Analysis How the state of the game has evolved, is the increased rate of injuries a result of of the evolution

[falcons2]

I don't think things are half as bad as many make out. I think the players are more athletic and skilled than ever.
They are as brave and hard at winning the ball than ever.

But there are problems and they lie in the standard of coaching and the direction of umpiring.

Coaching. It is a clear directive of many coaches to get numbers around the ball. In particular in the defensive half. Defence wins the stoppages because its about 7 on 14. "Oh they are defending well' - "no they aren't its 14 on 8 #@&%!" The 14 go to run the ball out but have to stop because everyone up the ground is double teamed , get pressured, then take a second and poor option often leading to errors, go backwards or freeze up unwilling to kick with risk. This is ugly. It is coach driven and they are not being called out. It might be ok to win ugly but to lose ugly!!! Runners can only enter the field of play between the signalling of a goal and the restart. They are just in the way.
After game presser.
Media - What did you make of that?
Coach - disappointed, didn't execute blah blah blah, young players blah blah blah, met KPA's blah blah blah, building blah, blah, blah
Media - couple of years away blah blah blah

Required Presser
Media - Lost by 8 goals, scored less than 60 points and players look confused and directionless!
Coach - Who the *#@& let this guy in?
Media - Your fans want wins not spin!
Coach - Who'd you ever play for/coach?
Media - Let the boys play

Umpiring direction. Just pay the frees in the packs.

 

[Leeda]

Clearly, the square had it in for us in 75. I expect further fiddling to curtail the tigers is upcoming.

handling of the obnoxious is fraught with money and danger.. they will keep jumping around like they have put their tail in the fire..

they just don[t know when to stop jumping and 'where's the boundary son?>

 

[RUNVS]

When mids like Cripps, Bont, Fyfe are 192+ cm, play on the ball all day and rack up 30+ touches each game.

"Back in my day", our CHF Carey was 192cm and our FF Longmire was 194cm, and neither of them rarely left the 50.

It would be very interesting to see what roles players like Carey, Lockett, Dunstall and Ablett would play if they were turning 18 in 2017 and were first year recruits. I mean Carey and Lockett may "just" be KPF height, but Lockett and Ablett are medium sized forwards at best.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

That's because I moronically posted the wrong link. In my head, I loaded this clip.

Sure, but still, another breakaway goal.

We loved that aspect of his game. But were people seriously contending that it heralded a whole new style of game?

 

[RudyBlue]

Gerard Neesham and his water polo tactics. Everyone scoffed but secretly took on board what he was doing and implemented the best parts. Sheedy admitted as much. Neesham was a revolutionary.

Too young, please explain

 

[Bombermania]

In defense of Leigh over his support for zones, considering in his playing days there were unofficial zones as in the forwards stay forward, the defenders stay with the forwards and the mids ran around the midfield with a rest forward, as Leigh has explained it when he started he would come off the HFF and pick up whoever was playing on the wing and in his early days playing on a ground like Glenferrie Oval, the game plan was to give Hudson space with everyone else playing up the field.

I agree with Jason, the biggest issue which I have is the lack of accuracy with set shots from the corridor, back in the 1980s if a key forward marked it dead in front 25 out, was basically put down as a goal but today there is no such confidence.

 

[Blue1980]

Generally, scoring has been in the low to mid 90's since 1994, with a blip in 2000, and dipping under 90 from 2014 on.

Maybe we should ask what changed at the end of 1993 for the scoring to drop 10 full points per team/20 points per match? (My memory suggests this was when quarters were wound back from 25 minutes + time-on to 20 minutes.) This happened twice previously, in 1959-60 and 1969-70, with 1969 being a 'blip' similar to 2000. Conversely, scoring jumped 12 points in 1981-82 and 15 points in 1968-69.

Scoring also increased by 16 points per team between 1931-34, in what became a golden age of footy. Do we understand the game well enough to attempt to precipitate such changes?

(The cynic in me wonders whether this sudden concern isn't driven by the current game's general unsuitability for the Aboriginal boys. Only three debutants have made the grade in the first six rounds - all 21 or older - following seasons of 8,6,6,5,4,8,6,6,8,6 & 12. We know how the AFL values its claims to diversity, and we've seen the clout that Mifsud wielded.)

I’ll stick to the scoring instead of the aboriginal issue, which I don’t think is an issue.

