Mega Thread Non-Freo AFL Discussion 2025

[TheMcManusNose]

Gawn is a bit like Cox, amazing player around the ground for a full size ruck, not actually all that dominant as an actual ruck. Not saying they're not great rucks, but they weren't even the best pure rucks in the time they were playing, let along ever.
If were selecting a team to to play a match to decide whether evil aliens destroy the Earth, and the evil aliens get second pick (of course using mind control to ensure their selected players compete to the fullest) do you really want Gawn rucking against prime Sandilands or NicNat for the fate of humankind?

Well I mean if it was a single ruck contest I would pick Nic Nat, a full game of ruck contests i'd pick Sandi, but if it was who wins the game of football i'd pick Gawn.

 

[Purple Suit]

It's referencing Law 19.2 from the AFL Laws of the Game, which WA Football adheres to
(link: https://wafootball.com.au/resources/145/rules-regs-umpiring-laws-of-the-game), but I have no idea where that Time Delay stipulation is from. It's not in the WAFL Rules document (https://wafootball.com.au/resources/46/waflwaflw)

The other factor is the umpire mistakenly called full time by holding both arms above his head, then the South Freo player boots it and the bench runs onto the ground. He shouldn’t have done that and let the East Perth player take his kick first.

Common sense prevailed.

 

[Bigger]

They win the count 28 frees to 13 and the east perth housos are in here complaining about the umpires? Spare me.
Try taking the game on for more than a quarter if you want to win a grand final

I hate South Fremantle like sensible people hate Donald Trump, but them robbing East Perth is too perfect and I choose to let it stand. Sowfs are shit and all but East Perth shouldn't exist.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

It's referencing Law 19.2 from the AFL Laws of the Game, which WA Football adheres to
(link: https://wafootball.com.au/resources/145/rules-regs-umpiring-laws-of-the-game), but I have no idea where that Time Delay stipulation is from. It's not in the WAFL Rules document (https://wafootball.com.au/resources/46/waflwaflw)

Yeah I know the rule, as the rule is written it is a clear 50 metre penalty.

There's an umpire handbook on the WAFL website that has formatting similar to the document pictured that talks about time delay, however it makes no mention of it being permissible after the siren. I did note that is a 2024 handbook though, so maybe the 2025 one has the update?

 

[masai tu]

Probably wouldn't put Cox in my top 50 but I'd say the general consensus is that he alongside Sandilands and Gawn are the three greatest ruckmen of all time.

Depends on who you ask though, but I've seen those three names brought up most.

Lot of people already have Gawn as the greatest ruckman the game has ever seen.

"three greatest ruckmen of all time", that is a big statement.

Yes they were / are darn good rucks, but greatest, ........ you obviously need some crackers.

 

[PrancingPony]

"three greatest ruckmen of all time", that is a big statement.

Yes they were / are darn good rucks, but greatest, ........ you obviously need some crackers.

To be fair I don't know if I could name the three greatest myself, I don't know shit, but those three names are usually the ones I see tossed up for the GOAT category.

 

[gaskin]

To be fair I don't know if I could name the three greatest myself, I don't know shit, but those three names are usually the ones I see tossed up for the GOAT category.

Modern day GOAT. Nobody comes close to those 3 in the last 20-30 years.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Modern day GOAT. Nobody comes close to those 3 in the last 20-30 years.

To be fair I don't know if I could name the three greatest myself, I don't know shit, but those three names are usually the ones I see tossed up for the GOAT category.

Jim Stynes and Scott Wynd are the generation before, but both were very good.

Shaun Rehn if not for the two ACL's would be worth mentioning.

Simon Madden if you back a bit more.

Gawn for longevity, ability to lead his team to a flag etc should be right up there as the GOAT

 

[Nodgey]

As much as I love Sandi, jeez he dropped some marks he really should have taken. But then again, he never got paid the frees he should have been given for the eleventy squillion blatant infringements against him, so now I'm angry all over again.

 

[gaskin]

As much as I love Sandi, jeez he dropped some marks he really should have taken. But then again, he never got paid the frees he should have been given for the eleventy squillion blatant infringements against him, so now I'm angry all over again.

Your 2nd point is why the first occurred. Don't get me wrong, he was prone to dropping a sitter every now and again but there were so many more that would have been free-kicks to anyone else.

 

[Paracleet]

Reckon Polly Farmer is still holding down the position in the GOAT team.

 

[The Lobbster]

The other factor is the umpire mistakenly called full time by holding both arms above his head, then the South Freo player boots it and the bench runs onto the ground. He shouldn’t have done that and let the East Perth player take his kick first.

Common sense prevailed.

I actually disagree on this point. Umpires are allowed to call full time and just refuse to allow a shot if they think there is no chance of scoring (which isn’t in the rules but is commonly applied in most games).

By allowing this shot, technically it sort of implies that you can take a make in the centre circle and claim your full 30 secs as you’re having a shot as a way to kill the clock in close games. Now in 99.9% of games, the ump would laugh at you and call you to play on.

