Eastern Rangers
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Ducking the head for free kicks is a soft act, and not in the spirit of the game!
- Thread starter SdKfz 181
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Murphy has been doing it just as long as Selwood, but with more diving. A truly soft player.
Not true. The eagles are already miles ahead of every team for free kicks this year (around 50+ in the positive) and most are for "too high". Our team only has one player (Murphy) who gets caught high often and our free kicks are in the negative this year.
I view it as un-Australian cheating but many think its smart. But if this is the only way to win a flag then I would be prepared to swallow my pride and encourage our boys to copy the West Coast.
Very annoying.
Nerv_01
Team Captain
Why would I be concerned about Murphy as I have said before he is nothing like Hams and the Selwood brothers. Even if he was that is one single player in our team that supposedly does it. A fair portion of your team does this regularly.
That is laughable. Have you ever ran anywhere in your life? Leaning forward is a way to build momentum and perpetuate your speed. It also keeps you lower to the ground so you will break tackles more easily. Cotchin runs normally and a lot like Gary Ablett, not so he can get in the back frees.
This tread will be in the bay soon, but with a statement like yours on the main board, please give examples of what you are referring to.
The Freekick stats are plain for everyone to see, even The West ran an article that showed that there were 3 eagles in the top 6 for high contact free kicks.
Umps take aim at blatant milking of free kicks
Tigers to tackle with care
This is a big issue with football at the moment, but to single out the Eagles is remiss, in my opinion.
Footballers are competitive animals. Any professional athlete worth their salt will do anything they can within the rules of their specific sport to win. I don't like seeing it - hell, I bloody hate it - but until the AFL takes action on the issue it's a legitimate tactic that footballers of all clubs will - and frankly, if it goes unregulated, should - use. If Scott Selwood or Sam Mitchell or whoever else can draw a free kick that decides the game, why the bloody hell wouldn't he?
I was quite torn when Clarko aired his concerns about this after the loss to the Weagles. On the one hand, in an overarching sense, it is definitely something that warrants discussion within the football community... but the manner in which he brought it up - immediately after a nail biting lose, directed solely at the team which inflicted that defeat - caused him to come off as a bitter whinger.
In short: I watch players from every club do this week in and week out and I loathe it, especially when Hawthorn players do it. The AFL needs to take a good, hard look at this issue and find a way to bury it. I agree that it is almost the equivalent of diving in soccer.
However, singling out the Eagles makes you - like Clarko before you - look like a sore loser and actually belittles what is a very serious issue with our great game.
How dare you make sense in this thread
Total free kicks + free kick differential statistics for the season don't lie.
Agree. I heard it at the game from opposition fans for the first time today. Clarkson has started something!
Agree with some of the stuff said above about people noticing "ducking" more.
Now that Clarkson has brought attention to this matter, people's perceptions have become distorted. Every other club notices it now when in fact it has been happening for years, and it ISN'T cheating. It is within the reasonable reactions of a player being tackled to jerk their body, the onus is on the tackler to seize the player with the ball below the shoulders, and most effectively BY THE HIPS. This way they are guaranteed not to give a free kick away. Why should the ball-carrier be punished for the tackler's laziness?
And while the spirit of the game is in question, isn't spitting at your coach also against the spirit of the game? At least it isn't happening now because oh yes - Richmond are finally getting their act together after 30 years of foreplay with no final result (although it seems to be heading that way again this season- albeit more honourably). Don't be sore losers like Alistair Clarkson.
Now that Clarkson has brought attention to this matter, people's perceptions have become distorted. Every other club notices it now when in fact it has been happening for years, and it ISN'T cheating. It is within the reasonable reactions of a player being tackled to jerk their body, the onus is on the tackler to seize the player with the ball below the shoulders, and most effectively BY THE HIPS. This way they are guaranteed not to give a free kick away. Why should the ball-carrier be punished for the tackler's laziness?
And while the spirit of the game is in question, isn't spitting at your coach also against the spirit of the game? At least it isn't happening now because oh yes - Richmond are finally getting their act together after 30 years of foreplay with no final result (although it seems to be heading that way again this season- albeit more honourably). Don't be sore losers like Alistair Clarkson.
