Oppo Camp The Non-North Footy Discussion & Matchday Chat Thread (NNFD&MCT) - PART X

[TruRoo]

Do we still think Gawn isn’t the best ruckman of the modern era around here? He’ll be AA again this year

He’s done it for longer than anyone else.

Might be a good chance to be greatest ruck - ever.

 

[gerry101101]

And when the playing field favours neppos it’s tougher. Keep in mind they have rowell sitting on ice atm....

JUH as well

Not sure if this was a joke. If so, well played. Not sure JUH would sit on it though; not normally ingested that way.

 

[DuckYeah]

Apparently grown a few centimetres

 

[ToxicMegaPunts]

View attachment 2555066
Apparently grown a few centimetres

Maybe he pinched the 3cm from that which Brewer has lost.

 

[Possession]

View attachment 2555066
Apparently grown a few centimetres

Saw him at the North game on Sunday actually, I can believe it. He was huge.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

KPF height.

 

[Rod Stroker]

RIP Darcy. Surprised they went with him over Cox who offers more height, mobility and forward craft. Possibly cost them the game.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

RIP Darcy. Surprised they went with him over Cox who offers more height, mobility and forward craft. Possibly cost them the game.

View attachment 2555265

Can’t be a lumbering ruck anymore.

 

[King Corey]

Can you imagine what has been going on behind the scenes with the AFL and Swannies. Would love to know the truth.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-referred-to-royal-commission-over-removal-of-jewish-community-references-from-bondi-tribute/news-story/b6aa9fca26c7ac142e9050daecd800be

AFL referred to Royal Commission over removal of Jewish community references from Bondi tribute​

Sydney chief Matthew Pavlich has taken ‘full responsibility’ for removing references to the ‘Jewish community’ from an Opening Round Bondi tribute as the AFL faces a Royal Commission investigation.

Michael Warner and Lachlan McKirdy

March 16, 2026 - 6:37PM





AFL scrutinised after not acknowledging Jews at Bondi terror attack tribute

AFL scrutinised after not acknowledging Jews at Bondi terror attack tribute


Sydney chief executive Matthew Pavlich has confessed to removing references to the “Jewish community” from a pre-match tribute honouring victims of the Bondi terrorist attack and insists he made the call without any directive from the AFL.
The Herald Sun revealed on Monday that the league had been referred by Victorian federal Senator James Paterson for investigation by the Royal Commission into anti-Semitism.

Embattled AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon failed to explain during a series of weekend interviews why a speech delivered by Pavlich before the Opening Round Swans-Carlton match at the SCG had made no mention of the Jewish community.

“I don’t know what happened with the script,” Dillon told 3AW on Saturday.

But footy great Gerard Healy revealed that “the script was changed” in a bid to de-politicise the tribute.

Pavlich fronted the media on Monday and said he took “full responsibility” for the omission.

“I own it as CEO, that’s on me, I take full responsibility,” Pavlich said.

The former Freo great said that the AFL had approved an earlier version of the script which included a direct reference to the “Jewish community”.

“To be really clear, we worked on it internally, we sent that to the AFL, we also worked on it from there, and ended up doing what we did,” Pavlich said.


He said there was no directive or instruction from the AFL to remove or change the reference to the Jewish community.

The Swans said in a statement: “We acknowledge that was an error of judgement and again we apologise.”

The move to delete the reference incensed members of the Jewish community and prompted Mr Paterson to refer the league to the Royal Commission on anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion.

In a letter to former High Court judge Virginia Bell, who is leading the commission, Mr Paterson said he encouraged her to “urgently request the AFL to preserve all documents and communications, including any correspondence with the Sydney Swans and any internal communications within the AFL, in relation to this matter”.

“Counsel-Assisting (the Royal Commission) must have the opportunity to review the documents and cross-examine any potential witnesses to establish the facts in relation to this serious incident,” Mr Paterson said.

