Ah the good ol' days

[Mr Lizard]

2. Kicking both sides of the body - players were far more skilled in kicking especially both sides how many modern day players could you say are competent?

I think kicking skills are way better now.

Bobby’s banana assist is out of this world

 

[FB19]

I think kicking skills are way better now.

Bobby’s banana assist is out of this world

On both sides of the body as that was the point I was making? Other thank Whitfield I am struggling.

 

[Mr Lizard]

On both sides of the body as that was the point I was making? Other thank Whitfield I am struggling.

Pritchard didn't have much of a left foot. There was heaps of players that struggled to even kick, let alone opposite foot. Finn Maginness kicking >>> Scott Maginess kicking.

Nearly every player now has a left foot, although in more recent years that gives way a little to increased checkside skills.

Peter Daicos was a wizard with his bends and dribbles, now they are fairly routine across the league.

 

[Bedi]

I think kicking skills are way better now.

Bobby’s banana assist is out of this world

not our current side. Frustrates the hell out of me. Clarko was really on to something recruiting all those left footers. Def gave us an edge.

 

[FB19]

Pritchard didn't have much of a left foot. There was heaps of players that struggled to even kick, let alone opposite foot. Finn Maginness kicking >>> Scott Maginess kicking.

Nearly every player now has a left foot, although in more recent years that gives way a little to increased checkside skills.

Peter Daicos was a wizard with his bends and dribbles, now they are fairly routine across the league.

Platten Morrissey Jencke and of course Jarman were a sight to behold.

 

[burger09]

AFL as a spectical deteriorated rapidly when Paul Roos and Ross Lyon became head coaches.
Their methods crippled our game as a spectator sport.

Thank God the league have limited rotations, brought in the 6,6,6 and implemented the stand rule.
All consequences of the negative defensive tactics developed by these two.

 

[Nathan Detroit]

Watching games from that era I couldn't help but notice the current hesitancy to call HTB is a huge reason the game seems so slow now. Back then the fear of being called resulted in players getting rid of it much more quickly, most times well before contact. Now players almost wait for someone to grab them, I guess believing that takes one opposing player out of the play. The stand rule is also horrible for pace.

 

[HedgeFund]

On both sides of the body as that was the point I was making? Other thank Whitfield I am struggling.

There’s plenty. Sidebottom, C. Daniel,
McCrae, Baker to name a few.

Almost all forwards now train to snap off their opposite side rather than kick “check sides”.

It’s just not highlighted anymore, as they’re fully professional, and the defensive pressure applied nowadays is far greater than back in the 80s.

 

[mustang]

not our current side. Frustrates the hell out of me. Clarko was really on to something recruiting all those left footers. Def gave us an edge.

I’ve often wondered why we went away from this drafting strategy seeing it worked so well for us, Mitchell being part of that side I thought would have see the benefit of it same as drafting unsociable players.

Look at the dogs they have mostly always been known to have a great kicking skill side.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Pritchard didn't have much of a left foot. There was heaps of players that struggled to even kick, let alone opposite foot. Finn Maginness kicking >>> Scott Maginess kicking.

Nearly every player now has a left foot, although in more recent years that gives way a little to increased checkside skills.

Peter Daicos was a wizard with his bends and dribbles, now they are fairly routine across the league.

Daicos could kick efficiently on his opposite side he just chose to check side because he was an absolute master at it. Was highly skilled in general. Played up the ground earlier in his career and used to lace out the forwards week after week. No surprise he's taught his boys to be good at the game you need to have good foot skills.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

I’ve often wondered why we went away from this drafting strategy seeing it worked so well for us, Mitchell being part of that side I thought would have see the benefit of it same as drafting unsociable players.

Look at the dogs they have mostly always been known to have a great kicking skill side.

Yeah but that's all they have. No mongrel apart from Libba. We had both skill and aggression.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

There’s plenty. Sidebottom, C. Daniel,
McCrae, Baker to name a few.

Almost all forwards now train to snap off their opposite side rather than kick “check sides”.

It’s just not highlighted anymore, as they’re fully professional, and the defensive pressure applied nowadays is far greater than back in the 80s.

The 90s you had many players proficient on both sides of the body. If were talking about bygone eras that's what we should be referring to as it became more professional towards the backend of the decade. Players of those years would be able to seamlessly fit in today's footy.

 

[grumbleguts]

For hawks fans, yes.

The game as a spectacle wasn't all that good though

It was so much better as a spectacle back then, now it is garbage. As a spectacle you want both teams to get the same treatment from the establishment, or else it isn't a spectacle. It is a farce.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

It's usually the mid to late 90's people reference with Rose coloured glasses.

I do implore everybody with that opinion to seek out full games from that period on YouTube.

The skills and defensive efforts are absolutely amateur compared to modern footy. Although, due to the free flowing nature of the game play it's arguably far more entertaining to watch.

Definitely agree, more entertaining in terms of that, it’s why local footy is enjoyable. But even now local teams are getting to a high standard where they have ex afl vfl sanfl players and high talent locals with good coaching. The modern game is more enjoyable to me purely because I grew up with it, my favourite time to watch footy was definitely the 2010s tho, or maybe 2000s from what I have seen. Albeit I am glad people can look back at the old games, but to suggest they’re better with skills, running or the ability to actually play footy, is pretty laughable. Similar to the NBA, the best players would be good in every era but the rest aren’t a comparison.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

On both sides of the body as that was the point I was making? Other thank Whitfield I am struggling.

There’s lots of players who are very good on their non preferred but unless you’re forced to that side you don’t need to use it. Scrimshaw is a very good user on his right, but unless he’s hemmed in on his right he’ll roll on his left and back himself. Same goes for Sicily, Day, Gunston, Breust, Ward, Ginnivan, Watson, and Jiath just from Hawthorn.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Yeah but that's all they have. No mongrel apart from Libba. We had both skill and aggression.

Aggression in all sport has been toned down purely out of liability legally and there’s still aspects to it. The game was horrid at times, have a look at some of the biggest suspensions of all time and they’re all thugs in the 80s/90s.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I think kicking skills are way better now.

Bobby’s banana assist is out of this world

Not kicking for goal it isn't. Fascinates me how a player can spot up a teammate 50 metres away and kick straight to him, but put him 25 metres out from goal on a slight angle and he's all at sea.

It's a different game now, some skills have improved, others haven't. Pack marking is nowhere near the standard these days as it was in 80s. And I've yet to see a better kick of the football than Darren Jarman.