- Mar 20, 2007
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Tackle from the ****ing hips
Is it that difficult ?
Is it that difficult ?
While there is a free kick paid for head high contact in the AFL, the smart teams will use this to their advantage.
It's not just the Eagles, every team has duckers/Knee-bucklers.. The Eagles stand out because they have mastered the art of it, and while the rules there, it's smart footy.
My biggest problem is young kids coming up through the juniors trying to emulate their hero's will be trying this. Someone is going to get hurt.
My solution to stop duckers is to pay a free kick against the ducker. You hear the umpires saying "You ducked into that, play-on" Instead, they should say "You ducked into that, free against you"
That would quickly stamp out duckers.
It's not just the Eagles, every team has duckers/Knee-bucklers.. The Eagles stand out because they have mastered the art of it, and while the rules there, it's smart footy.
My biggest problem is young kids coming up through the juniors trying to emulate their hero's will be trying this. Someone is going to get hurt.
My solution to stop duckers is to pay a free kick against the ducker. You hear the umpires saying "You ducked into that, play-on" Instead, they should say "You ducked into that, free against you"
That would quickly stamp out duckers.
- Apr 3, 2006
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Yeah agreed, Shuey was the most persistent with it though.
If you were the umpiring director I would not watch a game of football ever again.
- Oct 2, 2007
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It's up to the umpires/afl to clamp down on it really. Can't blame teams for taking advantage of the rule how it currently is. IMO if a player deliberately drops to his knees then it should be treated the same as ducking the head and play on.
However, the one I dislike is when players put their head down and charge forward into the tackler drawing a free for front on contact. The rule is in place to protect the head and currently the way its ruled encourages players to put their head into a dangerous position. You always want guys to be rewarded for puting their head over the ball but not for the purpose of drawing frees.
However, the one I dislike is when players put their head down and charge forward into the tackler drawing a free for front on contact. The rule is in place to protect the head and currently the way its ruled encourages players to put their head into a dangerous position. You always want guys to be rewarded for puting their head over the ball but not for the purpose of drawing frees.
Shupe
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This is a big issue with football at the moment, but to single out the Eagles is remiss, in my opinion.
Footballers are competitive animals. Any professional athlete worth their salt will do anything they can within the rules of their specific sport to win. I don't like seeing it - hell, I bloody hate it - but until the AFL takes action on the issue it's a legitimate tactic that footballers of all clubs will - and frankly, if it goes unregulated, should - use. If Scott Selwood or Sam Mitchell or whoever else can draw a free kick that decides the game, why the bloody hell wouldn't he?
I was quite torn when Clarko aired his concerns about this after the loss to the Weagles. On the one hand, in an overarching sense, it is definitely something that warrants discussion within the football community... but the manner in which he brought it up - immediately after a nail biting lose, directed solely at the team which inflicted that defeat - caused him to come off as a bitter whinger.
In short: I watch players from every club do this week in and week out and I loathe it, especially when Hawthorn players do it. The AFL needs to take a good, hard look at this issue and find a way to bury it. I agree that it is almost the equivalent of diving in soccer.
However, singling out the Eagles makes you - like Clarko before you - look like a sore loser and actually belittles what is a very serious issue with our great game.
Basically everything.
Not sure of the soccer analogy in the OP though, they go down with no contact. Players opening up their heads to be riped off is a little different
Shupe
Brownlow Medallist
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LOL. You just lost all credibility. Clearly Clarkson was the one who made you aware of this. Its been happening for well over a season now with the Selwoods/Hams/Shuey
thekelvin
Club Legend
Exactly. This was never an issue until that whinger Clarksom said something. Now every time the opposition lay a weak tackle it's somehow our fault. Poor form people.
Teach your players how to tackle. Simple.
That's deadset *ed, and would make the problem much worse.
You're right. West coast players needed to get closer to Cotch which would mean a tackle on the side instead of I'n the back.
Most of these tackles are going high because players are trying to tackle the ball but they are out of position or off balance. Players are staying low I'n the tackle as it will a) get a free kick b) give you a solid base (being lower) to feed off the handball c) get off the mark faster again being lower. Luke Shuey did this today after the tackle went high I'n the WCE forward 50.
Richmond were very good today at not giving away the highs IMO
