the option to choose between watching port Adelaide and Richmond play and it’s a 60 point margin, or watching Gold Coast and hawthorn play in a close contest, I will flip the tv to watch Gold Coast hawthorn...

free flowing footy is boring as it’s more often large blowouts.

How many fans on here walked out during the 2007 Qualifying final or Grand final? Both blowouts, both extremely free flowing.

It's sport. There are winners and losers. There will always be blowouts. I've never understood the argument that a close game equals a good game. Sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn't. The 2005 Grand final was very close, but one of the most excruciating games I've ever seen - 8 goals to 7 in perfect conditions. I'd prefer a high standard blowout any day no matter who is playing.
 
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How many fans on here walked out during the 2007 Qualifying final or Grand final? Both blowouts, both extremely free flowing.

It's sport. There are winners and losers. There will always be blowouts. I've never understood the argument that a close game equals a good game. Sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn't. The 2005 Grand final was very close, but one of the most excruciating games I've ever seen - 8 goals to 7 in perfect conditions. I'd prefer a high standard blowout any day no matter who is playing.

a lot of AFL fans probably did find the 07 grand final boring, certainly not geelong fans.

what I love about watching non geelong games is the unpredictability of a result going down to the wire of a game.

I will ask you this then, If there are three games played on a Saturday night, one is30-40 point margin in the last quarter, the other is a 10 goal blowout, and the other is a 2 point margin... which do you think an AFL audience in general is going to flick the channel to?? The two blowouts or the close contest.
 

ATSAM

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a lot of AFL fans probably did find the 07 grand final boring, certainly not geelong fans.

what I love about watching non geelong games is the unpredictability of a result going down to the wire of a game.

I will ask you this then, If there are three games played on a Saturday night, one is30-40 point margin in the last quarter, the other is a 10 goal blowout, and the other is a 2 point margin... which do you think an AFL audience in general is going to flick the channel to?? The two blowouts or the close contest.
The 2007 GF was one of the best games of footy to watch for pure Aussie Rules football. Skills and excitement galore. a great game for some one new to it.
I also like watching other games than ours go down to the wire mainly because it means that both teams are worn out and may not be a threat to us the next week. And yes most TV watchers love the close game , some because they are not really footy fans and some because they are told by the 'experts that this is a good game.
 
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The 2007 GF was one of the best games of footy to watch for pure Aussie Rules football. Skills and excitement galore. a great game for some one new to it.
I also like watching other games than ours go down to the wire mainly because it means that both teams are worn out and may not be a threat to us the next week. And yes most TV watchers love the close game , some because they are not really footy fans and some because they are told by the 'experts that this is a good game.

geelong fans aside who puts 07 as a great grand final to watch?? All the heralded grand finals across history are close games. Fans love close matches because they keep you on the edge of your seats not knowing the final score till the end.

people watch close matches of football because media journalists tell them to like it?? You can’t be serious.
 

ATSAM

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geelong fans aside who puts 07 as a great grand final to watch?? All the heralded grand finals across history are close games. Fans love close matches because they keep you on the edge of your seats not knowing the final score till the end.

people watch close matches of football because media journalists tell them to like it?? You can’t be serious.
Why can't I be serious. I have my opinion you have yours. I do not ind people who never go the the football and therefore only see it on TV as 'entertainment' saying oh it was such a good game it was so close. Good skilled football makes good footy. The sort that we played between 07 and 11.
 

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IMO close, defensive slug-fests tend to only get interesting towards the end. At best they're a slow build up. Like clay court tennis finals between big serve baseliners; fairly predictable until fifth set, or baseball until the playoffs. They're just a grind until something is on the line.
Attacking styles being denied with desperation has an appeal, but two dour sides stifling everything are hard to watch.
That said the endings can be tense and enjoyable to watch from a neutral's viewpoint.
 
Nov 12, 2002
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I will ask you this then, If there are three games played on a Saturday night, one is30-40 point margin in the last quarter, the other is a 10 goal blowout, and the other is a 2 point margin... which do you think an AFL audience in general is going to flick the channel to?? The two blowouts or the close contest.

Wrong person to ask.

I neither know nor care what an "AFL audience" is. I follow Geelong, or, good games of footy with high demonstrations of skill. I personally love games - particularly finals - where it's tight for 2-3 quarters and one side breaks them open. The 2001 Grand final was a good example of this, 2017 was another. Neither had close finishes but were good games to watch.
 
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Why can't I be serious. I have my opinion you have yours. I do not ind people who never go the the football and therefore only see it on TV as 'entertainment' saying oh it was such a good game it was so close. Good skilled football makes good footy. The sort that we played between 07 and 11.

And the only game I can remember that might have been more entertaining than the 2007 Grand final was the Qualifying final massacre three weeks before it.
 
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Wrong person to ask.

