Is 2025 the most boring AFL season in recent memory?

[demondavey]

A once exhilarating sport that is being managed and controlled to death

The umpires whistle constantly ruins passages of play

Nobody even pretends to understand the rules of the game and how they are interpreted, it boils down to umpires choice on the day

Players focus more on running 15 ks at a decent clip than being able to hit a teammate with a pass. Goal kicking remains ludicrously difficult for full time professionals.

The draft, academies and the FS rules are a utter joke, the draft is compromised beyond belief.

Fixture is cooked. Literally rigged.

Mark Jackson said it best "AFL toilet trained media" can anybody name one truly independent footy media journo?

A cesspool of footy content from monday morning to friday night dressed up and taking themselves very seriously. One could be forgiven for thinking you've switched on the negotiations between Russia and the US the way they carry on. Let you in on a little secret, 36 players chasing a ball aint that deep fellas. 90% of it is pure speculation at best and straight bullsh*t at worst

Players on the whole are not playing to win a premiership. Money/Lengthy contracts then status are primary considerations, team success a distant 3rd on the list if indeed at all. The private school infestation means blokes have come up playing for 5/6 different teams and see themselves as the prized commodity. Earmarked from youth as being destined for the big time means players become insular and selfish. What can the game give me?

For better or worse players are aware of life post footy and staying uninjured is a priority. The desperation and ability to beat your opponent with attack on the ball and body is being squeezed out slowly but surely

The governing body is filled with corrupt selfish embezzlers there to line their own pockets, powder their snouts and bask in the status of being associated with the national sport. Guardians of the game is comical.

Greed will invite more sponsorships and promotions until every blade of grass has got a brand and QR code on it linking you to a betting site or the Chicken Game.

Game day experience resembles a circus, who suggested the constant stop start music blasts? Fan survey? Big 4 market research? Gilbert Mcfu*ckwit & Dildo Dillons saw it on a "business trip" in the USA?

The unending search for growth continues to dilute and cheapen the competition. After the TassieTwoHeads enter the comp we've still got the NT Crocs and the Canberra Lizards to look forward too. Post that there will be a push for. 3rd WA SA & NSW team, a 2nd Brisbane team. Where will the growth crazed AFL turn next! Fraser Island Dingos? Christmas Island Seekers?

Looming legal fiascos will broaden and hasten the evolution of the game to a full field game of basketball, corralling and blocking will replace tackling.

Get to your local league or go bush if you want to see what footy is all about, coz the AFL aint it.

Loved that. Well said.

 

[demondavey]

So when you said you "still go every week", that was a lie, because you actually don't go every week. Got it.

Don’t be a flog.

 

[10571z]

AFL is to concerned with money and expansion over delivering the best product.

The byes have ruined the season not to mention fantasy football.

 

[Outtatym]

AFL is to concerned with money and expansion over delivering the best product.

The byes have ruined the season not to mention fantasy football.

Staggered byes are a pain but far better than a week of no football at all.

 

[10571z]

Staggered byes are a pain but far better than a week of no football at all.

Do it over 2 weeks not 5

 

[Rod Stroker]

Don’t be a flog.

Calling out bullshit isn't being a flog. Posting the bullshit is. Learn the difference.

 

[demondavey]

Calling out bullshit isn't being a flog. Posting the bullshit is. Learn the difference.

‘I’ve been to every game’ taken completely literally by you and then you call out bullshit for your little gotcha moment.

flipping Goose.

 

[wannabewinner]

Compromised drafts have skewed the comp too far for me. The two best teams in it got their best players for loose change, nga is a rort too.

My club being shit doesn't help but I'd be a lot more interested in who wins if the comp was fairer.

This.

 

[Golumless]

Some things I've observed:

Standard of umpiring is horrendous.
Standard of football is ordinary.
Changes to the game are required - stand rule, deliberate OOB, players deliberately drawing high contact etc.

And we definitely are not ready for a 19th team. I don't even think the country is fielding 18 quality teams. Would be better if we folded two teams to make Tas.

