RDFL Thread 2008

[matt_nicholls]

This is my last post for a wee while. Head to QLD on Monday and probably won't have computer access for a week or so. Won't be at Woodend tomorrow, but will be cleaning up S-TAB for the last time in a while by hammering Weekend Hussler at Flemington.

For those who have nothing better to do, I'll see you at the Romsey Hotel tomorrow night at about 7ish, and will be at the Kilmore footy on Sunday.

All the best and I'll talk to you from the Sunshine State!

 

[Grubby_3]

Pretty convenient of you to leave out a few Hacks like the Grubber boys and Bladey - great players and contributors to the RDFL! Gisborne can send any of those hacks any time they like!

d patison h langborne j allen d besanko a christenson d pantey p taylor have all played at gisborne look out we could almost make a side out of players to have played at gisborne.

 

[Grubby_3]

talking of good old gisborne who love to plunder rdfl talent
why is it that you always return the favour to the rdfl and give back nothing but has beens and hacks with an attitude that reeks of being at your club ?? starting to show with how poorly your 18's are going that the kids dont want a bar of your club anymore with all the good ones going to the rdfl just as it should !

surley your not talking about the great man james house when you use the word hack......

 

[blues12]

From a Sunbury perspective I'm not sure if we should be throwing rocks about a netball court. The courts we have used prior to this year had no clearance, had no viewing area and was not that close to the football ground (suppose you don't need viewing area when the footballers can't walk there to watch!). Now we are even further away playing on a school yard. Plenty of viewing area but nobody to watch! Considering the gale blowing on Saturday, I think the netballers would have preferred to be inside than some fully exposed wind tunnel!

It's not about us, I am not whinging about not getting a final, if no court is available on our reserve, maybe we should not be entitled to a netball side, i know our situation is not the best. There is a plan for a court, so hopefully it is not too far away.

 

[GGO Davey]

Have heard a rumor that if true makes me slightly ashamed to call myself a Macedonian.

Apparently (or so the rumor goes), Macedon have put in a complaint to the league suggesting that the WHFC goal posts are 20cm (!) too close to the fence, and have requested that the WHFC have their final this week taken off them.

Now I am more than slightly bitter at the league for taking our final off us this year because the walls of the stadium were slightly too close to the netball courts outer lines but it was the league that I was bitter at, seeing as the MCG has been such a magnificent venue for the past 2 prelims.

It just does not seem to be the right way to go about it in a country league, the teams have to stick together and support each other where they can because if bickering like this starts clubs will be forever putting in complaints about ground surfaces etc, and it makes it much too difficult to run a club if this becomes the case.

And further to this why has their been no mention of the atrociously hard centre of the Melton Bloods ground on the weekend or the shemozzole that the players had to put up with at the gate, not to mention the predictably terrible wind that sprung up, who would have seen that coming? Players should not have to pay to play in the finals, and this is something that can be easily avoided. If I had to pay back when I was playing I would have told them where they could shove it.

Maybe these simple areas should be looked after before we start looking at fences and walls that are too close yet have been operating like that for the last 10 years and no one has previously given 2 shits about.

After a few 'phone calls I can confirm the above complaint which has probably irrepairably damaged the previously good relationship enjoyed by these two clubs and I'm sure the late Bill Tunn and his son Eddie would be very disappointed in their former club's actions. I can understand the cats would be upset at not receiving a final particularly having budgetted for one (bad management) but to sink the slipper into the hawks is indeed not the way to go about registering their displeasure I also think that they conveniently forget the support received upon their re-entry into the comp.

 

[OMNIPOTENT_1]

Anyone got any idea what the ground conditions are like up at the Gilbert Gordon Swamp / Woodend Marshlands / Old Calder Flood Plain.... AKA Woodend Football Oval ?

 

[Halffullonfence]

After a few 'phone calls I can confirm the above complaint which has probably irrepairably damaged the previously good relationship enjoyed by these two clubs and I'm sure the late Bill Tunn and his son Eddie would be very disappointed in their former club's actions. I can understand the cats would be upset at not receiving a final particularly having budgetted for one (bad management) but to sink the slipper into the hawks is indeed not the way to go about registering their displeasure I also think that they conveniently forget the support received upon their re-entry into the comp.

Lets get somthing straight I raised my concerns with this (Closeness of fence) with the then RDFL GM Neil Sharpe in 2005 after an incident with a Woodend player Dan Eastly in the under 18's. In 2007 a Macedon under 18 player Brod Williams dislocated his knee hitting his knee on the fence in the same spot (top end). I spoke to Scott when the final series was published whether the ground fits the VFL guidliness about the closeness of the fence to the boundry line.

I am not a member of the Macedon FC commitee just a coach trying to look after his players during the final series.

My concerns are justified and if anyone wants to talk to me about it I will be there tomorrow all day.

GGO Davey Just got home from talking to Shredder at the pub he couldn't care less whats happening at hawk land. To bring him and Billy into this is ordinary at best, talk to him first before voicing his opinions.

