News Giants in the Media

Drezdyn

All Australian
Mar 28, 2012
922
1,093
Western Sydney
AFL Club
GWS
Other Teams
All Northern alliance teams
I am so over this PC bullshit, the headlines all read about Mummy challenging the 10 million dollar man about his holidays, the constant sledging by the swans players against Whitfield is a subtext.
Report the story morons, not the hysteria

Geez, would they find something genuine to whinge about?! I understand that depression is no joke, but if you're stable enough to play AFL at the elite level then you'd expect enough resilience to handle a bit of ribbing. What are we going to do now?, create a "Safe space" and give "trigger warnings" on the field?

Some of these PC police need to read this book. Or check out the southpark episode

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13530973-antifragile



They're not called Swans for nothing. Do we expect anything less from them? There's always been constant whining about how we don't show them respect and they hurt poor sniper McGlynn's feelings for missing out on the GF (which is ironic because they'll probably need to drop him to reach this year's GF).

Most swans fans are alright, but some are fragile, precious, little offended princesses.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS

Ichabod Noodle

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 13, 2011
9,402
14,246
The Riff
AFL Club
GWS
Other Teams
Raiders, Brumbies
Can somebody with a subscription (or a way around the pay wall) repost the Mark Robinson thing from the Hun on the Mummy-Franklin saga please?
 
External expectations are definitely on the rise, not sure they are warranted, but...


Dermott Brereton says Hawthorn will beat Western Bulldogs but won’t get past GWS Giants

Anthony Bitzilis, FOX SPORTS
September 15, 2016 2:19pm
HAWTHORN champion Dermott Brereton has cast doubt over the Hawks’ bid for a historic fourth straight premiership, claiming they don’t have the ability to defeat one emerging side: The GWS Giants.

Hawthorn fell agonisingly short of advancing to a preliminary final against the Cats last Friday night, while the Giants confirmed their status as a future powerhouse of the competition the following day when they upset Sydney.

While both qualifying finals were gripping, Brereton said they were played at two different standards, claiming the Hawks-Cats was “a half-step back” from Swans-Giants match.

Brereton, who played 189 games for Hawthorn, expects his old side to narrowly defeat the Bulldogs on Friday night, but said it’d fail to overcome the rapidly-rising Giants at Spotless Stadium in the preliminary final next week.

“One thing I’ve said all along — and I’ve been going up there for a while — they’re the best collection of talent I’ve seen at a football club,” Brereton told SEN.
“Any team that has to go and play them on their home dung heap, they’ve got a job ahead of them.”

GWS has built a formidable fortress at Spotless Stadium this season, winning six of its eight clashes there by an average margin of 64 points.

Both Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs made unsuccessful trips to Spotless Stadium this season, going down by 75 and 25 points respectively.

“If they keep it all together on the day, they’re going to be the team to beat,” Brereton said of the Giants.

Brereton is also wary of the risk associated with landing wantaway Sun Jaeger O’Meara, who named Hawthorn as his preferred destination on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old has played 44 games in four seasons for the Gold Coast Suns.

“I just hope that they’ve done their due diligence. This kid (O’Meara) hasn’t played a full game for two years,” Brereton said.
 
Can somebody with a subscription (or a way around the pay wall) repost the Mark Robinson thing from the Hun on the Mummy-Franklin saga please?

It's PC waffle, leaves out enough pertinent facts to make it semi legitimate righteous indignation, including the primary one, Buddy sledged first, Mummy was replying not instigating.. If you can't take it don't dish it, that's how I was brought up. Hopefully it's dead and buried and has had it's 7 minutes of fame.


Shane Mumford to escape sanction after alleged mental health taunt aimed at Lance Franklin
Mark Robinson, Ben Horne and Ben Higgins, Herald Sun
September 13, 2016 9:08am
SHANE Mumford will front the GWS Giants after revelations surfaced that he taunted Lance Franklin in the Sydney derby final, allegedly over the Swans star’s battle with mental illness.

