Opinion Has the game turned ugly?

[Moggy]

Stephen Alomes has written a very interesting article in The Age today about the effect of negative game-styles on the spectacle of Aussie Rules footy.

Some quotes from the article:

Gyms, rugby league-style tackling and aerobic capacity have created the new siege game perfected in all its ugliness by Fremantle. I call it Tackleball and Stoppageball, Robert Walls uses "rolling scrum", Drew Morphett "mobile wrestling", Ted Hopkins refers to Ugby (fusing rugby and ugly). In this Umpireball, the game of stoppages and throw-ins, the umpires get more touches than most players.

The Lyon game is the extreme version of the forward press: ugliness personified and "Smotherball" are the latest deformities imposed on the game. Footy is about the contested ball. It is also about kicking and marking, handballing and goaling. At its best it is hard but honourable, as in tough finals.

From the comments on the article, it seems the reaction is split into two camps:
- people agreeing with him
- people accusing him of anti-Freo or anti-Interstate bias.

I would be interested in BigFooty's thoughts on it.

PS: It's easy but not very helpful to descend into a slanging match between clubs, i.e. Geelong and Freo, but that is being done to death elsewhere. Let's try to keep this about the game itself.
As my grand-dad used to say "Less heat, more light"

 

[Turbocat]

Probably matches my feelings for a while. Its effective and listen to knobs like David King and Andy DumbMahr on SEN they see nothing wronmg in the style of it. When was the last time they paid to watch it. These experts get over 100g to watch and comment , of course they say nothing is wrong. Meanwhile johnny public is paying it 1000's to go and watch this. There were games over the last few seasons i was very frustrated with it

This epitimzes my feelings on it


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/the-games-turned-ugly--and-i-wouldnt-be-lyon-20130926-2ugy2.html#ixzz2g4ttTgxT

That's why seasoned commentators, including Walls and David Parkin, celebrate watching Geelong play, and more recently Hawthorn.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/the-games-turned-ugly--and-i-wouldnt-be-lyon-20130926-2ugy2.html#ixzz2g4ttTgxT

and

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/the-games-turned-ugly--and-i-wouldnt-be-lyon-20130926-2ugy2.html#ixzz2g4tMHamY

Lyon is the Douglas Jardine – the England Bodyline captain – of Australian football. He operates within the rules, but against the spirit of the game, and with that Essendon-style theme of "win at all costs".

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/the-games-turned-ugly--and-i-wouldnt-be-lyon-20130926-2ugy2.html#ixzz2g4tMHamY

I don't deny I would have taken any method to taste victory , just as Freo people will embrace it.
But imagine 18 team all playing in that manor , as a product are we going to sit down and watch that all the time? Its not what I pay to watch.

Just like Bodyline was a winning formula it was outlawed due to fears on the long term consequences

The problem is you can't put the Genie back in the bottle. The recommendation of players tied to areas basically takes us in a Netball direction. More stuff for the umps to get wrong. Perhaps the simplest solution is numbers on the ground. Imagine a basketball court with 18 on each side. The trouble is its a ongoing struggle between coach and rules. If we adjust the rules it will then have other affects because the coaches job is to maximize rule to ensure wins.

 

[4quarter_cat]

I've been thinking this for awhile. Ever since we out Freo'd Freo mid season.

 

[FredLeDeux]

If Ross Lyon is for it, I'm agin it.

 

[re cat]

Of course it has but the interchange cap of 120 should slow the flood down.

But let's hope it works tomorrow and

BACK TO BACK FOR THE HAWKS!!!!

 

[supahoops]

It was looking beautiful 6 days and 21 hours ago.

Took our club to curb the Sydney/StKilda style.

No doubt we'll do it again. It's just what we do..

 

[Moggy]

I actually meant to post this on the main board.
[USER]TurboCat[/USER] is it possible to move it?

 

[BotsMaster]

I actually meant to post this on the main board.
[USER]TurboCat[/USER] is it possible to move it?

Just start a new thread on the main board.

Could someone remind me: was West Coast's gameplan in 2005/2006 a dour, boring style game or was it free flowing, attacking style game?

 

[FredLeDeux]

Just start a new thread on the main board.

Could someone remind me: was West Coast's gameplan in 2005/2006 a dour, boring style game or was it free flowing, attacking style game?

Didn't matter, they were playing the Sydney Blots On The Game.

 

[Moggy]

Just start a new thread on the main board.

Could someone remind me: was West Coast's gameplan in 2005/2006 a dour, boring style game or was it free flowing, attacking style game?

Just did. Thanks.


Maybe the mods can close this one...?

 

[Boxhead_31]

Read the article and found myself agreeing with it entirely.