I neither know nor care what an "AFL audience" is. I follow Geelong, or, good games of footy with high demonstrations of skill. I personally love games - particularly finals - where it's tight for 2-3 quarters and one side breaks them open. The 2001 Grand final was a good example of this, 2017 was another. Neither had close finishes but were good games to watch.
2011 GF was exactly this. One of the highest quality games of football I've seen before the last quarter break away and the Pies dropped off. Peak football, loved it.
 
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Wrong person to ask.

I neither know nor care what an "AFL audience" is. I follow Geelong, or, good games of footy with high demonstrations of skill. I personally love games - particularly finals - where it's tight for 2-3 quarters and one side breaks them open. The 2001 Grand final was a good example of this, 2017 was another. Neither had close finishes but were good games to watch.

define good games of football with high skill?? Reading between the lines your personal definition of that seems to be low pressure high scoring matches.

personal preference and it seems to vary as I notice the older generations seem to be nostalgically inclined towards that sort of play.

the best quality game I think I have witnesssed was the09 grand final. Two genuine super teams facing off in a arm wrestle grand final to the final minute in a high intensity game.

Surprisingly the final that is most memorable to a lot of the players from that group and they have said it at various stages, is the 07 prelim against collingwood. Bartel off the top of my head said it was his most memorable final.
 

ATSAM

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define good games of football with high skill?? Reading between the lines your personal definition of that seems to be low pressure high scoring matches.

personal preference and it seems to vary as I notice the older generations seem to be nostalgically inclined towards that sort of play.

the best quality game I think I have witnesssed was the09 grand final. Two genuine super teams facing off in a arm wrestle grand final to the final minute in a high intensity game.

Surprisingly the final that is most memorable to a lot of the players from that group and they have said it at various stages, is the 07 prelim against collingwood. Bartel off the top of my head said it was his most memorable final.
Theres eems to be something about aPerlim for players. They will often say that it is the best game for them, the best one to win.
 
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define good games of football with high skill?? Reading between the lines your personal definition of that seems to be low pressure high scoring matches.

personal preference and it seems to vary as I notice the older generations seem to be nostalgically inclined towards that sort of play.

the best quality game I think I have witnesssed was the09 grand final. Two genuine super teams facing off in a arm wrestle grand final to the final minute in a high intensity game.

Surprisingly the final that is most memorable to a lot of the players from that group and they have said it at various stages, is the 07 prelim against collingwood. Bartel off the top of my head said it was his most memorable final.

Your mistake is "reading between the lines". Try asking instead.

I never said the 2009 Grand final wasn't a great game. I mentioned one particular type of game I find enjoyable to watch, which others do too.

I'll give you another tight final that we blew open late - the 1989 First Semi-final versus Melbourne. I was 17 at the time - was the the "older generation" as well?
 
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Your mistake is "reading between the lines". Try asking instead.

I never said the 2009 Grand final wasn't a great game. I mentioned one particular type of game I find enjoyable to watch, which others do too.

I'll give you another tight final that we blew open late - the 1989 First Semi-final versus Melbourne. I was 17 at the time - was the the "older generation" as well?

I never said you didn’t see it a great game, just from the examples you give you seem to reference high scoring free flowing games of football as your favorites. I don’t see that as anything bad which you seem to be giving an attitude about, your preference like otherswhich is a common thing with the older generations who witnessed the regularity of centennial goal kickers and the days before high pressure zones came about.

and is 32 years ago the older generation? Yes it is. Completely different era
 

ATSAM

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I never said you didn’t see it a great game, just from the examples you give you seem to reference high scoring free flowing games of football as your favorites. I don’t see that as anything bad which you seem to be giving an attitude about, your preference like otherswhich is a common thing with the older generations who witnessed the regularity of centennial goal kickers and the days before high pressure zones came about.

and is 32 years ago the older generation? Yes it is. Completely different era
We are completely off topic but not sure what the 'older generation' has got to do with good footy. Some of us do remember when Aussie Rules was the actual game, not AFL, and when it had a bit of integrity. When the rules didn't change every year, when an Umpire, yes one, made a decision not four interpreting a play differently, when commentators just said what they saw and didn't chat between themselves, when the TV just recorded the play and not repeats of something that takes their fancy often missing the next play- eg the missing bounce of the 1994/5 bounce before the Billy goal.
When the footy went from one end to the next in play moving all the time, and yes the game was actually just as fast then. When kicking a goal was more important than tactics ,and so much more that was likeable about the game than just being entertaining.
 
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Theres eems to be something about aPerlim for players. They will often say that it is the best game for them, the best one to win.
Was a brilliant game of football, one that collingwood came agonizingly close to pinching as well off us. We were a bad umpiring call away from losing that game in the last 30 seconds if bartel got called holding the ball.

the nerves were gone for me the last quarter of that game
 

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2011 GF was exactly this. One of the highest quality games of football I've seen before the last quarter break away and the Pies dropped off. Peak football, loved it.