It’s understood Mumford has admitted to GWS bosses that he sledged Franklin with words to the effect of “good to see you’re not on holidays this year.”

The club refused to comment when contacted on Monday night, as did the Swans.

At this stage the AFL appears unlikely to take action after no complaint was lodged by Sydney.

If Mumford is to be sanctioned, it would be internally.

However, pressure could rise from mental health groups for a strong statement to be made by the game if the allegations are verified further.

8949774eed8c896d1041f89e8267610c

Lance Franklin and Shane Mumford push and shove. Picture: Toby Zerna
The unsavoury barb clearly references the extended leave of absence Franklin took that ruled him out of last year’s finals series.


“Leading into the finals, I was really struggling — I put my hand up and said I needed help,” Franklin admitted last year.

“I’m so glad I did it. I took some time away and it’s the best decision I’ve made.”

For Mumford to allegedly use Franklin’s personal struggles against him has overshadowed the Giants’ historic victory, although the Swans appear reluctant to push for punishment, with Franklin not lodging a complaint.

Melbourne Storm NRL star Billy Slater was heavily criticised in 2010 when he told Newcastle’s Cory Paterson, who had waged a long battle with depression, to “go and have a cry in your room”. Slater apologised and the NRL decided against taking action.

ca5da541fa25f40fef621b21cd73a709

Shane Mumford celebrates with captain Callan Ward after beating Sydney. Picture: Phil Hillyard
Mumford has spoken with the club on the issue and will be grilled further, as the Giants also seek to make contact with Sydney and Franklin before determining an outcome.

In a hostile game, GWS young gun Lachie Whitfield was targeted by Swans players over the AFL investigation into drug allegations and potentially avoiding drug testing.

It is believed the midfielder was sledged throughout the game, a week after Swan Josh Kennedy said Whitfield’s off-field problems were not off limits.

The Giants steamrolled their cross-town rivals in the second half at ANZ Stadium on Saturday to move into their first preliminary final.
 

Ichabod Noodle

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 13, 2011
9,402
14,246
The Riff
AFL Club
GWS
Other Teams
Raiders, Brumbies
It's PC waffle, leaves out enough pertinent facts to make it semi legitimate righteous indignation, including the primary one, Buddy sledged first, Mummy was replying not instigating.. If you can't take it don't dish it, that's how I was brought up. Hopefully it's dead and buried and has had it's 7 minutes of fame.


Shane Mumford to escape sanction after alleged mental health taunt aimed at Lance Franklin
Mark Robinson, Ben Horne and Ben Higgins, Herald Sun
September 13, 2016 9:08am
SHANE Mumford will front the GWS Giants after revelations surfaced that he taunted Lance Franklin in the Sydney derby final, allegedly over the Swans star’s battle with mental illness.

It’s understood Mumford has admitted to GWS bosses that he sledged Franklin with words to the effect of “good to see you’re not on holidays this year.”

The club refused to comment when contacted on Monday night, as did the Swans.

At this stage the AFL appears unlikely to take action after no complaint was lodged by Sydney.

If Mumford is to be sanctioned, it would be internally.

However, pressure could rise from mental health groups for a strong statement to be made by the game if the allegations are verified further.

8949774eed8c896d1041f89e8267610c

Lance Franklin and Shane Mumford push and shove. Picture: Toby Zerna
The unsavoury barb clearly references the extended leave of absence Franklin took that ruled him out of last year’s finals series.


“Leading into the finals, I was really struggling — I put my hand up and said I needed help,” Franklin admitted last year.

“I’m so glad I did it. I took some time away and it’s the best decision I’ve made.”

For Mumford to allegedly use Franklin’s personal struggles against him has overshadowed the Giants’ historic victory, although the Swans appear reluctant to push for punishment, with Franklin not lodging a complaint.

