James Sicily

[Hawthorn United]

The issue is that they don’t see the instigator do it, then ping what they do see. It’s like you think they are omniscient or something.

We were setting out to agitate you, note that we’d hit one of your blokes once and your mob would come back with two, three hits.

Those extra hits were stupid.

The crackdown last weekend was a reaction to what happened to Max Gawn. Which they obviously didn't see at the time, only in post-match reviews. So last weekend wouldn't have even eradicted those incidents. Gawn or any Melbourne player would've been penalised for retaliating if the same standard was applied in Round 1.

 

[MinerBoy]

Shouldn't have spoken to the umpire like that even though the free was ridiculous.

Those precious little flowers.

 

[MinerBoy]

To be fair. Sicily takes little cheap shots at people off the ball all the time (like most defenders)

It is up to him now to learn to deal with this because teams will 100% target him.

Imagine if he played for anybody else. You know that Clarkson would have Puopolo into him at all times.

That's fine.... he'll obviously be getting a ton of free kicks then when they bump and shove him

 

[OneEyedHawk]

What a nothing thread. Gun player, within his rights to be p1ssed at some of those fairy floss decisions.

Needs to smooth out some rough edges, but we are infinitely better side with Sic in it than out. As all sides would be.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Those extra hits were stupid.

The crackdown last weekend was a reaction to what happened to Max Gawn. Which they obviously didn't see at the time, only in post-match reviews. So last weekend wouldn't have even eradicted those incidents. Gawn or any Melbourne player would've been penalised for retaliating if the same standard was applied in Round 1.

I think sometimes you have to retaliate and wear it if you get pinged.

Melbourne didn't support Gawn much and I hate that.

Last year at the SCG the Swans went after Whitfield, as they do. He wasn't given nearly enough support from teamates in my view. Our coaching insight the following week suggested Lachie had to learn to work through it. I'd prefer Davis put Hewitt on his butt a few times, as I'm sure he wanted to.

 

[Vindicater]

That's fine.... he'll obviously be getting a ton of free kicks then when they bump and shove him

Probably not. That is the problem with getting a reputation.

Hitting them back though is not going to make it any better.

 

[JoondalupJ]

I should I guess, with every fibre of my being, hate Sicily

And yet I find myself admiring his work....

Normal reaction from any supporter who has a player that gives their club trouble. I think he tried in that umpiring debacle last Sunday to not get riled up. But he has the temperament to be that way, and I think sometimes the over kill of free kick calls and the fact that he has some fire, is unfair, and for me I like a player with some guts and need for the battle, its what our game is about.
Although the rules and the AFL and its politically correct OVER KILL is changing and spoiling the footy, to a point where some are turning off.

Sicily has had brain fades but he does tend to get murdered when some thing petty happens, umpires ( which is very bad) know this. As do his opponents.
By the way your team looks like it is on track again, we'll need to keep you Cats in mind , looking very good.
But you always , always , worry me.

 

[JoondalupJ]

I think sometimes you have to retaliate and wear it if you get pinged.

Melbourne didn't support Gawn much and I hate that.

Last year at the SCG the Swans went after Whitfield, as they do. He wasn't given nearly enough support from teamates in my view. Our coaching insight the following week suggested Lachie had to learn to work through it. I'd prefer Davis put Hewitt on his butt a few times, as I'm sure he wanted to.

Here's a question then. Why are players backing off the flag flying when team mates get targeted, I think its because the toughness is being bred out of the football we know and love and are losing, by the rule fanatics, like Wayne Carey says, what are we playing? Tiddly winks?

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Here's a question then. Why are players backing off the flag flying when team mates get targeted, I think its because the toughness is being bred out of the football we know and love and are losing, by the rule fanatics, like Wayne Carey says, what are we playing? Tiddly winks?

I think there are boundaries. I'm not in favour of thuggery, that era is gone. But if you let a teamate be bullied you do your team no favours.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Reckon he will win far more games for Hawthorn than he loses them.

Playing on the line is also allowed more come finals time

He might lose them some regular season games like this but he will win them some finals game so be well worth it.

Yep there are many such examples in the history of the game. Recently for us Jordan Lewis comes to mind immediately

 

[JoondalupJ]

I think there are boundaries. I'm not in favour of thuggery, that era is gone. But if you let a teamate be bullied you do your team no favours.

I agree, your player Mumford is a person who instills fear in opponents, and takes no prisoners, he will have to be careful, and I am afraid I am one of those that wants a complete overhaul of the AFL rules.

I too am totally against thuggery, many many years ago being a seriously hard man was the point you had to come to, to play this sport.

THOSE DAYS HAVE GONE!

But you cannot take the contest away by allowing tiny technicalities to create free kicks , with a great many resulting in shots on goal, because defenders are working their backsides off to stop a forward, sometimes they are left with no options and sometimes they may as well not contest at all.
I believe that if its only two players contesting a mark unless it is blatantly obvious that there is an infringement, then there should not be a free kick.
Slight incidental competitive touching is not free kick worthy , but we have it all the time, since the hands in the back nonsense.

How many times do we watch replays of an umpire calling a free for touching a shoulder or pushing sometimes sideways barely any contact, then a free , and every one says WHAT???

To me that is the most frustrating thing I ever have to see , it makes me leave the room, or become very angry if I see it live!

Imagine a fired up footballer in the grit of the battle, with some fire inside him and a parking inspector umpire that's counting to 10 seconds before he books you, while your running from 200 metres away to stop him. No offence parking people , but some of you are just like that.

I don't believe there is malice in the umpires, the AFL enforce this rubbish.

But, I don't believe there is not the chance either that they could be bought! And that is the real terror, of the fix in our sport, with frees most of us don't understand.