I loath watching the ball forced forward like the Swans / Freo game last Saturday night without a clear possession just constant tackling and spillage of the ball. This is not the football I care to view, if I wanted to watch that I would turn over to the Super Rugby comp

 

[BotsMaster]

Just did. Thanks.


Maybe the mods can close this one...?

Nah leave it open for us to discuss without the intrusion of numpty's on the main board.

Also lol'd at the first comment in your thread

He is an idiot

 

[Beth]

I actually meant to post this on the main board.
[USER]TurboCat[/USER] is it possible to move it?

Probably best discussing it here, unless you fellate Freo and their increasingly hysterical posters you'll just be accused of sour grapes. Think it may be time to check out until the trade period starts!

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Read the article and found myself agreeing with it entirely.

I loath watching the ball forced forward like the Swans / Freo game last Saturday night without a clear possession just constant tackling and spillage of the ball. This is not the football I care to view, if I wanted to watch that I would turn over to the Super Rugby comp

Thats probably why Geel - Haw games are so good to watch - 2 attacking teams playing AFL

That 2nd qtr of the Freo game - was rugby

You look at someone like Kevin Bartlett - who was a superstar- how would he have gone today - as a rover - with 30 blokes on the ball

 

[Jack Gun Cyril Stun]

It was looking beautiful 6 days and 21 hours ago.

Took our club to curb the Sydney/StKilda style.

No doubt we'll do it again. It's just what we do..

2007 was a watershed year and victory not just for Geelong but for most footy followers and players at all levels. I don't mind the closeness of competition the syd-saints-pies2010-Freo brings and as a competitor you do what you can within the rules to win. But if you want to sell, promote and grow the game it's not a style to do that or attract long term patronage. I like to compare it to watching Italy and Brazil play in the world cup. I'm only getting up early in the morning to watch one team and it's not Italy.

Geelong just employ a brand of footy I was brought up to play - get in and win the contest, beat your man and if and when you do that and have footy then take off run, use all your skill imagination and teammates to get it towards your goal and be daring.Be a rock defending and a Da Vinci attacking.

I always enjoy watching the cats play and still think with a fit full list would have beaten Freo in QF and been playing in the GF.

 

[Moggy]

This thread is up and running on the main board, guys, so please add your wisdom over there.
Currently, and unsurprisingly, a lot of trashing of the article without any argumentation... and "Geelong sook" posting.

 

[BotsMaster]

Thats probably why Geel - Haw games are so good to watch - 2 attacking teams playing AFL

That 2nd qtr of the Freo game - was rugby

You look at someone like Kevin Bartlett - who never handballed- how would he have gone today - as a rover - with 30 blokes on the ball

EFA.

 

[jim boy]

Freo's style certainly lacks the joyfullness of Geelong - or the Hawks for that matter.

But each to their own - I heard one English commentator today describe Aussie Rules as like rugby but played by fatter people.

 

[Turbocat]

This thread is up and running on the main board, guys, so please add your wisdom over there.
Currently, and unsurprisingly, a lot of trashing of the article without any argumentation... and "Geelong sook" posting.

Thats why I thought Id wait before moving it. Actually Geelong have always place a premium on the "way it supposed to be played" so its very relevant to us specifically.

 

[Turbocat]

Freo's style certainly lacks the joyfullness of Geelong - or the Hawks for that matter.

But each to their own - I heard one English commentator today describe Aussie Rules as like rugby but played by fatter people.

Yeah well soccer is like a stage play with long socks.

 

[AM]

Yeah well soccer is like a stage play with long socks.

Don't at all mind watching the English Premier League. Seeing the precise ball movement and the angles they work can be absorbing. Particularly this year with the Gunners being on top.

 

[Hoffy95]

If it meant Geelong would win the flag this year I wouldn't give a shit if they played like Freo.

The tactic that doesn't give your team the best chance of winning is the wrong tactic every day of the week. Whilst the AFL is a business, the club and the players are all out there to win irrespective of how that translates to TV and public opinion.

Like any tactic it will eventually get found out, as it has before, and a more 'eye candy' tactic will prevail and the cycle will continue indefinitely.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

I think most neutrals ( me included) would prefer Fremantle to win the premiership

However if Freo lose - i want them to lose big time - i want them crushed - totally destroyed- annihilated - humilated and obliterated - something in the vicinity of 80 points ( and if it is dry and fine - i think thats what is going to happen) - so that ugly garbage rolling scrum style they play- is sinbined for ever.

 

[Turbocat]

Don't at all mind watching the English Premier League. Seeing the precise ball movement and the angles they work can be absorbing. Particularly this year with the Gunners being on top.

Very , very occasionally a game of "world football" grab my interest. usually when its Aust. , but saying our game is rugby played by fat people is about as true as saying they are all actors with long socks .