Melbourne Storm NRL star Billy Slater was heavily criticised in 2010 when he told Newcastle’s Cory Paterson, who had waged a long battle with depression, to “go and have a cry in your room”. Slater apologised and the NRL decided against taking action.

ca5da541fa25f40fef621b21cd73a709

Shane Mumford celebrates with captain Callan Ward after beating Sydney. Picture: Phil Hillyard
Mumford has spoken with the club on the issue and will be grilled further, as the Giants also seek to make contact with Sydney and Franklin before determining an outcome.

In a hostile game, GWS young gun Lachie Whitfield was targeted by Swans players over the AFL investigation into drug allegations and potentially avoiding drug testing.

It is believed the midfielder was sledged throughout the game, a week after Swan Josh Kennedy said Whitfield’s off-field problems were not off limits.

The Giants steamrolled their cross-town rivals in the second half at ANZ Stadium on Saturday to move into their first preliminary final.

Thanks for that, but it's quite weird because he said on 360 that it had come to light that Buddy sledged first and that you should really read the Hun tomorrow, it's quite explosive.

What a bollocks filled tosspot he really is.
 
Nov 23, 2015
11,654
17,070
AFL Club
GWS
Good article on Leon Cameron and his approach to coaching ... explains a lot about how he operates and his relationships with players.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...y/news-story/e46522d8054daacc3d53a088b6fa5765

HONESTY, empathy and curiosity.

These are the three pillars that got Leon Cameron the job at GWS, but it’s been the coach’s unique ability to live these values every day with his players that has the Giants on the verge of AFL history this Saturday night against the Western Bulldogs. GWS chief executive Dave Matthews has given a remarkable insight into the man behind the most exciting team in football, revealing that Cameron meets individually and face-to-face with every single player on his 40-man roster every single week.

When he talks with his players he is so honest he shoots straighter than an arrow. He empathises and listens from the heart. And above all he’s inherently curious about what the Giants can achieve and how quickly. The result is after five short years GWS are four quarters away from grand final day.
Melbourne clubs might bleat about the Giants’ hand-picked talent, but few would take the time to harvest it like Cameron has.

Back in 2013, finding the coach to take the baton from Kevin Sheedy was always going to be a critical appointment, but Cameron was only three words into his interview when Dave Matthews realised the right man was sitting right in front of him. “Firstly it’s the person. He’s a terrific person with great values. He actually started his job interview by outlining his values – honesty, empathy and curiosity — before he went into any game plan or anything else,” recalls Matthews. “You see that now every day with the way he deals with people — players and staff equally. He’s very interested in the person first and foremost, and then the player. He’s a brilliant man manager. I think in an ordinary course of a week he probably meets with every player one on one and to do that round of meetings with a list of 40 odd players is time consuming but he does it in such a genuine, sincere way. He’s got a very deep love of the game and a deep understanding of the game and was really up for the challenge. He saw an opportunity to develop this club and also himself and we couldn’t be any more pleased with the way he represents our club and the way he deals in particular with the players.”
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
Wow.


http://www.smh.com.au/afl/greater-w...he-afls-team-not-sydneys-20160919-grk007.html

The Greater Western Sydney Giants are the AFL's team, not Sydney's
Roy Masters

AFL plays of the finals: week two
If you were given a dollar for everyone who asked Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy for a selfie or an autograph at the MCG Friday night, or shouted "Go Storm" as he walked past, you would have enough money to buy something really pricey ... like a ticket to the AFL grand final.

The Storm, who play a preliminary final against Canberra on Saturday night, have marketed themselves, intuitively rather than purposefully, as a Melbourne team, rather than an NRL one.

Advertisement

The Giants, who play a preliminary final against the Western Bulldogs the same night, are positioned as an AFL team, rather than a Sydney one.

OK, the Swans, who moved north from Melbourne in 1982, have a lock on "Sydney's team", but the Giants are not perceived as representatives of what they cloyingly call "Greater Western Sydney."

Hard to love: GWS have moved from their initial Blacktown base to Homebush and play three premiership games a season in ...
Hard to love: GWS have moved from their initial Blacktown base to Homebush and play three premiership games a season in Canberra. Photo: Getty Images
They are representative of the AFL's drive to gain access to the NSW and Queensland share of the national advertising spend, with the two states contributing nearly 60 per cent.