Those jumps in scoring came around the time of major rule changes.

1931 was not long after the last touch out of bounds was introduced.

1994 - first season of 20 minute quarters. I think quarters aren’t much different in length nowadays as if memory serves they didn’t stop the clock for ball ups till around 2000.

1969 was the first season of our of bounds in the full.

Also I’d like to know what was the reason for the 20 minute quarters as opposed to 25? Seemed like a random change really.

 

[Ron The Bear]

I’ll stick to the scoring instead of the aboriginal issue, which I don’t think is an issue.

Maybe not, was just mentioned as an aside. But they're very sensitive about the numbers. It influenced the Rendell debacle.

1994 - first season of 20 minute quarters. I think quarters aren’t much different in length nowadays as if memory serves they didn’t stop the clock for ball ups till around 2000.

Also I’d like to know what was the reason for the 20 minute quarters as opposed to 25? Seemed like a random change really.

Not sure about ball-ups, but am pretty certain that time-on started being recorded when the ball was out of bounds at the same time quarter length was reduced. No more siren sounding while the ball was out of play.

Think they wanted to preserve this "dead time" to mitigate against time-wasting in close games.

 

[Blue1980]

Not a fan of finding ways to increase fatigue, one area this game has improved is the ability of sides to come from behind has improved, back in the 1980s if a side was 5 goals up at 3QT then it was said if they kicked the first one then it was as good as over wheres nowadays a side can be 5 goals down half way through the last term and they are still in it if they are good enough.

The saying “5 goals isn’t much in today’s footy” has been around as long as I’ve followed footy since the late 80s.

Considering scoring is lower what basis do you think comebacks are more likely now?

If I was to guess I wouldn’t think there is much difference.

I remember when we had a weird middle of the road side in 1990 we lost a game against the swans being 45 points up at half time and won a game against Geelong later in the season trailing by a similar margin at half time.

Those things happened reasonably frequently then, when was the last side to win being 40+ down at half time?

 

[sydney_gws]

The skills have been declining for years. Merging the Gold Coast/Brisbane and North/St. Kilda will somewhat improve the highlights, the talent pool requires compression.

Given how much Australia population has grown in the past 20 years, I don't think that adding two teams has diluted the pool at all.

 

[Del183359]

I think you will find this is fairly and squarely the responsiblity of Ross Lyon and Optus Stadium..if what I’m reading in the media is true..

 

[master bate]

Given how much Australia population has grown in the past 20 years, I don't think that adding two teams has diluted the pool at all.

Total population doesn't equal talent pool. Not many recent migrants in the AFL though - Majak, Aliir Aliir?. Or even kids of recent migrants - Lin Jong? Nic Nat?. And fertility rate has been under 2 for decades.

The GWS academy was a boom for underdeveloped talent in a traditional AFL area in Southern NSW. One that Hawthorn were on to before GWS though!

Otherwise AFL draftees are coming from the same areas and similar backgrounds. In fact you can probably pick a handful of the best private and catholic schools across Vic/SA/WA and get a decent chunk of the draft each year. It's often the same type of kids - middle class, their dad's played some level of footy or mum/dad were successful in other sports, the kid themselves often successful in other sports - basketball, tennis, athletics, often have an older brother to beat them up and teach them how to play. Usually from a country town or leafy middle class suburb with lots of room to roam. Public primary school then scholarship to private school for year 7 or 9/10.

The Northern State and next gen academies are set up to tap in to non traditional areas and popular growth and grow the talent pool but it's pretty slow progress there.

 

[Elite Master]

In a nutshell the modern game is all about midfields, smalls, pressure, defence, role players, strategy, tactics, athletes and tackling.


Mind you I love most of these elements However If this continues at a rapid rate I can eventually see geniune talls in most areas of the ground being slowly phased out. No it won't happen any time soon, but we are already seeing modern midfielders like ziebell, Dangerfield, Fyife , Martin, Kennedy, Bont etc who are all KP size swing forward for large stints, and although ruck work has seen somewhat of a resergence this season unless they are freak athletes who can cover the ground and act as a extra midfielder or play multiple roles than clubs will just use a big mid.