Swans chairman Andrew Pridham apologised for the removal last weekend. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“While the Sydney Swans chairman (Andrew Pridham) has apologised to the Jewish community, the reported involvement of AFL staff in this incident should be closely examined as part of the Commission’s inquiries into the nature and prevalence of anti-Semitism in Australia.”

After the Swans confessed to removing the reference to the Jewish community on Monday, Mr Paterson said: “It is incredibly disappointing to learn that someone at an AFL club believes it was ‘inclusive’ to remove all references to Jews in a script about the antisemitic Bondi terror attack, whose victims were overwhelmingly Jewish.

“It is further evidence of deeply ingrained cultural problems in our sporting institutions that must be probed thoroughly by the Royal Commission.”

Mr Paterson said erasing Jewish identity was “a travesty and an insult to the families of the victims.”

“A key task for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is to understand why so many of our institutions and leaders failed to understand and address growing anti-Semitism in our society prior to Bondi.

“It is incredibly disappointing that even after Bondi, influential institutions like the AFL are still clearly failing.”

Andrew Dillon could not explain what happened. Picture: Mark Kolbe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images
The Swans provided a statement on behalf of David Ossip - President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies - which said: “The tribute by the Sydney Swans to the Jewish community and the victims of the Bondi terrorist attack - as well as the care extended to the Jewish community more broadly over the past three months - was motivated by the purest of intent and warrants gratitude, not sanction. This is particularly the case after Andrew Pridham’s strong and unambiguous clarifying remarks on Saturday night.”

It is the second time in days that the AFL has been accused of playing politics after it was revealed the league told state Liberal leader Jess Wilson to remove an Instagram post calling out CFMEU corruption.

Wilson had posted a 30-second video from the MCG outer during last week’s Collingwood-St Kilda clash lamenting the number of meat pies that could have been purchased with the $15 billion allegedly stolen from taxpayers in CFMEU rorts.

The AFL’s government relations manager Bec Smith contacted Ms Wilson’s office late last week requesting that she take down the post because it included two seconds of match footage in violation of league copyright rules.

Ms Smith, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his time as Opposition Leader, reports directly to AFL corporate affairs executive general manager Sharon McCrohan, an ex-ALP and CFMEU spin doctor.

At least Pavlich can include 'fall guy' on his resume after this.

 

[Passmore]

At least Pavlich can include 'fall guy' on his resume after this.

We can rebuild him.

 

[Roostorm]

Tuned on tv to see this game between hawks / swans ...
That crowd looks absloutely shocking for a stand alone game..
1st home game....its empty
#wherethebloodyhellareyou

 

[Hojuman]

Tuned on tv to see this game between hawks / swans ...
That crowd looks absloutely shocking for a stand alone game..
1st home game....its empty
#wherethebloodyhellareyou

I have a Tiger mate and she hubby used to jump on the train and, get off at Richmond. Now her train bypasses Richmond and she has to go underground and get out at Anzac or Town Hall and go " back " to the MCG.

Be a hassle on a Thu.night if your working tomorrow / school.

 

[speedy]

We don’t play hawthorn do we? Their ball movement is too slick.

 

[speedy]

I wouldn’t want a midfielder getting that tall unless he moves like Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

24

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

. Or if he can actually play key position. Wasn’t he already on the slow side?

 

[king rising]

Make no mistake about it, this type of football is SHITHOUSE to watch. Worse than anything I’ve seen. This isn’t Aussie Rules, this is ping pong rubbish

 

[speedy]

We don’t play hawthorn do we? Their ball movement is too slick.

Ditto the swans.

 

[Flawed Genius]

Andrew Dillon absolutely tearing the ears off it with the amount of advertising they're getting off here

 

[Makeshift Park]

Make no mistake about it, this type of football is SHITHOUSE to watch. Worse than anything I’ve seen. This isn’t Aussie Rules, this is ping pong rubbish

All these rule changes to increase scoring are a scam to create more opportunities for ads, be damned with the quality of the core product itself.

I’d have more confidence giving ChatGPT control of the laws of the game than head office at this point.