AFL chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick, made this very clear when he said on ABC radio on September 9, "We'd like to be the No 1 code...We will get our market share of that population and that translates into a big football club (Giants)."

Nor can the Giants, hand on heart, declare themselves a team representative of Sydney's west when they are geographically ubiquitous. They have moved from their initial Blacktown base to Homebush and play three premiership games a season in Canberra.

Twenty seven million dollars were spent building them a base at Blacktown, where the then Rudd Government was impressed with the spiel that it had the highest concentration of Indigenous people in Australia.

They were given a further $45m in public funding when the subsequently disgraced NSW minister, Ian Macdonald, an AFL tragic, paid for an upgrade of Sydney Showground.

Nor are they deterred by a recent decision by the ACT Government, following community opposition, to defer a GWS-Grocon $800m "Manuka Green" bid, where $80m to $100m would be spent on re-developing Manuka Oval.

The AFL's born-to-rule arrogance was obvious when it decided to start a second team in Sydney, assuming Blacktown is the heart of what they call Greater Western Sydney.

The western suburbs region of Sydney is a vast, amorphous urban landscape, with multiple nodes.

Sure, Blacktown is midway between Penrith and Parramatta but what about Lidcombe, Liverpool, Campbelltown, the Blue Mountains and the rich vein of playing talent in the south west corridor, together with potential season ticket holders in the upper middle class suburbs of the Hills district.

The Giants don't belong to Sydney; they belong to the AFL who has subsidised them over $100m, gifted them No 1 draft choices, salary cap concessions and exclusive access to NSW regions to put them in a position where they can make the grand final after five years.

How would you feel if you were a follower of the Western Bulldogs who have made two grand finals in nearly 100 years?

No wonder almost all Melburnians, except the AFL, are cheering for the team who last made a grand final 55 years ago, against a team who could make it after five years.

Surely, the Bulldogs administration would be eyeing some of the Giants talent they are playing at Sydney's Showground (Spotless Stadium) and wonder whether it could have guaranteed a grand final berth.

But the Bulldogs won't say anything publicly because they rely on the AFL for additional funding.

The AFL ignore the Storm, while the Melbourne clubs embrace them. Bellamy was a guest of the Hawks at the MCG on Friday night where Lisa Alexander, Australia's netball coach, was interviewed at the pre-game dinner. The AFL's emcee mentioned how exciting it was for two new teams to be backed by AFL clubs – Collingwood and GWS – but no mention of the Storm and its Sunshine Coast netball team.

Storm captain, Cameron Smith, was also at the MCG. When he appears on Foxtel's AFL 360, the questions usually focus on his AFL team, the Hawks.

Storm chairman, Bart Campbell, has often said his club's aspiration is to hold the same place in the Melbourne sporting landscape as the Swans do in Sydney.

Compare this to the AFL chairman's recent sabre rattling of national domination.

OK, the Storm are 18 years old and the Giants only five.

But if you had a dollar for every Storm fan who outnumbers a Canberra supporter at AAMI Stadium Saturday night, discounted by the margin the Bulldogs followers exceed the Giants at Spotless, you'd have enough to buy two AFL grand final tickets.
 

Bokonon

Cancelled
May 3, 2016
4,376
2,703
AFL Club
GWS
Wow.


http://www.smh.com.au/afl/greater-w...he-afls-team-not-sydneys-20160919-grk007.html

The Greater Western Sydney Giants are the AFL's team, not Sydney's
Roy Masters

AFL plays of the finals: week two
If you were given a dollar for everyone who asked Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy for a selfie or an autograph at the MCG Friday night, or shouted "Go Storm" as he walked past, you would have enough money to buy something really pricey ... like a ticket to the AFL grand final.

The Storm, who play a preliminary final against Canberra on Saturday night, have marketed themselves, intuitively rather than purposefully, as a Melbourne team, rather than an NRL one.

