Insightful Media Coverage

[DanWCE]

On a broader note, the tendency for AFL media to focus and report on negatives actually diminishes my engagement with the game and I don’t think I’m alone in that view

I touched on it in a non-media thread, but the media really do love building up a narrative and pumping up a teams tyres prematurely just to be able to rip them apart day after day when they don't live up to the ridiculous hype that they placed on them initially.

If the Demons start to capitulate, they will come for them, and come for them hard. There won't be enough media space for any other team to be covered for how much we will be told just how badly Melbourne bottled their chances.

 

[Keys]

I touched on it in a non-media thread, but the media really do love building up a narrative and pumping up a teams tyres prematurely just to be able to rip them apart day after day when they don't live up to the ridiculous hype that they placed on them initially.

If the Demons start to capitulate, they will come for them, and come for them hard. There won't be enough media space for any other team to be covered for how much we will be told just how badly Melbourne bottled their chances.

Yep, there’s two speeds of narrative- how brilliant is this team and they’re flag favourites or how s**t is this team and they’re destined for a prolonged run in the bottom 4

No middle ground and little capacity to go back further than a week when assessing form

Shallow as trumps gene pool

 

[Rowan18]

Yep, there’s two speeds of narrative- how brilliant is this team and they’re flag favourites or how sh*t is this team and they’re destined for a prolonged run in the bottom 4

No middle ground and little capacity to go back further than a week when assessing form

Shallow as trumps gene pool

I would love to see some actually tactical analysis explaining why the good teams are so good. On the couch tries, but sometimes it is clear that the long retired players don't really know what is going on. Some articles delve into stats, but I always feel that is too open for interpretation. The football media loves to assume everyone is anti-intellectual and just wants shallow hot-takes, lurching from one made up issue to the next.

I learn more about the game by reading things on this forum than anything that comes through the media and don't really watch any footy shows anymore.

 

[Keys]

I would love to see some actually tactical analysis explaining why the good teams are so good. On the couch tries, but sometimes it is clear that the long retired players don't really know what is going on. Some articles delve into stats, but I always feel that is too open for interpretation. The football media loves to assume everyone is anti-intellectual and just wants shallow hot-takes, lurching from one made up issue to the next.

I learn more about the game by reading things on this forum than anything that comes through the media and don't really watch any footy shows anymore.

I remember last year Kane Cornes having a crack at Fyfe for allowing his opponent to kick a goal at a crucial stage of a game. It seemed a fair criticism from the vision as it appeared Fyfe let his man go

A couple of nights later I saw Ross Lyon on another show breakdown the vision and explain why Fyfe wasn’t necessarily to blame. He went through the positioning of players at the stoppage and where they should have been. Even though it was Ross, it was enlightening and I was quite surprised at the level of detail in the analysis which made the take of Kornes look ridiculously superficial

The game as it is played now is as tactical as it’s ever been and it’s unfortunate that there’s very few media types that can breakdown and explain what’s happening. I reckon I pick up about 10% of what’s going tactically when I watch a game of footy

 

[Strongside]

I would love to see some actually tactical analysis explaining why the good teams are so good. On the couch tries, but sometimes it is clear that the long retired players don't really know what is going on. Some articles delve into stats, but I always feel that is too open for interpretation. The football media loves to assume everyone is anti-intellectual and just wants shallow hot-takes, lurching from one made up issue to the next.

I learn more about the game by reading things on this forum than anything that comes through the media and don't really watch any footy shows anymore.

A lot of truth here. As technology has progressed, international supporters like myself have benefited greatly in following and understanding footy and it's deeper game. Watch AFL is a good service for me and it comes with Fox Footy. About 80% of the Fox Footy content is hyped/narrative rubbish. The major US team sports (Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey) suffer from the same short points, follow the ball, and manufactured narrative drama as footy coverage. I don't see the media industrial complex changing that anytime soon. Sport journalism is frozen at the moment in favor of corporate/league storyline.

Lurking here for years has really helped my footy knowledge (especially the application of analytics) and with following the Eagles.

 

[Dylan82]

I would love to see some actually tactical analysis explaining why the good teams are so good. On the couch tries, but sometimes it is clear that the long retired players don't really know what is going on. Some articles delve into stats, but I always feel that is too open for interpretation. The football media loves to assume everyone is anti-intellectual and just wants shallow hot-takes, lurching from one made up issue to the next.

I learn more about the game by reading things on this forum than anything that comes through the media and don't really watch any footy shows anymore.