That first Varcoe goal !!!!
I completely and involuntarily jumped up out of my seat screaming like a banshee - my then 15 year old son did the same.
Fantastic contest with the Lingy goal sealing it late.
We moan about our GF losses but how stiff were the Pies that year - lost 3 games for the whole season - all to us - had everyone else covered.
 
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We are completely off topic but not sure what the 'older generation' has got to do with good footy. Some of us do remember when Aussie Rules was the actual game, not AFL, and when it had a bit of integrity. When the rules didn't change every year, when an Umpire, yes one, made a decision not four interpreting a play differently, when commentators just said what they saw and didn't chat between themselves, when the TV just recorded the play and not repeats of something that takes their fancy often missing the next play- eg the missing bounce of the 1994/5 bounce before the Billy goal.
When the footy went from one end to the next in play moving all the time, and yes the game was actually just as fast then. When kicking a goal was more important than tactics ,and so much more that was likeable about the game than just being entertaining.

all sounds great. I say older generations because depending what era you saw you tend to have different views on what constitutes good football. A lot of the older fans are nostalgic of how they watched footy 70’s 90’s and prefer the way it was then and want to see the game swing back in that attacking high scoring low pressure ping pong fashion.

the game has not been played in that fashion now for about 20 years since Paul Roos and worsford brought about the flooding style. 15 or so years if you want to be exact.

I doubt we will ever see footy that way again and have 100 + goal kickers. If you want to return footy to that state you probably have to make AFL a part time amateur sport again.
Players are too well trained and disciplined these days tactically and fitness wise which results in a great deal of defensive efforts.

only relevance to the pre season chat all of this is because the AFL rule change trying to bring back attacking footy. Which I think will help Us anyway
 
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I never said you didn’t see it a great game, just from the examples you give you seem to reference high scoring free flowing games of football as your favorites. I don’t see that as anything bad which you seem to be giving an attitude about, your preference like otherswhich is a common thing with the older generations who witnessed the regularity of centennial goal kickers and the days before high pressure zones came about.

and is 32 years ago the older generation? Yes it is. Completely different era
I remember watching Bob Davis as a kid so probably 65 years ago now so I've see a bit of footy and the era I enjoyed most without doubt would have been the Blight and Thompson years.
 
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all sounds great. I say older generations because depending what era you saw you tend to have different views on what constitutes good football. A lot of the older fans are nostalgic of how they watched footy 70’s 90’s and prefer the way it was then and want to see the game swing back in that attacking high scoring low pressure ping pong fashion.

the game has not been played in that fashion now for about 20 years since Paul Roos and worsford brought about the flooding style. 15 or so years if you want to be exact.

I doubt we will ever see footy that way again and have 100 + goal kickers. If you want to return footy to that state you probably have to make AFL a part time amateur sport again.
Players are too well trained and disciplined these days tactically and fitness wise which results in a great deal of defensive efforts.

only relevance to the pre season chat all of this is because the AFL rule change trying to bring back attacking footy. Which I think will help Us anyway
I reckon Terry Wallace at the Dogs was the first I saw to introduce that style of play.
 
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As the heading says, what do we each thing makes a great game of football...

- is it a tight contest that goes down to the wire
- or maybe a match like the 07 where one team is at the top of their game

If you were introducing a newbie to the wonderful game of AFL and could only pick 1 match to show them, which match would it be

Contested marking has always been one of the most enjoyable aspects of Aussie Rules to me - unfortunately it is a skill that is increasingly curtailed by defensive-minded coaches and lax umpiring allowing players out of position to scrag their opponent.

back in the ‘good old days’ you’d see all manner of sticky-fingered players capable of plucking the ball cleanly out of the air - these days you’re lucky to see 5 contested grabs in a full game.

if I’m showing a game to a newbie then I’m probably going for the 2011 GF.
I’m personally more of a fan of the ‘09 GF as a Geelong supporter, but 2011 was a real showcase; you’ve got Tom Hawkins putting on a contested marking clinic, Cloke’s long bomb goals, Krakouer’s specky and some really skilful moments like Bartel & SJ’s set shots from over the boundary, and Sidebottom’s brilliant gather, spin and goal. On top of that there were wonderful examples of players absorbing pressure; a couple of Bartel and Selwood’s efforts leap to mind, and a great example of an Aussie Rules players aerobic capacity in Trav Varcoe’s 3-touch length-of-the-ground goal in the last. All on the biggest footy day of the year.
 

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As the heading says, what do we each thing makes a great game of football...

- is it a tight contest that goes down to the wire
- or maybe a match like the 07 where one team is at the top of their game

If you were introducing a newbie to the wonderful game of AFL and could only pick 1 match to show them, which match would it be
Any game where a big forward dominates.
Or a speedy winger takes the game on.
Margin doesn't matter.
I'd show someone state of origin Ablett and Modra.
Or anything Gaz snr.
Matera beating us in the GF.
An Akermanis game
Carey dominating the Dogs at the Western oval.
 
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