Advertisement

The Giants, who play a preliminary final against the Western Bulldogs the same night, are positioned as an AFL team, rather than a Sydney one.

OK, the Swans, who moved north from Melbourne in 1982, have a lock on "Sydney's team", but the Giants are not perceived as representatives of what they cloyingly call "Greater Western Sydney."

Hard to love: GWS have moved from their initial Blacktown base to Homebush and play three premiership games a season in ...
Hard to love: GWS have moved from their initial Blacktown base to Homebush and play three premiership games a season in Canberra. Photo: Getty Images
They are representative of the AFL's drive to gain access to the NSW and Queensland share of the national advertising spend, with the two states contributing nearly 60 per cent.

AFL chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick, made this very clear when he said on ABC radio on September 9, "We'd like to be the No 1 code...We will get our market share of that population and that translates into a big football club (Giants)."

Nor can the Giants, hand on heart, declare themselves a team representative of Sydney's west when they are geographically ubiquitous. They have moved from their initial Blacktown base to Homebush and play three premiership games a season in Canberra.

Twenty seven million dollars were spent building them a base at Blacktown, where the then Rudd Government was impressed with the spiel that it had the highest concentration of Indigenous people in Australia.

They were given a further $45m in public funding when the subsequently disgraced NSW minister, Ian Macdonald, an AFL tragic, paid for an upgrade of Sydney Showground.

Nor are they deterred by a recent decision by the ACT Government, following community opposition, to defer a GWS-Grocon $800m "Manuka Green" bid, where $80m to $100m would be spent on re-developing Manuka Oval.

The AFL's born-to-rule arrogance was obvious when it decided to start a second team in Sydney, assuming Blacktown is the heart of what they call Greater Western Sydney.

The western suburbs region of Sydney is a vast, amorphous urban landscape, with multiple nodes.

Sure, Blacktown is midway between Penrith and Parramatta but what about Lidcombe, Liverpool, Campbelltown, the Blue Mountains and the rich vein of playing talent in the south west corridor, together with potential season ticket holders in the upper middle class suburbs of the Hills district.

The Giants don't belong to Sydney; they belong to the AFL who has subsidised them over $100m, gifted them No 1 draft choices, salary cap concessions and exclusive access to NSW regions to put them in a position where they can make the grand final after five years.

How would you feel if you were a follower of the Western Bulldogs who have made two grand finals in nearly 100 years?

No wonder almost all Melburnians, except the AFL, are cheering for the team who last made a grand final 55 years ago, against a team who could make it after five years.

Surely, the Bulldogs administration would be eyeing some of the Giants talent they are playing at Sydney's Showground (Spotless Stadium) and wonder whether it could have guaranteed a grand final berth.

But the Bulldogs won't say anything publicly because they rely on the AFL for additional funding.

The AFL ignore the Storm, while the Melbourne clubs embrace them. Bellamy was a guest of the Hawks at the MCG on Friday night where Lisa Alexander, Australia's netball coach, was interviewed at the pre-game dinner. The AFL's emcee mentioned how exciting it was for two new teams to be backed by AFL clubs – Collingwood and GWS – but no mention of the Storm and its Sunshine Coast netball team.

Storm captain, Cameron Smith, was also at the MCG. When he appears on Foxtel's AFL 360, the questions usually focus on his AFL team, the Hawks.

Storm chairman, Bart Campbell, has often said his club's aspiration is to hold the same place in the Melbourne sporting landscape as the Swans do in Sydney.

Compare this to the AFL chairman's recent sabre rattling of national domination.

OK, the Storm are 18 years old and the Giants only five.

But if you had a dollar for every Storm fan who outnumbers a Canberra supporter at AAMI Stadium Saturday night, discounted by the margin the Bulldogs followers exceed the Giants at Spotless, you'd have enough to buy two AFL grand final tickets.
I see him regularly on Offsiders, I dont see he's said anything relevant since 1978. Even then probably at half time in the West's rooms. I dont know he hates AFL, a real hater would probably know a bit more about it.
 