It's all about scores from turnover, specifically scores from turnovers in the forward half.

The other big one, particularly with Hardwick and the Tigers is defensive half metres gained.


Unfortunately us plebs don't have access to the mountains of data that Champion Data collates which would highlight these areas.


In respect to tactics, even the very worst teams in the competition generate more than half of their score from opposition turnover.

In recent seasons the best in the competition have generally been those who have been able to deploy a system that is defensively sound, yet allows maximum opportunity to capitalise upon opposition turnovers.

Of course having the traditional advantages of a strong spine of KPPs and quality ball-winners through the middle go a long way to making such a system all the more successful.


It's still early days, but the rule changes this season appear to be favouring a shift towards territory-gameplans based around stoppage dominance - as the point of opposition turnover creation has moved from the zone on the wing or half back to the pressure applied at the source of disposal around the contest.

The result is clubs with very strong defensive zonal systems but suspect contested games around stoppages (West Coast, Richmond) are now looking vulnerable whilst clubs that had strong stoppage presence but lacked the same level of defensive cohesion (Bulldogs, Melbourne) now appear to be in the ascendancy.

 

[MerryHell]

That's why I love going to the game, to get a sense of the tactics from a birds eye view, you can't get this with TV zoom ins.

Tigers system is actually simple as well as being super effective in all conditions. Relentlessly apply maximum heat to the ball carrier, cover all nearby exit options, intercept, then full throttle attack and score on turnover. There are some other nuances but thats the core of it, effective but also simple for players to grasp and execute.

For us, system is less important at the moment, and as others point out, its all about better application of effort at the contest and for 4 quarters.

Its mostly in the midfield, where we lack our 2 best mids, but also defenders trying to intercept mark, failing, resulting in oppo scores, instead of netrualising the situation with a spoil or tap down to a defensive clearance option.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

That's why I love going to the game, to get a sense of the tactics from a birds eye view, you can't get this with TV zoom ins.

I love my top tier seats at Optus for this exact reason. It really is a fantastic stadium to watch the footy.

In terms of media analysis etc, nothing beats cricinfo. I dunno if it's because cricket is a slower sport, easier to follow in the sense that each contest is a one vs one, batsman vs bowler, it's easier to gather meaningful stats (I assume baseball is similar in these aspects), or if it's because it's an international sport so you get a much larger pool to pluck analysts from, or a combination of all of them, but I love reading cricinfo even if I'm not an obsessive cricket follower like I am with the Eagles.

 

[RookiePick]

...Its mostly in the midfield, where we lack our 2 best mids, but also defenders trying to intercept mark, failing, resulting in oppo scores, instead of netrualising the situation with a spoil or tap down to a defensive clearance option.

Getting front and square to crumb the contest is something we essentially don't do. It really means we get into a mark or bust scenario far too often.

Our smalls really struggle to get involved in a lot of games because they are coached to stand off to receive so when the game gets contested we are outnumbered at the fall and out of position to apply pressure to the opposition taking the ball away.

 

[flyinghi64]

They sometimes show the behind the goal footage before the center bounce so you can see most players positions on the ground.
Unfortunately when the ump bounces the ball they go straight to the side on zoomed camera and you loose all the player positions and where they go to.

Would love to see the behind goal camera a little longer after the bounce.

 

[bUCKET__]

I'm sure eventually we'll get to a point where televising sport is a more flexible and customisable experience.

Imagine, spending the whole game watching the match from the ARC goal line cam. If the ground has it installed.

But yeah, it'll probably be a good decade after we see it happening in other sports.

 

[amazingjoshy]

They sometimes show the behind the goal footage before the center bounce so you can see most players positions on the ground.
Unfortunately when the ump bounces the ball they go straight to the side on zoomed camera and you loose all the player positions and where they go to.

Would love to see the behind goal camera a little longer after the bounce.

Could just go to the games and sit behind the goals like all the smart fans do

 

[amazingjoshy]

Getting front and square to crumb the contest is something we essentially don't do. It really means we get into a mark or bust scenario far too often.

Our smalls really struggle to get involved in a lot of games because they are coached to stand off to receive so when the game gets contested we are outnumbered at the fall and out of position to apply pressure to the opposition taking the ball away.

Nothing infuriates me more than our complete lack of crumbers at any marking contest.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

They sometimes show the behind the goal footage before the center bounce so you can see most players positions on the ground.
Unfortunately when the ump bounces the ball they go straight to the side on zoomed camera and you loose all the player positions and where they go to.

