ESSENDON V MELB STORM

[walshy1993]

bit of goss going around that the storm have approached essendon to play against them in a game of gaelic football.
would be a great spectical, especially for people like myself who are huge fans of both teams.
no date has been talked about as yet, but how interested is everyone in the concept???
maybe this could be taken further and have the premiers from each code play off at the end of each season. could be a great money earner for both codes.

obviously essendon would be more suited to the running and kicking side of the game, but the storm boys can lay a fierce tackle, imagine hardwick and the johnson boys having a crack at robbie kearns or rodney howe,
anyway what do you all think???

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Melbourne Storm would be well advised to drop this idea like a hot potato.

Unless they want to get severely embarrassed by the far superior pace, emdurance, fitness, handling skills and kicking skills of the Aussie Rules boys.

Cripes, as if Rugby League hasn't got their fair share of Public Relations disasters to contend with already - Could you imagine how this would look ?

Essendon thrashing the pants off the Melbourne Storm at International Rules is just what League really needs right now - NOT !

 

[Dan26]

Bombers would kill them.

My Dad was pretty excited about it all, because he is originally from Sydney, and, therefore, he is a huge Storm supporter.

I try to convince him that Auusie Rules is Australia's best code, by far, but he is in his own little world, I'm afraid.

I'm not sure what this match, if it happens, would prove. I suppose it would enhance the relationship between the NRL and the AFL and could possibly form some sort of a link between Essendon and the Melbourne Storm.

But, that's all I can think of. What rugby skills would translate to Gaelic football ?

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Thats basically what I'm asking myself Dan24

I mean - how would a rugby guy have any hope of being able to compete in this game ?

They can tackle - sure (and how !) but I'd like to see them actually get close enough to an Aussie Rules boy to actually lay a hand on him.

Also - The round ball - No evidence to suggest a rugby player could kick it any better than and AFL player - in fact they would be far worse because unless you are a fullback or a 5/8th you just don't kick the ball in rugby full stop.

 

[Shinboners]

BSA

Another thing is that with rugby, the players essentially make a line right across the field, while in the combined game, you have players positioned all over the field. You get the feeling that the rugby players wouldn't have learned the fine art of making space and running to position.

 

[Dan26]

So, it seems we have reached a consensus. An AFL team would beat the living crap out of a rugby team in Gaelic football.

 

[James2]

I found this suggestion laughable.

Rugby League is just to different to Gaelic Football to see the Storm being remotely competitive.

Apart from those already mentioned:

1) Defensive play, spoiling etc. Not a part of Rugby League as you are penalised if you spoil the ball and it goes foward.

2) When a ball is spilt in Rugby League, play often (not always) comes to a stop. It would not be part of a players instinct to grab the ball and play on.

3) Props will just be useless, as there is no analogous role in Gaelic Football.

4) Disposing of the ball when tackled.

Etc, etc.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Dead right there Shinners

Its easily the hardest part of the game to adapt to - the fact that there is no offside.

Strict offside rules in both rugby codes make tactics fairly one-dimensional whereas in Aussie Rules or Gaelic football there are no offsides at all.

So you could easily see a situation where the rugby guys are going to get caught out time and time again because they will fail to match up on an opponent properly.

You have a 'matching up' of sorts in Rugby, especially in the backs, but again its not manning up as we know it - In rugby the guy you are supposed to be matching up on is metres away, on the other side of an imaginary line running through the ball and parallel to the goalines. You may only cross this line after the ball is actually in play.

Because of this you get two lines of opposing players moving up and down the field, with every team member of the ball carrying side back behind the ball.

Sound confusing ? - Its not really but don't ask the rugby boys to man-up properly in the Aussie Rules fashion - they won't know what they are doing.

cheers

 

[sandie]

Apart from the factors people have already mentioned. I don't like the idea because our star players could get injured & miss Home & Away games.



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mantis

 

[S.Robbo]

Being a keen fan of the Storm as well, I'd welcome such a game. Just for curiosity sake I'd love to see how the Storm would stand up skill and endurance wise against any AFL side, let alone our great club. Reckon Essendon would win easily, but nontheless would crave a match-up say between a Robbie Ross and say a Damien Hardwick. Or even Matty Geyer on a Justin Blumfield.

Let's just do it for the fans sake. Would be a very popular event, given that both sides have won a premiership recently.

 

[Dan26]

Robbo,

Strangley enough, it would probably get a huge crowd - even if it didlt deserve one !

I follow the Storm a bit too - mainly because of my dad, but in reality, the Essendon boys would annihilate them.

 

[CJH]

Going back a few years now, there was a kind of football code olympics put on between Australian Rules, Rugby League and Soccer.

Needless to say Aussie Rules was a bit like Australia at the Commonwealth Games. No one really got close.

It comes down to different conditioning. Aussie Rules players are trained to run non stop whereas rugby is bursts of power and strength.

None of the players would get hurt as the Storm wouldn't be able to get close enough to tackle them.

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This is a hallucination and these faces are in a dream. A computer generated environment; a fantasy island you can do anything and not have to face the consequences.

 

[Westy Boy]

Sorry to bring this thread up again guys, but the Doggies have taken the match up (after you guys rejected it, of course

).
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/20001123/A33719-2000Nov23.html

We're playing them in January. I just wanted to get your thoughts on the matter. Would Walshy, S. Robbo and Dan as storm supporters, still attend the match even though it's the bulldogs playing them?. What do you think about Sandie's question about injuries.

We've got the topic going at the doggies board as well if you want to contribute there.