Is football better or worse than it was 20 years ago

[Ernie Watson]

What do you think, Is football better now or worse than it was 15-20 years ago,considering the grounds,The players, the atmosphere, the standard of play, you rate it, has the game lost its passion ????
whats your opinion ?

 

[DOC]

Cant decide if its better but do miss the 30 goal games week in week out. One things for sure I am real Glad I saw alot of footy in the 80's . That was when the game was at its best. When there where 12 teams and most games on sat arvo. those where the days.


Go the Skull !!!
J.I.T.C
THE DOC..

 

[Mr Ripper]

Obviously, comfort-wise, the facilities are light years ahead of what we had...doesn't mean they're better though. Those so-called suburban grounds all had a charm and character of their own. Only needed 20,000 or so to look full and have a great atmos.

The play itself is not as entertaining as it was, and is going downhill at a rapid rate IMO.

Football has become very much a stop-start affair over the past 5 odd years. Lots more packs; lots more ball-ups. Very boring stuff. Naturally, the umpiring (or rather, lack of umpiring) has plenty to do with this...but I'll save you the sermon on this occasion.

As far as the passion goes...I think the players still have it, but I reckon it's declined slightly in the increasingly cynical football public.

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Olmy knows best

 

[WCE2000]

Football is different to what it was 20 years, i'll give you that.
The skill level of the players has risen dramatically, but the toughness has dropped (mainly through law changes).

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[Grave Danger]

Good to see the old torp coming back in to vogue though. Port started that. Little Brent Harvey sank a beauty in the Roos practice game against the Fr'ockers today too...

 

[Fred]

If only the drop kick came back as well. I will always remember Kevin Roberts on the H/F flank at the Junction Oval kicking raking left-foot drops to the goal square. Sure, they may have had a higher risk of failure but the no-risk policy of today can be a bit boring.
Maybe if the full-back had to kick out using drops........

 

[Captain Sensible]

I spent last saturday afternoon at the Whitten(western) oval. I'd forgotten what the communal feel of the old suburban grounds was like. My two year old played on the terraces and kicked his little footy about with a new found friend, while dad got on with the serious business of discussing the footy. This is how myself and my father before me first went to the footy and maybe my grandfather as well who knows
Football is considerably poorer with the demise of the old suburban grounds.


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...Son, if youre going to follow the Doggies you'll need a sense of humour...

 

[Anton Grbac]

I still love it. But i really miss the days of the mid-80's. Hawthorn and us used to belt shit outta eachother.

Ronnie, Merrett, Duckworth, Neagle v Dipper, Ayres, Dermie, Lethal.
Jeez, they were tough sides. Essendon v Hawthorn in the 80's were torrid bone-crunching affairs.

Remember Dipper's elbow on 'Rocky' Stoneham at Princes Park in 83? Ronnie belted Lethal and Merv let go with the kidney punches.
The secound round at Windy Hill later that season saw Cameron Clayton deliver the best punch i ever saw on a footy ground.
Knocked Dipper into next the next week.

Was there when Lethal snapped the point post too. Yep..the Essendon/Hawthorn rivalry of the 80's was great. Seems to have dissipated in recent years though.

where's wally?

 

[eagleskickass]

Well, I can't really comment cause I was only born in 85 and didn't do much with footy till 1990 when I was 5. Thats when I really knew a bit more about it rather than just following the Eagles and occassionally asking Dad "did we Win 3 or 4 times a week". Really wish I was old enough to experience those olden days.