Hearing people saying things like the bump is gone and that raising the elbow used to be around a lot in the old days got me wondering, what aspects of the game that used to be prolific are now rare or on the way out?
For me there are a few things that rule changes brought back that were on the way out a few years ago. Flying for marks and taking speccies was becoming a relatively rare thing until hands in the back came in and discouraged players from pushing when behind and encouraged them to jump. The sliding in rule has brought the old fashion notion of keeping your feet back into the game and a few other things have brought back long kicking and contested footy that was on the way out mid last decade. Pushing with the hands in marking contests is in and out but mostly out, a lot of people from the black and white era say that players never pushed with the hands and it was all done with body and at stages it's been allowed and at stages it's been disallowed and is a thing that keeps going in and out of the game.
Long sleeve jumpers are one, at times have been very popular but are hardly seen. Perhaps a lack of long wet seasons? I tried to buy a Carlton one both from the stands at the MCG and on the online and have come up with nothing!
The drop kick is obviously gone but the torpedo is one that often comes in and out a fair bit, every now and then a team or a player has a bit of a flirt with it but the once common kick has now become an endangered species.
Playing up the middle. Has gone in and out and currently is right in. You look at old images of the MCG in the 90's and there was a big worn patch up the middle from where the ball used to be moved, not until the 2000s has boundary play become really popular.
There are two skills that were a big part of the game that are now virtually gone and they are the bump and self preservation.
For a start, the bump is not dead but the skill is. Hard and low was the key to laying a good bump. Tuck the head into the chest, bend the knees, hips and back and hit them hard and low and what ever you do don't jump off the ground.
I haven't seen a good bump laid in years, just a lot of ugly bumps done with absolutely no technique. Players are getting suspended now days, not because they are trying to outlaw the bump, but due to poor technique from the bumpers. Every player suspended has failed to do all the things mentioned above. Players keep their heads upright and that causes head clashes, players get off the ground when bumping and get them high, players bump standing upright and getting tall rather than low and not bent over, again finding head high contact. You can still bump if you get them low but they never do.
The other skill is self preservation and a lot of that has come about from the rules of the game rewarding players for getting hit in the head. When did not leading with the head and not going in head first die from the game? I think when players started to be rewarded for going in head first and players who did the right thing and got side on started to get suspended for it. I don't think any of the Selwoods have any self preservation skills or have ever gone in hard side on, not a criticism but it's not a good thing for the game and an aspect of the game that has died. Going back with the flight to mark or spoil is an occurrence that hasn't always been so prolific, the basic rule was don't do it so you don't get cleaned up and if you're coming from that way get front and center for the crumbs. Not a thing Jonathan Brown has done exceptionally well at times.
Anything I've missed?
For me there are a few things that rule changes brought back that were on the way out a few years ago. Flying for marks and taking speccies was becoming a relatively rare thing until hands in the back came in and discouraged players from pushing when behind and encouraged them to jump. The sliding in rule has brought the old fashion notion of keeping your feet back into the game and a few other things have brought back long kicking and contested footy that was on the way out mid last decade. Pushing with the hands in marking contests is in and out but mostly out, a lot of people from the black and white era say that players never pushed with the hands and it was all done with body and at stages it's been allowed and at stages it's been disallowed and is a thing that keeps going in and out of the game.
Long sleeve jumpers are one, at times have been very popular but are hardly seen. Perhaps a lack of long wet seasons? I tried to buy a Carlton one both from the stands at the MCG and on the online and have come up with nothing!
The drop kick is obviously gone but the torpedo is one that often comes in and out a fair bit, every now and then a team or a player has a bit of a flirt with it but the once common kick has now become an endangered species.
Playing up the middle. Has gone in and out and currently is right in. You look at old images of the MCG in the 90's and there was a big worn patch up the middle from where the ball used to be moved, not until the 2000s has boundary play become really popular.
There are two skills that were a big part of the game that are now virtually gone and they are the bump and self preservation.
For a start, the bump is not dead but the skill is. Hard and low was the key to laying a good bump. Tuck the head into the chest, bend the knees, hips and back and hit them hard and low and what ever you do don't jump off the ground.
I haven't seen a good bump laid in years, just a lot of ugly bumps done with absolutely no technique. Players are getting suspended now days, not because they are trying to outlaw the bump, but due to poor technique from the bumpers. Every player suspended has failed to do all the things mentioned above. Players keep their heads upright and that causes head clashes, players get off the ground when bumping and get them high, players bump standing upright and getting tall rather than low and not bent over, again finding head high contact. You can still bump if you get them low but they never do.
The other skill is self preservation and a lot of that has come about from the rules of the game rewarding players for getting hit in the head. When did not leading with the head and not going in head first die from the game? I think when players started to be rewarded for going in head first and players who did the right thing and got side on started to get suspended for it. I don't think any of the Selwoods have any self preservation skills or have ever gone in hard side on, not a criticism but it's not a good thing for the game and an aspect of the game that has died. Going back with the flight to mark or spoil is an occurrence that hasn't always been so prolific, the basic rule was don't do it so you don't get cleaned up and if you're coming from that way get front and center for the crumbs. Not a thing Jonathan Brown has done exceptionally well at times.
Anything I've missed?