We could have 6 teams, and there won't be 6 quality teams in the league at any point (lets not forget that the Saints have been useless for the vast majority of their existence). Sports demands there will be layers between teams, and it has absolutely nothing to do with player quality. There will always be teams led by the relatively incapable/useless and the ones who are on the cutting edge.

I do think the round 0 and the bye dragging out has hurt the momentum of the year, but it has been a decently interesting one at that. Though, more directed at teams like GWS/Melbourne/Port and even Sydney seemingly hitting and end of an era, and the next wave of challengers (Adelaide/Fremantle/Gold Coast/Hawthorn) are all doing pretty well.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

How dare you …David Grenvold was a solid foot soldier for the EFC

Better than your best ever foot soldier..Tony Shaw

Che Cockatoo-Collins
Scot Gumbleton

 

[Rod Stroker]

Missing four games since 1973 in Melbourne ( yes minus covid) is a reasonable effort ,would you agree ?

Maybe. But now you're changing your story. First you said every game. Now you're backpedaling to say every game in Melbourne. Big difference.

Leads one to wonder; what else has he posted where the truth has been stretched.

 

[keithrichards]

So when you said you "still go every week", that was a lie, because you actually don't go every week. Got it.

Nobody gives a shit. You picked that apart out of the original post and are carrying on like a muppet.

You’ve come out looking far worse than the other poster

 

[windyhill]

Maybe. But now you're changing your story. First you said every game. Now you're backpedaling to say every game in Melbourne. Big difference.

Leads one to wonder; what else has he posted where the truth has been stretched.

Pedantic much ? Throw in one maybe two interstate trips each year. You are really drawing a long bow here. Very easy having potshots from Singapore. With n.melb showing minor signs of improvement you might get off your arse once in a while and actually show some support for them and go to a game.

 

[Handsuper47]

I don't bother watching a lot of the time (unless I'm at the game) because the umpiring is abysmal. I'm also not fond of all this talk about player "contracts", like really who gives a damn during the season? I don't care what a player is doing next year when the game is being played. I care what they're gonna do this year when they're playing! I didn't like it when it happened to Ablett, I didn't like it when it happened to Dusty and I certainly don't like it now. Media has to pull their finger out. Also get rid of 90% of footy media that'd be nice.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

I feel like since 2021 i have watched less neutral games compared to 2019 and before.

But Dil and Kane have told us the game and the umpiring has never been better

 

[hutchy31]

For those posters that bemoaned goal kicking (and I completely agree it’s atrocious with few exceptions) then Walter has just had an all timer. If I was Hardwick I’d have steam coming out of my ears. Ridiculous.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

All Jakovich 4.10 vs ageelong 1994
Sumich kicked 5.8 in 1991 vs Geelong I believe and 7.9 vs Bombers in 1993
11.8 vs Bombers in between those years.

Inaccuracy has always been there.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Staggered byes are a pain but far better than a week of no football at all.

Totally disagree

 

[Billy ray]

Its terrible

 

[SC_Power]

A cesspool of footy content from monday morning to friday night dressed up and taking themselves very seriously. One could be forgiven for thinking you've switched on the negotiations between Russia and the US the way they carry on. Let you in on a little secret, 36 players chasing a ball aint that deep fellas. 90% of it is pure speculation at best and straight bullsh*t at worst

been saying this forever

Commentators being fed stats on the run through the earpiece and trying to spin that they understand why they’ve won or lost the game.

Have heard commentators talking about my team how they need to attack the corridor to win, and then berating the same team 2 hours later who lost because they attacked the corridor.

I’m waiting for a pundit to

• understand the game styles that the teams are trying to execute in opposition to each other,
• talk intelligently about how each team might execute and change to counter the other, watch and understand which players are executing the game plans well and which are failing,
• explain what the coaches are trying to do with their changes mid game, and
• stick to their thoughts pre game when assess in the final result, which is usually which team played better and little to do with the game plan being good or bad.

 

[Purple Suit]

I've been round these parts more than 20 years now and most years there's a thread like this, despite the game growing constantly.

People point to issues with the current setup to blame why they are losing interest, and while those issues are legitimate, I don't think they are the real reason.