Cheers guys,

 

[GGO Davey]

Lets get somthing straight I raised my concerns with this (Closeness of fence) with the then RDFL GM Neil Sharpe in 2005 after an incident with a Woodend player Dan Eastly in the under 18's. In 2007 a Macedon under 18 player Brod Williams dislocated his knee hitting his knee on the fence in the same spot (top end). I spoke to Scott when the final series was published whether the ground fits the VFL guidliness about the closeness of the fence to the boundry line.

I am not a member of the Macedon FC commitee just a coach trying to look after his players during the final series.

My concerns are justified and if anyone wants to talk to me about it I will be there tomorrow all day.

GGO Davey Just got home from talking to Shredder at the pub he couldn't care less whats happening at hawk land. To bring him and Billy into this is ordinary at best, talk to him first before voicing his opinions.

Cheers guys,

Let me also get something straight, the point being made was that the relationship between these clubs was built up mainly by Bill and shredder and I said that I'm sure (my opinion) that they would be disappointed in the way things were aired and is not the way they would have handled it, and to put any other slant on that is very ordinary at best.

 

[thepres]

As I said riddell are over the line, shut the gate. but mark my word they do have weaknesses its just no opposition has been smart enough to identify & exploit them. so for the sake of us having a contest in this years granny here are just a few things about them. You can thank me later.

Lee James, has lost his leap these days so put someone in the hole, he cant jump on their backs any more.

Their ruck is their biggest weakness, Burnett is a statue & Robertson is sus to a bit of the physical stuff. Speaking of that burnett is no warrior either, lacks courage, rough him up and he wilts too.

Belleville, Blade, Mcdonald, Coles and Young are slow and selfish and hang onto the ball far to long so tackle them every time, it will result in free kicks leading to turn overs and stoppages where you are able to re-group and mount your attacks.


Down forward Meacham and Allen can hurt you cause they never get the best backman, Meacham takes a good high overhead grab, so at the first opportunity get your backman to back under him when he flies, I think they call it tunneling. It will work a treat. Allen is slow and short and can be intimidated. Answer; put an angry taller faster player on him.

Some of their backs have become cocky and unaccountable of late too, run off Ash, Peatling, Murden and Bradon Allen, they chase kicks and can be exploited.
Whilst on Bradon Allen he has a fuse and can be sucked in, just try giving his brother a clip, his eyes roll back and he tilts!

The answer to their young brigade is isolate & intimidate them, their inexperience in this department will expose them to being put off their games.

The rest, ie Besanko, Harrison and Palmer are passengers in that side and wont hurt you, pay them no attention, they are insignificant to a game plan.

Rowsell is the nervous type and likely to panic when under pressure also, so if your teams tactics are starting to take effect his wild rotations and mad changes will give you a flow on affect helping you greatly achieve the win.

You're a bloody genius insight.

And now that you have got them angry, lets put this plan into place.

Back to Odessey House for you my son.

 

[justchecking]

Let me also get something straight, the point being made was that the relationship between these clubs was built up mainly by Bill and shredder and I said that I'm sure (my opinion) that they would be disappointed in the way things were aired and is not the way they would have handled it, and to put any other slant on that is very ordinary at best.

So GGO how good and safe is your ground. I heard (morethan likely 10th hand) that Woodend requested not to play on the ground in the final rounds so it would be fit to train and have a finals day. I don't think they played there in the last 5 rounds. I suppose they budgetted for it and you would call that good management. When we played there the cricket pitch was covered with what looked like shag pile carpet which was as hard as a rock. So an assessment of Woodend's ground would be? Let me give you my thoughts, small, subject to flooding, hard cricket pitch, and only based on comments here - unsafe clearance between fence and boundary. No wonder they have been struggling of late - they morethan likely missed a lot of training sessions!!

 

[Mongrel]

very suprised 2 hear that diggers defeated riddell today by 13 points

 

[dwyane WADE show]

What??? Is that serious, if so what happened there then???

 

[No Comment]

Diggers played brilliant wet weather football. First in and plenty of numbers around the ball. Poured pretty much all day. Ground was covered in water. Back to the drawing board for Riddell. Makes it harder for Woodend or the Kangaroos to get through to the big one now though. At least we know Riddell can be beaten.

 

[OMNIPOTENT_1]

Congrats to Fitzy & the Diggers boys on a great win today,they adapted to the conditions much better & came away with an against the odds hard fought win.
They have now single handedly injected some life into a Finals series that most predicted would be a cake walk.

 

[justchecking]

Congrats to Fitzy & the Diggers boys on a great win today,they adapted to the conditions much better & came away with an against the odds hard fought win.
They have now single handedly injected some life into a Finals series that most predicted would be a cake walk.

I'm surprised you didn't say anything about the quality of the surface????

 

[blues12]

I'm surprised you didn't say anything about the quality of the surface????