How do you change it?? Well when the elites of the football world get paid so much money and aim for pleasing corporates or what ever, and have comments people under the thumb, and young players won't make waves because they love their sport, it becomes very hard.

That is when the PAYING public need to speak out.

We don't want thuggery back , absolutely!

But what about some contact and contesting , collision we all know about, its a hard game , but when you look sideways these days a whistle will blow, and pull up the game.

Generally these days , when the game is flowing and moving and some ump picks up a nothing incidental touch and stops everything , there goes the spectacle.
WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WITH THE AFL, IS WHY? They can't all be stupid or blind there has to be another reason, and gambling is one of them I am sure! Also the money making and pleasing the politically correct. Stop it or people will stop going!

 

[Tandy]

Those precious little flowers.

It's not about being precious, it's about a bit of respect. It comes as no surprise really, thats Sicily!

 

[ImCheatingToWin]

It's not about being precious, it's about a bit of respect. It comes as no surprise really, thats Sicily!

I thought respect was to be earnt not given.

 

[footy75]

You don't think that there was front on contact?

mate... I'm not implying you are trying to defend the softest free kick in the history of the game you are simply asking a reasonable question and I respect that.

BUT that free was a joke. So was the Omeara one.
I thought AFL was a contact game for men.

Contact? I've seen more contact in my grandmas knitting class.

Absolutely disgusting call by that excuse of an umpire.

Savy/smart/ good at what they do people whether they be umpires, policeman, teachers etc use a thing called discretion when dealing with people/situations.

All that umpire had to do was use a bit of discretion and say ´settle down´ or ´focus on the ball fellas´ or something like that.
Instead he chose to be a **** head of the highest order and ruin what was an enthralling contest.

No way a good umpire pays that.

They AFL brought in rules to protect players heads which is great and a real positive but now they have taken it all way too far.

The ticky touch BS is making it harder and harder to watch.

 

[Tandy]

I thought respect was to be earnt not given.

Two way street I guess

 

[ManOfClay]

mate... I'm not implying you are trying to defend the softest free kick in the history of the game you are simply asking a reasonable question and I respect that..

Looked like he was talking about the later incident that led to Sicily giving away a 50m penalty... which was a free every day of the week

 

[Hoops]

mate... I'm not implying you are trying to defend the softest free kick in the history of the game you are simply asking a reasonable question and I respect that.

BUT that free was a joke. So was the Omeara one.
I thought AFL was a contact game for men.

Contact? I've seen more contact in my grandmas knitting class.

Absolutely disgusting call by that excuse of an umpire.

Savy/smart/ good at what they do people whether they be umpires, policeman, teachers etc use a thing called discretion when dealing with people/situations.

All that umpire had to do was use a bit of discretion and say ´settle down´ or ´focus on the ball fellas´ or something like that.
Instead he chose to be a **** head of the highest order and ruin what was an enthralling contest.

No way a good umpire pays that.

They AFL brought in rules to protect players heads which is great and a real positive but now they have taken it all way too far.

The ticky touch BS is making it harder and harder to watch.

I'm not sure we are talking about the same thing. The 50m penalty came from arguing the front on contact call, not the off the ball shove. There were 2 other softer front on contacts called that should not have been. That one was definitely there.

 

[The Filth]

I'm not sure we are talking about the same thing. The 50m penalty came from arguing the front on contact call, not the off the ball shove. There were 2 other softer front on contacts called that should not have been. That one was definitely there.

He was probably at his Grandma's knitting class...

 

[dumb]

was once outplayed comprehensively by jed lamb

 

[WWSD]

was once outplayed comprehensively by jed lamb

Lamb used cheap dirty tactics that night and should’ve been penalised. Thank god that spud is no longer playing AFL.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

was once outplayed comprehensively by jed lamb

Lamb used cheap dirty tactics that night and should’ve been penalised. Thank god that spud is no longer playing AFL.

Under this interpretation, Sicily would have had 1000 free kicks. There wasn't a moment in the game he wasn't been held, punched, elbowed, etc. He was an absolute saint for so long, before finally giving up, retaliating and immediately being penalised by the umpire.

At one point the umpire was standing with them, telling Sicily "don't hit him, don't respond, don't do it" - all whilst Sicily was trying to get away and being elbowed by Lamb. It was incredible - one of the most pathetic displays of "umpiring" I have ever seen. If it wasn't AFL agenda driven, that umpire would never have been seen again.

 

[Scotland]

Not penalising instigators has been happening in footy longer than I've been around.

The issue with Sicily (and the WB game is a poor example because the umpires were paying frees across the weekend that weren't even there - Lycett WTF) is that you can goad him into giving away a stupid free kick without breaking the rules yourself. He's one of those guys that you can needle and once in a while they'll snap and push you high or throw you to the ground which is an obvious free kick. You could see the 'well done, dickhead' reactions of the WB players whenever he was penalised. He's not the only player like this, but he's a lot less terrifying than Barry Hall.

The other issue with Sicily is that he plays in defence and is regularly inside defensive 50. If you are Billy Gowers or someone and the umpire pays a free to Sicily then big whoop, but when it goes the other way it's a free set shot.

 

[Jammer]

It had a bit of whiff of the ump
Wanting a taste of centre stage to me.
Sicily is the soft kill villian
He ain’t paying that against Rance

On a side note how’s Naughtons form coming in and rubbing his head after the decision

Any contact to head is a free I thought ?

 

[ManOfClay]

On a side note how’s Naughtons form coming in and rubbing his head after the decision

Any contact to head is a free I thought ?

Jesus if there’s a sook now, imagine if that had been paid?

 

[Mofra]

Lamb used cheap dirty tactics that night and should’ve been penalised. Thank god that spud is no longer playing AFL.

He's a perfect example of someone who made a career out of the crap the AFL should cut out.