Would love to see the behind goal camera a little longer after the bounce.

apparently if you have Foxtel (not Kayo) you can pay extra for these different angles.

 

[flyinghi64]

Could just go to the games and sit behind the goals like all the smart fans do

Really, who has the time and money to go to 9 games a week around the country?
Hard enough just getting to Eagles games when they play at home with a 5 game membership not knowing how many if any fans can be at any one game.

 

[shooshka]

Getting front and square to crumb the contest is something we essentially don't do. It really means we get into a mark or bust scenario far too often.

Our smalls really struggle to get involved in a lot of games because they are coached to stand off to receive so when the game gets contested we are outnumbered at the fall and out of position to apply pressure to the opposition taking the ball away.

It's also predictability.

I mean we all know that when kicking in it is long to the right

but when we spoil, is the preference to keep it close to the contest, or clear the contest (actually I think often the preference is to attempt to mark, but that is a different discussion). Whilst the crumbers of course need to work harder to get to the right spot, we also need the talls to assist them with where that right spot is. Too many times (and it was obvious on the weekend) we'd spoil it to our own feet - with no one there, then the next one the player would get close and we'd go for the big hero spoil that just put the cats players into uncontested space to collect the easy ball.

It's 80% the ground players (not working hard enough, and leaving only 1 player to get there rather than the multiple players other teams have) - but the elite spoilers we have should also speak to Nic (about placement, and how to hit where) and the smalls and understand where the preference is.

 

[Dylan82]

apparently if you have Foxtel (not Kayo) you can pay extra for these different angles.

Yep, it is already there - just not provided in the standard package to viewers.

Broadcasters agreed to provide clubs with live feeds from behind the goals and top-down views of the ground in addition to zoomed-in footage following the ball.

If I recall correctly, (depending upon venue capability) every single player on the ground is tracked to provide clubs with as much information as possible.


Considering that you are already paying for a subscribed service, the additional live camera feeds should be made available as a selection option to the viewer.

 

[Goldfish]

Getting front and square to crumb the contest is something we essentially don't do. It really means we get into a mark or bust scenario far too often.

Our smalls really struggle to get involved in a lot of games because they are coached to stand off to receive so when the game gets contested we are outnumbered at the fall and out of position to apply pressure to the opposition taking the ball away.

Nothing infuriates me more than our complete lack of crumbers at any marking contest.

#willie

But yeah, this has driven me mad for years.

 

[Agent93]

Getting front and square to crumb the contest is something we essentially don't do. It really means we get into a mark or bust scenario far too often.

Fox Sports loved that 4 on 1 spoiling contest.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Everyone flying for the same ball with no one staying down has been an issue since forever, it predates Simmo.

Have we ever had a great crumbing forward? Even Phil Matera played like a key forward in Tyrion Lannister's body most of the time, isolated one-one-one when we could arrange it, and he'd do that sneaky little "push" in the back and take the mark.

 

[Rowan18]

Fox Sports loved that 4 on 1 spoiling contest.

I nearly had a brain aneurysm when that happened. It was at that point, I knew we had rolled over.

 

[Rowan18]

Everyone flying for the same ball with no one staying down has been an issue since forever, it predates Simmo.

Have we ever had a great crumbing forward? Even Phil Matera played like a key forward in Tyrion Lannister's body most of the time, isolated one-one-one when we could arrange it, and he'd do that sneaky little "push" in the back and take the mark.

I regret that I missed his career. I was 7 when the Eagles won in 92 and by high school had lost interest in footy (all the heros from early 90s were retiring and the Judge years were s**t). Picked it up again in 05 but he was done by then.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Yep, it is already there - just not provided in the standard package to viewers.

Broadcasters agreed to provide clubs with live feeds from behind the goals and top-down views of the ground in addition to zoomed-in footage following the ball.

If I recall correctly, (depending upon venue capability) every single player on the ground is tracked to provide clubs with as much information as possible.


Considering that you are already paying for a subscribed service, the additional live camera feeds should be made available as a selection option to the viewer.

would love live tracked GPS data in the bottom of the screen. Would help you understand players decisions a lot more, but I also get that clubs wouldn't want this to be available to other clubs.

This also needs to be in play for cricket fielding setups

 

[Chris_6678]

Ask Simmo is a big one this week. 500 questions were sent haha

 

[mad_eagle]

Ask Simmo is a big one this week. 500 questions were sent haha

Simmo's reaction after Goss told him their were 500 questions...haha!!!

Props to him for actually turning up to cop that, can't be easy after such a flogging.