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(Just posted this on my blog and wanted some St Kilda supporter feedback. That and I am really angry.)
Football has made me angry this year. Actually, to be more precise, the AFL has made me angry the last two seasons.
Firstly was Siren-gate. Now I'll be the first to admit that if everyone does their jobs properly, then Fremantle win that game. But the laws of the game state that the umpire is the sole adjudicator of the finish of a game. Discipline the umpire but adhere to the letter of the law.
Leigh Matthews was reported for belting someone with a clenched left fist in the 1976 Grand Final. He got off because he belted him with a clenched right fist. This sort of strict adherence to "as written" law has been abandoned by an AFL Commission eager to be seen to be writing the wrongs of the past, rather than providing certainty and avoiding dangerous precedents. But what do you expect from a Commission that contains Bill Kelty, Andrew Demetriou, Sam Mostyn & new Chairman of the Commission Mike Fitzpatrick, all card-carrying members of the Australian Labor Party.
Then came numerous incidents involving Steven Baker. Last year it was unsuccessfully hitting a 203cm, 105kg ruckman. This year it was standing still maliciously. Baker, deprived the ability to plead guilty and reduce his plea, won't play again until Round 6, 2008. Ben Johnson, who could have easily killed Daniel Bell, will return much earlier.
Only two St Kilda defenders have ever made AFL All-Australian teams, and both of those were half-back flankers (David Grant & Austinn Jones). No Max Hudghton (in 2006), no Matt Maguire (in 2005), no Justin Peckett (in 1997), no Matthew Young (in 1999), no Jason Gram (in 2006). This year no Sam Fisher, who was omitted behind Darren Milburn, Matthew Egan, Dustin Fletcher, and the greatest and most successful hack in the competition, Darren Glass.
To compound my anger, Nick Riewoldt missed out on a spot to Cameron Mooney. On what planet does Cameron Mooney get selected for anything ahead of Nick Riewoldt, except for maybe an anger management class? Mooney has benefitted from a top notch Geelong midfield, while Riewoldt had to make do with a unadventurous St Kilda side that butchered the ball and generally made Riewoldt's life tough. Still Riewoldt managed five more possessions a game. But then again, the All-Australian selectors almost just selected the Geelong team.
To top it off, Stephen McBurney was named All-Australian umpire, which is kind of like naming OJ Simpson Husband of the Year. McBurney is simply the worst of the new breed of umpires: a chatterbox who never says anything helpful to the players, and has always umpired as if he has no appreciation of how hard it is to play football. He is also the leader whenever Jeff Geischen and Rowan Sawers issue instructions about new interpretations. McBurney has probably paid more "dragging-it-in" holding the ball decisions than anyone in the history of the planet.
Anyway, the only solace I am receiving at the moment is the knowledge that come Friday night none of this will matter, and Geelong and Collingwood will be knocking chunks off each other to become the first Victorian team into a Grand Final in four years.
Football has made me angry this year. Actually, to be more precise, the AFL has made me angry the last two seasons.
Firstly was Siren-gate. Now I'll be the first to admit that if everyone does their jobs properly, then Fremantle win that game. But the laws of the game state that the umpire is the sole adjudicator of the finish of a game. Discipline the umpire but adhere to the letter of the law.
Leigh Matthews was reported for belting someone with a clenched left fist in the 1976 Grand Final. He got off because he belted him with a clenched right fist. This sort of strict adherence to "as written" law has been abandoned by an AFL Commission eager to be seen to be writing the wrongs of the past, rather than providing certainty and avoiding dangerous precedents. But what do you expect from a Commission that contains Bill Kelty, Andrew Demetriou, Sam Mostyn & new Chairman of the Commission Mike Fitzpatrick, all card-carrying members of the Australian Labor Party.
Then came numerous incidents involving Steven Baker. Last year it was unsuccessfully hitting a 203cm, 105kg ruckman. This year it was standing still maliciously. Baker, deprived the ability to plead guilty and reduce his plea, won't play again until Round 6, 2008. Ben Johnson, who could have easily killed Daniel Bell, will return much earlier.
Only two St Kilda defenders have ever made AFL All-Australian teams, and both of those were half-back flankers (David Grant & Austinn Jones). No Max Hudghton (in 2006), no Matt Maguire (in 2005), no Justin Peckett (in 1997), no Matthew Young (in 1999), no Jason Gram (in 2006). This year no Sam Fisher, who was omitted behind Darren Milburn, Matthew Egan, Dustin Fletcher, and the greatest and most successful hack in the competition, Darren Glass.
To compound my anger, Nick Riewoldt missed out on a spot to Cameron Mooney. On what planet does Cameron Mooney get selected for anything ahead of Nick Riewoldt, except for maybe an anger management class? Mooney has benefitted from a top notch Geelong midfield, while Riewoldt had to make do with a unadventurous St Kilda side that butchered the ball and generally made Riewoldt's life tough. Still Riewoldt managed five more possessions a game. But then again, the All-Australian selectors almost just selected the Geelong team.
To top it off, Stephen McBurney was named All-Australian umpire, which is kind of like naming OJ Simpson Husband of the Year. McBurney is simply the worst of the new breed of umpires: a chatterbox who never says anything helpful to the players, and has always umpired as if he has no appreciation of how hard it is to play football. He is also the leader whenever Jeff Geischen and Rowan Sawers issue instructions about new interpretations. McBurney has probably paid more "dragging-it-in" holding the ball decisions than anyone in the history of the planet.
Anyway, the only solace I am receiving at the moment is the knowledge that come Friday night none of this will matter, and Geelong and Collingwood will be knocking chunks off each other to become the first Victorian team into a Grand Final in four years.