Considering the Royals player dropped to his knees on the siren with his head in his hands, I reckon he had no intention of taking a shot until his teammates ran over. The correct thing to do IMO would’ve been for the umps to call full time and not even allow the shot.

 

[Purple Suit]

I actually disagree on this point. Umpires are allowed to call full time and just refuse to allow a shot if they think there is no chance of scoring (which isn’t in the rules but is commonly applied in most games).

By allowing this shot, technically it sort of implies that you can take a make in the centre circle and claim your full 30 secs as you’re having a shot as a way to kill the clock in close games. Now in 99.9% of games, the ump would laugh at you and call you to play on.

Considering the Royals player dropped to his knees on the siren with his head in his hands, I reckon he had no intention of taking a shot until his teammates ran over. The correct thing to do IMO would’ve been for the umps to call full time and not even allow the shot.

So why did he allow a kick if he called full time then if it wasn't a mistake to call full time? All I'm saying is that you can't blame the South's player for booting the ball if the umpire called full time. If he had done it before that signal then I recon a 50m penalty could be on the cards depending on which set of rules they are running.

 

[The Lobbster]

So why did he allow a kick if he called full time then if it wasn't a mistake to call full time? All I'm saying is that you can't blame the South's player for booting the ball if the umpire called full time. If he had done it before that signal then I recon a 50m penalty could be on the cards depending on which set of rules they are running.

I agree with you. I’m pretty sure the only reason he allowed a kick is because all the East Perth players were arguing for it.

When the umpire blew full time, I reckon he fully intended the game to be over - no shot. The South Freo player also probably believed this. Then all the chaos erupts and the ump just kinda decides to let him have a shot to maybe placate the Royals players.

 

[FreoRicci]

Probably wouldn't put Cox in my top 50 but I'd say the general consensus is that he alongside Sandilands and Gawn are the three greatest ruckmen of all time.

Depends on who you ask though, but I've seen those three names brought up most.

Lot of people already have Gawn as the greatest ruckman the game has ever seen.

As much as it’s hard to admit, Cox was pretty versatile and key ruckman to help Cousins, Judd and Kerr. Running and bouncing as a ruck is rare. Gawn has never been able to do that.

 

[anchor man]

Yeah I know the rule, as the rule is written it is a clear 50 metre penalty.

There's an umpire handbook on the WAFL website that has formatting similar to the document pictured that talks about time delay, however it makes no mention of it being permissible after the siren. I did note that is a 2024 handbook though, so maybe the 2025 one has the update?

According to the umpires the game was over when the umpire raised his arms to signify the game was finished.There could not have been a 50 paid.
Mark Readings, CH 7, asked the umpires for clarification, and was told the 50 was never in play.
The reason the delay was that the EP player had told the umpire he was going to take the kick regardless. That is why the Souths players folded back in defence.
The delay was to clear the Souths entourage from the ground.There was never going to be a 50 metre.
Had the 50 been paid, and the goal kicked, Souths would have appealled and won the appeal.

 

[The Feeder Club]

I hate South Fremantle like sensible people hate Donald Trump, but them robbing East Perth is too perfect and I choose to let it stand. Sowfs are shit and all but East Perth shouldn't exist.

But if East Perth didn't exist we'd just have more vitriol to direct towards Old Easts. And God knows, you wallflowers can't cope as it is, I would genuinely hold concerns for a lot of you under those circumstance

 

[DQ 4EVER]

As much as I love Sandi, jeez he dropped some marks he really should have taken. But then again, he never got paid the frees he should have been given for the eleventy squillion blatant infringements against him, so now I'm angry all over again.

I called Sandi the climbing wall

 

[Tbonefreo]

Murph looking sharp.

Fingers crossed he gets that rising star. Deserving if so

 

[Tbonefreo]

Rowell with 15 already. My gosh

 

[ilikepotatoes]

According to the umpires the game was over when the umpire raised his arms to signify the game was finished.There could not have been a 50 paid.
Mark Readings, CH 7, asked the umpires for clarification, and was told the 50 was never in play.
The reason the delay was that the EP player had told the umpire he was going to take the kick regardless. That is why the Souths players folded back in defence.
The delay was to clear the Souths entourage from the ground.There was never going to be a 50 metre.
Had the 50 been paid, and the goal kicked, Souths would have appealled and won the appeal.

The information we have available to us does not support that. As the laws of the game are currently written it is 100% a 50 metre penalty.

I've tried to find the handbook that was referenced in the WAFL statement today, but the only one available on their website (that I have found) is from 2024 and does not have the mentioned disclaimer about 50 metre penalties after the siren.

I'm certain that the AFL/WAFL etc. would support the umpires decision to call 50 metres had they done so.

 

[freo_leo29]

Anderson catching upto Serong on achievements, got his GOTY now

 

[freo1]

So good

 

[nurries]

So good

No wonder the Saints are chasing him

 

[Purple Suit]

So good

Imagine your equal highest vote getter asking for a trade and having to pay the other one 2 mil a season to stay.