Limiting congestion and spreading the field with capping interchange more could either improve the spectacle with more time and space , or it could have the oppersite effect with heavier fatigue setting in diminishing skills and goal kicking accuracy even further, but we have to try something because as much as I love the game there is clearly problems that need addressing.

 

[gavaniacono]

In a nutshell the modern game is all about midfields, smalls, pressure, defence, rol

Thats a rather voluminous nutshell.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Don't make vague assertions based on Whateley's whining, give me facts. What are the numbers?

Crowds to Round 6:

Year|Crowd
\2018|38,777
\2017|36,738
\2016|35,950
\2015|34,121
\2014|33,947
\2013|35,087
\2012|33,682
\2011|38,415
\2010|40,043

I'd argue that crowds aren't necessarily a barometer of the spectacle, but you can't argue that people are losing interest in the face of the above. Normally they'd be trumpeting "Crowds are up almost three thousand per game...".

What will lead to disinterest is the media fostering dissent, because many people are like sheep.

Edit: 2018 figure corrected. Crowds are up 2K per game on the same point last year.

And what has changed since 2017 that m8ght affect crowd figures?

The WA sides are averaging an extra 15-20k attendance per game. Gold Coast haven't played a home game which means fewer 8k crowds to lower the average, Richmond and Collingwood are both up and about.

The Perth stadium alone accounts for the increase in crowds.

 

[Ian Dunross]

If you go through this thread and start counting the posters who believe the garbage the media are saturating us with (the game is in a poor state) you quickly realise how intellectually challenged alot of our society is.

The supporter of the reigning premier thinks the state of football is fine. Colour me shocked.

If you have been unaware of the growing chorus of disgruntled football followers re the state of our game then you've been living under a rock.

 

[Ron The Bear]

And what has changed since 2017 that m8ght affect crowd figures?

The WA sides are averaging an extra 15-20k attendance per game. Gold Coast haven't played a home game which means fewer 8k crowds to lower the average, Richmond and Collingwood are both up and about.

The Perth stadium alone accounts for the increase in crowds.

Fair points, but crowds at the MCG are at record levels. Early days, but I don't think there's anything there yet to suggest people are turning away or to justify the hoo-ha.

Does anyone have the TV ratings figures compared with previous seasons?

 

[BEaston]

If you have been unaware of the growing chorus of disgruntled football followers re the state of our game then you've been living under a rock.

And this has happened for decades, welcome to getting old.

 

[iluvparis]

Fair points, but crowds at the MCG are at record levels. Early days, but I don't think there's anything there yet to suggest people are turning away or to justify the hoo-ha.

Does anyone have the TV ratings figures compared with previous seasons?

Not sure if it can be easily calculated Ron but presenting the median crowd (both overall and each round) might knock out some of the outliers (Perth stadium, Tigers up and about etc etc)

 

[SumTingWong]

The supporter of the reigning premier thinks the state of football is fine. Colour me shocked.

If you have been unaware of the growing chorus of disgruntled football followers re the state of our game then you've been living under a rock.

No it's just the Aussie way now. Complain about everything because you have no life.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Not sure if it can be easily calculated Ron but presenting the median crowd (both overall and each round) might knock out some of the outliers (Perth stadium, Tigers up and about etc etc)

Median's up marginally on last year and is at a seven-year high.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Lamenting that AFL is resembling rugby is not symptomatic of anything other than the game resembling rugby.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Lamenting that AFL is resembling rugby is not symptomatic of anything other than the game resembling rugby.

You say rugby, I say finals footy. After three failures from three attempts, wouldn't surprise if Hardwick's gameplan was based on how finals are won.

And yeah, it's not good to watch all the time, and it's not good to watch teams doing it badly. The game needs players taking speccies and bouncing the ball down the wing.

I'd argue though that an intense contest at close quarters is better viewing than uncontested chip, chip, chip in the backline. Plus, the dead time encourages commentators to waffle...

 

[Ian Dunross]

Finals footy has always been tough and hard. But for a long time, that didn't mean 30 players in one third of the field.

 

[footyfan1978]

Loved the various discussions on SEN all week I kept in touch with. Been quality stuff. Heard from so many great football people with various views on how to fix the problems our game been having. It is actually refreshing to talk about the game itself and that be the topic dominating the week and not the off field nonsense about football the media try to make the story every other week. Fantastic. Great healthy debate.
Station gets a big tick from me and how many voices they have had on it all week