TwoMinuteCrane

Debutant
Jun 21, 2016
64
72
AFL Club
GWS
Hey, be fair to Roy. I mean, when I want fair and balanced news and views on Rugby League I always go straight to Kevin Bartlett and Sammy Newman. It's only fair that he should be treated with the same respect going the other way.
 

Ichabod Noodle

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 13, 2011
9,402
14,246
The Riff
AFL Club
GWS
Other Teams
Raiders, Brumbies
From The Greenfield Post - whose motto is "We think we know sports"
To which I always respond "Well think again"


A guide to every potential GF scenario

In over 40 years of watching and then reporting on the AFL I can never recall such potential contrasting grand final match-ups, dependent on the results of this week's preliminary finals.

For us neutrals (and when you are a Richmond supporter you are always in the neutral camp at this time of year) there has never been so much riding on the result of a preliminary final.


Even in 1997 when Adelaide (before they were perennial finals chokers as witnessed again on the weekend) ruined the dream St Kilda-WesternBulldogs grand final there was still some consolation.

And that was watching the Saints attempt to win their first grand final since 1966.

I still remember the excitement at Moorabbin on that Thursday night as we sports journos watched coach Stan Alves put his players through some bizarre haka type dance, in front of the adoring Saints' hordes who roared themselves hoarse.

Pity the Saints left all their energy out on the training track and the Crows turned boogie men for the second week running ending the Saints' premiership dream.

Now nearly 20 years later it’s the Bulldogs - everyone's second favourite club - who again take centre stage as they attempt to reach their first grand final since 1961.

There are four potential grand final match-ups and they range from the beyond exciting to one so bad that watching golf, motor racing or even the world's worst sport - rugby union - would be a preferable day's entertainment.

Of course what the fans want and what the Anti Fun League is hoping for are chalk and cheese and for proof of that you only need to look at the outrageous decision to play the GWS-Bulldogs preliminary final at a ground that caters for less people than the AFL's Christmas party.

Anyway here is my guide on what to do on grand final day depending on the results of this weekend's preliminary finals.

1. The dream option - Western Bulldogs v Geelong.
Make no mistake, this will be the biggest AFL grand final since 1990 when Collingwood ended a 32-year premiership drought to beat archrivals Essendon.

The atmosphere and excitement leading up to this match-up would bring the city of Melbourne back to the halcyon days before the Anti Fun League did their best to kill football in Victoria by selling the game to corporate and interstate interests.

Whatever the scalpers are asking for a ticket - just pay it.


2. The good vs. evil option - Western Bulldogs v Sydney.
The Bulldogs' sheer presence in the grand final would ensure this option is almost as big as a Dogs v Cats grand final but the support for the Doggies would be even more overwhelming against a club that sums up much of the hypocrisy of the modern-day AFL.

But no doubt the Sydney sooks would launch a formal complaint about their players being booed and attempt to take Bulldogs supporters to the human rights commission for creating too feral an atmosphere.


3. The Steve Johnson option - GWS v Geelong.
As much as this column despises the very notion of GWS and the way they have been gifted a premiership opportunity after only five years in the competition by the Anti Fun League's bias drafting rules - this option does have one enticing feature.

And that is the prospect of the great Stevie J returning to haunt his old club. And when you know as many obnoxious Cats' fans as this author - that alone ensures sufficient interest to at least turn on the TV.


4. The Anti Fun League's dream option but the nightmare option for those outside NSW - GWS v Sydney.
The only winners out of this option will be the Melbourne Racing Club at Caulfield because that is where many of us will be.

But the Anti Fun League and those 'dyed in the wool, long-time passionate New South Wales' footy fans who once attended a match in a corporate box and loved watching 'Plunger' Lockett in their youth will be thrilled.


default.jpg

Paul Gough
Writer
Goughy is a former sportswriter who these days prefers the local footy to the AFL.