I think it's just a steady group of people growing up and getting on with life, having more responsibilities like careers, families, and developing more refined and varied interests as they mature. And so are their friends, which is why 'everyone I speak too agrees'.

It's fine, it's good, its normal.

Don’t forget it’s also their team declining or being shit so the interest drops. It’s when the hope disappears that it really hurts, you can not make finals and still be interested if the potential is there.

This is where the AFL has stuffed up, too many top teams get arm chair rides with various advantages so it gets boring the same group are constantly contending. That helps killing hope for other teams and the interest wanes earlier.

 

[Yoda_]

its only boring cause the media is too busy talking about all the shit off the field to actually deep dive into this season;

Gold Coast are so close to breaking through into a debut finals series
Collingwood is bucking all list management trends by having an average age of that of a retirement home
Geelong continue to rebuild on the run with Bailey smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

now turning into a genuine superstar

look at the other end of the ladder, West Coast are blooding more kids than ever before it feels ike and could reap rewards in the next 12 - 18 months
Richmond picked 5 kids inside 30 last year and all we have seen look likely types. Even shocking the AFL landscape with some early season wins

The rising star award is an open race at the moment, Langford, Murphy Reid, Archie Roberts, Levi Ashcroft. Who will win it?
The next batch of superstar key forwards may be coming sooner than we all thought. Aaron Cadman is breaking through, Logan Morris was the first teenager since Matthew Lloyd in 1997 to kick back-to-back 5 goal hauls. Nate Caddy, Josh Treacy/Jye Amiss etc

Nick Daicos, Sam Darcy, Marcus Bontempelli

4

Marcus Bontempelli

Age

30

Ht

194cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.5

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

10.3

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

4.8

5star

CL

4.4

5star

D

18.4

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

8.8

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.1

5star

CL

4.0

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

6.2

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

1.8

4star

returning

That's off the top of my head. But no, let's worry about hypotheticals and innuendo, stories and drama. AFL media in this country is an absolute joke that so often forgets who is paying there bills

 

[Yoda_]

I don't bother watching a lot of the time (unless I'm at the game) because the umpiring is abysmal. I'm also not fond of all this talk about player "contracts", like really who gives a damn during the season? I don't care what a player is doing next year when the game is being played. I care what they're gonna do this year when they're playing! I didn't like it when it happened to Ablett, I didn't like it when it happened to Dusty and I certainly don't like it now. Media has to pull their finger out. Also get rid of 90% of footy media that'd be nice.

what annoys the shit out of me the most with AFL media is how they are (trying to) drive the narratives

Kane Cornes has a segment on Sunday Night on AFL.com.au (Footy First), a tv show literally called Agenda Setters, dont forget a journalist who has never played the game at the highest level making comment and driving stories with his (embarrassing) 'sliding doors' segment each week like it is some sort of meaningful narrative.

The best shows are the ones who actually talk football. Footy Classified the other week had Bartell, Hird and someone else putting Tom Morris back in his box all night and it was gold. Shows the true and proper understanding of the game.

Then you've got pathetic former players who get sucked into the "Triple M" type hyperbole and narcissistic commentary and point of view. Montagna could be good but fear he is being sucked down that rabbit hole as one example. Once drained, they end up as Huddo, or BT trying to be the next voice of the AFL capturing "the moment" ("13, thirteen, THIRTEEN").

The best callers are the ones who call the play and dont smother opinions or stupid nicknames, Matt Hill, Jason Bennett, Gerard Whately are all good. I like Jack Hevering but I have a vested interest there as a mate

 

[LongSerong]

The comp always gets like this during winter. The weather plays a big part of the standard of play and it'll be like this until just before finals

 

[Romeoh1]

I’ve seen some really good games and am enjoying the season.
Nonetheless-They have to dump the opening round idea- it takes the excitement out of opening round, and then they need to have everyone take their mid-season bye on the same weekend. The rolling byes make it disjointed. I never know who is playing on a given week-that is tedious.
Then they have to make footy available on free to air again- all the time. Then they have to make umpires a full time and well paid job. And be more careful with the fixture. Thursday night games have to be good ones.