Opinion AFL 2023 Finals Week 3 - Liked, Learnt, Hated PRELIMINARY FINALS EDITION

[Zevon]

Liked - Loved the close game last night, but for me the Lions win this evening was the performance of the round. Very professional effort to arrest significant momentum against them and then methodically pull back a hefty deficit on the scoreboard. Great grand final matchup ahead and they're narrow favourites for mine.

Learnt - Collingwood as a side have rightly been praised all year, but their midfield remains underrated. I was surprised they were able to work over the Giants and win the clearances 44-26, especially after GWS had been so good in that area against Port a week earlier. In a close game where the other key stats were almost dead even, the clearances won it for the Pies.

Hated - Not a lot - always love preliminary final weekend. Would have enjoyed seeing the Giants in the grand final but I've got zilch against the Magpies so I can hardly describe that as a hate.

 

[kranky al]

Liked - one absolute belter of a prelim and one ok one.

Learnt - I think 2 of the best 3 teams are in it.

Hated - not a lot to hate. Maybe stop bringing the eagles up you f%%}ers we ceased to exist 3 weeks ago and won’t exist again til trade week.

Gone

 

[beerbandit]

Liked - Collingwood winning and Carlton losing
Learnt - GWS are an exciting side to watch
Hated - Dan McStay injury

 

[Section226]

Liked: No blowout in either final. Momentum shifts in both games.

Learnt: Brisbane's backline is probably better than Collingwood's forwards at the moment and could well be the difference next week.

Hated: Ch7's commentary for both games. Was predicted, but the barracking for the Victorian teams was an absolute embarrassment.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Learned Collingwood fans are idiots lining up at ticketek given its automatic deduction based on your registration status

 

[JoondalupJ]

Liked the Pies one pointer.
Hated a majority of umpiring confusion which is common place but can destroy teams and are so unexplainable.
Learnt in myself that I may start getting to point where this game
makes me furious instead of enjoying it, because of the rule fiddle.Watching the sport I mean not just the Hawks.
Outlook for me, NRL is always a battle no where to hide out there.

Heart breaker to lose your culture with a life long love of a sport. that was the best in the world!

 

[The King!]

Liked - prelim week feels like the biggest week of genuine footy fans making the crowd


Learnt- sevens commentary is hot garbage , BT cheers openly for the pies etc,

Hated- my team not being there , you miss it. Enjoy the week Pies and Lions fans

 

[brutus76]

Liked - Sam Walsh

18

Sam Walsh

Age

23

Ht

184cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.1

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

5.1

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

3.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

26.2

5star

K

15.4

5star

HB

10.8

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

4.8

5star

in the finals. Died trying to lift his team and showed he is their best player.
Learnt - Kiddy Coleman's left foot = DEADLY!
Hated - the standard of umpiring - not good enough in 2023

 

[Toffee Lion]

Liked: GWS's gutsy effort against a packed MCG.
Learnt: Curnow is not a finals player
Hated: Figuring out how to get tickets for the GF (Not happening).

 

[mcgrath_truther]

Liked: well played four quarter game by brisbane. after a pretty stinking start, they dominated the first and second to let them cruise to victory. no shade to carlton because they're marred by injuries but they were the worse team day of. i'd be worried about them in 2024 though.
Learnt: everyone at brisbane plays their role exceptionally well, but i was impressed by coleman tonight. i recall something dubious or whatever for him to land there by way of the afl but that doesn't matter, he turned up tonight and was probably deservedly best on ground. some of his deliveries into the f50 were out of this world. also think that brandon ah-chee is a quiet but important cog in their team, from the few games of brisbane's i've seen this season he's performed exceptionally well when the time comes.
Hated: s**t umpiring both nights, both ways.
if these dorks are who they've identified as being good umpires, lord knows i don't want to see the s**t ones in action.

can we get professional umpires like every other proper sports league in the world yet?

 

[ZabsBlues]

Liked: The feeling of nervousness and excitement before last night’s game. Haven’t experienced that since 1999.

Learnt: Not a learning but why it is important to finish in the top 4. Lions and Pies fully deserve to play in the GF as they have been the 2 best teams all season.

Hated: Not much.

 

[Anderson Brown]

Learned Collingwood fans are idiots lining up at ticketek given its automatic deduction based on your registration status

I learnt that some Hawthorn fans are idiots for not knowing the difference between club members (ballot system) and AFL members (online and box office sales.)

 

[MacMum]

Liked: well played four quarter game by brisbane. after a pretty stinking start, they dominated the first and second to let them cruise to victory. no shade to carlton because they're marred by injuries but they were the worse team day of. i'd be worried about them in 2024 though.
Learnt: everyone at brisbane plays their role exceptionally well, but i was impressed by coleman tonight. i recall something dubious or whatever for him to land there by way of the afl but that doesn't matter, he turned up tonight and was probably deservedly best on ground. some of his deliveries into the f50 were out of this world. also think that callum ah-chee is a quiet but important cog in their team, from the few games of brisbane's i've seen this season he's performed exceptionally well when the time comes.
Hated: s**t umpiring both nights, both ways.
if these dorks are who they've identified as being good umpires, lord knows i don't want to see the s**t ones in action.

can we get professional umpires like every other proper sports league in the world yet?

His name is Callum Ah-Chee.....not Brendon (brother WC Eagles)

 

[mcgrath_truther]

His name is Callum Ah-Chee.....not Brendon (brother WC Eagles)

ah, i’m forgetful!

always misremember who played/plays for who

 

[flamethrower]

Liked - the last quarter Friday night - battle to the death with the umpires staying out of the way.