 
From The Greenfield Post - whose motto is "We think we know sports"
To which I always respond "Well think again"


A guide to every potential GF scenario

In over 40 years of watching and then reporting on the AFL I can never recall such potential contrasting grand final match-ups, dependent on the results of this week's preliminary finals.

For us neutrals (and when you are a Richmond supporter you are always in the neutral camp at this time of year) there has never been so much riding on the result of a preliminary final.


Even in 1997 when Adelaide (before they were perennial finals chokers as witnessed again on the weekend) ruined the dream St Kilda-WesternBulldogs grand final there was still some consolation.

And that was watching the Saints attempt to win their first grand final since 1966.

I still remember the excitement at Moorabbin on that Thursday night as we sports journos watched coach Stan Alves put his players through some bizarre haka type dance, in front of the adoring Saints' hordes who roared themselves hoarse.

Pity the Saints left all their energy out on the training track and the Crows turned boogie men for the second week running ending the Saints' premiership dream.

Now nearly 20 years later it’s the Bulldogs - everyone's second favourite club - who again take centre stage as they attempt to reach their first grand final since 1961.

There are four potential grand final match-ups and they range from the beyond exciting to one so bad that watching golf, motor racing or even the world's worst sport - rugby union - would be a preferable day's entertainment.

Of course what the fans want and what the Anti Fun League is hoping for are chalk and cheese and for proof of that you only need to look at the outrageous decision to play the GWS-Bulldogs preliminary final at a ground that caters for less people than the AFL's Christmas party.

Anyway here is my guide on what to do on grand final day depending on the results of this weekend's preliminary finals.

1. The dream option - Western Bulldogs v Geelong.
Make no mistake, this will be the biggest AFL grand final since 1990 when Collingwood ended a 32-year premiership drought to beat archrivals Essendon.

The atmosphere and excitement leading up to this match-up would bring the city of Melbourne back to the halcyon days before the Anti Fun League did their best to kill football in Victoria by selling the game to corporate and interstate interests.

Whatever the scalpers are asking for a ticket - just pay it.


2. The good vs. evil option - Western Bulldogs v Sydney.
The Bulldogs' sheer presence in the grand final would ensure this option is almost as big as a Dogs v Cats grand final but the support for the Doggies would be even more overwhelming against a club that sums up much of the hypocrisy of the modern-day AFL.

But no doubt the Sydney sooks would launch a formal complaint about their players being booed and attempt to take Bulldogs supporters to the human rights commission for creating too feral an atmosphere.


3. The Steve Johnson option - GWS v Geelong.
As much as this column despises the very notion of GWS and the way they have been gifted a premiership opportunity after only five years in the competition by the Anti Fun League's bias drafting rules - this option does have one enticing feature.

And that is the prospect of the great Stevie J returning to haunt his old club. And when you know as many obnoxious Cats' fans as this author - that alone ensures sufficient interest to at least turn on the TV.


4. The Anti Fun League's dream option but the nightmare option for those outside NSW - GWS v Sydney.
The only winners out of this option will be the Melbourne Racing Club at Caulfield because that is where many of us will be.

But the Anti Fun League and those 'dyed in the wool, long-time passionate New South Wales' footy fans who once attended a match in a corporate box and loved watching 'Plunger' Lockett in their youth will be thrilled.


default.jpg

Paul Gough
Writer
Goughy is a former sportswriter who these days prefers the local footy to the AFL.


"Former Sportswriter" lol
Anyone who prefers local footy to the AFL is a dinosaur worshipper, good luck to him and his blissful ignorance of reality
 
Nov 1, 2012
1,953
1,966
AFL Club
GWS

4. The Anti Fun League's dream option but the nightmare option for those outside NSW - GWS v Sydney.

Actually it's probably only a nightmare for those outside NSW and those other states that don't start with "V".

"
Anyone who prefers local footy to the AFL is a dinosaur worshipper, good luck to him and his blissful ignorance of reality

He's a Richmond supporter, so you can see why he's harking back to those days before those nasty interstate teams came in.
 
Back