 

[Samsquanch]

All these rule changes to increase scoring are a scam to create more opportunities for ads, be damned with the quality of the core product itself.

I’d have more confidence giving ChatGPT control of the laws of the game than head office at this point.

No. I asked chat gpt and if I’m honest, I think it’s what the afl actually did use to come up with the shit rules they introduced this season…

Here are 5 rule changes that could realistically improve both the quality and entertainment of top-level Australian Football League matches—balancing flow, scoring, and fairness:

1.


Strict “time to dispose” rule (reduce congestion)

Change: Umpires enforce a genuine 2–3 second window for players to legally dispose of the ball once tackled.

Why it helps:

• Cuts down on repeat stoppages and “ball-up spam”
• Rewards clean ball use and decision-making
• Opens the game up for faster transitions

The AFL already tries this, but consistency is the issue—making it black-and-white would transform flow.

2.

Last-touch out-of-bounds (outside defensive 50)

Change: If a player is the last to touch the ball before it goes out (between the arcs), it’s a free kick against them.

Why it helps:

• Stops deliberate boundary-line play and time-wasting
• Encourages attacking, corridor-based movement
• Keeps the ball in dangerous areas longer

This works well in other levels and sports—it would dramatically reduce boundary throw-ins.

3.

Reduce interchange cap further

Change: Drop rotations from ~75 to around 50–60 per game.

Why it helps:

• Fatigue creates space → more one-on-one contests
• Reduces ultra-defensive zoning systems
• Rewards elite endurance and smart pacing

Modern AFL is hyper-structured partly because players are always fresh.

4.

Longer penalties for deliberate or professional infringements

Change: Introduce a 50m + time penalty (e.g., player off for 2 minutes) for cynical acts like:

• Deliberate rushed behinds under no pressure
• Tactical holds/stoppages

Why it helps:

• Discourages “negative” tactics
• Creates scoring windows (like power plays)
• Adds drama without changing core rules

5.

Adjust scoring incentive (e.g., 9-point super goal from 50m+)

Change: Reward long-range goals (outside 50) with extra points.

Why it helps:

• Encourages risk-taking and spectacular kicking
• Spreads defensive structures
• Adds late-game excitement (comeback potential)

Already proven entertaining in pre-season formats—could translate well if used sparingly.


The bigger picture

Most AFL issues today come down to:

• Congestion
• Defensive systems dominating
• Inconsistent officiating

So the best rule changes:

• Speed the game up
• Punish negative play
• Reward skill and risk

If you want, I can suggest a more radical version (like zones or smaller team sizes) vs a “realistic AFL commission” version that could actually get implemented.

 

[Hojuman]

Hey, wait till they realise such a thing as " off-side " exists.
Then we're all screwed.

 

[Sphynx]

Mackenzie is a sneaky rubbish kick.

Not started the season well with his ball use.

Not Will Ashcroft of diabolical ball use to start the year, but getting there

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

Make no mistake about it, this type of football is SHITHOUSE to watch. Worse than anything I’ve seen. This isn’t Aussie Rules, this is ping pong rubbish

Maybe Clarko is a true genius after all? Who needs defensive efforts in Andrew Dillon’s new high-score-at-any-price AFL??

 

[speedy]

Hey, wait till they realise such a thing as " off-side " exists.
Then we're all screwed.

Like too many defenders in the d50? Or All defenders have to be no deeper than the nearest forward to goal.

 

[Sphynx]

Make no mistake about it, this type of football is SHITHOUSE to watch. Worse than anything I’ve seen. This isn’t Aussie Rules, this is ping pong rubbish

Nah.

It’s a lot closer to 90’s footy than we’ve seen in ages.

Watch some replays again, it was largely 1 on 1, open ping pong going backward and forward.

It was definitely harder, but this product is a lot closer to the old days than the flooding, ultra defensive, contested scrum to contested scrum, shit we’ve become accustomed to

 

[Flawed Genius]

Brian Taylor there. Calling Sydney utility Jai Serong, Hawthorn Captain Jai Newcombe.