Hated - 1- Brisbane playing songs after each goal during a final - leave that garbage for Disneyland
2 - channel 7 commentators - hot pile of garbage - time to sack Barge, Darcy, Pearce, Brayshaw, Watson, and McLachlan.

 

[Chinacats]

Liked: Kingsley’s GWS a real good team.
Learnt: Kingsley coach of the year…
Hated: Bruz holding back the aggression in the prelim fearful of a tribunal appearance. Fair enough I guess Bruz!

 

[Occidental]

Learned Collingwood fans are idiots lining up at ticketek given its automatic deduction based on your registration status

Don’t you look stupid posting this nonsense.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Don’t you look stupid posting this nonsense.

I literally asked one and they said they were a Collingwood member, not an AFL

 

[Worm4]

Learnt: Curnow is not a finals player

I know it's selective , but it was his 1st finals series so gotta cut him some slack.
Jamie Elliot has kicked 1 goal for the series with 16 disposals in total. Is he a finals player?

 

[Toffee Lion]

I know it's selective , but it was his 1st finals series so gotta cut him some slack.
Jamie Elliot has kicked 1 goal for the series with 16 disposals in total. Is he a finals player?

To answer your first point, you're 100% spot on but unfortunately it's a narrative that will stick quickly if he doesn't perform next year.

First campaign was shocking for a coleman medalist, I think they'd get held to a high level and he clearly failed.

To answer your second point, nah not really. Overrated is JE.

 

[hdi]

Liked: guts of GWS, composure of Brisbane, the game bursting impacts of De Goey and Crisp

(Re)Learnt: making a GF from bottom half of the 8 eight is almost impossible even with the week off before the finals.

Hated: umpiring at times (4th qtr first game, 1st qtr second game), Ch7 commentary (2nd game), GWS paying no respect to De Goey

 

[JackFlash]

Liked: Carlton getting done, The Saints AFLW beating the Pies.

Learnt: 1)Toby Greene

4

Toby Greene

Age

30

Ht

182cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.7

5star

K

12.5

5star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.2

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.8

4star

T

1.0

2star

G

2.3

5star

D

26.6

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

14.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.0

1star

is a chance for the Brownlow Medal, it's just his past indiscretions that have placed him out of most people's Brownlow selections. 2) It's not good to think about things too much, you're not allowed to.

Hated: Collingwood winning

 

[MCG-Unit]

Liked: Brisbane Lions winning.
Sam Taylor

15

Sam Taylor

Age

24

Ht

196cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.1

4star

MG

130.5

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

2.5

1star

HB

5.5

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.5

3star

MG

60.8

1star

D

8.6

3star

K

3.0

1star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.2

2star

T

2.8

5star

MG

110.8

2star

Learnt: Giants are in the land, the Big Big sound

Disliked: Some of the umpiring.
GWS Giants losing by 1 pt

 

[_Mike_]

Liked - close games no blowouts

Learnt - when the Lions flick the switch they can be unstoppable

Disliked - usual standards of confusing decision making by the umpires

 

[JoondalupJ]

Liked: well played four quarter game by brisbane. after a pretty stinking start, they dominated the first and second to let them cruise to victory. no shade to carlton because they're marred by injuries but they were the worse team day of. i'd be worried about them in 2024 though.
Learnt: everyone at brisbane plays their role exceptionally well, but i was impressed by coleman tonight. i recall something dubious or whatever for him to land there by way of the afl but that doesn't matter, he turned up tonight and was probably deservedly best on ground. some of his deliveries into the f50 were out of this world. also think that brandon ah-chee is a quiet but important cog in their team, from the few games of brisbane's i've seen this season he's performed exceptionally well when the time comes.
Hated: s**t umpiring both nights, both ways.
if these dorks are who they've identified as being good umpires, lord knows i don't want to see the s**t ones in action.

can we get professional umpires like every other proper sports league in the world yet?

Your concern about the umpiring is absolutely correct and a serious problem for this sport of ours.

And something needs to change , the umpiring is turning people off the sport.
( that is an actual fact, I know people who have stopped following altogether )

It makes what you love, into a frustration of viewing and confusion. Anger.

I do rant about this but if you are a solid football fan, and you know football
and you watch the umpiring, not only in your own team , but all the games you watch.
Then you will realise the whole adjudicating set up has a major problem.

Now who do you blame?

I believe our part time umpires are trained to the hilt and trained to call to the
absolute extent of any rule that has been introduced.

They call everything and that leaves free kicks given when there is no affect on the actual
outcome of any match . Who invented that? Those petty frees, for advantage , you make your own
advantage in this game, not an office rule maker, doing it. Or an umpire.

Well we do need full time umpires to get the feel of top level players and what drives them and
what they need on the field. Our Umpires don't have it, they have strict instructions and carry
them out to a point of unfairness sometimes ridiculousness.

So of course the blame lies firmly on the heads of those who began to ruin this game AFL committees
by inventing rules to change the game, and in some cases cause win or lose situations. What do we do???????

Every week every game there is disputed frees galore not a few, a lot, inconsistency and the killing
of enjoyment.
Before I write too much again, I 'll add that every Sunday or Monday morning paper there is ravings
about free-kicks, and reports MRP on all social sport media online, always a problem.
Thats not footy.