An absolute disgrace, when will somebody at hq realise that woodends ground would be perfect for a final in april, not september. when you sink 2-3 inches with every step how can anybody expect to see a good game of football.

 

[blues12]

Congrats to Fitzy & the Diggers boys on a great win today,they adapted to the conditions much better & came away with an against the odds hard fought win.
They have now single handedly injected some life into a Finals series that most predicted would be a cake walk.

Well done to diggers today, a fantastic effort, now rest up for the big one.

 

[GGO Davey]

So GGO how good and safe is your ground. I heard (morethan likely 10th hand) that Woodend requested not to play on the ground in the final rounds so it would be fit to train and have a finals day. I don't think they played there in the last 5 rounds. I suppose they budgetted for it and you would call that good management. When we played there the cricket pitch was covered with what looked like shag pile carpet which was as hard as a rock. So an assessment of Woodend's ground would be? Let me give you my thoughts, small, subject to flooding, hard cricket pitch, and only based on comments here - unsafe clearance between fence and boundary. No wonder they have been struggling of late - they morethan likely missed a lot of training sessions!!

For a start the Woodend ground is not my ground but from the way I understand it, the reason they had the last five rounds away was because in the first part of the season Rockbank and Sunbury Kangas requested that their home games be swapped to the Hawks ground due to theirs being unplayable and this request was acceded to by the Hawks, which then meant that they did'nt play at home in the last five rounds, rather than being good management it is simply co-operation between clubs and may have included Melton Centrals had they not had Melton Bloods ground to fall back upon and I do know that these clubs appreciated this co-operation.

 

[justchecking]

For a start the Woodend ground is not my ground but from the way I understand it, the reason they had the last five rounds away was because in the first part of the season Rockbank and Sunbury Kangas requested that their home games be swapped to the Hawks ground due to theirs being unplayable and this request was acceded to by the Hawks, which then meant that they did'nt play at home in the last five rounds, rather than being good management it is simply co-operation between clubs and may have included Melton Centrals had they not had Melton Bloods ground to fall back upon and I do know that these clubs appreciated this co-operation.

That might have been more luck than good fortune. The ground today was a disgrace. Yes we had rain, but any other ground in the RDFL would have stood up to that and allowed 'good wet weather football'. The ground today spoiled the contest. Due to the drought over the last 10 years people have forgotten how bad that ground is. Lets hope people don't have short memories again. Finals should go to the best grounds - and that's not Woodend's!!

 

[perspicuous_1]

Memo Scott Mccartney: I nor any of my family or friends will ever pay good money again to witness what could loosely be called MUD wrestling at Woodend ever again ! That ground was & from what I have been told always is (this time of year) a ticking time bomb that went off, in ours the viewing publics face due to the monsoonal conditions that apparently occured in only ONE spot in Victoria today.......... WOODEND !

Perhaps the Board Member that hails from up that way and is obviously lobbying for his home town to get a final could explain why that venue is better than, say Lancefield or Romsey or MUD Island ?

Never ever again, you fooled me this time !

 

[Digger52]

A Side who is unbeaten with a % of over 400 should win in any conditions .

 

[stubby holder]

A Side who is unbeaten with a % of over 400 should win in any conditions .

can't agree with that coment... those conditions yesterday took all skill out of the game and it just became a game of luck... it brings those really good skillful sides back to the pack...

 

[burras_1]

can't agree with that coment... those conditions yesterday took all skill out of the game and it just became a game of luck... it brings those really good skillful sides back to the pack...

that is a terrible statement...a side cannot call itself a "good side" and then lose in bad conditions - good sides play good in ALL conditions. your statement is just a cop out. riddell were defeated by a better side on the day and thats all there is to it, stop making excuses and lets enjoy the fact that this finals series now has some excitement to it.

 

[FOOTYTRIP]

that is a terrible statement...a side cannot call itself a "good side" and then lose in bad conditions - good sides play good in ALL conditions. your statement is just a cop out. riddell were defeated by a better side on the day and thats all there is to it, stop making excuses and lets enjoy the fact that this finals series now has some excitement to it.

What so ur saying riddell isnt a good side, so that means diggers cant call themslelves a good side cause riddell absoutely demorolised them this year in dry conditions...

 

[FOOTYTRIP]

Memo Scott Mccartney: I nor any of my family or friends will ever pay good money again to witness what could loosely be called MUD wrestling at Woodend ever again ! That ground was & from what I have been told always is (this time of year) a ticking time bomb that went off, in ours the viewing publics face due to the monsoonal conditions that apparently occured in only ONE spot in Victoria today.......... WOODEND !

Perhaps the Board Member that hails from up that way and is obviously lobbying for his home town to get a final could explain why that venue is better than, say Lancefield or Romsey or MUD Island ?

Never ever again, you fooled me this time !

Good comment, i doubt u could find anyone who was there yesterday more so players who thought yesterdays ground conditions were acceptable it was a joke and embarrassment 4 the league.